I The Now Artinya

On the day she was supposed to get married to claim her inheritance, Alicia Hodge was publicly dumped and humiliated by the man she loved. With nothing left but her shattered pride, she makes a reckless decision… She marries a stranger. What she doesn’t know? Her new husband isn’t just any man, he’s an untouchable billionaire tycoon.. They agree not to know each other’s identity until he becomes dangerously obsessed with her. As Alicia steps into malicious city of Dew City determined to make it to the top, she wonders why everything is suddenly too easily until Derek Hayne makes a social media post. “My wife is a little emotional, for your sakes, don’t offend her.”

“What the f*ck…?” That was all I could say when I found myself falling for the very same man who was pulling me into the dark.

“Oh Eden, there is nothing little about Alexandro, and I’m not saying this to brag but a large percentage of your gender agrees with that fact.” He whispered his eyes piercing into me. “Don’t get ahead of yourself-” I tried to calm my raging heart. Why my body was betraying me right now was beyond means? Why was I feeling this way towards him? I wasn’t supposed to like the way his body felt against mine? “You want to deny a fact that your body agrees to “ Eden Maverick has lost a lot of things, her best friend, her parents, and now she must go back to save the one thing that her mother left with her. When she is stuck with no help, she is left in with no choice but to meet her father. When she finds out that her father's plan is an arranged marriage between herself and the city's billionaire, Percy Alexandro, her long-time nemesis, and a man her body won't stop longing for. Eden is left with no choice but to get things working again.

Alexander Defiant is the alpha of the silver shadow fangs pack. He is strong, and handsome, but most importantly he dominates anyone who stands in his way of what he wants. Especially, when he meets the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. Anastasia Smith on the other hand has completely different ideas when she meets the infuriating Mr. Defiant. Could a beautiful woman possibly make such a powerful domineering man fall to his knees? Or will the tables turn on Anastasia? Read May I Alpha, the first book in The Defiant Collection to find out.

Angels and devils ruled the city of Los Angeles. It was in the deep underbelly of the sparkling done-up town that I found him. Where I found the devil himself. A god in human form. A devil in every way. I fell for him, tumbled towards him like a bowling ball to some easily knocked down pins. Yet, I lost him. You never mess with a gang, I messed with the leaders of all leaders, I messed with Angeles.

My name is Alaki Bea Miller-or known above: Alaki Bea X. That is what they call us, the inferior ones: X. In this world, I live under laws that declare it illegal to bear more than one blood in your veins. A legal system built on segregation by race, where mixing blood is the highest crime. In this world, I am not human. I am not a person. I am a thing, an abomination that threatens their system. His name is Efrem Mustafin, leader of one of the five Rings, Master of his race, and the man who saved my life. Legally, he owns me. To save me, he had to claim me as property. And in exchange for my protection, we play a game. One where I submit to him before watching eyes, and he keeps me safe. Master Efrem Mustafin, he is. Subject Alaki Bea X, I am. Or at least, I was. I belong to him. My name is Alaki Bea Mustafin, and in this world, I Am Mustafin.

After my wife, Estelle Parks, gave birth, I hired a live-in nanny to take care of her and the baby. I never expected that paying top dollar would bring home someone who acted like she owned the place. I had to cook every meal after work and mop the floors before bed. She even helped herself to the pricey bone broth I had bought for Estelle. I got so fed up that I wanted to fire her, but Estelle just shrugged it off. "As long as she takes care of the baby, what does it matter if she rests or eats a little? It's not like we're struggling." And yet, Estelle had always hated people who took advantage of others.

Amelia entered a contract marriage with Ricardo for one reason—to survive. She needed money to complete her education; he needed a wife to satisfy his powerful grandfather. Love was never part of the agreement. For five years, Amelia loved a man who reminded her daily that their marriage was nothing more than a deal. She endured his coldness, his distance, and the pain of loving alone—until one drunken night shattered the fragile line between them. By morning, Amelia was gone. Only then did Ricardo realize the truth—he had fallen in love with his wife. Six years later, he found her. But she is no longer the woman he knew. She is stronger, colder, and untouchable. This time, Ricardo must face the consequences of his choices… and beg for the love he once cruelly rejected.

Before my wedding, my vision which I lost after saving Bruce unexpectedly returned. Overjoyed, I hurried to share the wonderful news with him, but as I stepped into the living room, I froze. Bruce and my cousin, Kerry, were in a passionate embrace. "Bruce, the baby is perfectly healthy now. The doctor said we can sleep together again! Why don't we do it right here in the living room? Also, isn't it thrilling to do it here while Nancy is asleep in her room?" "Shut up! Don't joke about my wife like that!" Bruce snapped at her, but his reprimand was accompanied by a kiss. I stood there, watching in shock as their movements grew more intense and their breathing became heavier. Only then did I piece it all together. Their sudden shared enthusiasm for indoor workouts six months ago wasn't about fitness at all. Covering my mouth to stifle a sob, I turned back to my room and shut the door. I decided then and there: Bruce didn't need to know I had recovered. Reaching for my phone, I dialed my mother. "Mom, I'm not marrying Bruce anymore. I'll marry the comatose heir of the Blakes instead. I don't need Bruce in my life."

The moment they released the year-end audit notice, I just stared in disbelief at the mention of my car, which I had paid for in full and in cash. It was boldly listed under the company’s fixed assets. “Our company practices a ‘family-friendly’ culture. What’s yours is the company’s. We’re a family. There’s no need to get picky about what’s yours or mine.” As if that was not enough, the company fired the driver and handed the chauffeuring duty to me. “Here’s the reception schedule for this month. Also, please pick up my dad at Babolle at 3 a.m. tonight.” My expression had darkened. Nonetheless, the human resources manager continued, “In a family, there’s no ‘yours’ or ‘mine’. My dad is your dad, right?” I was so furious that I almost exploded. ​ “I’m taking my car back, then!” She immediately took out a loan contract. “Simple. Pay by instalments. Work here for three years and you can ‘buy’ back your car.” So not only did I have to work as a driver for free, but I also had to pay to reclaim my car. Ever since the human resources manager parachuted in, she cut perks and cancelled vacations. She even started to dig into my wallet! “I quit!” She sneered. Then, she brandished a thick employee handbook. “Clause 1867 states that an employee who resigns of their own accord will need to pay double their salary. You’re under a six-month probation starting from now. Pass it, then you can leave.”