Fancy Dinner

Lauren thought her life was perfect until a Valentine’s Day dinner turned into a nightmare. Accused of pushing her mother-in-law down the stairs, she quickly realizes it’s a setup. Sylas, her husband, and her own sister Taylor orchestrated the whole thing to trap her and end their marriage. With nowhere to go, Lauren runs straight to the one person she never expected: Enzo, her mysterious and ruthless neighbor, the Mafia King everyone fears. As she starts plotting revenge, she uncovers a shocking truth: Sylas is involved with a rival mafia family, and she’s been dragged into a war that could destroy everything she knows. But things get even more complicated when Enzo reveals he’s hunting for a set of rare paintings that hold the key to a hidden vault of untold wealth. Intrigued, Lauren agrees to help him, even though she knows it could drag her deeper into the mafia’s deadly world. As Lauren navigates this treacherous new reality, she must decide whether to use Enzo and the growing attraction between them to exact her revenge, or risk losing herself in the chaos. Will she expose the lies and take back control, or will she be consumed by the very world that betrayed her?

Lila Carrington gets the most shocking news from her father at dinner one day, and all he said was a decree that she has to follow through with even though she has her own reservations—she was supposed to tie the knot with Levi Beaumont. The Carrington and Beaumont families have been enemies for decades, and truthfully none of them know the real reason behind the fight because each person seems to have their own side to the story, so Lila did not understand the reason that her father, who taught her never to associate herself with the Beaumont family, was the same one pushing her into marriage with one of them. Levi did not want the relationship either, but the families had to form an alliance so they could both remain in business. It had to be done. Driven with the passion to stay in business, Lila and Levi help their family out, but with the promise to their parents that it would only last a year and they would be done. What happens when they begin to fall for each other? Do the Carringtons and the Beaumonts reunite, or does a war happen? Legacy of Love and War is a romance like you have never seen before.

She thought she could endure a loveless marriage to repay her family’s debt—but she didn’t count on the cost of her heart. Once the proud daughter of a wealthy businessman, ELENA BRADFORD watched her life crumble when her father’s betrayal left her and her mother drowning in debt. Desperate to protect her family, she reluctantly agreed to a marriage contract with her father’s former business partner’s reckless son, ADRIAN HAWTHORNE—a man who once loved her during their university days but now only mocks her fall from grace. Trapped in a cold marriage filled with scorn and humiliation, Elena finds herself suffocating under the weight of Adrian’s cruelty. But everything changes at a high-profile dinner when she locks eyes with the one person she never thought she’d see again—LUCAS EVERHART, her childhood best friend, who once confessed his love before vanishing from her life. Now a powerful CEO, Lucas is stunned to see the woman he loved trapped in a toxic marriage. Learning of her misery, he vows to free her from the chains of her past—even if it means clashing with Adrian who refuses to let her go. As old feelings reignite and secrets unravel, Elena must decide: will she fight for the love she once believed in, or will her past mistakes keep her from the future she deserves?

At six in the evening, Allen Bennett prepared a perfect dinner, with each dish carefully chosen to match Sarah Foster's preferences. By seven, he had run her bath, adding lavender essential oils and rose petals to the warm water, filling the bathroom with a calming fragrance. By eight, he placed her comfortable slippers by the entrance, awaiting her return. At nine, the front door finally opened. Sarah walked in, and Allen immediately went to greet her. With practiced grace, he helped her out of her coat and placed her slippers before her feet, then hung the coat in the entryway closet. Turning to her with a gentle smile, he asked, "Would you prefer to have your bath first or would you like to eat?"

When Henessey returns to her home country after 15 years away, she's not welcomed in the usual sense. Instead, her identical twin sister begs her to swap places for a date with the billionaire prince of the country, Kellen Powers. The plan was simple: ruin the dinner so he would reject the arranged marriage proposal. But everything backfires when Kellen accepts the proposal, seeing Henessey as the perfect crazy person to survive his family's politics. Henessy rejects him and runs away, only to end up spending a night with Kellen after getting her heart broken by her boyfriend. Despite their explosive attraction, she still refuses to marry him, driving the billionaire to obsession. With no other option, Henessey reveals her true identity to Kellen. Furious, he forces her into a contract marriage, threatening to destroy everything she holds dear. Henessey agrees to sign to protect her sister, but on the official wedding day, Kellen discovers his bride has been swapped with the original bride. Enraged, he abandons the wedding to search for Henessey, bringing chaos to her family's doorstep for their deceit. Kellen and Henessey share a history that only he remembers, making him bitter and determined to make her pay for what she did in the past. There’s a thin line between love and hate but the couple seem to be drawn to hate. Will their love be strong enough to overcome the secrets, pain, and deceit that await them? Or will they tear each other apart?

I’d just wrapped up a short trip with my daughter, Elara. On the way back, I figured I’d swing by the Hale, our family’s casino, to check in on my son, Cassian. Maybe grab dinner together. I didn’t expect to be mistaken for his latest fling. Correction: not mistaken—accused. Violently. “You think you can just waltz in here like some queen?” she hissed. “I’m the woman Cassian loves! What kind of whore are you? And is this your bastard daughter with him?” She locked us in the basement. No phone. No light. Just concrete walls and the stench of mildew and madness. Then came the fists. She slapped me across the face—again and again—until my skin stung and my ears rang. When that didn’t satisfy her, she pulled a gun and aimed low. The bullet tore through my knee. I bit back a scream, shielding Elara with my body. “You need to die, whore,” she spat. One of her men hesitated, “We should at least tell Mr. Hale first. If we are going to kill these two in his casino.” Lila of course said no. But that man brought Cassian anyway. My son stepped into this dark little room like it was any other Tuesday—until he saw me. His whole body went still. The blood drained from his face. And then, in the smallest, most broken voice I’d ever heard from him, he whispered, “Mom? What are you doing in my basement?”

After I bought my new home outright, my relatives organized a housewarming party to celebrate. During dinner, my nephew Leo suddenly said, “You’re just a spinster living alone in a huge apartment. What do you need all that space for? I happen to be getting married soon. That’s a huge deal. You should transfer the place to me. I’ll even cover the transfer fee.” I was stunned. “Are you out of your mind?” His mother Linda said, “How can you be so ungrateful? Him using your place for his newlywed life is doing you a favor. It’ll bring you good luck! Other people would jump at the chance!” The son and mother were united against me. “Anyway, tomorrow’s a great day. Grab the property deed and come with us to transfer ownership!” I rejected them without hesitation and called them crazy. Who knew they would get so furious that they would storm into my brand-new apartment and go on a rampage, smashing everything in sight. They even said smugly, “We need to show you our family doesn’t get pushed around! Go ahead and call the police! What proof do you even have that it was us?” What they did not know was that I had installed surveillance cameras on the day I moved in.

What are you supposed to do when you find your Alpha mate and he is much older than you and already has a fiancé'? What would you do when you find out he is trying to juggle both of you? When you confront him at a fancy upscale restaurant in the city and meet your hot new neighbors that just happen to be the rival hockey team captains and twins. After that, the hot twins transfer to your college while one has decided to try to bully you. The other asked you to pretend to be his new girlfriend so he can dump his latest girlfriend and help you get rid of your pestering ex. He thinks it's a win/ win. A total no-brainer. However, things quickly take a turn and get extremely complicated. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living, or dead, is entirely coincidental.

In the aftermath of a tumultuous three-year marriage, Maria's dreams of a gradual love-filled transformation with her husband, Thompson Brown, are shattered when she discovers his intense hatred towards her. On their wedding anniversary, as Maria prepares a heartfelt dinner, Thompson blindsides her with divorce papers, callously walking away from their once-promising union. Faced with the painful memories of years spent in anguish and isolation, Maria realizes that fighting a losing battle would only prolong her suffering. With a heavy heart, Maria signs the divorce papers, leaving behind everything acquired with the Brown family's wealth. Determined to rebuild her life from scratch, she resolves not to touch a single possession that was tainted by their broken relationship. However, unbeknownst to Maria, Thompson's life becomes plagued by remorse and regret. Haunted by his decisions, he lurks in the shadows, watching over her, hoping for a chance to win her back.

My life is terrible enough. My dad died robbing a jewelry store. My sister hates my guts. An enforcer shows up out of nowhere and tells us we owe a shit ton of money. My mom? Ran off with my credit card and all her fancy jewelry at her first opportunity. So that leaves me... With no cash and a pissed-off crime boss. Raoul gives me a choice: pay up or belong to him. Now, I’m stuck in his world, living in a fancy apartment, clashing with his bossy rules, and realizing he might not be all that bad, after all.