Honest Crossword Clue

I bought a million-dollar set of gold as my bridal accessories at the jewelry store. The wedding date was fast approaching, but the pieces still had not arrived. I personally went to the store to pick it up, but the sales assistant said the price of gold had increased, and I had to make up the price difference. “In the past two weeks, the price of gold has risen by $98 per gram. Since you purchased 1,314 grams, the price difference amounts to $128,772, which rounds up to $130,000.” She showed the number on the calculator to me, and I became speechless. “Two weeks ago, I already paid the full payment. You said the store provides the delivery service, so I did not take it with me. This is a scam!” The sales assistant looked at me with a scornful expression. “We’ve been in business for ten years, and we do honest deals only. Keep running your mouth off, and I swear I’ll sue you for defamation!” What she said had reminded me that the ten-year lease contract that I signed with them had expired. I immediately took out my phone and called her boss. “From this year onward, the rental cost will increase by 50%. If you can’t afford the rental cost, move out immediately!” “Why?” I sneered and said, “You’ll have to ask your staff then!”

"Just join me for a drink perhaps?" Her bushy brows rose suggestively at me. She knew my answer, she knew what I'd say. I grabbed the bottle off her scrawny hands and said "You know, for a one time thing, this has become a regular." To be honest, I was actually looking forward to meeting up with her. Not that I was going to admit it to her face. "Like therapy sessions from two dumb, ill-favored kids. Who are trying to give each other easing words." She was right. Though her stumbled movements indicated a slight intoxication. Suddenly, out of the awkward moment, she looked up at me with a sad smile and said. "I might be a street girl but is it too bad to wish for a normal life? Go to proms? Have new clothes? Shelter? Love? Do I not deserve?" Her teary eyes searched deep into my soul. I was unaware of the lack of distance between us. When did we get so close with barely an inch barrier? "Flare..." that was all I could say because then all I could feel were soft lips against mine. Her lips! And it felt so nice. Subconsciously, I grabbed her little body and went for another kiss, this time, a deeper kiss.

Selene, the loyal best friend, accidentally has a wild one-night stand with a tall, bearded stranger in a motel during a snowstorm—raw, unforgettable sex she thinks she’ll never repeat. The next day at Gwen’s family dinner, the stranger walks in: it’s CK—Gwen’s lifelong childhood crush and family friend, now their new roommate. Guilt crashes in as Selene realizes she slept with her best friend’s obsession. But the chemistry is too strong to resist. Secret hookups ignite in their shared apartment (kitchen counters, shared bathroom risks, late-night motel dates). They agree to date in hiding—Gwen can never know. Every stolen moment is hotter because it’s wrong. Close calls multiply. CK’s quiet depression cracks around Selene. External pressure builds from ex Megan at his new law firm job. When Gwen starts noticing marks, deleted texts, weird vibes, and the growing distance between her two closest people—the secret begins to crack. The truth explodes at Gwen’s surprise birthday party (puppy reveal, friends, cake). After fallout and healing, Selene and CK reunite months later—no lies, just honest love. Hopeful but scarred ending.

My wife, Vivian Lane, is the wealthiest woman. Her assistant had made it clear he had three "do-not-disturb" rules: no messages after work, no calls on weekends, and absolutely no contact when he was in a bad mood. Because of this, the company lost a major deal—one worth over a hundred million. Yet the assistant looked completely unbothered. "Sorry, I had no idea one phone call could make such a difference. If something goes wrong and I have to be the one to take the blame, fine—I'm just another cog in the machine." My wife snapped, "Who said anything about blaming you? You did exactly what you were told." She shot me a look of pure irritation. "You take the profits from the project, and when things fall apart, you dump it on the regular employees? Is that how you run a business? If your company folds over something this small, it just proves you're not fit to be in charge." It suddenly clicked, and I let out a quiet laugh. So she thought this project belonged to my company? I didn't bother correcting her. To be honest, I couldn't really hold it against her—after all, it wasn't my company going under.

Reia, 24, is heartbroken and struggling with student loans when she stumbles upon an audition for a new PPOP girl group. Taking a chance, she is unexpectedly accepted, becoming not only a member but the leader and main songwriter, pouring her personal heartbreak and experiences with her ex into every song. W4RI rises to fame quickly, culminating in a historic debut at the Philippine Arena, but Reia grows anxious when management proposes a documentary about the group’s formation, fearing it might reveal her past relationship to fans. As the documentary airs, Reia trends online, and her ex’s identity begins to surface through social media, forcing her to navigate the intersection of fame and privacy. Meanwhile, Ezra, a music platform reviewer from Poland, is assigned to evaluate W4RI’s tracks and promotion—unaware that it’s Reia. Their digital interactions gradually reconnect them, rekindling old feelings as they exchange memories, hopes, and regrets. When they unexpectedly meet at a public event in Manila, their reunion is bittersweet. They struggle with unresolved emotions, public scrutiny, and the challenges of balancing Reia’s idol career with their personal lives. After facing online harassment and fans discovering their connection, Reia and Ezra choose to be honest and support each other, ultimately emerging stronger and united. The story concludes with hope, healing, and the promise of a future where love and career coexist.

Hamlet Creek University, just by the name itself, already speaks prestigiousness and rarity. It is the most competitive secondary school within the busy borders of the metropolis of Jordan. Sprouted in the heart of the crowd-pleasing city, Hamlet Creek University has everything you could have experience in your life. And by saying everything, that includes mystery. This has been proven by a group of friends who, without them having a pinch of clue, have taken their high school life to a way more complicated adventure that not everyone has given the opportunity to experience. They should be thankful, though. Because high school is meant to be memorable in a way that it would remind you of your low scores and cheating moments with your seatmates, and not of the cold mysteries waiting to be unravelled, and the deaths of random people on random hours. Everyone knows that it all started on the Dean’s murder. But that’s the only thing they know. The Dean has died. After that, they are devastated, clueless, unaware that the Dean’s is just the starting point of a death chain. A lot more has to follow. The entire Hamlet Creek has only seen it as a normal and unfortunate event of dying and bidding goodbyes, but as for Travis and friends, it’s more than just that. Some of them has died, too, and that simply tells that it isn’t coincidence because it’s a hunting game and the culprit is on loose. The group knows nothing on how to stop the killer. They just have one thing that will serve as their guide—pictures. And with this, they will come to seek for the culprit and put period to this labyrinth of death and mystery. They will succeed. But not everyone can make it to the end.

Mateo Morales has been missing for two months. He disappeared with no sign left behind; no hints, and no clue as to where he went and why he disappeared. Eva Morales has been searching religiously for her brother. Being a lone wolf, her family is all she has and she will do anything for her brother. When all her clues lead to Laurence Baxter, she can't help but follow the breadcrumbs, but what she discovers might be more than what she bargained for.Laurence Baxter is wild, untamed, and spontaneous. He lives the life he wants and does what he wants; it works for him. But when his PI disappears, he can't help but feel responsible and he jumps right into a long search. When Mateo's sister, Eva, shows up and Laurence discovers her as his mate, he is thrilled to be so lucky. However, this prickly woman wants nothing to do with mates, nevermind a playboy like himself.Searching for Mateo and unraveling the Morales family secrets soon turns out to be more than he bargained for and Laurence finds more answers than he was hoping to find. After his mate runs from him, he has to make a decision: chase after her and rush into danger or let her be alone like she wants.*This is the third book in the Baxter Brothers series, though it can be read as a standalone novel*

I slept with my boyfriend’s twin brother, a Mafia don. One wild, drunk night, I gave in to him at his family’s masquerade ball, only to discover too late that the man who held me was not Nikolai my loving boyfriend. It was his twin Kieran Petrov, the feared don of the NY Mafia. A cruel man with blood on his hands, now I hold a devastating secret. I’m pregnant and I have no clue which of the brothers is the father. So when I decide to come clean to Nikolai and get closure before I leave the city, I find out a grave secret. Nikolai had been cheating on me with my best friend for years. So I run away, leaving it all behind and going into hiding. However, the Petrov family has enemies, does that want the only heir of the family dead. But Kieran tracks me down, he brings me back and present me with a deal I can’t refuse. Marry him and receive protection or stay where I am and die. I should hate him, in fact I do, he had known I was his brother’s girlfriend and still went ahead to make love to me. But I have no choice, I signed the contract and become Kieran’s contract wife. It was just for protection, nothing else, at least that’s what I think

My name is Eleanor Keating. In my past life, my older sister—Alice Keating—and I were entrusted to the McKellen family in Arborhill by our parents for arranged marriages. I married John McKellen, the eldest son. While he might not be conventionally handsome, his calm demeanor and unwavering reliability stood out. Alice married Xavier McKellen, the younger son. Handsome as he was, he was equally carefree and unpredictable in his actions. Eager for a grandchild, the family patriarch—Henry McKellen—made a promise. The first to bear a child would have their offspring named the next heir of the family. After our wedding, John and I conceived. Our child was naturally declared the next heir, and with that, John and I gained influence and power within the family. Tensions between Alice and Xavier escalated into frequent fights. Eventually, both had affairs, and their marriage ended in a bitter divorce. Believing they had dishonored the family, John banished them from the household. Blinded by jealousy, Alice poisoned me and my child, ending both our lives. When I open my eyes again, I find myself back on the first day I arrived at the McKellen residence. But this time, Alice makes the first move and sleeps with John. In that moment, I realize she, too, has been given a second chance at life. Unfortunately, she has no clue that John is a twisted man. Not only is he devoid of love, but he also sees women as mere stepping stones in his relentless pursuit of power.

Part One:When Jamie Dalton moved into the house her grandparents left her she was just looking to reconnect with her past and settle in familiar surroundings. Digging through the attic for treasures, she found a nearly life-sized statue of a wolf and a very old, very strange book, Legends of the Werewolf. She was shocked when her new neighbor, Mike Volka, introduced himself and the eyes watching her looked just like the wolf in the book. Using the hypnotic power of the shifter, he draws her into his web and they have sex so hot it nearly burns down the house.Part TwoShifter Lia Popescue is desperate to find the book, Legends of the Werewolf, her only clue as to what happened to her pack. Her attempts to recover it bring her into contact with Riley Morgan, a contact that explodes with sexual chemistry. When she loses her heart to the sexy detective, she wonders how he will handle knowing the truth about her.USA Today best-selling and award-winning author Desiree Holt writes everything from romantic suspense and paranormal to erotic. and has been referred to by USA Today as the Nora Roberts of erotic romance, and is a winner of the EPIC E-Book Award, the Holt Medallion and a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice nominee. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA Today, The (London) Daily Mail, The New Delhi Times and numerous other national and international publications.Wolf Tales is created by Desiree Holt, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.