Expressing Yourself

"I like her," I said as I sat across from my mother unable to keep the frustration from boiling over. "Like who?" "Callie," I admitted, my chest tightening as I said her name. Her expression froze for a moment before she set the papers aside and leaned forward. "You’re joking, right? Callie is your brother’s girlfriend." "I don’t care," I snapped. "I can’t stand seeing him with her. She should be mine, and I’m not going to just sit back and watch them together." "Well, well. This is interesting." She sat back, steepling her fingers. "You really want her all to yourself?" "More than anything," I confessed. A slow smile crept across her face, and it sent a chill down my spine. "Don’t worry. I have a plan.” Whatever she had in mind, I knew it wouldn’t be simple. But if it meant having Callie… I was willing to do whatever it took. **************** Callie was given a choice by her new boss: either lose her job or act as his escort for his family’s Christmas and New Year celebrations, pretending to be his girlfriend. Left with no other option, she reluctantly agrees to be his escort but what she doesn’t realize is that she’s walking straight into a trap. Dive into a story of love, betrayal, romance, suspense, and a Christmas miracle. Second Chances Under the Tree is a gripping and intriguing read that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

In Ha, no, Lilian, staring at the people in front of her. This is her stage. This is her world. Wherever she is, she will always be a classy villain. The devil. So...became a kind-hearted protagonist? What a joke! She rejects the role, and without warning, her soul transmigrates into the protagonist's body. __________ EXCERPT : Hyun Jae kept his head looking around. In Ha, who saw her manager's unusual behavior, frowned. "Oppa, what are you doing? Are there paparazzi?" In Ha followed Hyun Jae's sight. It was quite cloudy and no one was around. Finally Hyun Jae turned his back, one hand covering a bit his mouth, and the other hand telling In Ha to come closer. In Ha leaned over. "You, I don't know what relationship you have with that man, but I have to warn you. That man is crazy! He's worse than the paparazzi! Scarier than sasaeng fans! You have to be careful, Seo In Ha!" In Ha looked at Hyun Jae and shook her head. "Now to me, you look more crazy." Hyun Jae sent her a death glare. "Hmp! Whatever if you don't believe me! Get down there! Just know yourself when something happens! Hmp! In Ha got out of the car and looked at her manager's car, which was getting away. She looked up at the sky. Raindrops began to fall. Hyun Jae's words earlier annoyed her a little. As soon as she turned around, that man was there. Standing not far from her. *sasaeng : obsessive* __________ *the original cover is not mine

“I want you back, Laura.” He muttered, and I looked at him like he had just said the biggest joke in history. He wants me to foolishly accept him with open arms after everything he did to me? He must be dreaming. “It's too late. I do not want you anymore.” I replied and turned to leave, but he blocked my path. “I know I hurt you, but if you'd just give me another chance, I promise not to hurt you again. I love you.” “Keep your feelings to yourself, Antonio. I'm engaged. My wedding is in a month. You're invited!” I threw the invitation at him and walked away. ***** Laura is shocked when her husband, Antonio, returns from work one day and throws a divorce paper in her face. He already signed it and asked her to sign her part. She had given up everything to be with him, and even though he treated her like trash, she still loved him and was ready to bear the pains that came with the marriage just to be with him, but a divorce paper? Nah, that was just too much. When she refuses to sign, Antonio brings another woman into the house, and instantly Laura knows she is no longer needed. Not being able to bear the ache of seeing them together, she leaves but unknown to her, she was pregnant. 5 years later, she was back with an adorable baby boy, but she is no longer the Laura everyone knew. Her ex-husband wants her back, but it's already too late. She was remarrying.

After my rebirth, the very first thing I did was ride from one blood donation van to another, giving blood until I nearly collapsed. Why? Because in my previous life, my fiancé's newly hired intern, Shirley Lynch, had bound herself to a blood-exchange system. Every milliliter she donated was siphoned directly from my own veins. In just a month, she transformed from an ordinary college girl into the nation's beloved Blood Angel, showered with fame and fortune, while I, suffering from severe anemia, was fired from the hospital for being unable to work. When I exposed her scheme to my fiancé, he looked at me with disgust and broke off our engagement. "You're selfish and cowardly," he sneered. "You refuse to donate your rare blood type, and now you slander Shirley? You call yourself a doctor, yet you believe in such ridiculous nonsense!" From then on, every time Shirley donated blood, I would suffer heart palpitations, dizziness, and sometimes collapse outright. I begged the doctors in my department for help, but my fiancé blocked every attempt, accusing me of jealousy and wasting medical resources. In the end, to steal my promotion ahead of schedule, Shirley donated a full 1000 milliliters of blood live on television. As her blood drained, so did mine. I went into shock and died. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day Shirley first claimed she carried my rare blood type.

"You want to be free of me so badly you'll throw yourself into danger?" he asked. "I have nothing left to lose, Eddie. They already took my friends and my freedom. You keep me locked aside, and I have to watch you sleeping around even in our house. What does freedom cost when the price of staying is my soul?" "I will never divorce you, Maggie," he stated, his voice final. "You are mine, and this marriage ends when I say it ends. And not because of some childish, self-destructive tantrum." Maggie Grayson built her global empire on cold calculation and a profound need for independence. But her arranged marriage to the powerful CEO Eddie Grayson is not a union-it's a high-stakes, public prison. When Maggie's emotionally abusive family publicly humiliates her, Eddie does nothing, revealing the true nature of their toxic bond. Seeking a way out, Maggie throws herself into a scandal, only to discover Eddie isn't merely possessive; he's actively leveraging her trauma and her successful company to build a corporate dynasty that will guarantee her absolute, permanent captivity. Now, caught between a husband determined to be her "sculptor" and a father willing to destroy her company to regain control, Maggie knows the only way to break free is to turn the cold, ruthless mask she wears into a devastating weapon. She's not just fighting for a divorce; she's fighting for her very soul. To survive, Maggie must dismantle her gilded cage brick by brick, even if it means destroying the man who holds the key.

After graduation, I struggle to find a job, while my girlfriend easily lands a position at a major company. She has been with me for two years, and to cheer me up, she even lets me hold onto her payroll card. Once I finally start working, she worries about my long commute and immediately buys me a car. Everyone around us envies me for having such a thoughtful girlfriend. To save up for a house, I secretly deposit my salary into her account. A year later, we decide to get married. Excited, she grabs my hand and says, "I know you don't have much saved. I don't need any wedding gift. All I want is your love." I am deeply touched by her consideration. But on our engagement day, she pulls out photos of me with a dozen women and accuses me of cheating. I look closely and realize I have never even met any of them. Then she shows me my card's transaction history, filled with charges at the notorious Solara Club. "You had my payroll card, and you used my money to indulge yourself!" she cries. "I'm not marrying you. Return my car and all the money you spent over the years. It adds up to 800 thousand dollars." I calmly place the payroll card she gave me on the table and say with a smirk, "Fine, let's settle this properly." When I present the detailed account prepared by my top lawyer, she is stunned.

The next day I woke up, I am now the fiance of the Duke of Dubois Castle, or known as Lemon. “I am a demon who lives by desire and greed, you have yielded with the contract that you have exchanged with your life?” “Then what do you want?” “I want the whole of you Veta Le Blanchet, not just your blood, heart and soul, it is the whole of you.” Theroux Claude, the third prince of the kingdom. “Lady Le Blanchet, just how can you stand still this demon duke? If you ever get tired of him, you are always welcome to my palace.” Another troublesome man, my childhood friend when I was at the academy, Durand Gagnon. “I have attained this nickname not just because I follow all his Majesty’s order, but because I want to have a stronghold in the knight position so that I can support you my Lady, remember that my oath is only for you.” Then, what is my cousin thinking that he would say such things? “Sister, I have finally inherited the title of the Baron, please come back to our fief, and I will make sure to bring back the glory of our family!” As I try to relinquish the past, the more troublesome it becomes. Is clinging to the tiny bit of my life a wrong choice? And why is the temple spying on me? “Lady Le Blanchet is the only descendant of the family, you shouldn’t involve yourself farther with the Demon Duke.” “It’s done my Lady, as long as it is you, I can give everything, even if I destroy this Kingdom.” Hold on, just what on earth this demon wants from me?

I spent five years helping my boyfriend Marco rise to the position of Don. I nearly died countless times, but I didn't care; I loved him. He used to look at me tenderly and promised to propose to me publicly at his Don succession ceremony. But on that very day, he held the hand of another Mafia Principessa Sophia Romano and announced their engagement. To completely get rid of me, Sophia pulled a stack of photos from her bag and slammed them into my face. "See for yourself! She's been sleeping around to get intel!" In the picture, I was leaning into a man's arms. I tried to explain, but Marco interrupted me. "I always knew you were lowborn, but I didn't realize you were this cheap." "Get out!" Marco pointed at the door. "Elena, you are exiled from the family. Never let me see you again." I finally saw this man for who he truly was. He was completely subservient to me when he needed my help to seize territory, but after becoming the Godfather, he needed a more distinguished Donna, and therefore no longer needed me. I sneered; they had no idea that the man in the picture was my brother, the Don of the most powerful Corleone family. Sophia’s family was nothing compared to the Corleone family. I stopped arguing and simply turned and left. But when my true identity was finally exposed, he crawled back to me, weeping and begging for my forgiveness.

She rubbed her forehead profusely, "You do, you could walk away and save yourself now and I will be fine and I will understand." He glanced at her and his gaze locked and there was a level of sincerity in them, "If I save myself, who's going to save you?" ***** Jasmin Whyte was a twenty-six-year-old thief who ran away from her boyfriend after she caught him cheating, an excuse to finally leave her old life behind and start over, but when she discovered that she was two weeks pregnant for her him, she began back to her old ways. It wasn't long before she fell into trouble which was how she ran into billionaire Cainan Inferno and her life took an unexpected turn. Cainan Inferno was a thirty-three-year-old Billionaire and the CEO of The Inferno group which was the largest company in the country. He once had it all with money and looks, but his life took a sour turn after he lost his wife Neriah Gomez to cancer. Meeting Jasmin Whyte sparked the feeling he thought was long dead and he knew the only one capable of helping him move on from his late wife was her. He tracked her down and made her an offer she couldn't refuse while ignoring all the threats her past posed to his name, reputation and social status. All he asks in return was for her to steal his heart. Will she be able to do the one thing he asks or will she lose her heart in the process?

“Damn it, Viola! Do you even hear yourself? You’re miserable, and you’re pretending it’s normal!” Logan says, clenching his fists beside him. I drag in a shaky breath. “What do you want me to do, Logan? Just leave my marriage?” “Yes!” I freeze. He steps closer. “Leave. And let me love you the way you deserve.” *** She thought heartbreak was the worst thing he could do to her. Then he came back. Three years ago, Logan Reynolds chose ambition over love, leaving Viola McCoy behind—and breaking her heart in the process. Determined to move on, she made a choice—one that led her into the arms of Julian Cruz, a man who vowed to love her but only saw her as a means to an end. Now, trapped in a loveless marriage, Viola endures the whispers, the neglect, and the bruises she hides beneath designer sleeves. But when Logan returns as the new CEO of Reynolds Publishing—her boss—Viola’s carefully constructed world begins to crack. He sees through her forced smiles and polite lies. He soon realizes the woman he left behind is still fighting to be heard. Logan is determined to save her. Viola? She’s certain she can’t be saved. But in the middle of stolen glances, midnight confessions, and the words they can’t say out loud, one question remains: Can love be rewritten, or are some stories doomed to end the same way twice?