Image Of Iron

After working abroad for several years, I returned home, only to have my parents arrange a blind date for me. He was tall and strikingly handsome, honest in character, steady in demeanor, and came from an excellent family background. In short, the perfect candidate for a husband. I told myself that sooner or later, marriage was inevitable, so I settled on him. The day before the wedding, I went to the church—only to be stunned by the sight before me. The entire place had been transformed into something sinister and grotesque. The walls were plastered with terrifying photos of corpses, the floor littered with wax figures of severed arms and legs, and even the flowers had been dyed black, dripping with blood-red stains. But the most infuriating part was the image hanging right at the center of the church—an AI-generated picture of me, pinned beneath my fiancé, as he whipped me. My whole body trembled with fury. I stormed at the staff still working on the decorations, ordering them to stop immediately. Just then, his best friend, Nina Cullen, walked in. "Don't stop. Yves prefers this wedding style." I froze, staring at her in disbelief. "How is that possible? Who in their right mind would decorate something as joyous as a wedding with gore? This is insane!" Nina only gave a cold, arrogant laugh. "That's the theme. If you want to marry him, you'll have to accept it." Speechless, I immediately called Yves. "Yves, I'm not interested in getting married in a haunted house. You'd better restore the church to normal; otherwise, this wedding is off."

Xenia Lewis, the nepotism junior, is eager to craft an image of herself as a prodigy. To prove her talent, she requests to take the lead in court. But when confronted by the plaintiff's attorney's sharp questioning, she falters. Our defense unravels, instantly putting us at a disadvantage. After the verdict is announced, Xenia tearfully throws herself into the arms of my fiance, Zayne Scott. Her voice trembles with excuses. "The plaintiff's attorney was too harsh. It was my first time in court, and I was just too nervous!" Due to her incompetence, the defendant, who could have been acquitted, ends up behind bars. Yet, Zayne and my junior colleague, Hugo Wilkinson, indulge her with comforting words. "Don't be upset. No one wins every case." "With your cleverness, Xenia, you'll surely hold your own next time." Furious, I snap, "The court is a place to seek truth and uphold justice. It's not a playground for make-believe. Because of your mistake, an innocent person has been wronged. How can you live with yourself?" Feeling humiliated, Xenia breaks down, sobbing and threatening to harm herself. Resentful that I've hurt her, Zayne and Hugo distort the truth, shifting all the blame onto me. I end up as the scapegoat for her mistakes. Not only am I forced to resign in disgrace, but I also face disbarment. With nowhere to turn, my spirit shatters. While crossing the street, distraught and distracted, I'm hit by a car and killed. Then, when I wake up, I find myself reborn on the very day Xenia and I are set to appear in court.

**Evelyn Karamazov** I’ve spent all twenty-three years of my life immersed in the world of the mafia, groomed to rule with an iron fist. But power in our world doesn’t come without a price, and that price is marriage—a union built on strategy rather than so-called love. It’s the last thing I want, but in this life, sacrifices are the currency we trade in. And if I have to choose, I’ll sacrifice to the devil I know rather than the angel I don’t. But make no mistake, a sacrifice is still a sacrifice, and it demands its due. **Killian Bandini** Sixteen years—that’s how long I’ve waited to exact my revenge. Sixteen years to drown in nightmares, consumed by guilt and the unyielding desire to set things right. My father is dead, and now the Bandini empire is mine. The time has come to collect what is owed, and God help those who wronged me, because they will pay with blood. ★ What happens when the most lethal, most infuriating man to ever walk the earth crashes your wedding, puts a bullet in your would-be husband’s head, and holds everyone at gunpoint just to ensure you marry him instead? Killian Bandini doesn’t ask; he takes. But if he thinks I’m some meek bride to be bartered and controlled, he’s dead wrong. I may have to marry him, but I sure as hell won’t make it easy. He’s come for blood and power, but he doesn’t know that I’m not just a pawn—I’m a queen, and this game has only just begun.

They say I killed my father. They say I ordered my maid, my dearest friend, to poison him. They say she confessed before taking her own life. Lies. The real murderer stands before me, weaving her web of deception and has the entire Royal court in her grasp. Queen Andessa, my wicked stepmother. My father’s killer. She has stripped me of my title, my crown, my very birthright, and has offered me up as a tribute to the Dragon King of Drakarith. A mercy punishment, she calls it. But I am not broken. She thinks she has won. That I will succumb to defeat and forget who I am. But she's wrong. I am Dahlia Rhadaya Balerion, the rightful Queen of Velmira. And I will return to reclaim what is mine and rip out Velmira's corruption by its roots. Starting with Andessa's rotten fertilized eggs. My callous step-siblings. Velmira is my home, my kingdom, and I will not let it rot under the rule of vipers. But reclaiming what is mine will not be easy, especially trying to achieve that from the dragon lands of Drakarith, under the watchful vigilance of Azraelyrs, a dragon king I have heard rumors about his cold-heartedness and rules with an iron fist. To survive, I must play the game of seduction and manipulation against my enemies. To win, I must be sharper, stronger, and more ruthless than I have never been before in my life. Let the games begin.

Adrian Quirrel, the heir to the Quirrel family, had been in poor health since childhood. Guided by the old superstition that marriage could restore his health, his family had taken in four young women, with only one to be chosen as his bride. On the selection day, they invited a renowned astrologer to read our birth charts. As soon as he said I carried a healing energy and could bear healthy heirs, the Quirrels decided on the spot that I would be Adrian's bride. Three months later, his health miraculously improved, and I soon found myself pregnant with twins—a boy and a girl. The family elders were ecstatic and even promised that my son would become the Quirrels' future heir. But on the night of the christening, Adrian locked me and the babies in the basement. I broke down and demanded an explanation. He sneered and replied, "If it weren't for your so-called 'healing energy,' Emily would've been my wife. "She wouldn't have jumped to her death at such a young age if she hadn't been pushed to that point. Tonight, I want you and your children to accompany her in death." He grabbed a nearby iron rod and savagely brought it down onto our babies. I threw myself over the babies, but Adrian kicked me aside. Blood splattered across the walls and floor, and my babies' breathing gradually weakened until it stopped. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day Adrian chose his bride.

Selena, a mere salesgirl at a quaint coffee shop in Laketown, leads a life of quiet simplicity. She is the second daughter of the Robinsons—amiable, principled, and respected members of the Redbone Pack. The pack is ruled with an iron fist by Alpha Wilson Smith, an untouchable billionaire known for his arrogance and fierce recalcitrance. The gulf between Selena and Wilson is vast—defined by age, status, and power. A romantic entanglement between them seems not just improbable, but absurd. Yet, fate, with its penchant for irony, has a ludicrous twist in store. The cold war between them rages for years, an unspoken battle of wills. Selena, with her fiery spirit, finds Wilson’s arrogance insufferable, cringing at his every attempt to assert his dominance. Yet, Wilson, instead of being repelled, is intrigued. Her resistance is a puzzle he cannot resist, a challenge that stirs something deep within him. This low-born girl from Laketown, with no claim to fame or fortune, inexplicably fascinates him. As their paths cross repeatedly, the tension between them grows electric, charged with a mix of disdain and undeniable attraction. And then, in the most dramatic of revelations, they discover they are fated to be mated for life. The bond, as undeniable as it is inconvenient, shatters their defenses. Wilson realizes that his obsession with Selena’s defiance is more than a passing interest. But just as they begin to navigate this newfound connection, another secret surfaces—one that threatens to upend their fragile union. Wilson unearths a startling truth: Selena is not who she appears to be. This revelation casts a shadow over their relationship, raising questions that demand answers. What is hidden in Selena’s past? And how will the truth, when finally revealed, shape the destiny of the Alpha and his Luna?

Like in the deck of cards, the Ace outranks the King—and so does Ace Salvatore. A Greek-Italian mafia leader feared by all, Ace is a man of unspeakable cruelty, a calculated mind ruling an empire built on blood and terror. His face is a mystery— those who’ve seen it are long gone, silenced by his wrath. Manipulative, controlling, psychotic, and untouchable, he rules his empire with an iron fist, his past buried beneath layers of bloodshed and regret. His obsession with power and control leaves no room for weakness—not in himself, not in his enemies, and certainly not in others. When a desperate debtor can’t repay what’s owed, he offers something unexpected to settle the score: a little girl. Ace accepts the deal, not out of need, but because curiosity flickers in his mind— a curiosity he loathes. Yet the little girl is more than just an innocent. She unknowingly awakens ghosts of Ace’s past— a life of betrayal, loss, and secrets he swore to bury. Even monsters have scars. The darkness that shaped him, the wounds he carries, and the revenge that fuels his every decision begin to resurface. The past never truly stays buried. As their worlds collide, her presence becomes both his salvation and his torment. But as the past catches up, threatening to destroy everything, Ace must face a harrowing choice: cling to the monster he’s become, or risk everything for the one thing he never thought he’d have— a chance at redemption. Will his darkness consume her and change her? Or will she destroy him?

Cynthia Hart was used to living life on her own terms private, calm, and far from the spotlight that came with her family’s fortune. But one business deal changed everything. To save her father’s company from collapse, she was forced into an arranged marriage with none other than Xavier Sanchese, the most popular boy in her school, rich, confident, and annoyingly perfect. Xavier was the definition of privilege, heir to a multi-billion-dollar empire, loved by everyone, feared by some. To him, the marriage was just another transaction between powerful families. But when his quiet, stubborn “wife” turned out to be the one girl who didn’t worship him, his ego took a hit… and his heart began to stir. In public, they act like strangers keeping their secret marriage hidden from their classmates. But behind closed doors, sparks fly. Fights turn into late-night conversations, jealousy turns into tension, and soon neither of them can tell if what they feel is real or just part of their act. Cynthia wants her freedom. Xavier wants control. Yet somewhere between their pride and passion, they start to realise that love isn’t something you plan, it’s something that happens when you least expect it. But in a world where power, image, and secrets rule, falling in love with Mr. Popular might cost Cynthia everything she’s trying to protect including her heart. “Married to Mr. Popular” is a thrilling high school romance full of emotions, secrets, and slow-burning chemistry that proves sometimes, the heart disobeys even the richest plans.

The soft lapel gently slid off the shoulder, deftly showing off the heavenly charm. Her beautiful little feet are decorated with extremely delicate jewelry, that foot of hers is placed in a pair of hands. When she took her crown off, it fell to the ground and rolled around a few times before finally coming to a halt. She finally opened her eyes, her gaze resting on the man who knelt in front of her. "Are you still as in love with me as you were when we first met?" The concubine who was receiving the emperor's favor suddenly questioned her knight. The other knight looked up at the concubine, his beautiful red eyes containing only her image. He bowed his head, planted a respectful kiss on the concubine's feet, and answered the question seriously. "I love you, with all the love I possess. No one in this world will love you more than me." The concubine's red lips curved into a beautiful curve. The knight's answer made her feel very comfortable. She wrapped her arms around the knight's neck, replying sweetly. "I love you too with all my heart beating in my chest." Together, the two of them. The image of the two lovers was visible under the silver moonlight of a cool summer night. She is the most favored concubine of the vampire king. He was the knight closest to her. The construction of a secret plan is underway. It won't be long before the days of tranquility are gone, and this place will be overrun by chaos and suffering.

What will happen when two Alpha Bloods collide? Will sparks fly or will the battle for supremacy begin?  ¤¤¤¤¤ "Leave." A groan left my throat before I shut my eyes, trying to erase the image of her nakedness, but my action was futile — no matter how I tried to block it off, her alluring body kept seeping into my head. "Are you losing it? Should I start commanding you to undress for me, Alpha?" Her voice came out so seductive that my throat suddenly felt too dry. I wanted nothing but to give in. But this was all wrong. I shouldn't cross the line between us. "I believe you have forgotten that I am the Alpha of this pack." I opened my eyes, hands coiling into fists. "And I think you forgot that I am an Alpha as well. You can't tell me what to do, Jace." I let a smug smirk form on my lips before I locked eyes with the beautiful lioness in front of me.  "How sure are you that I can't tell you what to do?" I licked my lips as I began to unbuckle my belt. "On your knees, Amara..." ¤¤¤¤¤ Alpha Jace Galhart had always known what he wanted from the start: to be the perfect Alpha for his pack while waiting for his fated mate. He thought he was doing well until Amara came and showed him that perhaps breaking the rules he set for himself wasn't that bad at all.