Golden Fire Eel

BLURB Maya Rossi was the "Ice Princess" until a bone-shattering fall turned her into a punchline. Now, the only way to keep her scholarship is to survive a forced partnership with Julian Thorne—the hockey team’s most violent enforcer. He’s a storm of aggression and secrets; she’s a hollow shell of her former self. But as the fake smiles they put on for the cameras start to feel real, a devastating secret threatens to crack the very ice they’re standing on. When the spotlight returns, will Julian be the one to catch her, or is he the one who’s been waiting for her to fall?

On my thirtieth birthday, Gideon Salton told me to meet him at city hall. He made sure I wore a wedding dress and brought my papers, hyping it up as a huge birthday surprise. But when I showed up, all dressed up, he turned to his trashy crew and laughed. "No way—she actually did it. Dress, docs, the whole thing. Pay up, fifty bucks each." Then he looked at me. "Come on, Madison. You didn't seriously fall for that?" I didn't answer. He smirked. "If you're that thirsty to get hitched, go inside and grab some rando to register with." His friends cracked up. They called me Gideon's loyal simp, his forever backup plan. Said I'd never end up with anyone else. But when I came out with my husband and a legit marriage certificate, Gideon just froze—pale, silent, wrecked.

He was my first love. My biggest regret. And now? He's my stepbrother. Five years ago, Cade Blackwood James disappeared after one perfect night that changed everything. Now he's back, more dangerous than ever, and living under the same roof. Our parents just got married. They think we're strangers. They're wrong. Every rule says we should stay away. Every touch says we can't. And when he backs me against the wall and whispers, "You've always been mine," I know we're both going to hell. But first? We're going to burn. He was my first. He'll be my last. Even if it destroys us both. Forbidden. Explosive. Unforgettable.

“I reject you.” Those three words should have ended Eiren’s life. Publicly rejected by his fated mate and declared defective by pack law, Eiren is dragged into the darkness to await execution. In a world where omegas are only valued when they are chosen, being unwanted is a death sentence. Broken, scentless, and abandoned, Eiren prepares to die alone in chains. But fate is not finished with him. In the shadows of the pack’s prison, a second bond ignites,violent, forbidden, and impossible. Kael Vorthran, the pack’s feared executioner, claims Eiren without permission, without mercy, and without regret. He does not ask. He does not hesitate. And once he marks Eiren as his, the entire pack becomes his enemy. Protected by the most dangerous alpha alive, Eiren is pulled into a bond that is too strong, too fast, and slowly kills him. As the pack plots his death and ancient laws close in, Kael is forced to choose between power and love, duty and defiance. Because this time, fate didn’t give him a perfect omega. It gave him someone worth burning the world for.

The company holds a management meeting. My wife's secretary, Lisa Carter, is checking IDs at the conference room entrance. She greets everyone who enters with a warm smile. But when it is my turn, she lets out a scornful laugh. I frown and pull out my Cybersecurity Department Manager's ID, but she doesn't even glance at it. "Mr. Torres, Ms. Shaw took pity on you and made you a manager. Do you really think you're somebody important?" I ignore her and dial the CEO's direct line instead. "Someone's saying my position is just charity from you. Is it true?"

After passing five rounds of interviews, I secure an offer from Larson Group based on my own abilities. I can't wait to share the good news with my boyfriend, Noah Gardner. However, he reports me to HR, causing me to lose the job. "Isabelle can't find a job and is really anxious, so I gave the position to her. You can just send out a few more resumes. It's not like a few extra days matter," he said nonchalantly. After Isabelle Buchanan starts working at Larson Group, everyone showers her with praise. I laugh in exasperation and call my older brother. "Mr. Larson, can our company hire me as the CEO's executive assistant?"

Left at the altar by her fiancé, film industry beauty Christine Ledesma, also known as Cassandra Mendez rebuilt her shattered life. Just when she thought she had finally gotten over him and turned over a whole new leaf, Marty Jacobs the infamous playboy billionaire showed up again to reclaim her. "Mommy, you're back." The little girl sweetly said. Marty came in and walked towards the living room. He put down Christine on the couch. The little girl was delighted to see Christine carried by Marty. The little girl held Marty's hand, looked up to him and spoke, "Mommy, is he my daddy?" The little girl's eyes were twinkling like the stars in the sky. Memories of five years ago came flooding her mind. Christine couldn't utter a word, for she was overwhelmed by the memories of five years ago. The little girl concluded that her mom's silence meant yes, the little girl spoke to Marty "Daddy, did you come back to take us with you?" Baffled, Marty couldn't speak and looked at Christine. Christine had regained her composure and said, "Cassie, sweetie, he is mommy's business partner."

A year ago, I lost my best friend, and I lost my way. I was at the top of my game and in a split second, Leah was dead and the two men that I loved more than life itself had betrayed me. I was alone. I was broken. Then, the mob called. And, I answered. It was a bad idea to get involved with the mob, but the longer I worked with Alessio, the harder it was to stay away from him. He was the missing piece that I had been longing for. Too bad he was a murderer, and his family was trying to kill me.

At the age of thirteen, Ashley secretly fell in love with a man. The man looks cold and lazy, talks like a bad-boy, often comes to her house and spends an afternoon playing games in her brother's room. Seeing Ashley come in to deliver some snacks, he would raise his eyelids carelessly, smiling like a tempting devil, "Kiddo, what's the matter with you? You always blush when you see me. "

On the night of my fifth wedding anniversary with Sebastian Gray, he lit up the entire city with fireworks for me. All our friends kept saying what a wonderful man he was—so loving, so romantic. The kind of husband every woman dreams of. At the grand finale, the fireworks burst into words that lit up the night sky: Happy Birthday, Jen. Jennifer Kingsley was Sebastian's first love, his ideal woman, the one who had always lingered in his heart. Sebastian looked at me, his expression almost sheepish. "Ah, it's Jen's birthday too. They must have mixed up the fireworks." That night, Jennifer posted on her social media: "Men are boys till the day they die, always fumbling their way through romance." She added a picture of the fireworks, along with a photo of her and Sebastian standing close under the dazzling display. I liked her post and left a comment: "From school to altar—what a touching love story. When's the wedding?"