Empty Smiles

Cho Sarang, the famous kpop idol and actress, finally, for the first time, decided to live out one part of her life, saying goodbye to her empty and lonely life and start anew. But fate seems to be playing a cruel joke on her when an unexpected accident took her life, making all her dreams and hopes shattered into dust. On top of that, she found herself transmigrated into the last novel she read, as the pitiful villainess, Belladonna Reigna Astaseul. The abandoned princess who died miserably after attempting a coup d'etat.

I was the son of the wealthiest man in Capital City, but I had never enjoyed the flattery and fake smiles that came with that title. All I had ever wanted was a normal life. Now that I was pushing twenty-eight and still single, my mom finally lost her patience. She gave me an ultimatum: go on a blind date or she’d disown me. On my way to the date, I passed by a luxury boutique and spotted a watch that immediately caught my eye. I was just about to pay for it when, out of nowhere, a man barged in from behind and slapped a black card down on the counter. “I’ll take this watch. Wrap it up for me,” he said. I stayed calm and said politely, “Sir, I saw this watch first.” However, he just scoffed and snapped back, full of arrogance, “A broke nobody like you can look but not afford it. Get lost. I’m the assistant to Ms. Jackson, the CEO of Jackson Group. In this city, if I want something, no one will fight me for it.” Ms. Jackson? Isn’t that the exact woman I was supposed to be meeting for the blind date? Without another word, I pulled out my phone and dialed her number. “Selena,” I said calmly, “do you know your assistant is out here throwing your name around to bully people?”

My husband, Ethan Parker, brought our daughter on a trip to the countryside with his first love, Mandy Sanchez. Halfway through, he abandoned our little girl and left with Mandy. When our daughter was surrounded by wolves, I could not reach him. By the time I arrived, the car was empty—the only thing left behind was a bloodstained piece of pumpkin pie. As I was dealing with my grief, Ethan finally answered his phone. "We're celebrating Thanksgiving. Why are you ruining the mood?" I internally scoffed at that man's audacity. Well, happy holidays indeed! Let me deliver a bloody pumpkin pie for you to really get into the spirit.

"You’re just too old to handle me,” I spat in fury. “That’s why you won’t f*ck me.” His eyes turned feral. “What did you just say?” he growled, stepping closer. My breath hitched, and heat pooled between my legs. “I said you're old—and not man enough.” He grabbed my chin, lips inches from mine. “Baby girl, when I’m done with you, you’ll beg this 'old man' to stop. You won’t just know I’m man enough—you’ll feel it in every inch of your sore, trembling body.” ***** At 40, architect Lorenzo De Vito has built a life of discipline and control—until 23-year-old Emily Ross steps into his world. She's bold, ambitious, and irresistible, awakening desires he buried long ago. Lorenzo knows she's off-limits, a risk to his career and reputation, but her teasing smiles and undeniable chemistry make her impossible to resist. As the tension between them ignites, the line between control and surrender begins to blur. Will he resist the temptation or risk it all for the one woman he shouldn’t want?

In the middle of the night, young Euroah Minari’s life changes forever. A dark twist of fate occurs and she finds herself captured and sold off to the highest bidder. Now a slave living in a whole new world of advanced technology, she must learn to cope with her new reality, make new friends, and learn how to please her master. Zion Velucia is a 29 year old business man. At a young age, he inherited the massive family fortune and became the CEO of the largest technology company in the kingdom of Symphonia. An empty hearted man who trusts no one. He’s lived his entire life knowing that everyone around him is after something and wants to use him for their own benefit. But when he sees an innocent girl on the auction block, she brings back pieces of his past that he’s hidden away for so many years. Can Euroah bring out a side to him he thought he’d driven out? Or will his being accustomed to getting exactly what he wants stand in the way of obtaining what his soul truly craves? You can't escape destiny!

The seventh time Claire Fisher bailed on our marriage license appointment, I finally cut her out of my life—for good. From then on, if she was at a party, I wasn't. When she was scheduled to perform at our college's anniversary celebration, I made sure to leave early. The moment my company announced a collaboration with hers, I resigned without a second thought. Even on Christmas Eve, when she showed up at my parents' house with gifts, I slipped out with a half-hearted excuse about "visiting a friend." I blocked her number. Deleted her from my contacts. Burned every bridge and salted the earth behind me. No calls. No texts. No social media. I didn't reach out. She couldn't reach me. Simple as that. For the better part of my life, I was hopelessly in love with her—waiting on her, caring for her, putting her first in every way that mattered. I gave her all of me without ever holding back. But after the seventh time she left me sitting alone at the City Hall, something inside me broke. I was done. If that meant spending the rest of my life alone, so be it. Better that than sitting in an empty apartment, listening to the silence, holding on to hope for someone who never planned to show up.

I never wanted to be an Alpha. It was my brother’s destiny to lead the pack. But Dad refused to give him the position, believing he would lead with his heart, not his head! As his only other child, the title falls to me. Following my father’s death, the Wolf Council is demanding that I find a mate before I turn 21. Or they will choose a new Alpha for the River Valley Pack. Why? Because a female is supposed to be a Luna, not an Alpha.   But I am not a Luna, I am the Female Alpha of the River Valley Pack. I won’t be made to choose a partner who doesn’t deserve me. But I won’t find one hiding in my pack. I need to put myself out there. It’s the only way to save my pack.    I travel to find out what people think of their Alpha. Perfect smiles or fancy cars won’t fool me, not even for a second.     If I find my mate on my journey, I will see if he is worthy. If he’s not, a rejection is in his future. I will not settle. A male Alpha wouldn’t. Why should I?

I've been married to Ryan Hardin for nine years. He's a pureblood and the Alpha of Silverfang Pack. And I'm just a "temporary Luna" picked for a political alliance within the pack. In those nine years, he's brought home 199 women. Tonight makes it 200. She's a freshly turned Omega who flirted with Ryan at a party. He didn't turn her down. Instead, he brought her back to the home we share. When the woman walks through the door and sees me sitting on the living room couch, she doesn't bother hiding the mockery in her eyes. "Alpha Ryan, so this is the Luna you still haven't bothered to mark?" she asks with a smirk. Ryan leans back in his chair and answers lazily, "Yeah." She strolls over, looks down at me, and smiles smugly. Then, she reaches out and pats my face. Her voice is soft, but every word drips with provocation. "Make sure you listen tonight. I'll show you what it really takes to drive Alpha Ryan wild." That night, I'm forced to sit outside their door, listening to every sound as they sleep together. It feels like a ritual meant to strip me of every last shred of dignity. By morning, Ryan comes downstairs like nothing happened. His expression is cold as he orders, "Make breakfast. I want raw meat and coffee." I tell him no. Maybe he's forgotten, but we're only bound by an agreement. We've never officially been marked as mates. And today is the third-to-last day before that agreement ends.

One day before my wedding, my fiancé, Tristan, declared, “you can no longer be my bride." The reason? My sister, Victoria, had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Her dying wish was for me to give up my place as the bride, so she could marry my fiancé instead. And Tristan agreed without hesitation. He even turning on me, "How can you be so heartless? She's your own sister!" The mocking smiles from my sister and the righteous anger from my fiancé left me broken. Little did I know, I would turn to the man I never anticipated—Rowan, my fiancé's uncle. He was the true power behind the family. Rumored to be ruthless, politically powerful, and never interested in women. However, I had never expected that he would took me in his arms tightly."Don't leave me."

The Draghi Brothers Feared, Revered. Monsters. Those were the words papa had always used to describe them. Worthless, useless, good for nothing-those had been reserved for me. After my little stunt at 16, my papa had made sure I was under lock and key. He knew how to manipulate me, spin his lies and I had no say in whatever he did. When he informed me about my marriage to the second son of the Donovan Family, I knew I had no choice. After all, he was my father. Most girls in our family including my sisters had already been married. I stood at the aisle, looking into the eyes of my husband to be, my mind detached. Just before I could say I do, brain matter splattered on my face, his empty eyes staring at me. The culprits— The brothers I had heard so much about. The brothers that marked me when I was 16. In the heat of the struggle, I found myself tied and captured by them—a price for my family's survival. I knew my father would come save me. Yet, I couldn't help but surrender to the sin they showed me daily. I have a choice to make. A captured bride or a willing slave.