Goodbye Bittersweet

"Strip!" "W..what?" Mary stuttered, not believing what she had just heard. Did this man just tell her to strip in the midst of everyone? Granted, there were only three in the room, but it was still outrageous. "I said strip Mary! I am a paying client, and I would like to see what I am paying for. You are to be my wife; it is only reasonable that I see all the goods." *** Notorious playboy Nicholas Harrington, known for his scandalous affairs, finds himself caught in yet another illicit escapade, causing concern for the future of his family's empire. Frustrated with his son's behavior, Nicholas's father forces him into an arranged marriage. Reluctantly, he marries Mary, an orphan raised in a convent, and their relationship begins with a rocky start. Nicholas, having no regard for his wife, continues with his indulgent lifestyle. It continued for some months until Nicholas became tired and threw Mary out on the street. But little did he know that Mary was already with child. With nowhere to go, Mary was forced to roam the streets until help came. Tragedy struck when Nicholas's father was diagnosed with an incurable disease and had a few months to go. But he was only going to hand over the company if Nicholas gave him a grandson. Now Nicholas must begin to look for his wife and try to convince her to give him a male child. And he would do everything he could to keep Mary with him. Their reunion sparks a turbulent journey of anger, passion, and hidden desires. Mary and Nicholas find themselves at a crossroads. Can they overcome the scars of their tumultuous history and embrace a future together, or are they destined for a bittersweet ending?

"Mr. Dawson, about that farmhouse construction project in Hattensburg… I've decided that I'm willing to go there." Gary Dawson, on the other end of the line, sounds fairly surprised. "I've been asking you to go there for ages, yet you refused every time because you said you wanted to be with your boyfriend, Timothy. Why the sudden change of mind?" Madeline Carlton lowers her reddened eyes and pretends to chuckle nonchalantly. "I guess I hit one too many walls and just decided to come to my senses afterward." Hearing this, Gary sighs and says sternly, "This is a highly classified mission. You will be assuming a whole new identity when you start working on this project. Before the mission ends, you will not be allowed to have any contact with the rest of the world. "Madeline, are you sure that you've thought things through?" "Yes. I just want to escape this place as soon as I can." There is a long silence on the phone. However, Gary answers right after the pause. "Alright. I'll send the classified contract to you in a while. It should take about a month for the paperwork to be finalized. Use that opportunity to say goodbye to your friends and family." The call disconnects. An email pops up in Madeline's inbox. Right after reading through the classified contract, she signed her name with a flourish and submitted the file with a click. At the same time, Bloomberg Group's new product launch plays on the television. Timothy Bloomberg, wearing a tailored white suit, slowly leads Lacey Houston up the catwalk stage.

Marco Regnante knows what it means to have led a hard life. Taken away from his family and sold to a cartel. Then forced to fend for himself and fight in an underground boxing ring before his teens, only to be thrown onto the road and left to die. He survived due to one reason alone: a group of boys saving his life. Nearly fifteen years later, adopted by the Regnante family, he has grown to be one hell of a man and the protege of the world's most ruthless Mafia Boss. Marco is a man for casual flings to sate his carnal desires, whereas his friends constantly attempt to set him up. Something which he finds irking because it's "Always flings. Never commitment."Now, throw into the mix, the 22-year-old Sofia Giordano, the Mafia daughter who was almost sold as a sex slave, and saved by the enemy, then thrust onto Marco as his responsibility; a direct order from The Boss. He is a man that leaves for work at 9 a.m and returns late at 11 p.m, and all he wants is peace and quiet to help him unwind for the day. But with Sofia around, he can wave peace goodbye, that girl dragging chaos with her wherever she walks. Something...which tests patient Marco's limitations--which happen to be wearing thin. After weeks and months of spending time together, they manage a routine and start to warm up to one another, and just when they think that things couldn't get any better, what happens when they find out Marco isn't who he claims to be? That he is not the man he thinks he is? That his reality is far worse than it actually seems? Forcing him to choose between what is right, and what is most dear.

Who meets Prince Charming in an elevator while carrying their broken shoe? Lena Masterson was having a rough day. Her coffee pot exploded, her favorite heel broke on the way to work, her computer died, and her coworker sabotaged her performance review that she should have aced. To top it all off, she had to stay late. So when she ran into a handsome stranger at work, she was certain that it was the worst day of her life. Instead, it was the start of something wonderful. From the moment she nearly bowled the man over, she thought about him. She didn’t know anything about him, and could only assume that he was someone’s assistant. Still, the encounter left her with new self-confidence. She made a move assertive enough to get the attention of her boss’ boss, and be granted a new position as the personal paralegal of the head partner. This promotion soon led to an important trip to the Caribbean, where she saw a familiar face on the beach… Everything seemed perfect when she was in Aiden’s arms, but he was holding something back. Worse, Lena was keeping a secret from him as well. She knew that she couldn’t keep up her little white lie forever, but it turned out that Aiden’s secret was much bigger. Much much much bigger. A billion times bigger, in fact. Even though he treated her like Cinderella at the ball, it was possible that the billionaire playboy just thought of her as one of his “flavors of the week”. After saying goodbye with one last barefoot kiss and returning to the real world, there was a burning question on Lena’s mind: Did this Prince Charming love her as much as she loved him?

"What you loved, my fair lady. wasn't me, but an illusion, a lie you were so eager to believe". his smile didn't reach his ears as he looked at her, noticing the amount of pain and betrayal her face carried."Can you say that you still love me now? The real me, with all my ugliness? can you still look over everything I've done to you and say that you love me?". He searched her eyes, hoping to find even a shred of love left in them. But just as he expected, there was none for he had destroyed it all with his own cruel hands."And now what?" "Now, It is Goodbye...", He said as he placed her on the ground, "Go back to your life, the one you had before me. Forget the the beautiful lies, forget the monstrous truths, forget me and live." Taking few steps away, she watched him carefully, afraid of the fact it might be but another trap, seeing he didn't make any moves towards her, she turned around, ready to leave but she felt his iron grip back on her arm before she was pulled into a desperate, bittersweet .*********Born as an illegitimate daughter of the King, sent away to live among the priests, Sara had a dull and meaningless life, believing she was a hidden disgrace, a black page in her father's honorable history, but her life was turned upside down when she decides to look for some answers about her true identity, and she finds herself in a journey of love, survival, secrets and heartbreaks, especially when she falls into the clutches of a demon lord who tells her she is the quill that would write the rest of their world's history...Disclaimer : I don't own the cover

One day, Ivy suddenly wake up from her bed and found out she went back 15 years before her death. In her past life, she was like vicious villian of those romantic novels who tried to humilate the female lead due to anger and jealousy! Which later on became miserable due to karma. Her brother died, their company fall into bankruptcy, her ambition to became a successful violonist shattered, and finally she went insane. However, it seems that her misery wasn't enough. Ivy got into an accident and became paralyzed, unable to talk and unable to move. She can only silently hope that her life would end sooner, so she could apologize to her brother in the after life. When she thought that this would be her end, dying all alone in her hospital bed, a man suddenly showed up in front of her and make her realized that there's rainbow after the rain. Unfortunately before she could confess, she died tragically without saying goodbye—such deep feelings were all given to her in vain. But now, she was back again and this time, she would be a better version of herself, she would achieve her dreams, and she would be the one to find him. Will Ivy's glory as a prodigy can be heard again? Can she fulfill her regrets? What would happen when she finally found out the earth shattering truth of her miserable life before? Will she choose to rewind or continue?

"So, do you intend to give your daughter to us in exchange for the debt payment?" The man next to Tyler said, serious, analyzing me from head to toe with eyes full of malice. "Yes," my father replied sadly. He had no choice but to sell me in this marriage contract. I wasn't hurt; I knew that everything he had done was to save my mother's life while she was hospitalized. The man placed a contract and a pen on the table for us to sign. I trembled as I wrote my name, and soon after, Tyler Mitchell signed his carefully. The man next to him smiled and said, "It's done. Officially welcome to the Mitchell family, dear!" He looked at me with malice. "Tomorrow morning, we will come to pick you up. Take the opportunity to say goodbye to your parents!" He said seriously. In a desperate move to protect her family, Emily Parker marries Tyler Mitchel, unaware that he harbors a cruel desire for revenge against her. The marriage becomes a true nightmare, with Tyler meticulously planning physical and emotional tortures for Emily. However, the plot takes an unexpected turn when she discovers she is pregnant. This twist not only disrupts all plans but also awakens something unusual in the heart of the ruthless mafia boss. Now, he finds himself at a crossroads, forced to reassess his own feelings as he tries to protect the woman he vowed to torture. A story of vengeance, unpredictable twists, and the imminent arrival of a new life that completely changes the course of this contractual marriage.

Isaac held her hand with the depleting energy in him, his body shaking as he felt the steady stream of crimson fluid pumping out of his heart and flowing down his skin, staining his vest. She tried to pull the scissors out again, but he held on tighter, squeezing his face at the searing pain. "Love," He mumbled, looking into her cold eyes. Natalie pulled at the scissors, but he held on with every little energy he had in him, shaking his head in plea that she'd stop. She didn't, and his tenacity made her twist the tool, and he let out a painful groan, a hot drop of tear escaping his eyes. ... As he laid there with four bleeding puncture wounds in his body, his bloodshot eyes fell on her unconscious body, and more painful tears trickled down his face. He had failed. He had failed his wife and son. *** Natalie Cabel's life changes from bitter to bittersweet after a one-night stand with Isaac Bardekk, heir apparent to the throne of Bardaen. His love was contagious and bewitching, and she found herself helplessly wanting him in her forever. But a lady without roots could never be a crown princess of such a powerful kingdom, especially not one who lived a promiscuous life. Isaac, however, was not ready to give up as he promised her a new identity, prestige, and immunity in return for her being a faithful wife. For how long, though, and to what extent can she remain immune to hate and adversity from the queen consort? The queen mother? Her father-in-law, the king? And the subjects? If so, can she really uphold her faithfulness and be free from her husband's hate? Even when Vincent, Isaac's stepbrother, targets that?

*BOOK 1: THE ALPHA KINGPIN TWINS* Navigating the harsh criminal underworld is no easy task, especially for women. Mira, an unwanted omega born from an Alpha's mistress, has experienced this reality firsthand. Deemed worthless, Mira is sold to the merciless Russian Alpha, Mikhail Popov, who subjects her to unimaginable cruelty. Forsaken by her family, Mira faces a life of suffering and violence under Popov's control. But Mira has a plan. On a fateful night, she seizes the opportunity to escape, taking with her secrets that could destroy Popov. Mira believes she has found freedom, but instead, she stumbles into the lair of Alpha Nikolaos Ioannides, a Greek Alpha with an even darker reputation. As a brutal pack war rages around them, Mira's options grow scarce. However, Alpha Nikolaos makes her an offer: her freedom and independence in exchange for one thing – giving him an Alpha heir. Mira is left with a crucial decision: is she willing to bear a child for the fearsome Alpha in exchange for her freedom? And perhaps more importantly, will she even have a choice? *** “You want to breed me?” He winces at the term, but nods.“Yes. I need an Alpha heir but in my position, I don't have time to go out looking for a mate nor do I want a Luna.” Mate; the one thing every wolf wants but no one seems to have. The Mate Bond is so obscure that many wolves have decided not to chase after it anymore. Would I even still be fertile after all the abuse I've suffered? What tests did the doctor run that she concluded I was fit to bear an Alpha's pup? *** Side Stories Included: Beta's Runaway Bride - Completed BITTERSWEET: The Gamma's Stories - Ongoing

Trigger Warning: This story explores difficult themes including emotional and physical abuse, coercion, non-consensual drugging, obsession, and trauma. Reader discretion is advised. Love. Lust. Obsession. Three very different men, but they all have one thing in common... Me. I was just a waitress. A woman with burned bridges and a dream of starting over. I thought I was finally free. A clean slate. I was so close... so close to gaining the independence I fought so hard for, until darkness came again, only this time… tenfold. One’s lust wants to own me. Another’s obsession seeks to break me. The third... I’m drawn to. He treated me like no one else did. I thought I could trust him. Then something shifted. Something terrifying. Hope fades when your body is not yours, your voice is silenced, and freedom is denied. --- As my fingertips brushed the smooth metal surface of the handle, claw-like fingers sank into my fleshy hips. I cried out in pure terror, the wind knocked out of me as my back slammed against his chest. “You’re really not leaving without saying goodbye to me, are you, sweetheart?” he growled. His eyes glowed an eerie garnet. “Remember, you belong to me now, Laura. If you ever dare run, I’ll lock you away where no one will find you,” he snarled, his coarse face scraping against mine. --- I’ve survived everything up to this point... Now, I’m not sure I can. They say I belong to them... Yet what if I was never meant to belong to anyone?