Crooked Kingdom By Leigh Bardugo

" sometimes the strongest hearts carry the heaviest scars." Two years after losing her parents, 21-year-old Jane is left raising her two little brothers on her own. Abandoned by her oldee sister and juggling two exhausting jobs, Jane barely has time to breathe_let alone chase her long-forgotten dream of studying law. Every day is a battle to survive: Working long hours, skipping meals, some strange dreams, and hiding her tears behind a fake smile. But even when she breaks down in the middle of the street or collapses from exhaustion, she always gets back up- for Elhoïme and Mathias, the only family she has left. Just when she thinks no one sees her pain, Brian, a kind coworker and a long time friend, start offering small gestures of help- cofee, silence, time, understanding. She pushes him away at first, afraid of needing anyone. But his quiet presence slowly starts to feel like hope. Can Jane allow herself to lean on someone else for once, without losing her strenght- or her heart?

During the height of the plague, Elizabeth is known for touching the dying without fear and for surviving longer than anyone should. The village calls her witch. Death calls her interesting. Malachor is a demon bound to plague and passing souls, ancient and cruel, intrigued by a healer who refuses to beg. When Elizabeth is condemned, thrown into a plague pit, and left to die, she calls out, not to God, but to the darkness watching her. He answers. Bound to a demon of death, Elizabeth survives… and is slowly claimed. Desire becomes devotion. Mercy becomes sin. A dark historical fantasy romance of plague, power, and forbidden surrender where love corrupts, salvation fails, and Hell is the only vow kept. TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNING: This story contains mature themes and content intended for adult audiences (18+) Reader discretion is advised. It includes moments of violence, coercion and domination themes, sexual content and dark erotic elements, emotional trauma and moral corruption, blasphemous themes involving demons, faith, and damnation

On the eve of her engagement, Jade Moretti thought the worst thing she would face was cold feet. She was wrong. When she walks into her fiancé’s penthouse, she finds him in bed with her step-sister. Humiliated and desperate, Jade runs to the only man who should protect her—her father. But he chooses business over blood. With her name dragged through scandal and her future destroyed overnight, Jade is forced into a world where power is the only currency that matters. That is where she meets Killian Montclair. Cold. Strategic. Untouchable. Killian doesn’t believe in love. He believes in control. And he offers Jade a deal that could save her… and ruin her. A contract marriage. No feelings. No attachment. No mistakes. But when Jade becomes a part of Killian’s life, she discovers he isn’t only fighting business rivals—he’s fighting ghosts, a ruthless ex, and a custody battle that could destroy everything he built. And the more Jade plays the role of wife… the more real it starts to feel. In a marriage built on lies and contracts, Jade must decide: Will she remain bound by an agreement… or risk her heart for a man who was never meant to love?

When Mabel Jordan, a bartender scarred by a past betrayal, meets Steve Harrison, the billionaire CEO of Ryder Enterprises, the chemistry is instant and dangerous. Steve is a man who never loses control, but Mabel is the wild card he never saw coming. Unwilling to let go of her, yet terrified of the vulnerability she represents, he creates a single rule to protect himself from the very thing he desires most. "I can't give you the perfect relationship you want, Mabel. But I also can't let you go." He makes her an offer that is both selfish and brutal: an exclusive, no-strings-attached arrangement. "I want a relationship with no strings attached. Just sex. Only with you, no other woman." The rules are simple, but the most devastating one is a lie they both hope to believe. "You can’t fall in love with me, Mabel. If you do, it will be over." What begins as a reckless game quickly becomes a battle of wills and raw desire, where every touch is a lie and every kiss is a risk. Mabel struggles to guard her heart, while Steve fights to keep a soul he swore was dead. Can they survive a game with only one rule? Or will they be destroyed by the very feelings they swore to avoid?

For seven years, I love Cody Rummish, clinging to his promise—once his sister-in-law, Luna Briche, conceives, our ordeal ends, and we finally begin our married life. But reality betrays me. Just months after moving into his home, Cody slips into Luna's bedroom 88 times—starting with once a month, now nearly one or two visits daily. Every night, I sit in the downstairs living room, counting the minutes, clutching a flicker of unrealistic hope. As the sole heir after his twin brother's fatal plane crash, Cody inherits not just power and wealth but also, seamlessly, his brother's widow, Luna. After the 88th visit, Luna announces her pregnancy. But instead of Cody honoring his promise, a public declaration shatters me—he will formally marry Luna. I unravel, demanding answers. Silent, Cody locks me in the bedroom's walk-in closet. "Luna was trapped in an elevator for 30 minutes! She nearly died because of you! Stay here for five days. Feel her fear!" Only on the sixth morning does Cody casually open the door with a chuckle. "Alright, lesson learned. Time to apologize, right?" He finds only the stench of blood and my cold, lifeless body. He's killed the fiancée who's loved him for seven years.

Dorian’s eyes darkened with something dangerous as he watched her reaction. “You think you can stand on your own?” he whispered, his voice low and thick with intent. “ If you think is possible then, Prove it, little hybrid.” Before she could respond, his lips descended on hers. The kiss was fierce, almost punishing, as though he was trying to dominate her through sheer force. But what surprised Irwin more was her own response. Her body acted on its own, her lips moving against his, her hands gripping his arms as if she couldn’t bear to let go. Dorian groaned softly as his hands roamed down her body, pulling her closer. His touch was rough, possessive, and yet it ignited something deep within her that she had never felt before. Irwin gasped as he kissed her harder, his hands sliding under her clothes, brushing against her skin.

"I, Grant Dixon, soon to be Alpha of the Rivermoon Pack, reject you, Astraia, as my mate." The words that shattered Astraia’s world, spoken with cold finality by the man she had loved her entire life, echoed through her heart like a death knell. Far from the pain of rejection, she takes refuge at Stellar University, a neutral zone where both werewolves and humans coexist. But fate has other plans. Astraia’s world collides with Carson, the broody, guarded Alpha of High Crest Pack—the most powerful pack, second only to the royal family. He carries the same scars as she does, a broken past marked by rejection. Will their shared pain draw them together, or will the past continue to haunt them? Astraia must decide if she will embrace her future or let her past control her. And Carson—will he continue to hide from the future that fate has in store, or will he finally allow himself to heal?

The night my boyfriend and I celebrate our first anniversary, we get into an accident. My soul travels through time and ends up ten years in the future. Here, I see that my boyfriend and I have married and started a family. It's the future I've dreamed of. However, it seems that I'm out of a job, and I've given up on my dream. I struggle to make it through endless days of my boyfriend's ice-cold treatment. Ultimately, I see myself sitting on the edge of a building's roof after falling deep into postpartum depression. When I open my eyes again, I see my boyfriend's panicked face…

Aria wakes up one morning to her parents fighting about her, again. Little does she know that this fight will change the course of her life forever. In a world where most the Myths are real, Aria will find love, heartbreak, adventure, and the power of a new goddess.

"No... No, you can't..." The patient says his desire is a little too strong and wants me to use my body to help him for a medical checkup. He then makes me lose myself in the moment in just a few moves...