Katniss Sings Hanging Tree

“You are playing with fire, Alyssa,” he warned. “I’m trying not to lose control.” The emotions were roiling inside of her, building to something far greater than anything she’d experienced with any other man. Sometimes we run away from the one person we should be running to... *** From USA Today bestselling author and the author of Billionaire’s Secret Baby, comes a brand-new suspenseful romance about a socialite falling in love with the man ordered to protect her. With one hell of a twist, this steamy romance is a must read! Agent Scott Tabor was as sexy walking away as he was coming toward you. You know the kind of attractive that makes your mouth dry, and your palms sweat before you ever speak to the man? Yeah… that’s my reality. But let’s back up a second. It all started a few weeks after my parents died in a freak accident. While I was trying to grieve, my long-lost uncle came into the picture. At first, I thought Uncle Frank was trying to make an effort—until I came home to a nightmare. Forced to abandon my apartment, I turned to my lawyer and old boyfriend, Nate Livingston. Only his very pregnant wife wasn’t too happy with me hanging around. And who could blame her? Meanwhile, Uncle Frank was doing everything in his power to make my life a living hell. Enter Scott Tabor, FBI agent extraordinaire and my new roommate. I’m sure we can keep everything platonic. After all, we are both adults. Adults with wants, needs, and dare I say, an insane attraction for each other?

"You will stay in a room and wait to see who has purchased your precious cherry. No niceness, no pleasantries, just a night of f**k, A business contract, signed, dealed and finished with a d**k." Those words sent chills to her spine as she read the content of the contract before signing nervously. Isabella's life was a rollercoaster of hardship and tough choices. With her father's life hanging by a thread, she found herself in a heart-wrenching dilemma – watch her father die in the cold hands of death or sell her virginity to a total stranger, a man, Ricco, who felt a connection since the day they shared an intimate and passionate encounter. He vows to find her as they embark on separate journeys. Fate intervened when Isabella became a maid in his mansion by luck but danger loomed in the form of Roberto, his sinister elder brother, who relentlessly pursued her coupled with the cruelty she had to endure from Ricco's girlfriend and aunt. Ricco , deeply in love, couldn't bear to see Isabella in peril. He made a tough call to protect her, providing the means for her independence and preventing her marriage to her father's ruthless creditor. But destiny had crueler plans in store. Kidnapped by her father's enemies, Isabella was thrust into a harrowing life as a forced prostitute, trapped by her father's debts. Will she summon the strength to break free from this nightmarish ordeal? What happens when she finds out she was pregnant with Ricco's child while captured to work as a prostitute. Dive into a gripping tale of love, sacrifice, and Isabella's unyielding resilience as she battles to rewrite her destiny.

Everyone in the pack knows Marcus has loved me for a decade—that I'm his destined mate. He's devastatingly handsome and brilliant, the youngest and most gifted pack healer we've ever had, with she-wolves practically throwing themselves at his feet. Yet this alpha prince has eyes only for me. But when I was nearly assaulted by a rapist, Marcus signed a settlement agreement on my behalf and issued a psychiatric diagnosis, condemning me to a mental institution. Inside the institution, I was attacked by the truly insane—they tore at my hair with clawed fingers and kicked my stomach until I couldn't breathe. Meanwhile, he held the rapist's sister Victoria close and told me: "Emma, I'll take care of you. I'll compensate you when you get out, but Victoria has severe depression. She can't handle her brother getting in trouble." Even more ridiculous—when I begged him to let me see my suicidal sister one last time, he was honeymooning with that woman in Iceland, hanging up on my eighty-nine calls. The day my sister died, I coughed up blood in that mental hospital. Three years later, he came to get me, saying he still wanted to bring me home as his mate. Looking at his careful demeanor, I suddenly laughed. Marcus, do you know? No matter how high the mental hospital walls are, they can't stop someone who's crawled back from hell for revenge. What you owe me, what you owe my sister—I'll collect it all with interest, using what you care about most.

In my past life, my sister's secret lover says he wants to see a meteor shower. So, she takes all the family bodyguards and drives out to the countryside to create a romantic night under the stars for him. But she doesn't realize that an old enemy she once ruined sees the opening. They break into our home, seeking revenge and planning to wipe out the entire family. My mother throws herself over me to protect me, taking the brunt of the attack. She's critically injured and is barely hanging on. I call my sister again and again, begging her to come home. She eventually returns with the bodyguards, but it's too late. The enemies are caught, but then news comes in from the outskirts—her lover has disappeared, leaving behind a suicide note. In it, he blames me, accusing me of deliberately luring my sister away so that he would suffer at the hands of her enemies. Ultimately, he takes his own life. My sister burns the letter without a flicker of emotion. She says, "Don’t overthink it." Later, the blame falls on her. Our father promises to hand the family business over to me. But after the celebration banquet, my sister murders me in the bedroom. She stares at me with a blank face and snarls, "Someone as cruel as you should've died long ago. It should've been you who died, and the family inheritance should've been mine!" I die with a heart full of rage and disbelief. When I open my eyes again, I hear our enemies breaking down the villa doors.

The wheat has yet to ripen when my Grandma, Julia Simmon, appears to me in a dream. "There will be a plague of locusts in the autumn. Sell off the produce and raise fish to ensure the family has income." I, Vanessa West, convince my parents to harvest the wheat for grain and feed before irrigating the fields to raise fish. Then, a severe drought strikes and the fish die, leaving my family drowning in debt. We're at a loss to know what to do. Then, Grandma appears in my dreams again. "There are gold bars buried under the oak tree on the hill at our old home. Selling them will sort out our debts and leave you with money to spare." After telling my father, Alan West, this, he digs up a whole crate of white powder. The police happen to be staking out the area. They have him arrested, thinking that he means to buy the drugs. For the amount he gets caught with, he faces life imprisonment. My mother, Hannah Smith, is unable to bear the sight of this and faints on the spot. Again, Grandma appears to me in a dream and offers guidance. "Dr. Hank Vance at Central Hospital can cure her. If you don't hurry, she'll be in danger!" Desperate to save my mother, I threaten Dr. Vance with my life, and he agrees to operate on her. Then, my boyfriend gets into a car accident and urgently needs treatment. However, he succumbs to his injuries due to my asking for Dr. Vance. In the meantime, Mom doesn't receive treatment in time. As she is dying, Mom weeps, asking me why I ruined the entire family. Then, she passes away on the operating table. My boyfriend's parents think I am responsible for their son's death, and they stab me 18 times. While being rushed to the emergency room, I see Grandma again. However, she is grinning maliciously as she plunges a knife into my heart, mimicking the stabs I got from real life and giving me a ruptured heart. I died without understanding why Grandma's appearances led to my family's end. I open my eyes and find out that I've returned to the day Grandma told me to sell our crops.

How quickly everything ended by just a single day, I was just like any other girl in the world- laughing and hanging out with friends, taking endless selfies, having crushes on bad boys and nerds included. I never thought or cared about how I look. It was just mine. Normal and Easy. But everything changed in one single moment- a moment filled with fire, screaming metal, and a blur of terror that rewrote my life. I survived. Everybody says I'm lucky but this, this doesn't feel like survival it feels like a punishment, a curse. A curse that am willing to carry all my life. The accident left me with permanent facial disfigurement, and ever since, I've been stuck behind a mask I never asked to wear. My face is the first thing anyone sees, and sometimes, it feels like the only thing they see. I avoid mirrors now. I no longer go out; I can't risk being stared at. Friends faded. Invitations stopped. Of course they would stop, who would want to invite the hideous me. I would scare everyone, worse, ruin their appetite. They would move away from their tables. What did I expect? Life moved on for everyone but me. My mom is the only person in my life right now, shes' become my anchor. Even with her love, it's still hard to silence the voices in my head, the ones saying I'm hideous, broken, unworthy. I miss my old smile. I still haven't done anything in life. And this isn't about my appearance it's about my self- esteem, my confidence, my ability to feel like I belong anywhere. This is a constant battle with the mirror, with the world, and with yourself. And most days, I'm trying to find the strength to look up to.

"Ethan," she began, her voice wavering slightly, "I've been thinking... considering our situation, maybe it's time we end this charade." Ethan, engrossed in a book, looked up, his eyes meeting hers. "End what, Mia?" he asked, his tone gentle yet curious. "Our marriage, Ethan," Mia said, her words hanging heavy in the air. "It's not real, and we both know it. We're living a lie, and I can't keep pretending anymore." Ethan placed his book aside, his expression serious. "I understand it's not ideal, Mia. But we made a commitment to our families. We can't just throw it all away because it's difficult." "But what if there's another way?" Mia suggested, her voice gaining strength. "What if we stage a cheating scandal? "Mia, I can't agree to something like that. It's dishonest, and it would hurt both our families. I won't play a part in such a deceitful plan." **** Ethan's voice, low and filled with desire, broke the sultry silence. "You look absolutely enchanting tonight, Olivia." Olivia's eyes smoldered with seduction as she replied, "And you, Ethan, are simply irresistible. This dinner is a feast for more than just our appetites." Their hands grazed each other, sending electric pulses of desire through their bodies. Ethan leaned in closer to Olivia, his voice a seductive murmur. "I can't resist your charms, Liv. You have a way of igniting my deepest desires." Olivia's lips curved into a seductive smile as she replied, "And you, Ethan, have a magnetic pull that's impossible to resist. Our little secret is driving me wild."

"But why me?" I asked the question that was bothering me. "If you hate me so much, why did you decide to marry me? Why didn't you just pick anyone else? Maybe Chiara, or some random lady in Trinigad, why does it have to be me?" I wasn't staring, but I knew he probably looked at me like I was naive or stupid. He clapped his hand, quite loudly, staggering me, "I never said I hated you," he declared, taking me off guard. I looked at him. His hazel eyes pierced at me with an intensity unmatched, making my stomach clench. "You are merely a pawn in my grand plan, a stepping stone. I do not hate you, but I do not need to love you either, I just need to make the most of you." Annalisa, the princess of Trinigad, was born in a world where Omega's were highly revered, and her father — Alpha king of the kingdom of Trinigad, showered her with immense love and gifts as a result. She was spoiled, ruthless. No one had ever refused her anything until she crossed paths with Alpha Alexander. Love at first sight. Alpha Alexander, a man of mystery whose being was an orchestrated falsehood, was the Alpha of the white pack. A pack concentrated in the kingdom of Trinigad. After receiving a marriage proposal from Annalisa, he accepted without hesitation. Albeit, making it clear to her that he only needed her for her womb and he didn't plan on loving her since his heart already belonged to another. As Annalisa and Alexander begin a relationship based on hate, hormones come into play, mate bonds are discovered, secrets are unraveled, one that could potentially orchestrate the downfall of the werewolf species, hanging in the balance of an ultimatum.

Damara Irish Vertudez is a hardworking woman who has a dream of being a secretary ever since she was young. She grew up in Tarlac province and experienced a lot of things in life. She is from a family of farmers who are determined to take care of their farms. As she graduated from college 4 years ago, she left her province to apply for a job in the city, she gained a lot of experiences from working in different companies until she applied for the position of secretary of Brion Alaric Carter, a Filipino-Spanish and the billionaire CEO of Carter Casino-Resort. At first, she doubted herself because Carter Casino-Resort is a famous and number 1 Casino-Resort in the Philippines and has branches around the world. Natatakot itong pumalpak sa kauna-unahang bigatin na kumpanya na kanyang papasukan. She doubted that her experience is not enough to this company, lalo na't alam nito kung gaano ka-propesyonal ang mga nagtatrabaho rito at kung anong qualification ang kailangan nila. However, after hanging out with her friends the night after she applied, she received a call from the Carter Casino-Resort and told her that she's hired and qualified to be part of the company and to be the CEO's secretary. And there, she became the first loyal and outstanding secretary of CEO Brion Alaric Carter who's not letting her go. Along her journey being an outstanding secretary of a Billionaire CEO, she did realize that she's falling in love with her Boss already because of how he treats her. She kept on denying her feelings because he knew her boss could be that dangerous. Until a girl came between them who's addicted to her Boss. Could she fight for her feelings? Or let it all slide knowing the fact that taking a risk could be painful.

Four years ago, she meet a man in a place where high illegal people exist. A place where she saw those beautiful dark eyes that make her gape and awe at the same time. She was so enthralled with the man's aura na hindi niya na alam kong anong ipapangalan sa nararamdaman niya. And then unexpected things happened that made her choose to stayed with a guy who is a stranger to her yet give her an extraordinary feeling. The guy is really are an eye capture. And no matter how confuse she is of what she feels towards him. Still the fact remain that he can make her happy by just only his presence. And just when she thought that everything was perfect. Things happened so fast. He left and gone with no trace and even a hint where to find him. He left her hanging with her feelings that she didn't know what to name for. Left only nothing but the necklace and the unexplainable feeling he gave her. Until she lost track with him. Four years had passed still the unexplainable feelings remained. And when faith help her, she was beyond happy. But now, while watching the man who's kissing another girl. She cannot stop her heart by breaking into pieces. All the questions has now been answered. She's in love, yet it broke her heart knowing that the man she loved can't love her back. She saw how his eyes glow in happiness, and the reason behind that is not her. And no matter how it kills her she accepted defeat for the first time. Her name is Lorraine, a name that is too innocent yet hide a personality that anyone should fear of. She's lethal. A fighter. No one can defeat her. But LOVE does.