Frowned

The classified project I was working on wrapped up ahead of schedule, so I made sure to get back on my daughter's birthday. When I walked in, a girl I had never seen before was wearing my daughter's princess dress, a crown perched on her head. She sat in front of a cake as tall as she was, eyes closed, making a wish. I frowned and stepped closer. "Who are you? Why are you wearing my daughter's dress? Where's Heidi?" Before she could answer, two housemaids rushed out and started yelling at me. "Where the hell did you come from? How dare you talk to our boss's daughter like that? If you know what's good for you, get out! When the boss gets back, you won't like what happens." I stood there, confused. Boss? The boss's daughter? In this house, wasn't it just me and my daughter, Heidi Foster? I barely had time to speak before they shoved me toward the front door. In the middle of the pushing, something caught my eye. Off to the side, chained to a pillar, was Heidi. The girl I used to hold like she was the most precious thing in the world was now sprawled on the ground, digging through a dog bowl for food. A thick iron chain was locked around her neck, and her body was covered in bruises. My vision tightened. "Heidi, what happened to you?" The moment our eyes met, her hollow gaze filled with tears. She shrank back, then let out a soft bark at me, like a frightened dog. The maids looked at her with open disgust. One of them sneered, "Our boss said that that little thing was born to live like a dog. You have to keep her chained up if you want her to behave."

Within the circle, everyone knew I had been Leo’s most devoted, submissive admirer. For thirteen years, I chased him relentlessly, transforming myself from an uneducated, middle-school-dropout, illegitimate child of a wealthy family into an Ivy League economics master’s graduate. Only then did his mother finally acknowledge me, and I became Mrs. Smith. However, after the wedding, I no longer meddled in Leo’s company, cooked, or served him. While he stayed up late planning strategies for his first love, I traveled the world with friends. He would accompany her to Paris fashion shows, and I celebrated my cat’s birthday at home. I understood that a commercial marriage could never produce love. Everything I had poured my heart into was just my own foolish obsession. In my past life, I handled his company’s internal conflicts for him. Yet, he frowned, scolding, “You’re reaching too far.” I cooked soups for his stomach ailments, only to see him hand them off to his overworked first love, brushing it off, “She works harder than I do.” Even on the day I had a car accident, he lit fireworks across the city just to see her smile. I begged him, but he looked down at me from above. “Nicole, what we have is only a transaction.” Then, I opened my eyes and found myself back at our engagement banquet, watching him leave midway to comfort his heartbroken first love. This time, I did not chase after him. Instead, I picked up the microphone and said before all the guests. “Sorry, everyone. My engagement with Leo is canceled.”

Jacob kissed Emily’s forehead and smiled at her. “You always make me happy, Amy.” Emily smiled, but then she frowned and froze. Did she misheard what Jacob said? Jacob called her Amy. Could it be that it just slipped off the tongue? Amy Hoffner, or Amy Brooke before she married Samuel Hoffner, was Emily’s distant cousin. Samuel was one of the ten eligible billionaire bachelors in their country and also in the continent before marrying Amy. Unfortunately, Amy was also Jacob’s ex-fiancee. “What did you say?” Emily asked, unsure if she heard him correctly. *** Emily Brooke (twenty-two years old) fell in love with Jacob years ago. Years later, she finds out that her parents are discussing an arranged marriage for her with the man she loves. Jacob Jefferson (thirty-five years old) starts a new life and becomes a successful billionaire, only to find he is in an arranged marriage. Though he doesn’t like it at first, he changes his mind as soon as he meets Emily. However, the chance for a happily ever after is broken with a harsh reality when Emily finds out the real reason why Jacob accepts the arranged marriage. Later, Emily also knows about Jacob’s secret identity as a mafia’s leader. When everything is messed up, Emily meets with her savior, Harold Montgomery. But then, Harold also has a complicated background. With Jacob and Harold later fighting to win her heart, who will Emily choose in the end? Will she find a happily ever after? *** The book is a crossover (combination) of Billionaire/Romance and Mafia genre) and a spin-off of My Beloved Billionaire, but both books can be read as stand-alone. For the most enjoyable reading experience, please read My Beloved Billionaire first.

My in-laws, Melvin Gardner and Sharon Murphy, kept it a secret from us and traveled all the way to Metoville to surprise their daughter, Vivian Gardner. I brought them to the restaurant where Vivian worked as head chef, thinking she would give them a proper welcome and a great meal. However, Vivian called over her favorite pretty-boy apprentice, Tyler Lambert, and had him handle a batch of wild-harvested oysters from the deep sea. These rare specimens were notorious because they may carry Tetrodotoxin if not purged with extreme precision—a high-stakes task that even the seasoned chefs usually avoided. Tyler frowned and whined at her, "Oh come on, Chef, these oysters are so tricky to prepare. I'm not sure I can handle them..." Vivian just laughed it off. "Just give them a quick rinse, and you're done. They're just a couple of old country folks. There's no need to fuss." Melvin and Sharon ate the oysters. Within ten minutes, they were foaming at the mouth and collapsed on the table. When Vivian rushed over, she did not even bother to look at the two elderly people. Instead, she was busy comforting Tyler, who had gone pale and fallen into her arms. She said, "If they got food poisoning, send them to the hospital. But make sure they sign a liability waiver before they leave." She glanced at me casually, her tone suggesting the poisoned elderly couple had nothing to do with her. "Your parents are from the countryside, so they're probably not used to city food. Don't try to pin this on the restaurant or Tyler!" It hit me that she still had not realized the people who had collapsed at the table were her own parents. I looked at her helplessly and confirmed, "Are you sure you want to clear 'Tyler' of all responsibility?"

As I approached Alpha Blake, he turned to face me with a solemn expression. His eyes, which used to be filled with love and adoration for me, were now cold and distant. I felt a pang of worry in my chest, but I pushed it aside, thinking it was just nerves. "Alpha Blake," I said softly, smiling up at him. "Hello, Sophia," he replied curtly. I frowned slightly, wondering what was wrong. But before I could ask, Alpha Blake turned to the crowd of werewolves gathered around us. "Thank you all for coming here today to witness the engagement ceremony of Sophia and myself," he said, his voice booming across the clearing. There were cheers and applause from the crowd, but I couldn't concentrate on anything except Alpha Blake's strange behavior. Something was off, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. "However," Alpha Blake continued, his tone serious now. "I have come to a difficult decision. As the Alpha of the Night Walker pack, it is my duty to ensure the survival and prosperity of our kind. And with that in mind, I have decided to break off my engagement to Sophia." My heart dropped to my stomach, and I felt tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. This can't be happening. Alpha Blake couldn't possibly be breaking up with me. We were meant to be together forever. "I have instead chosen Leah, Sophia's stepsister, as my mate," Alpha Blake announced. Sophia is heartbroken at that moment that Alpha Blake, chooses her stepsister over her. Devastated, Sophia decides to start a new life in a different country, and that is where her worst nightmare started from because she get a job in her pack's biggest enemy company, Alpha Derick Mondragon. She was mistreated to the last drop...

Warning: Contains matured scenes. "Get your filthy hands off my mate" A voice thundered dragging a girl to himself. "I'm not your mate"she shrieked hitting off his hands. "You are mine alone and no one else would have you" Jayden the school's well known bully and an unrepentant playboy shrieked at her and she frowned, anger seething through her. "Point of correction, I would never be yours so get that into your thick stupid skull". "Get away from me for I have a boyfriend who awaits me" Rhoda yelled at him pushing him off and walking away from his sight. * * * Jayden, The Darkmoon pack soon to be Alpha. "Handsome, Rich,Powerful and An unrepentant playboy who sleeps with whoever he wants without been rejected suddenly got rejected by Rhoda the only daughter of the Moonstone pack's beta. Furious of been rejected, Jayden resulted in bullying Rhoda thinking she would succumb and run to him but he got it all wrong as Rhoda was strong headed and refused to be affected by his bullies. She ignored him and bare whatever thing he does to her as long as he never saw her panties. Rhoda's world crumbled the day she finally turned 18 and discovered that her boyfriend Luca who had been with her ever since she was 8 wasn't her mate, rather it was Jayden whom she dreaded. Jayden was grateful as the strong headed girl would finally melt in his hands. But was Luca who rejected his mate a year ago for his girlfriend ever going to allow Jayden have what was his? Would Rhoda ever accept Jayden as her mate? Would Jayden be letting her go just because she refused? Read on to find out in this fantastic novel.

(Bxb) Eric Valence thought finding a job as an editor for a well-known author named Draven H. Malcolm was the beginning of his writing career. He had no idea that it would also be the beginning of his love story. *** "You're so clueless, it bothers me." He frowned, "What does that mean-" "You never wondered why I gave you all the best things on my floor - the closest desk, drinks from my office, my newest project. I even went to your house and picked you up to make sure you weren't late." "My portfoli-" "There are twenty three others with the same experience as yours, that was an excuse," he admitted, peering into Eric's eyes and daring him to look away. Eric didn't. Draven sighed, "The reason I got mad that day..." he paused for a moment, hesitating again but deciding to let it all out, "the reason I got mad is because I heard you kissed Jason, which I wasn't too pleased about but then seeing you and Justin together..." He never finished his sentence, and Eric raised an eyebrow, "What about Justin and I?" "I feel like you're doing this on purpose," Draven chuckled, examining Eric's confused face. "I'm not sure what you're talking about-" "I like you," Draven said clearly with his entire diaphragm, expression it as loud as he could for Eric to understand. Eric felt his throat squeeze itself shut, no oxygen coming in or out. "I like you, a lot more than I thought, Eric," he breathed. Eric was unable to believe it, shook his head and looked away for moment, before meeting his gaze again. "Why me?" he asked quietly. Draven shrugged his shoulders, eyeing Eric with adoration and admiration, "I'm not sure either, but I want you to be mine."

After transferring into an elite high school, I was bullied. However, it was not my classmates that bullied me; it was every object in the school. The private bathroom in my dorm only ran icy cold water when I showered, forcing me to trek to the public bathhouse in the dead of winter. When I begged the dorm supervisor, Mrs. Linda Mercer, to submit a repair request, she rolled her eyes and said, "The students who lived here last year never had this problem. Why is it suddenly broken when you move in?" My student ID card never worked in the library or the cafeteria. Every single time, it failed to scan, and I had to register manually. The multimedia equipment in the classroom froze whenever I touched it, dragging down the entire class schedule. I went to the teachers for help. They frowned and complained instead. "Everyone else can use it just fine. Why does it only malfunction when you do?" Even my deskmate rolled her eyes and mocked me. "You put on such a show every day. You are the only one who's so special. Are we supposed to stop studying just for you?" One strange incident after another completely isolated me at my new school. I cried and begged my parents to let me transfer again. They said, "The college entrance exam is right around the corner. Stop making trouble. Just endure it, and it will pass." I listened. I decided to grit my teeth and push through. Then, on the day of the college entrance exam, the security gate malfunctioned and started leaking electricity. Everyone else was fine. I was the only one who was electrocuted to death on the spot. Until the moment I died, I could not understand why the entire school seemed to be pushing me out. I was just a newly transferred student who had no grudges with anyone. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I arrived to register at the new school.

“It's just me who can protect you!" Ethan yells as he slams Valentina against the wall, before she can move away, his body has covered the distance in an instant, and he brings his face extremely close to hers, his minty breath fanning her face. "With my power, no one in school can dare to hurt you, ever again.” Valentina couldn't believe her ears, her eyes blinked back fearfully, she had never dreamt that Ethan would one day try to "protect her" He is a hypocrite, silence hung briefly between them and a certain anger surged through her. “You mean the same power you used against me? Do you think you're any different from the rest of them?" She asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Ethan frowned and he gripped her shoulders tightly pressing her even harder into the wall, Valentina squeezed her eyes shut from fear. "I don't care what you say, Val." He whispers against her face, he grabs her jaw roughly and she winces slightly in surprise. "You won't be leaving here anytime soon." Valentina Chandler is a teenager suffering from depression and abuse from everyone around her, but despite that she struggles to get through every day, the more she tries to live a normal life, the more impossible it gets with the hope of one day having a "better life". Then there is Ethan Lords, a powerful school figure no one dared to cross and her mortal enemy who would stop at nothing to make her life more miserable. But what happens when he suddenly stops to bully her and he tells her he needs to protect her? What dangers lie ahead for Valentina? What does Ethan see that she doesn't? Who is he trying to protect her from?

When my four sons were finally old enough for preschool, I arrived at the school office with my marriage certificate and their birth certificates, ready to sign them up. But the lady at the counter frowned and said, "These documents don't check out. According to the system, your kids don't even exist." I felt as if the floor had dropped out from under me. I remembered when Sheldon Clem and I got married—he was the one who handled all the paperwork, the birth registrations, everything. I never imagined that when I tracked him down with our four boys, he'd be holding his childhood sweetheart in his arms, with her little girl snuggled against him. And then we heard him sweet-talking her right in front of us. "Don't be mad, babe. I've got everything set up for us overseas. Gigi is going to the most expensive private school, and you'll be living in the nicest penthouse downtown. "Sure, she gave me four sons, but all my love and money are with you. I only kept her around because I felt sorry for her. "What else do you need? My will's already signed. Everything goes to you and Gigi." Riley Anderson pouted, smug and satisfied. "If you don't love her, then she's the other woman, not me. She's got no right to fight me for anything!" So he never went bankrupt. When we got back home, Sheldon acted as if nothing had happened. "Honey, I've found this amazing project overseas, so I won't have time to come home much. I'll need you to hold down the fort at home." I smiled and nodded. "Sure, go ahead." If that was how he wanted to play this, then fine. I'd make sure he really went broke, and then I'd find my boys a new father.