Count The Time

My childhood friend, whom I hadn’t contacted for years, kept calling nonstop during an important meeting. After the meeting, he spoke in a sharp tone. “Do you think you’re too big for your britches? I’m getting engaged and you’re not even coming back to help out. Do I have to invite you?” I was representing my country at an international scientific forum, so I could only decline politely. Unexpectedly, he turned all haughty. “Fine then. If you’re not coming back, then just send me a gift with four circles and I’ll let it slide. Four circles? Thinking he meant ten thousand with four zeroes, I immediately agreed. “Don’t worry, I’ll give you ten thousand dollars as a wedding gift.” “Ten grand? Who the hell are you kidding? “My wife is the eldest daughter of the Jeffersons, the most prestigious family in Cirrus. Only the most distinguished people are on the guest list. Seeing that we’re old friends, I’m letting you attend. It’s your great honor!” He cursed angrily and sent me the invitation. I was struck dumb the moment I opened it. My aloof ice queen of a wife, who kept strangers at bay, was locked in a passionate kiss with her arms wrapped around my childhood friend’s waist. “Four zeroes, huh? How about four wreaths?” My gaze darkened as I clutched my phone. Four funeral wreaths ought to count as four circles, too!

After losing her mother, Ayesha was left under the care of her stepfather. She is now an orphan and the only person she can count on is Hector. Her life with her stepfather was quite simple in the countryside, it was far from the bustling city life she previously had. It was peaceful ---the quiet life she had always been yearning for. She was engrossed by the solitude; little she knew it will all be ruined because of one curious night. Wondering where her stepfather goes late at night, she sneaked on the back of his truck. She never expected that she will be greeted with something she would never imagine even in her wildest dreams. She saw familiar the faces she comes across daily gathered in circle with cubs in the middle, her stepfather included. They served the cubs with live preys which they immediately pounce on. They didn't let go of it until it stopped breathing. And under the moonlight, when the moon blooms into its peak one after another, the cubs grew into large beasts howling under the full moon. The aura emanating from them was dominating that it made it hard for her to breathe. The people who were there also started to turn. She was stunned. It was a sight that normal people would never believe even if she were to tell them. Forget about telling people! She doesn't even know if she'd still be alive to tell a tale. She can only hope this is just a passing dream. She then cursed and fell into horror when she made an eye-contact with one of them. In a blink of an eye, a large black figure was on top of her.

“You don't belong here, pest,” Alessandro spits, his grip on my hand tightening. I bit my bottom lip, trying not to wince. Trying to suppress the pain shooting up my arm and spreading to the rest of my body. Tears prickled my eyes, but I'll rather eat mud than let them fall. “You're a poor, stinky menace! And I will make life a living hell for you, so long as you still show your face around!” — When eighteen-year-old Cora Williams saves spoilt, rich, arrogant, and bratty Alessandro Beckham's life, she doesn't count on getting rewarded for her heroics. To show his gratitude to her for saving his son's life, Alessandro's father enrolls her in the notorious Royal Elite Academy, the top high school in the country, exclusive to the wealthy and snobby kids of the elite. Although Cora is sad to let go of her old life, and friends, she's coerced by her parents to accept the offer. She knows the rich and the poor don't mix, and intends to lay low until she scales through senior year. But Alessandro Beckham is the king of Royal Elite Academy, and he's made it his personal mission to make her life a living hell for reasons best known to him. Cora has never been a pushover. And she won't start now. She wouldn't let Alessandro belittle her whichever way he pleases. She would fight. But fighting Alessandro might cost her something. Her heart.

Finish the mission, Seven, or we finish your sister." My handler's voice is static in my ear. Clinical. My sister's heartbeat still echoes from this morning's audio clip, steady, for now. Across the Volkov's gilded ballroom, my three targets watch me with possessive hunger. Alexei, whose brutal hands lift my chin like I'm something precious. Dimitri, who counts my lies like other men count coins. Nikolai, whose kindness is the most dangerous weapon of all, because it's the first thing that cracked my programming. I was engineered for this. Genetically modified to be immune to their mate bond, sculpted into the perfect weapon to destroy the most dangerous werewolf mafia family in Russia. Six months to make them love me. Six months to kill them. My immunity is failing. I feel it when Nikolai's touch doesn't repulse me. When Dimitri's suspicion feels like concern. When Alexei's cruelty looks more like pain. The bond I was supposed to fake is stitching itself into my bones, real and terrifying. Now my handlers want the kill. My sister's life for theirs. But the man who created me is their uncle. This isn't a mission, it's an eighty-year revenge, and I'm the blade he sharpened to cut his own bloodline. They think they've claimed their fated Luna. I'm carrying the knife that could end them. And I'm not sure which is sharper anymore:the silver in my sleeve, or the hope in my chest that maybe, just maybe, I could belong to them instead of my creators.

Christmas time,a time of joy,happiness and laughter for most families. A time of opening presents and most importantly a time of giving. Sadly,this was not the case for the people at the white house.A Christmas celebration going on peacefully suddenly turned into a bloodshed with the President's daughter Lana kidnapped by the most feared terrorist group in Washington D.C. Find out more as dark secrets are unveiled in this thrilling book.

“You think you can tame an old daddy like me?” Mr. Domenico Lombardi’s stone-like voice makes me nervous, but I’m not backing down; I know what I want. “Yes,” I added a nod to confirm it but cursed internally at my luck. I’ve never had a boyfriend, and here I am trying to tame a man old enough to be my father. It is said that the apple does not fall far from the tree. I guess I am truly Kate’s daughter. I had an internal laugh at my stupidity. He scoffed, and I responded by nodding once more while watching the darkening of the silvery gray pupils in his eyes. How come? I brush it off as his cold eyes wash over me. Domenico Lombardi’s presence makes me squirm. When I’m around him, I get the impression that I’m being judged and ignored at every turn. “How old are you?” “18” “How old is your father?” “38,” I replied truthfully. “Well, I’m 37 years old.” He stared at me; his eyes darkened again, and I became terrified. I fiddle with my nails, clipping them together as I lean back on my heels to help relieve some of the anxiety he’s causing me. “You see, I’m like a father to you, or maybe a grandfather or a great-great-grandfather. How many boyfriends have you had in your life?” “None.” He chuckled as I responded. “You see, I’ve lost count of how many ladies I’ve fucked, thousands or millions, over the centuries. You are just a little girl to me with nothing to offer; now, get lost!” “My panties made you hard!” “You think so?” “Yes,” I responded confidently. “Well, I wasn’t hard; I just have a donkey-like cock.”

Lydia Lost everything to a deep scheme brewing in the shadows. For years, she worked tirelessly to give her family a better life but was rewarded with betrayal. But just when all hope seemed lost, something miraculous happened. Lydia, who died at the tender age of 29, woke up to realize she had traveled back in time, ten years before her death. And this time, she swore to avenge her former. And this time, she wasn't alone. Alec stared at the breathtaking Lydia, his hands caressing her cheeks softly. This time, she was his reward.

Lara Via Smith has inlove with Cole Aiden Miller, the cold and heartless man. She confessed her feelings on her debut day, he was her last dance. But he broke her heart. It was their first and last dance It was the last time she would take a glance To the man she love for a long time, and that time she give up for taking another chance.

"You think you can play with my feelings, kitty?!" I could feel the intensity of his voice. I stepped back, feeling the wall behind me. "Who said I am playing with your feel~" I was cut off by his strong fist that landed beside my head, making me gasp in horror. "You, sitting on the lap of that bastard! Dakota Weasly, you just dug your boy toy's grave!" his voice boomed like thunder, deafening my ears. "He's not my boy toy, Martin. He's my boyfriend, and I like h~" Again, I was cut off, but not by his fist this time. His kiss ravished my mouth like I was his last meal. Before I could say something, my hands, like they had minds on their own, were slowly wrapping around his head. My tongue slid inside of his mouth while a moan escaped from me, making him deepen our kiss. When we stopped, we both gasped for air. "Do you like him?" he asked, his eyes fixed on mine. "Martin, I..." I suddenly lost my tongue. "I'll count till three. You must answer well, or I'll tell Luke to shoot him now!" "What?!" I asked, shocked. "Martin, what did you do to him?" I pleaded with my eyes, which became watery, but he just sneered. "Worried, huh?!" as he was about to call someone, I grabbed the phone and shouted... . Dakota Weasly was an easy-going, independent fashion designer from New York. She was strong-headed, who never stopped till she got what she wanted. This charming young lady accidentally bumped into the notorious mafia leader, Martin Marcini. The leader of Scared-faced Gang, one of the scariest mafia in Italy. . What could happen when an easy-go-lucky young lady played the heart of the scariest, gorgeous young man in the state?

"If you spend your time hoping someone will suffer the consequences for what they did to your heart, then you're allowing them to hurt you a second time in your mind."