Grayslake Public Library

Seraphina Vale has always been a survivor. Bullied mercilessly by her affluent college classmates and betrayed by her closest friend, Isla Kensington, Seraphina has spent years hiding behind a quiet, unassuming façade. Her turning point comes when Isla’s ultimate betrayal, she leaked Seraphina’s private journal containing intimate reflections about her deceased mother and that led to a public humiliation so devastating that Seraphina ends up hospitalized. Emotionally shattered and at her lowest point, Seraphina stumbles upon Adrian Montclair, a charismatic yet ruthless Mafia boss who offers her an unexpected lifeline. Adrian, a man haunted by his own dark past, sees something in Seraphina that reminds him of the person he used to be: broken but not irreparable. He offers her a "contract." He will help her rebuild herself, reclaim her life, and exact justice against those who wronged her. In return, she must agree to one favor in the future, the nature of which he will not reveal. Desperate and with nothing to lose, Seraphina accepts, plunging herself into Adrian’s dangerous world.

Knile Monte Forteros, a CEO at the renowned Fragments Fox Newspapers and Magazines Company and hailing from a wealthy family, was about to marry his fiancée, Cayleigh Shaine Montemayor, who also came from a family of business owners and owned the Hotel de Montemayor, but it was thwarted due to an accident. Akira Rodrigo Salamanca, a fashion designer and owner of the famous Magic Fashion Boutique, was the one who hit Knile's fiancee, Cayleigh, causing her to lose both legs. Out of anger, Knile imprisoned Aki and hid the events from the public using his high position in society. Seeing no other hope, Aki made a deal to be Cayleigh's aide for life in exchange for his freedom. Aki became Cayleigh's legs and eyes, which also led to frequent interactions between him and Knile. But if the heart of the oppressed falls into false love, is the feeling of the heart heavier than the depth of gratitude? Is it wrong to fall in love with a conqueror? Maybe so, but it's worse to fall in love secretly.

Riley Hart doesn’t believe in fated mates, power hierarchies, or playing nice. Especially not with the arrogant, insufferable Alpha-in-waiting of Crescent City — Jaxon Vale. After being exiled from her former pack for reasons she refuses to talk about, Riley is content hiding among humans, living a quiet life as a barista with a biting sense of humor and a fierce independence. But when an attack forces her to shift in public, Riley’s secret is blown wide open — and she finds herself dragged into the powerful Vale Pack’s territory under Alpha law. Jaxon Vale is everything Riley hates — dominant, cocky, used to control. He doesn’t trust rogue wolves, especially not ones with hidden scars and biting sarcasm. But when a string of brutal, magical attacks starts targeting young werewolves across the city, Riley’s mysterious past might be the only key to stopping them. Forced into an uneasy alliance, Riley and Jaxon clash at every turn — until their rivalry simmers into something more dangerous: desire. As secrets unravel, trust is tested, and enemies close in, they’ll have to decide whether their bond is just a twist of fate… or the beginning of something worth fighting for. Because in Crescent City, wolves don’t fall in love — they survive it.

Jaxon Carter has everything a man could want—talent, fame, and a multimillion-dollar contract with the Titans almost within his grasp. The only problem? His reckless lifestyle stands between him and the contract. But his agency has told him that he can salvage the contract by cleaning up his image. Sienna Blake has two things in life she held dear —her ballet career and her house she grew up creating memories in. But when the bank forecloses her house and her ballet career barely covers her bills, she turns to her agency, only to be coldly rejected. When their paths cross at the agency, Jax sees an opportunity. She needs money. He needs stability. The solution? A fake relationship. He offers to clear her debts in exchange for playing the perfect doting girlfriend—just long enough it's beneficial to them. But what starts as a transaction soon spirals into something neither of them expected. Public appearances turn into stolen moments and close proximate intimacy blurs into something more. They find themselves trapped in a dangerous game—one where the greatest risk isn’t losing a contract or a house… but losing their hearts. And just when Sienna is ready to confess the biggest secret of all, Jax's past comes haunting them. Hurt and betrayed, she walks away without a second glance, choosing to protect her heart and her unborn child. Will Jax fight for what they had? Will he risk everything—including his career—to fight for the only thing that ever truly mattered?

“You took a photo of me without my permission.” “Then why do you look like you want to be seen?” Elliot Marlowe is a struggling photographer living paycheck to paycheck in a tiny New York apartment. One accidental photo in Central Park changes everything—a haunting shot of a mysterious, brooding man who turns out to be none other than Damien Whitlock, the untouchable billionaire tech mogul with a reputation as cold as his fortune. Instead of suing, Damien makes Elliot an offer: become his personal photographer. It's the beginning of a dangerous game—one filled with stolen glances, unspoken truths, and a fake relationship meant to protect Damien’s public image. But behind Damien’s icy exterior lies an artist scarred by betrayal, and behind Elliot’s lens is a man desperate to feel seen for the first time. As the line between performance and passion begins to blur, secrets unravel. A fake kiss becomes real. A lie about love becomes a truth too big to silence. And when heartbreak and ambition threaten to tear them apart, both must choose between fear and vulnerability, between survival and surrender. In a world where image is everything, can two men find the courage to be each other’s truth? Or will the picture-perfect illusion destroy them both?

Zara James thought she had it all—a promising journalism career, a passion for uncovering the truth, and the guts to expose the powerful. But when her exposé on a corrupt politician backfires, her world comes crashing down. Blacklisted, penniless, and humiliated, Zara is desperate to rebuild her shattered life. Enter Adrian Cross, a tech billionaire with a reputation as ruthless as it is alluring. Adrian’s empire is on the verge of collapse, thanks to a scandal tied to his enigmatic and estranged brother, Nathaniel. Desperate to salvage his public image, Adrian offers Zara an irresistible deal: become his fake fiancée, and he’ll give her the exclusive story that could redeem her career. It’s a win-win—or so it seems. Thrown into a world of glittering galas, high-stakes boardrooms, and shadowy secrets, Zara quickly realizes Adrian is hiding more than just a tarnished reputation. Beneath his icy exterior lies a man haunted by betrayal, bound by dark ties to his family’s criminal empire. As their staged romance starts to feel dangerously real, Zara finds herself torn between her growing feelings for Adrian and the truth she’s determined to uncover. But Adrian isn’t the only one with secrets. Ethan Blackwood, a charming stranger who sweeps Zara off her feet, has his own hidden agenda—one that ties him to her worst enemy. Caught in a web of lies, power plays, and dangerous alliances, Zara must navigate the treacherous waters of love and ambition. When betrayal strikes from all sides, Zara faces an impossible choice: trust the man who’s kept her in the dark or risk everything for the one who might be playing her.

Winter had been reduced to nothing less than a nanny and a live in maid, ever since her husband's first love cam back to town and took the affection meant for her from her husband and kid. Her husband makes her sign the divorce papers, to please Annalise, so Winter starts packing up in secret to leave since her husband refuses to let her go, intent on making Winter witness their happiness by being a spectator. Everything changes after two strange kids Jamal and Andre ran to her in public, after being humiliated and pushed into mud by her own son, Thomas after declaring Annalise and Stiles as his parents. To top all that, the two strange kids father with a mysterious background claims Winter as his wife in public, getting Stiles and Annalise humiliated. After that weird encounter, Winter meets them again, in a live cooking competition hosted by the richest family, The Hales in Moreau City, where she meets them again, and they refuse to let go of Winter, attached to her, while being watched live by everyone else. Would Winter accept them as her new family, or would she go back to her ex husband and fight for her son.

In the glittering heart of the city, where power plays and secrets intertwine, Serena Ward lives a life shadowed by her past and guarded by her independence. An Omega determined never to be tied down, she never expected a chance encounter with Lucien Vale — the formidable Alpha heir to one of the city’s most influential empires — to unravel everything. One intoxicating night burns between them, fierce and unforgettable. But when morning comes, Serena vanishes, leaving Lucien with nothing but questions — and a hidden truth neither is prepared for. Weeks later, Serena discovers she’s carrying triplets, each bearing the unmistakable mark of their Alpha father. Alone and defiant, she disappears into the quiet outskirts, determined to protect her children from the ruthless world Lucien inhabits. Bound by a cold marriage contract to the enigmatic Clara, Lucien’s life is a tightrope walk between duty and desire. When fate brings him face-to-face with Serena and the children he never knew existed, the collision threatens to shatter his carefully constructed world. Amidst corporate intrigue, family betrayals, and the harsh glare of the public eye, Serena and Lucien must navigate a storm of secrets, passion, and dangerous alliances. And when a shocking revelation about the marriage contract comes to light, loyalties are tested, and hearts are broken. Will love prevail in a city where everything, even the strongest bonds, can be bought — or lost forever?

After a tragic accident killed her father and made her mother unconscious, Anna was thinking about how to raise money for her mother's treatment when she met Lewis Cole, an intelligent billionaire who needs a wife to secure his inheritance before his thirty-second birthday. Anna seems to be a perfect candidate, but she was not interested in Lewis because she has a crush on Lewis’s brother, Stefan. Desperate, Anna takes Lewis’s one-year contract marriage offer. She soon finds out that living with a traumatized man is not easy, especially when his presence awakens feelings she never knew she had. Lewis shows her affection in public but is cold in private. He tries to keep their relationship professional, but the woman he once kissed in a drunken state turns out to be more than a convenient bride. Their budding relationship was ruined when Annabelle was discovered pregnant... and Lewis is not the one responsible. An anonymous envelope of unexpected truths and plots of manipulation and betrayal comes to further shake the foundation of their trust. Can a marriage built on contract survive the truth, or will their pasts destroy their chance at a real future? Will they find love after marriage or separate and become strangers?

Nia’s world shatters in a single night of betrayal. Drugged and manipulated by her best friend, she wakes up in the arms of a stranger. Her marriage of two years crumbles as her husband, Caleb, casts her out in public shame. With nowhere to go, she’s approached by the enigmatic billionaire Damien Aldridge, who offers her a chance at revenge and redemption. Their secret marriage blooms quietly, surrounded only by Damien’s family, who soon accept Nia as their own. As Damien’s kindness heals her wounds, their bond grows into a fierce, undeniable passion. Together, they face the venom of her past — a best friend who won’t stop scheming and an ex-husband consumed by regret. In a lavish showdown, Damien reveals the truth: Nia was framed all along. With her enemies exposed and their power stripped away, Nia finds freedom at last. In Damien’s arms, she discovers a love worth fighting for — a new chapter that promises healing, passion, and the sweet taste of victory.