Ice Breaking

My younger brother, Owen Rivera, and I are playing in Dad's refrigerated truck. Owen wants to grab my ice cream from me, but I refuse to let him have his way. He shoves me forcefully, causing me to lose my balance and fall to the floor, knocking me out on the spot. When I finally wake up and locate him in the freezer, I find out that he's gotten reduced to a frozen statue. The security footage shows that Owen has been screaming the words "Mommy, help me!" hysterically for three hours before his death. After Mom is done watching the footage, she breaks down on the spot. Then, she yanks me by my hair before slamming me against the wall. "What were you doing? You were at the entrance, dammit! Why didn't you open the door for Owen?" With reddened eyes, Dad throws me into the freezer. "Owen was cold and frightened in the freezer! You should have a taste of the same thing too!" The thick and heavy door is slammed in my face. Darkness and a bone-chilling coldness devour me instantly. I curl into a small ball in the corner Owen has just died in. My teeth are starting to chatter, and my consciousness is starting to slip away. I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. I don't feel cold. I'm not cold at all. I will never eat ice cream ever again in my next lifetime.

My husband's first love, Annie Quinn, suffers from a nosebleed. He decides to stuff me into the fridge and make me write a letter of apology in order to punish me. "Tie up the entire fridge with a coil of rope and leave it in the wine cellar. Let her atone for her sins there quietly." I keep pounding against the fridge door with all my might, even as it makes me bleed all over the place. I hope Nathan Grayson, my husband, can let me out. Instead, Nathan takes Annie on a trip to Arci where they have fun skiing and watching the penguins waddle about. One week later, Nathan opens the fridge after returning from his trip. The moment he lays eyes on my rotten corpse, he loses his mind on the spot.

Vincent is often misunderstood. His reserved and seemingly rude demeanor hides a sensitive soul—especially when it comes to Jason. Jason, the charming, outgoing guy who is loved by everyone, couldn't be more different. He's never afraid to speak his mind, while Vincent keeps his feelings buried deep. Despite their differences, something undeniable simmers between them. Vincent’s secret crush on Jason is a constant struggle, but Jason’s fearless approach to life and to Vincent begins to break down the walls Vincent has spent so long building. As their relationship shifts from constant friction to something more complicated, Vincent must decide whether to let his guard down or keep hiding beneath the surface of his own feelings.

Two men. One team. And a rivalry that burns hotter than ice. Noah Vance thought working as the Vancouver Storm’s physio would be just another job. Until Stefan Kovacs, the new captain, walked in tall, arrogant, and impossible to ignore. Every practice, every game, every accidental touch sparks something Noah isn’t supposed to feel. Stefan doesn’t just play on the ice he plays with hearts, including Noah’s. With exes lurking, jealous teammates, and the high-pressure world of hockey, Noah has to decide: follow the rules… or follow his heart. Falling for the captain was never part of the plan but the ice doesn’t lie.

** This is book 1 of The alliance series, each book can be read as a stand alone but the stories do follow on. ** ** Book 2 Freeing Freya now available ** The desire to mate is overwhelming and he can no longer ignore his wolfs need but how can anyone find it in them to love the Alpha's dark secret. He's been careful his whole life to keep it hidden, and there is no way that this timid girl before him will be able to handle it but she has a secret of her own, one that will shake him to his core, if only he can hold onto her long enough to find out.

It's my first day undercover at my future husband's dessert shop, and chaos walks in with fake lashes and two-inch nails. "I want an ice cream. Heated." I paused. "Just checking... You want your ice cream hot?" She gave me a look like I'd failed kindergarten. "Yes. Hot ice cream. Are you slow?" Deep breath. Zen mode. Customer-first service smile. "I'm sorry, ma'am. Ice cream has to stay frozen, or it just turns into—well... milk. If you want something warm, we have hot tea or coffee." "I'm pregnant!" she screeched. "Pregnant women crave weird things! Plus, my doctor said I can't eat anything cold! Are you trying to kill my baby and me? Is that what this is?!" People started turning their heads. Fantastic. A whole audience. I kept my voice low. "Ma'am, I can refund you." She suddenly smacked the counter, knocking the scanner sideways. Her nails shot past my face like tiny knives. "What kind of attitude is that?! A pathetic cashier talking back to me? I'll call my husband and get you fired!" Then, she leaned in like she was about to reveal a royal bloodline. "Guess what? I'm the boss's wife." I blinked. If that was true, I really needed to stop thinking about helping my boyfriend to open 3,000 franchise stores.

Vincenzo Costa and I have been in love with each other for eight years. Everyone knows that the heir of the Costa family loves me more than life itself. In order to marry me—an orphan—Vincenzo has knelt outside Costa Estate for three days and three nights. At the same time, he has received 99 whips from his father, the Don of the Costa family, which almost kills him. In the end, Don Edmondo Costa finally agrees to let Vincenzo marry me. But the catch is, Vincenzo must date Sofia Camorra, the Principessa of the Camorra family, and have an heir with her. So, Vincenzo tells me to wait for him for a little longer. I end up waiting for a very long time while watching him traveling to Sofia's villa time and again. At first, Vincenzo still takes three showers and scrubs his skin so much that it turns red. He tells me that once Sofia has given birth to the child, which allows him to fulfill the promise he has made to the Costa family, he'll whisk me far away from the violence and spend the rest of his life with me. Alas, everything has changed. Vincenzo no longer showers frequently. He constantly smells like Sofia's perfume now. He doesn't inform in advance whenever he goes on dates with Sofia. To make things worse, there's nothing but affection in his eyes whenever he looks at her. When Sofia burns up from a fever during her pregnancy, Vincenzo doesn't leave her side at all. She pretends to be gracious by telling him about how understanding she is about his situation. Because of that, Vincenzo wastes no time in admonishing me for being spoiled and pampered. Through the gap in the ward door, I can hear how close and intimate Vincenzo and Sofia are. At the same time, I notice the flash of provocation in Sofia's eyes. Vincenzo has made me wait year after year, not knowing that my biological parents have already found me. They want me to go home with them so that they can give me a real home. That's why this time, I won't be waiting for Vincenzo anymore.

Love was never part of Ophelia Grace’s master plan. Not after Alessandre Marcello shattered her trust and left her heart in ruins six years ago. She’s rebuilt her world since then. Now she’s flawless, powerful, and untouchable. But some ghosts don’t stay buried, especially not the kind that still haunt her dreams. Alessandre had it all: power, prestige, and the woman he never deserved. Then he lost everything—his company, his reputation, and her. Now a shadow of the man he once was, he’s convinced he deserves the emptiness he lives in. Until fate forces their paths to cross again. She's colder. He's broken. But the fire between them never died. They say cheaters never change but Alessandre is willing to burn for redemption. For forgiveness. For her. And this time, he won’t let go… even if it destroys them both.

After the death of his wife, Roberto moved away to another country with his daughter Gabriella, preventing her from meeting an unmerited fate from 23 years ago, an unforgettable night that almost cost him his life, love, and happiness. Gabriella isn't happy about the relocation and struggles to fit into her new life. But then she meets Nicola, a mysterious guy who keeps secrets about his life and is hardly associated with anyone in school. She tried to beat whatever she was feeling for him because she didn't want to be involved with anyone who didn't have regard for people. But the more she had trouble in school, the more he rescued her, and the more her feelings kept growing. Gabriella finds out about Nicolas's secret one night and tries to stay away from him for her safety. But he tells her all about the mystery of his birth and they become close. Friendship becomes a desire, a desire which brings a revisitation of the past as Gabriella's dad finds out who Nicolas is and how his existence is connected to the scene of twenty-three years ago. The hunt becomes haunted as Gabriella's dad tries to save his daughter from becoming what he had most dreaded.

Driven by his determination to secure custody of his children, billionaire Kerill Wang is forced to hire a woman to act as their mother for three months. That decision leads him to Charlene Rosarios, a simple provincial girl who comes to Manila in search of work. He offers her a contract worth one million pesos and in her desperation, she accepts, unaware that she is about to step through the gates of hell. Kerill’s children are anything but kind. Used to seeing their father introduce a different woman into their lives again and again, they do everything they can to drive Charlene away. Will Charlene survive the cruelty she must endure inside that massive mansion? How long can she tolerate Kerill’s cold, cutting words about who she is? Will she ever win the hearts of the children? Follow this heartfelt story filled with humor, pain, and love, a journey that begins with nothing more than a signed contract. Can true love be found when everything is only meant to last for three months?