Hands Down

Everyone in the mercenary group knew just how deeply Liam Smith loved me and feared losing me. He even suppressed his dark desires to make sure I felt truly safe. No matter how dangerous the mission, he made sure to check in every single day. Worried for his safety, I hid my identity and secretly became his team’s hacker. However, after one mission, I overheard the others joking over the radio: "Chief was in such a rush to pick that lock and go after Wendy. What's so irresistible about her?" Through an unattended monitor, I caught Liam glancing at the camera with a teasing smile. "Didn't I tell you guys that she nearly wrung me dry the last time we did it?" It felt like I had fallen into an ice-cold abyss. My heart shattered, and I summoned the system. [I want to leave this world.] The cold, mechanical voice replied without delay: [Once you leave, all traces of the host in this world will be erased.] [Starting the countdown: Seven days left.]

The seventh time Claire Fisher bailed on our marriage license appointment, I finally cut her out of my life—for good. From then on, if she was at a party, I wasn't. When she was scheduled to perform at our college's anniversary celebration, I made sure to leave early. The moment my company announced a collaboration with hers, I resigned without a second thought. Even on Christmas Eve, when she showed up at my parents' house with gifts, I slipped out with a half-hearted excuse about "visiting a friend." I blocked her number. Deleted her from my contacts. Burned every bridge and salted the earth behind me. No calls. No texts. No social media. I didn't reach out. She couldn't reach me. Simple as that. For the better part of my life, I was hopelessly in love with her—waiting on her, caring for her, putting her first in every way that mattered. I gave her all of me without ever holding back. But after the seventh time she left me sitting alone at the City Hall, something inside me broke. I was done. If that meant spending the rest of my life alone, so be it. Better that than sitting in an empty apartment, listening to the silence, holding on to hope for someone who never planned to show up.

The new intern always claimed to have the company’s best interests at heart, but her actions told a different story. To cut costs, she secretly swapped the two-thousand-dollar gift basket I had prepared for a client with a knockoff version she bought online for just two dollars, shipping included. During a critical overtime session, she turned off the power to save on electricity. Then, she boldly suggested canceling the company’s annual holiday leave. With a self-righteous expression, she declared, “The company doesn’t support freeloaders. I believe the holiday season is the perfect time to boost sales. I propose everyone work unpaid overtime and dedicate themselves selflessly to the company!” While the employees grumbled in frustration, I stepped up to refute her absurd suggestion and spoke out on behalf of the team. But instead of backing down, she accused me of embezzlement in front of everyone and recommended to the boss that I be fired. The shocking part? The boss agreed. Fine. If that was how they wanted it, I couldn’t wait to see how the company would function without me.

On the day of the mating ceremony, I'm supposed to be marked by William Ernst and become the Luna of the Shadow pack. However, Annie Denver, my younger twin sister, suddenly comes back from abroad. Dad, Mom, and William end up abandoning me, choosing to pick her up from the airport. While Annie posts a family photo on Facebook, flaunting how everyone in the family loves her, my family cuts me off whenever I try to contact them through mind-link. They end up closing the mind-link. After calling countless times, William finally accepts my call and asks me to stop rushing him. He tells me that today's mating ceremony is canceled and will be rescheduled on another date. My dearest parents, brother, and the man I love the most all turn me into the laughingstock of the entire pack—and the most ridiculous bride of all. Despite being laughed at, I didn't cry or make a scene. After taking care of everything, I write a number in my journal—the 99th time. This is the 99th time they have disappointed me. From this moment on, I won't beg for their love anymore. I fill out an application for Arcetic expedition, ready to leave them. They all think that my silence and constant compromises with Annie mean I've matured. They fail to realize that I'm disappointed to the core. I am leaving for good.

My husband, Lawrence Schwartz, and I were both liars. He lied to me, saying he would forget his first love, yet his phone is filled with photos of her. I lied to him, saying I would never leave, while secretly planning a future without him. A month ago, I tricked Lawrence into signing the divorce papers. Today was the final day to complete the entire divorce process.. Three hours left. I packed all my luggage and bought a plane ticket for the next day. Two hours left. I cut up every photo of us together, leaving only myself in the album. Last hour. I thought about leaving a message, then decided against it. Today marked the tenth year I had loved him and the first day I left him.

Mike is a free man. He leaves his hometown to 'tour' the world. He comes back to atone for his past deeds. He tries to make up to Susanna. It became more difficult for him when he finds out his love for her. He left her life without a thought and comes back suddenly into her life, without permission. Was the love she had for him still there, waiting to be rekindled?

"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?

The most popular girl in school, Mona Culver, could only apply for the city's worst community college because of her poor school results. My childhood friend, James Holden, got our entire class to fill out application forms for community college too. It was his attempt to negotiate with Northrind University's admissions department to make an exception for Mona to study there. The top thirty students in the city shared pictures of their amended application forms to community college. Back in my past lifetime, I tried my best to talk them out of it. The application submission deadline was the next day, and no amendments would be allowed after that. If they wasted their time threatening Northrind by applying to community college, and the deadline passed, nothing could be done to change the results, even if they were the city's top thirty students. Their dreams of attending an Ivy League school would be quashed after ten years of hard work, and no one knew what their future would hold after that. James got angry and berated me, "You're just afraid Mona will be better than you once we start classes at Northrind. Stop pretending like you're doing this for us!" The rest of my classmates were also upset with me, and they turned their fury on me. "Our high school results mean nothing. With our abilities, we would still be able to attend Northrind next year if we repeat the year. You should just mind your own business!" We had been classmates for three years, and I could not let them compromise their futures. I informed our principal and their parents of their plans, and their application forms were amended. I managed to stop them from threatening Northrind's admissions department. All of them were accepted by Northrind in the end, and they became elites in their respective industries with bright futures ahead. Mona ended up getting pregnant with a thug's child while in community college, and she suffered from both physical and mental issues. She fell into deep depression and even attempted suicide several times. James broke down when he learned the truth, and he blamed it all on me. He worked with our classmates to fabricate evidence that I committed plagiarism, and they poisoned my drink. Even my parents were burned to death by a patient from a mental hospital. When I was reborn into this lifetime, I saw James change our group chat's name into 'Fight for True Love! Let's Go to Northrind Together!' I left the group without hesitation and blocked everyone's numbers.

I watched the Pack’s doctor congratulate my husband—not for the child growing inside me, but for another. When Clementine, Alpha Maximillian’s former lover, returned carrying his pup, my world shattered in a single heartbeat. In one cruel moment, I lost everything. My place in the pack. My crown as Luna. My marriage. So I did the only thing I could. I planned my escape. With two weeks to count down, I plan my disappearance—returning to my parents’ legacy with a secret growing inside me. His child. I told myself distance would be enough. That time would heal the bond he shattered. I was wrong. No matter how far I ran, the Alpha still found me. And this time, he came to claim what he believed was his. Me. And the child he once rejected.

Raditya izin untuk menikahi Sandra yang telah hamil. Tuan Anggara emosi mencekik Raditya lalu membawa dengan mobil ke arah perkebunan. Pria separuh baya ini berencana menguburkan di sana. Tubuh Raditya dimasukkan peti, tetapi dia berubah pikiran. Tuan Anggara keluar gudang mencari penjaga perkebunan. Raditya siuman lalu keluar gudang. Kemudian datang Mahendra yang mabuk dan tertidur dalam peti. Tuan Anggara dibantu penjaga mengangkat peti ke dalam mobil lalu membawanya pulang. Pria itu mengubur peti di bawah lantai dapur. Setahun kemudian, Sandra yang depresi kerasukan roh Mahendra lalu membongkar lantai dapur. Tuan Anggara pun ditangkap polisi dengan tuduhan pembunuhan dan memaksa aborsi Sandra. Motif Tuan Anggara membunuh Raditya, karena beranggapan Raditya adalah anak biologisnya dengan Maya. Dia tak menginginkan janin hasil incest di perut Sandra. Raditya adalah anak panti asuhan yang diadopsi oleh pasutri Wiratama. Tuan Anggara telah mengetahui bahwa Raditya adalah anak yang dititipkan oleh Maya. Raditya mendatangi Sandra untuk mengajak nikah. Namun sayang, hati Sandra telah tertambat kepada Vino. Raditya yang kecewa mengadu kepada Maya. Selama ini Raditya bersembunyi di rumah Maya. Wanita ini meminta bantuan dukun. Dengan ilmu hitam, Sandra dibuat kesakitan dan linglung layaknya orang gila. Vino yang tahu bahwa gilanya Sandra karena ilmu guna-guna, memberi imbalan banyak uang agar dukun melepaskan ilmu jahatnya. Raditya dan Maya yang merasa dikhianati lalu membunuh dukun dengan racun. Keduanya pun ditangkap polisi. Di saat bersamaan, jasad Mahendra dibawa kabur oleh raja serigala. Mahendra yang telah mati dihidupkan kembali untuk alat balas dendam kepada Tuan Anggara. Raja serigala marah karena kawasan hutan kekuasaannya telah dijadikan tambang batu bara oleh Tuan Anggara. Raja bertekat ingin menjadikan Sandra dan Mahendra sebagai pasangan pengantin abadi. Darah incest mereka adalah sumber keabadian raja serigala. Vino menyembunyikan Sandra di rumah keluarganya. Sandra pun tahu bahwa Vino adalah seorang vampire yang menyamar untuk melindungi darah suci dalam tubuhnya.