Crimson Lace

Lyra’s birthday party was supposed to be her usual drinking and partying night, but that night, it was different. She spent her 26th birthday party, having a one-night stand with a handsome stranger, Harrison Monroe, with an assumption that they would never meet each other again. However, they met again. In a hopeless bid to protect her family's reputation, Lyra stood at the altar as Harrison’s runaway bride’s replacement. An unusual contract was created between these two strangers, bound by a shared secret and a plan to dissolve their union once the timing was right.

Three days before my blood oath ceremony, someone planted a silver crucifix in the bridal shop and set it ablaze while I was inside trying on my ceremonial gown. My fiancé — Vampire Lord Damien — had the arsonist thrown into the silver prison, sentencing them to the harshest punishment our laws allowed. I lay in the healing chamber, my body covered in severe burns, refusing to wake fully as the reality of my disfigurement sank in. In my semi-conscious state, I heard Damien speaking with the coven's apothecary. "My Lord, we can still heal her completely with the ancient blood rites. If we wait any longer, Serena will bear these scars for life! You just want Miss Vivienne to be your Consort at the blood oath ceremony. This is cruel beyond measure!" "Let her keep the scars. I'll provide for her for the rest of her life, but if she's healed, she'll definitely cause trouble at the ceremony." "I promised Vivienne that her child would be welcomed into the coven with full honors. Only when Serena is completely disfigured will she be grateful enough to raise Vivienne's child as her own. The scars are necessary - at least this way, she won't dare mistreat the boy." In the corner of the room, where no one was watching, a tear slid down my burned cheek. So this was the truth. The blood oath ceremony I'd dreamed of was nothing but a lie. The blood bond I longed for would be my death sentence. If that's how it had to be, I would give him what he wanted.

Labeled the harbinger of calamity from birth, she was nameless, discarded, and hated by the kingdom. Yet, she moved through life, hoping to awaken her wolf and find her mate. It was her consolation, only to be slapped in the face with the brutal reality shortly after: she was wolfless and rejected by her mate for her twin sister, the darling of the kingdom. She awaited death, the brutal end of every Harbinger of Calamity who couldn't redeem themselves with a wolf or a mate. However, at the last minute, she was forced to take her twin sister's place, and become the bride of the Grand Preceptor/Tutor, an enigma who only left his legend but no face. Rumor said he was the oldest man in the kingdom, barely holding on to his last breath. "He is desperate for an heir," Her father, the Duke said, "Give him a child by all means. Everything he owns must belong to this family. If you can do that, I'll make sure you own land, properties, and titles." "Don't blame us for how we treated you all those years, it's your fault that you were born with a curse. So, don't let this opportunity to redeem yourself go." Her mother. "I could even take you as my concubine if you succeed," her ex-mate, the crown prince. But why is the man who was said to be old and feeble, and dying soon, looking younger and stronger than the crown prince himself? Why is the man who was said to be desperate for an heir telling her, "Put your clothes back on, you're not a vessel for my heir, you're my Luna."? And why does he look at her like she's the air he breathes? "We will make them pay," he kissed her tenderly.

Helena Whitmore was never meant to be Adrian Cavendish’s wife. But when her world crumbles, he’s there—with an offer she can’t refuse. A marriage built on necessity. A deal written in ink. But Adrian doesn’t do anything without a reason. And from the moment she steps into his world, she realizes—this was never just business. Because Adrian has secrets. Secrets that make her pulse race and her stomach twist. And the most dangerous part? She’s not sure if she wants to run from him… or straight into his arms.

Elle n’a jamais été censée être la mariée. Elle était le sale secret gardé dans l’ombre. Elena Rossi était la remplaçante. La fille « sans loup ». La déception. Sa sœur, Sofia, était l'enfant en or, la rare Omega destinée à unir le monde criminel fracturé en épousant Dante Vane. Dante est l'Alpha du Syndicat Vane. Un prédateur mortel en costume. Il ne veut pas de femme ; il veut le territoire que sa dot lui apporte et la lignée rare nécessaire pour renforcer les effectifs en baisse de sa meute. Il veut qu'une reine obéissante engendre un héritier. le jour du mariage, Sofia disparaît. Pour sauver leur famille de la colère de Dante, Elena est enfilée dans la robe blanche. Elle est obligée de marcher dans l’allée vers un monstre qui pense épouser un ange, et non vers la femme rebelle et à la langue acérée qu’il méprise. Dante Vane découvre la supercherie trop tard. L'encre est sèche. Le vœu est scellé. Maintenant, il est coincé avec la mauvaise sœur. Mais Elena a aussi un secret. Son sang évoque le côté sauvage du rival de Dante, son frère instable et exilé, Luca. Maintenant, deux Alphas l'entourent. On la possède sur le papier ; l'autre veut la voler pour détruire l'héritage de son frère. Piégée dans un penthouse avec un mari qui la déteste et un désir qui défie le contrat, Elena réalise que le plus dangereux n'est pas la guerre mafieuse à l'extérieur. C’est ce qui se passe lorsque les lumières s’éteignent et que Dante décide que s’il a payé pour une épouse, il va l’utiliser. "Tu as signé le contrat, Elena. Tu portes sa bague. Alors tu prendras sa place dans mon lit, ou je brûlerai la maison de ton père.

My adopted sister, Rita Lawson, and I get ambushed by a rival family at the same time. But she pushes me away at the most critical juncture, leading to me getting kidnapped. After my kidnappers feed me poison, they leave me to rot in the wild. When I finally get home, I find out that Rita pretends to be poisoned, so my dad has already given her the only antidote. With tears streaking down her cheeks, Rita tells my parents that she's chosen to ingest poison for me, and yet I abandoned her and fled on my own. Of course, everyone believes her. My parents tell me, "Rita got poisoned just to protect you. You must transfer your businesses to her." My husband, Enrico Fulci, says to me, "Someone needs to take care of Rita. Let's get a divorce, Elisa." Even my own daughter, Ivana Fulci, asks me, "Mamma, when are you going to be as gentle and understanding as Zia Rita?" Faced with everyone's accusations, I drink a serum that I've bought from the black market in order to suppress the poison in my system. It can allow me to live like a regular person. But in return, the poison within me will erupt three days later, causing my instant death. Using the three days I have left, I hand my businesses, my husband, and my daughter over to Rita. Everyone is pleased, thinking that I've finally learned my place. But what they don't know is that Death will come for me after 72 hours.

Kasalukuyang nasa bar si Heaven at nagpapakalasing. Kaka-break lang nila ng nobyo dahil nahuli niya ito at ang bestfriend niyang nakapatong sa isa’t isa sa mismong pamamahay niya! Nasaktan siya, hindi dahil naagawan siya ng boyfriend, kundi nasaktan ang pride niya dahil isang pipitsuging lalaki lang ang nakagawa noon sa kanya. Kung tutuusin, hindi niya kailangan ng lalaki sa buhay. Shes an independent woman, mabubuhay siya nang walang lalaki dahil siya si Heaven Ferrer! "Hi..." Narinig niyang may nagsalita sa likod niya... isang lalaki. Umupo ito sa tabi niya. "Sorry na lumapit ako, ha. I know na gusto mong mapag-isa dahil tinapalan mo ng pera ang lahat ng nanggugulo sa'yo dito. Hahaha..." Napangisi siya sa humor ng lalaki. "Bakit, gusto mo rin ng pera?" biro niya. Pinagmasdan nya ito. Kahit na lasing na siya nababnaag pa din ang kagwapuhan ng lalaking nagpakilalang si Theo. Actually, napansin na din niya ito kanina pagpasok niya. Ang lakas kasi ng sex appeal nito. Lihim siyang napangiti sa naiisip. Bakit hindi siya magwalwal sa gabing iyon? Gagamitin niya si Theo para sa kanyang plano. Gusto niyang makatikim ng lalaki sa gabing iyon. At kapag maisagawa na niya iyon, magpo-focus na siya sa buhay nya. Magpapawasak siya sa gabing iyon para hindi naman siya matawag na desperate virgin. At pagkatapos noon, hindi na siya magbo-boyfriend. She can live without a boyfriend anyway! "Theo, can you bring me to your place?" diretsahang sabi niya. Napaubo si Theo sa sinabi niya. "Huh?... Why?" "You know what I mean..." malanding wika niya. Alam niyang type siya ni Theo kaya imposibleng aayaw ito sa gusto niya. "A-are you sure?" "Ayaw mo ata. Sige, I will find someone else..." wika niya saka akmang tatayo, pero pinigilan siya nito. "Wait!..." Hinawakan siya nito sa braso. "Let's go..."

Hindi inaasahan ni Reiko Cordova na mapapasubo siya sa isang trabaho na hindi niya inaplayan. Ngunit dahil sa kagagawan ng nakakatanda na kapatid at walang iba na pagpipilian, kinailangan niya na pumalit dito bilang isang "kabit" ng guwapo at masungit na piloto na si Kenji Jarvis. Hindi inaasahan ni Kenji Jarvis na mapapasubo siya sa pag-aalok ng isang trabaho sa isang babae upang masiguro na hindi siya iiwan ng kan'yang asawa na nahuhumaling sa matalik na kaibigan nito. Umupa si Kenji ng babae na magpapanggap bilang kan'yang kabit para pagselosin ang asawa na nagloloko. Ngunit sa hindi inaasahan ay tinakbuhan siya ng naturang babae dala-dala ang pera na naibayad na niya. Kaya wala silang nagawa ng kan'yang kaibigan kung hindi ang takutin at ipaako ang trabaho sa naiwan na kapatid ng babae upang siya ang pumalit at magpanggap na kabit niya. Ang pagpapanggap ay mauuwi sa katotohanan nang isang gabi ay makalimot si Kenji sa kontrata. Ang babae na itinuturing lamang niya na isang pamalit sa kasunduan ay magkakaroon nang mas malalim na ugnayan at halaga sa kan'ya. Papayag ba si Reiko na habang-buhay na lamang siya na maging "replacement mistress" sa buhay ni Kenji, lalo na at alam niya kung gaano kamahal ng lalaki ang asawa nito? O gagawin niya ang tama at kusa na lamang na lalayo sa lalaki na natutunan na niya na mahalin?

Emma Chen never wanted to marry a billionaire, especially one that treats love like a burden. But when her terminally ill brother collapses and a single signature on a marriage certificate can save his life, she agrees to Damien Cross’s terms; Contract marriage for one year; Ten million dollars. Most important term of the contract: Do not fall in love. Damien’s family despises her and deems her unworthy. And when Damien gives her a sapphire necklace that vanished the night Katherine Cross died, they show her hell. The stone of the necklace draws stares, silences rooms, and carries a weight Emma can’t explain. And as Damien keeps her at a careful distance, the house closes in around her. Secrets surface. Someone is watching. And the necklace isn’t just a relic of the past…it’s a warning. By the time Emma realizes why she was chosen, it may already be too late.

The Lycan King's summons reached all fifty-six packs across the Northern Territories — he was choosing a Luna for his heir. The heir's reputation for brutality preceded him. So my mother swapped my sister Freya's name for mine. Her voice left no room for argument. "Elsa, your sister's wolf spirit hasn't fully awakened yet. She can't survive the journey. Go in her place — enter the Luna Trials for her." She gripped my hand, tears sliding down her cheeks at just the right moment. "When it's over, your brother will come for you. I swear it on the Moon Goddess." In my past life, I believed that oath. I traveled to the Lycan King's fortress, only to be singled out by the heir himself. I barely escaped his stronghold alive, fleeing through blizzards for seven days and nights before I finally lost my pursuers. After two years as a rogue, I made it back to the Frostfang Pack — just in time to witness Freya's Marking Ceremony with the Alpha. My mother stood at the center of the celebration and looked straight through me. "Rogue. There is no place for you here." Cast out a second time, I lost all hope. I died in a blizzard, alone. When consciousness returned, I found myself standing in the stone hall again. She wore the same expression, watching me with those calculating eyes. "Elsa, would you take Freya's place in the Luna Trials?"