Face Claims

I had taken leave from the sealed research institute where I'd been confined for six years, just so I could attend my daughter's kindergarten graduation. The moment I stepped through the gates, I froze. A woman holding a little boy by the hand was shoving my daughter, Amy, straight into the gutter. She slapped Amy across the face, then sneered for everyone to hear, spitting venom as she called my little girl a filthy wretch. Drenched in filthy water, Amy dropped to her knees before the woman, trembling in humiliation. Rage burned through me. I stormed forward and slapped the woman across the face. But instead of shame, she jabbed a finger at my nose and shouted, "Do you even know who I am? To offend me is to offend the entire Grant family!" Tears welled in Amy's eyes as she tugged at my sleeve, pleading in a choked voice, "Please leave… she's my dad's nanny. My dad will punish you if you hurt her." The woman planted herself in front of me, her arrogance towering. "The Grant family rules this city. You think you can run from us?" For a brief moment, I stood stunned, then calmly pulled out my phone and dialed my husband. "Your nanny says you run Bexley City. Well, I think that's about to change."

Suddenly, she heard a sharp intake of breath from behind her, and she spun around to face Ray. He was standing just a few feet away, his eyes blazing with anger. "Give it up, Elisa," he growled. "You can't win. You're mine, and you always will be." But Elisa stood her ground, her fists clenched at her sides. "I'll never be yours," she said firmly. "I'll do whatever it takes to break this bond and free myself from your control." ****** Nineteen-year-old Elisa is a wolf shifter trapped in a nightmare. Rejected by her fated mate, Ray, the son of their pack Alpha, she flees her pack to seek refuge with her alienated father, Harold. But Elisa's escape is only the beginning of her story. As she embarks on a journey to break free from Ray's cruel bond and overthrow her uncle, the Shifter King, she discovers dark secrets about her family and herself. Along with her newly formed allies and true love, Elisa fights to reclaim her power, her freedom, and her destiny. But as she gets closer to her goal, she faces unexpected betrayals, dangerous enemies, and a powerful force that threatens everything she holds dear. Will Elisa emerge victorious, or will she fall victim to the darkness that haunts her? Only time will tell in this thrilling shifter romance.

My boss had a new boyfriend called Eugene Larson. The first day he came to the office, he put on a great show of exerting his dominance. He deleted my number from my boss's phone right in front of me. Eugene waved his phone in front of me while playing innocently. "You can talk to me about anything you need to communicate to Tina, Mr. Sanders. I'll help you pass the message to her. I don't have much sense of security, so please don't mind this. It's to avoid any misunderstanding between us." I was hoping my boss, Tina Kayden, would be able to say something fair on my behalf, but all she did was stare at Eugene approvingly and adoringly throughout the conversation. She turned to me and said, "This is a pretty good plan, Mr. Sanders. Do take good care of Eugene from now on." As there was no way for me to reject her, I was forced to add Eugene's contact to my phone. However, the moment he had my number, he flooded my phone with messages. [Mr. Sanders, is the client you're meeting tomorrow with the surname Charleston a man or a woman?] [Where are you having the meeting tomorrow? Wear something casual tomorrow. It would be best if you avoid washing your face and hair. Otherwise, I would think you're trying to seduce my wife.] [I believe your relationship with Tina is innocent. You're not allowed to betray me because I'm treating you like my buddy!] [By the way, you have an extra duty from now on. You need to remind Tina every 30 minutes to send me a message telling me that she loves me.] As I read these ridiculous messages, I laughed in anger. I put my phone on silent mode and flung it to the side before going to bed. The next morning, I woke up to dozens of missed calls on my phone.

“I could let you run, right now, little tigress…” The heat in his gaze makes my chest ache and my thighs clench. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t chase you… and when I do catch you, I’ll f*ck you so hard, you won’t be able to outrun me with those pretty legs for days.” ~~~~~~ Brooklyn Wheeler is back from the dead—literally. Given a second chance at life, she’s determined to make those who destroyed her family pay. Izaac Armani is a billionaire CEO with a dangerous charm, a body and face built to kill, and a past shadowed in secrets. The same man whose family almost obliterated Brooklyn’s life due to his negligence. When Brooklyn calls off their arranged marriage after she resurrects from the dead, he has no choice but to confront her… and proposes a fake-dating arrangement that’ll favor them both. Then there’s Echo Vellaro: billionaire, rival, and Izaac’s closest friend, who becomes obsessed the moment he lays eyes on her. Handsome, cunning, and willing to do anything to claim her for himself, he’s the storm Brooklyn didn’t see coming. Caught between two powerful men, Brooklyn must navigate fake-dating, high-stakes car and bike races, family betrayals, and deadly secrets. Every glance, every touch, every whispered word drags her deeper into a world where love and vengeance are inseparable. Can Brooklyn survive the pull of a man who once broke her… and now might just own her heart? Can Izaac find redemption without losing everything? Dark, twisted, and irresistibly seductive—this is a story of love, revenge, and second chances you won’t be able to put down.

In my past life, my sister's secret lover says he wants to see a meteor shower. So, she takes all the family bodyguards and drives out to the countryside to create a romantic night under the stars for him. But she doesn't realize that an old enemy she once ruined sees the opening. They break into our home, seeking revenge and planning to wipe out the entire family. My mother throws herself over me to protect me, taking the brunt of the attack. She's critically injured and is barely hanging on. I call my sister again and again, begging her to come home. She eventually returns with the bodyguards, but it's too late. The enemies are caught, but then news comes in from the outskirts—her lover has disappeared, leaving behind a suicide note. In it, he blames me, accusing me of deliberately luring my sister away so that he would suffer at the hands of her enemies. Ultimately, he takes his own life. My sister burns the letter without a flicker of emotion. She says, "Don’t overthink it." Later, the blame falls on her. Our father promises to hand the family business over to me. But after the celebration banquet, my sister murders me in the bedroom. She stares at me with a blank face and snarls, "Someone as cruel as you should've died long ago. It should've been you who died, and the family inheritance should've been mine!" I die with a heart full of rage and disbelief. When I open my eyes again, I hear our enemies breaking down the villa doors.

Someone is killing unmarked souls, and Ru Roberts is the only one that can stop them. That's a bit of a problem, though, since she has no idea she's a Keeper. Adopted as a small child, Ru knows next to nothing about her birth parents. Her new mom insists she was given up because she "ruins everything." Hence, her name-Ruin. Yet, Ru has managed to make a life for herself in the small town of Reaper's Hollow, working as a fourth grade teacher, which she loves. If it wasn't for her inability to touch anything electrical without starting a fire, she'd be the happiest girl in Upstate New York. That is, until the charming and devastatingly handsome Cutter Michaels moves into the classroom across the hallway and starts filling her head with all sorts of unbelievable fantasies. He claims she is the lost Keeper, the daughter of a half-angel and a half-demon, and she is the only one who can help him locate three portals the Reapers, as in Grim Reaper, are using to ferry souls away to the Underworld. Ru knows he's lost his mind, and yet she finds herself being sucked into his delusions more and more each day. The fact that he can shoot blue fire out of his hands might have something to do with that. Once she begins having strange dreams where she comes face to face with Thanatos, the most powerful Reaper of all, Ru begins to think there might be more to Cutter's story than she's been giving him credit for. Will joining Cutter lead her to find her biological parents and discover the powers coursing through her veins, or will Thanatos claim her for his own?

Anne Jacobs hears what others keep hidden—their fears, their fantasies, their lies. It’s how she survived high school. It’s how she stayed invisible. Until Victor Blackwood decided she shouldn’t be. Victor is handsome, brilliant, and frighteningly attentive. He claims to love her, to protect her. But the thoughts behind his perfect smile are darker than anything Anne has heard before. And when those around her start to fall—bullies silenced, enemies destroyed—Anne realizes she’s not just loved. She’s owned. Now she must decide: expose him and risk becoming his next fixation… or stay close and try to control the monster who claims her heart. In a world where thoughts betray, love is the most dangerous lie of all.

In the heart of a city ruled by chaos, Armando Romos stands as the ruthless leader of the Demented Devils MC. Known for his fierce loyalty and unyielding power, he thrives in a world where weakness is a sin. But everything changes when a sudden ambush leaves him bleeding in a park, a bullet wound signaling an unexpected turn in his tumultuous life. Maya Connor, a compassionate nurse seeking a moment of peace, stumbles upon Armando's crumpled form. Initially, Armando's pride and fierce independence resist her offer of help; he's a man used to being in control, not relying on anyone. Yet as the blood pools around him, desperation forces him to confront his mortality and the bitter betrayal that led him here. With no choice but to surrender to Maya's care, he discovers that she sees beyond the ink and anger etched on his skin. As she tends to his wounds, a spark ignites between them, bridging the divide between their worlds-a world of violence and a realm of healing. Caught between the violent loyalty of the Demented Devils and a burgeoning passion for the woman who saved him, Armando must face his past and make a choice: embrace the chance for redemption with Maya or be dragged back into the darkness that claims so many.

From a stall in the office restroom, I overhear someone badmouthing me. Henry Fielder, the intern I've been mentoring for three months, grumbles, "The guy's got zero people skills. He's a total fossil, like a robot stuck in one mode." I'm about to push the door open and jump in when someone laughs and piles on. "The paperwork is incomplete. The receipts aren't compliant. I can't reimburse it without a manager's signature. We could recite his canned empathy lines in our sleep!" Once they're gone, I quietly head back to my office. Later, Henry drops a thick stack of expense reports onto my desk. "Quit waving the rulebook and rejecting everyone's reimbursements." I skim the fake receipts, and for once, I don't call him out. Instead, I give a thin smile and say, "I have a headache. I can't make out the words."

To fund my daughter's medical treatment, I consider reconnecting with my estranged family until an expected phone call changes everything. "Sir, your diamond necklace has arrived. You may come tomorrow to pick it up." After confirming the order is placed using my and my wife's contract information, my hope sparks. Perhaps the medical bills will finally be covered. When I arrive at the luxury boutique to claim the necklace, the sales clerk frowns, eyeing me from head to toe. "You're saying… you bought this necklace?" I nod, irritated by the condescension. "What happened to the service? Did all the luxury jewelers forget how to treat customers while I was away?" I said inwardly. The clerk flashes me a polite smile and turns to "retrieve" the item, but in reality, he radios the security. "Security, we have a suspected thief here."