Grim Expression

"Hi there, I'd like to emigrate." Christina stood at the counter and handed over the neatly prepared documents to the clerk on the other side of the glass. The clerk quickly stamped each page. The red ink spread like tiny ripples on still water. Then, without looking up, he pulled out another form and passed it back to her. "Ma'am, your paperwork will be processed in fifteen days." Christina nodded, turned on her heel, and headed for the exit. But before she could step outside, whispers trailed after her. "Did I see that right? Mrs. Waldorf is applying for emigration? Did she have a squabble with Mr. Waldorf?" "Even if they argued, would it go this far? Mr. Waldorf practically worships her. What could possibly make her leave so decisively?" "Exactly. Five years ago, their wedding was the event of the century. Even someone like me, who barely goes online, heard about it. And three years ago, after her car accident, the blood bank ran out of stock. Mr. Waldorf ignored everyone's objections and nearly drained himself to save her. Then, just last year, when she disappeared for an hour, he mobilized every media outlet worldwide to find her. Now she's leaving without a word—won't that drive him insane?" The murmurs swirled and lingered, but Christina only smiled faintly. Her expression was calm, but her eyes darkened with a bitterness that deepened with every step. Yes, she thought. Everyone knew just how much Lucien Waldorf loved her.

With a bag of vegetables gifted by the previous tenant in hand, I was on my way to collect rent from the third household when I unexpectedly ran into someone at the entrance of the community. The man frowned, his eyes fixed on the vegetables I carried, as though he couldn't fathom how I had ended up like this after leaving him. Following his gaze, I instinctively shifted the vegetables behind my back. My eyes dropped to the muddy water on the pavement, and I never would have imagined bumping into my ex-boyfriend—the one who had grown up with a silver spoon—in this aging neighborhood. He noticed my movement, and for a moment, something flickered in his expression: a mix of pity and recognition. "Since you've already learned your lesson," he said, "come back with me." At his words, I instinctively stepped back half a pace. "Who said I'm going back with you?" My rejection seemed to sting, darkening his face. "I know you're still blaming me for giving Rachel a child," he muttered, "but it's been three years. Isn't it time to stop? As long as you come back, we can be the same as before." Three years, huh? How quickly time had passed. Thinking of my little girl at home, still babbling her first words, I couldn't help but smile and shake my head. "Let's leave it at that. Go home and live your life with Rachel. My daughter's waiting for me to go back and make her food."

"If you need anything financially speaking, use this," he held out a black card towards me, "I hope I don't have any problems with you." I stared at the handsome man with the cold expression in front of me, took the card in my fingers and watched him go. Although we were married on paper, our lives would remain separate, each navigating our own turbulent waters. -- When Morgana's father discovers that he has cancer, she tries to find the money to pay for the treatment, agreeing to marry the grandson of a very wealthy family, Ryan Burke, in exchange for the treatment. Their marriage tends to be only nominal, as the boy already has a girlfriend, Elena Kyle. For Morgana, none of this was important, she just wanted to save her father's life. Three years after this contract, her father dies and she returns to the fictional city of Rookgaard to end this nominal marriage, even though she fell in love with Ryan during the wedding. Morgana reluctantly signs the contract, even though she likes Ryan, who doesn't understand his wife's attitude. The other day, thinking she was free of the marriage, she decides to go out with some friends from work to celebrate the divorce, giving herself the opportunity to get to know doctor Elliot Sharon better. What she didn't expect was to run into Ryan, giving him a reason not to sign the papers. Morgana remains married to Ryan, even though he still brings Elena into their lives, until a mysterious car accident happens. Putting her life on the line and changing things.

I am in such a rush to pick up my daughter, Ava Pennington, from school that I don't have time to change out of my work attire. At the kindergarten gates, I run into the mother of one of her classmates, Candice Austin. She sizes me up from head to toe and says, "You must be Ava Pennington's mom." I politely nod. Just as I am about to say hello, her expression suddenly sours. "It's no wonder your daughter dresses so skimpily at school. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?" I am so mad that I nearly forgot to respond. "What nonsense are you talking about?" Candice clicks her tongue and grows even more aggressive. "Nonsense? Your daughter wears skirts to school every day. She's distracting my son so much that his grades have slipped." Her words leave me utterly speechless. How is her son's failing grades somehow Ava's fault? When I don't respond, she gets bolder. "Look at you dressed from head to toe in cheap junk; how can you afford to send your daughter to this elite kindergarten? You must have pulled some shady strings to sneak her in through the back door, didn't you?" Has she lost her mind? Since when does Ava need strings to attend the school I built?

（Sequel of Pregnant and rejected by my alpha mate. Can be read alone. ）Today I had my first kiss. It wasn’t planned. It was also with a complete stranger. As I walked through the halls of my school, Higala Shifter Academy, I paused when a familiar sense washed over me. My boyfriend, Scott, was nearby, and he wasn’t alone. “You are so naughty, Scott,” the she-wolf Sarah chuckled. “Only for you, babe,” he replied, muffled as her lips closed around his. At that moment, I felt sick to my stomach. “Oh, Scott. Stop it. You know we can’t be seen together. What if your girlfriend finds us?” “She’s in class. She’s never late. You don’t need to worry.” My heart was heavy in my chest, but also a wave of fury and resentment crossed me.“Lila?” Scott breathed, staring at me in shock “What are you—” Before he could get the entire question out, I turned to the gentleman beside me, placing my hands on his shoulders and pulling him toward me. He went easily, though his eyes showed nothing but confusion. I closed my eyes tightly so I wouldn’t have to see his expression any longer. Then, our lips touched. Later, I walked into my class but found,It was him… The man I kissed only moments ago in the hallway. The man I had given my first kiss to, was my professor.

That isn't fair," I said, my voice cracking. "I cannot marry someone I do not love, no matter how convenient it is for you. "I am not going to do it!" I was shivering with wrath. Madam Angelica sighed heavily, her expression intensifying. "You're being selfish, Anna," she said. "It's not just about you; it's about the entire family and the future. I understand you don't want to marry someone you don't love, but I need you to understand the importance of this decision." I was at a breaking point. I'd always been a polite girl, following what I was taught and never challenging my family's judgment. But this time, I was willing to fight for what I wanted. My joy was too precious to sacrifice for the sake of family responsibilities. "I won't do it," I shouted."I won't be part of this arranged marriage" I clutched my bag firmly and dashed off to work in rage. Anna is forced by her mom to marry a billionaire suitor Kevin Beyer in order to save her family from the debt her late father caused them. Her mother reluctantly approves of the marriage without caring about Anna's feelings, Anna was left with no other choice than to marry Kevin. Anna wondered how Johnny, her boyfriend, would feel when he heard about this and how she would cope with the rest of her life as the wife of a man she didn't love. She knew that this arrangement would be difficult, but she had no other choice. Would she ever find true love or happiness in this situation ? What did her lover do on hearing about this marriage?

"You know, don't you?" I took a deep breath. His gaze was still on me. "What do you mean—" "Don't play dumb," he cut me off, and I swallowed. "I..." I paused and stared at the ground. "I don't know much... I don't know yet." "Do you know who I am?" I shook my head. "I know you're not normal." I looked up. "But I don't know why." His eyes flashed silver as I tried to read his expression, but came up empty. "I know your eyes change color because of your emotions. But I don't know what it means." As the room fell silent, he averted his gaze. ******* On her first day on campus, Rayline Hale, an average girl just starting college, never thought her world would change. That's when she meets Cole Spencer, a handsome young man who seems to be every girl's walking nightmare. With his cold stare and mysterious aura, Cole is a young man unlike any other. But behind his frightening appearance, Cole hides a secret that Rayline cannot understand. He is no ordinary man. This is the beginning of an adventure that will change Rayline's entire life. He opens the door to a world far beyond her imagination, where supernatural creatures roam and ancient secrets shroud human reality. The deeper Rayline digs for clues, the clearer the hidden truth becomes. But the closer she gets to Cole, the stronger her feelings for him become. The love that grows between them seems magical, though Rayline is terrified. How can she love someone who is not human?

Five years after I broke up with my childhood sweetheart, Jason Thorne, my ALS progressed to its terminal stage. Since I can't receive any treatment for my disease at all, I decide to fly back to my hometown and wait for my death to come. Meanwhile, Jason has been dating a woman named Freya Tyler for five years. In fact, they are about to get married. Freya is even pregnant with Jason's child. We bump into each other in the hospital's garden. When Jason sees the blanket around my shoulders, he scoffs at me. "You're already this weak, and yet you're here all alone. It seems that your doctor boyfriend isn't taking good care of you at all. Then again, you did cheat on me with that guy. It only makes sense that your new relationship won't end well at all." Freya smiles brightly at me. "That's enough, Jason. It's not like everyone is capable of taking care of me very well, just like you do. "Our wedding will be held at the base of a snow mountain in Selvaria. You simply must attend our wedding, Ms. Moyer." As I gaze at Jason's cold and arrogant expression, I do my best to suppress my feelings of longing and guilt. Instead, I reply calmly, "No, thank you. I'm not interested in my ex-boyfriend's life. I'm only staying here for a short while. In the future, I will never come back ever again." Jason merely huffs before turning on his heel and walking away. But when I depart from this world, he loses his will to live too.

After my fiance’s childhood friend found out I was born with a heart condition, she secretly poured a high-dose energy drink into my champagne. The moment I drank it, my heart started racing, and stabbing pain spread through my chest. In a panic, I tore open my only emergency medication, but the water I used to take it had been swapped with strong lemon water. As soon as I drank it, my face went pale. I lost all strength and collapsed to the ground. “Lemon water’s full of vitamin C. It helps with hangovers and keeps you healthy.” Charlotte Whitmore laughed so hard she nearly doubled over. With her arms crossed, she looked at my fiance, Ethan Cross, the boss of the Rolling Stones. “Ethan, your fiancee’s acting is incredible! “I’ve been a doctor for years, and I’ve never seen anyone react like this to a little champagne and lemon water.” I bit my lip until I tasted blood. The pain made my eyes sting, and I clutched Ethan’s leg. “Honey, please, call an ambulance! I can’t take it anymore…” For a moment, his expression wavered, but the guests quickly cut in. “Come on, stop pretending! Nobody dies from a bit of champagne and lemon water.” “Yeah, you’re just jealous Charlotte got promoted and didn’t want to toast to her.” Ethan’s face turned cold again. He yanked my hand off and stepped away. “Charlotte’s a doctor. You’ll be fine with her here.” I stopped begging and texted my father asking for help.

"This is all your fault!" he seethes. His eyes ablaze, I could feel his rage creeping up my skin and leaving goosebumps behind. "We never should have met. You should never have gone down that alley, and we would never have met. I should have just listened to Marco and killed you." "I should never have taken you to... to..." his voice trails off as his expression mirrors that of anguish. He is in pain and it's all my fault. A knot forms in my throat as I attempt to reach out and touch him, to tell him that I had meant no harm. But for some reason, when I opened my mouth, nothing came out. It was as if I had suddenly lost my ability to speak. ***** Alessia Di Napoli accidentally witnessed a murder in an alley on her way back from work on a rainy night. She manages to escape and attempts to bury that traumatizing memory, but all hell breaks loose the next morning when the whole town of Verona seems to be talking only about the murder of the only son of Antonio Cappello, the second most dangerous mafia Lord in the city, and she had witnessed it. Betrayed by her best friend and with two mafia gangs after her, she falls into the hands of Dante Marino, the leading Mafia Lord in Verona. The need to protect his gang from a war with the Cappellos compels Dante to take responsibility for Alessia because she is the only person that can link him to the crime, and because his nemesis, Antonio, would do anything to get his hands on her. Alessia is thrown into the dangerous world of these Mafia Lords, and she gets a private insight into the life of Dante Marino.