Early Christmas

Fiona Woods has spent five years being the perfect shadow—playing Darwin Solomon’s stand-in for a woman he could never have. Her life has been dictated by his whims, her own desires buried beneath layers of quiet endurance. But when she discovers she’s pregnant, everything changes. Determined to protect her unborn child and reclaim her life, Fiona walks away from Darwin and the toxic world he represents. But Darwin isn’t ready to let her go—and neither are the secrets and enemies circling them both. As lies unravel and hidden truths come to light, Fiona and Darwin find themselves drawn back together, forced to confront the ghosts of their past and the enemies determined to destroy them. Can love emerge from years of pain and betrayal? Or will their chance at happiness be crushed under the weight of secrets too heavy to bear? CHARACTERIZATION FIONA WOODS (FL) Age: Late 20s Traits: Intelligent, resourceful, quietly strong, yet deeply scarred by her years as Darwin’s stand-in. Her resilience comes from enduring pain without letting it break her. Darwin Solomon (ML): Age: Early 30s Traits: Proud, cold, and emotionally detached, but beneath his sharp exterior lies a man struggling with his own guilt and loneliness. BELLA ROBBINS (ANTAGONIST) Age: Mid-20s Traits: Ambitious, manipulative, and desperate to solidify her position by any means necessary. WILLIAM NEWTON (SECONDARY ANTAGONIST) Age: Early 40s Traits: Ruthless, shrewd, and motivated by a long-standing grudge against Darwin that drives him to play a dangerous game of revenge. THALASSA CAREY (FL’S BEST FRIEND) Age: Late 20s Traits: Outspoken, fiercely protective of Fiona, and always ready with a sharp wit or a clever plan.

One scorching night was all it took for the ruthless billionaire…Damien Voss to haunt Isabella Barnes' dreams. He took her body, shattered her trust, and vanished, leaving her with scars deeper than the secret she buried alone. Now, on a Christmas getaway meant to heal her, Isabella wakes in chains. Her captor? The same man who ruined her. Damien mistakes her for the daughter of his sworn rival and vows to break her as leverage in his brutal corporate war. But as days bleed into nights of dark pleasure and forbidden surrender, the truth unravels: he's been hunting those unforgettable eyes ever since that fateful night. And he has no intention of letting her go. Trapped in his luxurious prison, Isabella fights the pull of his possessive touch. But still, anger and pain burns in her veins... until his obsession awakens something twisted and intoxicating in her own soul. Once he claims her, escape isn't an option…she might not even want it. In a world of betrayal, deadly rivals, and unrelenting passion, will she shatter her captor when she discovers that he’s the same man that has haunted her dreams for years...or become his forever?

We're releasing balloons on Christmas Eve when Milton Jenning's lover deliberately sets off fireworks. They explode on me, burning me severely. My back, already torn and raw from skin grafts for her, becomes even more of a bloodied mess. However, I don't ask Milton for help. Instead, I shield a recently reunited heir of a wealthy family beneath me, risking everything to save him. In my past life, Milton kicked me in the back and told me not to stand in the way of him taking his lover to the hospital. "Is it funny to you to use a child as a cover, Larissa? Even if you're pregnant, you and your baby are just walking skin providers for Rita! I must've spoiled you—how dare you do something as heinous as this!" I was blacklisted by all hospitals and ended up dying while pregnant. My heart was filled with hatred as I breathed my last breath. When I open my eyes again, I see Rita Atkinson secretly aim fireworks at the night sky and set them off. I hear her laugh manically as she says, "You and your child can die together!"

Harriet thought the worst thing she’d done this December was surrender to a stranger in a dark room one reckless night that left her shaking, breathless, and certain she’d never see him again. She was wrong. The next morning, she arrives home for Christmas only to learn her parents have rushed off on an emergency trip, leaving her alone to supervise the renovation of their house. Except… she’s not alone. Devon, the boy who grew up in their home like family, the “almost-brother” she hasn’t seen in years, opens the door older now, broader, too handsome for her peace of mind. And when he looks at her, she feels it in her bones. Because he isn’t just Devon. He’s the stranger from last night. The man who took her virginity. The man she swore she’d forget. Now they’re trapped in the same house for the holidays, two people who should never have crossed that line, pretending not to remember the way his hands fit her body, the way she whispered his name without knowing it was his.

Ericka Matthews has been in love with her roommate for two years. The problem? Dominic Anderson made her sign a contract when she moved in: no romance allowed, or she's out. She's respected that boundary, hidden her feelings, and watched him from across the breakfast table every morning without letting on. Then Dominic kisses her. And immediately tells her not to kiss him back. Heartbroken and humiliated, Ericka decides to disappear. She has a backup plan, savings, and an apartment lined up. She'll be gone before he even notices. But when she collapses on campus and ends up in the hospital, Dominic is forced to confront what losing her actually means. The contract gets torn up. Confessions are made. And it turns out their mothers have been running a secret spy network dedicated to getting them together for three years. Now they just have to survive Sunday dinner with both families and Aunt Linda's unopened Christmas presents. A contemporary romance about two idiots who wasted three years pretending to be "just roommates," the meddling families who saw right through them, and the kiss that finally broke all the rules.

The day Stella Jameson was released early from prison for good behavior, my husband Samuel Xenos, who was always so calm and collected, lost control. He did everything he could to please Stella in her bed. He said that our marriage was nothing but fake. He never had any real feelings for me. And that lawsuit, for which he risked his life to win for me three years ago, was nothing but a complete setup. [Zara, the man you love most is just my dog. He comes whenever I call. He has always been like this. He’s no different from Victor back then.] That was the message Stella sent me to taunt me. I wiped my tears and prepared a big surprise for them.

I came home a day early from my business trip and hid in the closet to surprise Eric Carter. At seven, he told the housekeeper to cook several dishes. At nine, he told me hoarsely that he had taken a bath and changed the bedsheets in my room. He was sure that I would love it. I did not believe him because I had heard him moaning in bed with Willow Summers for three hours from the closet. Willow Summers was his childhood sweetheart and my sister. I clicked on a webpage from my cell without hesitation. "Miss Summers, your appointment for creating a fake death has been confirmed. Time of Death: One week later Location of Death: The wedding hall on the top floor of the Century Building Cause of Death: Suicide from jumping off a building!"

I took leave to be the maid of honor at my best friend's wedding. The moment I landed, Rachel Wendt showered me with lavish gifts: the newest flagship model smartphone, designer perfume, and other branded gifts. "A little gift for you," Rachel said. "Even though I'm getting married, you're still the most important person in my life!" I was deeply moved. Early the next morning, I got up at dawn, changed into my maid of honor gown, and went to find her. Rachel was having her makeup done. When she saw me, she excitedly waved at me. But the moment I went in closer, her face instantly turned icy. "You tramp! Get the hell out of my wedding!" I froze on the spot.

I'd been assigned overseas for three months, but I wrapped up my work ahead of schedule and flew home early to spend New Year's Eve with my wife. While waiting for a ride, I scrolled through TikTok and came across a video captioned: [Marrying the one you love feels like winning a war.] Then the scene shifted, and my world tilted. The bride slung over the groom's shoulder… was my wife. At first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. But then I spotted familiar faces—her relatives, unmistakable in the crowd. I didn't hesitate. I checked the hotel location tagged in the video and shoved my phone toward the taxi driver. "Change the route. Take me here," I said. "I'm going to catch them in the act."

When I was born, I was already a certified liar. That's a fact that everyone seems to agree with. The truth is, my mom, who's a scientist, has implanted advanced chips into me and my fraternal twin brother, Ryan Hartwell, when we were still babies. By right, as long as we lie or make mistakes, our mom will receive the devil signal from the chips. Then, she'll administer electrical shocks as a form of punishment. Ryan's chip often transmits the smiley signal. Even if he destroys our mom's research equipment and pins the blame on me, his chip still has the smiley branded on it. Meanwhile, when I reach home ten minutes later than usual because I had to help out a classmate, my chip transmits the scary devil signal. The next thing I know, I've already crippled to the floor from the intense pain caused by the electrical shock. At first, I'll still explain to Mom what happened. But she often exclaims, "Don't think you can pull off clever little tricks just like that gambling father of yours! The chip is ten thousands times smarter than you! The punishments will only be branded into your bones if the pain is searing enough! What I'm doing is saving your life!" After suffering from the pain countless times, I get brainwashed into thinking that I really am a liar and a troublemaker by nature. On the night of Christmas Eve, Mom comes to the attic to tell Ryan to join the family at the table for the Christmas dinner. That's when my asthma suddenly acts up, causing me to stumble and fall to the floor. "I… I can't breathe… Save me, Mom…" But Mom just coldly gazes at the devil signal that she has just received on her phone. Then, she dials the shock value to the maximum. "You don't have asthma at all! Ugh, you're kicking up another fuss just to attract attention! Seriously, you never change your ways!" After that, she takes Ryan's hand and leads him out of the attic. Soon, she slams the door heavily behind her. As I suffer from asphyxiation while on my deathbed, I can't help but think that Mom is right. After all, my chip has just transmitted the devil signal. Maybe the asthma attack really is just a figment of my imagination. I've always been a bad girl who loves lying to others, after all. When Mom finds out that this is the last time I've ever lied to her, she must be really happy, right?