Hou Ming Hao Novels & Stories

"Beg for it." Zane's voice was low, dangerous, as his fingers dug into Asher's jaw, forcing their eyes to meet. "Please...” Asher whispered, eyes wet with tears as his body betrayed him with a traitorous shiver. ````` HE WAS BORN TO INHERIT AN EMPIRE... UNTIL ONE SINGLE MISTAKE COST HIM EVERYTHING! Heir to an empire with a last name that opens every door, Asher West was powerful. An Alpha bred to be dominant, Asher takes what he wants and never looks back. But for all his arrogance, Asher had two weaknesses. His taste for danger…and his blistering, malignant, and seething HATRED for his half-brother, Zane West. And that hatred was the key to his downfall. Now stripped of his status, his pride, and his biology, Asher finds himself trapped in an Omega’s body, in a world that only worships the strength of an Alpha. And worse, the man holding the leash is none other than the one he hated the most. His half-brother, now his master. Zane West. He was the bastard no one wanted. After a decade of being abused and bullied by Asher West, ignored by the West Clan, there was no mercy or humanity left in Zane’s gaze, only the promise of ownership. And the slow, patient destruction of the golden prince who once ruled him. Zane doesn’t want love. Or even forgiveness. He wants to own Asher, furrow deep into his skull until his entire existence revolves around pleasing him, Zane West. But there’s a problem…Asher won’t go down without a fight, and Zane…at his core was still an Alpha whose primal instinct is to protect his Omega. Who will end up taming whom?

"Holding out for a hero? Eh, not so much. Felicity Hart doesn’t have the time or inclination for love. She’s too busy working her butt off to complete her Master’s Degree. So what is she doing at a Halloween party dressed like a Cinderella-wanna-be when she could be home studying?—or better yet, sleeping. Oh, God, yes. Sleeping Beauty had the best idea. What’s the worst that could happen if she catches a quick nap in the host’s bedroom? Well… Caught by the panty-dropping homeowner, Jared, her first instinct—aside from dying of embarrassment—is to run, but her sexy prince convinces her there’s no need to rush off into the night. There’s plenty of room in his bed for two. When she wakes up the next morning wrapped around him like a vine on Rapunzel’s tower, it’s not just her shoe she leaves behind, but her whole dress—and maybe, just maybe, a tiny sliver of her heart. With a little help from friends, Jared tracks down his runaway princess so he can return her dress. Over lunch they discover have much more in common than just sexual attraction. Jared might be a workaholic attorney, but his fun side is ready and willing to play…in the hot tub, in the shower…He’s the kind of man Felicity never thought existed: A damn good man with a bad boy’s soul.But can a fairy tale romance survive when the pressures of real life interfere? Or is happily-ever-after just make-believe? Legally Charming is created by Lauren Smith, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author."

Karmen Vierra is a 23-year-old who has been waiting for her fated mate ever since she came of age. She has been dreaming of him for years and now she has finally found him. He turns out to be none other than the CEO and owner of one of the biggest businesses in her town. However, when she attends a business party with a colleague, she does not get the reaction from him she expected. He almost ran into her with his arms wrapped around another woman. Trying not to make a scene, she asks if she can speak to him in private. The woman protests against his agreement for a short conversation where he tells her, he wants nothing to do with her, despite her being his fated mate. She is now humiliated as the woman comes over and kisses him right in front of her. She is rejected, humiliated, and now he even forbids her to come back to his company and fires her on the spot.

Living up in her parents' desires, Red left no other choice but to choose a course she doesn't see herself working with in the future and even forced to transfer to a school she doesn't want to. As a loving daughter and just wanting to make her parents proud, she decided to give up on her dream and let them take control over her. However, the dilemma did not just end there. **** As Red started her life in the university, she accidentally bumped into someone they considered as the University's Mister Perfect. Professors, students, and administrators admire this man with all of their hearts. He's an epitome of success and embodiment of perfection. An academic scholar, a respected face of the school, a basketball player, and amongst all, has godly looks that everyone is dying for. But amidst his reputation, no one knows what he's going through deep inside and no one can ever break that guard he built up high for himself. He would not let them. He would not let her. Can he?

During my wedding reception, I make a toast to my wife's true love. He smashes his wine glass in retaliation and snaps, "I lost to you and allowed you to marry Isabel, but you shouldn't have humiliated me in public!" My wife, Isabel Eaton, is furious. She calls me petty and says she's disgusted by men like me, who get jealous over the smallest things. She rips her veil off and runs after her true love. I chase her, wanting to explain myself. However, a car rams into me. Isabel turns to glance at me but doesn't stop as she goes after her true love. I'm taken to the hospital to be rescued. However, my heart dies despite my body recovering. Upon regaining consciousness, I call my father. I've cut off contact with him for the past three years, but it's time to cave. "I'll go ahead with the marriage alliance, Dad."

I return to my hometown after becoming the wealthiest person in the world. I stand beside a luxury car I bought for my father and call him—I want him to be surprised when he picks me up. However, this backfires on me. I joke with him and tell him my company has gone bankrupt. My debtors are coming after me, so I'm home to flee from them. I end up standing under the sweltering sun until the sky goes dark and it starts to pour—my father never shows up to see his gift. I brave the rain as I head home. Before I even enter the house, I can sense my sister-in-law's panic. "Listen to me—don't tell that jinx that Dad has just won a million dollars!" My mother says, "I knew having a daughter was a bad decision. It's bad enough that she doesn't have money for us—why is she coming home when she's in trouble? She should just die out there!" My father sneers. "Well, we can sell her off to that cripple in the village. Maybe she'll fetch a good price!"

Five years ago, Cyrus Parker cried as he begged me to let his childhood sweetheart, Paige Gallagher, give birth to his child. I agreed, but soon I named my conditions. Paige and her child were to be sent abroad, never to return to this country. At the same time, Cyrus needed to compensate me with half of the Parker family's assets. Everyone called me a materialistic wrench who had her eye on the Parkers' wealth this whole time. As for Cyrus, he'd rather make an enemy out of the entire Parker family just so he could protect that child. Five years later, when I go to a neighboring city on a business trip, I stumble upon a lost boy. So, I take him to the police station and have him contact his family there. The police officer dials the phone number that the boy is able to recite for him. Soon, I hear a familiar voice coming from the phone. "Don't be scared now. I'll come over and pick you up right away." In less than half an hour, Cyrus, who's supposed to be in a business meeting that's taking place thousands of miles away, rushes into the police station. I meet his gaze from my seat on the bench, leaving him stunned. A smile appears on my face as I get up from the bench. "I didn't even know you'd sired another son with another woman behind my back, Cyrus. It seems that you won't be able to keep the other half of your wealth now."

After the Ferguson family went bankrupt, I gave up everything I had and followed Ethan Ferguson to Stormbay. Five years later, he had fought his way back into the top three on the Forbes rich list. He rebuilt the empire everyone believed he had lost for good. He never mentioned marriage, no matter how much we had been through together. I did not understand the reason until the night before Memorial Day. I woke after midnight and saw Ethan standing alone on the terrace of our beachfront house. The cold ocean wind swept through the darkness while he lit three white candles one by one. Their flames flickered softly against the night. He faced the distant horizon across the sea and lowered his voice. “Mom, Dad… I’m sorry I couldn’t come see you again this year.” He paused, and his expression softened. “However, please keep watching over Vivi. Keep her healthy… and bless the two of us with a long, happy life together.” Warmth spread through my chest as I listened. My health had never been good, and every year near Memorial Day, Ethan refused to let me exhaust myself with the long trip home. He always went alone to visit his parents’ graves while I stayed behind in Stormbay. This year, when I saw the homesickness in his eyes, I decided to surprise him. I wanted to make the trip in his place. I never expected my entire world to collapse the moment I arrived at the cemetery. Ethan’s name was carved into the headstone. Beside it was the name of another woman. Olivia Ferguson. My gaze drifted lower. A framed family photograph sat at the foot of the headstone. Its edges had curled from the ocean wind. In the picture, Ethan held a little blond-haired boy in his arms. The child looked no older than three. Olivia stood beside him, smiling softly at the camera. A sharp pain cut through my chest. Only then did I understand the truth. The “Vivi” Ethan prayed for was never Vivian. It had been Olivia all along.

“You’re crazy!” she spat I rolled my eyes, sucking on the sweet in my mouth with indifference. “So what’s your point?” Reika had been betrayed, murdered, and discarded by the very people she had given her all to. But fate gave her another chance. Reborn as the prostitute of Alpha Stephan, a man cursed to doom his mate to death, she wasn’t going to let anyone bully her and walk away unscathed this time. What happens when the quiet prostitute everyone ignored suddenly becomes the troublemaker determined to make them all pay?

After I bought my new home outright, my relatives organized a housewarming party to celebrate. During dinner, my nephew Leo suddenly said, “You’re just a spinster living alone in a huge apartment. What do you need all that space for? I happen to be getting married soon. That’s a huge deal. You should transfer the place to me. I’ll even cover the transfer fee.” I was stunned. “Are you out of your mind?” His mother Linda said, “How can you be so ungrateful? Him using your place for his newlywed life is doing you a favor. It’ll bring you good luck! Other people would jump at the chance!” The son and mother were united against me. “Anyway, tomorrow’s a great day. Grab the property deed and come with us to transfer ownership!” I rejected them without hesitation and called them crazy. Who knew they would get so furious that they would storm into my brand-new apartment and go on a rampage, smashing everything in sight. They even said smugly, “We need to show you our family doesn’t get pushed around! Go ahead and call the police! What proof do you even have that it was us?” What they did not know was that I had installed surveillance cameras on the day I moved in.