Honestly

“Bro, it’s not a big deal. I’m just fucking her.” My heart stopped. Kendall’s voice replied, “But man, what would people think if you made her your girl? That’d be crazy work.” “I’m not stupid,” Jalen said flatly. “I’d never make her mine. It’s only sex, nothing more. And honestly? It’s not that good anymore. I was gonna let her down easy before break.” ...... Aria, a plus-size beauty, thought her scholarship and condo arrangements were a dream until she met her roommate, Talia. Rich, spoiled, and instantly cruel, Talia made Aria's life miserable. Talia’s new boyfriend, Jalen, was the campus golden boy. When Aria and Jalen were paired for a project, they clicked in ways neither expected from late night talks to shared secrets and undeniable sexual chemistry. On Halloween night, during an all campus party, Aria sees Talia cheating on Jalen. One emotional night led to an affair that changed everything… until Jalen says some really damaging words to his roommate that were unforgivable and also heard by a once happy but now upset Aria. Disappointed, fed up, and heartbroken, Aria leaves campus and never looks back. TEN YEARS LATER Aria returns for the ten year reunion, confident, stunning, and a self-made CEO. Jalen is still gorgeous… but stuck in a miserable marriage with Talia. She ignores him. Talia tries to humiliate her. Aria wins the room. As she leaves, Jalen kisses her. She lets herself feel it, then slaps him and walks away. THE BUSINESS MERGER Jalen’s cruise line needs Aria’s brand to revamp their image. She agrees, reluctantly. Now they’re forced to work side by side, trapped between old wounds and new sparks. Some love stories never die. But some can burn you twice.

I start a livestream in the middle of the road before torching down my luxurious mansion that's worth ten million dollars in front of the entire Internet. Everyone claims that I've gone nuts. "I can't believe she actually burned a mansion that's worth ten million dollars! She must have gone cuckoo in the head!" I watch the inferno from my spot on the street, feeling extremely pleased. When the firefighters and the police arrive at the scene, I honestly admit to having burned down the mansion. Then, I request the police to arrest me on the spot. "I'm an arsonist, you see. I have mental health issues, so please arrest me as soon as possible. Otherwise, I'll burn down more houses." In my previous life, I had bought this mansion as an engagement gift for me and my fiance, Nigel Taylor. But this was also the very same mansion that ruined my life permanently. Nigel and my best friend, Olivia Williams, had gotten together behind my back. Those bastards betrayed me. After they spent the first half of the night drinking, they sped down the road in a car. But after hitting a few pedestrians, they fled from the scene. Then, they hid the offending vehicle in the garage of the mansion before spending the rest of the night together in bed. The next day, Nigel and Olivia cleared the scene of all traces and made me the perfect scapegoat for their crimes. I couldn't even defend myself when I was faced with all solid evidence that pinned the crimes on me. In the end, I was thrown behind bars. My reputation was instantly ruined. Not only did my company go into bankruptcy, but my parents also fell ill. In the end, they were beaten to death by the debtors who showed up on their doorstep. When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the night Nigel and Olivia are about to commit the crimes. This time, I won't give them a chance to falsify any clues.

⚠️ WARNING: THIS IS NOT A SYNOPSIS. IT’S A HINT SPOILER. ⚠️ This is the Story of FOUR HUGE MEN. (And let’s be clear—this is NOT a Reverse Harem.) These guys aren't heroes. They are roles played on four shattered women who didn't see them coming. FIRST UP: STEVE HAYES. The Gym Guy. He didn’t just meet Freya—he claimed her. Owned her. And her daughter? Yeah, they’re his now too. Honestly, you’re going to end up pitying Freya’s ex… because Steve is a literal beast. THINK STEVE IS INTENSE? MEET DIESEL. The Biker. Diesel usually hates shedding blood, he’s got rules. But when it comes to Daisy? Forget the rules. He won't even think twice before painting the pavement red for her. THEN THERE'S NICO. Seriously, Nico is… just come and meet him. He’s a Tattoo Artist, and Phina only went to his studio for one thing: to erase her loser ex’s name from her hand. Guess what Nico told her while he had that needle to her skin? “You can erase him from your hand, but what about your heart? You don't need a cover-up, Phina. You need a real man to make you forget he ever touched you.” She slapped him across the face for that. Hard. GUESS WHO IS SWEATING ON NICO’S BED NOW ASKING FOR IT HARDER? AND FINALLY… LUCA. I’m not even going to say much. Just. Meet. Him. 4 MEN. 4 SHATTERED WOMEN. THEY WERE ALL TEMPTED TO RUIN. COME MEET THEM ALL AND DROP WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT EACH! AS YOU ARE ABOUT TO OPEN EACH CHAPTER, TELL ME WHO YOU CAN’T WAIT TO MEET. (I already picked my dream guy, actually... let's see if you pick the same one.)

ALICE RILEY “I like you; you’re a wonderful girl. But your stubbornness? I can’t deal with that. Unless you change—” Before he could finish, I said goodbye and walked out. Just a week into dating, and all he could see was my so-called obstinance. Honestly, dating wasn’t my thing. Men admired my looks, sure, but my mind? That was a different story. A few dates were all it took for them to brand me as headstrong or argumentative. I was okay with that. I had no intention of changing myself to fit someone else’s expectations. Then came Vivian Scott, the enigmatic CEO of Scott Group. He was unlike anyone I’d met before. Why wasn’t he running for the hills like the rest? Did he actually think he could tame me, bend me to his will? VIVIAN SCOTT I had everything a man needed to make women swoon—looks, power, status, and wealth. Becoming the CEO of Scott Group at a young age had made me responsible, but it hadn’t dulled my appetite for fun. Whenever I encountered a beautiful woman, I knew exactly how she’d react. I never missed an opportunity to tease and charm my way into her good graces. It was all harmless fun—short-lived and never serious. That was until I met Alice Riley. Alice was gorgeous, no doubt, but it wasn’t just her beauty that intrigued me. Her sharp wit and unyielding attitude set her apart. She wasn’t like the women I’d known before. Unfortunately for her, she thought that throwing up walls and flaunting her defiance would keep me at bay. What’s more thrilling than conquering the impossible? I was determined to bring her to my track! __________ Cover Image Credit: Image by Freepik

Three years ago, my rich boyfriend, Steven Delaney, went into bankruptcy. He decided to break up with me so that he wouldn't drag me down. As I looked at his broken expression, I steeled my heart and ripped the overseas college application I had just received. "I'll stay with you. Together, we can rebuild your legacy." Everyone told me that I was nuts. Still, I decided to move into a damp basement room with Steven. After that, I took on a job out in the streets that allowed me to earn money the fastest, which was promoting beer to the customers. One day, when I'm delivering beer to the customers, one of them calls out to me. "Hey, this lady looks like you!" There are two screens being shown on a livestream, that's being replayed. The left screen shows me crouching at the doorway of the basement while washing shirts for Steven. It's so cold that my fingers have gone completely red. The right screen shows him all dressed up in a smart-looking suit. He has an arm wrapped around a beautiful and well-dressed woman, and they're both sitting in a luxury car. Steven smiles at the camera and says, "This is my third year lying to my girlfriend about my financial situation. Till now, she still hasn't realized the truth! She really is a pathetic idiot!" The live comments keep popping up on the side. "You really know how to make things interesting, Mr. Delaney! I can't believe you're capable of coming up with the whole 'pretending to be broke in order to test your girlfriend's humanity' act!" "What exactly is that lady aiming for, honestly? She's just someone who sells beer! Does she seriously think she's in a romance drama?" "Oh, this is hilarious! That penniless girlfriend of his is even washing underwear for him! The truth is, the underwear belongs to the Delaney family's household staff!"

"Do you honestly think I enjoy this?" He asks, his grip around my wrist so firm, so strong, they hurt as I try to twist, to get away from him. "Enjoy seeing you squirm in my hold like this? Enjoy making you cry?" "Please let me go," I croaked, choking back tears. "Let me go, Alessio." "And then what? Risk you running back to him? You wish he would come rescue you, don't you? You love him." "I love nobody. I will never love neither of you." "And that's where we have a problem, Camille. You should love me. Me and only me. I'm your fucking husband!" — Camille Galitze is a daydreamer. Daughter of Galitze Sturm, a dangerous Bravta underboss, Camille knows her future won't be a fairy-tale, considering her father's formidable influence, and thirst for more power. Obligated to marry Richard Scarfoni, a man she doesn't love but has utmost respect for, Camille is sad. But things take a turn for the worst when, on her wedding day, Alessio Scarfoni, the rightful heir of the Bravta Mafia storms the venue, and gets married to Camille, instead of Richard. Alessio Richard is back for revenge, and all those who had a hand in his assassination attempt have their days numbered. But first, to solidify his place, he steals his younger brother's bride from underneath his thumb. Camille has only ever known Richard, but there's something about Alessio that lays just at the tip of her memory, but always out of reach each time she tries to recollect. When their twisted arrangement turns into something either of them saw coming, Camille must learn to trust and find peace in her new, blazing feelings for Alessio if she wants to live, and rule by his side as his queen.

I used to think I understood survival. By twenty-one, I’d figured out that my body was something I could trade, and honestly, I didn’t flinch at using it. Rain pounding outside, apparently, I barely noticed. I was too wrapped up with Bobby, his cock sliding against my lips while I tried to forget the outside world. “I need to fix supper,” I muttered, and then took him in my mouth. He groaned. His hands knotted up in my hair, pushed me lower, and I swallowed every part of him. A hundred bucks. That’s what it took to make all this feel like just another night, just another transaction. That’s my reality, balancing family, hiding secrets, hustling through college by day, doing whatever it takes at night. But then my dad’s promotion depends on one dinner party. Suddenly, I’m orbiting two men who don’t just spot weakness, they exploit it. What starts with forced politeness turns into something darker. Surveillance cameras watch as I give in again and again, my body traded in deals I never agreed to. The difference between “okay” and “forced” vanishes every time I obey. At some point, I realize what this compliance has actually cost me. Not just my body, my choices, my future, all of it chipped away until the only decision left is brutal: keep giving them what they want and disappear inside myself, or risk everything to fight back against the machine trapping me here. My family’s fate is always tied to me. My body isn’t mine to bargain with anymore. So I keep asking myself: after everything, can someone like me actually claw my way back from submission when it was forced from the start? Keep reading to find out.

On my wedding day, my best friend, Beatrice Hopper, buys a lottery ticket from a convenience store and gives it to me as a wedding gift. I initially believe that she's joking, but when I see the unmistakable disdain in her eyes, I know something is off. "They say it's the thought that counts. This gift is precisely how I show that I care. Besides, I'm pregnant and need money for everything right now. I don't want you to feel bad about taking my money," she says. Honestly, I'm disappointed. But since it's my wedding, I can only stand there and watch as my best friend drags her entire family to the reception for free food and drinks. As expected, the wedding ends on a sour note. The two of us part ways unhappily. What I don't see coming, though, is winning 50 million dollars in the lottery that night. Elated, I tell my husband the news, and we head to the lottery office first thing in the morning to claim the prize. The news quickly spreads among our friends and family. But by the afternoon, Beatrice pounds on my door, demanding I return the lottery ticket. "I should've been the winner!" she screamed. "I was the one who bought it, so why should you take away my prize?" I keep backing away from her, panic flooding my entire body, so much so that I don't even notice she's holding a knife. The last thing I expect is for her to swing it at me in the middle of our struggle. By the time I realize what's happening, the blade is already buried in my husband's chest. I try to call the police, but Beatrice yanks me back. We grapple, stumble, and crash through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Eventually, we fall to our deaths in the courtyard below. The universe must've had mercy on me because when I open my eyes again, I'm back at the moment she hands me that lottery ticket. Here comes my second chance.

After Raven Fuentes's Childhood sweethearts Lyra Ross is taken by rogue wolves, Raven Fuentes hates me with everything he has. He'd rather spend his nights patrolling in the cold and drinking himself numb than face me, his mate. I care for him, try to please him, do everything I can… but all I get in return is his icy rejection. "The one you wronged is Lyra. If anyone should've been taken, it should've been you—not her." His words crush me. My heart breaks completely. And yet, when I'm attacked by a pack of rogues, it's Raven who throws himself into the fray to save me. He dies under their savage claws. Even in his final moments, he won't look at me. "If I had a choice, I'd never want to be tied to you again." At the funeral, Raven's mother faints on the stone platform holding his body, sobbing uncontrollably. "I should've never forced him into a mate bond with you. I would've rather he ended up with Lyra!" His father strokes his face one last time, his voice shaking with rage and grief. "He saved your life three times! This time, it cost him his own. You owe him three lives, and not even death can repay that debt!" Raven was the captain of the protection force. He spent his life shielding others. Everyone calls him a hero. The only tragedy, they say, is that he married me. And honestly, I agree. They forbid me from attending his funeral. They won't even let me say goodbye. Not long after, I hear the Silvermoon Pack has developed a time-travel device. Without hesitation, I pay the price so that I can go back in time. This time, I'll do what everyone wishes I had done. I'll cut all ties with Raven and stay far away from everyone.

I was born with a rare condition. My blood carried healing properties strong enough to neutralize any poison. When Garrett Frank, the young heir from Osbury, was bitten by a venomous snake, he was hanging by a thread. In that desperate moment, I slit my wrist and used my blood to cleanse the venom from his body. Only later did I find out that whoever saved Garrett's life would become the future Mrs. Frank. But after Garrett took over the family business, the first thing he did was drain every drop of blood from my body and have me chopped up and fed to his dogs. "At that time, Loretta had already brought the antidote," he had said coldly. "If you had just waited another five minutes, I could've married her openly and honorably. "But you had to interfere. You stole her place as Mrs. Frank, drove her into despair, and pushed her to take her own life. Since you claim your blood can cure any poison, let's see how much antidote it can make." They bled me dry and threw me into a cage for his dogs. I died there, torn apart and unrecognizable. Afterward, my parents went bankrupt because of the Franks. Both of them took poison and died together. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day Garrett had been bitten by the snake. Michelle Frank, Garrett's mother, looked at me with desperate hope. "I heard you have that rare healing blood," she said. "Will you please save my son?" I quickly shook my head. "That's just a rumor, Mrs. Frank. And honestly, using blood as medicine sounds pretty unsanitary. Please don't worry. I heard Ms. Huber is on her way with a special antidote. Your son will be fine!" Still, a small part of me couldn't help looking forward to what would happen. If I didn't step in this time, Garrett wouldn't just fail to inherit the family business—he'd be lucky to live another month!