Introduction To Public Administration

My husband died in a fire trying to save me, leaving behind a mountain of debt and a newborn child. I worked hard to pay off the debt while raising the child, only to unintentionally discover that my husband hadn’t died at all. Instead, he was sleeping with my cousin. “Honey, you’re so clever. You transferred all the company funds and faked your death, leaving that stupid wife of yours to shoulder all the debt. “She’s so clueless that she doesn’t even realize the son she’s raising isn’t hers, that I swapped him out. Once she’s done paying off the debts, the three of us can live a great life together.” I silently sneered, pretending I knew nothing, and continued to raise the child. Twenty years later, my son returned home after studying abroad. The company went public in New York. On the day of the IPO, my cousin appeared arm in arm with my husband, holding a paternity test. “Claire, your husband never died. We’ve been together all these years. Alex is my son. Now that you’ve been his mother for so long, isn’t it time to return him to me?” My husband also presented a divorce agreement. “I built this company from scratch. It’s premarital property. Sign the divorce papers, walk away with nothing, and you can leave now.” I smiled and told him, “I’ve prepared a special gift for you too. I wonder if you’ll like it."

In the high stakes world of wealth, philanthropy, and power plays, Shadows of Desire weaves a tale of love, betrayal, and redemption. At the center of it all is Sophie Langston, a passionate and driven woman who co-founded a charitable foundation with her long-time business partner and lover, James Thornton. Their organization, built on the ideals of changing the world, has become a beacon of hope for struggling communities. But as the foundation grows in influence, so do the enemies lurking in the shadows. Sophie and James find their relationship and partnership tested when an unexpected visitor walks into their lives, Richard Mallory, a disgraced businessman with a tainted past. Despite having tried to undermine the foundation before, Richard proposes a substantial investment, claiming he wants to make amends. Torn between suspicion and the potential benefits for their projects, Sophie reluctantly agrees, setting off a chain of events that unravel deep-seated conspiracies and hidden agendas. Soon after, whispers of internal conflict and financial instability begin to surface. Rumors swirl about a power struggle between Sophie and James, putting their relationship under intense public scrutiny. Behind the scenes, they uncover a more sinister plot at play. Dominic Kane, a ruthless corporate raider infamous for hostile takeovers and blackmail, has set his sights on their foundation. With a history of exploiting the vulnerable for profit, Kane sees their organization as his next target, aiming to use it as a pawn in his larger schemes. As Sophie and James grapple with this new threat, they must navigate a web of deceit, power struggles, and hidden motives. Old allies resurface, trust is tested, and secrets from the past are unearthed, forcing the couple to confront their own vulnerabilities...

"When I set my eyes on your beauty, I become like a vampire that is staring at blood." ~~ How about loving someone with great expectations that you will end up together with him but later on find out that fate has decided otherwise for you two? That he has to be a villain and you a hero? Lavina is very depressed when this happens to her but since a heartbreak doesn't mean the end of one's life, she decides to go on with her life. A life which is a cake with problems as a cream. A life in which her father makes a decision that makes his family a public enemy, every pack member wanting them dead and death remaining the only way out one could think of. At that critical moment, she meets Byron, a lycan who shields her out of kindness risking his only asset in life, his life. "You're my mate!" Byron whispers into her ears. Geez... They are mates trapped together in a swirl of hatred and mystries from centuries circling around them. Their packs have been rivals for a millenium. Only hatred towards each other was what their mothers breastfed them. 'If you find one of them kill him' was the motto that their fathers told them to learn by heart. Is he going to be her forever shield? Or he is going to turn his back against her leaving her inbetween the fangs of enraged wolves? What if Lavina finds out that Byron is the one who killed her twinsister? Will his protection still mean anything to her?

I married a man just hours after being abandoned at the altar. Now I’m staring at a stranger who calls me his wife. Sofie Davis never imagined her perfect wedding would end in ruin, her white dress soaked by rain, her dreams shattered at her feet. Left behind on a day meant to honor her late parents, Sofie is drowning in heartbreak when James Alexander Reed steps forward with an impossible offer: a contract marriage. James, a powerful and emotionally walled-off billionaire, has watched Sofie from afar, drawn to the sincerity and compassion that set her apart from the world he knows. For him, the proposal is a shield against the fortune-seekers orbiting his wealth and a chance to finally get close to the woman he’s never forgotten. For Sofie, it’s a desperate attempt to reclaim her dignity, rewrite the ending, and survive the public humiliation she never asked for. As their fragile arrangement begins to blur, Sofie’s fire and empathy chip away at James’s defenses, revealing a tenderness even he didn’t know he still possessed. But both carry wounds that run deep: grief, betrayal, and the quiet ache of loneliness masked by control. Their journey is messy, tender, and slow-burning. And when love finally demands more than convenience, Sofie and James must decide if what’s growing between them is worth the risk or if it’s safer to walk away before their hearts are fully exposed. Unbound Desires is a story of second chances, healing, and the kind of intimacy that only blossoms when two people dare to be truly seen.

After years of being in love with her husband, Evelyn Summers faces a shattering betrayal when his ex-girlfriend, Jade, returns and manipulates her way back into his life. When Evelyn learns she’s pregnant, she’s ready to fight for their marriage ,until her husband accuses her of cruelty and sides with Jade in a public scandal. Heartbroken, Evelyn files for divorce and disappears, leaving behind her old life. Three years later, Evelyn returns to New York as a renowned doctor and single mother. Her life takes a dramatic turn when her ex-husband, Landon Byers, is rushed to her hospital after a severe accident. Landon, now filled with regret, is stunned to see his ex-wife transformed and with a child who bears a striking resemblance to him. Determined to win Evelyn back, he begins to pursue her, unaware of the dangerous schemes Jade has set in motion to keep them apart. As Landon grows closer to Evelyn and her daughter, secrets from the past start to unravel, and a passionate rivalry emerges between him and Evans, a compassionate cardiologist who’s fallen for Evelyn. When Evelyn and her daughter are kidnapped by Jade’s criminal associates, Landon and Evans work together to rescue them, uncovering the truth behind Jade’s lies. In a climactic rescue, Evelyn must confront the trauma and betrayal of her past, ultimately choosing the man who will fight to protect her and her child. Filled with suspense, betrayal, and a second chance at love, Reclaiming Evelyn is a journey of redemption, forgiveness, and the power of true love.

Lucas Fenrir was the son of the Alpha of the Silvertail Pack, born as the pack's greatest pride. When his Luna and first love, Nara Boris, chose to leave, he married me in a fit of rage—the most unremarkable Omega in the pack. Everyone said I was just a substitute for Nara. They were waiting to see me abandoned, to see me cry, and to see me beg on my knees. Nonetheless, I always smiled and calmly fulfilled Lucas' every demand. I helped him stabilize the pack's morale, stood up for him in public, and even defended him against the rumors that he had rekindled his past romance with Nara. Until one day, I saw him on the streets during the Moon Goddess Festival. He was holding Nara, kissing her deeply. Meanwhile, I simply turned my head away in silence from behind the crowd and pretended I saw nothing. A few months later, I was diagnosed with wolfsbane poisoning that had spread to my nervous system. My condition was beyond saving. I was admitted to the ICU of the pack's hospital, with only a few days left to live. Lucas came when he heard the news. His eyes were bloodshot as he roared and grabbed my dying body. "Why didn't you tell me? Why are you trying to die alone in secret?" I looked at his unhinged expression, my gaze as gentle as it had always been. There was even a faint mocking smile curling at my lips. "Lucas, I've never loved you. "The one I loved… was actually your twin brother—Derrick."

Twenty-year-old Lyra Moreno appears to be nothing more than a cold, sleepy noble girl porcelain-doll beautiful, always wrapped in blankets, and seemingly uninterested in anything beyond her next nap. To her father, stepmother, and scheming stepsister, she's a burden. But beneath her drowsy charm lies a dangerous secret. Lyra is the anonymous founder of GALAXY, a covert hacker syndicate responsible for dismantling criminal empires from behind glowing screens. Living quietly under the doting care of her powerful grandparents, Lyra is named heir to their fortune but on one condition....she must marry Elias Vale, the ruthless, cold CEO of Vale Corp, who just so happens to be investigating Virgo.exe, her old hacker alias. Seven years older, Elias is brilliant, powerful, and emotionally walled off until fate throws him into the path of the sleepy girl he's been unknowingly watching. When her scheming stepmother and stepsister pay a criminal to ruin her, the two are dragged into a public relationship... and a private war they can't avoid. And even, secretly..... marriage. As they work together to uncover a traitor within Vale Corp, Elias begins to see the fierce strategist behind Lyra's sleepy façade. And Lyra, used to keeping the world at a distance, starts to wonder if she's finally found someone who sees all of her and wants her anyway. But with enemies in her own home and shadows from her past returning, Lyra must decide: can she let someone into her world, or is silence the only way to survive?

Amelia, born into a world that often overlooked her kind, lived the life of an Omega. With her parents and younger sister, Annabelle, she navigated the complexities of pack dynamics. Her family was a typical representation of the lower tier in their pack, where Betas and Alphas overshadowed their existence. Yet, in this unique hierarchy, Amelia found solace in the love of her family.As the seasons changed, so did Amelia's life. The morning of her birthday was supposed to be a celebration, but it turned into a moment of profound heartbreak. At the air, but it quickly dissipated when Amelia met her mate, the day every Omega dreams of yet also dreads. In a twist of cruel fate, she was publicly rejected by her mate in front of their entire school, deemed unworthy simply because of her Omega status.Reeling from this public humiliation, Amelia sought refuge at the pack house, pouring her heart and energy into helping her father with the garden. Here, amidst the blooming flowers and vibrant greens, she discovered a sanctuary,a place where her worth wasn't measured by rank but by her love for nature and her family.However, peace was fleeting. The serenity of their lives shattered dramatically when rogues launched an unexpected attack on their pack. Amidst the chaos and destruction, survival instincts kicked in. With her younger sister Annabelle by her side, Amelia fought to escape the jaws of danger. Each moment emphasized the bond between the sisters, leaving Amelia with a singular focus: to protect her sister at any cost.Once the dust settled, Amelia was faced with the aftermath of loss and uncertainty. The tragedy of the attack forced her to confront her feelings of rejection and worthiness.

Jaxon Carter has everything a man could want—talent, fame, and a multimillion-dollar contract with the Titans almost within his grasp. The only problem? His reckless lifestyle stands between him and the contract. But his agency has told him that he can salvage the contract by cleaning up his image. Sienna Blake has two things in life she held dear —her ballet career and her house she grew up creating memories in. But when the bank forecloses her house and her ballet career barely covers her bills, she turns to her agency, only to be coldly rejected. When their paths cross at the agency, Jax sees an opportunity. She needs money. He needs stability. The solution? A fake relationship. He offers to clear her debts in exchange for playing the perfect doting girlfriend—just long enough it's beneficial to them. But what starts as a transaction soon spirals into something neither of them expected. Public appearances turn into stolen moments and close proximate intimacy blurs into something more. They find themselves trapped in a dangerous game—one where the greatest risk isn’t losing a contract or a house… but losing their hearts. And just when Sienna is ready to confess the biggest secret of all, Jax's past comes haunting them. Hurt and betrayed, she walks away without a second glance, choosing to protect her heart and her unborn child. Will Jax fight for what they had? Will he risk everything—including his career—to fight for the only thing that ever truly mattered?