Game Over: No Second Chances

Dangerous Desires Book Two. The first time I laid eyes on Roman Castillo, there was a charge of electricity that ignited my pulse to surge—like a lightning strike in the night sky, zapping my broken heart to life. He was beguiling, the bearer of the most vivid blue-gray eyes I had ever seen. Everything about him had the ability to make my heart trash against my chest cavity and made me weak on the knees. And for me to feel all these strange feelings at our first meeting was borderline extreme in my book. So I gave him a show, one that he would never forget. I relished the way his eyes darkened, following every intricate movement of my body. Little did I know I was stepping into dangerous territory. An uncharted world where the most primal rule prevails—only the strong survive. I wasn’t ready for him. I wasn’t prepared for the danger of his world. And nothing prepared me for the secrets I’d unravel while falling deeply for him. Because in the world I live in, love is patient; love is kind. But in his world, love is a game with no rules. [Mature Content] Cover by DobolyuV

On our son's fifth birthday, I found the texts on Stanley's phone—from his best friend's widow: [Stanley, the kid misses his dad again. When are you coming over?] [Stanley, Archie liked a set of matching family outfits. I already ordered them. Let's wear them together this weekend.] [Stanley, Archie starts school tomorrow. I put your name down under "father." Hope that's okay?] And Stanley? He was all in: [Loretta's asleep. I'll head over now.] [My size is 3XL. Don't get the wrong one.] [It's fine. You two have always been my responsibility.] I stood there, frozen. Then I called him back in from the living room, where he'd been helping Luca open gifts. He didn't deny it. Just hugged me and started rambling. "Hallie's Howard's widow. I promised I'd look out for her and Archie. I know I messed up. It won't happen again." We'd been together ten years. Luca had just turned five. Ending a marriage over a few texts felt dramatic. So I let it slide. Believed him. We even went out to celebrate Luca's birthday. Then his phone lit up on the table: [Stanley, the kid's crying for his dad before bed. I can't calm him down.] Stanley shoved his chair back and walked out—no hesitation. I looked at Luca. He was startled at the noise. And just like that, divorce didn't feel so dramatic anymore.

I helped my wife, Kim Carey, rise from obscurity into stardom, only to discover that she was having an affair with a rising young actor who looked like me. When I asked for a divorce, she cried and begged me not to leave. In the end, I caved in. I gave her three chances. The first time, she stayed up all night to post a public statement clarifying all the rumors between her and Emmett Stone. She canceled all her work and stayed with me for an entire week. The second time, on my birthday, she publicly announced that Emmett was her soulmate. She even released intimate photos of the two of them. She buried herself in my arms and said righteously, "Emmett is depressed. I'm only doing this to comfort him. You're the only one in my heart. This is the last time. Please believe me." Then, she abandoned me in the wilderness, just because Emmett had suffered a minor injury on his hand. The final time, my father was critically ill and urgently needed a huge sum of money for surgery. She refused to even transfer a single cent to me. "All the money has been invested in Emmett's new drama," she said coldly. "Your father won't die that quickly." That night, my father missed the best window for treatment and died on the operating table. My heart was completely shattered. When Kim finally returned home late that night, I asked for a divorce once more.

WARNING: THIS BOOK MAY CONTAIN STEAMY AND MATURE SCENES WHICH IS STRICTLY NOT FOR KIDS OR UNDER 18+ Life in the Ember Pack seemed ordinary—until Annatoria, the Luna, was accused of infidelity by her husband, the Alpha. Infidelity was the last thing Anna would ever consider, even in a failing marriage. Yet there she stood, publicly shamed and branded a whore. A cruel setup led to her rejection and banishment, leaving her broken and alone. For three long years, Anna struggled to survive, enduring hardship after hardship. But with the help of Alpha Asher—a close friend who secretly harbored feelings for her—she rose from the ashes. Now, as a powerful Alpha in her own right, she’s the talk of the shifter world. On the day she returns to the Ember Pack to reclaim her son, fate strikes once again. As she nears the pack gates, a deep, familiar growl sends shivers down her spine. “You’re my mate.” Her wolf stirred. “What is that scent?” A mate? How did the “banished” Annatoria gain the power to walk into the pack unchallenged? And who is the wolf claiming her as his?

Alexander Morrison doesn't love me, nor does he love our daughter. The only person he loves is his first love, Charlotte Clarke. To maintain his perfect image in Charlotte's eyes, he only allows our daughter to call him "Uncle Alex". This continues until Charlotte becomes pregnant and goes abroad to marry someone else. Alexander drinks himself into oblivion and finally decides to marry me. When he comes home, our daughter gives him 100 forgiveness coupons. I tell him that once those 100 coupons are used up, I'll take our daughter and leave him forever. He holds us both tightly in his arms, swearing he will never make us sad again. During the initial few years of our secret marriage, he indeed does exceptionally well, as not a single coupon is used. That is, until Charlotte returns to the country with her daughter. Every time he abandons me and our daughter for Charlotte and her child, I tear off one forgiveness coupon. Now, only three coupons remain.

My adopted sister won the Elixir Challenge by stealing my potion. To her shock, she was informed that the event was a selection event for the future wife of the Serpentkins' future head—the same heir who was infamously impotent, barbaric, and hideous. When the Serpentkins sent over a proposal letter, demanding her hand in marriage, my fiance panicked and promptly took my adopted sister away for a quick marriage and even consummated. Once the deed was done, she returned triumphantly, showing off the mark on her lower back. "Well, what are you going to do now, Winnie?" she gloated. "Your fiance is mine now, and you'll be twenty-five in three days. If no one comes to pick you up, you'll just be dumped into the hands of some wife-beating Rogue who is ageing and unwanted…" Actually, she was wrong—I had a choice. I went to the parlor where my parents—who were busy fixing the mess my adopted sister made—were, announcing, "If she refuses to marry the future head of the Serpentkins, I will!"

Andreas Pramoedya tak pernah membiarkan siapapun mengusik ranah pribadinya. Sikap dingin dan tertutup pria itu makin tak tersentuh saat Namira istrinya memutuskan untuk mengakhiri hidup dengan tragis. Kematian Namira yang penuh tragedi, sekali lagi berhasil menyadarkan Andreas bahwa dirinya memang selalu layak untuk ditinggalkan. Maka hal tersisa yang bisa ia lakukan adalah melindungi kembali hatinya. Bahkan saat kehadiran sosok asing seperti Serena Amerta diam-diam menyusup masuk ke dalamnya, Andreas berusaha tetap berdiri teguh pada pendirian. Tak peduli sepanas apa percikan gairah yang tercipta saat keduanya saling menyentuh di atas ranjang, pria itu tak ingin terkecoh sekali lagi. Ya, ia tak ingin terluka dengan kehilangan yang sama sekali lagi. Karena Andreas tahu dengan pasti, bekas dari luka tak terlihat itu akan selalu abadi dalam ingatannya yang fana. Dan tanpa permisi, juga akan ikut turut serta membunuhnya perlahan-lahan.

Entah bagaimana nasib Raven Dewandaru yang tiba-tiba akan dijodohkan oleh orang tuanya dengan anak dari teman ibunya. Parahnya lagi, gadis yang akan dijodohkan dengannya itu berusia sepuluh tahun lebih muda dari Raven alias masih bocah SMA. Tentu saja dirinya menolak usulan gila tersebut, tetapi memang nggak ada yang namanya makanan gratis di dunia ini. Maka sebagai gantinya, Raven harus menjadi guru les privat bocah SMA yang bernama Eliora Estella itu sampai ia lulus SMA. Raven dengan terpaksa menerima kenyataan bahwa dirinya harus menikahi Eliora atas perintah ayahnya sebelum beliau menghembuskan napas terakhirnya. Tentu saja pria itu kesal setengah mati mendapati gadis yang akan menjadi istrinya itu benar-benar jauh dari kriteria wanita idamannya selama ini. Meskipun keberatan, tetapi Raven tetap memilih untuk menjalankan amanat terakhir dari ayahnya. Raven ingat sekali, tiga pertemuan pertama mereka penuh dengan masalah dan kesalahpahaman. Namun, orang-orang bilang, pertemuan pertama adalah kebetulan, pertemuan kedua adalah jodoh, dan pertemuan ketiga adalah takdir. Jadi, apakah benar Eliora adalah takdir yang diberikan oleh semesta untuk Raven?

A senseless tragedy struck Alanis Roswell, wiping out her greatest dream: having a family. Alanis will never know how it feels to hold her own baby. So, her career became her main focus, giving it her all. Everything went well until she met Brody McLean. He was so charming, so easy to fall in love with. But when he told her about his dream of becoming a father, Lanie decided to push him away. Brody McLean was gorgeous, rich, successful. But he wanted to find the right woman and start a family. Was Alanis Roswell the woman he was looking for?

Crescent Armstrong doesn't expect to catch attention of a another beautiful woman except the one besides him. After his breakup with Henley, he is back to pursue her not contented that all was lost. However Della happens to be the woman who has attracted him differently other than Henley. He convi