Familial Bond

Due to my husband's unique status, I did not reveal his identity to my mother after we secretly married. My family was about to be relocated during the holidays, and I took the opportunity to visit my hometown. When I got home, my mother locked me in my stepbrother's room. I questioned my mother about it, and she said, "We're about to be relocated. If you get pregnant, the baby will be counted as an extra person. We'll be compensated with one more house and millions of dollars extra." I begged my mother to release me, but she said that it was better for me to stay in the family than marry into another one. "You and your brother aren't related, anyway. We can even save on dowry." I refused, so my mother got my brother to beat me up until I bled. As the date for the entire town to relocate approached, the developers arrived to distribute the compensation. My husband was among those who arrived. When he saw my bruised cheeks and the bump on my stomach, he went crazy.

My husband, James Zeller, and I have established a common-law marriage. We did not have a formal wedding ceremony, nor do we have a marriage license. We also live separately, our lives barely intertwining, because he has a special profession. Therefore, despite being married to him for seven years, we've never met each other's friends and relatives. As his wife, I'm proud of being married to him despite how it pains me. I'm willing to give up the opportunity to study at the National Academy of Sciences to take care of things at home while he works. One day, my son, Jasper Chalder, comes home from elementary school crying. He sobs about not being a bastard child and requests to see James. Greatly distressed, I decide to take him to visit the military base over the new year for a family reunion. However, I don't expect this trip to turn my life completely upside down.

Every day, my son and husband finish all the house chores before I even get home. But only because they're bringing my husband's first love, Sally Sullivan, back for Thanksgiving, I pour boiling water on my son's face. I also kick both my son and husband out when it's 104°F outside. Desperate to save our son, my husband sprawls across the front porch, begging me to open the door. "Wanda, open the door! We need to save our son! I only invited Sally over because she saved you once back then. I didn't mean anything else by it!" "Mom, it hurts!" my son cries. "Mom, can't you kiss me? Mom…" Meanwhile, I'm slouching on the couch, snacking away as I watch TV. In the end, my husband can't take it anymore and brings me to the Bad Mom Court for trial. The moment my memories are extracted, the entire court bursts into tears.

Kiera Hart was a kindergarten teacher, until the day she was the only thing standing between her kids and a man with a gun. Kiera was injured and can no longer be in a classroom without having a panic attack. A year later she has just moved to New York and started a new job, a quite boring job. But before she can even settle in, her boss, William Lund needs help in a family matter… a matter that has her fake married to her handsome icy boss, a boss she was told is gay. How will Kiera handle it when she starts falling in love with her fake husband, not to mention her bond with the cutest little girl in the world, Frida.

An invitation coated in dust, an oath in exchange of a soul and a bond too tight to break. But it is all an accident, a huge mistake Ria got herself into, tangling herself in ropes of the only demon king known to travel with chaos following behind him like a shadow, the devil himself. What happens when Ria accidentally sells her soul to the devil over something so desperate and cynical. And how does their bond come to be, bringing along dark desires and suppressed emotions? Why is the devil taking interest on this particular soul enough to stain with his dust? How will Ria set herself free?

Giselle had to protect her dreams. For years, Giselle Sidney had been in love with Alpha Caden Einsworth, whom she knew would never fall for her. As she came of age, she found out that he was her mate. But he was in love with her older sister, Gretta, who was already engaged to another man. On the night of Gretta’s engagement, Giselle found Caden so drunk that she decided to help him get back to his condo. Caden and Giselle were so heartbroken and accidentally shared one passionate night, and that changed Giselle’s life forever. To hide the huge scandal from her family, Giselle decided to leave the Greyfur pack. But after a month of his disappearance, Alpha Caden came back to take full responsibility for the child. Giselle never wanted to force him into a situation when she knew he was still in love with her sister. She couldn’t bear to be with a cold-hearted werewolf whose heart belonged to another girl. Will fate find a way to make their bond stronger? Or will she run away like she always does?

After my mother shot down my pleas to cover my medical bills the 100th time, I clutched my bone cancer diagnosis papers and trudged to the crematorium. "Hi, I'd like to reserve a cremation slot ahead of time," I muttered to the clerk. Half an hour ticked by before my parents and adopted brother arrived in their car. My dad, a forensic pathologist, cracked me across the face. "You're pulling a fake-death stunt now, just to steal the spotlight from your brother?" My mom, a hospital director, snatched the papers from my hands and shredded them into confetti. "Faking records using my credentials and tying up hospital resources? You've crossed the line!" My brother cried, tugging at their sleeves. "It's all my fault. I'll skip the amusement park forever. I don't need a thing. Just quit riling up Mom and Dad." I spun around, my hand pressed against my throbbing chest, and begged the crematorium staff. "Please, when it's time, cremate me and scatter the ashes in the river. I've got no family left in this world."

“Stay still, Elena.” Alessio’s voice was a dark command against her ear. His hands pinned her wrists above her head as Gabriel’s lips trailed down her throat. “You’re ours now. No running. No escape.” Two ruthless mafia kings. One woman caught between them. Elena Rossi never planned to belong to the underworld, but when she witnesses a murder, she becomes their obsession. Alessio De Luca—cold, calculating, and possessive. Gabriel Moretti—reckless, dominant, and just as deadly. Instead of silencing her, they claim her, trapping her in a world of sin, power, and raw, unrelenting passion. But the deeper she falls, the more dangerous their secrets become. And when enemies close in, Elena must decide—can she survive being theirs, or will their love ruin her forever?

I loved eating cakes. My dad would bring me one every day after work, and my mom bought a full set of oven and baking tools, patiently learning how to bake them for me. I once thought I was the happiest little princess in the world until the day my parents divorced. The person who came to pick up my dad turned out to be the bakery owner. My mom turned to me, growling, "This is all your fault! If you hadn't asked for cakes every day, your dad never would've cheated!" She stretched out her hands, covered in burn scars, and screamed hysterically, "I slaved away making cakes for you, and these hands have never healed since. What did you do? You both think the stuff from outside is so much better!" She grabbed a baking sheet and smacked me hard with it. I bit my lip, not daring to make a sound. That night, she brought home a little girl. Ignoring the pain all over my body, I begged for her forgiveness. "Mom, I'm sorry. Please don't throw me away. I swear I'll never eat another cake!" She slapped me across the face, but that wasn't enough to quench her anger. She tossed me into the big oven. "I'm not your mom! You love cakes so much? Stay in there and reflect on what you've done! You and your worthless dad both deserve to die!" After she slammed the door and stormed out, the little girl skipped over to the oven, grinning smugly as she hit the switch. "From now on, your mom is gonna be mine!" The oven kicked on, and the temperature began to rise. I smiled bitterly. At least this way, my mom could finally be happy.

I was diagnosed with late stage the Hollowing—Wolf Soul Degeneration. According to the Compatible Soul Restructuring Program, I could survive by receiving a soul transplant. If no match were found, I would be brain-dead in three months. After more than two months of waiting, the soul that matched me best was given away by my mate to my sister. The therapist recommended that I keep waiting for a new match, but I refused. I signed a treatment waiver and left Central Medical Center early. All the wealth and resources I had spent years saving—I gave every last bit to my sister, Lisa. For the first time, during the full moon family dinner, my parents smiled at me. My mate moved into Lisa’s room to take care of her. I did not get angry. I even made him breakfast. Even when my little pup asked if she could be his mom, I nodded and said yes. I gave them everything they wanted. So why are they regretting it now? …