Hometown Smile

Liam wouldn’t see it coming. And Karen? She’d probably choke on her wine. A dark smile danced on my lips. Let them gasp. Let them stare. They thought I was buried with Camilla Ryder. Now… I rise as Giulia Bianchi-Vincent, and this time, I’m the nightmare they won’t wake up from because revenge is too simple, destruction is demure ... ...What happened when I escaped the prison as someone framed for killing her step-sister, only to return as someone else's wife?

[ WARNING: MATURE CONTENT] "You're an offer to me this night and there's nothing you can do to change my mindset, because, after this day, I'm going to be your worst nightmare," he said in that blink of a scary smile that washed across his lips. _____ She was convinced to have a nightstand with a stranger to save her father's legacy, but never in her life had she thought after that night. Her life was going to change completely and she would become a bride to the ruthless man in the city.

I met him in a place no sane woman should ever be in Blackgate Prison. As a prison therapist, I was trained to see danger. Every part of me screamed to stay away, but I couldn’t. He was a legend behind bars, Nikolai Sokolov, ruthless, untouchable, the leader of one of Russia’s most feared Mafia syndicates. Darkness clung to him like a second skin. The dim light carved his face into something sharp and dangerous. He looked at me, cold and unreadable, and held me in place with his gaze. “Who are you?” His voice was rough, heavy with threats and scars I couldn’t see. I forced a smile, trying to keep my voice steady. And yet… a part of me felt at home in this danger, a shadow inside I had never admitted, one that hummed quietly at his presence. It was darkness like his, though he couldn’t know it. “I’m Dr. Korovin. I’m here to evaluate you.” The chains rattled as he shifted, a predator testing the limits of his cage. His lips curved, not into a smile, but into a warning. “My name is Nikolai,” he said slowly, deliberately, heavy with threat. “Remember it, Doctor.” I should have been scared. I should have run. But something inside me stirred, something dark, like him, and I didn’t yet understand it.

On the day Tristan Spallone, the head of a mafia family, and I mark our fifth wedding anniversary, the manager of the Spallone family vault calls. Something that was stored away for a long time has finally come due, and Tristan is to retrieve it. He's so busy that he barely has a moment to breathe, so I go in his place. What I bring back is an old roll of film. The manager warned me that if it wasn’t developed soon, its age might cause it to be ruined beyond recovery. But when I have them developed, frame after frame is filled with Winnie Leigh, his first love. Her smile looks so sweet in those pictures that they nearly suffocate me. What about me, one may ask? I never once appeared on his albums. The office door slams open. Tristan bursts in, already out of breath. "Anna, is your life really so empty that you have to dig through mine?" I turn toward him, the man who's usually so composed. I neither question him nor break down. Instead, I speak slowly. "We're getting a divorce." Tristan frowns and thrusts the stack of photos into the shredder. He then looks back at me. "They're gone. Do you still want a divorce?" A bitter smile tugs at my lips. "Yes."

⸻ Falling Between Us An emotional, slow-burn second chance romance Synopsis: Seven years ago, Elena Hart left everything behind—her hometown, her grief, and the boy who held her heart. Determined to chase her dreams in the city, she vanished without goodbye, burying a love so powerful it threatened to consume her. Now, after her estranged father’s death, Elena returns to Newport—a place filled with memories, regrets, and the one man she swore never to face again. Adrian Wolfe never forgot the girl with fire in her eyes and stars in her ambition. When Elena left, she didn’t just break his heart—she took his future with her. For years, he stayed in Newport, building a life from the pieces she left behind. But seeing her again reopens old wounds… and reignites the passion they never truly buried. As they navigate the tension of unspoken words, painful secrets, and the undeniable pull between them, Elena and Adrian must confront the past they tried to outrun. But love isn’t always enough. With a lifetime of hurt between them, will they find a way back—or will they fall apart all over again? A story of longing, forgiveness, and a love that refuses to fade—Falling Between Us is for every heart that has ever dared to hope again. ⸻

Katherine Donovan's world shattered when she discovered her billionaire husband, Castiel Mikaelson, in bed with her identical twin sister, Caroline. Betrayal, humiliation, and the public exposure of their secret left her broken. Seeking solace and healing, she escapes to the quiet country side, vowing to leave her past behind. Years later, Katherine returns to her hometown, a transformed woman. She's built a successful business, found confidence, and is fiercely independent. But the scars of betrayal remain, driving a burning desire for revenge. She sets her sights on Castiel, now engaged to Caroline, and orchestrates a plan to make him suffer. Her path to revenge leads her to Zayn Hogan, Castiel's best friend, a wealthy and charismatic man. Katherine, with her undeniable beauty and charm, embarks on a passionate affair with him, fueled by a thirst for retribution. But as their connection deepens, Katherine finds herself questioning her motivations. Can she truly find happiness in a love born out of revenge? As Castiel, desperate to win Katherine back, makes a public spectacle of his remorse, Katherine must confront her past and her feelings for Zayn. The lines blur between revenge and genuine love, leaving her at a crossroads. Will she finally find closure and forgiveness, or will the weight of her past ultimately consume her?

Eric James is an elite scholar, the son of a prestigious family. But because of his tendency to love men, he was kicked out of the house. He lives alone in the world. He closed his eyes and committed suicide to follow his beloved grandmother. But fate sent his soul through a body that is the same-sex wife of Henry Mark. Carrying the poisonous blood that makes everyone want. Henry Mark is an outstanding general who is used by the King, but because of the power struggles, he only sees him as a commanding machine. Henry Mark asked to return to his hometown, where his suffering began. But now he has a lover, Eric James. Eric James is the light, the source of life for Henry Mark in the dark days. But Eric James is always a treasure that makes everyone look. Eric is only fulfilling the duties of an inherent wife, he intends after curing Henry's eyes he will leave to travel everywhere. A life without love makes him sensitive and unwilling to accept anyone. But Henry stubbornly refused to let go, the two kept dragging their days together. But besides that, the plots to usurp power and things that can help people live forever revolve around the two Eric and Henry. Will a peaceful life like the wishes of the two come true, can Henry Mark's love gain the trust and love of Eric James?

Synopis: The setting of the story was in Rome and Guidecca in Venice, in Europe; From the month of August to the month of December, in year 2000. It's a woman lead! It is a romantic story of werewolves. It all started in a dream where Lucinda, an Omega and the protagonist in the story, was being chased by a pack of female wolves led by a female Alpha. In the run for her life, Lucinda stumbled and fell down, now living in the mercy of the wolves. But before the wolves could harm her, she saw herself in a different scene in her dream, where a male wolf awaited to embrace her. Lucinda woke up on a tap by her mother, Mrs. Adeline, only to realize that she had been dreaming. Her mom told her to freshen up for there were visitors waiting for her in the sitting room. The visitors were Elders from a pack where Lucinda, the only werewolf in her family belonged. After the Elders had stated their mission, Mr. Gabriel, Lucinda's father agreed with his wife on the visitors' quest, and they made a trip to their hometown. In their hometown, Lucinda was welcomed to the pack in the pack house, as was due. Lucinda's stay was almost gaining to a perfect and peaceful stay, untill a female Alpha, Chloé came into her life. The Alpha and some members of the pack hated Lucinda, for she was desirable to a male Alpha, Jack, whom the group admired. Lucinda and Jack created romantic scenes that worsened Chloé's hatred for Lucinda.

Lilienne Winslow "I'm a mess of warm chaos but I won't let you see it in my eyes, I smile every time but I won't let you see the sadness behind them ,it's pathetic" Rowan Sinclair "Your chaos doesn't frighten me; it draws me in. you wear a smile that dances like sunlight through shadows, but know this, my love: I see beyond the facade. Behind those shimmering eyes lies a world of storms, and it's not pathetic, it's beautifully human. Let me be your anchor in this tempest; let me cradle your sadness and transform it into something radiant. Even when you feel lost, I'll be right here, holding you tight." Neither of them ever wished for the union of marriage, not the weight of a promise, that felt more like chains. two souls adrift, untamed, untouched by love's hand.Yet fate, with silent steps, wove them into one, In a bond neither sought, but neither could withstand. He, a man of steel, a man of few words and of unshaken resolve, She, a spirit of grace, a woman of quiet strength,carrying wounds, no one cared to see. In the quiet vows exchanged, hearts kept their guard,But in the silence between them, emotions sparked, unbarred. In his silence, she found a space to breathe. In her fragility, he found something worth protecting.

Stella's heart soared at the thought that only her son would be returning home for the Christmas holiday. It was a dream come true for her, one she had been looking forward to. Her heart was filled with sheer bliss until the moment she laid eyes on Trevor after five years, standing by the door with her son. The object of her wildest fantasies and long hidden secret. Trevor, in the flesh, with that knowing, seductive smile on his face that makes her thighs throb with desire. Stella scolded herself for even entertaining such sinful and forbidden thoughts, knowing that he was her son's best friend. But her body, her traitorous body, reacted instinctively to his presence, every part of her awakened by his mere gaze."Stop it, Stella!" she scolded herself again. "This is wrong."But she couldn't help it. Trevor had a way of making her feel alive, and the knowledge that he would be spending two weeks in her home only added to her inner turmoil. One look, one smile, one touch from him, and she was already trembling with desire. She knew it was wrong, but it felt so right.God help her, knowing that these two weeks with Trevor would be a tempting disaster waiting to happen. But she couldn't resist the allure of his presence, and she feared that her deepest secret would be unraveled in the process, turning her world upside down.