Fancy Dinner

Two weeks before my wedding to Alexander Hayes, he invites his friends over to our small home. During dinner, Alexander keeps groping me, whether intentionally or not. After they finish eating, I overhear their conversation as I clear the dishes and walk past the study. "Alex, Lydia's quite something. I touched her earlier, and her skin's so soft. She nearly pulled my soul out. "If you don't mind, let us guys have some fun with her once she pays off the debt for you. We'll help you cover the cost of whatever Kay wants." Alexander chuckles softly, his voice casual and careless. "Sure, I don't mind. I've been sleeping with her for so long, I'm already sick of her anyway. "Just make sure she doesn't rat us out to my grandpa... Actually, forget it. She's blind anyway, so she won't figure it out." For two years, I've devoted myself completely to taking care of Alexander, yet he's ready to throw me into other men's beds, using my body to settle his debts. I stand silently at the doorway, feeling absolutely nothing. Of course, I know that someone else has been replacing him for a year. The person who holds me close night after night isn't him, and the child in my belly isn't his either.

This isn't your typical Bad boy meets Good Girl story. Oh no. You see the thing is, our Bad boy, is actually a bad man. Ruthlessly determined to get what he wants. Ignore the fact that his life is painfully dangerous, or the constant threat of death that seemed to follow him, or the slew of bodies slain in his wake. (Details! Details!) But Does his intense mocha orbs burrow through your skin and casually stroll along the shores of your soul? Does his luscious dark hair - messily - sway and bend at the will of his slender fingers, and yet, by some miracle seem to always look perfect? A MILLION TIMES YES! Does he always wear black and look formidable yet absolutely ravishing? Do you even have to ask? Reid J. Dawson, has a skill set that is unique and almost unmatched. He is well travelled, intelligent and fancy’s himself a man of particular tastes. Our bad man, however, is not exactly who he says he is, his past has put him on a daunting path one he has no choice but to follow. Reid would burn the world to achieve his goals but nothing could be have prepared him for the danger that came with the saucy, firecracker who is sent barrelling his way. His conviction and his controlling nature is put to the test when his world clashes with a gut-wrenchingly beautiful, stubborn girl. Our “good girl” isn't ‘typical’, She has a mouth on her. Filter? Practically nonexistent. Maya Dupree, is an aspiring editor who always has her head in a book. She is a witty, outspoken fire cracker who certainly has her eccentricities but that never stopped her. What happens when a fearless good girl uncovers the secrets hidden behind the man in all black.

For years, no one had been able to activate the last dragon's heart. No one except a poor young thief. ___ She only had one job–stealing a precious stone. Yet it landed her with an overbearing dragon. ___ Locked and chained, Scar suddenly awakened when his heart palpitated for the first time in decades, coming face to face with a young girl cradling his heart. In his vengeful attempt to get it back, they activate the spell binding him to her. Now not only was his heart stolen, but he was also enslaved. Scar vowed to kill the girl once the bond was broken. The only problem is no one had ever successfully broken a dragon bond, nor would it allow him to harm its new master. ___ "Oh... um ... sorry. I didn't mean to…um.. pry. I'm... gonna go now." I stuttered, inching backward from his penetrating gaze, glancing around for a way out. "I don't know who you're, but I do know you're not here willingly. Seeing as you're chained and all." Silence. "How about I set you free, and in return, you get us out of here?" Silence. Maybe he couldn't talk, so I did the only thing I could. Grabbing the keys, I fumbled with the heavy chains of his cage. His gaze finally shifted to the wooden box I dropped on the floor. "Fancy, isn't it?" I said. "I've never seen anything like it before. But then again, I'm not familiar with expensive stuff." A deep rumble rattled from his throat, freezing me in place. I glanced up at him wearily. "Run." And then he was charging towards me. ___ Tropes: Enemies to lovers. Hidden identity. Reverse harem. Betrayal. Revenge. Arranged marriage. Contract. Escape with pregnancy. Forced proximity. ___

Еmily Whites, a twenty-fоur-year-оld florist living a quiet life in Venezuela, aссidentally sеnds a dinner invitаtion tо thе wrong number. Instead of hеr bеst friend, thе reciрient is Zaсk Тorres, a feared mafia leader ruling ovеr Americа. Whеn Zaсk shows up аt hеr doorstеp, Еmily’s wоrld is turnеd upside down. Knоwn for his ruthless nаture, Zaсk is surprisеd tо find himsеlf drawn tо Еmily's kindnеss аnd innoсenсe. As thеir livеs intertwine, Zaсk’s cold exteriоr bеgins tо crack, reveаling a man who wоuld burn thе wоrld down tо proteсt Еmily. Yet, Еmily is tоrn—can shе trust this dangerous man who claims tо lovе hеr, or is hеr hеart simply аfrаid of thе рower hе hоlds? With Marсellus, Zaсk’s vengeful rival, targeting Еmily tо destroy Zaсk, thеir lovе is put tо thе ultimаte tеst. Will thеir cоnnectiоn survive thе stоrm thаt threаtens tо teаr thеm аpаrt, or will Еmily’s fear ovеrshadow thе lovе Zaсk is desperаte tо show hеr?

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?”

My husband Bruno's goomah was pregnant with their second child. At the family dinner, he caressed his lover Ava's rounded belly. "This one will be a boy, the future heir to the Marino family. As my wife, it is your duty to raise him." This was the second time he had openly acknowledged one of his bastards. I didn't make a scene like I had before. I just calmly lifted my head and looked Bruno straight in the eye. Raucous laughter erupted from the family members around the table. "Remember last time, when she acted like a madwoman? Looks like she's finally learned her place." "The Rossi family's businesses have all been carved up. What can she do besides be an infertile trophy wife? She'll be kicked to the curb sooner or later." Bruno's face was expressionless, allowing them to hurl their insults at me. I fought back the tears burning my eyes and even managed a small smile. "Bruno, let's get a divorce." Bruno looked as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world, his lips curling into a dismissive smirk. "Liliana, if you can come up with the hundred million dollars you owe this family, I'll sign the papers right now. Otherwise, stop making a scene." I didn't argue, and just dialed an encrypted number. "I accept the terms we discussed." A lazy laugh echoed from the other end of the line. "A hundred million? Merely the cost of a port. I can have it for you anytime, my princess."

I am heading to my job interview when my close friend, Thomas Lang—the same guy who always cautions me about meddling in other people's business—suddenly throws caution to the wind and sprints toward the wrecked limousine. I instantly realize that Thomas has been reborn, too. In my past life, Thomas and I were the top two graduates of the finance department, both making it to the final round of interviews at a Fortune 500 conglomerate. Yet, on the day of the interview, we suddenly came across the CEO, Ruth Gibson, who had just gotten involved in a car crash. I abandoned the interview to save her, while Thomas hurried off to the interview. In the end, Thomas landed the offer, while I lost my shot at working at the top conglomerate. I received sympathy from everyone around me. However, Ruth sought me out eventually, and in the spirit of profound gratitude, she presented me with an immediate proposal of marriage. I became the man who would marry Thomas' superior, achieving incredible status overnight. Meanwhile, Thomas stayed an ordinary worker, perpetually crushed by impossible metrics and corporate pressure. I was enjoying the heights of my privilege at the annual dinner, standing beside Ruth, while Thomas lurked in the background. He was a miserable face lost among the nameless guests. Consumed by jealousy, he brandished a knife and stabbed me to death right there. I suddenly open my eyes and realize we are both back at this single, pivotal day of Ruth's accident.

Natuklasan ni Jaxson na ang inaakala niyang kanyang anak sa sinapupunan ng fiance, ay anak pala ng kapatid niya sa ama. Nilunod niya ang sarili sa alak dahil sa paghihignapis nang magawa siyang pagtaksilan ng dalawang taong pinagkakatiwalaan niya. Nagkataon naman na sa club kung saan siya naroroon, ay siya ring kinaroroonan ni Cattleya upang punan ang raket na ibinigay sa kanya ng kaibigan. Nang sandaling mag krus ang mga landas nila, isang hindi inaasahang plano ang nabuo kay Jaxson. Inalok niya si Cattleya ng isang trabaho, at ito ay ang magpanggap bilang bagong girlfriend niya at ipamukha sa pamilya at ex-fiance na hindi siya apektado at agad nang nakalimot, dahil sa takot maging isang katatawanan. Nag-alinlangan man ay nakumbinsi rin si Cattleya na pumayag sa alok ni Jaxson dahil sa kabayaran nito. Magiging malaking tulong ito para sa pag-aaral niya at pang-suporta sa pamilya. Kahit na hindi magkakilala at walang alam sa isa't isa ay dumalo ang dalawa sa dinner ng pamilya Madrigal bilang bagong magkasintahan. Ang hindi nila inaasahan, ay ang agarang utos ng ama ni Jaxson na pakasalan niya si Cattleya sa isang kondisyon na hindi nila matatangihan.

My Alpha mate, Dominic, rules the entire Stormfang Pack, but in our ten years together, he has never once given me a gift. Even our bonding tokens—a pair of rare healing crystals that cost me an entire year's savings—were taken by him without hesitation. He claimed that as Alpha he needed to appear frugal and understated, which is why he marked me in secret without hosting a proper mating ceremony. Because of this, most pack members don't even know I'm his mate. Yet when Sylvia, his childhood sweetheart, returned to Stormfang territory, he publicly announced their mating plans. He even dipped into the pack's long-term savings to throw her an extravagant celebration. When my mother was attacked by rogue wolves and left critically wounded, I begged Dominic to return my healing crystals—the only things that could save her life. Instead of helping, he denied knowing me in front of the entire pack and ordered his guards to drive me away with burning torches. Later, my mother died during the Blood Moon Festival. I lost my only family during what should have been our most sacred celebration. I renounced my Stormfang membership that same night and accepted the Northern Shadow Pack's Chief Healer position. While packing my belongings, Dominic returned from his honeymoon with Sylvia. He found me and assumed I was merely sulking. For the first time ever, he made a generous offer: "Come on, what could possibly happen to your mother? At worst, I'll give you that fancy mating ceremony you've always wanted. That should satisfy her desire to be an Alpha's mother-in-law." What he didn't realize was that from the moment my mother died, I had already sworn to the Moon Goddess that our mate bond would be broken forever.

Princess Ruthyelia Celeste Nobingale is the first-born princess of the country of Rinovea. She has a rather goofy and down-to-earth attitude for a princess. She considers this as her imperfections and thinks that she is not fit to be a princess, let alone a Queen. To be a Queen, she needs to be married, but she is in a secret relationship with one of her royal guards, Sir Angelo. Ruthy was in charge of a parade for their village where she meets another man named Noah who was a baker. She meets him once again during the party where a terrorist attack happened, but Noah saved her. To express her gratitude, she offers Noah a new bakery and her parents invited him to work in the palace. In continuation of the party, the royal family of Wierxia was invited to Rinovea to join Ruthy and her family. During dinner, they talked about marriage and the King of Wierxia suggested to marry off his son, Prince Thomas to Princess Ruthy. Princess Ruthy now spends time with Noah and Prince Thomas in which Sir Angelo got jealous of. Ruthy and Angelo then got into a fight that made them both question their feelings for each other. When the new bakery for Noah was finished constructing, they paid it a visit, but they got attacked by terrorists. Sir Angelo, who was with them, got seriously injured and Ruthy realized how much she loves him and how scared she was to lose him. When they got back to the palace, Sir Angelo was immediately admitted to the hospital wing. Princess Ruthy visits him every day and one day, when she was begging for him to wake up while holding his hand, the Queen, her mother, saw it all.