Deadpan Expression

Shawn's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the divorce papers in his hand. "What is this, Alisa?" he asked, his voice trembling. "It would be Miss Reynolds to you soon," she replied, her voice devoid of emotion. "I'm done with you, and I'm done with this farce of a marriage." Shawn was taken aback by the coldness in her tone. This was the same woman who had once spoken to him with such love and affection. What had happened to her? "I thought you loved me," he said, his voice cracking with emotion. Alisa scoffed, her expression disdainful. "Cindy is back, and you think I'd stay with you? You want to have your cake and eat it too? Never." ### Alisa Randall's fairy-tale marriage to her childhood sweetheart, Shane Dallas, had ended in heartbreak when he left her for his first love, Cindy. But what Shane didn't know was that Alissa was the heiress to the country's largest fortune, with connections to Hollywood's elite and multiple identities at her disposal. Now, Shane was realizing his mistake, and he came crawling back to Alisa, tears streaming down his face. But would she take him back, or would she forge a new path, one that didn't include him?

James’s lips brushed against mine, sending shivers down my spine. His eyes remained aloof, but his mouth ignited flames within me. My pulse raced as his cold, calculated kiss unexpectedly sparked desire. I abruptly melted into him, seeking warmth. James expression remained neutral, but his grip on me tightened, betraying his character and his hidden emotions. *************** Ava's world changed into an adventurous one, the day she got involved in an accident with Simville's most cruel and heartless billionaire. Unlucky for her, she becomes James pawn as she finds herself in a marriage contract, in order to secure his next heir as his health dwindled. Ava on the other hand, agrees reluctantly, in order to amass wealth from their contract, to pay off her debts with her forced lover, Brandon, hoping to see her lost mother once again. But as the fake love become real, Brandon becomes nicer and more gentle,an evidence of their contract love coming into reality. After reuniting with her mom, Ava is forced to choose - Going to live with her mother in her new found home, or staying with James, who has fully fallen for her. Would she choose her last true relative over her first true love??

"I, Ortega Blackwood, daughter of beta Denzel Blackwood, am rejecting you, Killian Fitzgerald, future Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, as my fated mate!" She uttered through gritted teeth, glaring fiercely at her mate as he descended the stairs towards her. His expression twisted into a mask of fury, his eyes blazing with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, his imposing figure cast a shadow over her as she lay on the ground, vulnerable yet defiant. "Do you dare defy me, Ortega? Do you dare reject your fate?" His voice dripped with venom, each word carrying a threat that hung heavily in the air. "You cannot reject me, Ortega. You will be my mate whether you like it or not." ************** Rejecting her mate hadn't been easy. But when Ortega meets the powerful and ruthless Lycan and Mafia Boss, Alfredo Gambino, she finds herself falling in love with him, even though he is the rival and enemy of her rejected mate. And Alfredo also finds himself unwilling to let her go, especially now that her rejected mate wants her back.

I stared down at the contract, a wave of defiance bubbling up in me. I turned back to him, meeting his gaze head-on. "I never asked for your help," I said, "I would've found a way to save my mother on my own. You may think you own me, but I'd rather die than marry you." A slow smile crept across his face, a smug, knowing look that sent a chill down my spine. He knew exactly what I was thinking, as if my resistance only entertained him. "Look at me," he commanded. I reluctantly turned back, locking eyes with him. His face had shifted, his expression darkened, and for the first time, true fury was etched in his eyes. "I’ll count to ten," he said, "If that contract isn’t signed by the time I reach ten, I’ll make the same call I made to pay those bills. Only this time, the instructions will be different. Your mother... your sister…they’ll both be gone." He took a breath, settling back as if the threat were a mere matter of routine. "So… ONE!!" I swallowed hard, my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Could he be bluffing? No, I'd seen him kill before, seen how casually he turned life and death into sports. "FOUR," he counted. My hands started to shake. What could I do? If I signed, I'd be bound to him forever, trapped as his wife. But if I didn’t... my mother and sister’s lives hung in the balance. "SEVEN." I closed my eyes, fighting the panic rising in my chest. He wouldn’t do it, I told myself. He couldn’t be that monstrous. But even as I thought it, the doubt crept in. I wasn’t sure. Then, he hit "TEN" himself

"Madison is pregnant. And she says that…that you are the father of her child." Time seemed to stand still as Dominic let out a heavy sigh, his expression shifting to one of cold indifference. "Yes, it's true," he stated flatly. "If Madison is with child, then I am the father." The words cycled my brain like the world’s most horrifying mantra, shattering the delicate surface of the life we had built together. "How could you do this to me? To us?" I cried, hot tears streaming down my cheeks. *** Selena Valeria Winters has been the wife of Alpha Dominic, the Alpha of the Knightstorm Pack, for eight years. They had it all when they combined their packs together and were blessed with three beautiful daughters. Though they were happy, there was a problem: Selena was unable to provide him with an heir. Everything changes when Selena finds out that her husband, a once caring and cherishing Alpha, has taken someone else as a mistress and has gotten her pregnant. Hurt and betrayed, she asks for a divorce, but instead, she is treated as a prisoner in her own pack. In the heat of it all, Selena manages to escape with her daughters, without Dominic knowing that she is pregnant with his child. Five years later, Selena appears in the Knightstorm Pack again, but this time it’s because of a life-and-death situation. So, she has to face the man who betrayed her and those feelings again while trying to survive at the same time. Alpha Dominic has no idea that she bore a child in secret, but he wants Selena and their daughters back. Will Selena accept the Alpha back and return to the life she once fled?

"It’s not just a deal. It’s an opportunity. I’m offering you a way out of all the bullshit—" "By tying myself to you forever?" I laughed bitterly, the absurdity of the situation hitting me. "No, thanks." Ethan’s jaw clenched, his calm demeanor faltering for the first time. "It’s not forever. It’s just... a few years. Until we both get what we need. Then we can go our separate ways. You’ll have power, money, and respect." I stared at him, incredulous. "You’re insane. You're offering me marriage just so I wouldn't expose you for being a vile and evil man" His voice dropped and his expression darkened, "How much do you want?." ------------ Madison Taylor never expected to see Ethan King again—the arrogant high school golden boy who made her life a living hell. But years later, fate throws them together when she takes a job at his billion-dollar company. Madison is no longer the shy, vulnerable girl she was in high-school, she had changed into a gorgeous confident young woman who was ready to make her mark in the world and Ethan is intrigued by this transformation. Now, Ethan is desperate to keep his past buried and offers Madison a $30 million contract to marry him and protect his spotless reputation. Madison agrees, but not for the reasons Ethan thinks. She’s ready to make him pay for every cruel word, every insult that scarred her. But as their contract marriage unfolds, so do feelings neither expected. Caught between revenge and undeniable attraction, Madison must decide: will she ruin the man who once broke her, or fall for him all over again?

“Why are you doing this? What did I ever do to you?!” Amaya screamed, tears rushing from her eyes. Logan, standing by the window, smiled. “Your existence. The crime you committed is being your father’s daughter,” he replied, his eyes glinting with amusement. “How could that be a crime?” Amaya mumbled, pain evident in her voice. Logan’s expression darkened. “Your father owes me, and you are simply paying the price. Don’t complain.” He expected a response, but she remained silent. Gliding closer, Logan grabbed her hair with full force. “You can’t die now, Amaya. This is only the beginning.” ____ Logan, blinded by revenge, used Amaya to make her suffer for her father’s sins. Yet, somewhere along the way, he fell for her. Just when he let go of his hatred, she betrayed him. One moment, she was his wife, his possession. The next, she was gone—standing beside another man, tearing his world apart. His power, his wealth, everything he built—shattered. Now, he's out for vengeance again—a battle between him and the woman he loves. Did Amaya truly betray him, or was Logan blind to a greater deception?

Aria's life was chillingly quiet until a True Mate came along in the form of Relaz. He was noisy, extremely talkative, and especially annoying. Once allowed, there was no end to his gabbling. But when Aria realizes that Relaz is more than he seems, much more than just a carefree, always smiling and talkative man, he is something much more ruthless, will their relationship be put in jeopardy or will they try to work together irrespective of their misunderstandings and solve a puzzle, when they realize that the people around them are planning their destruction? Teaser... " You aren't my Relaz. That's right. I should get lost? Then no problem. All this while, you've been seeing me as nothing more than baggage, an extra load, right?" "I-i" Relaz stuttered. But he still didn't end up saying anything nor did he turn to look back at her. Aria laughed mockingly, "You're right. I'm so stupid. How could I have blamed the mood goddess all this while when she had given me such a treasure like Relaz as my mate. Now that he is no longer here, nor can I see the ghost of him, I've realized, how much the moon goddess had loved me. But it's a pity, I'm so stupid. Stupid, stupid..." She raised her hands and started slapping her cheeks with each 'stupid' she said and backed away slowly with tears on her face, desperately hoping that she could see the trace of the mate who once held, and loved her like no other. It was a pity she left too early and didn't manage to capture the tear that had managed to escape his tightly closed eyes, nor did she see the cold expression he wore all along, cracking and revealing immense grief. For what is love? Pain. Sacrifice.

A week after I gave birth via C-section, Mark Whitman invited his friends over to celebrate the birth of our son. The crowd was boisterous—more than a dozen people. Not one of them bothered to remove their dirty shoes. The wooden floor was soon covered in muddy footprints. Mark came into the room and, without a hint of concern, ordered me out of bed. "Everyone's waiting outside. Don't just hide here and rest—you're embarrassing me in front of our guests." I had no choice but to push through the pain, forcing my body to prepare a huge meal for the large crowd, all on my own. When I carried the final bowl of steaming soup to the table, Lily Hoyte—whether intentionally or not—jabbed her hand against the wound on my abdomen. My hand trembled from the sudden pain, and the bowl slipped slightly, spilling the hot soup onto Lily's shoes. Mark's face darkened instantly. "What the heck did you do, Cammy? Lily rushed here right after her plane landed from overseas to see our son, and this is how you treat her?" The crowd quickly chimed in. "Come on, Cammy, no need to be so petty." "Mark and Lily grew up together. If there was really something between them, do you think you'd even be here now?" "Do you even know how much those shoes cost? They're limited edition—easily over ten thousand dollars. And you just ruined them." Lily stood up awkwardly, her eyes misting with tears. "If Cammy doesn't like me," she said softly, "then I'll leave. I don't want to be a bother." But Mark grabbed her hand in an exaggerated display of protection, his voice harsh as he turned to me. "Wipe Lily's shoes clean. Right now." His partiality for Lily made something sharp twist in my chest. My lips quivered as I fought back tears. "The wound on my stomach hasn't healed yet. I can't bend over." At that, his expression grew colder. "Don't use childbirth as an excuse. If you can't bend over, then kneel and wipe them. And if you won't, get out of my house!"

Hailey descended the stairs gracefully, when she saw her ex husband's gloomy facial expression. She wanted to walk past him, when he held her hand, and stared at her like a lost treasure. "What did you want," Hailey half yelled, removing her hand from his. He sighed deeply, before answering "I was wrong, I was wrong to file for a divorce when you did nothing wrong." Hailey closed the gap between them, with her facial expression unreadable. "Let me go dear ex husband, you made the right choice." Updated daily from mondays to saturdays. Subscribe to read, or wait to read for free…The choice is yours. ❤💋