John Lloyd Cruz Lock

They say hatred is stronger than love. For Selena Cruz, that has always been true. Born into a cartel dynasty, she swore no man would ever own her—not her father, not her enemies, and certainly not Dante Moretti, the ruthless heir of the Italian Mafia. Their marriage isn’t a choice. It’s a weapon. A deal struck in blood to end a war neither of them wanted. Dante is everything she despises—cold, controlling, untouchable. But every time he looks at her, she feels her resolve crack. He wants her obedience. She wants his downfall. And yet, the fire between them burns hotter than either can control. When betrayal shatters the fragile truce between their families, Selena and Dante are forced to fight side by side. In a world of guns, lies, and vengeance, enemies can become lovers…and hatred may be the only thing keeping them alive. In the mafia, love is never pure. It’s a weapon. And sometimes, it’s deadly.

One day, after getting rear-ended outside my office, I, Maeve Dahlman, call out for help, but Austin Cooper, who is simply passing by with Carmen Holt, merely glances at me impatiently, annoyed that I've disrupted their lunch plans. Instead of helping, he has his assistant take me to his private club and lock me in a room, accusing me of being paranoid and dramatic. "I'll give you three days to calm down," he says before walking away and leaving me in isolation. Eventually, I escape and call the police. An ambulance rushes me to the hospital, where doctors diagnose me with a brain injury that requires immediate surgery. I keep calling Austin, only to realize that he has blocked my number. Then, I see Carmen's latest post online, gushing about a romantic luxurious dinner with him. After I'm discharged, I cancel the wedding, destroy all the invitations, and finally call my mother. "Mom," I say, "I've made up my mind. I'm ready to meet him."

Burdened by her parents' expectations, Hannah Morales found herself trapped in a loveless and abusive marriage. When she finally breaks free she relocates to another town. With hard work and determination, she begins to rebuild her life and regain the confidence that was once shattered. As Hannah's business flourishes, she finds herself becoming stronger, more independent, and determined to never let anyone control her happiness again. Serenity Gils, on the other hand, is a free spirit who lives life to the fullest. She cherishes every moment, embracing adventure and spontaneity. However, beneath her carefree demeanour, Serenity yearns for a deep connection with someone special. Her casual encounters leave her feeling unfulfilled, always searching for that missing piece of her heart. One fateful day, as life's unpredictable twists would have it, Serenity's eyes lock with Hannah Morales's across a bustling crowd. In that fleeting moment, she finally understood she was searching for love in the wrong age group. But with Hannah's past resurfacing and catching up with her, will the love they have for each other, despite the age difference, be enough to conquer all odds? ------

It’s all fun and games until a body washes up…. Beth Monroe just wants to make it through the summer baseball season without being the constant target of her brother Shane’s jokes, but he is relentless, and she’s ready to lock herself in her room and hide. Until the new girl shows up. Halley appears in small town Barryville like a ghost. No one knows where she came from or anything about her past, not even her last name. When she gives Beth a piece of unsolicited advice that, “It’s what’s on the outside that counts,” Beth changes everything about herself. By the time Beth realizes she’s becoming a monster, it might be too late, and Halley has already sunk her claws into Beth’s best friend Ryan—who might’ve been something more if Beth had opened her eyes a little earlier. As Halley’s past catches up to her, Beth realizes there’s more to this mysterious girl than she realized. Can she stop Halley from revealing her true, monstrous nature to Ryan before it’s too late?

El todopoderoso del círculo de élite en la capital, Leonardo Cruz, iba a casarse con mi hermana Valeria. Todo el mundo decía que era un pervertido impotente, y que casarse con él era condenarse a una vida de sufrimiento. Valeria lloraba desconsolada, como una actriz de telenovela. Yo la llevé aparte y le susurré: —Me casaré en tu lugar, pero tú tienes que ir al pueblo y cuidar la caja fuerte bajo la tumba de mamá. No puedes tocarla en tres años. Ella creyó que estaba llena de una herencia millonaria, así que aceptó encantada. Mientras miraba su rostro codicioso, no pude evitar soltar una risa fría por dentro: "Querida hermana, cuídala bien. Quiero ver si de verdad puedes sostener toda esta fortuna que estás a punto de recibir."

Shaina Dela Cruz only wanted a decent job to help her struggling family in Cebu. Becoming the secretary of Lukas Vergara—the arrogant, perfectionist CEO—was never part of her plans. Their first encounter was a disaster, and her first day at work proved he was every bit the impossible boss she imagined. But fate has a cruel sense of humor. Sharing the same office with him meant sharing the same air, the same silence, and—much to her dismay—the same intoxicating scent that made her pulse race against her will. Lukas was cold, demanding, and annoyingly unreadable… until one slip of her fingers on the keyboard revealed her thoughts in the most embarrassing way. For the first time, she saw him smile. Now, stuck between her pride and her growing attraction, Shaina must decide: is babysitting the boss worth the chaos in her heart? Or will this impossible man become the one mistake she’ll never regret?

Shaina Dela Cruz only wanted a decent job to help her struggling family in Cebu. Becoming the secretary of Lukas Vergara—the arrogant, perfectionist CEO—was never part of her plans. Their first encounter was a disaster, and her first day at work proved he was every bit the impossible boss she imagined. But fate has a cruel sense of humor. Sharing the same office with him meant sharing the same air, the same silence, and—much to her dismay—the same intoxicating scent that made her pulse race against her will. Lukas was cold, demanding, and annoyingly unreadable… until one slip of her fingers on the keyboard revealed her thoughts in the most embarrassing way. For the first time, she saw him smile. Now, stuck between her pride and her growing attraction, Shaina must decide: is babysitting the boss worth the chaos in her heart? Or will this impossible man become the one mistake she’ll never regret?

I hired a stranger to make my husband jealous. I didn't expect to fall in love. My marriage was a beautiful lie. My husband's affair was the final straw. He wants a threesome. Something I never Imagined. So, I did something crazy: I hired a handsome stranger to play the perfect man. Julian was supposed to be a temporary fix. A weapon. But he turned out to be everything my husband wasn't: kind, attentive, and fiercely protective. There's only one problem, he's also Cruz Marcus, the powerful CEO who is now my husband's business rival. I'm caught between the man I vowed to love and the man I hired to pretend. One offers the life I thought I wanted. The other offers a love I never knew I needed. But in this game of hearts and power, choosing the right man could cost me everything.

His precious childhood sweetheart got drunk one night and ended up in a stranger’s bed. When she showed up again, she was pregnant—just like me. On the day I gave birth, Harold handed me the divorce papers. "Rachel’s about to return to acting," he said coldly. "She and the baby need a proper title. If a scandal breaks out, it’ll destroy her." Dragging my frail body, I calmly signed the papers. In my previous life, I refused to step aside. I went live, holding my daughter, and exposed the award-winning actress Rachel Underwood for knowingly becoming the other woman. The internet turned on her. She lost every endorsement and was driven to the edge by massive fines—eventually jumping off a building. Harold quietly took care of her funeral... and then stood by as her fans harassed me in the streets, even tried to burn my child and me alive. It was not until I saw him lock the door behind us that I realized—he had wanted us dead all along. Then I woke up. And it was the day he gave me the divorce agreement... again.

In an East London lock up, two film makers, Jimmy and Sam, are duct taped to chairs and forced to watch a snuff film by Ashkan, a loan shark to whom they owe a lot of money. If they don’t pay up, they’ll be starring in the next one. Before the film reaches its end, Ashkan and all his men are slaughtered by unknown assailants. Only Jimmy and Sam survive the massacre, leaving them with the sole copy of the snuff film. The film makers decide to build their next movie around the brutal film. While auditioning actors, they stumble upon Melissa, an enigmatic actress who seems perfect for the leading role, not least because she’s the spitting image of the snuff film’s main victim. Neither the film, nor Melissa, are entirely what they seem however. Jimmy and Sam find themselves pulled into a paranormal mystery that leads them through the shadowy streets of the city beneath the city and sees them re-enacting an ancient Mesopotamian myth cycle. As they play out the roles of long forgotten gods and goddesses, they’re drawn into the subtle web of a deadly heresy that stretches from the beginnings of civilization to the end of the world as we know it. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing