I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

Seavora City, Carmoria. Nathan Ziegler's side chick, Sophie, was melting down—again. He shoved the divorce papers at me. "Just sign. It's for show. Gotta keep her calm." I clutched my dress, gave a small nod, and signed. No fuss. No scene. As I turned to leave, one of his buddies snorted, "Joelle's way too obedient. Bet she'd fetch the divorce decree if you asked." Nathan lit a cigarette, smirking. "Wanna bet?" To them, I was still the silent pushover. The girl who'd cry in court but still do what she's told. Trade one paper for another—marriage for divorce. I stared at my phone. The message I'd received earlier: [Why don't you just marry me?] I typed back: [Okay.]

They say that your past is never really left in your past. I used to think that was dumb until I experienced it. Four years ago, I met the Devil. He gave me a chance to flee from him but I refused and ended up shooting him. Unfortunately for me, he returned four years later to claim me as his wife and drag me to Hell. He's going to make sure I pay for shooting him. He's going to punish me in the worst ways possible. He has promised to make me beg for mercy he'll never grant me. But then, he's not the only one hellbent on making my life a living Hell. There's another person causing havoc from the shadows. I would have to choose eventually- be with the Devil I know or side with the Devil I do not know.

After another one of Winifred Clayton's dramatic suicide threats, Edgar Snider secretly starts a relationship with her behind my back under one condition—I can never find out about it. He says, "I can be with you, but Wanda is everything to me. Whatever happens between us, she can never know." Winifred pretends to agree. Then, she sends me a video of her and Edgar living together, my son included. "No matter what happens, Edgar will never leave me. So stop deluding yourself—you were never a match for me." What she doesn't know is that I never plan to compete. In just one month, I'll be on a flight to Avernia, gone from Edgar's life for good.

"I have never done this," I muttered, hypnotized by his eyes. "Nobody knows everything." He answered and gave me his hand. "You are so... so... So... beautiful." He was whispering his secret and I had his chiselled jaw wrapped in a small stubble beard in my hands. "You don't have to know anything. Follow me." He pulled me into his arms, he mumbled, I leaned over and kissed him. I cupped his cheeks and pulled him to kiss my lips. I want to savour those lips. He obeyed. He stormed into my life on a rainy day, one day just to shelter me. He was always uninvited into my life but once I tasted him, I realised I am more than I can be. He became My Taste I Like until I learnt his truth.

That winter, our whole family went skiing in Aespen, Amestia. It was a popular spot for werewolf nobles and the wealthy. Then, the avalanche struck. My father's first instinct was to scoop up Summer—his sleeping adopted daughter—and flee. My mother, panicked, still made sure to grab the stray puppy Summer had found. They returned to the Moonshadow Pack that same night, posting a flood of photos online and rejoicing over their miraculous escape. Not one of them remembered me. Their biological daughter was still buried beneath the snow, waiting for rescue. When I was finally rescued, I did not look back. I took my mentor's offer to study abroad and left the pack behind. I moved to Cascade City to study medicine. No more pleading, no more shrinking myself in hopes of earning back my family's love. Yet they only seemed more disgruntled. "Rose, why aren't you competing with Summer for our attention anymore?"

A reckless kiss that changes everything. Aurora thought kissing someone would be perfect to show her ex she has moved on, unknown to her it’s the beginning of an obsession. Dominic Ricci, a powerful mafia king, no one that touches him leaves him, even her, the moment she placed her lips on his, she became his, he holds secrets that could shatter her. When Dominic gives her an ultimate, stay with him for thirty days and he will ensure her safety or risk the lives of everyone she loves. Trapped in his world of secrets, Aurora realizes he is a ghost from her forgotten past. Who is he? Why is he willing to burn the world for her? How far will he go for her?

Catherine Galhart had saved herself for the only man she ever paid attention to, only for fate to crush her young heart when he came home with his fated mate in his arms. Lost and heartbroken, she ran and hid as she slowly picked up her broken pieces. But when she thought everything was finally falling into place and she was ready to accept the love she felt she deserved, life threw another reality in her face — a destiny she could never escape. Will she finally cave in and let fate take control of her life? Or will she keep fighting for the life she knew she wanted from the very beginning? Join Catherine as she embarks on the journey from love lost to self-discovery, family, and friendship to finding a love worth fighting for. ***** THE ALPHA BLOOD CIRCLE: Book 1: She's The Luna I Want Book 2: The Beta and I Although this book can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading Book 1 to understand the characters and the concept of the Claiming. ***** Follow me on my I G and F B for updates and teasers - author.cassa.m

All it took was a gunshot to have this criminal fucking me senseless. I'd spent months trying to bring down Antonio, the criminal I swore to put behind bars. I even set a trap for him, using someone close as bait. But instead of going down in chains, Antonio offered himself to me, in exchange for freedom. I should have said no, I should have followed the mission. But as a lonely divorcee craving warmth, how could I resist the way he touched me? The way his fingers made me forget the rules I live by? This wasn't the plan. My boss didn't send me here to get addicted to my enemy. Yet every secret night with Antonio leaves me wanting more, and drags me deeper into his dangerous world. He's supposed to die for his crimes, but unfortunately, the real crime is how badly I want him. And if the news gets out, I won't just lose my job– I'll lose my life.

"I don't date demons in disguise." "And I don’t lose what I set my eyes on. Especially not a man like you." He was a billionaire bachelor, heir to an empire. She was the most feared Mafia boss in Italy. Their worlds were never meant to collide until they did. When Matteo Alessandro meets Serena Riccardo again, he makes it clear he wants nothing to do with her. To him, she’s dangerous, cold-blooded, and heartless. But Serena doesn’t need his approval. She’s not asking for love… she’s choosing her next possession. And that possession… is him. He tries to resist. She smirks. He runs. She follows. He insults her. She makes him hers. But behind the cold stares and sharp tongues, something deeper brews lust, longing, and maybe… something that could break them both. Now Matteo must choose: Run from the woman who owns the shadows or fall for her and risk being consumed by the fire. Mafia don’t make threats. They make promises. And Serena Riccardo always keeps hers.

For the past three months, I've slept only three hours every day just so my team and I can create an app. Thanks to our hard work, the app goes absolutely viral to the point we've garnered over 100 million registered users on the first week of its launch. At the afterparty, my wife, Stacie Woodward, announces that her godbrother, Tory Frost, who's the PR manager, will be the one receiving the million-dollar bonus. She then tosses me a few 50% discount coupons that can be used in shopping malls as my bonus. "You're just a code monkey—why do you need that much money anyway? You can have these discount coupons. Use them on anything you want. At least buy some nice clothes for yourself. Don't go around wearing these rags. You'll just end up humiliating me more." I plead to her in a low tone, "Have you gone crazy, Stacie? My dad needs the money for the best medication in order to save his life! Can you please stop joking around?" But Stacie clings to Toby's arm, looking high and mighty. "Your dad's dying, isn't he? He might as well stop wasting the public resources! I can always choose him a better grave and hold a nice funeral for him when his time comes!" As I look at Stacie's smug face, I just smile at her instead of getting mad at her. She must have forgotten that the app's core algorithm and the user growth model are built using my private, undisclosed technology stack. That means the copyright is mine and has nothing to do with the company. I just smile while nodding at Stacie. That night, I activate the technology stack's self-destruct and migration protocols.