Icarus Laughed As He Fell

Reina Grimes is a quiet, nerdy fresher with a deep love for science and a hopeless crush on the campus heartthrob, Austin Reed. He's the golden boy who is popular, rich, arrogant, and the star quarterback. But he’s also her worst nightmare. For reasons she doesn't understand, Austin has always singled her out, mocking her clumsiness, her glasses, and how reserved she is. His teasing isn't just cruel, it's frustrating. Yet somehow, Reina still finds herself drawn to him. Everything shatters the day Reina hears that her mother, Angela, is getting married to Austin’s father, the powerful and ambitious politician, Brock Reed. At the engagement dinner, Austin shows up expecting a boring evening for old people, only to discover that his father’s fiancée is Reina’s mom. The realization hits both of them hard. They’re going to be step-siblings, and living under the same roof.

Patrick and Clare wake up trapped in a basement, a thin wall separating their cells. Their captor is mysteriously absent, which at first seems like a blessing. As more time passes with no food or water, they begin to realize a clock is ticking for their survival.They know their captor is still out there, and it is only a matter of time before he returns.©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

In a world of glitz, glamour, and dangerous secrets, Alice's life is turned upside down when she loses her brother to the infamous Logan D'Nores. Little does she know, Logan is not only a star actor and filmmaker, but also a powerful drug lord and mafia boss, controlling the underground world of crime from the shadows. As fate would have it, Alice finds herself forced into a marriage with Logan, leaving her with no choice but to play the dutiful wife and bide her time until the opportunity to strike presents itself. But things take a deadly turn when Alice discovers that Logan is onto her plans and will stop at nothing to keep her under his control. With her life on the line, Alice must navigate the treacherous waters of Logan's world, all while keeping up the facade of a loyal wife. But as she delves deeper into the dark underbelly of Logan's empire, she begins to unravel the shocking truths about her brother's murder and the sinister forces at play. Will Alice be able to outsmart Logan and finally exact her revenge? Or will she be consumed by the very darkness she seeks to destroy? Find out in this gripping tale of love, betrayal, and deception, where every page leaves you on the edge of your seat, wondering what shocking twist awaits next.

I was chosen to be the fiancée of Lorenzo, the Mafia’s heir. But at a family gala, Lorenzo was openly pursued by Chiara, the daughter of an arms dealer. Chiara wasn’t like the other rule-abiding debutantes.She tore through the streets in a modified sports car, used a military-grade combat knife to cut her cigars, and drank the harshest whiskey neat.There was an untamed wildness about her, a fire Lorenzo couldn’t look away from. He complained to the family elders, “How can a woman like that possibly be our Madre and run this entire family?” His words dripped with disdain for her recklessness, yet his eyes were glued to her, tracking her every move as she raised her glass. Then, on Lorenzo’s birthday, he announced his intention to make Chiara his mistress. Chiara refused.”The women of my family are wives, never mistresses.And my husband’s heart must belong only to me.” Lorenzo came to me, his voice hesitant.”Alessia, it’s just a title.I need you to give it to Chiara.Please? She doesn’t understand our family’s traditions, and she’s making a scene about marrying me.We just need to pacify her for now.Even if she marries me, you will still be the one to manage the family’s affairs.” As I stood trying on my wedding gown, a sharp crystal bead on the bodice pierced my finger.A single drop of blood bloomed against the pure white satin. The dress was ruined, but the wedding would go on. Since he chose someone else to be his wife, I will become his Madre.

"You were just a tool, Imogene." Her heart stopped. "And I was foolish enough to believe you cared." *** Imogene Scott had always known her place—by Damien Shaw’s side, even when his love was a distant dream. Marrying her only because of an unexpected pregnancy, Damien’s affection never blossomed. Instead, her devotion turned him from a mere sales manager into the billionaire CEO of IMU, one of Europe’s most powerful tech empires. But her sacrifices weren’t enough. After losing their baby, Damien’s coldness deepened, sealing their marriage with an unspoken “no meddling” rule. Imogene’s reward? Watching Damien parade countless mistresses, all while she buried her own dreams to fuel his. She believed, naively, that one day he’d see her worth. But when he fell in love with her stepsister and served her with divorce papers, Imogene’s world shattered. Realizing she was nothing more than a pawn in Damien’s game, she vanished—pregnant and determined to protect her unborn child. Three years later, Imogene returns, not as the broken woman who fled but as a renowned artist and mother to their two-year-old daughter. Now, Damien realizes what he’s lost and wants her back. But this time, Imogene is ready to fight, and she’s not making the same mistake twice.

Emerald Greenfield is an 18 year-old girl whose suffering from depression. That time, she gave up and decided to kill herself to be able to get rid of the pain within her. But the young girl doesn't have any idea that God abandoned her. She woke up inside the burning hell filled with sufferings where everything around her makes her feel scared. Emerald eventually viewed a tall, handsome man wearing a black coat and golden chains around him. "W-Who are you? And where am I?" She trembled as she got to stare at his red flaming eyes. "My name is Lucifer, and I'm the demon king. And from now on, you'll be mine," he smirked.

My husband—one of the top elites of Raventon Street, cold and ruthless to his core—keeps a stray orphan girl he rescued from the slums hidden in an apartment. Rowena Fletcher is clean and fragile, like a newborn creature untouched by the world. And somehow, that innocence softens something in Micah Benson—a man who's spent years clawing his way through the brutal wilderness of capital. He thinks this secret game of his goes unnoticed, but I find out anyway. At the Benson family's charity gala, I smash his favorite antique vase in front of everyone. He doesn't even flinch as he simply signals the bodyguards to clean up the mess and then hands me a divorce agreement. "Sign it, Sabrina. The penthouse in Ashbourne City is yours." I burn the divorce agreement—and that's when he finally shows his true colors. He freezes all my accounts and launches a hostile takeover of my gallery. On the night the storm hits, I get a call from the hospital. My sister, Roberta Slater, has been in a car crash—she needs emergency surgery. In the security footage, he stood there, watching coldly. "Sign the papers, or start planning a funeral." I dropped to my knees and slammed my forehead against the floor, blood trailing down my face as I begged, "Micah, please… don't…" A long, flat beep echoed from the other end of the line, slicing through the sound of rain. Then a voice on the line says, "We did everything we could." However, I have gone back in time—to the day I first found out about Rowena. This time, I no longer cry. Instead, I plan my divorce on my own terms. I call Valebrook Bank that same night and begin preparing for a quiet disappearance. But the moment I truly vanish from his world, Micah loses his mind.

Zyline had liked Nick for a long time. There were six of them in their group of friends, including Nick. Everyone knew about her feelings for him-except, it seemed, Nick himself. She couldn't tell if he was just insensitive or if he simply didn't have any feelings for her. Brent was her closest best friend among all of them, and even though she was too shy to tell him about her feelings for Nick, he knew anyway. What if, one night, Brent kissed her and said they should give it a try? She couldn't deny the spark she felt when he kissed her. She agreed to what he wanted-they would try to be together but in secret. Now, she was utterly confused. When Brent thought that she still had feelings for Nick, he suddenly left and disappeared without a word. That's when Nick finally pursued her for real. But why, instead of being happy-finally noticed by Nick as a woman-did her heart keep longing for Brent? Brent, who hadn't reached out to her since the night when something almost happened between them.

My Alpha mate's childhood sweetheart and I are pregnant at the same time. To protect her reputation, he announces to the public that her pup is his. However, he claims that my pup is a bastard that I conceived after having an affair with another man. I go from being the noble Luna to a despised slut everyone scorns instantly. When I question my mate, Simon Latham, he shrugs and says, "Xandra has always been a goody two-shoes. She won't be able to handle the gossip from being pregnant without a mate. You're the Luna. Isn't it your duty to help your people?" On that day, any form of affection and love I ever felt for him die down completely. I secretly schedule an abortion and book a plane ticket. From now on, I will leave Simon for good.

I am the Shadowstar pack's princess. In my childhood, I got injured after saving Matthew Graham. From that day on, I couldn't shift into my wolf form. Matthew travels all around the world, looking for miracle healers to cure me, but his efforts are always in vain. After the witch once again declares that I can never be cured, he covers my ears and whispers "I love you" all night long. As we are about to walk down the aisle and become mates, something unexpected happens. Alpha Leonard orders the young she-wolf—Matthew's companion, who has been with him on his quest to find a miracle healer for me—to marry the cruel Edwin Bowen. Matthew immediately turns away and leaves me behind. "I'm sorry. Please wait for me." I wait all day before receiving news that he and the she-wolf have become mates. Late at night, I calmly stare at Edwin, who has come to abduct me and make me his bride. "Compared to being dragged away, I'd rather go with you willingly."