Early Birds Episode

"Shut down for rectification, fined $500,000, plus $300 compensation per customer. That’s the penalty from the Food Safety Bureau. Let’s see if you dare serve us gutter oil again!” Yves Larson, a part-timer at a construction site, sends me a provocative text purposefully, as though he's worried that I don't know what's going on. I just stare at the sign that says "closed for renovation", which is hung on the front door of my eatery. Never would I expect that the budget eatery that I've opened for the sake of the workers will be transformed into a blade that's aimed at me, thanks to the very same workers. That night, I sit in the apartment that my dad has left to me before his death. There, I spend the whole night smoking. Early the next morning, I head over to the bank and withdraw the money left behind by my dad, which is 260 million dollars. Half a month later, my eatery is open for business again. Work resumes at the construction site as well. Yves leads the construction workers to the restaurant at lunch. "I've taught him a good lesson last time. This time, I'm very sure that he won't have the guts to serve us cheap food made of shitty ingredients!" What he doesn't know is that the original eatery is already demolished. In its place stands a luxurious five-star restaurant. I stand in front of the main entrance as I perform a welcoming gesture to the workers. "This is a five-star restaurant that offers a private dining experience to you. The minimum bill for each table is 4000 dollars. You're welcome to dine here."

Warnings: Mature mind only. Read with caution. “We can even make it a one-time thing.” She said, “We almost did this before...” But she quickly held herself and instead said, "My mom won’t even know a thing, I promise." She said, sounding really desperate. “There’s no way you won’t ask for more, Scarlett,” Adrian argued weakly. “Then I wouldn’t be in the wrong for doing that.” She maintained spiritedly. “I mean, why can’t you just leave my mom and date your age? Or do you think she’s dating only you? She’s got numerous men at her beck and call, and at the end of it all, she’s going to dump you. I am actually the one with the money.” “I don’t care about the money.” Adrian continued stubbornly. “I know this has nothing to do with true love. What exactly do you want from my mom? What do you have on her?” ~~~  Scarlet Davenport, a billionaire heiress and the only surviving daughter of a  widow and men-loving cougar; Vivian Davenport, wakes up to find Adrian Hartfield, the man whom she had an instant crush on after meeting at the club being introduced to her as her potential stepdad. She realizes for the first time in her young life that she might have to go against all odds to fight for her prince charming even if it means employing the art of seduction to get Adrian to her bed.   When hateful and numerous vile forces notice these weak spots in the family and decide to exploit them to their advantage, will Adrian and Scarlett realize their combined strength early enough? Would they overcome the odds?

"Black Network" is a gripping urban mafia suspense novel filled with darkness, betrayal, redemption, and justice. Female protagonist Lina Rossi, a principled senior investigative journalist, digs deep into the East Dock smuggling case and becomes entangled in the Moretti family's vast black-gold empire. After being detained by mafia boss Dominic Moretti, she evolves from prey to avenger, eventually forming a life-and-death alliance with him. The story revolves around internal mafia power struggles (Dominic vs. his brother Marco and sister Valentina), brutal warfare with rival Victor Russos, corrupt political and business protection networks, and Lina’s relentless pursuit of truth. Through intense sequences—including a deadly rooftop shootout, underground escapes, emergency wound treatment in a safehouse, global fund freezes, explosive media exposés, manor bloodbaths, and a subway bomb crisis—Lina uses her journalistic logic and courage, teaming up with Dominic to dismantle the black-gold network. She ultimately detonates the bombshell report “Nova City Judgment,” triggering a city-wide anti-crime storm. Key antagonists fall one by one: Victor dies in a tunnel shootout, while Marco, Valentina, politician Davis, and others face justice in a landmark trial. Dominic confesses in court and activates a financial “dead man’s switch” to protect Lina, earning a reduced sentence. The story ends in triumphant justice: the Moretti manor is demolished, Lina becomes editor-in-chief before retiring, and Dominic is granted early release. The two reunite at sunset by the renovated old dock, walking hand-in-hand toward a peaceful, ordinary future. The novel powerfully explores how truth, redemption, and human resilience ultimately triumph over violence and corruption, proving that justice, though winding, cannot be stopped.

Of course I own you,” Dominic growled as he stepped closer, his presence heavy, his breath brushing her neck. “I belong to nobody,” Aria snapped, though her fists trembled as she backed away. A slow smirk curved his lips. In one sharp movement, he pulled her against him, her fragile body trapped by his solid frame. “You don’t get to decide that, princess,” he said coldly. “I’ll pay my father’s debt,” Aria lifted her chin, fear crawling through her chest. “And when I do, I’ll be free…from you.” “Aria,” he murmured, tightening his grip. “You’re mine. And no one else will touch what’s mine.” Aria has always been quiet, timid, soft-spoken, and worn down by life. Raised by an alcoholic“ father”who never protected her, she learned early that survival meant silence. She endured bruises, hunger, and loneliness, clinging to the hope that one day the pain would fade. That hope shatters when her father disappears, leaving behind a deadly debt owed to the most powerful mafia in the country. The price isn’t money. It’s her. Aria is taken not to be killed, but to be claimed. The man who claims her is Dominic, the ruthless mafia lord feared by all. Cold. Merciless. Untouchable. But beneath the cruelty lies a truth that shakes her to her core. Dominic is the boy she once loved. The boy who promised to protect her—and vanished without a goodbye. Now he is both her nightmare and her past, and Aria must survive a world where love is dangerous, loyalty is deadly, and some promises refuse to stay buried.

Sinora learned early that survival meant obedience. For several years, she endured humiliation, violence, and betrayal at the hands of her foster family and the Belmont family—the elite dynasty that owned her loyalty, her love, and her silence. She was a fiancée in name, a servant in truth, and a woman erased for the comfort of others. When their cruelty leaves her fighting for her life, Sinora wakes with a vow — she would Live this time. Sold into marriage to Cassian Blackwood, the cold and infamous heir of a criminal empire, Sinora expects another cage, but prepares to fight back. However, what she finds instead is a man as ruthless as he is unreadable, in a world where power is taken, not given, and loyalty is a valuable currency. His family, surprisingly accepts her like family. Cassian expects a broken, obedient wife. Instead, he gets a woman who has been to hell, and whose life is about to change on a totally different level. When the dying patriarch of the Belmont family leaves Sinora a shocking share of their empire, the Belmonts turn on her and the Blackwood family, reeling in enemies from all around, and a decades-old crime begins to surface. A dead man’s switch unleashes secrets that ignite wars between elite families and criminal syndicates. Assassinations, betrayals, and hidden bloodlines threaten to destroy everything. They chase after Sin as if she holds the key to their very destruction. Pulled between her abusive ex fiancé and the dangerous husband who awakens something dark and intoxicating in her, Sinora must decide who she will become in a world that only respects monsters. Because her birth was a crime, and her existence is a threat, Sinora must do everything to find the truth and survive.

Since it's already the end of the year, the music app I use produces a report on the songs I've listened to in 2025. The keyword of my report is "resonance". Over the year, I don't spend much time listening to the songs on this app. My girlfriend, Sienna Fletcher, is the one who's been using my account this whole time. There's a row beneath the keyword that's written in a tiny font. "You had listened to this song with someone at 4:00 am on December 1st. It turns out that love can go beyond a night's sleep." My breath gets hitched in my throat. December 1st is my birthday. But that night, I had gone to bed at an early hour. Meanwhile, Sienna had left hurriedly after cutting my birthday cake with me with the excuse that she needed to pull an overnight shift at the company. For some reason, I tap onto the unfamiliar-looking profile that has been interacting frequently with my account with a trembling finger. Their keyword of the year is "favor". My heart skips a beat at the sight. Then, I tap on the details. "Over the year, you've listened to songs with this user 688 times in the middle of the night. Every time you do, it's a secretive conversation meant for your souls." The next thing I know, I receive a message from Sienna. "Babe, I need to work overtime tonight again. You don't have to wait up for me. Just go to bed early." At the same time, a new post is uploaded on the unfamiliar profile. It features a photo of two hands that are intertwined together. "I love working overtime with her the most. I want to listen to songs with her forever."

Separated by death, bound to be met by fate. A pure love story of two special souls that even the Almighty couldn't defy. Yoon died in his mid-twenties as a result of a debilitating illness, leaving his husband (Peach) in severe grief. While in the current time, many years later, two boys were having the same dream every night after meeting each other at the university. They fell in love with each other, and soon they became a couple, and they stopped dreaming of those bizarre and ambiguous dreams. Everything seemed to be going so well until fate intervened. Jimmy's parents were opposed to their relationship and forcibly separated them (Jimmy and Jaehyun)  After learning about Jimmy's affair with a lady, his parents' prospective daughter-in-law, Jaehyun, left and disappeared without a trace. However, everything Jaehyun knew was all lies. Jimmy fell into despair. He was so heartbroken. Assuming Jaehyun truly hates him and that Jaehyun will never come back made him suffer horribly. Jimmy lost the will to live. Holding the last thread of his life. Jimmy fell asleep for a very, very long time. He went into a coma and showed no indications of waking up. Jaehyun, on the other hand, severed his connection to everyone. Those bizarre and ambiguous dreams—which were already forgotten when they were together—began haunting him every night. Jaehyun felt increasingly depressed as the days passed. He was later diagnosed with leukemia at an early stage. Will Jimmy be able to awaken and climb out of the dark abyss to which he has been confined? Will Jaehyun be able to deal with the terrible disease that has befallen him? Will history be repeated? Will they be able to reconcile and fulfill their past promises?

Ga-eul was born in the lowest class status in Joseon. He belonged to the cheonmin or vulgar commoners—like butchers, shoemaker, shamans, magicians, etc. He never had a real name since he was born. Ga-eul was the one that is use to call him because of it's literal meaning that a baby boy born during fall. His family earns a living by performing at town alleys and even in gisaeng's places—typically located near the center of a town. After the early death of their parents, Ga-eul was forced to work harder for him and his sister to survive. Being a performer is not enough that's why he was urged to enter the gisaeng—trained to be courtesans, a prostitute, especially one with upper-class clients—world even though he is a male. He knows that he has a soft heart like a woman but doesn't want to be one. The life of Ga-eul is indeed miserable and unfortunate. He is literally going crazy on how he can managed to send his sister into a hospital—who has a osteosarcoma—tumor in the bone. A huge amount of money is needed for his sister's recovery. One night, while having a mental breakdown, he went to the gisaeng house to plead for his advance payment but the head gisaeng threw him outside. He cried out but then, a nobleman in his 20s approach and asked him to come inside again. He never knew that the nobleman was also struggling in a problem. He thought that the nobleman was just like the other middle class people. He plead but the nobleman offer him a huge amount of money. All he need to do is to marry him. The money offered was extremely helpful to resolve his problem, but should he really let the nobleman buy him?

Heather was found around the packs borders when she was just eight years old. She was found with nothing but a name tag on her wrist that says Heather Snow. She was treated like an outcast because no one knows her background and family history. On her sixteenth birthday, a ceremony was held in the pack for everyone in her age bracket. It was supposed to be the night when they all shift for the first time and have their first run in the woods with the rest of the pack. This particular ceremony was even more important because the future Alpha of the Demon Wolf Pack was supposed to shift on that very night, so everyone important like the Alpha and other elites were present. Unfortunately, Heather could not shift that night, while everyone shifted and had a fun night. She was made to sleep in the stables as punishment for being a wolfless omega. They thought she is a weak omega because she couldn't shift, they have no idea that she shifted on her fourteenth birthday, which is two years before her peers. She had to keep it a secret because shifting so early was considered a taboo, besides, her wolf is quite different from the rest, it has a snow white fur, just like the rogues. What happens when Heather finds out that she is mated to the Alpha of the Demon wolf pack, the same Alpha that bullies and Demeans her every fucking day. Will she forgive him and accept the bond? Will he get rid of his chosen mate Mira and accept the bond with his true mate Heather? Find out what happens when the Lycan prince Xander shows up mysteriously and finds his mate being bullied and abused by an ordinary Alpha.

“Hidden depths of Ambition” is a gripping tale of power, revenge, and the quest for justice, following the life of Alex, a young man driven by the tragic loss of his parents. The story begins with Alex’s childhood, where the seeds of ambition are sown as he navigates the challenges of growing up without his parents. Early on, he demonstrates leadership qualities that lead him to win a student council election, sparking his interest in politics. As he matures, Alex not only excels academically but also ventures into the business world, establishing his own successful enterprise. However, the shadow of his parents’ mysterious deaths looms over him, compelling him to investigate the truth behind their demise. This dual quest for power and revenge propels him into local politics, where he faces off against seasoned adversaries and uncovers a conspiracy that intertwines with his family’s past. As Alex’s political ambitions grow, so do the stakes. He announces his candidacy for president, employing innovative campaign strategies and facing media wars that test his character. Personal sacrifices strain his relationships, revealing the cost of his relentless pursuit of power. Allies become enemies, and betrayal lurks around every corner as he grapples with the dark side of politics. The narrative reaches a climax during the presidential race, where Alex’s leadership is put to the ultimate test amid a national crisis and the resurfacing of his parents’ case. With a coalition of unexpected allies, he confronts the forces threatening his presidency and seeks justice for his family. In the final sections of the story, Alex must navigate the aftermath of his decisions, facing the consequences of his quest for vengeance and the legacy he wishes to leave behind. What will Alex do?