Crucible Porcelain

That night, Liam served me my usual evening tea. I trusted him completely—he was my mate, after all, and a respected healer of Thornpack. I shouldn't have. When I woke up the next morning, my head was spinning. The special safe where I kept the morphing inhibitor—the one I'd spent my entire savings to import from Europe for our daughter Isla—was empty. Racing to the healing center, I found Liam celebrating. He was handing out moon-blessed wine, beaming with pride as Natalie's daughter Anna showed off her perfect transformation. My inhibitor had been used on his first love's pup instead of our own daughter. The shock triggered something in my brain. When I collapsed, they diagnosed me with the rare tumor that plagued our kind. Without inhibitors, I couldn't stop Isla's transformation that came early, her six year old body couldn't handle the massive wolf form and the force ripped through her young body. And I, for one, don't even have enough money to keep her in a treatment center. She died in my arms three days later, her little claws drawing blood as the pain overwhelmed her. Until her last breath, she kept asking why Papa hadn't come. Now, in my cold, empty home, with the white porcelain urn containing her ashes on the table, I touch her and decide to sever our partnership.

My roommate had a peculiar knack for pestering everyone into liking her posts on social media, all so she could collect enough likes to claim some prize or another. It was her way of life—nagging, nudging, and guilting us into clicking that little thumbs-up. One time, the campus beauty queen liked my roommate's ad for a facial mask. Not long after, she was in a horrific car accident. The vehicle caught fire, and her face suffered severe burns, leaving her disfigured beyond recognition. Meanwhile, my roommate seemed to undergo a miraculous transformation, her complexion turning porcelain fair and flawless as though she'd been kissed by the heavens. Then there was the academic prodigy, a shoe-in for graduate school, who liked her tutoring service post. Shortly after, he was exposed for academic fraud, and his once-brilliant reputation was reduced to ashes. Strangely enough, my roommate's research paper suddenly won an award, catapulting her to fame and fortune. And me? I fell into her trap too. I liked her rental agency ad, and before I knew it, my world crumbled. A scandal erupted, revealing that I was the result of a mix-up at birth. It turned out she was the long-lost child of wealth and privilege—a hidden gem cast into the rough, now reclaimed by her rightful family. As for me, I was packed off to the countryside village she had escaped from and forced into a brutal marriage with an old man. My life became a living hell, and eventually, I died there, broken and forgotten. But fate wasn't done with me yet. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day my roommate begged me to like her post in exchange for yet another prize.

Cynthia, a billionaire lawyer renowned for her unyielding advocacy for women's rights, has spent her career fearlessly battling injustice in the courtroom. Her impressive track record of victories has earned her a reputation as a force to be reckoned with, and her name is synonymous with courage and determination. But when her own marriage implodes, Cynthia finds herself in the uncharted territory of being a defendant. The very laws she has spent her career defending seem to be working against her, and she is forced to navigate the treacherous waters of her own divorce. As she struggles to protect her rights and her reputation, Cynthia begins to question everything she thought she knew about the justice system. Is it truly impartial, or are there hidden biases and agendas at play? Can she trust her own lawyers, or are they just looking out for their own interests? As the stakes grow higher and the battle for her rights becomes increasingly intense, Cynthia is forced to confront the darkest corners of her own psyche. What secrets has she been keeping from herself, and from those around her? What lies has she been telling, and what truths has she been avoiding? Can Cynthia emerge from this crucible with her rights intact, or will she become the latest casualty of a system that seems designed to destroy her? Will she be able to reclaim her reputation, or will she be forever tarnished by the very laws she once fought to uphold? The outcome is far from certain, as Cynthia embarks on a perilous journey of self-discovery and redemption. Will she find the strength to overcome the obstacles in her path, or will she succumb to the crushing weight of her own doubts and fears? Only time will tell.

Deep in the heart of the Amazon, where ancient magic still pulses through the veins of the rainforest, two worlds collide in a primal dance of passion and peril. Isabel, a dedicated researcher, ventures into the jungle's emerald depths, unaware that her quest to preserve vanishing tribes will lead her into the arms of a predator unlike any she's ever encountered. Kai, the magnetic and fiercely protective leader of a secret jaguar shifter society, has guarded his people's existence for centuries. But when Isabel stumbles upon their hidden realm, she ignites a fire within him that threatens to consume everything he's sworn to protect. As greedy outsiders close in, seeking to strip the jungle of its riches, Isabel and Kai form an unlikely alliance. Their mission to save the rainforest becomes a crucible, forging a bond as untamed as the wilderness itself. Yet, even as they fight external threats, the greatest battle rages within their hearts. Isabel, drawn to Kai's raw power, must confront her own desires and the terrifying reality of a world beyond her wildest imagination. Kai, accustomed to unquestioned dominance, finds his resolve tested by a woman who challenges him in ways no enemy ever has. In the shadowy realm between man and beast, civilization and nature, Isabel and Kai must trust in a love powerful enough to bridge two worlds—or risk losing everything to the encroaching darkness that threatens to devour them all. "Jaguar's Shadow" is a searing tale of forbidden love, primal instincts, and the fight to preserve a magical world on the brink of extinction. Prepare to be transported to a realm where passion roars as loud as the jungle's fiercest predators, and love may be the only force wild enough to save us all.

Years had passed since Helena first walked through the imposing gates of Brentford Academy—a school of wealth and whispers, luxury and secrets. The memories of those early days—of cold stares, whispered mockery, and relentless bullying from Greg and Bianca—still lingered in her mind, but they no longer held the power to hurt her. Levenon had once felt like a place of exile, a strange city after her parents’ divorce. But beneath the glittering surface of privilege and cruelty, Helena found something unexpected: strength, and even a fragile kind of hope. Greg, the billionaire heir who had wielded his wealth like a weapon, had surprised everyone—including himself. What began as rivalry and harshness slowly turned into something more complicated. Beneath his arrogance, Greg saw something in Helena he had never noticed before—her courage, her kindness, her refusal to be broken. As seasons passed, his animosity faded into admiration, and admiration blossomed into love. It was a quiet, confusing love, born from moments stolen between tension and vulnerability. Helena, though wary at first, eventually saw past Greg’s tough exterior to the boy struggling with his own expectations. Bianca, once the unchallenged queen of Brentford’s social scene, faded into the background, losing her grip on power as both Greg and Helena forged their own paths. Helena graduated at the top of her class, her scholarship the key to a future she had fought hard to claim. Universities lined up with offers, eager to welcome the girl who had risen above Brentford’s shadows. Now, standing once more before the academy’s grand gates, Helena no longer saw the school as a place of cruelty but as the crucible that shaped her. Brentford had been a battlefield—and a forge. With Greg by her side, no longer a bully but a partner, Helena ---