Mark Twain Library Long Beach

On the day Winter Everhart suffers a miscarriage, her husband, Joshua Stroud, and their son, Terence, are out with his beloved Jessica Lynch. They watch the very performance Winter has always loved. "You're just so unreasonable. What's the point of all this?" "Dad, can you get me a new mom? She's so annoying!" On Winter's birthday, she returns from the hospital only to find Joshua celebrating Jessica's instead. Even Terence, the child she nearly gave her life to bring into the world, pledges to protect the woman who has stolen everything from her. Tears glisten in Winter's eyes as she smiles. Then, with quiet resolve, she walks away from the cage of a marriage that has bound her for five years. Joshua and Terence believe she won't survive without the Stroud family. What they don't expect is that she rises so high that they can no longer reach her. "Mr. Stroud! Mrs. Stroud's car design is now number one nationwide—Stroud Group has been completely outshone!" "Mr. Stroud! Mrs. Stroud has just won the World Championship in Artificial Intelligence Design!" "Mr. Stroud! Mrs. Stroud has been invited by a foreign president to attend a state banquet!" Regret tears Joshua apart. Dragging Terence with him, he kneels before Winter and pleads, "Honey, please give me another chance! If being your servant is what it takes, I'll do it!" But just beyond the door, a strikingly handsome man kneels on one knee, a leather collar fastened around his neck. Twining a diamond leash around Winter's palm, he vows with his gaze burning with feverish devotion, "My master, from this moment on, I bow to no one but you. Please, take me in."

Lilia Morgan spent her whole life forging her own path, determined never to be a pawn in anyone’s game. But when a long-buried engagement agreement forces her into marriage with Damian Crawford—the cold, calculating heir to an empire—her carefully built independence begins to slip through her fingers. She refuses to surrender. Determined to escape, she strikes a deal with the devil himself: one year in his world, and if she can settle her family’s debt before time runs out, she walks away—no strings attached. But Damian never makes a deal he doesn’t intend to win. For years, he has watched her from a distance, knowing she was meant to be his. Now, with Lilia trapped in his orbit, he will use every opportunity to remind her that control is an illusion—and in his world, she belongs to him. As corporate warfare, long-buried betrayals, and the ghosts of their pasts threaten to tear them apart, Lilia and Damian are drawn into a dangerous battle—one where power, passion, and obsession collide. But when desire turns into something far more dangerous, Lilia must decide: is Damian her greatest enemy, or the only man who was ever meant to stand by her side? A gripping enemies-to-lovers romance with ruthless power struggles, slow-burning intensity, and a billionaire who refuses to lose. Love and war have never been so intoxicating—but in this game, only one of them can walk away unscathed.

I was prepping the ceremonial cloak for our seventh mating anniversary. The front door suddenly banged open. My son rushed inside, tears streaming down his face. "The teacher yelled at me," he sobbed. He shoved the wrinkled drawing into my hands before burying his face in my shirt. I smoothed out the paper to see what the drama was about. It was a sketch of a faceless woman titled: The Substitute Mom. My heart stopped as I read the scribbles underneath. "Daddy said she is the backup." "She does the chores but gets no wages." "The Real Mom is responsible for being beautiful and guarding the treasury." My fingertips turned ice-cold against the paper. My mate, Ethan, had just returned from a patrol. He kissed my forehead. "What did our pup draw?" The next second, his smile froze when he saw the content. His voice tightened, and he reached out to snatch the book. "He watches too many cartoons! He's writing nonsense!" I stared at the man I had shared a den with for seven years. He looked like a stranger now. If I was the substitute. Who was this beautiful real mother? And where had my true son been all these years?

"Who are you to her?" "I'm her boyfriend and if you don't get out of here, I'll be the man who will be responsible for putting you six-feet underground," Zendaya heard Jayden say, shocking her. Zendaya's life unravels when she discovers her fiancé's infidelity two days prior to the wedding. Devastated and desperate to escape reality, she gets drunk and decides to have a one-night stand. But fate has a twist in store as her one-night-stand turns out to be Jayden Gerano, the man who hated her since their childhood, the one who made her life a living hell, yet the man she couldn't hate no matter how hard she tried. She decides to forget about her impulsive decision, but Jayden has other plans. With a charming grin and a determination that surprises them both, he refuses to let her slip away. He wants her back in his life—and this time, as his woman. He had let her go once, and he’d be damned if he made the same mistake. Will Zendaya embrace a future with the man she never expected to want, and let go of the past, or will her hatred for Jayden win? Find out in Entangled with my Childhood Enemy.

Warning sewarning-warningnya! Khusus 21+ "Jangan terlalu keras. Kalau kau memegangnya seperti itu, pria mana pun tak akan bisa menikmatinya." "Ma‐maaf, Dok..." Ariella Anata tidak punya pilihan. Label "penulis hambar" dari editornya adalah vonis mati bagi kariernya. Demi riset nyata menulis novel dewasa, ia nekat menyelinap ke seminar eksklusif dr. Nathan Xander, seorang seksolog dingin yang hanya melayani pasangan suami-istri. Pertemuan itu seharusnya hanya soal teori, namun Ariel melangkah terlalu jauh. Sebuah tindakan nekat untuk membuktikan keberaniannya justru menjeratnya dalam permainan kucing-kucingan yang berbahaya. Kini, sang dokter bukan lagi sekadar narasumber. Ia adalah subjek riset hidup yang siap mengajari Ariel bahwa beberapa sensasi tidak bisa ditemukan dalam buku, melainkan melalui sentuhan yang melanggar batas etika.

I had waited for him for eight years. I thought I was the love of his life. I thought waiting so long for him to takeover his pack would prove to him my love. But her pictures filled his laptop when he had none of me. I was just a joke to him and his pack. But not anymore. Instead of getting bound to him, it is best to set him free. So l left and he lost his mind trying to find me.

After the tragic death of her parents, Caitlyn Shoor is forced to return to Aurora—the town her father once called home. But Aurora isn’t just any town. Beneath its quiet streets lies a hidden world ruled by the supernatural, one where bloodlines and power decide everything. As one of the new generation of the founding families, Caitlyn’s arrival shakes the fragile balance. Whispers of ancient secrets, forbidden marks, and old rivalries soon drag her into a world she never knew existed. And when she crosses paths with an outcast desperate to escape their cursed existence, her life takes a dangerous turn—one filled with romance, betrayal, and mysteries. The truth about her parents’ death lies buried in Aurora, and uncovering it will force Caitlyn to choose between loyalty to her bloodline and the freedom of her heart. Power struggles, dark secrets, and high school romance collide in the mysterious world of Aurora Town. Read if you dare

Ainsley, the almost-eighteen year old daughter of her pack’s Alpha and Luna, has always been different. Born Moon-Marked all she wants is to protect her pack, support her parents, and remain free to choose her own future. Across the border, Raithe— Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack—walks a razor’s edge. At twenty-three, he still hasn’t found his mate, and the longer the bond remains unfound, the more unstable he becomes. Rumors whisper that the famed Blood Moon ruthlessness is growing wild in him, threatening to tip him into madness. When Ainsley and Raithe cross paths, the world stills. The bond snaps into place—violent, undeniable, and terrifying. But neither is ready for what it demands. Ainsley fears losing her future to a mate she barely knows. Raithe fears losing himself before he earns her trust. And looming behind them are enemies who see Ainsley’s power as a weapon, Raithe’s instability as an opportunity, and their mating bond as a threat to the balance of every northern pack. With politics tightening, dangers rising, and their wolves pushing them closer, Ainsley and Raithe must decide whether their bond is a salvation… …or the spark that will ignite a war.

Her father promised me life on the legal side if I saved his only daughter. I was her last hope. Something about this rich, spoiled princess captured me from the moment I laid my eyes on her. This green-eyed beauty made me want things I never had. She was untouchable. If I were decent, I’d keep my distance. But God knew I was the worst kind of sinner. She shouldn’t have wanted my touch. Now she was mine. When a Russian rival mafia came for her seeking revenge and old, forgotten secrets are revealed, her life became marked. Would she stay in my world or go back to her carefree, privileged life?

Preview:“Pin her to the ground. Dom, you keep those damn legs down.” Dante coughed as he stood up to regain himself. They wanted a weapon. They created a queen. Novalee Ashford had a simple life-a job she tolerated, a husband she adored, a future she believed in. Then Dante Santoro decided she was his. Ripped from everything she knew, Novalee is thrust into a world of violence, cruelty, and impossible choices. The Santoro family doesn't just want to own her body-they want to remake her soul. Under their brutal tutelage, she transforms from victim to weapon, from captive to bride. But Novalee has a secret: she remembers who she was. And she's planning something they never expected. Vengeance. With Atlas-the guard who was supposed to keep her caged-as her unlikely ally, Novalee plays the deadliest game of her life. Every smile hides a blade. Every submission masks rebellion. Every moment brings her closer to the reckoning they deserve. They wanted to create a monster. They succeeded. Marked, Broken and Carrying his Heir is a dark romance containing mature themes and graphic content. Reader discretion is strongly advised. ****WARNINGS**** Explicit sexual assault/rape Non-consensual sexual situations Explicit consensual sexual content Sexual degradation and humiliation Forced sexual performance Violence: Graphic murder Torture Domestic violence and abuse Blood and gore Beatings and physical assault Captivity & Control: Kidnapping and imprisonment Human trafficking elements Forced marriage Psychological manipulation and gaslighting Conditioning and breaking Loss of autonomy Trauma & Loss: Pregnancy loss Forced hysterectomy Suicide Grief and mourning PTSD symptoms Other: Forced drug administration Starvation/food control Sleep deprivation Isolation Death of spouse