Ladybug Watching

I help my students gain admission to top state art academies, yet my boss, Sebastian Emerson, withholds every cent of the pay I earned from 24 consecutive days of overtime. When I confront him in anger, he accuses me of stealing 120 thousand dollars in training fees from the students. "Honestly, being poor is no excuse for being shady. And having disabled parents doesn't give you the right to steal. "You've got two days to pay it back! Otherwise, I'll make sure you spend a few nights in jail, and I'll even inform your parents!" When a student calls, he snatches the phone and starts screaming, "There's no money! All your tuition went into buying your art supplies! If you've got a problem, go ahead and sue me, brat!" Meanwhile, Jayla Buckley, who is curled up in his arms, keeps placing order after order of Chaennal haute couture without the slightest hesitation. Watching the two of them colluding so shamelessly, I grip my attorney license in my pocket until my knuckles ache. Take it to court? Litigation? That's my arena. And I'll make sure both of them end up exactly where they belong—behind bars.

I'd been married to Joshua Merck for five years, but we still didn't have kids. To stay healthy, I took those pricey custom vitamins he ordered from overseas—never missed a dose. Then my cousin came back from studying abroad, took one look at the bottle, and was like, "That brand doesn't even make custom vitamins." I sent them to the hospital for testing. The lab report hit me like a truck—birth control pills. Powerful ones. Suddenly, all those mornings with Joshua hovering over me, acting so concerned while I took my "vitamins," made sense. The whole thing had been a lie. Five years of lies. Just as I was gearing up to confront him, my phone buzzed—a group chat notification. Shirley Hoare had tagged Joshua. [Honey, I had a prenatal checkup today, and the doctor said I'm carrying twins! Your family's about to get two grandchildren at once—excited?] My heart turned to ash. Everything clicked. Fine. We were done. I pulled out my phone and replied to my childhood sweetheart's message from three days ago: [After watching the northern lights, I still wanted to see penguins in Antarctica.]

As the only son, Justine puts so much pressure on himself and set standards that is so high. He wants to be perfect and successful in the future, not only in terms of business, but also if he will have a family. He have two older sisters that were now in a stable life and married which made him feel more pressure. But, he knows he can not do that. He definitely doubt himself. He is known by all as a silent, intelligent and shy guy which makes him safe about his real identity. His real self, the genuine he. Every night he locks himself on his room not to cry, but to deal with his stress and struggles by watching his idol. One day, his world and life suddenly changed when his father introduced a woman which will be his stepmother. His stepmother, Laura, also now only living with her youngest son as her older daughter's and son's job were about travelling. As the time goes by, Justine accidentally found out the dirty little secret of his stepbrother, Joshua, which also revealed his. By that, they got an agreement which is a complete disaster for Justine. How can they handle each other? What will be the life of Justine now that he has an agreement with Joshua? How and when it will end?

“You murderer!” No A resounding slap followed those words from Katrina’s Mother-in-law. The entire extended family gasped in shock but no one made a move to help. Not even Katrina’s husband, Damon Winchester. He just stood there, watching lazily, like he always did while his mother berated her for every little thing. But this wasn’t little, no. This was more than the fine china dishes that were one of the family’s heirlooms which Katrina broke last thanksgiving and earned her harsh insults from her mother-in-law. This was nothing like the family dinner she made last Christmas that caused half the kitchen to catch fire, needing a renovation. This couldn't be compared to that afternoon in summer, when she knocked over an antique vase while dusting, freezing as it cracked clean down the middle and her mother-in-law murmured that Katrina’s touch spoiled anything of value. No. This was the death of the only woman who loved someone as unlovable as Katrina. The woman who raised her. The woman who constantly fought for Katrina’s place in the Winchester Family even when she didn’t belong. Alana Winchester, Damon’s grandmother. Like every other thing, it was all her fault. Everything Katrina touched turned to ashes.

In a world where witches and werewolves are sworn enemies, love is the greatest crime of all. Selene is a witch preparing for her mating ceremony, where she must choose a husband from approved suitors. No werewolf may enter. No beast may touch her. The law is absolute. But one suitor carries a deadly secret. Kai has loved Selene from afar for years, watching her through the border that separates their worlds. He knows if she discovers he's a werewolf, she'll kill him without hesitation. So he hides his true nature, changing his name to Adrian, and using forbidden magic to appear human. Against all odds, Selene chooses him. Their bond is instant, powerful, perfect. Until his werewolf mark begins to surface. When the truth is revealed, kingdoms prepare for war. Selene is torn between the mate she's fallen for and the people who raised her. Kai faces execution for his deception. And an ancient curse that started the hatred between their races begins to awaken, threatening to destroy them both. To save their love and prevent a war that will kill thousands, Selene and Kai must uncover the truth about why their people became enemies. What they discover will change everything they thought they knew about witches, werewolves, and the forbidden love that might be the key to ending centuries of bloodshed.

🦋 Chlorothea has never believed in love, least of all marriage. To her, it is nothing more than a contract that destroys women and rewards endurance over happiness. She learned that truth watching her mother wither in a union that stole her dignity and left her to die forgotten. So when her family forces her into an arranged marriage with a powerful military general, Chlorothea vows she will never surrender her heart, no matter the cost. Lysander has lived his life by duty alone. As a man bound by honor, gratitude, and the law, he accepts an order he cannot refuse: to marry the granddaughter of his benefactor’s closest friend. He expects a quiet, manageable life, one where service comes first, and emotion stays firmly locked away. What he does not expect is Chlorothea. Unpredictable, sharp-tongued, and branded a “Little Lunatic” by those who cannot control her, she turns Lysander’s orderly world upside down. What begins as a union forged by obligation soon becomes a battleground of clashing wills, buried pain, and dangerous attraction. In a marriage neither of them wanted, can two broken beliefs collide without destroying them both or will love prove itself stronger than the scars they refuse to heal?

I bet you’ve heard the story about the player that gets played. Yes, that’s me, Dylan Ashford. I am in an open relationship with my long-term girlfriend, and when I realize she is only using me for my name, I discover I am in too deep until I meet her, the girl with the brown eyes that make my world spin upside down, and believe I still have a chance of the love I always dreamed of. People see me as a Joker and a Playboy, but deep down, I am a romantic, and I need to find my own true love. Watching my big brother fall in love gave me hope. My name is Joanna Thompson, but my friends know me as Jo. I work in a security firm, and after a traumatic breakup with my ex, I am looking forward to finding my true love, but my head gets turned by the one person I absolutely despise for everything that he represents. Dylan Ashford is everything I always hated in humankind. He is cocky and a player. This book can be read as a Standalone, but for better comprehension, you should read The Big Shot first. This is book number two of The Ashford book series.

The sound of glass crashing against a hard surface echoed in the room as I aimed for Ethan’s head, missing by an inch. “Get away from me!” I screamed, but that didn’t seem to do anything as he only rushed towards me before I could grab anything else to chuck at him and hugged me as an attempt to calm me down. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, my husband walked into the room, watching the scene before him, and there was one thing that I knew for sure – he would think I was cheating on him with my ex-husband. ~ Angela Diaz has always dreamed of not just the perfect wedding, but the perfect marriage to her childhood crush – Ethan Ambrose. She always knew that Ethan never liked her back, and he wouldn’t even spare her a glance if she was two feet away from him, but she is shocked when Ethan Ambrose turns around all of a sudden and confesses his hidden feelings for her. Ignoring her parents’ continuous warnings and taking the risk of going from the flamboyant comfort of her parents’ home to Ethan’s family house, Angela is only about to realize that everything about her relationship with Ethan has been a lie, and her “perfect marriage” is nothing but a nightmare in disguise.

This Christmas, Elora discovers the one thing more dangerous than the monster in the snow… is the truth buried in her blood. When Elora returns to her family’s remote winter lodge for the holidays, she expects awkward dinners, annoying relatives, and too much peppermint hot chocolate. She doesn’t expect glowing eyes watching her from the forest or a beautiful, terrifying stranger whispering her name through the storm. They call him “The Winter King” a forbidden, ancient being who chooses one mortal bride every generation. A bride he marks.A bride he claims. A bride he hunts. And this year, he chooses her. As secrets erupt, doors splinter, and frost creeps beneath her skin, Elora is forced into a deadly game of desire and survival. Her uncle reveals the truth: their bloodline has been hiding from the Winter King for centuries and LIORA was never supposed to exist long enough for him to find. But he has found her and he will never stop.Because the moment he spoke her true name,she became his. Now, trapped between a family that lied to protect her and a dark, magnetic creature determined to claim her soul, Liora must decide,it's either she Runs,Fight,or surrender to the forbidden bond pulling her toward him… even as the snow outside turns red.

Princess Aurelia Valeon was never believed to be destined for the crown. However, with the abdication of her brother in favor of love, she was dragged back into the palace to fulfill a role she had never asked for. One night before heading back home, Aurelia made an impulsive decision with a stranger, never expecting to see him again- until he showed up at the palace as her appointed new personal knight, Cassian Draven. Their secret connection develops into a perilous affair that threatens to ruin Aurelia's reign. The royal council wants to marry her off to a nobleman they consider controllable-Lord Alistair Morcant wants to be powerful; Alistair's sister, Clara, however, is ready to spy, dig, and expose anything for it. When Clara clandestinely acquires proof of Aurelia's illicit affair, the ensuing scandal shakes the foundation of the kingdom. Cassian is accused, Aurelia's very throne is endangered, and she realizes that everyone is watching her every move. Right when everything seems to fall apart, Cassian's secret is discovered. He happens to be a lost son of a foreign king who has been hidden since childhood. That royal blood instantly changes the rules and Aurelia decides to use all her might to strike back. Power changes. Enemies are forged. Allegiances are forgotten. And a queen must truly discover what she is ready to risk for her true love.