Empty Smiles

I married Rafe Maretti—the man who owned the Maretti Casino empire. Sophisticated, ruthless, but sinfully charming. By year three of our marriage, I introduced my little sister to his nephew, Adam Moretti—twenty-five, all sharp smiles and sharper ambition. He ran the dirtier side of the family’s business—arms, drugs, the kind of trade that dripped blood and money in equal parts. I married the powerful, irresistible uncle. She married the young, dangerous nephew. It was supposed to be our fairytale. Then one day, I got kidnapped in Rafe’s casino. Snatched by a rival mafia family desperate to force Rafe to sign over one of his biggest, most profitable casinos. Except Rafe didn’t answer the phone or even notice I was gone. The kidnappers grew impatient. First, it was slaps. Then punches. Then they shattered my leg and buried a knife in my stomach. Still no word from my husband. Until finally, after what felt like a hundred unanswered calls, a single message came through. "I’m with Bianca. She’s having a stomach. Stop calling." Once the kidnappers realized I had no value, they dumped me in a rotting warehouse like discarded luggage. It was Isla, my sister, who found me. She got me out. And then the brakes failed. The car spun out. Isla went unconscious beside me. I tried calling Adam. Isla’s husband. But as soon the call went through, all I could hear was. “Leave me along. Isla, I am in the middle of something here.” When I clearly heard a woman’s voice in the back. If not for a passing stranger, Isla and me wouldn’t have made it to the hospital, let along have survived. So when I opened my eyes again, the first thing I thought was: I’m divorcing that sorry bastard. The Maretti can go to hell.

That night, Liam served me my usual evening tea. I trusted him completely—he was my mate, after all, and a respected healer of Thornpack. I shouldn't have. When I woke up the next morning, my head was spinning. The special safe where I kept the morphing inhibitor—the one I'd spent my entire savings to import from Europe for our daughter Isla—was empty. Racing to the healing center, I found Liam celebrating. He was handing out moon-blessed wine, beaming with pride as Natalie's daughter Anna showed off her perfect transformation. My inhibitor had been used on his first love's pup instead of our own daughter. The shock triggered something in my brain. When I collapsed, they diagnosed me with the rare tumor that plagued our kind. Without inhibitors, I couldn't stop Isla's transformation that came early, her six year old body couldn't handle the massive wolf form and the force ripped through her young body. And I, for one, don't even have enough money to keep her in a treatment center. She died in my arms three days later, her little claws drawing blood as the pain overwhelmed her. Until her last breath, she kept asking why Papa hadn't come. Now, in my cold, empty home, with the white porcelain urn containing her ashes on the table, I touch her and decide to sever our partnership.

I was the broke scholarship kid, stuck sharing a room with Sherry, the spoiled heiress. From day one, she was all fake smiles and "let's be besties." She'd take me out for fancy meals. She even introduced me to Kenneth—her rich childhood buddy. It was fine—until Kenneth and I started dating. That's when the claws came out. One day, she "accidentally" dumped hot soup all over herself and claimed I'd done it on purpose. Then she demanded I pay her back. I gave her every cent I had, but it wasn't enough. Next, she accused me of stealing her wallet. The school bought it. I got written up, everyone turned on me, and Kenneth? He dumped me with, "You're just an ugly duckling trying to be a swan." I couldn't fight back. Humiliated, alone, and dragged through online hate, I dropped out. Then I let the river take me. And then—I woke up. Back to the moment Sherry introduced me to Kenneth.

Lily 'Snow' Jenkins, an investigative reporter loses her memory during an investigation on human trafficking. Cody Wells, CEO of Wells Architectural Industries and Samantha Smokes, his assistant find Lily unconscious and naked in a dumpster in an empty alleyway. Cody is arrogant and mean- typical traits seen in a boss. Sam is friendly and outgoing. And Snow is one of the sweetest and fiercest women ever. Cody and Sam promise Snow they'll help her recover her memory. Cody lets Snow live with him and the longer she does, the harder they both fall for each other. Problems develop for Cody and Snow when the bad guys find out about her as she slowly recovers her memory. The bad guys even try to get rid of her by killing her and hurting Cody as Wells. Will Cody try to avoid these problems by being his usual arrogant and mean self? Will Snow live in fear, knowing someone out there wants to hurt her? Or will they let their love strengthen them and win the battle against their enemies?

Stella and I are at a college party and man, it’s so bad ass. This is our first college party and Stella’sm first party ever. Are you having fun, sister? I ask her. Yes, I really am. My sister Stella is your quiet, stay to herself kind of gal. Where I am that loud in your face kind of girl. So, it’s not weird seeing a beer in my hands and dancing my ass off with my friends or my hot as hell boyfriend Jax. What’s weird is seeing my sister with a beer in hand and dancing to the music, getting her freak on with a strange guy. I’m glad my twin is letting her freak fly tonight. We are going to be seniors when school starts and damn; we need to make a name for ourselves. Being the quiet ass bitch is only going to get her picked on. Jax comes up behind me, moving his hips to the music. Want to go upstairs he asks after a minute of grinding against my ass. Um, yes, I do. I say, wiggling my ass against his front. I’m going to go upstairs with Jax for a bit. Do you think you will be okay while I’m gone? I ask Stella. She just gives me a look that says piss off, asshole. I throw up my hands in surrender. Okay, I say, wiggling my brows. Get it, girl. I tell Stella. Stella just smiles at me. Ditto sister, she says, wiggling her fingers at me. I laugh and grab my boyfriend’s hand and drag him upstairs. When we find a room upstairs, I slam Jax against the wall and kiss him fiercely. Damn baby, did you miss me? Jax asks, smiling.

"If I leave now, I'll never come back! I might end up dying. Is that what you want?" She asked. "Yes. Who cares if you die? I'm already lenient with you for not sending you to jail!" I said. __ Elise Sinclair got entangled with the wrongest person in the world, her step-uncle but what happens when he cast her aside when the world turned against them. Years later, she came back as the most sophisticated while she threaded on thin ice. She got threatened by her unknown enemy from the past. How will she navigate all the setbacks in her life? Damien Sinclair was empty and emotionless after Elise left. He had to enter into a relationship with his ex because of a few circumstances surrounding the situation. However, his heart still longed for Elise. When he finally sees her again, his hope is reignited, only to be dashed again. How will he get his love back? Will he go to the ends of the earth for her?

In our pack, every wolf has one chance in their lifetime to use an enhancement elixir to strengthen their wolf abilities, but this elixir is only effective when brewed by oneself. In my previous life, although I was a normal Omega, I worked day and night brewing my wolf enhancement elixir to become the Gamma of our pack. But on the day of the selection, after I shifted into my wolf form, I completely lost control. My wolf immediately prostrated itself at the feet of Victoria, the current Beta's granddaughter. Amid the cheers of the entire pack, Victoria became the new Gamma. Meanwhile, I was beaten and ridiculed. Everyone claimed I had stolen Victoria's enhancement elixir, which was why I couldn't control my wolf. They cut off both my hands and threw me into a silver mine. I died in excruciating pain in that silver pit, my very bones corroded by the silver. Until my dying breath, I couldn't understand—how could the elixir I brewed myself make my wolf submit to Victoria? When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to one week before the Gamma selection of the pack. This time, I gave up my right to compete and entered the forest alone to train for battle. Beta Richard stood at the empty doorway of my house, questioning me through our mind-link about why I was leaving the pack at such a crucial time. Meanwhile, I was removing my protective amulet, shifting into my wolf form alone to fight in the territory of the Rogue wolves.

Arianna Williams is the first child of her family and she has two siblings Raiser Williams and Rolan junior Williams, they live in a small part of city T with their mother Mrs. Williams since their father died. Arianna is a very beautiful lady with green eyes, she loves it when people around her are always happy.in two months to come, she will be graduating with a bachelor's degree in business management and fashion design alongside her friend Stephenie and John even though John still have additional 4years in school since he study to be a doctor too ********** Kenzo Kareem Black is a well-renounced CEO and Billionaire since he is the owner of Blaq company which is well known all over the world and city T Kenzo Kareem is very ruthless and arrogant and the mention of his name makes people tremble in the whole city T. No one wants to be in his bad book because they won't live to tell the story and he has only one friend which he even smiles with and that Lorenzo Dennison *†****** Left 2 months for arianna to graduate when her mother felt sick and needed an urgent operation. The quest for Arianna to find the money to save her mother made her cross-part with Ceo Kenzo Kareem in which she was able to get the money for her mother's surgery and even more money was left. **†******†* Will Arianna melt the billionaire's cold heart or Will she give him more reasons to be ruthless and cold towards people Read and found out

Only one woman’s foot will fit this size 11 1/2 glass slipper… AJ Jacobson: Billionaire CEO AJ wants nothing more than to just get away from his busy life. So when he goes to an employee’s wedding and meets a beautiful girl, he feels like he can lose himself to her. Despite an intense night of passion, he wakes up in an empty bed. The only clue he has to find his Cinderella? A glass slipper and two handwritten lines on a note, fished out of a dumpster and almost unreadable… Kat Ryder: When responsible Kat lets her hair down for one night, she meets a gorgeous stranger who really likes the new her. After an enchanting evening together, Kat gets an early morning call into work by a panicked boss. Knowing that she must see him again, she leaves a letter for the sleeping hunk and signs it, “Yours Truly, Kat,” not realizing that’s the only part of the note that will survive. However, there are other consequences to her night of fun, especially when she finally meets up with her one-night-stand… What if AJ is actually her company’s CEO?

Rosemary is an orphaned werewolf girl with extreme gifts. Taken away from her childhood friend Jesiah who is destined to become the king of werewolf’s. Forced to train to become an assassin for the Vatican to kill their eternal enemy Lucifer. Rosemary finds herself in the middle of romance between Lucifer whom she was sworn to kill and Jesiah her loving mate. Enjoy! Excerpt - With my eyes closed, I stretched my arms to feel silky sheets all around me. Coming to, I remembered blacking out near the river so why am I feeling silk and pillows?!? I shot up and took in my surroundings. I noticed a dagger on the wall. Is this another one of Enora’s drills? I thought feeling confused. Then the flood of memories from the past night hit me. I killed her. I killed hundreds of wolves in training. The realization began to sink in and though they were vile creatures and Enora treated me less than an animal, I felt guilt. Guilt that I gave into the monster they created in me. The nuns, the Order, Enora. They never wanted me alive because they cared for me. They didn’t train me and push my power for the purpose of helping protect myself or others. No, they wanted to use me. The empty angry void in my soul was because of them. I was never nurtured in all my time at the convent nor Enoras prison. I was completely unloved. Though I needed so badly to burst into tears, I couldn’t bring myself to cry. Lost in my thoughts, the door to my left began to open and before my host could walk completely in, I grabbed a chunk full of hair on the top of their head and put my dagger to their muscular neck.