Fake Happiness

Sophie thought she had it all planned out. She'd broken free from her dead-end job and stagnant relationship and was off to see the world. She craved adventure and independence. Romance was the last thing on her mind—Until she met Callum, the handsome Scot who threatened to turn all her plans upside down. But, Sophie did say she wanted an adventure. And Callum looked like an adventure.

I, Zierno the famed assassin, am hunting the mythical Mist Mare. My king, my friend, has promised me command of his guard if I gift her to him. I never fail a mission. The beast will belong to the King of the Netherlands, one way or the other. It’s deeply amazing how much can go wrong in a single day. From capturing the rare creature for my liege, to it nearly making off with my king. Now I’m on his short list of enemies. During my mad flight from the castle, I thought to save an injured woman. I couldn’t have been more wrong. What I have now is a sack full of problems. This pretty red-eyed woman, being the largest. She looks like a sweet creature one moment. Then the next, a bloodthirsty demon. And truthfully, I’m terrified. I’ve never seen anything like her. “Chain me to the wall” She says. Normally I’d think that might make for an interesting afternoon. Now I’m thinking I’d rather be anywhere but where she can shriek at me when she has one of her ‘spells.’ “Go talk to the sorcerer.” She orders. As though I should know who he is. “I need your help.” She says, as though I’m intended to be some great savior. I’m a killer not a saint. Meanwhile, I’ve gotten word that the King has sent out an army to hunt me down and drag me back to face the consequences of a potential assassination. One which I did not intend! So my plan right now…Is essentially just to stay alive.

The wife of the richest man in the Northston enjoys tormenting beautiful young girls. I, born without the ability of feeling pain, became her perfect target. So, during yet another instance of being bullied in the school bathroom , this billionaire couple found me. They brought a lot of reporters and claimed that I was their long-lost daughter. For a better life, I became the rich man's daughter and was envied by everyone. But beneath their loving facade, my new wounds concealed old ones. They said that this was the price of my protection and that I should repay them with my life. They were right. I should repay them. Only, it would be their lives, not mine.

I stand in the hospital after my two older brothers decline all 99 of my phone calls. They finally appear, bringing with them the biological sister they found. My gentle eldest brother, who had once rescued me from my so-called abusive parents, raises his hand and slaps me across the face. "Cynthia, you're actually pretending to have a terminal illness just to compete with Sarah for our affection? And you came to this kind of place to frighten us?" I clutch my swollen cheek and listen as my second brother, who always says he'll trust me no matter what, holds Sarah in his arms and laughs out loud. "Are you trying to fake being sick to get our attention after seeing that Sarah is in poor health? "Just cut the act. You've been living in luxury since childhood and have always been in perfect health. How could you possibly be ill?" Sarah Crawford speaks up thoughtfully, "Don't blame her, you two. I think she just feels like I've stolen away your love for her, which is why she has become so unreasonable..." I look at the two brothers who have doted on me for ten years and suddenly feel that nothing matters anymore. After all, I only have seven days left to live. In seven days, everything will return to normal after my departure. But by then, they'll be the ones unable to accept it.

In my last life, I was kidnapped alongside the fake heiress, Lilith Howe, at the same time. My father, the richest man in the country, claimed he had to prove his impartiality. Without a second thought, he told the police to rescue Lilith first and refused to pay a ransom for me. In front of the cameras, he declared with solemn conviction, "A daughter of the Howes must have backbone. We will never give in to criminals!" Lilith returned without a single scratch, and the internet crowned her a miracle girl. Meanwhile, I was killed by the kidnappers. There was barely anything left of me to bury. As my soul hovered above the scene, I watched my brother sneer at what little remained. "Good," he said. "At least she won't come back and be an eyesore to Lilith. We'll finally have some peace in the house." When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the exact moment the kidnappers called with their demands. A knife was pressed against my throat. On the other end of the line, my father's voice was just as cold, just as absolute. "I'm not choosing. My money belongs to charity. If she's a Howe, she should be ready to sacrifice for the family." I laughed. If he was willing to destroy his own flesh and blood for the sake of so-called honor, then this time, I would grant them a reunion in hell!

Berkahwin dengan kawan baik abah? Eiiuu bunyinya pun dah sangat menggelikan. Tapi apa pilihan yang Naura Khalisha ada apabila abah kesayangannya itu memaksa si anak gadis yang baru berusia 23 tahun itu menamatkan zaman bujangnya dengan lelaki yang telah pun berusia hampir 47 tahun itu. Mahu pitam dia dibuatnya. Hafiz Rahim tak menyangka jodoh yang ditunggu-tunggu selama ini adalah anak kawan baiknya sendiri. Dia dengan hati yang terbuka menerima Naura sebagai isterinya yang sah. Bermacam ragam Hafiz kena hadap apabila menjadi suami kepada Naura. Naik pening kepalanya harus melayan tingkah Naura. Kadang-kadang Naura seperti sengaja mahu menguji tahap kesabarannya. Elok melayari bahtera perkahwinan, satu rahsia yang disimpan kemas oleh Hafiz terbongkar juga. Hati yang sudah diberikan kepada lelaki yang bergelar suaminya itu hancur remuk. Naura benar-benar dirundum rasa kecewa. "Sampai hati pak cik tipu saya," - Naura Khalisha. "Abang takde niat pun nak tipu Naura sayang," - Hafiz Rahim. Adakah mereka akan kekal menjadi suami isteri atau perpisahan adalah jalan terbaik buat Naura dan Hafiz? Dan apakah rahsia sebenarnya yang telah disembunyikan oleh Hafiz daripada pengetahuan Naura?

Charlotte Riley never thought that one day she would spend many nights in a cold cell surrounded by gnawing beasts that were after her life. She also never dreamed that she would be paired with a young Alpha Mason Helm who was quite the player. To top it all it was her first time seeing a paranormal being, since all her life she had just been a normal human. It didn't get any better as Mason treated her with no respect or compassion for he never wanted a mate who would bring his pack down. All her life she had been all alone, not knowing who her real parents were or why they had abandoned her. Her life was bleak with no shoulder to lean on. Could she ever understand how it felt to be cherished? Or will she keep suffering and remain in the dark?

Danica Winters is a beautiful young woman struggling to make ends meet; she discovers that her sister owes money to a dangerous mobster. She will do whatever it takes to save her. Danica becomes the surrogate for Dax Ryan, an alluring billionaire, and though their deal is strictly business, the lines between them begin to blur. Danica will realize that becoming the surrogate for a billionaire can lead to dangerous complications…and new love. “But that wasn’t everything that had occurred.A realization hit me when I looked over. Dax lay beside me in my bed and was sleeping soundly.This was very cozy and kind of romantic for us. We weren’t a couple but his closeness affected my every nerve. I appreciated what he had done regardless. He just kept surprising me with showing other parts of himself that other people didn’t see. I was curious if I’d eventually see every side he had."Carrying the Billionaire’s Baby is created by Katrina Guerin, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

On the night of my awakening, which was also my 18th birthday, my parents locked me in a silver cage in the basement while my foster sister Emma prepared for her ceremony upstairs. Then, the Blood Moon Eclipse struck, forcing every member of the pack to evacuate. Emma urged our parents to help. My heart warmed, and I thought they would come to save me. However, the only thing my father carried out was Emma’s stuffed wolf doll. They clutched Emma and fled for their lives, leaving me behind in the collapsing basement. When I crawled out of the ruins, they were already in the safehouse, celebrating Emma’s successful awakening as a White Wolf. Ten years later, I became the heir to Blackstone Consortium, controlling half of the werewolf world’s economy. When we met again, the former leader of the Silvermoon Pack knelt before me. “I've finally found you, my daughter.” My gaze was cold as I faced the stranger in front of me. “You’ve got the wrong person.”

In my second year running the company, my high school class monitor suddenly started tagging me nonstop in the group chat. [Alice, Vivian was only joking with you back then. Why won't you come to her party? Are you trying to make her feel guilty?] I didn't understand what was going on. Only after reading the messages did I realize that our class beauty, Vivian Spencer, had recently found her biological parents—and today, she had thrown a party to announce it to the world. Me: [I'm busy.] I had no intention of attending a party hosted by someone who used to bully me. But my answer didn't shut them up. Instead, it stirred up even more absurd speculation. [Don't tell me you're doing some kind of labor job and can't take leave?] [We're all former classmates. If you show up, I'll give you sixty dollars. That should cover two days of your salary.] Vivian chimed in as well. [Alice, it was just a joke back then. And I'd already dropped out by then. Why can't you let it go?] I stared at her message for a long moment before typing: [Only trash would call bullying a joke.] The group exploded instantly. [Vivian's no trash! She's a wealthy heiress. She's not even in the same league as you. Poor people really love to nitpick.] Vivian, ever the hypocrite, tried to smooth things over. [No matter what, today marks a new beginning for me. I hope you'll come to witness it. [We're classmates, after all. I don't hold it against you for forcing me to drop out. If you're short on money, I can even ask my dad to arrange a job for you.] Then she sent a screenshot of her chat with her father. When I saw her father's profile picture, I froze. Wasn't that the same profile picture as my freeloading dad? But I look seventy percent like my mom—it's impossible for me to be a fake daughter. And Vivian was two months younger than me. I let out a laugh. "Alright, I'll definitely attend your recognition party."