Crying Behind Smile Novels & Stories

The Torres family and the Nostra had been enemies for generations. When I was ten, I was betrayed by my own blood and left for dead. Leon Torres was the one who saved me. So I buried my identity as the daughter of a powerful Cosa Nostra family and stayed by his side, helping him from the shadows. For years, I used my father's underground network to eliminate every obstacle in Leon's path, helping the overlooked second son of the Torres Don rise step by step until he claimed the throne for himself. Then he brought home a woman named Anrina. His childhood sweetheart. Anrina claimed she was the one who had helped Leon seize power all these years. And Leon believed her. From that moment on, every ounce of his protection, trust, and affection belonged to her. "Look at yourself. Covered in blood like a filthy stray." "Go clean yourself up. Don't scare my sweetheart." Leon stripped me of my position as Capo and forced me to become Anrina's servant. When pizza fresh from the oven burned her mouth, he made me kneel at her feet and cool every bite before feeding her myself. When a rose thorn pricked her finger, he blamed me for failing to protect her and ordered ten lashes in the punishment room. I endured it all. Because years ago, after saving my life, Leon once said: "You want to repay me? "Then repay me a hundred times." I lowered my gaze to the child growing quietly inside me. "Ninety-nine," I whispered. "Just one more, little one... then Mommy will take you home."

On her birthday night, inside her family’s five-star restaurant, she realizes her marriage is already over. While she waits alone, her husband chooses another woman.. again. Humiliated, heartbroken, she makes a reckless decision… unaware that a powerful billionaire has been watching her from the shadows. He knows her pain. He knows her family's secrets. And he wants to free her from the man who never loved her. But nothing ever unfolds that simply—especially not when fate has already decided to complicate it. Resentment turns into obsession, and truth bleeds into revenge. Soon, the cost of freedom begins to rise beyond divorce… beyond love… beyond mercy. And when buried histories ignite, what begins as rescue threatens to become destruction — where old flames are rekindled in fire, blood, and ruin.

A blessing or a curse? Izzat dislikes his gift, but no one knows about his arduous hardship except his best friend, Fakhrul. Not even his family realized he hold such a big and deep secret within his heart. He occasionally pondered in silence, why a person like him is given such a troublesome gift? Does the gift exist to help someone else? Or to help himself? Once is coincidental. What about twice? And the next time after that? Can you still call this bizarre incident a coincidence anymore? Come join him in his journey of life that is full of unexpected surprises. Scared? You shouldn't be feared by those from the dark side. The scariest thing is coming from within, and every person out there holds malice in their fragile heart. After all, we do have a story that we will never tell others. This is a work of fiction. And the book cover is not mine. Credit to the real owner.

You belong to the wolf now," he growls, initiating a possessive claim that is ancient, fierce, and utterly non-negotiable. Elara Kim spent nine years as the ice-cold CEO Rian Thorne’s executive assistant, dedicated to her job but desperate for freedom. When she finally submits her resignation, Rian's controlled facade shatters. His eyes turn to liquid gold, and she realizes her billionaire boss is a monster hiding in tailored wool. Rian doesn’t just reject her notice—he rejects her autonomy. He forcibly promotes her and relocates her to a sealed luxury suite on the 65th floor, effectively turning her professional life into a gilded cage. Elara soon discovers the terrifying reason behind his possessiveness: she is his Anchor, the only thing preventing his inner wolf from consuming him entirely. As the moon cycle approaches, Rian’s control fails, and he collapses, exposing his absolute, animalistic need for her touch. But when their forced intimacy draws the attention of rival packs who want the Anchor for themselves, Elara realizes her only chance for survival is to submit to the man who holds her captive. She knows the cost of freedom is high. But the cost of staying could be her life.

Asher and Sienna have been inseparable since childhood. The night before Asher leaves for Alpha training, they share one unforgettable moment, their first night together. He promises her that no matter what happens, when he returns, she will be his Luna, mate or not. Years later, Sienna stands at the edge of the packhouse crowd, her heart pounding with hope and their young son balanced on her hip. The moment Asher steps out of the car, his scent hits her like a wave, he’s her mate. Joy floods her chest… until he tenses, barely glancing her way. Without a word, Asher walks around the car and opens the door for a stunning, pregnant woman. And just like that, Sienna’s world begins to unravel. "I believed his promise. I carried his child... I waited for him, I was fateful to him and he came back with someone else. He broke his promise, but I won't let him break me."

You are getting married to him tomorrow, and that's final. Helena never wished to get married so soon, but one night, trapped by her grandfather’s ruthless arrangement and desperate to reclaim her freedom, she signed a marriage certificate with a man she had never met, nor seen before. Barron Kane is a tech mogul who trusts only one person in the world, his grandmother. When she asks him to marry a woman he only knew by a nickname, he agrees, unaware that fate was already closing in. What neither of them knew was that the woman Barron married would become his newest employee and the man Helena would work for was her legal husband. As tension grows, they fall for each other while believing they belong to someone else. Bound by contracts, secrets, and misunderstandings, they fight feelings they should have never had. But when the truth finally surfaces… will love survive the lies that built it?

Vera Quinn and I spent seven years tearing each other apart in the corporate world. When we first started, she sabotaged my presentation slides, hoping to watch me humiliate myself in front of the board. I retaliated by flagging her fraudulent expense reports to HR, making sure her name was dragged through every department in the company. When we were both up for the director position, she locked me in a supply closet to make me miss the final interview. The moment I got out, I poached a major client she had been pursuing for six months, leaving her at the very bottom of the year-end performance rankings. In our industry, we were fire and water—completely incompatible. Then three years ago, the endless scheming finally felt hollow. I handed in my resignation and walked away from the industry for good. The day I packed my desk and left, Vera was leaning against the elevator door, her eyes full of mockery. "Giving up already? Mylo, a cowardly deserter like you deserves to starve on the streets". I hit the "close" button, swearing I never wanted to see her face again as long as I lived. Three years later, we crossed paths again at the industry’s annual gala. Vera was now the youngest partner in the industry. She looked at me as I stood there, humbling myself to pour drinks for an executive, and let out a sharp laugh. "It’s been a few years, and you’ve fallen this far? Working as a glorified escort to scrounge up some investments? What happened to that pride you used to fight me with?" But I wasn't there to secure any investment. I was there to beg that executive for a few more days to pay off the predatory loans my father had left behind. I just needed enough time to sign the consent form for my stomach cancer surgery with a clear conscience.

Mara Voss, 28, had everything mapped out: a brilliant career in Manhattan, a boyfriend on the verge of proposing, and a best friend who grounded her. In a single night, all three pillars of her life collapse at once — and at the hands of each other. Betrayed by the people she loved most, Mara must rebuild herself in the very city that witnessed her fall, without running, without giving up. And then Caleb Shaw appears — the wrong man at exactly the right moment.

After six years together, Serena Kline discovered the love she trusted had been nothing but a lie. Her husband seized her father’s company and coldly handed her the divorce papers, as if she had never mattered at all. “You never loved me?” she asked. Nathaniel, her husband, looked at her with no trace of love left in his eyes and said, “Never.” With no hope left for her marriage, Serena walked away with empty arms and a fierce will to rebuild her life. *** Nathaniel Thorne believed he was prepared to lose anything to get retribution. But vengeance came with a cost he never understood until it was too late. When fate brought him into the same room with Serena again, he prepared himself for the rage, for her retaliation, but instead, Serena calmly asked, “So… was it worth it? Your ultimate revenge?” “I’m doing well,” he answered plainly, hiding the truth behind his commanding facade. Serena smiled, beautiful in a way that made his chest tighten. “Then, I’m happy for you. Peace and closure look good on you.” Her words landed sharper than she intended. Because the truth was, he had never found the peace she spoke of.

"Will you, Drew Walton, take Lilian Rose Martin, to be your lawful wedded wife, to share your life openly, standing with her in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in hardship and in ease, to cherish and love, now and forevermore?"Lily believed she had no purpose within her family. She had never been treated responsibly and frequently endured physical abuse from her father and other family members. Even the housemaids showed her no kindness, considering her a nuisance. Her value only became apparent when she was forced to marry into the Walton Family.Lily was terrified of Drew, the man she was to marry, but she was bound by her duty as a Martin.On their first wedding night, Drew confessed that he didn't like her. She was unlike the women he typically dated.Who would desire someone with her limited education, slim figure, and unattractive appearance?Nevertheless, she was determined to honor her marriage agreement with Drew rather than return to the Martins, who had mistreated her.[TRIGGER WARNING: This book contains adult language and themes, including graphic violence, explicit content, and instances of violence against women that may be disturbing to some readers. This book is intended for adult readers.]