Howard Gardner

The darkness in his eyes, the dangerous smell of in his breath, and his deathly grip keeping me bound to him made my heart pound in my chest and my body quiver beneath him. Shamefully, it wasn't anything that I wasn't used to, because…the things I let him do to me? When he was frustrated, annoyed, and angry at the world, I was here to be his pound of flesh. In return, he masked the void of my loneliness because for months, that was the transaction of our relationship. He'd pin me to the wall, bend me over the counter, pull my hair, slap me, choke me, and I enjoyed every second of it because in that moment, it finally felt good to be powerless. Irony is a funny thing. I enjoyed being in pain because it made me forget how much I was hurting. *** "I warned you, doll." His voice strikes a string of chills down the base of my spine, a reminder that all of the time in the world could pass, and he's still not letting go. This is where the good girl in me dies. "You're mine now," he whispers. *** My name is Mercy—Mercy Carter. I went to college. Got myself a useless Bachelor of Science in Mathematics degree. His name is Marcel—Marcello Saldívar. However, at the time, I didn't know that he, the heir to the Saldívar Mafia empire, was the man that I had blindly offered myself to. As smart as I am, I was stupid all the times when it actually mattered. After all, he did warn me he was dangerous. I just didn't think he could be much worse than my thug brother. I was vulnerable—naive. I belong to him. My name is Mercy, and I am the Mafia's Mercy.

Struggling baker Olivia's world is about to get a sugar rush. A chance encounter with the enigmatic Ethan Kingsley, a billionaire with a heart of gold (or so it seems), leads to a shocking proposition: a marriage of convenience. What starts as a business deal to save her bakery turns into a whirlwind of paparazzi, designer dresses, and undeniable chemistry. But secrets lurk beneath the frosting, and Olivia's past threatens to shatter their fragile connection. Ethan must choose between his ruthless grandfather's demands and a love that could cost him everything. Can their unlikely union survive the media storm, a manipulative family, and Olivia's hidden truth? The Billionaire's Bride is a sweet and steamy story of defying expectations, finding love in the most unexpected places, and proving that sometimes, the most valuable things in life aren't bought with money.

Not every wolf meets their mate and has a happy ending. What happens to those who don't or get rejected? Annie has lived on her own for years in the human world, when she meets Hugh, a wolf belonging to the fearsome Reiver clan hailing from the highlands of Scotland, his business with an organised crime group have made him some serious enemies in the human underworld and when they come for revenge her world and security is turned up side down.

"Mrs. Gardner, are you sure you want to hire our team to stage a fire and fake your death in ten days?" Camellia Shaw paused for a moment. Just as she was about to reply to the message, a video call suddenly popped up. "Camellia, look! Andres is spending a fortune on you again!" The video was of an auction in progress. At the front, a man of striking elegance and charm was decisively bidding on several antique collectibles worth hundreds of millions. The crowd was already abuzz with excitement. "Mr. Gardner is so good to his wife! He bought all these antiques just to make her smile!" "$400 million is nothing! I heard Mr. Gardner even built her a private estate and named it Eterna Haven. Just the name alone is proof of how much he loves her." A wealthy businessman nearby sneered. "It's all for show. Who knows what he's really like behind closed doors?" That comment immediately sparked a wave of backlash. Many argued back, talking about how devoted Andres Gardner was to his wife. As she listened to their murmurs, Camellia forced a bitter smile.

(Dual-POV) Rae Poppy Howard Spencer is the figurehead of the Spencer family after the "untimely" death of her father, but the Spencer family is different than the Howard empire. The Spencers? Old money mafia. The Howards? Business entrepreneurs. Rae Spencer runs the Spencer family. Poppy Howard runs the Howard empire. It's a lot for her to juggle, but so is falling hard for her head of security. Talk about crossing lines with Leander Murphy, her Murphy, is supposed to keep her safe, not get in bed with the boss. But maybe, just maybe, some rules are meant to be broken.

On the third day of my business trip out of state, someone new joined the group chat formed for my son's class. It had been quiet for weeks when she suddenly sent a voice message. I tapped it, and an unfamiliar woman's voice played through my phone. "Hello, everyone. I'm the new language teacher at the school, and I'm also Tony Gardner's mother. Looking forward to getting to know you all!" My whole body went cold. I opened the group member list and checked it over and over. My son's name was Tony Gardner, and she said she was Tony Gardner's mother. Then, who the hell was I? I immediately called my husband. "Did someone get added to the parent group by mistake?" He paused on the other end before he laughed it off like it was nothing. "Oh, probably just a mix-up. The school has so many kids. It's not unusual for kids to have the same names. What's the matter? Did something happen?" I kept my voice light and told him everything was fine. The second I hung up, I booked the next flight home and headed straight to my son's school.

The King of the West, Lord of the Shadow Sect, and God of War—Howard Lincoln! Five years ago, Howard's adoptive father and his entire family were killed. Narrowly escaping from death, Harold was saved by Tania Jenkins. After that, he was taken away by a mysterious man and entered the military camp by chance. Five years later, a text message brought the God of War from the blood-soaked battlefield to the mundane world, and only then did Howard realize he had a daughter. Since then, the skillful warrior turned into a doting father, protecting his family, fighting other influential families, battling fiercely, and paying back both the good and the harm.

“Love is for the soul and sex is for the body. Both cry out for satisfaction.” "This isn't what I wanted, I don't want this !!! I want something more with you Howard, when would you ever give me the attention I need, when would you ever give me the respect I need? I love you, Howard!!! "Selena hollered at him, with tears rolling down her cheeks and her face as red as cherry. After five years of separation from her relationship, a twenty-two-year-old Italian Selena Greco runs into her ex-boyfriend Howard Turner after leaving home to get a better life, and just like five years ago, all the feelings came back. She wasn't aware he was the owner of the company she had applied for a job as his secretary, and things got steamy between the two. She finds it difficult to leave this mess that she had gotten herself into again, she wanted a solid relationship while Howard wanted otherwise. What happens when she finally decides to leave him for real this time? Would he take a step forward and give her the commitment she yearns for this time?

They say that I have gone mad, that I put on "an act of life or death" on the day of my younger sister's coming-of-age ceremony. They also claim that I lied to my husband to gain sympathy. However, they don't know that the true madman is the person whom they have misplaced their trust in. I am Winifred Gardner, the eldest daughter of the Gardners, and I am also secretly married to Zachary Hood, a mafia boss. He never announced our marriage within the last three years because I'm not yet "qualified" to be the wife of a mafia boss. My younger sister, Stella Gardner, acknowledges me as her elder sister while mixing muscle relaxants into my medications to render me weak, dull, and unable to fire a gun. As a result, I am once again mocked as someone useless. She steals my place, my parents' love, and my husband's trust while I'm labeled as mentally unstable and told that I pretend for the sake of sympathy. The moment I sign the organ donation consent form, I smile. This is the only document I can sign on my own initiative. But they're unaware that I've already recorded the truth beforehand. After I die, everyone will know who it was that poisoned me. When that time comes, they will cry and be filled with regret. But I will no longer forgive them.

Di kehidupan sebelumnya, Maya Asraf menikah dengan seorang "suami tak kasat mata". Di hari dia bersalin, Maya mengalami perdarahan hebat hingga koma. Namun, panggilan teleponnya ke Howard Bandri tak pernah diangkat. Setelah dokter menyadarkannya, dengan tangan gemetar dia menandatangani sendiri surat persetujuan operasi. Saat anak-anaknya demam tinggi hingga 40 derajat, Howard tetap tidak menampakkan batang hidungnya. Maya pun menggendong anaknya sendirian ke rumah sakit. Penjagaan selama tiga hari tiga malam, membuatnya sangat letih hingga jatuh pingsan di lorong. Di hari orang tuanya meninggal karena kecelakaan, Howard masih tidak ada. Ketika dia membawa pulang kotak abu kedua orang tuanya, pamannya langsung menamparnya dan mencaci-maki dirinya yang tidak becus menjaga hati suami. Akibatnya, orang tuanya meninggal dengan tidak tenang karena menantu mereka tidak hadir di saat terakhir. Hingga pada usia lima puluh delapan tahun, kanker stadium akhir merenggut sisa hidupnya.