Hard Place

By my third month on the job, I discovered that my coworkers had been calling me "the old crow" behind my back. The nickname came from none other than Jace's condescending secretary—because at 32, I was still clutching onto an eight-year relationship that hadn't ended in marriage. I confronted Jace. "Do you know your employees have been calling me the old crow?" He didn't even bother to look up. "That's just Sadie—she speaks her mind and means no harm. You're 32; why get so worked up over what a young girl says?" Then he gave me a faint, mocking smile. "Though honestly, it's a pretty fitting nickname." It felt like a cold hand had wrapped around my heart. So that was it—eight years of my youth, nothing more than a joke to him. I turned and walked away, handed in my resignation, and blocked every way he could reach me. But for the first time, the man who had always seemed so calm and untouchable finally panicked. "Elara," he pleaded, "please come back."

This Christmas was supposed to be quiet. My boyfriend cheated earlier, bluntly, and I was left with nothing but heartbreak and resentment which now reeked from within me. I planned to spend the holidays curled on my couch, watching Tik Tok, scrolling through my social media accounts, anything that wouldn't make me cry. But then Chloe, my best friend, invited me over. Her family's place was warm, full of life and exactly the escape I needed. I never expected anything. Definitely not him. Dominic Callahan. Chloe's father. I've always noticed him, strong, distant, way too captivating for someone his age though he never looked twice at me.... until now. I noticed the change. His eyes lingered longer. His words slower, even his stare. The air between us became tighter. I assured my self it was greif.... My emotions were taking a better part of me. But when he kissed me, I didn't refuse. When he pulled me into his room, I didn't say no. And then it became a normal thing. Everything in me flagged it wrong. Chloe didn't deserve this betrayal. But my desires didn't care about rules. And neither does her elder brother. Now, before Christmas lights go down...I'm with child. I only came for peace. But I found obsession, dirty secrets and something way too dangerous to name. This was supposed to be my holiday escape....so why does it feel like the beginning of my doom? Will you read on?

Blanche Lucille Emerson, a relentless and calculating Captain haunted by the loss of her wife, Venus, in a mysterious accident. Now driven by a thirst for vengeance, Blanche navigates a world of secrets, betrayal, and political machinations as she digs into the layers of deceit that surround her family's powerful pharmaceutical empire. Alongside her, Yama Laine, a trusted ally, and Cessair, her estranged sister, reveal their own hidden agendas. Blanche uncovers a vast conspiracy linked to General Grey and an underground organization known as the Black Spectre, which her father, Silas Grey, once controlled. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes that not only her wife’s death but also her parents' and countless others' were orchestrated to protect a dark secret connected to her family. As Blanche takes calculated risks and enlists Yama’s help, her plan teeters between survival and self-destruction. Along the way, her encounters with spies like Aracelli and the revelation of her sister Cessair’s resentment deepen the conflict. Old alliances crumble, as personal motivations clash, and long-buried truths about her family and its ties to the Black Market come to light. All the while, Blanche's mind is torn between her mission and her lingering love for Venus. With a final showdown on the horizon, the question remains: Can Blanche take down the enemy and clear her family’s name, or will the weight of the past bury her alive? Catch-22: To Die is To Live Hard is a story of revenge, loyalty, and the heavy price of uncovering the truth.

Isang binatang nagngangalang Hagan Agustino ang dinala ng kanyang kapalaran sa mundong ni sa panaginip ay ayaw niyang paniwalaan. At ito ay ang mundo ng Gaia, o ang nakatagong mundo para sa mga kakaibang nilalang at alamat sa libro. Ang misyon niya roo'y bantayan ang pinakabatang myembro ng m

Selena's life changed for the worse when her boyfriend, aunt, and cousin joined together to damage her position among the elite and take away her chance to become the CEO of her father's company. When they succeeded in ripping her world apart, Selena vowed to have her revenge one way or the other.Then she meets an alpha as stubborn as she is and accidentally becomes his mate.Is he the help she needs to get her payback or will he become another pain in her neck?"So what do you plan to do with them?" Gabriel asked."I want them all to pay with their wealth, happiness, and bodies!" Selena answered in tears, but Gabriel understood the hate in her words, and he loved it. Gabriel was a bit worried that the things he had planned for the Adler family may affect Selena's emotions negatively. But since he knew that they were now on the same page, he did not intend to hold back on the punishment that he originally planned for each of them. "Thank you for trusting and telling me. Since you are now my omega, your wish is my command.""Wait, what do you mean?" Gabriel did not answer. He stood up from his seat, approached Selena, and gently kissed her on her forehead before leaving the room.

For years, Erin has grappled with guilt since her high school classmate passed away. Under the influence of the friends she trusted, Daryl faced challenges that resulted in his tragic demise. Seven years later, Erin did not expect that fate would punish her further. In her stepfather's will, he decided that all their wealth would go to the Arvesso family, the same family that had lost a member before. Erin now found herself caught up in this arrangement. Perhaps that was her punishment—to be the wife of Orion, someone who harbored intense resentment towards her. She believed he would let go of the past once they were married. However, it turned out that before becoming her husband, he had played the role of a protective brother. He agreed to the marriage to torment her.

Ilang taon na nagdusa si Erin sa konsensiya nang mamatay ang kaklase nila noong high school. Nang dahil sa udyok ng kanyang itinuring na mga kaibigan, tinanggap nito ang dare dahilan para ito mauwi sa trahedya. Pitong taon pa ang lumipas at hindi niya inaasahan na lalo siyang parurusahan ng tadhana nang ilagay ng kanyang stepfather sa last will and testament nito na mapupunta ang lahat ng ari-arian nila sa mga Arvesso—ang miyembro ng pamilya na namatay noon—at kasama siya sa mga kasunduan. Iyon na nga siguro ang parusa niya ang maging asawa ng taong matindi ang pagkamuhi sa kanya, si Orion. She believed he would let go of the past once they were married. However, it turned out that before becoming her husband, he had played the role of a protective brother. He agreed to the marriage to torment her.

"So, you're suggesting I marry my sister's man, now she's with my boyfriend?" Alice Dawsey never had any doubt she was the daughter her mother loved least. After all, Kendra Dawsey always made a point of saying this clearly. However, despite all the humiliation and cruelty coming from her mother and sister, she strives to build a life for herself and her beloved little daughter, Millicent. When Alice discovers that her boyfriend left her for her sister, Amber, and her mother destroys her prospects of future, she finds herself forced to marry the last man she expected. Massimo Bianchi has always had a difficult life, even after becoming the CEO of his family's business and the main candidate to marry Amber, uniting the two fortunes. However, after suffering an accident that left him confined to a wheelchair, he became a rude and bitter man, who will certainly make the life of any woman who marries him a living hell. So, of course, Kendra doesn't hesitate to replace her beloved Amber with someone as disposable as Alice. However, it is for another reason that Alice becomes Massimo's wife with her heart heavy. And not just because now the kind man she secretly fell in love with years ago seems to have turned into a reclusive monster. There is a secret that Alice plans to keep only to herself, no matter how much her and her daughter's presence on the Biachi Mansion seems to be, gradually, changing Massimo. ------- Millicent's Story, Revenge with My Fiancé's Billionaire Brother, is Now Available ---------

I looked up, desperation rising in my chest. With no way to repay the debt, begging was all I had left. “Please... give me a year. I’ll pay back the loan. I just need time to find—” “No. There is no time,” he cut in, his voice calm but final. “You have only one choice,” he said. “Marry me—since you didn’t bring the money to clear your family’s debts.” My throat went dry as I stared at him. “It’s simple. Marry me for one year. That’s the deal. You want your mother out of jail? You want your father not to join her after getting out of that hospital bed? This is how.” * Natasha Williams had two dreams; to become a successful doctor and start a family with the love of her life. Everything seemed perfect until her sister ran away and bailed on her arranged marriage, putting their family in a tough position. Now Natasha was the only one who could fill her shoes and save her family’s reputation, but she couldn’t abandon everything she’d worked for. But when she catches her boyfriend proposing to another woman, her whole world shatters. Heartbroken, she had no choice but to agree to the marriage proposal. Her groom, Sylvester Manson was not a man to reckon with. He was the infamous billionaire heir of the Manson empire, and all he needed was a wife to secure his inheritance. Bound by a contract marriage, their fates are intertwined, but what happens when they blur the lines between reality and fantasy? Will they be consumed by their duty or passion?

MICHELL BLAKE THOMPSON IS A CERTIFIED PLAYBOY. GIVEN HIS LOOKS AND CHARISMA, NAKUKUHA NIYA ANG LAHAT NG BABAENG GUGUSTUHIN NIYA. AND THEN ONE DAY, SHE SAW A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY AND HE WAS ATTRACTED TO HER IN AN INSTANT. SINUNDAN NIYA ITO WHEN SHE SAW HER AGAIN AND MUCH TO HIS DISMAY, MAY ANAK NA PALA ITO. A SINGLE MOM TO BE EXACT! ALMIRA MAGALLANES IS A SINGLE MOTHER NA GAGAWIN ANG LAHAT PARA SA ANAK NIYA NA MAY SAKIT. TINANGGAP NIYA ANG TRABAHO BILANG ASSISTANT NI MICHELL AT DOON NIYA LUBUSANG NAKILALA ANG PAGKATAO NITO. MAGAGAWA BA NIYANG TANGGAPIN ANG ALOK NI MICHELL SA KANYA NA MAGING BED WARMER NITO LALO PA AT NASA PANGANIB NA ANG BUHAY NG ANAK NIYA? WILL MICHELL FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGE TO HIMSELF THAT HE FELL HARD FOR THIS WOMAN NA INIWAN NA LANG SIYA BIGLA AFTER THAT SPECIAL NIGHT NA PINAGSALUHAN NILA?