Foot Binding Smell

The night before our wedding, word spread like wildfire through high society that my fiancee had thrown herself a bachelorette party with ten virgins. When I storm into the villa, I find her nestled in the arms of my chauffeur's son, her skin blotched with fresh red marks. "It's just a wild night before the wedding. You get that, don't you?" Melissa Young says. She looks up at me with indifference, not bothering to explain herself. I catch the smug challenge in the eyes of the man holding her. My eyes burn red as I hurl the wedding invitations to the floor. "The scandal is everywhere! Have you even thought about what tomorrow's wedding will look like?" I yell. "This isn't just about you and me. It's about the future of both our families' businesses! Call a press conference and explain yourself." She frowns, irritation flickering in her eyes, but gives a grudging nod. Yet the next day, the internet explodes with a new bombshell—the Zucker heir is impotent, leaving his fiancee unsatisfied. When I demand answers, Melissa puts her foot down, her voice dripping with venom as she says, "All I see now is Nicky." She snaps, "No matter how many times you threaten to pull your investments, my mind's made up!" In that moment, the last ember of love I feel for her goes out. I call my dad, my resolve steeled. "Cut off all funding to Young Group, and buy out every one of her partnerships at triple the price!"

I'm 29 years old, nearly 30 and so far, my sister and Photography have been my life and soul. Ever since I stepped foot in my first darkroom during my Sophomore year I always had a hunch that this would be my true passion. Since I held my first camera. Set up my first tripod, captured my first photo and filmed my first piece. I just knew that this is what I wanted to do. My life has been a complicated mess since I was 10 years old. My life was thrown away by my parents because I was a burden to them, I had a pen pal who I vented my anger out on for years yet he had become a huge part of my life. I haven't had a serious relationship in...well...ever and It's not every day that you find a man wanting to talk to you...granted, this man is the one who spilt his coffee down me the first time we met and from then on he became the Baine of my existence. I live in Texas City, Houston and I love what I do, the freedom it gives me being behind a camera but it also comes with a price when you least expect it. My life was complicated enough but when I vent out on a secret to this man, my feelings towards him become stir crazy and a whirlwind of emotions. One's I didn't want in the first place because 2 weeks before meeting said man...I was applying for a year long fellow ship abroad. A once in a lifetime opportunity to go to one of Spain's most explored and cultured cities - Barcelona.

Today was like the day I met him: Me, riding a bicycle and him, walking down the pavement. I grab the handle of the bicycle and watch him as he make his way towards me. I do not know why I feel nervous. A trickle of sweat drip on the side of my face, my heart beat fast and I could hardly breathe. He was meters away, until it grow shorter to a foot and then bam, he bumped into me and we fall down, him on top of me. This felt like a deja vù, like it was our very first encounter. We scurried to get up but ended up bumping our heads together. I glared at him as he got up, He didn't even offer me a hand. He didn’t even give me a second glance. He just passed by me. Not noticing me. Not even looking at me. I let go of the bicycle and turn to face him. I remove the helmet that I was wearing and grip it tightly before screaming, “YAH! My hands curled into a fist and before I know it, the helmet I was holding was already flying towards him.I raise my hand as if to save him but it collided on his head right before I could even react. It sounded a hollow thump and a pronounced groan. His hands made his way to the back of his head as he turn and face me. With those eyes that seem like it was murdering me, he chase me off and I hastily took my bicycle and ran. I couldn’t help but feel happy instead of guilty as he ran after me. This was like before. This was like that summer, that summer I met him.

During the audition of the animal show that will be held on the National Day Gala, Yvonne Quinlan, the self-proclaimed genius animal trainer, instructs the pigeons to go into formation and soar around the skies. But the next thing everyone knows, bird poop begins raining down on everyone's heads. Awkward can't even begin to describe the situation. Having lost her composure, Yvonne blames me for copying her as a fake animal trainer. She claims that I was the one who pulled a prank on her. In my previous life, the python, which I've painstakingly nurtured with my family heirloom and my blood essence, suddenly went berserk. Just when it was about to strangle me to death and devour me whole, Yvonne, who was a low-income student I'd been sponsoring, let out a shrill whistle. The ferocious python immediately coiled around her waist, looking very docile and sweet. My boyfriend, Brandon Jenner, accused me of stealing Yvonne's python just because I had money and power on my side. He also jeered at me for shooting myself in the foot after everything I had done. Almost immediately, I became the thief everyone hated. My python went berserk once again and attempted to devour me. This time, no one tried to save me. Just like that, Yvonne gained popularity after putting on a performance with my python. Brandon even proposed to her on the spot. They became a famous couple on the Internet after that. When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the timeframe of three days before my school announces the audition of the upcoming animal show.

Isabella Sinclair, a thirty-two-year-old billionaire heiress, dislikes men and never intended to get married. However, her convictions were put to the test when she had a one-night stand affair with a strange guy, Liam Blackwood. ********** Liam grabbed her wrist tightly and in a swift movement, he lifted her and dropped her on the bed. He pinned her hands on the bed with one hand, while the other hand slowly caressed her lower abdomen. A sudden gasp escaped Isabella’s lips as his gentle touch landed on her lower abdomen. He leaned into her and moved his lips near her ear. She flinched in fear. ‘Are you going to bite me like I did? Don’t be petty!’ she snapped sharply as Liam’s lips grazed her earlobe, his breath fanning against her skin. He chuckled slightly at Isabella’s outburst, and in an unexpected move, he flickered his tongue into her ear. She froze! She liked it and wanted him to do it again, but instead, he whispered, ‘Young lady, have you forgotten? No contact! Why do you keep throwing yourself at me, little girl!’ “What! ‘Little girl’? How dare he!” she screamed in her head, but in reality, she liked how possessive and dominant Liam is. He freed her, releasing his tight grip on her hands and jumped off the bed. He grabbed his car keys from the bedside table and walked towards the door. “Liam! The contract! Do you want me to change it? And by the way, this is your second night here, and you haven’t given me a foot massage yet,” Isabella called out as he placed his hands on the doorknob.

In a world where dragon shifters once ruled alongside humans in a delicate magical monarchy, a catastrophic war 300 years ago left the dragons nearly extinct. Now, in modern-day Seattle, 25-year-old Maya Chen discovers she's the last fertile female dragon shifter when she spontaneously shifts during a panic attack at her corporate job. The twist: There are only seven male dragon shifters left worldwide, each bound by ancient magic to different elements (fire, ice, storm, earth, shadow, light, and void). Maya's emergence triggers a supernatural召唤 summoning that compels all seven to converge on Seattle, their dragon instincts screaming that the survival of their species depends on her. But Maya isn't interested in being anyone's salvation. She's a fiercely independent software engineer who just learned that her chronic anxiety and "weird dreams" were actually her dragon trying to emerge. As the males arrive—each incredibly powerful, devastatingly attractive, and convinced they're destined to be her mate—Maya must navigate not only her new abilities but also the political intrigue of a hidden supernatural world. The complication: An ancient enemy, the Order of the Silver Chain, has been hunting dragons for centuries and will stop at nothing to eliminate this last chance for the species to survive. Meanwhile, Maya discovers that the seven males can't all survive—the magic binding them means that when she chooses her mate(s), the others will lose their dragon forever. The story blends urban fantasy with romantic tension, found family dynamics, and the pressure of being the key to an entire species' survival while trying to figure out who you really are. However, what if all seven of them were her mates? Would that allow them to save their kind?

---WARNING: Dark Romance. Mature Audience Only. Contains Sexual Content, Dubious Consent, and Intense Situations.--- He watched her from the shadows, a hidden obsession. She fainted at the slightest fear. He was just a boy then, powerless against the campus kingpin who tormented her, a rival heir to a brutal empire. But empires fall. And obsessions, once set, never die. Years later, on a moonlit beach, Seraphina's world shatters. Her boyfriend, a cruel cheat, humiliates her for a bet and leaves her for dead. She awakens to a familiar face—Alessandro Torricelli, now a ruthless Mexican mafia boss who takes what he wants. He’s back to claim what he believes is his: her. He promises freedom in 365 days if she doesn't fall in love. But Alessandro's world is a gilded cage of raw power, inescapable desire, and dangerous games. As Seraphina navigates his opulent fortress, fighting his possessive touch and the unwanted hunger he ignites, their volatile dynamic sparks a dangerous game of seduction. They keep score, each erotic encounter a win or loss, unknowingly binding them closer with every calculated move. Yet, beyond their sensual battle, a chilling reality looms: her old tormentor, Dino Moretti, still stalks the shadows, and this time, he's coming for them both. With a brewing war threatening to consume his empire, Alessandro vows to protect her, even from herself. But can Seraphina survive his love, escape his enemies, and resist the magnetic pull of the man who sees her fragility as a weakness to conquer, and her defiance as a challenge to possess? In this city of shadows, hearts are collateral, and their game of love is the most dangerous score of all.

Seraphina's world shatters the night she finds her beloved Kaelan, the future Alpha, in bed with her best friend. She ends their relationship without a second thought. But fate delivers a cruel blow when Seraphina discovers on her eighteenth birthday that Kaelan is her destined mate. Seeing a chance for vengeance, she publicly rejects their bond, ignoring his desperate pleas to save his face in front of the pack. Her vengeance is short-lived. Seraphina soon uncovers a devastating truth: her best friend, consumed by bitter jealousy; had drugged Kaelan and staged the entire scene. He was innocent. Shattered by her catastrophic mistake, Seraphina searches for Kaelan to apologize, but he has vanished without a trace, abandoning his pack and his old life. For ten years, Seraphina is shackled by guilt, while her pack weakens and crumbles toward ruin. As a last resort, her father secures an alliance with a mysterious and powerful pack rumored to be ruled by a ruthless Alpha known only as Lucifer. To save her people, Seraphina is forced to sign a contract, binding her fate to this feared stranger. Her doom is sealed when she comes face-to-face with the legendary Lucifer and finds the boy she rejected is gone, replaced by a cold, formidable, and terrifying man. Kaelan makes it clear he is back to claim what is his, and his intentions are laced with vengeance. Although, Seraphina is determined to atone for the past, Kaelan is a wall of ice she cannot melt. To survive, she must unravel the secrets he guards so fiercely. But the truth he’s hiding is more dangerous than his hatred, and her discovery of it will not just break her—it will destroy her completely and threaten to burn their entire world to the ground.

"I, Alpha Liam Hamilton, reject you, Elena Vance, as my Mate and my Luna. You are a curse to my bloodline. Now, get out before I hunt you down." On the night of the Blood Moon, my fated mate shattered my soul. He didn’t care that I was the True Lunar Bride. He didn’t care that I had loved him since we were pups. He chose his "prophecy" and his mistress over the woman meant for him. I left in shame, carrying a secret that would change the werewolf world forever: I wasn't empty-handed. I was carrying his twins—the strongest Alpha heirs the world had seen in a thousand years. Five Years Later. I am no longer the weak Omega he kicked into the rain. I am the "Silver Shadow," a world-renowned healer with a power that can bring Alphas to their knees. When a deadly plague strikes Liam’s pack, he is forced to beg for my help. He doesn't recognize the cold, breathtaking woman behind the mask. He doesn't know that the two prodigy children by my side share his emerald eyes and his lethal temper. But as my scent begins to leak through my disguise, the Alpha King grows obsessed. He corners me, his growl vibrating against my skin. "You smell like a ghost, Doctor. And those children... why do they have my claws?" The secret is out. The hunt is on. But this time, I’m not the prey—I’m the Queen. And the Alpha who rejected me? He’s about to learn that a Lunar Bride never forgets... and she never survives on mercy.

` It was a cool, breezy and stormy night. Rain came down in sheets, as a dark figure stood before a house. The house was pretty ordinary, white with blue shutters; it didn't have more than two bedrooms. It looked like a cozy little family home with flowers and shrubs lining the front lawn, and then the smell from the pellet stove smoke invaded his nostrils. He took a deep breath and pulled out an old, rusted compass from his black trench coat. It looked like it could have been from the 14th century, the small, brass disc was dented and the Victorian designs were faded. He studied it as it pointed east, towards the small house. He looked the house over carefully, looking for the best entrance, before proceeding towards the side to gaze into the window. Inside you can see the small kitchen; the brand new, all black appliances off set the linoleum floor. Cabinets filled almost every wall of the small space that made it look more crowded than it should have been. The kitchen opened to a larger room which seemed to be used as a living room and a dining room all at once. The whole house looked crowded, with the furniture in the living room all touching except for a small gap to walk through and the dining room was so close to the sofa, it could have been sitting on it. He stepped back into the shadows as he watched a young couple enter the kitchen. The wife was tall and slender, had strawberry blond hair formed around her face accenting her jaw-line and her deep blue eyes stopped your heart as you got lost in them. Her fair complexion was silky and complimented her soft face.