Louise Penny A World Of Curiosities

Liana Hart gave everything to her marriage—her youth, her heart, and ultimately, her child. But when she went into labor, her husband Damien Cross walked out, choosing his career over their growing family. Alone and rejected, Liana rebuilt her life brick by brick, raising her daughter, Emma, without a penny of support or a whisper of regret. Four years later, Damien returns with a glamorous fiancée and an eye on the daughter he left behind. Desperate and cornered, Liana accepts an offer from Ethan Wolfe, Damien’s enigmatic billionaire boss: a marriage of convenience in exchange for protection, power—and the resources to fight for her daughter. But Ethan has his own secrets. He’s been watching Liana for years. And when Damien begins a legal war for custody, the lines between arrangement and obsession blur. As Ethan and Liana pretend to be husband and wife, desire erupts, loyalty is tested, and buried truths surface. What Damien didn’t know is that he was never the one meant to have Liana’s heart—or her child.

“Get off me,” I demanded, leaning forward and sinking my teeth into his shoulders, drawing out blood in the process. He growled and yanked me away from the wall, spun and shoved me back into it. Tears stung my eyes when my head connected with the wall but I immediately blinked it back. He might be my captor but I wasn't going to give him that privilege of watching me cry. His fingers dug into my skin as he impaled me on his cock, “You’re mine now Natalia…I call the shots here not you.” ~~~~~~~~ To Natalia, the plan was simple. Get in. Show him a little bit of her titties. Make sure he drinks the spiked whiskey. And then walk out with whatever penny or luxury he owned. But little did she know that the most ruthless Mafia lord in Voyeur was going to be after her. And when he did, he wasn't only interested in reclaiming what she took from him. He wanted to possess her entirely.

“I wish I can divorce you but the court clearly states that no divorce until the second year of marriage. Which means, we are stuck with each other. And until then, you are not leaving my sight. That means, you now live in this house, and now work for me!” He retorted. “Deal with that, princess.” The princess was said in a demeaning way. I took a shameful walk back to the sofa I got up from and sank into it. Two years with Evan Blackman? Or the street? Which would it be? ***** After Katie Malory divorced her husband who was cheating on her, she found herself rejected by the only family she had ever known. Left to suffer on the street with no single penny to her name, she was met with the rude shock that she had married a man who had always shown her that he would rather die than look at her twice. How the mistake happened, she couldn’t comprehend. But she knew she only had two options to choose from. The street of the home of the man who hated her with every fiber of his being.

BOOK ONE: MAD KINGS OF LONDON SERIES BLURB: He shoved his hips upwards, mercilessly thrusting the full length of his thick cock down my eager, hungry throat. “You owe me a debt that money alone will never repay. And you will stay on your knees until every single penny is accounted for…” *** “Daughter of a whore…!” “Descendant of a prostitute…!!” “Product of a broken home…!!!” Being known as a sex worker’s daughter in their small town of Romford was already too difficult, but when her mother is hired as a housekeeper by one of London’s wealthiest families, fate thrusts Loriah into the arms of a man she should never want. Zakari Von Hale. Heir to the Von Hale Biotech Empire. Cold, beautiful, untouchable, with brains that experts at NASA would beg to pick. Zakari’s hate for her is immediate, but it turns into something dangerous when his father kicks his sick mother out of their home and remarries Loriah’s mother. Zakari and Loriah become step-siblings overnight. And she becomes his favourite target. He humiliates her in school. He destroys her reputation. He watches patiently while she breaks… but he still isn’t satisfied. When a scandal explodes that tears her world apart, Loriah vanishes from London. Three years later, she re-emerges, stronger, bolder and wiser. But in a desperate attempt to save her sick sister, she makes a dangerous mistake. She steals from her own arch enemy. Now, Loriah has a score to settle with the mad king of London. And Zakari Von Hale hates debtors… *** In a city where he ruled with an iron fist, she’s the only one who could bring him to his knees.

"Kita adalah dua orang yang tak seharusnya bersama," lirih Xena pilu. Morgan menarik dagu Xena dan berdesis, "Sejak awal, kita memang sudah ditakdirkan bersama." Xena Foster terkenal dengan kehidupan glamour dan selalu berfoya-foya. Bagi Xena, dirinya tak perlu bekerja susah payah, karena selama ini gadis itu selalu mendapatkan apa yang diinginkan. Hidup Xena memang selalu menjadi idaman para gadis di luar sana. Sempurna dan tak memiliki celah kekurangan. Namun, siapa sangka semua itu berubah di kala Xena bertemu dengan Morgan Louise—sosok pria tampan yang mampu menggetarkan hatinya, bahkan membangkitkan hasrat memilikinya. Morgan telah berhasil, membuat Xena tergila-gila pada pria itu. Sayang, perasaan cinta Xena telah terjebak pada kenyataan pahit tentang Morgan Louise. Kenyataan yang telah menghancurkannya. Bagaikan di ambang jurang, mampukah Xena bertahan? *** Follow me on Instagram: abigail_kusuma95

Raised in seclusion by humble caretakers, Caleb's life takes a tragic turn when he witnesses the murder of his adoptive father and, years later, the execution of his mother. Left with the responsibility of caring for his sister Alena, they live out a simple existence away from the prying eyes of the village. The tranquility is shattered when Alena is kidnapped, awakening Caleb's dormant powers that were hidden away by his witch mother. Teaming up with a mysterious ally, Julien, they embark on a perilous mission to rescue Alena. As they journey together, Julien seizes the opportunity to reveal Caleb's true lineage – he is the son of King Kalen Voss, also known as King Warborne. Armed with this newfound knowledge, Caleb joins forces with his Julien to fulfill a prophecy that promises to reunite the fractured people and eradicate the malevolence plaguing the land. Their quest leads them to the majestic city of Aurelia, where Caleb is initiated into the dragon army, discovering the secrets of controlling and enhancing his latent powers while keeping his royal bloodline concealed. As Caleb and Julien work in the shadows to overthrow the crown, Caleb finds unexpected love in Celeste, the king's daughter. Their passionate relationship activates a powerful mated bond, propelling them towards a destiny intertwined with the resurgence of a true dragon-king. With Celeste by his side, Caleb embraces his destiny to become the next ruler, standing on the precipice of uniting the people and vanquishing the looming evil that threatens the realm.

When the heat wave hit, I was working at the National Weather Service and was the first to spot the climate irregularities. I warned my family to get ready ahead of time. My parents trusted me without question. They even proposed starting a "family survival fund." They told me to use the savings I'd built up since graduating to stock up on supplies, promising that they and my little sister would chip in every dollar they had too. If we were going to make it, we had to stick together as a family. I smiled. "Sure. I'll take care of the plans." That same night, I converted every penny into gold and locked it in a safe. I also went all out into building an apocalypse-proof bunker. When doomsday finally came, they showed up demanding the money we'd pooled together. "Hand over all the gold," they said coldly. "A deadweight like you is just wasting resources by staying alive." Smiling, I tossed them the safe with the gold inside, then sealed the bunker, locking them out completely. Laughing triumphantly, they opened the safe… and stared in shock at what they saw inside.

Ameera has always wondered why her father was so determined to give her away to the most powerful Alpha in the province, Alpha Keith. She had heard a lot about the ruthless Alpha Keith, but never met him in person. On her 18th birthday, her life took a different turn when her father was murdered and her mother told her the hard truth about her existence. Now she has to find a way to win Keiths heart and get him to fall in love with her. But how will she get him to love her when it is said that the Alpha of the full circle pack, Alpha Keith has been cursed never to be with a woman. And even if he decides to chose a mate, why the hell would he settle for a spoilt brat like her. Why would he chose an arrogant daddy's girl that has never toiled for a penny in her life, and yet spends money so lavishly? Will she ever find love in the arms of the bad Alpha, will he ever look past her arrogance and see the true beauty hiding beneath her stubbornness?

In her past life, when a truck barreled toward them, Lillian Hogan instinctively pushed Elton Ruiz out of harm's way. She paid the price with both her legs crushed. When she woke up in the hospital, the aloof, noble man lowered his head for the first time. Standing by her bedside, he promised to marry her. Tearfully, she accepted the proposal from the man she'd loved since she was eight. But after the wedding, Elton often stayed out all night. His attitude toward her grew cold and harsh. When an infection from her injuries left her on the brink of death, the billionaire didn't spare a single penny for her care. "I never thanked you for saving my life," he said. "Our marriage was a mistake from the start. Let me go." His face grim, he pulled out her oxygen tube. Lillian's eyes widened in shock. In the agony of betrayal and heartbreak, she took her last breath. If she could do it all over again, she vowed never to love Elton again.

My mother claims my husband has cheated on me and pushes me to get a divorce. I want to collect evidence before proceeding with anything—if it's true, I have to uphold my rights. Yet she causes a scene at an art exhibition I've worked on for three years, humiliating me in public and making me sound like a gold digger. "How are you any different from a prostitute when you're holding this dumb exhibition with a man's money? I didn't raise you to be a gold digger! How can you be so revolting?" She slashes the million-dollar paintings in the exhibition, claiming that she's doing this for my good. She wants me to see the error of my ways and return to the right path. Meanwhile, I clutch my bloody hand, which she slashed with her blade. I say, "You say you want me to return to the right path, but is that what it really is? You want me to divorce my legally wedded husband, who's a CEO, without a penny to my name. "Then, you want me to marry a 45-year-old cheap man who has a child and no money? He even wants me to support him!"