Final Breath

The day my husband's first love shows up at my house, I catch a faint, cloyingly sweet scent of gardenias in the air. My genetically-linked asthma flares violently at the scent of gardenias. As expected, halfway through the meal, my chest suddenly tightens. I can barely draw a breath before collapsing onto the couch. My younger brother sprints into my bedroom like he's lost his mind, grabs an inhaler, and shoves it straight to my mouth. "Tess!" he roars. "Why the hell is there gardenia perfume?" Everyone panics. My dad grabs a liquor bottle. My mom lunges forward, grabbing the woman by the hair. And my husband positions himself in front of her, protecting his beloved first love as she trembles. Amid the chaos, I muster the last of my strength. I reach into the crack of the couch, grab another inhaler, take a deep breath, and slowly push myself upright. I let out a cold laugh as I fix my gaze on the woman cowering behind my husband. "Finished with your little performance? It's my turn now."

The protagonist of this story is a young adult fan of classic dice role-playing games; suddenly the protagonist awakens in a world of magic and fantasy in the body of the final Boss of a magical castle; Accompanied by his loyal Generals, the protagonist will experience the greatest adventure of his existence using the title of Witch-king as his middle name.

Barely recovered from her fiance's betrayal, Layla had no choice but to succumb to the marriage arranged for her; it was the only way to save her father,after all. But what will this mean for her, will Dario give her the future she's always dreamed of, or will this be the final blow to her long-term suffering?

Imogen Darcy is living a forbidden fantasy, secretly in love with her charismatic professor, Dante Salvatore. For two years, their stolen moments between lecture halls are a bittersweet promise of a future without secrets. But the fairytale ends the morning she wakes up alone, clutching a single, devastating post-it note. Her world instantly collapses. The press, tipped off by Dante's powerful family, brands her a gold-digging mistress. She is publicly shamed, expelled from Oxford, and disowned by her family—left utterly penniless with one final, life-altering secret: she's pregnant. Two years later, Dante returns, a man consumed by a vengeful rage. He has just discovered the monstrous betrayal orchestrated by his own mafia dynasty, a betrayal that forced him to shatter the woman he loved. He is too late to find her, but he finds the daughter he never knew. His quest for revenge uncovers his family's darkest secret: a brutal child trafficking ring. But his investigation leads him to a shocking safehouse, where the final piece of the puzzle is the broker's niece—a hardened, resilient Imogen. Now, to protect the family he has just found, Dante must bring them into the heart of the enemy's territory: his own gilded estate in Italy. Forced into close quarters, they must navigate their painful history, a web of deadly enemies, and a passion that never truly died. As a final, bloody war for control erupts, they are forced to confront a dangerous question: Can a love that was first built on secrets and then shattered by betrayal, be rebuilt on a foundation of vengeance and blood?

My heart raced wildly as he leaned in, his warm breath brushing my ear. "The next time I see you kiss anyone else..." he whispered, his voice dark and lethal, " I'll make sure these pretty lips of yours are stitched shut." He wasn't supposed to care. I wasn't supposed to matter. But one kiss was all it took to turn control into obsession. I'm bound to him by a dangerous deal, living on the edge of fear and desire, never quite sure where the line is, or if it ever existed at all. Mr. Hanson is cold, powerful, and terrifyingly possessive. He thrives on control, and he hates how I slip through his fingers no matter how tightly he grips me. Every touch feels like a warning. Every breath between us feels like a threat. As fear, power, and longing blur into something I no longer recognize, I'm forced to decide how far I'm willing to go to survive a man who doesn't just want my obedience. He wants my silence. My loyalty. My heart. Because with him, love isn't gentle. It's a weapon.

Axel leans down, his breath brushing against my ear. At first, he bites lightly, just enough to make my breath hitch. Then, his voice slips into a whisper, “I’ll give you a warning, Hazel." He says so slowly and deeply. And then he continues, "Don’t ever raise your hand at me again. Do you understand?” I force myself to look up at him. I don’t know where the strength comes from, but I manage to say, “Or what, Axel? What are you going to do?” His eyes darken, something sharp flashing behind them. For a second, I can’t tell if I’ve shocked him, impressed him, or made him furious. ****** The Don is a strong, cold, powerful man. His voice alone makes men tremble. Ruthless. Powerful. Precise. Commanding. He thinks he can control me.....own me. But he’s wrong. I’m not one of his mistresses, not another woman he can use and discard when he’s done. he can’t contain. He might rule the Morelli empire, but he’ll never rule me.

Agi never got the chance to breath oxygen that is not generated by machines nor had the chance to ever see and feel the warmth of the sun. After an airborne virus swept all the remaining life forms on earth, they are forced to live underground where newborns are kept in Society Two, acting as an institution dedicated to experiment and test the children, strictly following the order the government imposed. But, as things slowly got out of hand, is the place really safe for them?

Four years after being kidnapped and changing her name to keep up the ruse of her death, Serenity is forced to return to her old life by her overbearing father Unfortunately for her, along with her dysfunctional Mafia family comes the once love of her life; Alexander Moretti and a mysterious threat intent on killing her Facing an unknown enemy, Serenity and Xander must find a way to navigate the complicated waters of their relationship and keep her alive long enough to get to the bottom of it, but what happens when her family is destroyed leaving Xander no other option but to become the Don of the Mafia? Will Serenity stick around even after she finds out his part in her family's destruction? *** Serenity exited the bathroom clad in a robe with a towel in her wet hair when a chill ran down her spine. The barrel of the gun against her temple made her freeze and let out a shaky breath as the towel dropped from her hands when they raised. Turning slowly, Serenity came face to face with Alexander and just as quick as the panic came, it subsided. Serenity released a heavy breath and Xander's gun fell. "Serenity!” He stared at her with wide eyes

A cruel young man who witnessed the death of his parents at a tender age, Edem Demirai, harbored a simmering rage within him. And then there was Lavigne Kotobe, a girl condemned by the chains of addiction at the tender age of eighteen. When their paths collided, their meeting was nothing short of a collision of tempests, their anger a force of nature. In the midst of their tumultuous encounter, Edem's words cut through the air like a blade against porcelain skin. "I want you, Lavigne," he whispered, his voice laden with both desire and darkness. "First with kindness, then with the gentlest touch. I want to both hurt you and shield you from pain. I want your voice to echo and then fall silent. I want you to revel in pleasure and struggle to understand it. I want to kiss you until your breath escapes you, only to inhale it back again in a desperate gasp. I need you, and I want you to steal the very breath from my lungs." Their collision was inevitable, their connection fraught with danger and desire. As they embarked on their tumultuous journey, they would soon realize that their meeting was just the beginning of a fiery dance between two souls destined to either consume each other or ignite a blaze of passion that would defy the darkness closing in around them.

Ever heard a love story about an Angel and Demon? No? Then let me welcome you all to a thrilling and adventurous love story about a powerful and stalwart Demon Prince, Zachary, the Demon of Wrath, and a sweet, cute, naïve, and naughty Princess Diana, the Angel of Love and ecstasy. Zachary loves Diana very much. She is his smile, his laugh, his breath, his heart, his life. But too much love can give birth to an extreme and dangerous obsession...