Mark Twain Library Long Beach

Alessandro Mascherano is a strong, serious and very powerful man, he is the Boss of the Italian mafia, he is used to having everything he wants on a silver platter, including women, who are never indifferent to his beauty and attractiveness. Georgia Alcott is the opposite of Alessandro, she had a difficult life, she has grown up without her parents and has had to make her way as a waitress in a restaurant that she doesn't even like, but in which she stays to help her sick grandmother. The only thing Alessandro and Georgia have in common is their pride, and that's why, when their paths cross and they are forced to spend time together, each of their lives will become a hell, all because Alessandro becomes obsessed with that woman and Georgia is not willing to be just another one on Alessandro's long list of women.

The second Zoe reset her life and landed back at the Elite Match Gala, she swapped her token with her half-sister's. No hesitation. Because in her previous life, Connor had married Zoe, but she had died helpless and unloved. It was only on her deathbed that Zoe finally knowed the truth: Connor had loved her sister all along. Now, Connor grabbed the bouquet meant for Vicky, eyes lighting up."Vicky, you're it for me. My one and only." Then he turned to Zoe—and the warmth vanished. "Zoe, you've always been like a little sister to me. Don't even think about stepping into Vicky's place." That hit like a slap. Cold, sharp, humiliating. Everyone thought she was pathetic. But this time, Zoe wouldn’t beg for his love. She would bless them instead—marry the man her father had chosen for her, and never look back.

Euan Daffin Adelard adalah sosok pria yang sangat kompeten dalam pekerjaannya. Pria perfeksionist dalam segala hal, sampai menentukan pasangan saja dia sangat teliti karena tidak ingin sembarangan. Ya karena sifatnya itu sampai sekarang Daffin masih membujang, sampai bertemu gadis tidak jelas bernama Aluna. Hidupnya berubah seratus delapan puluh derajat. Daffin harus menerima bahwa hidupnya tidak lagi tenang setelah bertemu dengan adik kolega kerjanya. Entah apa yang akan Daffin terima setelah pertemuan pertamanya dengan Aluna, yang jelas hal itu patut ia waspadai. Semoga saja Daffin termasuk dalam kategori pria beruntung dijauhi dari gadis jejadian seperti Aluna. Benar saja, kejadian yang paling Daffin benci datang dan membuat beberapa rencananya hancur berantakan. Daffin tidak menyangka jika Aluna akan menjadi boomerang dalam hidupnya. *** “Aluna.” Daffin semakin merapatkan posisi mereka. “Aku.” “A-pa?” fix Aluna menjadi gagap. “Mau kamu.” Hap. “Mau kemana?” ya jelas Aluna bertanya, dia sudah seperti anak koala dalam gendongan Daffin. “My room.”

I could hear everything, even with my poor vision. I could hear their horrified gasps and the curses they rained on me. ‘She’s a murderer!’ ‘A pack slut and now a murderer! She needs to leave! We can’t live in fear in our own pack!’ Their curses overshadowed my pleas. This isn’t me—I don’t kill. I would never kill one of my own. I staggered toward where Killain stood—he was shocked. He agreed with them. “Please help me, Killain,” I begged, but he only stared. “You have brought shame to this pack, Samantha,” Killain began. “Tonight was an amazing day—a celebration for the Blood Rose Pack. You give me no choice…” “No, no, please don’t do this to me again. I’m hurt, I’m hurt…please help—” “I, Killain Black, Alpha of the Blood Rose Pack, banish you, Samantha Forbes, from the Blood Rose Pack. You have done nothing but bring shame and disgrace to this pack, and from now on, you will not be associated with Blood Rose.” The pain wasn’t torture—my mate rejecting and banishing me on the same night was torture. I fell to the ground and clutched his robe. “Please, don’t chase me away.” The guards dragged me out of the crowd and deeper into the woods. “This is where you belong! Disgrace!” They dropped me roughly and left. I staggered and tried to get up with the little strength I had left. My eyes landed on the red stain flooding the front of my dress. No, please. My stomach twisted, and I screamed in pain. My babies—not my babies, please. I can’t lose them—they’re the only thing I have left. I need to live. I can’t die—after everything.

" sometimes the strongest hearts carry the heaviest scars." Two years after losing her parents, 21-year-old Jane is left raising her two little brothers on her own. Abandoned by her oldee sister and juggling two exhausting jobs, Jane barely has time to breathe_let alone chase her long-forgotten dream of studying law. Every day is a battle to survive: Working long hours, skipping meals, some strange dreams, and hiding her tears behind a fake smile. But even when she breaks down in the middle of the street or collapses from exhaustion, she always gets back up- for Elhoïme and Mathias, the only family she has left. Just when she thinks no one sees her pain, Brian, a kind coworker and a long time friend, start offering small gestures of help- cofee, silence, time, understanding. She pushes him away at first, afraid of needing anyone. But his quiet presence slowly starts to feel like hope. Can Jane allow herself to lean on someone else for once, without losing her strenght- or her heart?

"Call me Alpha, little wolf" Damien snarled looking at the girl who just walked into his office. "One thing that you need to understand, me being your wife does not and will NEVER mean that you're my Alpha" Natalia snapped. *************** Being born a rogue, Natalia has always wished to be part of a pack, somewhere to belong and call home. But when both Damien and Natalia’s worlds collide, in what humans call marriage; both the mafia and wolf worlds are shaken.

Daisy Truman's childhood crush, Corey Sager, threatened to jump off a building on our wedding day. She ignored him and went ahead with our wedding. Daisy started to panic when he leaped off the building. From then onward, Daisy moved into a church and became a pious person everyone knew of. She aborted our baby and made me kneel in confession to repent for this so-called sin. I tried to escape, but she ordered my legs to be broken and even used my family to threaten me. I lived a life of misery and torture. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to my wedding day. This time, I would push her into Corey's arms. As for me, it was my turn to become the love that she lost.

(De Bonnevie Series #1) Athena de Bonnevie is from the wealthy and prominent French family in Cebu. Despite being wealthy, she stays down to earth and reachable. And as she keeps going around being friendly to everyone, she meets this undeniably gorgeous best friend of her twin brother that she never knew existed. And as time passes by, she slowly unlocks the door to the secrets of this oh-so-hot guy named Ares. But by the time the news came to her that he died, her whole world tore apart. Or so she thought.

"I, Conrad Alaric, Alpha of the Shadow pack, break every bond that I share with you, and on this day reject you as my mate." Hearing his words caused my eyes to shut instantly, with the whimpering that went inside of me. My wolf was sad. But , it was that day I decided to take the change, the day I put an end to begging for his love. "And what makes you think that I will come back to you so easily?" "Because... Because I think I'm deeply in love with you now, Katherine."

Viren, the main character of the story, has a complex history that has led him to hold a strong aversion to romantic commitment. As the only son of industrialist Rai Bahadur, he carries the weight of responsibility, as the CEO of the family company. Despite being perceived as a shrewd and ruthless businessman, Viren possesses a deeply caring and considerate nature, especially when it comes to his family and loved ones. His tall, well-built stature and sharp features make him a highly sought-after eligible bachelor, but his past has left him wary of commitments and hesitant to embrace love. In stark contrast, Priya is a vibrant, middle-class woman who works as an assistant to Rai Bahadur. She is kind-hearted, devoted to her family and possesses beauty and intelligence. The story progresses with Viren expressing concern for Priya's scepticism and offering to help her with her problems. Priya then shares her family's financial challenges, including her brother-in-law demanding money and her father's mounting medical expenses, which she struggles to meet with her salary. In a heartfelt gesture of support, Viren offers to arrange the necessary funds for Priya if she agrees to a paper marriage, as his father's critical condition compels him to settle down. He grants Priya two days to consider his proposal. Despite their initial reservations, they unexpectedly find themselves falling in love with each other. Unaware of each other's feelings, they continue to navigate the complexities of their awkward and initially unwanted relationship. According to their contract, they eventually decide to dissolve their marriage after the completion of a year. However, following their separation, they both come to realize their true feelings for each other. The question arises: will they proceed with the divorce despite their newfound understanding, or will they find a way back to each other?