Crying Behind Smile

As the wife of the Colombian cartel heir, Krystal Serrano is a symbol of diplomacy and control. Dressed in silk, wrapped in silence, and displayed like a crown jewel at the center of power. But behind the flawless smile lies a woman raised not just to survive, but to rule. When her husband's betrayal ignites a war with the Italian mafia, Krystal is taken. Kidnapped and hidden away by Zachary Romano, the young, ruthless Don who solves problems with bullets and buries questions with bodies. He thought he had captured a soft, obedient mafia wife. What he brought home was a storm in heels. Krystal doesn't beg. She doesn't break. Her silence provokes, her lips taunt, and her gaze slices deeper than any blade. Inside the stone walls of his private villa, control begins to slip. Hatred turns into tension. Tension burns into obsession. And in their world, love always comes with blood on its hands. The ring on her finger still binds her to a man who believes she belongs to him. But what happens when a woman like Krystal meets someone dark enough to understand her, broken enough to match her, and reckless enough to want her? Because there's a difference between loving a woman like Krystal… And trying to own her. And Zach Romano is about to learn—only one man can stand beside her. The rest will be buried.

“I didn't think you'd come,” Mason Remington said. Lisa's breathing slowly increased as she tightly gripped the contract in her hands. It was already rumpled from the many times she'd read it, playing its letters like a movie in her head, over and over. Was she honestly considering it? She had a boyfriend. And even though she had always wanted Mason, craved him for years, he was her brother's best friend, who before today had never thought of her as anything other than a little sister. She knew what he wanted and what she'd be getting into if she went through with this, but all those thoughts seemed to vanish as she made her way into his office. Mason closed the distance between them, drawing her close with his hands to her waist and closing the door forcefully behind her. He now had her in his arms, giving her a small smile before crushing his mouth to hers, shutting her up before she could say anything. His hands moved up her back and crushed her tiny body against his, causing a quiet moan from her. He kissed her as though he was hungry for her. It wasn't just a show of power but desire. And with every brush of his tongue against hers, she knew all too well, that there was no way on earth she could say no to his proposal.

My Alpha, Ethan Alexander, and I are supposed to hold our private wedding this morning in Moonlight Forest. But he only shows up at the airport at the very last minute. Just as we are about to board, he gets an urgent phone call from his Omega assistant. "My dear, my future Luna, there's an important business deal back at the pack that I have to handle myself," he says apologetically, pulling me into a tight hug. "Why don't you go on ahead and have a good time while you wait? Just give me a few days. Once I've taken care of everything, I swear in the name of the Moon Goddess that I'll come running straight to you." Disappointment crashes over me like a wave, knocking the breath from my lungs. But pack matters always come first. I swallow the ache in my chest and force a smile as I tell him I understand. The moment Ethan turns and walks away, I rip my plane ticket into pieces. I decide to see for myself which foolish pack dares to bypass me, the true power behind Moonveil Pack and the only daughter of the Werewolf Alliance Leader. I try to negotiate a so-called important deal with an Alpha who holds the title but wields no real authority. After all, I had quietly taken back every bit of Moonveil Pack's territory and wealth just hours ago.

My mate, Charalambos, was the heir to the Nightshade Pack. To take over as Alpha, he was sent to Noctis City, the capital city, for special training. When he left, my stepsister, Francesca, insisted on going with him. He refused at first, but she forced his hand, threatening a hunger strike until he gave in. Eventually, he allowed her to accompany him as his assistant. This went on for three years. Throughout those three years, our mate bond stayed strong. I never felt the slightest hint of betrayal. He constantly reassured me through our mind-link. "You're the only one for me." At some point, I started receiving photos anonymously. Francesca kissed him in the face, but he never refused. Once, Charalambos and I were on a video call in the dark, and I could hear Francesca’s breathless voice clearly while she whispered his name in the heat of it. Three years later, the day he returned to the pack, I saw her walking behind him. She had been with pup for five months, and there was a smug, victorious smile on her face. He looked at me apologetically. Guilt was written all over his face. "I'm sorry. I’ve only ever loved you. Once the pup comes, you can raise it." I was done. I had waited for three years. I made up my mind to reject him.

Evangeline has it all, the looks, the money, the men. She was unstoppable and took anything and everything she wanted with a smile on her face. The men adore her and the women yearned her friendship in secret even the most jealous of hearts. But will everything change at the appearance of a poor, part-timer, nerdy man?

​“This is Ava, my mate. Your new Luna.” ​The Alpha’s voice boomed across the clearing, and in that instant, my world came crashing down. ​I stood frozen, the heavy silence of the pack pressing in on me. I didn't know whether to move, to scream, or to simply collapse. My legs felt like heavy, even as my wolf thrashed inside me, recognizing the soul crushing scent of the man standing on the podium. ​Four years ago, he humiliated me in front of the entire school. He made me believe my feelings were something to be ashamed of; a joke to be laughed at. That night, I left everything behind: my home, my pack, and the boy who broke me. ​I never planned to return. ​But standing at the coronation of the new Alpha, fate betrayed me in the cruelest way possible. The mate bond snapped into place with a terrifying force, tying me to the very man I swore to hate forever. ​I try to run. He doesn’t let me. ​Now, I’m expected to stand by his side as Luna, to smile for a pack that once laughed at my tears, and to trust an Alpha who shattered my heart into a thousand pieces. He thinks he can own me. He thinks a bond makes up for the scars he left behind. But he’s about to find out, I’m not the girl he broke. I’m the woman who’s going to bring him to his knees.

I just have one job: protect her. That’s it. But Aubrey Campbell… she’s my obsession. She’s my best friend’s little sister, sweet, innocent, untouchable. Totally off-limits. And yet, every glance, every accidental brush of her skin, makes it impossible to stay away. I was sent to keep her safe from a dangerous, deranged stalker, but protecting her quickly turned into something far more addictive, for both of us. My obsession is controlling me, and soon, she’s over my knee, crying out for a control she shouldn’t want, calling me ‘daddy’ in ways that ignite a fire I can’t put out. Desire doesn’t follow the rules. Obsession doesn’t back down. And once Aubrey Campbell is mine, there’s no turning back.

Olivia Simon lost her twin brother, Oliver in a ghastly car accident. Down with heartbreak and loneliness, she ran away from home to her aunt Grace's in Australia. Crying and missing her brother, she decided to become him to ease her pain. Kane Boron, the heir to the MavinTech, known to be cold and arrogant but indeed was looking for a friend happens to hit off with a new guy on his 28 birthday party and they became best of friends. What happens when Olivia notice she was in love with her best friend, how is she going to tell him without him being angry that she deceived him? How is Kane going to cope when he noticed that he was attracted to his friend and really wants to kiss him? What happens to his preference? Is he turning gay? He found himself in a big dilemma with no how to escape.

The heir to the New York mafia family, the Donovitch crime family, chose me as a potential fiancée candidate. But I refused to become his wife and the future Madre of the Donovitch family. Because in my previous life, he missed the desperate call from his childhood sweetheart on our wedding night. That led to the sweetheart being killed by a Mexican cartel in revenge. He vented all his frustration on me, using sulfuric acid to disfigure me, tearing off my limbs. He tormented me for five long years. Finally, he used the punishment method for a traitor to stuff me into a gasoline barrel and burn me alive. In this life, I will definitely change my destiny. He has a thing for his stepsister, so I'll let them have each other. But this time, that cold and arrogant man ends up crying and begging me to come back.

On my boyfriend, Draco Leroyce's birthday, I take him to a newly-opened fancy restaurant of my own for his birthday meal. Thinking that we'll be having a birthday cake for dessert later, Draco and I decide to order a set meal that includes a pizza and a plate of pasta. With a smile, I hand the menu over to the waitress. She plasters a fake smile on her face as she grabs the menu. But she secretly calls us "broke ass bastards" in Virellian. I draw my brows into a deep frown instantly. "What did you just say?" The waitress is momentarily stunned. Then, she shoots me another fake smile. "I said I'll prepare your food right away." I just sneer back at the waitress before responding to her in fluent Virellian, "You were calling us broke ass bastards."