Cornered

In my last life, my brother Leo—the heir to the Moretti crime family—stripped our estate bare of every last soldier, all for a Vegas jaunt. All because his new flame, Scarlett, had a jones for the high-roller tables. The Volkovs—our rivals, the very ones Leo had just pissed off—saw their opening and stormed our gates. My mother, Sofia, took a bullet meant for me. Died protecting me. I blew up Leo’s phone, my pleas turning to screams. He didn't answer. He waltzed back in after the shooting stopped, bringing our men home, but far too late for it to matter. Then, the news from Vegas. Scarlett was gone. A suicide note left behind. In it, she painted me as the monster. The one who’d leaked our weaknesses to the Volkovs. The one who'd orchestrated a fake kidnapping and torture plot, all to drive her to despair and lure Leo home. A perfect, tragic lie. Leo read the letter calmly. Then he burned the letter and told me, "Forget it. It's handled." Father tore into Leo for abandoning his post, for leaving his family to die. And me? I was named the new Consigliere. But after the celebration, Leo cornered me in the wine cellar. His face was a mask of cold fury as he pressed the barrel of his gun to my forehead. "This is for family traitors," he hissed, his voice pure venom. "The throne is my birthright, not some backstabbing bitch's prize!" When I opened my eyes again, I was back. Right in the middle of the fire and the blood. This time, I shoved my mother behind me, dragging her toward the panic room. And the bastards who were too blind to believe me? They’ll regret it.

Camilla Hart’s life is small but warm, filled with early mornings with her best friend Anya and caring for her sick aunt Roseline. An encounter with an arrogant stranger that she spilled coffee, will change everything. That same stranger, Adrian Harrington, a billionaire CEO, shows up at her big presentation. Impressed, he offers her a job as his personal assistant. Camilla is thrown into a world of glass walls, power games, and sharp eyes that never stop watching. Her desk sits just a glass wall away from Adrian Harrington’s — the arrogant billionaire she can’t escape from him. Everything changed when Adrian puts a contract in front of her: one year as his wife. No intimacy, no questions, no strings. In return, her aunt’s surgery will be paid for, and 20 million dollars . Cornered, Camilla signs. A dinner party with Adrian’s powerful family push her to her limits.Eleanor, Adrian's grandmother looks down on her because of her background, his father shows kindness, and just when she starts finding her place, Adrian’s childhood sweetheart, Celine, comes back to claim him. Jealousy simmers, sparks ignite, and the “rules” of their marriage start to break. Between late-night arguments, almost-kisses, and truths they’re too afraid to say , something real grows. But just as Camilla begins to trust what’s happening between them, her world is rocked: her long-lost father returns, wealthy and powerful, carrying secrets that turn her life upside down. When the contract ends, Camilla walks away, determined to stand on her own. But Adrian won’t let her go. In front of both families, at an engagement party no one saw coming, he makes his choice clear: what started as a deal on paper has become the only promise that matters.

Laura was just an ordinary girl, a college graduate who believed in love, loyalty, and living a simple life. She had plans, dreams, and a heart she gave freely to the man she thought loved her back. But life had other plans. On the night she intended to show the world how deeply she loved her boyfriend, everything shattered. A leaked video exposed his betrayal, humiliating Laura in front of her college mates. Whispers, stares, ridicule. It was all meant to break her. But it didn’t. For the first time, Laura refused to shrink. She stood unbothered, showing everyone she wasn’t the kind of girl to be disrespected. That night, she walked away with her dignity intact. She decides to celebrate with her best friend, Zara. There was too music, laughter, dancing, and far too much alcohol. One reckless night turned into a decision Laura never planned to make, a one-night stand with a stranger named Lucas. What she didn’t know was that Lucas wasn’t just any man. He was her best friend’s father. He awakened something inside her no one ever had before, making her feel desired, moan, scream, and orgasmed. She believed she could forget that night. But she was wrong. Life cornered her again when she was assigned a new job. A fresh start and a new boss? Lucas. The same man whose touch still haunted her. The same man whose dick had been inside her pussy and his weight on her body. The same man who was also her best friend’s father. But then comes the question Laura never expected… Can Laura resist Lucas, or will desire change everything she thought she knew about love, loyalty, and friendship?

When I opened my eyes, I found myself supposedly transmigrated to some ancient era. Every morning, before light touched the sky, someone would yank me out of bed to haul trash, chop wood, and do whatever filthiest job needed doing. Somehow, I'd become the lowest-ranked servant in the entire estate. The estate lord's son would climb onto my back and ride me around the courtyard like some pet he was proud to show off. Anyone in the household could hit me, kick me, or shove me aside, and not a single soul would speak up. Five years passed like that, so awful that I almost lost my mind, as if I were living in hell. Then one day, a group of servants cornered me. They didn't bother hiding their intention. The moment I saw their faces, I knew I was in trouble. Fists flew, boots landed, and everything blurred. Just before I passed out, I heard them whispering, "We're going to kill him if we keep this up." "Come on. This place only looks like some old noble estate. It's not an actual one. If he dies here, we're the ones who'll get dragged to court!" "Relax. Ms. Shaw will handle it. The idiot pissed off her childhood sweetheart. Getting tricked into this place is exactly what he deserves." Fear swallowed everything, and the world went dark. When I woke again, the lady of the house had conveniently "returned from visiting her family." The lord threw a grand celebration with tables full of food, wine flowing, and musicians playing like nothing had happened. I carried dishes into the banquet hall and lifted my head. Her face was the same as my wife's, Melissa Shaw. I set the final dish down, stepped closer, and in a voice only she could hear, asked, "Ma'am… are you enjoying your little game?"

I never should have let my mother hold my future hostage. She paid my tuition with his father’s money. Locked my birth certificate, my transcripts, every scrap of paper I need to survive in a safe I’ll never open. And the one thing I had left of my dad, his old watch, she dangled like a noose. Run, and I lose my education. Fight, and I lose the last piece of the man who actually loved me. So I moved into the Hunters’ mansion. Into the lair of the boy who spent years making my life hell. Chase Hunter. Six-foot-five of pure venom wrapped in muscle and money. The senior who cornered me in empty hallways, who whispered filth in my ear just to watch me flinch, who smiled that sharp, cruel smile every time I broke a little more. I thought graduation meant freedom from him. I was wrong. Now he’s my stepbrother. He hates that I’m here. Hates my mother for sinking her claws into his father. Hates me most of all, for breathing his air, for walking his halls, for daring to exist where he can reach me. But hate isn’t clean anymore. It’s tangled up in heat. In the way his grey eyes strip me bare every time they land on me, the way his hand closes around my throat, not to hurt, but to own. In the way he punishes me over his lap, in his car, against walls, until I’m shaking and soaked and furious at myself for wanting more. He calls me Little Lamb, I call him every name I can think of under my breath. How long until we stop fighting the deadly inferno raging between us and finally let it consume us both?

Elena had once believed that silence could mean safety. That a gentle hand and a warm cup of tea placed quietly on her desk every morning could be a form of love. Lucien was never cruel—not in the obvious ways. He remembered how she liked her eggs, noticed when she swapped her perfume, and sent flowers on days he knew she wouldn’t expect them. He raised her like one would raise a pet—softly, without question. And Elena, foolish in the way only the very lonely can be, mistook his quiet affection for devotion. She told herself he was reserved. Mysterious. That love didn’t always wear its heart on its sleeve. But when the old flame returned—the one who spoke his language without needing to try—Elena saw it. The difference. He looked at her like a man who had found his lost religion. And Elena? She had simply been convenient. No tears, no scene. Just papers on the breakfast table, beside the eggs he cooked perfectly. She didn’t accuse or beg. She only asked for freedom. He didn’t sign. He chuckled. A soft, dismissive sound. “A cat raised indoors doesn’t know how to survive on the street, Elena. You’ll come back." But she didn’t. She disappeared, like smoke—except she didn’t vanish, not really. She lived. She wore colour again. Laughed at bad jokes. Let strange men hand her coffee and ask for her number. Lucien? He watched. He watched her become someone without him. And it drove him mad. The night he cornered her outside the gallery, rain in his hair and desperation in his eyes, he looked like a man undone. "Elena," he breathed, "please. Look at me. Just once." She did. Calm as ever, and her love already gone.

Sienna Vale stared at the two pink lines, whispering fiercely, “I’m keeping you. No matter what.” At nineteen, the hardworking college freshman never expected this secret. One clumsy lobby collision at Hale Industries sparked instant heat with Caspian Hale, the 29-year-old billionaire heir whose cold blue eyes hid dangerous fire. That same night, celebrating her internship win at a rooftop bar, one drink ignited forbidden passion. “I don’t do attachments,” Caspian growled against her lips before she fled at dawn. Weeks later, the pregnancy test changed her life forever. Then her estranged father reappeared, announcing his engagement to Caspian’s future stepmother. At the lavish party, the truth crashed down: Caspian would soon be her stepbrother. “You’re moving into the mansion,” her father said. “Family first, Sienna.” Panic surged. How could she hide his baby under the same roof? Caspian saw through her every evasion. One night he cornered her in the shadowed library. “Still running?” His voice was low, possessive. “You think we can erase that night?” “We have to,” she shot back, trembling. “We’re going to be family.” Desperate, Sienna faked closeness with Caspian’s charming best friend, Julian, to spark jealousy. “You’re using him?” Caspian snarled after watching them laugh on the terrace. “It won’t work. You’re already mine.” One stormy clash shattered restraint again. As her bump showed, Sienna lied to protect them: “Julian is the father.” Julian offered marriage as a shield. Caspian’s gaze turned lethal. “You think I’ll let another man raise my child?” Betrayals unraveled. Jealousy burned. Hearts cracked. Would her bump conquer the billionaire’s frozen world… or destroy them all?

Maya Chen has one goal: survive university on her scholarship and build a better life for herself and her younger sister. She works two jobs, rides a beat up Kawasaki, and keeps her head down while wealthy classmates mock her thrift store clothes. Romance isn't on her radar, especially not with someone like Dominic Blackwood. Dominic is everything Maya despises. The son of a business mogul, president of the Iron Wolves Motorcycle Club, and a notorious playboy who goes through women like they're disposable. Their worlds should never collide. But when Maya's bike breaks down in dangerous territory and she's cornered by a rival gang, Dominic and his club arrive just in time. To protect her, he does the unthinkable: he claims her as his in front of everyone. In the world of motorcycle clubs, that claim means she's untouchable. It also means she's his. Maya insists their arrangement is fake, just protection until things cool down. Dominic agrees, but his actions say otherwise. He shows up at her job. Walks her to class. Makes her feel things she swore she'd never feel. The more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to remember this isn't real. Then the threats escalate. The rival gang wants revenge and Maya becomes their target. Dominic will do anything to keep her safe, even if it costs him everything. Maya realizes she's falling for the one person she promised herself she'd never trust. When violence erupts and lives hang in the balance, Maya must decide: keep running from love to protect her independence, or fight for the man who's been fighting for her all along. Sometimes the biggest risk leads to the greatest reward. Sometimes you have to crash before you can truly ride free.

Three days ago, I almost died. A birthday cake was needed for my sister, Rosa Esposito's birthday, so my dad told me to pick it up. He claimed that this was my way of making it up to Rosa for accidentally spilling coffee onto her new dress. When I was cornered in an alley by the thugs, I was in the middle of sending Rosa an apology text. They covered my mouth and dragged me into a van. That was when I heard them say, "Yup, that's her alright. That's the bitch named Rosa Esposito." I shook my head, trying to explain that I wasn't Rosa at all. But my name didn't matter at all when blows started raining down on me. That was how I spent the next three days in living hell. By the time I wake up in the hospital, my phone harbors a new family photo sent by Rosa. It features my dad, my older brother, Rafael Esposito, as well as my husband, Enzo Vitale. All three of them can be seen surrounding Rosa. When I was in the middle of getting pinned on the ground while feeling blades slashing my skin, these people were celebrating Rosa's birthday happily with her. Later on, Rosa smiles at my face. "Do you have any idea how much I hate that face of yours? I also hate how much better you are than me as well as the fact that everyone likes you more than me! "That's why I've robbed all of their love from you… be it Dad, Rafael, or your husband! You, on the other hand, deserve to be alone till the day you die!" At that moment, I've made three choices. First, I forge a miscarriage report. Next, I place a signed divorce agreement into a giftbox. Finally, I dial the number of my mentor, Sofia Bianchi. There, I agree to participate in a classified project research that will last for ten years without getting in contact with anyone. Since then, I, Valentina Esposito, have never existed in this world.

I have known since childhood that I was destined to marry Kaden, the Alpha heir of the Moonstone pack. As the only one with the Moon-Blessed bloodline, I am the only person capable of breaking the curse that has haunted the Moonstone Alpha lineage for generations. A century ago, the Moonstone ancestor publicly insulted a fallen female Alpha during her funeral. He mocked her, saying, "She’s just a she-wolf. Why such an extravagant funeral? How could a woman ever protect our kind? She probably slept her way to the top." Goddess Selene was enraged. She cast a perpetual curse: every direct Alpha heir of the Moonstone pack would develop female traits on their eighteenth birthday, regressing into a lowly Omega. Only by mating with a Moon-Blessed wolf can the curse be lifted. I had been in love with Kaden for years and wanted nothing more than to save him. Maya claimed she also possessed the Moon-Blessed bloodline. Kaden tried to marry her, but I exposed her lie and stopped him. Forced by his parents, Kaden finally made me his Luna. After he marked me, Kaden didn’t regress into an Omega, but he didn't awaken his Alpha King bloodline either. That same night, a heartbroken Maya went for a walk in the woods alone, where she was cornered by a group of rogues and torn to pieces. My parents and Kaden hated me for it. They claimed I was a fraud whose bloodline was impure, which was why Kaden never truly ascended. They were convinced Maya was the real Moon-Blessed one. They believed my jealousy and lies had killed her and robbed Kaden of his chance to become the Alpha King. On a night of the full moon, Kaden tore my throat out in front of the entire pack. He tossed my body into a silver pool to let it corrode. The last thing I heard was his roar: "You lying bitch! Maya’s death is on your hands!" When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day Kaden arrived at the Silver Moon pack to propose.