Gratitude Expressions

I set up a company cafeteria for employees with an abundant meal daily worth 150 dollars per person. Meals are prepared by a world-renowned master chef. Every day, I only ask my employees to contribute a token of one dollar. Instead of gratitude, all I get is their envy of the neighboring company. "I wish we had that. Their healthy lunches cost them nothing, and the company covers everything." "Yeah. Free salads always seem to taste the best." Before long, this chatter spreads through the office, and the new hires carry it into the company's group chat. "Mr. Shaw, can we switch things up? All this rich, heavy food is just too much for us!" A few of the senior employees quickly jump in. "Yes, Mr. Shaw! We're not asking for anything extravagant. We only want something like the healthy lunches the other company gives out for free!" Perfect. They ignore my lavish 150-dollar meals that cost them almost nothing, yet they pine over the neighboring company's modest lunches. I scroll through the chat, feeling nothing but sharp irony. I immediately send a company-wide email. "Attention, everyone! By popular demand, and so you can all experience a truly free lunch, the cafeteria's daily meal is reduced from abundant to simple starting today. "Snacks and fruit options are discontinued and replaced with the same healthy lunch set offered by the neighboring company. The company will cover the full cost. Enjoy your meal!"

Zen is known as the feared leader of the Astral Guardians, a group of Alphas revered as the peacekeepers. His reputation isn't just because he hails from the renowned Silver Luminaries Pack, but also due to his fierce nature and intelligence. Enemies shudder at the thought of facing him, thanks to his exceptional combat skills. He's also a master tactician and strategist. However, beneath his fame lies a dark secret—he is not a natural-born Alpha. Hunter is the sole survivor of an experiment, a fact known only to his adoptive father. Despite his widespread acclaim, questions linger about Zen. People wonder why he remains unbonded, as he is the last child of the Silver Luminaries' leader without a mate. Zen disregards this, believing an artificial Alpha like him is unlikely to form a mate bond. This changes when he meets Aleah De Luna, the granddaughter of his father's friend, who arranges to marry him. From their first meeting, Zen understands why his family chose Aleah—she is weak and wolfless, a total outcast in the Guevarra family. Initially, Zen accepts the marriage to honor his father's wishes and repay his debt of gratitude for raising him. But when he discovers that Aleah is his fated mate and witnesses her near-death experience, Zen cannot bear to see her in danger. Determined to protect her, he vows to reject her as his mate. This decision brings forth the greatest challenge he has ever faced, far more daunting than any battle. Even his Demon Alpha persona cannot withstand the charisma of Aleah.

“You don't belong here, pest,” Alessandro spits, his grip on my hand tightening. I bit my bottom lip, trying not to wince. Trying to suppress the pain shooting up my arm and spreading to the rest of my body. Tears prickled my eyes, but I'll rather eat mud than let them fall. “You're a poor, stinky menace! And I will make life a living hell for you, so long as you still show your face around!” — When eighteen-year-old Cora Williams saves spoilt, rich, arrogant, and bratty Alessandro Beckham's life, she doesn't count on getting rewarded for her heroics. To show his gratitude to her for saving his son's life, Alessandro's father enrolls her in the notorious Royal Elite Academy, the top high school in the country, exclusive to the wealthy and snobby kids of the elite. Although Cora is sad to let go of her old life, and friends, she's coerced by her parents to accept the offer. She knows the rich and the poor don't mix, and intends to lay low until she scales through senior year. But Alessandro Beckham is the king of Royal Elite Academy, and he's made it his personal mission to make her life a living hell for reasons best known to him. Cora has never been a pushover. And she won't start now. She wouldn't let Alessandro belittle her whichever way he pleases. She would fight. But fighting Alessandro might cost her something. Her heart.

Isabella Rossi had it all: a powerful name, a loving family, and a marriage—or so she thought. When she discovers her husband, Marcos Vitale, still pines for his ex, she's willing to grant him his freedom, even if it breaks her heart. But Marcos's gratitude comes in the form of betrayal, drugging and humiliating her before an explosion rips her family apart and leaves her for dead. Six months later, Isabella awakens, unrecognizable, to a world that believes she perished with her family. Stripped of her identity and inheritance, she's offered a lifeline by Lorenzo "Enzo" Nivaro, a magnetic and dangerous figure from a rival family. Enzo proposes a deal: her new face and a chance to reclaim everything, in exchange for two years as his lover. Bound by desperation, Isabella plunges into a world of shadows, undergoing a transformation as complete as the surgery that remade her face. She infiltrates Marcos's company, seducing him and his family, all while Enzo orchestrates their downfall from behind the scenes. But as Isabella gets closer to Marcos, dangerous feelings ignite, blurring the lines between revenge and desire. Meanwhile, Enzo's motives remain shrouded in mystery. Is he a savior or a puppeteer? And what is Sofia, Marcos's scorned ex, planning in the wings? As secrets unravel and betrayals pile up, Isabella discovers a conspiracy that reaches far beyond her family feud, one that could consume them all. Torn between two men, two families, and two lives, Isabella must decide: how much is she willing to sacrifice to reclaim what was stolen? Will she embrace the darkness to exact her revenge, or can she find redemption in a world where love and loyalty are just another game?

Five years ago, Seraphina Blackwood ran from her marriage and destiny as Luna to the most powerful Lycan King alive, choosing to be free over an arranged marriage. But when she saves a wounded Alpha from a rogue attack, his gratitude came in the form of a prison. Marcus Sullivan marries her out of duty, believing she's nothing more than a poor orphan—never knowing she's the daughter of the most feared Yakuza-werewolf family in the supernatural underworld. For five years, Seraphina mistakes his cold obligation for love, playing the perfect wife while her true mate's bond is left unanswered. But when Marcus's first love returns, a rare Omega who promises him the strong heir he believes Seraphina, as a "human," cannot provide, his betrayal shatters every illusion that Seraphine has portrayed about their relationship. Abandoned, humiliated, and left to face dangerous enemies alone, Seraphina finally calls upon the man she left at the altar five years ago. Kieran Nightshade, the Lycan King whose heart she broke, answers without hesitation. But reclaiming her birthright means exposing secrets that could destroy the supernatural world's balance of power. As Marcus realizes too late what he's lost, and enemies comes from every angle seeking to use Seraphina's true identity against her family's empire, she must choose between remaining anonymous and the dangerous power that comes with being Luna Queen to the most feared Alpha alive. Some regrets can never be undone. And some women are too powerful to be cast aside twice.

Princess Ruthyelia Celeste Nobingale is the first-born princess of the country of Rinovea. She has a rather goofy and down-to-earth attitude for a princess. She considers this as her imperfections and thinks that she is not fit to be a princess, let alone a Queen. To be a Queen, she needs to be married, but she is in a secret relationship with one of her royal guards, Sir Angelo. Ruthy was in charge of a parade for their village where she meets another man named Noah who was a baker. She meets him once again during the party where a terrorist attack happened, but Noah saved her. To express her gratitude, she offers Noah a new bakery and her parents invited him to work in the palace. In continuation of the party, the royal family of Wierxia was invited to Rinovea to join Ruthy and her family. During dinner, they talked about marriage and the King of Wierxia suggested to marry off his son, Prince Thomas to Princess Ruthy. Princess Ruthy now spends time with Noah and Prince Thomas in which Sir Angelo got jealous of. Ruthy and Angelo then got into a fight that made them both question their feelings for each other. When the new bakery for Noah was finished constructing, they paid it a visit, but they got attacked by terrorists. Sir Angelo, who was with them, got seriously injured and Ruthy realized how much she loves him and how scared she was to lose him. When they got back to the palace, Sir Angelo was immediately admitted to the hospital wing. Princess Ruthy visits him every day and one day, when she was begging for him to wake up while holding his hand, the Queen, her mother, saw it all.

For the sake of her marriage, Eva sacrificed everything, her love, her loyalty, her time, and her future. She put her dreams on hold so that she could help her husband achieve his. But in return, Daniel shatters her heart in the cruellest way possible. At his grand promotion party, Eva expected gratitude, but instead, she gets humiliation. Mocked by an entire congregation and ridiculed by media aides as her husband asks her for a divorce in front of everyone she knows. That night, drowning in heartbreak, Eva runs into the arms of a stranger, not caring about the next day and what consequences her actions might have. She wakes up and leaves the world she knows, but not forever. Four years later, Eva is back. No longer the scorned, helpless woman Daniel cast aside. Today, she is Eva Sinclair, a billionaire, a power to be reckoned with. The woman who could destroy you with a single whisper, and she was ready to burn down everything Daniel had ever valued. But fate steps in, and the man Eva thought she'd never see again now stands between her and her plans for revenge. Dorian Rhodes has been searching for the woman he had that passionate night with. The woman who saved his life, then rocked his world only to leave him cold and lonely the morning after. *** "You threw her away like she was nothing, Daniel." Dorian tilted his head, gaze locking onto Eva's. "Your mistake, my gain. Because your wife is mine now. So, you can't have her back."

My Alpha mate nearly lost his life during a vicious rogue wolf attack. It was his assistant Scarlett who threw herself forward and took the silver blade meant for him, saving his life. But because of the silver poisoning, Scarlett's wolf fell into a feral rage state. The pack witch said she would need to mate with an Alpha every full moon to survive. Out of gratitude, my mate fucked her every full moon and my wolf would suffer greatly from the perceived betrayal of my mate. He knelt before me, tears streaming down his face, his whole body trembling. "Evelyn, she saved my life! I can't just watch her die!" After each full moon, he would give me a million dollars as compensation. And every time Scarlett miscarried, he would bring me the finest healing herbs to ease the pain I felt through our mate bond from his betrayal. In just one year, my bank account grew astronomically. I became the bank's most valued client. Until this time, when he disappeared with Scarlett for three months. When he returned, he dropped to his knees and grabbed my hands, pleading desperately. "Evelyn, if she miscarries again, she'll die! I... I can't let my savior perish!" "I'll claim the child as yours and cut all ties with her. Please, just let this child be born, okay?" My eyes instantly filled with tears. I fought hard to keep them from falling. "Fine." If that's how it is, then the pup I traded my life force to the witch for... I'll get rid of it.

You have been cheating on me?” I whispered as I stared at my husband who was shamelessly hugging my stepsister in my presence. He shrugged. “You don't call it cheating when I never saw you as my wife. Besides, you are barren.”  "I want a divorce." He blurted out coldly without looking at me. I gasped in shock, my heart breaking into a thousand pieces as tears fell down my cheeks. "You want a divorce after everything?" I choked out, "I gave you my love, my kidney, Liam. I risked my life for you. And you know...  you know I can’t conceive because of that surgery.” He didn’t flinch...  He didn’t even look guilty. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and said with cold finality, “And I gave you a luxury life you could never afford. I think that is enough compensation for whatever you think you have done for me.” His voice was ice, no emotion, no remorse. I pressed a hand to my chest as the pain tightened around my heart. God, He just reduced my sacrifices to a transaction… a trade for comfort. So after everything, that’s all I was to him? A debt he paid off with money? ***************************************************** Aliyah lost her womb after giving her kidney to save her husband’s life. Instead of gratitude, he mocked her, called her barren, cheated on her with her stepsister, and forced her to sign divorce papers in shame. But fate took a turn. Aliyah later married a powerful billionaire tycoon. Now, the very people who betrayed her are on their knees, begging for mercy. Will she forgive them or give them the taste of their own medicine?

Title: Fallen Angel: The Rise of a New Legacy Emilia's life was forever shattered when Marcus Blackwood, a ruthless billionaire, destroyed her family and left her for dead. Consumed by vengeance, Emilia dedicates herself to dismantling the Blackwood empire, no matter the cost. But what happens when she loses her memory ,years of careful planning wasted in a single day. Emilia saves Marcus's life, earning his gratitude and a betrothal to his son, Luca. But what happens when she falls in love with the son of her arch enemy without knowing it. Being in an abusive marriage, Emilia's love for Lucas was unconditional and she became a prisoner of her own emotions. Three years of pain and heartache passed and Emilia could and would do anything just to prove her love to Lucas. But the final blow came when Luca's love interest, a pianist, named Sophia, returned from abroad. Emilia's heart shattered as she realized she had been played all along, and she had lost herself in the process of trying to please a man that never cared. Deceived and betrayed Emilia stood at the crossroads of her life. Watch as Emilia navigates the treacherous landscape of deceit,of wealth and power, will she regain her memory and uncovers secrets about the Blackwood family's past, forcing her to confront the true nature of her enemy and finally get her revenge. Fallen Angel is a gripping tale of revenge, power struggles, and the blurred lines between love and hate. Exploring the true meaning of family, loyalty, and legacy, this story delves into the complexities of the human heart, revealing that even in the darkest depths, there's always a chance for transformation .With its twists and turns, Fallen Angel will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.