Fading facades: love beyond the deal

It is in the human nature to expect things from a person. And of course, as a human, one will tend to try to reach their goals no matter how big or small it is. One will strive hard to reach those expectations, sometimes even ace it. However, not all things goes the way one planned it and that is what happening to Pharynne Mauridelle Cortés. Pharynne Mauridelle Cortés is a full of hope woman. She's a woman who will give her all selflessly no matter what and how much struggles she have in life. However, no matter how beautiful a rose can be, it wouldn't change the fact that it still have thorns. Thorns that even she herself can get hurt by it. She is beyond what the society wants her to be. For beyond what it seems to be in the strongest façade a woman can have, is her broken and wounded self that she couldn't even mend it herself. And when she reached her outmost endpoint, her world clashes with Jhariêx Ivan Romanov Strëízhnnërr IV. The man full of mystery who will be her anchor and thread of light that will help her heal and rebuild herself. But then, when things are almost at its place, she will suddenly discover the mystery behind his life. Being lied to and destructive pain she felt, causing her demons to fully swallow and win against her. No matter how beautiful and delicate a flower is, if it starts to get rotten inside, it will still wither and die.

Viatrice Thaliya Rosales was never meant to beg or bend. Heiress to one of the country’s most powerful families, she walked away from the wealth and the name, determined to build a life on her own. But when the Rosales empire nears ruin, she’s dragged back into a world of power plays and secrets. And waiting for her is a man who holds the key to saving everything—on one condition. Marriage. It was supposed to be nothing more than a transaction. A contract bound by signatures, not emotions. But the more Thaliya finds herself tangled in his world, the harder it becomes to tell where duty ends and desire begins. She thought she was giving up her freedom. What she didn’t expect was to risk her heart.

Five years after the death of his fated mate, Alpha Blade found himself lost in the abyss of life. He had abandoned his pack and chose to lead a mercenary life to avenge the death of Soledad, his fated mate. But even after justice was served, he felt empty, and the need to take more lives had become his way of life. With too much blood in his hands, he became ruthless and cold-hearted, with no direction, no goal, and no will to survive—until destiny decided to play a cruel joke on him and gave him a light witch for a second-chance mate.  Confused and not wanting to betray the memory of his first mate, Blade fought against the new bond the Goddess gave him, only to find himself being drawn more to the young witch who was slowly lighting up the darkness surrounding him. But when lies, betrayals, and secrets come to light, will their bond survive the test of fate, or will the truth spiral them into the darkness lurking behind the shadow?  ***** BEYOND THE DARKNESS: The Alphas Little Witch is the third installment of the INTO THE DARKNESS SAGA. To understand the world I created, I highly suggest reading the first two books, also available on Goodnovel/Buenovela/Meganovel. INTO THE DARKNESS SAGA BENEATH HER DARKNESS: The Alpha's Little Demon BRAVING THE DARKNESS: One Night With the Demon King (attached to the book Beneath Her Darkness - after its epilogue) BEYOND THE DARKNESS: The Alpha's Little Witch ***** For updates and teasers, follow me on my I G and F B  - author.cassa.m / www.facebook.com/groups/cassandra.m.world

Ama West had to step up and raise herself and her sister after their father abandoned them when she was just 16, leaving their mother lost in her own depression. Faced with the daunting prospect of survival, Ama accepted a high-stakes job to steal a neck piece from the formidable Blackwood family. However, when she was caught by the merciless Grayson Blackwood, she found herself at a crossroads. Grayson offered her a stark choice: either become his personal spy or face an excruciating end. The decision was clear; she would fight for her survival and take control of her fate. She gets thrown into the complicated Blackwoods family, where she unfolds secret that were never meant to be reviewed. And when her heart gets involved she's left to make difficult choices that could either make or break her.

Coleen Santos had it all—successful career, luxury lifestyle, and a dream wedding. Pero isang iglap, gumuho ang mundo niya. Nahuli niya ang fiancé niyang si James Martinez sa pagtataksil, kaya tinakasan niya ang sakit sa bisig ng isang estranghero—si Gregory Alvarez. Isang misteryoso, dominante, at may madilim na lihim, si Gregory ay higit pa sa isang mapusok na distraction. He’s dangerous, powerful, and out for revenge—at ang target? Ang pamilya ni Coleen. Pero paano kung sa gitna ng kasinungalingan at paghihiganti, isang hindi inaasahang koneksyon ang magtali sa kanila? Love or vengeance? Sa isang larong puno ng panlilinlang, kailan nagiging sapat ang pag-ibig para kalimutan ang lahat?

In a world where supernatural beings roam freely, there lived a young she-wolf named Olivia Perkins. She was demoted to an omega after the death of her parents. She was rejected by her mate immediately on her 18th birthday. But everything changed when she ran away from her pack and landed into the hands of ruthless lycan king, Logan Wyatt, who turned out to be her second chance mate. Olivia made a deal with him in exchange for her life. Logan Wyatt needed to sacrifice his mate to uplift a curse that was placed on his pack; she wanted to take retribution on her pack and claim her rightful position as the luna. Olivia is catapulted into the intrigues of a world that threatens her life and may shatter her heart. Isolated amid danger, passion, and violence Logan is torn between his love for Olivia and his loyalty to his pack. To make matters worse, Olivia found herself at the center of a contract that threatened to unravel the delicate balance between the supernatural world.

Abigail Elijah becomes the only means to an end. Against her will, she is forced into an arrangement to marry Edward Dante, a ruthless multi-billionaire, for a set period of time. The agreement is simple: a marriage of convenience. But neither Abigail nor Edward expects the emotional storms that are about to collide.

Nora Jensen has a plan for everything. Senior year? Mapped out. College applications? Done. Feelings for Cole Whitaker, Millbrook High's infuriatingly charming hockey star? Absolutely, categorically, not part of the plan. But when Cole shows up at her locker with that look — the desperate one he'd never admit to — and says you owe me one, Nora finds herself agreeing to the most ridiculous favor of her life. One family dinner. One fake girlfriend. Simple, clean, transactional. Except nothing about Cole Whitaker turns out to be simple. Not the way he remembers her coffee order without being asked. Not the way he describes his favorite color as pre-game ice, before they turn the main lights on. Not the way he looks at her on the porch after dinner like she's something worth keeping — and she's supposed to be pretending he isn't looking at all. Nora made a deal. She just didn't read the fine print. The part where fake dinners turn into real conversations. Where negotiated terms start feeling a lot like feelings. Where the boy you agreed to pretend to love somehow becomes the one person you can't imagine pretending about. The rules were simple. Don't hold his hand. Don't look at him like you like him. Don't fall. Two out of three isn't bad.

“Rule No. 1 – sex is off the table” He looked at me, a certain darkness clouding his eyes that only brewed lust and desire “Don't worry doll, I'm not going to touch you, not unless you beg me to” Five years ago, Helena De Luca is divorced by her husband, Dante D'angelo, when his high school sweetheart returned and claimed his heart. Now, Helena’s back, not for rekindled romance but for survival. Her family's empire is under siege, and the only way to protect it is to strike a dangerous deal with the man she once called her own. Dante agrees to help—but there's only one way: a fake marriage. Helena's reluctance turns to desperation when the rival gangs close in, forcing her to accept. She sets one rule—no falling in love. The stakes are high and complications arise in the form of Dante's manipulative cousin Matteo, who's determined to tear them apart to have Helena for himself no matter what it takes. To make matters worse, Dante’s first love is back, determined to destroy Helena's life and claim Dante for herself. Their worlds entangle, a dark sinful attraction festering between Dante and Helena and getting caught in a dirty game of lust, dark desires tainted with betrayal and manipulation. Would Helena be able to withstand the demands of falling for a man as dangerous or would she give in to the pressures of those who want them apart?

Warning: This book contains explicit dark content, dark romance if you’re not in for a ride, please skip!! (Tales of a masseuse) Strictly 18+