Influence: The Psychology Of Persuasion

Mia Johnson's life has been filled with heartache and mistreatment, after her father leaves. Her life takes an unexpected turn when her mother poisons her and her father possesses the antidote to a poison that plagues her, but he remains distant, seemingly never to return. As Mia turns eighteen, her mother devises a shocking plan to secure a business , offering Mia's hand in marriage to a man named Carlos. Trapped and desperate, Mia's life seems destined for misery until a mysterious man enters her life. On a fateful night, a stranger quietly slips into Mia's room, offering food and concern for her well-being. Their chance encounter marks the beginning of a unique connection, one that will leave Mia questioning the true intentions of this enigmatic man named Dave. Days later, Mia meets the same handsome stranger in a shopping mall. She looked up at him. "You were the man in my room that night..." "Do you let men in your room at night? If you don't want visitors, don't skip your meals," Dave responds stubbornly. Mia discovers that Dave is adopted by her own biological father, a man of immense power and influence in the country. But their relationship takes an unexpected turn when Dave confesses his true feelings. "Big brother wants to you, Mia," Dave admits, leaving Mia shocked and confused. Struggling to come to terms with her emotions, Mia rejects the idea of romance with her "brother." However, Dave is determined to shed the brotherly label, longing to become her partner in love. “No… you are my brother and ten tears older than me…” she says while trembling. Dave takes a step towards her. “Who cares about being your brother? I want you… I want to make you mine, forever…”

“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU FIRED ME!” she screeched, looking like she’d just lost a leading role on Love & Hip Hop. “I’M THE BEST EMPLOYEE YOU EVER HAD, YOU STUCK-UP BITCHES!” Then boom, she picked up her laptop and chucked it across the room like she was auditioning for the shot put in the Olympics. Trevor gasped. “Not the MacBook!” “I’M NOT LEAVING! YOU’RE GONNA HAVE TO DRAG ME OUTTA THIS MUTHAFUCKA!” she screamed while kicking over her filing cabinet and knocking the shared Keurig onto the floor. The damn machine sputtered its last brew..... Without Warning follows the unexpected and passionate love story of Sienna Carter, a strong,  witty, but unconfident woman who wasn’t looking for forever, and Knox Michaels, the charming younger brother in a powerful Chicago family known for their business, influence, and drama. What begins as heated encounters quickly spirals into something deeper, something neither of them saw coming. Their chemistry is undeniable, but with family secrets, jealous exes, workplace politics, and complicated loyalties surrounding them, navigating their relationship is anything but simple. When Sienna discovers Knox’s dark past, the once thought to be the carefree bachelor is thrown into a whirlwind of fear, surprise, and overwhelming love. Determined not to lose her, Knox steps up, claiming his future with Sienna even as both of their families reel from the news. As the two try to merge their worlds, tensions flare, siblings clash, friends turn into rivals, and unexpected alliances form. With an announcement party meant to bring everyone together turning into a powder keg of secrets and emotions, Sienna and Knox must decide if their bond is strong enough to survive the storm, because love, like life, doesn’t always come planned. Sometimes it comes, Without Warning

Jennie Lawson spent four years believing William Simmons truly loved her. She didn’t realize how wrong she was until his ex-wife appeared with their two-year-old daughter. The truth hit her so hard it made her sick. She got drunk enough to forget the whole thing and ended up in bed with a man whose influence could tilt the entire country. After that night, he practically attached himself to her, following her around with the devotion of an overgrown, lovestruck puppy. From then on, whenever Jennie made a scene, someone stood behind her without hesitation. When she hit someone, a hand quietly passed her what she needed. And when she finally filed for divorce, that man stepped forward with the full weight of his family name and inheritance, ready to marry her on the spot. William wasn’t worried. He thought she had no one. He thought she loved him too much to ever break free. He thought she would run back sooner or later. He never expected to see her again at the biggest society wedding of the decade. She stood there glowing with confidence. He never imagined that the woman he once dismissed as a nobody, a simple botanist, would be the one who cultivated a rare species that shocked the entire nation and gave hope to countless patients. That was when the fear finally set in. His eyes red, his hands shaking, he dropped to his knees. “Jennie, let’s stop this. Come home.” Jennie only smiled. A second later, she was pulled into someone else’s arms. The man holding her was cool and elegant, but there was a sharp, deadly edge in his eyes as he looked at William. “She’s my wife. We have a child. What home could she possibly return to with you?”

"What would you do if you were given a second chance—not just at life, but at revenge?" When Paula Whitney watched her husband, Orlando Gilbert, introduce another woman as his lover in front of their entire family, her world crumbled. To make matters worse, Jeany Rosalia—the other woman—not only flaunted their affair but also brought along a child she claimed was Orlando’s. Humiliated and crushed under the weight of her family’s scorn, Paula did the only thing she could think of: she ran. But fate wasn’t kind. A tragic accident robbed her of everything—including her own body. Yet destiny had other plans. Paula awoke to find herself in the body of Vanessa Khiel, an up-and-coming singer on the brink of fame. Disoriented and reeling from the shock, she heard one final plea from the dying soul within—Vanessa's voice whispered through her fading strength: "Protect my little brother. And in return, I’ll help you get the revenge you deserve." Now, Paula lives as Vanessa. With Vanessa’s beauty, charisma, and growing influence in the entertainment world, Paula begins to orchestrate her revenge—determined to destroy Jeany and Orlando for the pain they caused. But just as her plan takes shape, Paula uncovers a secret behind Orlando’s betrayal… a truth that shakes the foundation of her hatred. And she begins to wonder: Is revenge ever enough… or does an old love still deserve a second chance? “You remind me of someone,” Orlando murmured, his eyes lingering on Vanessa with a longing that felt almost too familiar. “Who?” Vanessa replied with a faint smile, carefully hiding the irony behind her words. “Paula,” he whispered. “She was my wife.” Or will she drag Orlando down with her… into the depths of ruin?

My younger sister, Lila James, had a heart attack. The doctors tried their best, but she died. On the day we buried her, the men she had been involved with showed up. One was an unhinged lawyer, and another one was a powerful heir from Jovaris. Yet another one was a messed-up top celebrity. When they heard that Lila was dead, they lost it. They tried to dig her out and torture her. I blocked their way and begged them, “She’s gone! If you need someone to blame, take it out on me!” That was the moment I became Lila’s stand-in. They tortured me in every way they could think of. They beat me until my skin tore open and forced me to film humiliating videos. I somehow escaped and tried to bring them to justice. The unhinged lawyer threatened to ruin my life! The powerful heir used his influence to shut every door in my face. The messed-up top celebrity leaked the videos and claimed I had seduced him. I became the center of a national scandal, and my reputation was irreparably damaged. My parents even published a statement and cut all ties with me. I went home to confront them. When I reached outside their door, I heard Lila’s voice. She sounded immensely pleased. “Mom, Dad, your plan to fake my death saved me! I can finally get away from those lunatics. “Good thing we had Yara! Otherwise, I would’ve been the one in all these scandals.” I broke down. I rushed into the house. I was ready to drag Lila to hell with me, but my parents killed me first. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Lila had her heart attack.

In the late stages of her pregnancy, my wife slipped away into the mountains with her childhood sweetheart, seeking some reckless thrill under the open sky. Fate, however, had other plans. She suffered a massive hemorrhage, and the two were rushed to the hospital. As a doctor, I took one glance at her condition and instructed the nurse to prepare for the cremation. In my previous life, I had risked everything to save her. On that very operating table, she and the child inside her perished together. Her childhood sweetheart, overcome with grief and fury, rallied others to accuse me of seeking personal revenge. Their rage was relentless, and they broke my hands. "A butcher like you, without medical ethics, deserves nothing less than eternal damnation!" they shouted, their words burning like brands on my soul. Yet I distinctly remembered—the surgery had been a success. Her vital signs had stabilized. Clinging to hope, I begged my in-laws to conduct an autopsy, to uncover the truth buried beneath the accusations. Instead, they called the police, who swiftly charged me with performing surgery under the influence of alcohol. Stripped of my rights, I was thrown into prison, where suffering became my only companion. Years later, upon release, I stumbled across a sight that tore what was left of my heart to shreds—my wife, alive and well, behind the wheel of a luxury car, accompanied by her childhood sweetheart and their child, living off the fortune I had worked tirelessly to build. Their betrayal didn't end there. Coldly and methodically, they lured me into a trap, casting me into a cement mixer to erase every trace of my existence. When I next opened my eyes, time had rewound itself. I was back on that fateful day, the one when her hemorrhage began.

"Elena, why are you hiding from me? (Elena, kenapa kau menghindar dariku?)" "You know why ... I'm married, i have kids. And you're such a bad influence on me. (Kau tau kenapa ... Aku sudah menikah dan mempunyai anak-anak. Lagipula kau membawa pengaruh buruk buatku" "You have married too seven years ago but you still want to meet me. We're even ... (Kau pun sudah menikah tujuh tahun lalu tapi kau masih bersedia menemuiku. Bahkan kita ..." "Stop it. It's a big mistake!!! (Hentikan. Dulu itu kesalahan besar!!!)" "Calm down, Elena ... i'm here not to argue. I miss you ... (Tenanglah, Elena ... Aku di sini bukan untuk berdebat. Aku rindu padamu ..." Elena hampir terisak, mukanya memerah matanya berair napasnya tersengal. Ia ingin segera berlalu dari momen ini. "I am not the same person. I have changed. And I am fully happy for I am now. Don't ruin my happiness. I want you to stay away from my life ... please ... (Aku bukanlah orang yang sama. Aku sudah berubah. Dan aku sangat bahagia dengan keadaanku sekarang. Jangan mengusik kebahagiaanku. Menjauhlah dari kehidupanku ... Aku mohon ....)" "I'll wait ... (Aku akan menunggu ...)" "Don't wait. You have to move on. Get married, have a bunch of kids like you want it. Be happy ... (Jangan menunggu. Kau harus melanjutkan hidupmu. Menikahkah. Miliki banyak anak seperti yang kau mau. Berbahagialah ...)" "I can't find someone like you. (Aku tidak bisa menemukan penggantimu.)"

Alexander Holstin, or Xander, is the second son of the Alpha of Shadow Falls Pack. While his brother has taken over the pack from their father, Xander is meant to become the CEO of the pack's business, Holstin Enterprises, Inc. He started college to get his MBA, but returned home to see his brother take a mate and stayed when his brother began having problems with his mate bond. Maeve Cross is the daughter of two witches who left their coven when they started doing black magic. Her parents began working for a werewolf, Beta Trevor, who needed spells created to keep his daughter out of trouble. When her parents realized their spells were being used to influence the memory of the Beta's Alpha, they refused. Maeve's parents were killed in front of her and her two siblings when she was 15 years old. The Beta then threatened to kill her siblings if Maeve refused to work for him. When Beta Trevor's daughter insists that Maeve help her with a spell to go against the Guardians, she knows it's a bad idea, but she's powerless to fight against the werewolves. Her spell brings her to the Shadow Falls pack and into the arms of an Alpha that identifies her as his mate. Maeve has no intention of becoming involved with another werewolf family that will use her family against her for their own gain. She's been keeping her family safe for three years and she will continue to do so on her own. Can Xander forgive Maeve for what she's done to his family? And when he realizes he can't live without her, can he convince her to create a life with him, a new life that they can build together.

"Dans les ombres de la haute société, John, un milliardaire de 35 ans, incarne la froideur et la cruauté, héritier d'une lignée familiale où la fertilité est un don rare. Résigné à une vie sans descendance, son destin bascule lors d'une nuit inoubliable avec Merlia, une orpheline de 19 ans, pleine de vie et de rébellion. Leur rencontre fortuite se transforme en une obsession pour John, qui use de son pouvoir et de son influence pour retenir la jeune femme, allant jusqu'au chantage pour prolonger leur liaison tumultueuse. Au fil des pages, l'histoire se déploie comme une danse complexe entre attirance et défiance, colère et amour, haine et pardon. Les personnages, initialement aux antipodes l'un de l'autre, se retrouvent emportés dans un tourbillon d'émotions contradictoires. Alors que John découvre les profondeurs de son propre cœur, Merlia doit naviguer les eaux troubles de la manipulation et de la passion. Leur relation improbable les pousse aux limites de leurs certitudes, les forçant à confronter leurs démons intérieurs et à envisager la rédemption. Cette histoire captivante explore les méandres de l'âme humaine, révélant comment l'amour peut naître des liens les plus inattendus et transformer les vies les plus sombres."

“I now pronounce you as a husband and wife. You may kiss the bride!” The priest announced and I froze. I knew I was cursed the moment this blood oath was taken which bound me to hell, the hell of this Sinner. My eyelids raised to see the ugly creation of god. My husband! Vladimir Sokolov! His rugged face carved with uncountable ugly marks stung my slow beating heart. His hazel green eyes held a satisfied dark shadow as He pulled me close, raised my chin and whispered coldly, “From this very moment, you share the crown of Bratva’s pakhan. Prepare yourself to bear its weight, Babochka. Because I own your existence now!” He slammed his cold lips on my trembling ones, punishing me with a brutal kiss. Tears pricked my eyes with disgust but I tolerated his touch for the sake of my family. My eyes followed the part of the audience, Russians, who burst into cheers while the other party, Italians, looked at me with remorse and pitiful gazes. Oh yes, how could I forget I was the sacrificed lamb thrusted into hell to get scorched for a lifetime. But No. I still had the last hope to save myself from this cursed fate, this cursed marriage. ………….. Born in a sin will definitely be called the Sinner. Without morality and mercy, Vladimir Sokolov the Bratva’s Pakhan ruled the city with an iron fist. Due to the influence of some political parties He had to marry the Daughter from La Camorra. Rose Barbieri! Marry her, have his heir and wear the title of family man, that's what He planned to do but what He didn’t imagine was that his innocent, submissive wife was someone who would burn the flames of his hell into ashes one day.