Fading facades: love beyond the deal

My stepbrother hated me. He hated me and my mom for coming into his life, for ruining what he believed was his perfect family. Whenever he saw me, his face would turn cold, and he would tell me how disgusting I was, asking cruelly when I was going to die. In the end, I gave him what he wanted. But then he regretted it. He cried, begging me to come back, saying he never should have broken up with me and never should have treated me so cruelly. But I was already dead. Who was he putting on this show of affection for now?

Everything had always come easy for Crystal. Her life was easy, loving parents and a brother who would stand by her through thick and thin. Unfortunately her life came crashing down when her parents died in an unfortunate car accident, following that, years later the heartless billionaire, Ryke Sterling forces her into a contract marriage. She tries to adjust to her new life as Ryke battles with his demons. She finds out a new world exists, one of sex, power, money and betrayal. Her once perfect life is completely turned upside down as it changes pattern like a kaleidoscope. Demons from Ryke's past threaten to destroy everything he had built. He struggles to overcome them while trying to keep the walls he built around himself up He watches as she tries to peel the layers off him while battling with the biggest form of betrayal from the people she loved the most. He realizes that he can't move forward if he doesn't stop running and faces his past and without it, he can't have a future to look forward to. He knows he has to make a choice, either set Crystal who could possibly be his future free or let the demons of his past consume them both. He fears he might ruin her but can you really ruin someone that already lived in ruins?

“One night stand, no strings attached”. That's all it was supposed to be to save desperate Sophia's mother's life . But when her passionate encounter with Julian results in pregnancy, a contract marriage is forged. Bound together by necessity, they navigate a fragile partnership . But as the shadows of Sophia's past close in, they begin to see the good in each other. Can their marriage of convenience become a powerful alliance , strong enough to overcome the secrets, lies and danger that threaten to destroy them?

An Epic Fantasy tale of action, adventure, heroism, horror and sorcery… Beyond Night is a Dark Fantasy Horror novel that pulls back the veil of nearly two thousand years of jaded history. Come tread in the bloody footprints left by monsters, soldiers and wizards and behold what lies hidden Beyond Night itself. It’s Bigfoot War mixed with Lovecraftian horror on the edge of the Roman Empire. How could Rome lose a Legion? What could’ve happened to blot out the existence of over five thousand men not only from history but the Earth itself? As the Legion moves north to engage the forces of Pictdom, a dark horror emerges from the bowels of the Earth. Thought to be random attacks by hulking monsters, Decurion August soon learns a dire truth, that these bloody events are directed by opposing the wizards of the Picts. While one side assembles all tribes in a confederated army to battle the Legion, the other pulls these Greyman beasts from the depths of the Earth. August fights not only these creatures and workers of magicks, but internal passions in the Legion itself. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

When her village is destroyed by corrupted magic, she’s offered protection under one condition: marry Lucan Rhyst , the cold, enigmatic Alpha of the Emberfall Pack. Alina, is an orphaned healer with dormant magical blood. She is forced to marry the cold and ruthless Alpha of the Emberfall Pack and everything within her rebels. Especially because her heart already belongs to someone else—a forbidden someone. But when she learns she is a vessel for a long-lost magic that could tear down the veil between the two worlds, the lines between hate and desire blur. Lucan, Alpha by blood but cursed by prophecy, rejected his mate years ago to protect her from the darkness clawing at his soul. But Alina’s arrival, fragile, defiant, burning with power reignites what he tried to bury. And when war threatens to spill across realms, the only way to survive is together. Forced into a bond neither of them wants, Alina and Lucan are caught in a prophecy that foretells either salvation or destruction. But when Alina’s past lover, Kael, now an emissary of the Underworld returns with promises and lies, everything spirals. As attraction ignites and loyalties shift, Alina must awaken her dormant magic before the King of the underworld breaks through the Veil. In a world where love is weaponized, magic is feared, and betrayal runs bone-deep, can two enemies become the key to peace—or will their bond doom both worlds?

It took one lie for Adelina Delgado to convince the world that she remembers nothing about him; Jonathan McCurby, the fiancé she had before she slipped into a coma that left her in a minimal state of consciousness for three years. Love turned into anger, frustration and eventually, hate. It was what she told herself to feel whenever she saw him. But, unlucky her. Her mouth could deny all it wanted, but her body would always give her away. Her resolve cracked. Heat surged through her body. The tension was immense. Her imaginations ran wild. The familiar scent left her insensible. She was slowly melting away, sandwiched between the wall and his hard frame, and he hadn’t even touched her. Yet.

She was just supposed to be a fake girlfriend. Pero bakit parang puso na niya ang naloko? *** Scoth Liam Smith swore never to fall in love again after his heart was broken. Kaya nang pilitin siyang pakasalan si Celine, anak ng isang investor na kinamumuhian niya, he comes up with a desperate escape plan: Hire a fake girlfriend. Francine Alejandro is a timid and naive girl—isang simpleng babae na walang kamalay-malay sa mundo ng mga billionaryo. Until one day, she’s bought—yes, bought—by the ruthless billionaire, Scoth Liam Smith, to pretend as his girlfriend for one week. What she didn’t know? That one week would uncover secrets that could shatter everything she thought she knew about her past. It was just a deal. A business arrangement. But somewhere between fake smiles and real stolen glances, their connection deepens. And as their hearts start to open up, so do the dark truths of their pasts—truths that reveal their lives have been entangled all along. What happens when the woman he’s falling for… turns out to be the very reason his family is falling apart? Will love be enough to survive betrayal, secrets, and fate’s twisted game?

"Please, help me." I begged the male nurse.He stood there with my baby in his arms. His eyes stayed glued to mines, his mouth not moving an inch to make words or form a sentence. He walked over to me and handed my baby boy in my arms. "I can't help you." He said.Once I grabbed my son from him, he walked to the room door. "Why won't you help me?!" I shouted.The nurse stopped by the door before his head turned to the left. With my son in.my right arm, I used my left to climb out of bed and slowly as I could. Placing both my feet on the ground, I was able to stand up and walk to the nurse."Why won't you help me?" I asked him, tears pouring down my face. He turned back to the front and sighed."He forbid us from helping you ever again." He told me and walked away.I followed behind him and stopped in my tracks when I saw the double doors swing open. My head turned to the right and my eyes widened with fear sitting heavily on my heart as my eyes landed on the man who was coming to take our child from me.***Mila made the biggest mistake ever. During a near death incident, she made a deal with a man who would give her a second chance at living However, Mila will realize that the deal she made will come with bad consequences. And the Grim Reaper will make sure that the deal will see to its end.

"Why aren't you dressed yet?" "W-what?" She stuttered. "You didn't say anything about joining you." He gave her a once over before clenching his jaw. "Now I have. Get dressed we leave in thirty minutes. I'll be waiting downstairs." **** Kallista Hughes Jones is a 25-year-old chef whose world is shattered when she loses her job and house and moves back into her family’s home. Life becomes even more chaotic when her half-sister, Penelope, disappears on the morning of her wedding to billionaire CEO Jaxon Hawthorne, leaving behind only a cryptic note. In a shocking twist, Kallista finds herself standing in for her sister, marrying the enigmatic Jaxon-the very man she spilled coffee on the day she lost her job- in a whirlwind of confusion and obligation. **** Jaxon Hawthorne, a 35-year-old billionaire known for his aversion to touch and disdain for emotional connections and relationships. Jaxon views marriage as a mere formality to placate his demanding parents. He has no love for Penelope, but when she vanishes, he goes ahead to marry Kallista to dispel rumors and appease his parents. What begins as a tense and transactional arrangement soon changes into something more as Kallista slowly cracks the walls around Jaxon’s heart. As Kallista and Jaxon grow closer, their newfound happiness is threatened by cryptic warnings, mysterious messages, seeds of doubt, and violent attacks that nearly claim Kallista’s life. An almost forgotten person from Jaxon’s past emerges, leading to a deadly game where betrayals are exposed, lives are lost, and their love is tested in unimaginable ways. In a story of love, redemption, and sacrifice, Kallista and Jaxon must overcome the darkest chapters of their lives to find their happily ever after. But at what cost?

Young Immanuel Gonzales roamed the streets at age seven. His mother died when he was three years old, while his father was accused of killing his co-worker at a construction site. His relatives did not bother to take him but instead, made a vagabond out of him. Hungry and tired, he met a young girl who gave him food to eat. He was grateful and told himself that someday he would show his appreciation for the good deeds done to him. Living alone, he had encountered lots who had hurt him, but he continued to live came one person who had helped him finish his studies and he became a lawyer. One rainy night, he helped a woman who got scared from a homeless person. The first time they met, both felt that there was something that would bind them together which would make or break them apart. He was a lawyer who came from a poor family, handsome and smart, whose father was a victim of injustice....and she, a rich and pretty heiress, who had been engaged to be married to a wealthy person. Both fell into the abyss of deep affection....a love that caused them to be apart...living their lives with regret and loneliness