Grim Expression

"Why did you come here dressed like this? I thought I bought a dress for you!!" Ethan's voice rang out, filled with irritation and frustration. Ashley looked around nervously before quickly covering Ethan's mouth with her palm, trying to shush him. "I am sorry, I misplaced the cloth..." she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. Grandpa Ben sat in the back, watching the exchange with a stern expression on his face. He had expected Ethan to arrive with his fiancé, and instead he was greeted with this madwoman. Ashley had known that borrowing money from Ethan's company was a risk, but desperate times call for desperate measures. She had two options: either marry the CEO to pay back her debt, or come up with the money by the next day. As she stood in front of Ethan, she couldn't help but feel like a fraud, knowing that the person he believed her to be was just a figment of her imagination. Now, with everything on the line, Ashley must decide whether to reveal the truth about her fake persona to Ethan and risk losing everything, or continue on living this lie.

At Sullivan Group's annual banquet, a female university student approaches Peter Sullivan and offers herself to him. The usually cold and distant Peter suddenly freezes because this young woman looks exactly like his deceased first love. He can't help but tease, "You're asking to be my mistress in front of my wife. Are you so sure you won't be thrown out?" The young lady lifts her chin, and her stubborn expression is identical to that of his lost love. "You two got married for business reasons and mutual benefits. Does she have any say over what you do? Peter, only you can save my mom. Will you do it or not?" She's right. I'm just a pawn in a marriage of convenience. How could I possibly influence Peter's choices? But then, I catch a glint of tenderness in his eyes that I've never seen before, and a self-deprecating smile forms on my lips. Maybe, instead of clinging on and being thrown out like trash, it's better if I give up my place willingly.

Blurb Five years ago, the 18-year-old Mia was the most naive Italian teenager ever. The people she trusted took away her inheritance, identity, and fiance. Finally, she was thrown into the bed of a stranger. That night changed everything in her life. Five years later, she returned to Italy as a world-class model with a secret child. "Mommy, take a quick peek at that handsome uncle", the small girl with a ponytail cupped her cheeks and had a dreamy look on her face. Mia sighed and replied, "Chiara, don't forget our agreement. Anyway, that stranger is not half as handsome as your Dad". The said stranger had a darkened expression on his face. His subordinates felt the urge to laugh but his oppressive aura wouldn't let them do it. That was the first time their boss met a woman who wasn't afraid of offending him. Mia's goals upon her return are only three. One, bring down her enemies and take back her inheritance. Two, Restore her identity as an Arturo. Three, Find the man from that night. What if fate has other plans for her?

Lain Navier Edevane, an assassin haunted by his past, is on a dangerous mission to avenge the brutal murder of his family. Assigned by the dark tide, an organization that controls assassins worldwide, he has no choice but to carry out their evil commands. Galen, Lain's superior, hands him a picture of a girl, instructing him to eliminate target 0351. Lain, with a smug expression, asks when she should be killed. His superior warns him not to underestimate her, as she is no ordinary girl. Lain has one hour to complete the mission, knowing that failure is not an option, as it would cost him his life. Galen handed Lain a picture of a girl. Lain frowned, disliking dirting hands. His superior ordered him to eliminate target 0351, warning that she was not an ordinary girl. Lain asked when she should be killed, and was given an hour. Failure meant death. Lain recognized the supernatural nature of his target, but his tracking abilities made finding her easy. In the club, he spotted the only redhead. In the dim light, Lain drew his dagger and approached the drunk girl with precision. As he was about to stab her, their eyes met and something awakened within him. “MATE!”

On the fifth year of their marriage, finding the vitamin C her husband bought tasted too bitter, Jeanne Dotson went to the hospital with the bottle. The doctor took one look and frowned. "This isn't vitamin C." "I-I'm sorry, Doctor?" "I could say it a dozen times and it'd still be the same," the doctor replied, pointing at the bottle. "This is Mifepristone. Taking too much of it doesn't just cause infertility—it can do serious harm to your body." Jeanne felt a lump stuck in her throat, and her fingers turned pale from clenching the bottle. "That's impossible. My husband got this for me. His name is Darren Walsh—he's a doctor here too." The doctor looked up at her, his expression turning strange, tinged with something she couldn't quite read. After a pause, he gave a small smile. "Miss, you might want to visit the psych ward instead. We all know Dr. Walsh's wife—she gave birth just two months ago. Don't let your imagination run wild, all right? There's no point."

Kira, I can hear myself again!!' She squealed happily. All the pain she felt from the beatings the rogue gave her didn't matter anymore. She finally got her voice back. ' Your voice is back!' Kira said almost immediately. ' Now we can finally talk to our mate' She squealed happily too. All the excitement Haven had felt a moment again dissipated into thin air. ' Mate?' Her eyes immediately flew to the man holding her. She had completely forgotten she was in the arms of this .. This ' Man'. Haven looked at him in disgust. His hands were still hovering in the air as he looked at her, a blank expression on his face. " What do you think you're trying to do?!" Haven could feel the rage locked up within her for all these days started to surface. Just looking at his face made Haven want to kill him over and over again. What sort of a sick joke was Selene playing with her? How can the one person she hated turn out to be her fated mate?

Don Matteo DiCarlo is a ruthless mafia lord, feared across the city for his power and cold heart. When a wealthy businessman, Richard Thornton, defaults on a large loan, Matteo is dispatched to collect the debt. Upon arriving at Thornton’s mansion, Matteo is met with the grim realization that the once-wealthy tycoon is now nothing more than a broke fool, living far beyond his means by borrowing money from the wrong people. Desperate to save face, Richard offers his most precious asset—his daughter, Isabella—as payment. Matteo is initially repulsed by the idea. Isabella is soft, delicate, and far too weak for someone like him. She's the very picture of vulnerability, and Matteo has no patience for weakness. However, as the days pass and Matteo spends more time in her presence, he finds himself drawn to her in ways he can’t explain. Isabella, though fragile in appearance, hides a fierce resilience beneath her gentle exterior. The more Matteo tries to keep his distance, the more he’s tempted by the soft touch of her skin, the innocence in her eyes, and the way she challenges his cold exterior without even trying. As their relationship heats up, Matteo must battle his growing attraction to the woman he initially deemed unworthy. But Isabella has her own secrets and desires, and the line between debt and desire begins to blur as their chemistry intensifies, testing both their limits. In a world of power, corruption, and deceit, will Matteo be able to claim what is his without losing himself in the process? Or will Isabella be the one to change the Don’s heart forever?

"I said, what if I want to spend unnecessarily on you and your daughter?" Sebastian whispered, placing his hand on the small of my back and drawing me closer to himself. My breath hitched, my blood catching fire the moment my body hit his and my toes curled. His eyes pierced into mine as if they were searching my soul, wanting to see past all my guards and defences. "What if I want to spoil you? What if I want to give you everything you want? What if I want to make sure you don't lack anything you ever desired? What if I want to place the world at your feet? Will you let me, Aurora?" ~~~~~ Divorced and disowned on the same day, I simply decided to end my life.   But I didn't think I'd save a man from doing the same, nor did I expect him to give me a reason to live.   Five years later, my life hasn't gotten better. I'm drowning in debt and trying so hard to give my daughter a healthy life, but it's not enough.   Everything appears to be grim until the enigmatic billionaire Sebastian Warners unexpectedly enters my life and offers me everything I want on a silver platter for nearly nothing.   Why?   Why is a stranger so insistent on helping me? And what will I do when the past I had frantically tried to bury reappears?   Can true love, in which I had lost all hope, save the day, or will my entire life go up in flames again?  

All her life, Bryanna thought sparks in your heart, butterflies in your belly was the start of a great love story. She saw it in her parents' and best friend's relationships. So, when Nate walked in and made her a blubbering mess, Bryanna was pretty sure he was the one. But the sparks he started? Those butterflies he awaken? Left her heart broken and ... pregnant. Then there was Lincoln. His grumpy self and brooding expression saved her from herself and it scared her. What was this? But if one thing those hurt Nate caused taught her was; that true love is hard to find, and it is something you don't let go. You'll hold for that kind of love forever. For ... Always. **** I loved Bryanna since as long as I can remember. And I loved her enough to see her happy with someone else. But, when that fu*ker left her? I snapped. But love had never been easy. Now that she finally knows that I love her, I will do my best to prove my love. I have loved her from the start, I will love her forever. I will love her, ... Always.

"Unbelievable! My virtuous daughter-in-law wants to become my mistress. I must be dreaming." Watching Edrick pretending to be all surprised, I wanted nothing but the ground to open up and swallow me whole. "I am truly willing to do anything you want," I desperately said. "Suck my d**k. I need to check the product before I buy it, right?" The playful expression on Edrick's face faded as he spoke with an intimidating tone. "What!" I gasped. On the day Elaira got married, she was kidnapped by her ex Edrick from whom she ran away five years ago while being pregnant and discovered that Edrick was her husband's father. On top of that, Elaira's husband tried to give her away to his father as a price for getting acknowledgement as his heir. After knowing that she was just a pawn in her husband's scheme for inheritance and becoming her father-in-law's mistress overnight who will she choose? Her treacherous husband or formidable ex who wants Elaira to give birth to his child even though she is now his daughter-in-law!