Fahrenheit 451 Page Count

On my twentieth birthday, my father asked me to draw from a box of straws. It was to pick a husband between William Smith and Austin Smith to inherit North Town. The short straw represented Austin, while the long straw represented William. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get the long straw. However, I was certain that I did not want to marry Austin. I drew straws for three years, but it was to no avail. I had no choice but to tamper with the straws to marry William as I wished. However, ten years into our marriage, he was no longer gentle and kind. He had turned into a really cold person. He neither returned home nor touched me. Even when I threatened him with a knife, he refused to talk to me. Despite feeling hurt, I was unwilling to let him go. That was until I watched him kick away the only medicine I had for my asthma while I was writhing on the floor. “I was the one who switched out the straws. There was no long straw, yet you forced me to marry you. Mandy died from a broken heart, so you should pay with your life.” When I opened my eyes again, I was holding a short straw. I calmly said, “Since it’s the short one, I choose Austin.”

Ever since my mom gave birth to her second child, everything in the household is tied to drawing lots. Everyone has to draw lots in order to decide whose favorite food will be served for each meal. We have to draw lots to see who among us gets a hug from our parents. Every time, I end up drawing the short end of the stick, so everyone automatically assumes that my younger sister, Anabelle Madden, gets the better lot. She easily reaps my parents' love without having to do anything at all. Whenever I feel like crying because of the injustice, Mom will scold me instantly. "I bought the lottery box because I was worried that you might feel upset about this. I'm doing this just to be fair to both of you. "If you want something, you have to be the one deciding who gets what. Your father and I won't interfere with your decision at all. Since you can't draw the better lot, that just means you have bad luck." Hence, I keep practicing my lot-drawing skills every day, hoping that I can eventually draw the better lot in order to obtain my parents' love. But for ten years, I never get to draw the better lot. Not even once. On my birthday, Anabelle wants to go to the amusement park, so Mom tells us to draw lots once again. I secretly glue two short lots together before giving it to Mom in an attempt to get her to stay with me. Instead, she slaps me and berates me for being a disobedient child who cheats in lot-drawing. Then, she leaves the house with Anabelle. When I fall to the floor, I feel the short sticks piercing through my neck.

Dalia Reyes came to the city chasing dreams—not trouble. But being undocumented means she’s always one step away from losing everything she’s worked for. Cleaning condos for people who don’t even know her name, she’s learned to survive quietly, invisibly… until one bad day throws her right into the path of Lucas Daniels the cold, arrogant, impossibly handsome billionaire heir who seems to have it all, except what he wants most: his father’s approval. When Lucas powerful father demands he “settle down” or lose his inheritance, Dalia becomes the most unlikely solution to his very expensive problem. The deal is simple: a fake marriage. Six months. No strings attached. But nothing about their arrangement stays simple for long. Because somewhere between the lies, the late-night arguments, and the moments they forget it’s all pretend—Dalia starts to feel something dangerously real. And when secrets from both their worlds collide, they’ll have to decide what’s worth saving: the truth, their freedom… or each other.

Natasia Gonzales and Chad Santos were three years happily married… supposedly happy married but this is not the case now. One day Chad heartlessly announced that he no longer loved Natasia and that he found someone new. Without second thought he left her on the same day when Natasia needed him the most… on the day when she found out that she was terminally ill. Wishing to be with her husband again before she dies, she came out of a contract for them to live as husband and wife again for a month in exchange of her permission for a divorce of their marriage. But even before a month ended, Chad realized that he still loved his wife, Natasia. However, Natasia already made up her mind to leave him after the contract expired. When the day came, when Chad woke up without Natasia on his side, he was devastated. Moreover, when he found out that Jasmine, the woman that he chose over his loving wife, was cheating on him and the baby in her womb was not his. Full of regrets, hatred and guilt, Chad destroyed himself. Until one day, Vince, Natasia's brother, reached out to him. And his lifeless hope ignited when he met his very own child. But, where is Natasia? Where is his beloved wife?

⚠️This is a very dark mafia romance intended for mature readers (18+). It contains a morally gray anti-hero, obsession, possessiveness, emotional manipulation, explicit sexual content, and disturbing adult scenes. If you crave danger, obsession, and morally complicated passion, this dark romance will grip you—but reader discretion is strongly advised. Convinced that Rosa had drugged him to crawl into his bed, Italian Don Luciano Mancini took her supposed betrayal as a blow to his pride. He served her divorce papers without hearing a single explanation—and exiled her not only from his home, but from the country itself. Years later, Rosa returned with a secret. Their son was dying. Diagnosed with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the boy needed a stem-cell transplant from a biological sibling to survive. And to make that possible, Rosa had to conceive again—with the one man who despised her. Her ex-husband. Luciano Mancini. But Rosa refused to reveal the real reason for her return. Getting pregnant by a devil was never going to be easy—especially when that devil hated her. She hadn’t stolen his seed before… but this time, she was ready to commit the sin if it meant saving her child. Seeing his ex-wife again—no longer innocent, no longer obedient—awakened something Luciano had never felt for any woman. He wanted her and… he wanted to own her this time. But Rosa was already slipping beyond his grasp. Because Dr. DeLuca, the man treating her son, was in love with her. He was willing to accept her in any condition—even if she carried her ex-husband’s child once more. When life finally offered Rosa safety, love, and a future free from cruelty… why would she ever return to the Italian Don? Except Luciano Mancini isn’t going to let her go. No one takes what belongs to him.

"Ryder, we... we can't do this. This is wrong," Bella gulped down with fear. "But it doesn't feel wrong, baby girl," Ryder announced as he tore her panties in one hard yank and thrust hard and deep into her wetness. "You feel like the only right one when I am inside you," he gritted out as he never stopped plunging into her. Bella and Ryder have been inseparable since childhood, their bond forged by their parents' deep friendship. But one night, their relationship takes a fiery turn, igniting a passion that neither of them can ignore. Bella knows she can't trust Ryder with her heart. He's the notorious mafia leader known for his "one and done" approach to women. Serious relationships have never been his style. But the longer she tries to resist, the closer she gets pulled toward him. Ryder isn't ready to let her go, either. He knows he wants her more than he's ever wanted anything in his life because one night was not enough after tasting the forbidden fruit. Determined and relentless, he's willing to cross any line to keep Bella in his life. As he unleashes his seductive charm and cunning tactics, Bella struggles to protect her heart from the one man who has the power to shatter it. Will Bella resist Ryder's magnetic pull and safeguard her heart, or will she succumb to the dangerous allure of the man she’s known her entire life? Full of action, suspense, and thrillers. 18+ detailed sexually explicit content, B D S M, Forbidden, Mafia Billionaire Romance

Cocky, arrogant, and dropped dead gorgeous: That described my boss, Mr. Craft, to a T. His thick hair, cold blue eyes and strong jaw held power in a conference meeting, causing women to melt in his presence. I’ve wanted to confront him on his stubborn attitude and critical demands for employees. I’d bitten my tongue in many scenarios and held in my true feelings over a dozen times. Keeping the peace was necessary until I had enough experience under my belt to move onto bigger and better things. The only problem was; Craft Marketing was the bigger and better, and the longer I stuck it out with him, meant more opportunities would arise. I’d been the only female intern to land a job directly under him, and was also the only one who hadn’t slept with him. I knew he was promiscuous with the tall and leggy blondes that breezed into his office looking immaculate, then scurried back out with mussed hair, flushed cheeks, and unbuttoned blouses. I'd ignore the magnetic pull of chemistry and curiosity between us. Unless it came to my advantage.

"No, Alpha, please stop. You won’t fit," Selena gasped, her eyes wide with fear as she stared at Alpha Zander’s enormous member. "I don’t have that much patience. Be a good Luna and give me an heir," Zander growled, his eyes dark with menacing intensity. He gripped her thighs—rough and hard—spreading her legs wide. With a single, forceful thrust, he breached her innocent barrier and slid deep into her slick heat. * They say marrying the Alpha King is a death sentence. They were right. No she-wolf in her right mind would volunteer to be his bride. Rumor has it, none of his brides lived long enough to even try. They say he’s cursed. They say he’s impotent. A monster who kills to keep his secret buried. But refusing him means your entire pack dies with you. So when the alliance reached Selena’s pack, her father didn't hesitate. She was the useless daughter—the wolf-less one. The perfect offering to a king who only wanted a womb and silence. But Selena soon uncovers secrets far more terrifying than she ever could have imagined. And when the truth threatens everything, there’s only one thing left to do: run. But can you ever run from the Alpha King? Especially when he’s willing to cross hell and burn the world down just to claim what’s his.

An arranged bride. An accidental claim. A love worth defying everything for. — When nerdy, bookish Elizabeth “Lizzie” Foster sets her eyes on Reese Blackwood at a wedding, she makes a wildly uncharacteristic decision. He’s going to be her first. Reese is charming, sexy, reckless, and far too attractive for his own good—the notorious son of a billionaire who’s never had to chase anyone in his life. But after one unforgettable moment, Lizzie thanks him politely… and tells him she hopes they never see each other again. For the first time, Reese is the one left wanting more. Fate, however, has other plans. Desperate to escape her controlling mother and finally claim her independence, Lizzie attempts a daring escape—only to be cornered at the airport before she can board her flight. With security closing in and her future slipping away, she does the only thing that comes to mind. She grabs Reese Blackwood after seeing him in the crowd, kisses him senseless, and announces to her mother and the world: “Meet my boyfriend. We’re getting married… and I’m pregnant.” Stunned—but spotting the perfect opportunity to defy his ruthless father and an arranged marriage with an unbearable woman he never wanted—Reese plays along. Now bound by a scandalous lie, a fake relationship, and a very public fake “pregnancy,” Lizzie and Reese are forced into a dangerous game of pretence. He’s hiding secrets that could destroy them both. She’s fighting for freedom she’s never had. And neither of them expected the biggest complication of all— Falling for each other might be the one lie they can’t survive. What could possibly go right?

I'm caught in a psycho's web I didn't see it coming Didn't even realize until it was too late Alder Kingsley is a monster wrapped in incredibly good looks He's out for revenge against my father and wants to use me as a pawn I thought I could handle his dark aura and menacing attitude I thought wrong Nothing can stop Alder Not the hatred between us Nor the secret surrounding us