Four Years Later

During a turf war, I took a bullet for Daniel Wilson. When I woke up in the family hospital after three years in a coma, I discovered that Eva, the showgirl I'd saved from a black market auction, had usurped my place in the Wilson family. My husband Daniel, the family's Underboss, saw that I was awake, and his first words to me were: "The entire underworld recognizes Eva as the woman by my side now. Why did you have to wake up at a time like this?" "Alice and I both love her. She's the one who's been by our side these past three years. And you? You've just been a body in a hospital bed, absent from our lives." "We're through, Sarah." Watching the man I once loved so deeply speak such heartless words, I didn't put up a fight. I simply nodded and gave him what he wanted. But he had no idea the Wilson family was about to burn to the ground.

Buried deep in the Aster estate was the Heartwood—ancient, sacred, mine. Told my husband, Julian Aster—back when he actually listened—that if it ever fell, I'd die with it. At first, he freaked out. Flew in glacier water, hired a whole squad of plant experts to nurture it 24/7. Then one day, just because his childhood friend—Isabella Duvall—got a scratch from the bark, Julian had the Heartwood ripped out. The second it crashed, I choked on glowing blood—ichor. My power? Gone. Barely standing, I grabbed his arm. "You knew. If the Heartwood dies, I—" He laughed. Straight-up mocked me. "Sera, come on. That fairy tale? Only Grandma still believes that crap. Is that mayo on your mouth? Relax—it's a tree. I'll buy you a forest if you want." Overnight, my hair turned gray. Skin cracked. Eyes dulled. Still, I dragged myself to his grandmother, Henrietta. "I kept your family safe for two hundred years. That's why the Asters thrived. But the Heartwood's gone. Debt's paid. One day left. Whatever happens next? Not my problem."

For the hundredth time, my dad hints at us that he really wants to become a grandfather during New Year Eve's dinner. Lydia Cooper, my wife who has insisted on living a childless life for the past decade, just smiles before placing more food on his plate. After dinner, she ducks out to the balcony and murmurs into her phone, "Be good, now. Mommy will visit you a few days later." I can feel my blood running cold in my veins as I stand in the living room with a glass of water. As I approach Lydia, I do my best to keep my voice light and teasing. "I just heard you say the word 'mommy.' Do you have an illegitimate child out there somewhere?" Lydia rubs her nose, her tone now awkward. "You might be hearing things. It was just my friend's child…" My heart plunges into my stomach pit at her words. I've been in love with Lydia for ten years. It's only natural that I know how she acts whenever she's lying.

In my previous life, my brother and fiancé teamed up to sabotage my company for the sake of my so-called best friend. After I went bankrupt, they stood beside her watching me collapse in the pouring rain, laughing mockingly at my pathetic state. "Linda Turner, you look as pathetic as a drenched dog!" they sneered. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the project bidding meeting three years earlier. In my previous life, when my company was just starting out, my brother and fiancé had warned me against using the Turner and Peterson family connections. They claimed it wouldn't be fair to others, but then turned around and handed projects to my best friend under various pretexts, just to see her smile. Now that I was back, I watched them secretly manipulating things just like before, giving my projects to my best friend. I finally gave up on them completely. When they found out I was leaving the country, my brother and fiancé set off fireworks all night, celebrating that they'd finally gotten rid of me, the burden. But three years later, at the Trada Corp's bidding meeting, I took the stage as the CEO's wife—and they couldn't hide the redness in their eyes.

My boyfriend, Sam Gibson, had a childhood best friend named Tina Lincoln. She was a star medical student. On the day Sam and I were supposed to get our marriage license, Tina took one look at the tight top I was wearing and flat-out claimed I had been sleeping around for years. She pointed at my chest with obvious disgust. “If men hadn’t been all over you, there’s no way your breasts would be this big.” Sam believed her completely. He started cursing at me, calling me a slut who had sleep with anyone, and refused to go through with the marriage license. I tried over and over to explain, but Tina just sneered at me. “People may be more open-minded these days, but that doesn’t mean you can sell your body and make your chest that big.” She used me as some kind of “example,” started a livestream to lecture people online, and exposed all my personal information. After that, strangers kept sending me disgusting, harassing messages, asking how much I charged for a night. Some even followed me and tried to force themselves on me. I begged her to clear things up for me, but she just shrugged and said, “If you never did that kind of thing, why would people be asking you?” In the end, I was assaulted and killed. And she went on to become a nationally famous influencer doctor, gaining fame and money at the same time. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I was supposed to get my marriage license with Sam.

“Three wives. Three funerals. And now… I’m his fourth bride.” Everyone says Dominic Sterling is cursed. His first three wives died mysteriously, one after the other. I never planned to be his next bride, but with my family drowning in debt, I had no choice. Now I’m trapped in his mansion, surrounded by secrets I don’t understand. The halls feel haunted by the women who came before me, the staff watch me too closely, and Dominic himself… he’s a man I can’t figure out. Cold one moment, protective the next. And just when my heart starts betraying me, falling for him, I realize the past isn’t as buried as I thought. Someone is watching me. Someone wants me gone. If I don’t uncover the truth soon, I’ll become the next Sterling bride to meet her funeral.

Mitsuha is a businessman who recently found out that he would be a father, it will be a new challenge for him because until now he had only been aware of his little sister Aya. Ria has been his girlfriend for two years and the woman with whom he wants to spend the rest of his life, but partner problems and jealousy will make the relationship a little worse. When Mitsuha meets his baby, he tries to be a good father and give his best, but Ria is a very demanding woman who wants her attention to be only for her baby.

Airin is known as a good girl in a village, she is a very devoted child to her parents. Airin never once denied anything her parents ordered. Including when they asked her to marry a wealthy immigrant in their village, Sir Sakha Januar Pradipta. Airin doesn't mind if he’s single, but the 33-year-old man already has 3 wives. Which means, Airin ... will be the fourth. But will it be that simple? Of course not. Because Airin refuses to be an oppressed woman. The character that she had been desperately hiding from people slowly began to emerge. Airin is not a good girl like they thought. She is cunning and manipulative, unfortunately no one notices it because of her innocent face. Except of course the honorable Mr. Sakha. In front of her husband, Airin could never hide anything. *** Written by Asia July. The cover was edited in Photoshop. Photo by Valery Sysoev from Unsplash.

“She is our mate. We’d like to see who dares to touch her!” The words seemed to ring in the air, fierce and absolute, as if marking me with a shield stronger than any I could ever forge. In that moment, I could feel their possessiveness, their fierce loyalty weaving into a protective wall around me. My heart hammered wildly, torn between the thrill of safety and the overwhelming realization of what lay between us. That, and fear. — Fiona never asked to be different. Born an omega, she was left orphaned, only to be adopted by the Luna of a powerful pack. What should have been a blessing quickly turned into a nightmare. For years, she was tormented by four alphas—Jin, Lyn, Soren, and Kai—each stronger, fiercer, and more unrelenting than the last. Their presence became a dark shadow over her life, teaching her to live with her head bowed low and her spirit all but shattered. But when a scandal erupts, threatening the four alphas' status, they’re forced into exile, leaving Fiona in peace for the first time in years. The scandal dies down and Fiona begins to rebuild her life, free of their oppressive influence. Until one day, a revelation shakes her to the core—a destiny she never wanted, one that intertwines her with the very men she despises: she is their mate. Now, Fiona must confront the past she had tried so hard to bury and navigate an uncertain future with the four alphas who once made her life unbearable. Caught between hate, fear, and an undeniable bond, Fiona faces an impossible choice: accept the twisted fate that binds her to the alphas or risk tearing apart the fragile peace she’s finally found.

Twenty-two year old Lorena, who had been living in secret at her parents' house with no contact with the outside world, suddenly finds herself in the arms of Andrew Sanchez, the ruthless son of Jacob Sanchez, a loan shark and king of the underworld, as collateral for her father's loan. As she breaks out of her life long bondage, she begins to discover secrets about who she really was, who her parents actually were, and a twin sister she never knew existed. And more than that, she realizes that fate had brought her to the man she saved years ago when she snuck out to explore the world. But, the world isn't as rosy as she pictured and soon, she realizes that her life was in danger amongst her new family. She teams up with her cop twin to uncover secrets surrounding her stepmother and stepbrother who would do anything to inherit the family wealth.