George Mason University Library

“Oh my darling Uncle”. I said while hugging him as he was backing me. “Uncle?”. A different voice asked and it seems to come from the person I'm hugging. He turned around with me in his arms and I stared into his eyes. Dark eyes. Uncle Max's eyes are blue, like mine. I let go of him immediately like I had been burned and blushed furiously. “Uhm, sorry. I thought you… were my uncle”. I told him. A chuckle brought my attention back to his handsome face. “Hello cutie, why do you think your uncle is here?” He said, his voice sending shivers down my body. *** Happiness Matthews, a 19-year-old college freshman, thought she had everything figured out when she left her small Texas town for the bright lights of California. But after a dangerous security guard targets her in her new apartment, she has to move in with Mason, her uncle's friend, who she met two years ago at his wedding. Mason, a man in his thirties still haunted by the woman who left him at the altar two years ago, never expected to share his home with his best friend’s niece. At first, their living arrangement seems like a temporary inconvenience—but the longer they stay under the same roof, the harder it becomes to ignore the magnetic tension building between them. As the lines between family and desire blur, Happiness finds herself drawn to the man who carries both charm and a painful past. But with every passing day, the unspoken rules become more difficult to follow, and a dangerous truth about Mason’s past threatens to tear them both apart. In a story where forbidden attraction and unresolved heartbreak collide, Happy must choose between loyalty, family, love, and her own future—before the stakes get even higher

In a world where werewolves rule, independent human, Ruby Mason struggles to accept her place as a second-class citizen. She lives by the strict rules the wolves have set out, but it doesn't stop her from wishing for more. Ruby does all she can to avoid contact with the werewolves of the city, certain that they are ruthless monsters. What happens when one bad decision puts her in the path of the king of all monsters?

“Breathe,” I muttered to myself as I walked down the aisle, bouquet in hand, scanning the few people seated, people I barely knew, but the groom was nowhere in sight. Panic set in. My heart skipped a beat. Was I about to be ditched on my wedding day? I could already picture what the headline would be : Daughter of Late CEO of Nova White Robotics Abandoned at the Altar. Not only would I be disgraced, but my chances of taking over the company would slip away, and my enemies? Well, they would dance and jubilate. Just as I was about give up, I heard the sound of hasty footsteps. The crowd turned and gasped in shock as Mason appeared, looking dashing in a sharp three-piece crisp suit. His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine. “Sorry, I’m late. My suit didn’t arrive on time,” he said with an apologetic smile. I nodded and the priest began reading the vows, he turned to me and asked, "Will you take Mr. Mason Anderson as your lawfully wedded husband, to love and protect?" I tried to speak, but the words stuck in my throat. I just stood there, lost in confusion, unsure if this was the right choice.

A virgin at thirty? A plus-size? Yes, that's Hera. After a painful heartbreak, she shuts herself off and chooses to focus on her career. Well, that's until She meets Mason aka Viper, the leader of Shadow riders motorcycle club on her way to her best friends wedding. He stakes his claim on her but life has a way of messing people up. Past traumas and bitter Ex's crawl on them. Hera has a secret, will Mason accept this side of her when he learns about it? *** He is ready to settle, she only wants to play around. He is Jepoy aka Zero. The deadly weapon of the club, yet she elopes his traps, avoiding his claim. She was not always like this, a traumatic marriage changed her. He saved her from him, but he can't save her from the hell she lives in everyday. Chloe knows she isn't ready to settle, Jepoy knows he must stake a claim on her. Two wounded souls, two different destination, is there a future for them? TRIGGER WARNING: The story contains sensitive information. Acts of violence and extremely mature content (+18) will be explored. Proceed with caution.

"Shadows of the Past" is a story about *Natasha Fernandez* (26),the daughter of a billionaire who never enjoyed her childhood due to the loss of her mother and her father's busy schedule. She struggles with health issues and finding true love until she meets *Jamal smith* (29) who rescues her from a robber and becomes her friend, and eventually her husband. Years later, Natasha hires her childhood friend *Imade Martins*(25) a home tutor for her adopted daughter *Tessa* (3). However, Natasha is heartbroken when she discovers Jamal's affair with Imade, and she uses her power to frustrate Imade's business life. Unbeknownst to them all, Jamal is the biological father of Imade's daughter, whom she lost in the hands of a matron to an orphanage some years back. Imade leaves for another city where she falls in love with her boss, Mr. *George Henry,*(34) an influential business tycoon and a single father. Twenty years later, *Roy Henry,* George's son, falls in love with Tessa, Natasha's daughter. However, their love is jeopardized after a family introduction takes place, and complicated truths unravel, putting Tessa's life at stake. The story explores the drama and chaos that ensue as the characters confront their past and navigate their present relationships.

Normani gets back from prison after sacrificing her crown, her freedom for her lover, George O'Neil, she's met not with open arms but with divorce papers and a cheque for a fresh start. Cast aside and mocked by George’s new lover, Becky Finnegan, his boss who joined him to set Normani up. They don't know Normani harbors a powerful secret: she’s a princess of Scotland. She is determined to reclaim her identity and seek vengeance against those who betrayed her. Everything changes when she meets Shawn Matters, a dangerously captivating mafia boss. Their intense connection lights up a passion she never saw coming, complicating her thirst for revenge. Her breath hitches. “You don’t know what it’s like to lose everything.” “Maybe not everything, but I know what it’s like to fight for what matters. Let me help you reclaim your power.” Shawns eyes glowed angrily as he spoke. Normani hesitates, torn between her desire for revenge and the pull of Shawn’s unwavering support. “What if I want to watch them all burn?” “Then let’s burn it down together,” he insists, a fierce glint in his eyes. “But don’t lose yourself in the fire. You deserve to rise from the ashes.”

My husband and his twin brother get into an accident during a test drive. To protect his older brother, my husband is thrown from the car and dies on the spot. Hearing the news of his death, I, four months pregnant, collapse in tears outside the hospital morgue. When I come to, I overhear my sister-in-law, Gloria Quinn’s voice outside the door. "Mason, are you sure Celine won't find out about this?" Mason? Isn't that my husband, who died in the crash? A familiar male voice replies, "Gloria, you're the one I truly love. If I hadn't mistaken Celine for you that drunken night, I'd never have let you end up with Jason. Celine loves me so much and is carrying my child. "If I take on Jason's identity and look after her, I swear she'll never leave me. Then, all her family's money will be ours." I smirk coldly as I listen to their conversation. He cheats on me, yet expects me to keep his child? Since he's already "dead", he's lost everything.

What will you do if one day, you suddenly wake up with ears above your head and tails behind your back? What if you suddenly came back to how you were, 20 years ago, just with different eyes and hair color? Coming home from a late-night party, Tiffany George passed out as soon as she felt the softness and warmth of her comfy bed. She stinks of alcohol, explaining her carefree behavior, resulting into a deep sleep with her corporate attire on. On the next day, a phone call had woken her up. She massaged her aching temples and reached for her phone on the bedside table. She answered it without even bothering to look at the caller ID, her voice hoarse as she said hello. “Ms. George, what time do you think is it?” a cold voice floated over the phone, waking Tiffany out of her daze. She immediately hung-up the call and rose from the bed. But the moment she tried to reach the floor with her feet… she realized something amiss. She touched her face and felt her chest… A long silence ensued before her loud scream filled the entire room.

George Lansbury (22 February 1859 – 7 May 1940) was a British politician and social reformer who led the Labour Party from 1932 to 1935. Apart from a brief period of ministerial office during the Labour government of 1929–31, he spent his political life campaigning against established authority and vested interests, his main causes being the promotion of social justice, women's rights and world disarmament.

Audrey Smith, a 21-year-old woman, is the daughter of George Smith, the leader of a mafia gang. Audrey is taken captive by Noah Cyrus after she overhears one of his men on a mission to find his sister. Despite their initial adversarial relationship, Audrey and Noah fall in love and start a relationship. However, their romance is tested when Noah discovers that Audrey's father is responsible for his sister's abduction. Will their relationship survive this revelation? Read to find out...