Deadpan Expression

"I will make you wish for death," Marvin spat wickedly, his eyes blazing into mine. "But death... will be too far away." I sniffed and blinked a couple of times. “I, Rita Maxwell, would only wish for one thing.” Marvin’s head snapped toward me. Indifference coated his expression, sharp and cutting. Yet beneath the deep-rooted hatred was a flicker of something uncertain that didn’t last long. But I continued, “…I, Rita Maxwell, reject…” “Enough!” Alpha Philips’ voice broke through the air, both stiffening and unbearable. “You clearly wish for death, don’t you?” he blurted through gritted teeth. ***** Rita Maxwell was hated by all, including her mum and her twin sister, Becky, due to the birth scar on her face, the same scar that was termed a curse and had condemned her. What could be more cruel than having fate take a twist into one’s worst nightmare? Rita’s kindness was mistaken for treason and attempted murder, and she was reduced from a despised daughter to a rejected and hated maid in the packhouse. But on her eighteenth birthday, the tables turned so cruelly that she wished they never had. All she ever asked for was love, a perfect life with a mate who cherished her, not the other way around. Fated to the very man who was betrothed to her twin sister, wasn't what she ever wanted. As the hands of time ticked and broken hearts bled, what becomes of the bond that was termed a curse, a taboo… manipulated? What becomes of Rita, the cursed and hated pack omega in this journey of survival? And Marvin, would he ever see her any differently, especially with the demise of Becky and the impending chaos? What if there are better options for Rita?

"Marry me, Olivia," Felix said to her, his expression stern and commanding. "What?" The statement was so unexpected that she choked on the water in her hand. Water dripped down her chin as she coughed and sputtered. She tried breathing while tears filled her eyes. "What did you just say?" She asked hoarsely when she recovered. There was no way he could have said what she thought he said. "Married? Just like that? You can't be serious!' she shook her head in disbelief. "Didn't you seduce and sleep with me just to be with me? Marry me and let's get this problem over with." Olivia Thompson's life takes a complete turn when she sees pictures of her boyfriend of two years with a new girl on the school's social media platforms and her father's demand for her to marry his 50-year-old friend to settle his debts. I'm an attempt to distract her from her problems, her best friend drags her to a lavish party, but everything changes when she wakes up naked on Felix Walton's bed, her best friend's enigmatic brother. Felix offers Olivia a marriage contract to protect his family's reputation after she unexpectedly becomes pregnant; Olivia accepts out of desperation. However, there is a problem: his parents have another woman they would prefer him to marry and she conceals secrets that could destroy the family. What will happen when Olivia faces her deepest fears? Will Olivia and Felix be able to overcome all the challenges in their way and build a future together or will the shadows of their past tear them apart forever?

Everyone called Mia a shameless whore. However, the one trailing behind her was the youngest don of the Yorick family, James. He hand-washed her lace camisoles, broke three ribs for her, and even with his face covered in blood from a beating, he could still smile at her. One night, after too much drinking, the underboss he trusted most leaned down beside him. His face was full of disdain. “Boss, Mia is a disgrace to all of us! A woman like that, how could she ever be worthy of you?” James suddenly laughed. His eyes went terrifyingly blank. The cigar between his fingers glowed faintly in the dark. “Back then, before I secured my position, I was young, greedy for power. To get my sister-in-law that antique necklace she wanted, I took advantage of Mia being drunk and took pictures of her myself… “Ten dollars a copy. I sold thirty thousand of them. Things blew way out of control… I owe her.” James took a long drink of whiskey while his Adam’s apple bobbed. “Thankfully… she will never know. I will spend my whole life making it up to her, treating her twice as well.” He did not see the private room door quietly close the moment he said those words. Mia turned around with a blank expression on her face and walked into a small clinic on the corner. She laid down on the operating table. He would never deserve to know that he had once been a father, if only for a moment. That whole lifetime he planned to spend making it up to her, she did not want it anymore.

"Sex slave? Is that what you thought?" "What else would you have dragged me here for?" I said, my voice trembling. He took a deep breath and looked me over, from head to toe, with an assessing expression that made me shrink back. "Don’t flatter yourself, female. You don’t meet the requirements to be one of my sex slaves." "Oh yeah? And what would those be?" He gave me that same smug, evaluating look again, but this time I puffed out my chest—and he seemed to notice, even if just for a second. "The first is being attractive." "What? Did you just call me ugly?" "Does it matter?" "Of course it matters! First of all, you're wrong! I’m not ugly, and I do meet all the requirements to be a sex slave!" — By the goddess, what was I saying? Marius looked at me, visibly confused, until he asked: "Why does it sound like you’re applying for the position?" Jane is an orphaned, rejected she-wolf who dreams of receiving her wolf and leaving the orphanage behind. One night, when she goes to a party with her friend, she finds herself in danger after realizing there is no party only three wolves with the worst intentions. Everything changes when the feared and cruel Marius, a wolf accused of massacring his own pack in the past, saves her. Or rather kidnaps her. Marius makes it clear: Jane will be his prisoner for one year, until she receives her wolf and can give him what he wants. But how can Jane trust a killer? And what is she supposed to do with the wild attraction they both feel, trapped together in an isolated cabin?

"Don't you know how to fake a smile anymore? Those irritating little smiles of yours that screamed nothing but desperation? We're making an appearance in front of several high calibre people for goodness sake. You must carry this facade on without any slip, Rosalie.” He said.  My chest pinched, and I looked away, pretending to adjust my bracelet to hide the pain. “I know."  ~                                    ~ “Rosaline...” Ezra murmured. “Why help me to ruin a man you once loved?”   "Why?" I repeated. "Because they took everything from me—the one thing I loved more than life itself. They destroyed my life, my reputation, my happiness, all to serve their own selfish agendas. Him and his mistress. I've been maltreated and betrayed severally, countlessly! But no more. It's my turn to take what I deserve: their pain, their humiliation, their downfall." I paused, my face hardening into an expression of pure, vengeful rage. "And I will make them suffer for it.” *                  *.             * Rosalie’s journey had been a tumultuous one– betrayal and pain. The transactional marriage that she had entered into, hoping one day it would turn around to be a marriage for love, had instead left her heartbroken and betrayed. Her ex- husband’s infidelity, coupled with an unimaginable cruelty that he had subjected her to, had shattered her beyond repair.  Now, fueled by a desire for vengeance, Rosalie had returned to seek revenge on those who had wronged her. Joining forces with her ex-husband's rival, a ruthless business tycoon who harbored his own grudges against her ex-husband, she plotted a scheme that would bring them both justice...and ruin.

Today was supposed to be my sister's wedding day. Instead, I'm the one walking down the aisle. The man waiting for me is a billionaire tycoon, cold, untouchable, and infamous for crushing anyone who stands in his way. Power bends to his will, money erases his mistakes, and emotions are a weakness he never allows himself to feel. I was never meant to marry him. I'm only here because my sister ran away… and if he discovers I'm a substitute bride, my family will be ruined overnight. So when the officiant asks if I accept him, my lips tremble as I whisper, "I do." His gaze locks onto mine, dark and possessive. "You're mine now, kitten," he murmurs, as if sealing my fate. The nightmare begins that moment. I manage to escape his bed on our wedding night, hiding behind excuses and fragile lies. But the days that follow terrify me more. The walk-in closet is filled with clothes in my sister's favorite colors. The dining table overflows with dishes she loved. He researched her. Memorized her. Or so I thought. Then he slides a peanut butter bagel toward me, my sister's favorite. I'm allergic. I glance up, my pulse roaring in my ears, only to find his expression unreadable. Calculating. Watching. Has he already realized I'm not the woman he married? And if this ruthless billionaire uncovers the truth… will he destroy me? Because marrying him was never part of my future, and falling for him might be the most dangerous mistake of all.

On our wedding night, my husband Grayson's sister-in-law, Scarlette, stumbled drunkenly into our bridal suite and threw her arms around him, refusing to let go. "Kayla, my husband died young, and I really just want a child. Please, lend him to me for one night," she cried through her tears, shoving a toy into my hand. "I promise I'll return him tomorrow. And if you get lonely… you can use this to comfort yourself." I stood there, dumbfounded, my gaze shifting in confusion to Grayson, who was already helping Scarlette steady herself. "You're really going to sleep with her?" He avoided my eyes, his tone strangely urgent. "Don't overthink it. She's drunk and talking nonsense. I'll take her back to her room to rest." As he started to leave with her, I stepped in front of them, blocking their way. "Grayson, it's our wedding night tonight. Are you seriously going to walk out with her?" His expression darkened as he pushed me aside. "You're my wife now—try to be more sensible. Don't get jealous over something so trivial." Then, carefully, he guided her out of the room. I wanted to run after him and stop them, but when I saw the deep concern in his eyes as he looked at her, the truth finally hit me. The love this man had for me was no longer mine alone. And if that was the case, why should I cling to a marriage that had already soured? I might as well walk away with my head held high.

Ever heard of a “wife for hire”? Absurd, right? Well, it was a brand-new concept to me too. As I stared at the billionaire sitting across from me, one thought rang loud and clear in my mind.“This man has lost it.“ How did I go from interviewing for a cleaner’s position to this? An offer to “marry” a billionaire? The words had barely left his lips before I scoffed, unable to help myself. “Is this some kind of joke?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him, skepticism dripping from every word. He tilted his head to the side, his expression oddly calm. His brows lifted slightly as his sharp gaze locked onto mine. “Is something wrong?” he asked, his voice steady yet tinged with what seemed like guilt—or maybe embarrassment. “Did I offend you? If I have…” “I mean, no offense, but… look at you. You’re tall, handsome, rich,” I continued, gesturing toward him as if to underline my point. “Any woman out there would swarm around you, dying for the chance to be with you. So, why me? Unless there’s more to it. Unless there’s… a motive.” … After being handed divorce papers at the hospital—mere moments after losing her baby,Amber refuses to fall apart. She is not weak. She is not pathetic. She won’t waste tears on the heavens or wait for Karma to settle the score. Instead, she vows to become Karma herself. However, fate leads her to an encounter with him, a wealthy, enigmatic billionaire with a haunting past and a son who longs for a mother. Drawn to her striking resemblance to someone from his past, he makes her an audacious offer. One that could change both of their lives forever.

J'étais la guérisseuse en chef de la meute, et mon compagnon Marcus n'était qu'un simple guerrier. Tout le monde trouvait que nous faisons un couple mal assorti, mais je m'en moquais. Quand Marcus m'a demandé en mariage, j'ai accepté sans hésiter. Mais le jour de la cérémonie, Serena, son ex, a fait irruption avec un petit garçon. L'enfant a agrippé la jambe de Marcus en criant : « Papa ! » Je pensais à un piège, jusqu'à ce que je voie l'expression de Marcus. Mon cœur s'est glacé : son regard est passé d'une pâleur à une ferveur que je ne lui avais jamais vue. Puis il a soulevé l'enfant avec une délicatesse. « Annule cette cérémonie. Je dois marquer Serena et élever cet enfant avec elle. T'inquiète pas, même si je la marque, mon cœur t'appartiendra toujours. » Il croyait que je l'aimais assez pour accepter d'être sa seconde ? Pas question ! J'ai calmement contacté mon ami d'enfance, l'Alpha Dominic. « J'ai tout préparé pour la cérémonie, il ne manque plus que le héros. Veux-tu venir me marquer ? »

Raisel Alaric Warden, a devoted wife, loves caring for her husband, Alaric Warden, a millionaire businessman at Warden Company. They fell in love in college and have been happily married for three years. However, Raisel’s world was shaken when she discovered that Alaric had feelings for Davina, his secretary, from their university days. Though initially unworried, Raisel noticed Alaric’s growing absence at events. At a social gathering, Raisel’s best friend, Hazel, noticed her solitude. “Why are you by yourself?” Hazel asked, handing Raisel a drink. “Alaric was busy,” Raisel replied, masking her unease. As they spoke, Raisel saw Alaric with Davina, their affection evident. When Davina kissed Alaric’s cheek, causing a stir among photographers, Raisel’s heart sank. “What is this all about?” Raisel asked, her voice trembling. “I’m sorry, Raisel, but I want a divorce. I love Davina,” Alaric confessed, as tears filled Raisel’s eyes and cameras flashed around them. Overwhelmed, Raisel fled, only to be caught by strong arms—those of Soren Dalton, her best friend and billionaire businessman, whom she hadn’t seen in five years. “Soren,” Raisel whispered. Understanding the situation from a video his bodyguard showed him, Soren’s expression turned cold, his glare fixed on Alaric, Davina, and the paparazzi. “Remember in college, when I pretended to be your boyfriend to keep other guys away? Let’s do that again,” he whispered in her ear. Torn between the past and present, Raisel looked between Soren and Alaric, caught in a whirlwind of emotions.