Hindered By Tradition

Mistreated her whole life by the family she was adopted into, Dakota Stone still strives to win her stepfamily’s love and approval despite their aloof and uncaring behavior towards her. Her life takes an unexpected turn when Elias Persson, a cold and intimidating billionaire, who was supposed to marry her sister, takes a sudden interest in her instead. Faced with a shocking betrayal by her fiancé and sister, she turns to Elias with a surprising proposal - a contract marriage. As long buried secrets in her family come to light, will the weight of her family’s deeds destroy her or will she find a safe haven in the arms of Elias?

Aurora Steele is a young and vibrant heiress rooted in the Italian Mafia. After breaking up with the love of her life Ethan, she is faced with the imposing figure of Damien Dmitri, a ruthless Mafia Lord who steps in, shattering her dreams. He is the most powerful man in the city –and her family’s most hated enemy. Caught in the middle, Aurora must make the most difficult decision of her life; a choice between love and family. She is coerced by Damien into committing an unimaginable act. In a bid to save her family, she must marry Damien’s son and heir to the Russian Mafia, Ryan Dmitri, to pay off her father's crippling debts. Aurora finds herself helpless in the hands of Ryan Dmitri, a handsome, arrogant playboy who always has women throwing themselves at him. . What will she do when she discovers that she has developed an undeniable attraction for the man whom she is supposed to hate and is pregnant for him. Can a love sparked in the flash of a moment withstand the darkness of old debts and new enemies, or will their future be snuffed out before it can truly begin? Will Aurora be able to navigate her way in a world of shadows? Will she ever find her happily ever after? Read more to find out.

CONTENT WARNING: Please note that this book contains sensitive themes and includes explicit scenes, making up approximately 20% of its content. It is intended for mature readers only. _ "Teka lang, Sir! A-Ano kasi eh..." Napangiwi si Mahal habang naghahagilap ng mairarason dito sa lalaking ito na binili siya sa Auction. "Are you kidding me? 'Teka lang?' Are you sure that's really 'teka lang?" Napayuko na lang siya dahil sa pagalit na natanong ng lalaki. Halatang napipikon na sa kaniya. Inilapit pa nito ang mukha sa kaniya para iparamdam sa kaniya ang inis nito at nagsalita, "Remember, I paid a hefty 10.5 million at the auction just to purchase you. You wouldn't have even set foot in that auction if you hadn't given your consent. So now that you're under my ownership, don't think you can fool me with your usual 'teka lang, sir' tactics kasi kabisado ko na 'yan." Para siyang tinanggalan ng utak na nakatunganga sa pinagsasabi nito na ang tanging naintindihan lang ay ang salitang, 'kabisado ko na 'yan.' Ano naman ang alam niya sa English kasi tulog naman siya lagi sa subject na iyon noong nag-aaral pa siya. Para naman huminahon ito, nagsalita na lang siya. "Ahm...wag ka na magalit sir, maghuhugas lang naman ako. Ayaw mo naman ng mabaho, diba?"

To the world, they are perfection, the billionaire and his elegant wife, the family everyone envies. But behind closed doors, they are strangers bound by a contract and by one secret that could destroy them both. When Alexander and Elena Harrington announce their “divorce,” everyone expects a scandal. But they can’t let the real reason for their separation become public. Their empire is built on illusion, and if the truth gets out, it could destroy everything. Their only son is the fragile thread holding them together, and the same reason they can’t let go. But love was never part of the deal. As society braces for scandal, a rival billionaire shows Elena what affection truly feels like. And the man who never shows emotion begins to unravel, consumed by jealousy and obsession. In a world where loyalty is currency and betrayal comes wrapped in diamonds, some vows are meant to break and others become the only thing worth saving.

“I, Marcus Steele, Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, reject you, Luna Blackwood, as my mate and Luna.” Luna Blackwood’s wedding day becomes her nightmare when her Alpha publicly rejects her, declaring her too weak to bear his children. As her former best friend steps forward as his chosen replacement, Luna’s world crumbles. But what Marcus doesn’t know could destroy them all. Luna carries the last royal werewolf bloodline, a secret that makes her the most powerful supernatural being alive. Hidden from those who hunted her kind to extinction, she possesses abilities that could reshape their world forever. When mysterious Alpha Kai Nightshade reveals the conspiracy behind her rejection, Luna faces an impossible choice: remain broken and hidden, or embrace her destiny as the prophesied Lycan Queen who will unite all supernatural beings. From public humiliation to ultimate power, Luna’s transformation will prove that being rejected was the best thing that ever happened to her. But first, she has a war to win.

"Ella! You belong to me. Your body, your soul, all of you is mine, Alpha Marcus says. You're destined for me! You can run anywhere, but in the end, I will find you, you are meant for me." Ella struggled to catch her breath as she sobbed. She felt the pain that Marcus was with someone else, he was her mate, but he refused to get close to her, even though everyone feared him. She hated him, yet she had seen the good in him. She drank until she was drunk and then made her way to Marcus's room. She entered the room but didn't find him, so she headed to the bathroom where she found him in the jacuzzi, his massive muscles dripping with water. Marcus took the towel that hung nearby and asked coldly, "Ella, what are you doing here?" She was swaying, nearly falling, and said, "Why do you punish me like this? I'm hot and tempting. How can you not be affected by my presence?" Marcus realized she was drunk, picked her up, and asked in concern, "Are you okay?" He stood close to her, making it hard for her to breathe. It was as if she was about to have a breakdown. She was about to leave, tears streaming, but before she could make any more moves, Marcus immediately trapped her, placing his arms on either side of her. Both of them swallowed hard when their eyes met. A strange, powerful, but addictive feeling surged between them. "You have to stay here, Ella," he said. She looked at his half-opened lips. Intense and unwanted thoughts filled her mind as her breaths escaped her. Ella stated painfully, "I'm sure you feel it too, Marcus... You're my mate."

Their naked bodies were shipping against each other. Her sapphire glossy orbs were staring at his brown eyes. "I love you, Cia. I love you to the extent that I will end and taint that life which would even think about taking you away from me," The firmness of his words were evident in his darkened eyes. "Even if it's your life," he rasped against her mouth. They both knew his love was irrational, an obsession for her. They loved each other enough, especially for her to let his love taint her existence. "I love you, Zale," And her words were enough to make him lose everything in her. She beautifully moaned his name as soon his warmth engulfed her deepest depth which made both of them close their eyes in pleasure, but they had never in their worst ever thought that their eyes would have to witness that thing which their future had stored for them. His deep brown orbs were staring at her who was clad in a beautiful white gown. Her sapphire orbs were downcast as she was standing at the altar but the irony was she was not his bride but his brother's. "Do you, Mr Blake Alcazar, take Miss Celia Reyes as your lawfully wedded wife?" The priest's voice echoed, causing him to fist his palm and her heart to turn numb. "I do," A tear slipped from her eyes, hearing that person's answer who was standing in front of her and feeling those brown eyes penetrating her soul. "Do you, Miss Celia Reyes, take Mr Blake Alcazar as your lawfully wedded husband?" Those deep brown eyes turned predacious and her answer turned them voraciously vicious. "I do," she answered. An answer which sealed two destinies, which shattered two hearts and TAINTED two souls.

When Dahlia is sold to the cruel and heartless alpha king by her step-father, she resigns herself to her fate as a breeder. Her only hope is to bear him a son, which will earn her freedom. But fate has other plans in store for her. The alpha king turns out to be her mate, although he remains oblivious to their bond. As Dahlia struggles to accept her destiny, she realizes that the alpha king sees her only as a tool to produce an heir. Heartbroken and pregnant, she decides to flee with her unborn child. She runs far away from the kingdom, hoping to escape the alpha king's clutches forever. Meanwhile, the alpha king realizes his mistake and vows to find Dahlia, his mate, and their child. His determination to bring her back leads him to embark on a perilous journey, facing challenges and obstacles in his path. As the alpha king chases Dahlia, he discovers that he's not the only one who's after her. An evil pack led by a power-hungry alpha wants Dahlia's child, believing it to be the key to their domination. The alpha king must fight to protect his mate and child from their enemies, risking his life in the process. But when the alpha king finally catches up to Dahlia, she reveals a shocking truth. She sacrificed herself and their child to protect the kingdom from an impending danger. She handed over their son to the evil pack, hoping to keep them at bay and give the kingdom time to prepare. Now, the alpha king must choose between his love for Dahlia and their son and his duty to the kingdom.

I'm already half-blind in my left eye, but Cedric Thompson forces me to donate my right cornea to his childhood sweetheart. Her parents berate me. "She's blind now! It's not like you'll die without one eye's cornea!" Cedric consoles me. "We're only taking the cornea for one eye. It won't affect anything." I'm forcibly placed under anesthesia. I lose all hope in life before my eyes slide shut. I would never have married him if I'd know he would treat me like this. He has no idea I can barely see with my left eye now.

The Blood Moon was supposed to unite them. Instead, it turned her into prey. Tricia Thorne was rejected, humiliated, and cast aside by the Alpha who once claimed her under ancient law. But when she stumbles into the territory of his greatest rival, fate twists again. Alpha Tristan doesn’t offer mercy. He offers a mark. Now bound to two powerful Alphas, her body becomes a battlefield. Her heart refuses to choose. And her secret pregnancy threatens to ignite a war neither pack can survive. Two Alphas. One rejected Luna. A mark that could either kill her… or crown her.