Flame Picture

On my fifth birthday with Zachary Murdock, I sit once again in front of a full table of cold food, just like every year before. Zachary had promised, as always, to spend the day with me. And, as always, he breaks that promise. This year, it's because his childhood sweetheart wanted to shoot a set of "artistic photos". She invited him and a few of his close buddies to be part of it. Without hesitation, he ditches me again and runs straight into her arms. At 11:00 pm, his childhood sweetheart posts a photo to her social media and sets it so that only I can see it. In the picture, four men are in nothing but black briefs and Windsor-knotted ties. They kneel around her while she is draped in sheer fabric like a goddess. The caption reads, "Some people beg for crumbs, but I own the entire bakery." I take a screenshot. Then, I send it to the girlfriends of all three of Zachary’s best buddies. If they all look down on me this much, let's hope they don't end up on their knees begging me someday.

They say love is like a double edged sword. The one who makes you the happiest, can also hurt you the most. This was the fate of Melissa, when the only man her heart had only ever throbbed for and devoted her life to, Robert Mondragon……..her husband, discarded her like old soiled rags when he divorces her on the very day she planned to announce her pregnancy at the birthday celebration of her father in law. Putting an end to their contractual marriage that was always devoid of love, with the sudden reappearance of his first love and old flame…… Jodie Sanchez back in their lives, causing a rift in their union. Devasted Melissa leaves and ends up in an almost fatal car accident. One that alters the course of her life forever, when she wakes up with a new identity as Isabella Cassagrande, heiress to the Cassagrande fortune one of the most prominent families in Romania. Just when life gives her a second chance, she is plunged back into the Mondragon orbit with the arrival of Dante Romero an overzealous and ruthless billionaire business man. One that exposes a whirlwind of secrets and deceit, as they work hand in hand to crumble the Mondragon name and legacy.

Sara Michaels is a smart, hardworking woman who once loved her husband, Tom McCarthy, a busy CEO of a big company. He promised her the world but chose his career and an old flame over her, leading to a painful divorce. Sara walks away quietly and rebuilds her life. She starts her own small design firm and discovers she has a rare talent for creating viral apps that big companies want. Years later, Tom's company faces a crisis—they need her new app to survive a tough competition. He tracks her down, shocked to see how successful and independent she has become. At first, Sara refuses to help, wanting payback for the hurt he caused. But as they work together on the project, old sparks fly again. Tom realizes he never stopped loving her and fights to win her back. Sara must decide if she can trust him this time or if she'll walk away for good, leaving him to lose both his company and his chance at true love. ***Trigger warning**18+**Explicit content**Smut**

Divorced at a young age, Emily takes a step back at her love life as she strives to regain a new life away from her obsessive ex-husband. She experiences an unexpected encounter with George Walters who is on the line to becoming one of the city's most powerful CEOs as his father is gradually stepping down from his reign and to acquire this position, he must be presented as ‘Married’. Haunted by the continuous search for a perfect girl, he settles for Emily who rekindles the worn-out flame within his heavy heart while she struggles to hold down her feelings for his assistant, Ryan. Their relationship blossoms but is soon threatened severely by Eric, Emily’s ex-husband, who has a deeply rooted obsession for her even after their divorce but a stronger envious desire to get her back. However, amidst the trust complexities and shadows of their separate pasts, George and Emily struggle to navigate their supposed love story. Will Emily eventually get to the sweet end of the road with George? Or will she forever be hunted down by her obsessive ex-husband till he wins her over?

She was the lowest among them, an omega meant to serve, to obey, to be forgotten. Until the Alpha touched her. Until he marked her with words that felt like a promise... and shoved her off a cliff like she was nothing. Ayla thought betrayal had a name, a face, a heartbeat she once trusted. She thought the crashing water would be her grave. But death didn’t claim her. The dragon did. She awakens not in darkness, but in silk sheets soaked with sweat, her body wracked with fire, strangers calling her Queen Liliana. The child they beg her to bring into the world is no wolf pup, it’s something older, deeper… and hers. Now fire sings in her veins. Scales burn beneath her skin. She remembers being Ayla. But they swear she is a queen, reborn through flame and fury, the last of the dragon-blooded line. Torn between two lives, two names, two fates… Was she reborn by fate’s hand, or was she always meant to rise? Because if this isn’t death, then it must be the beginning… of the Dragon Queen.

She stood before him, her eyes blazing like a roaring flame and her heart pounding faster. He moved closer to her to feel her pain, but she stopped him before he went further. "You lied to me!" She said, her voice trembling. "I should have known this fairytale was too good to be true. And now, I've realized just how right I was." He swallowed hard and took a step closer to her until his eyes levelled into hers. Then, he spoke the first words that came to his mind. "I love you, Yolanda. It's the only truth I know." But Yolanda was no longer listening. Her heart was already set on another course. ****** Yolanda Hamilton, a successful detective in the city of Washington DC finds out the biggest secret of her life when she learns that she's a werewolf and a powerful sorceress. However, her powers were passed down to her to serve a higher purpose. What happens when love gets in the way of the fulfilment of her destiny?

“By the way, I saved you from your mate that rejected you without thinking twice, what do I get for it?” Those were the exact words of the man I was sold to by my mate the day I stepped into his mansion. Thick saliva landed roughly into the pit of my stomach. I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. Only bubbles. His eyes colour was dark but who is to say it wasn't as dark as his intentions. What are the chances I was not in more danger than I would have been with my mate that rejected me. ************************************************* Amaya went from learning that her mate was the Alpha of her Pack whom she detested, to being rejected and offered the role of becoming his slut by the same Alpha. But then her story changed in a way she never expected nor wanted. She would have preferred staying in the dungeon where her mate threw her than to be sold to the infamous tyrant Alpha to stop an impending war. With a new Alpha in the picture, Amaya's life was only getting started. The question remains if it was for good or for bad.

In my tenth year of marriage, my old childhood friend, Joshua Sears, posts a photo on social media. Both Joshua and my wife, Sabrina Lawson, are hugging his son, Andy Sears, and my daughter, Tiana Jenkins, in it. The four of them look very close to each other. The caption accompanying the post says, "Blessed to have the perfect son and daughter." I leave a comment below the post, saying, "Looking good together." A few seconds later, the post is deleted. The next morning, Sabrina rushes home and yells at me. "Ashton Jenkins! Joshua was finally feeling better for once. Why did you have to trigger him again?" Tiana shoves me hard and snaps in an accusatory tone, "It's all your fault that Andy's crying now!" I take out a copy of the divorce agreement and slam it down before them. "Yes, it's all my fault. That's why I'm stepping out of the picture now. Then, the four of you can form the wholesome family you've always wanted."

Community Service. Two words I should be thankful for, but I’m not. I resent the hours it’s away from building my business. When they push the little girl into the room, her crazy curls barely held back by the barrette in her hair, and studious glasses on her face, I can tell she’s scared. Something inside of me breaks, and I want this girl to feel wanted again. What I’m unprepared for is meeting her mom. The second our hands touch, there are fireworks, bright lights, and a picture of the future I could one day have. The future I’ve never allowed myself to wish for. Community service becomes more than a chore. In the months that follow, I realize they’re just like me: they’ve been abandoned, left behind by the world, forgotten by those who should love them. Thanks to the one last hope in both our lives - we found the light in the darkness we’d been searching for.Trick is created by Laramie Briscoe, an eGlobal Creative Publishing author.

Mia Lauren had an easy and happy life until she watched everything crumble when she married the man who was supposed to be her safe harbor but is the reason she's drowning. With the dream of becoming an actress and a husband who is the director of a major film agency that doesn't allow Mia to pursue her career, she finds herself forced to chase her dream at any cost. And that's when Mia receives a job offer from a rival film agency to her husband's, and without a second thought, she accepts. Mia will be acting alongside the famous—and attractive—actor Apollo Castiello. A stubborn, confident, and even somewhat arrogant but brilliant coworker. Besides being overwhelmed by her abusive marriage and the secrets she keeps from her husband, Mia can't get Apollo out of her head with each new encounter and realizes—reluctantly—her great chemistry with the actor. When Apollo comes into the picture, everything Mia has built with her husband is at risk, as are the dark secrets that surround every line of this story.