Gentle Reminders

In my past life, I casually bought a lottery ticket at the corner store and won 80 million dollars. Three days later, my pregnant housekeeper, Lily Hall, jumped off a bridge and killed herself. Before she died, she left behind a suicide note and a video recording. She claimed I had verbally abused and beaten her for months, and that I had falsely accused her of trying to seduce my husband, Jayden Sanders. In the video, my voice rang out crystal clear as I hurled insults at her. "You little tramp, why are you using a mop? Get down on your hands and knees and scrub it inch by inch. If it's not spotless, don't even think about eating tonight." I called Jayden to vouch for me. However, he insisted I had always been arrogant and cruel, constantly screaming at people or hitting them. He even lifted his shirt to show off the purple bruises covering his body. I could not defend myself and ended up being the villain everyone wanted to see locked up. Eventually, the entire 80 million dollars went to Lily's younger sister, Emma Hall, as compensation. I spent the rest of my life rotting in prison, never understanding why sweet, gentle Lily would frame me and then take her own life. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I won the lottery.

Jane Cameron woke up alone on the bed after her one-night stand with her closest friend in college, Eric Desmond. He disappeared from her life, and she never had the chance to tell him that she's pregnant. Jane thought she was abandoned, and so, she did not find Eric until she gave birth with their son, Eugene. For many years, Jane raised Eugene alone. She worked hard just to survive with her son, but in the end, Jane couldn't give the best life to the child. She regretted all of her decisions until she got into an accident and died. In the verge of death, Jane only wished of one thing. “A second chance to fix her mistakes.” If only she can turn back the time, Jane would find Eric and give the life their son deserves. And the wish happened. The time turned back, and Jane was given the chance to meet Eric Desmond, the billionaire heir of the Geelq corporation, who's already engaged to someone else. Jane does not wish to get Eric's affection as everything happened in the past is just an accident. And so, she made a deal. She won't ask for Eric for marriage, but Eric should give the best life to their son. However, the kind and gentle Eric that she knew, turned out to be a cold and possessive man who put a leash on her neck as soon as they met. It was as if he was desperate. "Who says you can go away from me, Jane? Not this time. Never again.”

The doctor said I only had three days left to live. Acute liver failure. My only hope was an experimental clinical trial. It was extremely risky, but had the faintest sliver of a chance to survive. But my husband, David, gave the last available spot... to my adopted sister, Emma, also my daughter’s godmother. Her condition was still in its early stages. He said it was the "right decision," because she “deserved to live more.” I signed the papers to forgo treatment and took the high-dose painkillers prescribed by the doctor. The cost? My organs would shut down, and I would die. When I handed over the jewelry company I’d poured my heart into, along with all my designs, to Emma, my parents praised me, saying, “Now that’s what a good big sister should do.” When I agreed to divorce David so he could marry Emma, he said, “You’ve finally learned to be understanding.” When I told my daughter to call Emma ‘Mom,’ she clapped her hands and said, “Emma is such a gentle and kind mother!” When I gave all my assets to Emma, everyone in the family thought it was only natural. No one noticed anything was wrong with me. I’m just curious. Will they still be able to smile when they find out I'm dead?

Lizzie Lee married Nathan Hall, and there were rumors he had a woman he loved deeply for years. He had been the one to hold Lizzie’s hand and take her to city hall to file their marriage license, and he was the one who told her his old flame meant nothing to him anymore. After three years of marriage, she thought that as long as she stayed gentle and compliant, she could warm his heart. Until that day, for the sake of his old flame, Nathan robbed her father of his last chance to survive and even brought his mistress to his father’s funeral. Lizzie looked at him and said, “I’m done. I want a divorce.” After the divorce, everyone waited to see her become a joke. But not long after, she was revealed to be the internationally renowned painter “Rose,” the long-lost daughter of a powerful family, and the lead on a major national art project. Her talent was undeniable, and she gradually became a star he could never reach. The man who once couldn’t even be bothered to look at her knelt in regret. “Liz, I was wrong. Come back, alright? I’ll treat you and your child well.” Yet another arm wrapped around Lizzie’s slender waist, drawing her in as he brushed a kiss against her flushed ear, his voice low with quiet possession. “Who else could be worthy of you but me?”

Warning... or Invitation? That choice is yours. This isn’t a fairytale. This isn’t about sweet kisses beneath cherry blossoms or soft smiles under the stars. No. This is raw, This is reckless, This is “Burning Embers: Scorching Tales of Desire” A collection of BL short stories carved from lust, laced with obsession, and kissed by chaos. Each chapter stands on its own, a world where strangers become addictions, roommates cross lines, enemies blur into lovers, and the line between want and need snaps without warning. These men don’t fall in love. They fall into temptation. They crash into each other like lightning against the sea, loud, unforgiving, and beautiful in their destruction. You’ll find no gentle romance here. Only the ache of fingertips brushing where they shouldn't, the weight of glances held too long, the gasp before the plunge. This is for the ones who know love isn’t always tender. That sometimes, the most unforgettable stories are the ones written in bruises and longing. This is for those who crave stories that leave a mark, who don’t flinch when desire gets messy, when hearts bleed a little before they beat as one. Not for the faint-hearted. Not for the clean-handed. This is for the bold, the brave, the ones who dare to touch the flame even if it burns. So turn the page. Step into the fire. But don’t say I didn’t warn you--- Because once the embers catch, they never go out.

On my 16th birthday, I treat myself to the most delicious cake I can find. On that day, before I can even take a bite, my parents, who are always at odds with each other, sign their divorce papers right in front of me. So, on my wedding day, I tell my wife, Keira Jarrett, "If you ever want a divorce, just get me a birthday cake." She hugs me tightly and promises me."Don't worry. 'Birthday' won't even be a word in our home anymore." Seven years later, on Keira's birthday, her assistant, Jackson Price, throws her a surprise party. She slaps him across his handsome, gentle face and kicks him out of Jarrett Group. That day, I am convinced I have chosen the right woman for life. But three months later, on my birthday, I find out the supposedly fired Jackson has been promoted to Keira's personal secretary. He personally delivers a custom-made birthday cake to me. I call Keira to demand an explanation, but her voice on the other end is cold and distant. "Jack meant well. Don't be a spoilsport." I freeze for a moment, then hang up. It turns out my parents are right all along. The only way a birthday cake tastes right is when it's served with divorce papers.

When 22-year-old Aria, an art student struggling to keep her life afloat, signs a surrogacy contract for the powerful and notoriously private billionaire Luca De Rossi, she expects a simple transaction not a story that will change everything she thought she knew about love, loyalty, and herself. But what begins as an arrangement soon blurs into something deeper. Luca isn’t the cold man the headlines describe; behind his control and empire lies a heart scarred by loss and trust built on careful walls. And Aria…gentle, stubborn, disarmingly honest starts breaking those walls without meaning to. When a single photograph exposes their secret to the world, the contract becomes a scandal, and Aria becomes the headline: The Mistress, the Billionaire, and the Baby. With the media frenzy threatening everything Luca built and Aria’s pregnancy advancing under relentless pressure, both must decide whether to hide behind duty or fight for a love neither expected. As betrayals surface in the boardroom and Luca’s empire trembles under corporate fire, Aria finds herself caught between the life she left behind and the dangerous world she’s come to belong to. Every choice she makes echoes louder for her child, for her heart, and for the man who swore to protect both. Set against the breathtaking Italian Riviera, this is a story of forbidden love, fierce loyalty, and the courage to stand tall when the world wants you to fall. A romance that begins with a contract… and ends with a fight for forever.

A 23 year old writer—journalist, Hans Angelo Gejero is one of the rarest gem living for his attractive innocence. His life changes when he went back to Manila from Canada along with his father. After finally almost an eternity, he has finally got to meet the one and only Miggy Rior. The moment they met, a fire sparked between them. Every time they would see each other, their hearts started rampaging inside their chest. It was unusual than before. Until Miggy can’t resist himself anymore so he grabbed the chance to kiss the lad and do something with him more than just a kiss. Those things they were doing is new to both of them and they didn’t know why they always feel something like that and why they always do that together. Until Hans fell in love with Miggy for his flowery words. He’s now afraid to do things with him for his feelings were attached to the guy who kissed him firstly. He knows that it is dangerous to fall in love with a friend with just the benefits yet he cannot stop himself from loving the gentle guy. His hot lips and presence are what made him more attractive fort he latter. Even if he tried to get rid of him, his heart always looked for only one thing. The one real thing he always asked for, love. One question remained in his mind. “Will this remain just the benefits?”

Ten years ago, Elara’s only refuge from Kaelan Vanderbilt’s cruel torment was her sketchbook. Now, she wears his brother’s engagement ring, poised to claim the loving family and safe life she’s always craved. Her past is a locked box, and gentle Liam Vanderbilt is the key to her future. But for Kaelan, the past is a weapon. The moment his brother introduces his fiancée, the quiet, artistic girl he once broke becomes an all-consuming obsession. He sees the fear in her eyes and replaces it with a dangerous, simmering desire. He will sabotage his brother, risk the family empire, and tear her perfect world apart to make her his. Elara is trapped between the man who represents everything she needs and the man who embodies the darkness she’s always feared… and secretly craves. As Kaelan’s campaign of seduction and psychological warfare escalates, he forces her to confront a terrifying truth: was she ever truly hiding from him, or was she waiting for him to find her again? The gala is the pinnacle of her new life, a celebration of her future with Liam. But as Kaelan’s hand settles on the small of her back, his lips brush her ear, and he whispers the same taunt that haunted her high school halls, the line between hatred and obsession shatters. “Run along, little mouse,” he murmurs, his voice a dark promise. “I’ve always loved the chase.”

Frieda Enriquez lives in a golden cage. As the perfect, silent wife to billionaire CEO Michael C. Van Leer, her life is a performance of flawless elegance, built on a mountain of secrets and the crushing debt that cost her everything. She gave Michael her body and her name, and in return, he gives her silence and control. But when Michael suffers a severe accident, the cold, loveless marriage is replaced by a chilling new demand. To maintain the illusion of their perfect union, Michael brings in two ruthless, identical associates—the Heaton twins—and forces Frieda into a twisted, shared submission. Now, her body is a battleground. Garrett, the gentle twin, offers a desperate, silent promise of protection, igniting an instant connection that feels dangerously like true love. Alvin, the violent twin, is a monster from her childhood, brought back by Michael to inflict private terror. As Michael watches his cruel game unfold, Frieda realizes the accident was a lie, the divorce is impossible, and the cage is closing tighter. When her own sister, Serena, arrives as Michael's mistress, the last thread of hope snaps. They wanted a submissive wife. They created an enemy. How do you fight a man who owns your name, your past, and now, the dark secret of your first and truest love? Read Trapped In My Husband’s Golden Cage and watch the perfect corporate wife become the most feared woman alive.