Meryl Silverburgh Metal Gear Solid

“You really think a chrome leash makes me yours?” Timothy’s voice was a jagged shard of glass, his pulse thrumming frantically against the cold metal of the Blackwell collar. Kan leaned in, the scent of expensive bourbon and gunpowder clinging to him. He captured Timothy’s chin, forcing those defiant lavender eyes to meet his own. “It doesn’t make you mine, little ghost. It just keeps you still long enough for me to show you why you’ll never want to leave.” Behind him, Gideon’s shadow fell over them both, heavy and suffocating. “Careful, Kan,” the enforcer rumbled, his knuckles still stained with the blood of the men who’d tried to stop them. “He’s a reaper. He doesn't want a home. He wants a body count.” One Ghost. Two Predators. No Escape. Timothy Gal is a shadow. A high-level operative for the Nash Rebellion, he’s spent his life as a nameless tool in the war-torn Sopttyi District. He doesn’t feel, he doesn’t miss, and he certainly doesn't belong to anyone. But when a routine surveillance mission in Saati Town goes south, he catches the eye of the two most dangerous men in the Blackwell Mafia. Gideon Blackwell is the muscle—a man of controlled violence and territorial hunger. Kan Nelblack is the mind—a predator with a silver tongue and a taste for absolute submission. They don’t just want Timothy’s secrets. They want his soul.

Three days before the wedding, I was cleaning out some old boxes when I remembered the time capsule Natasha Rowe and I buried ten years ago. When I mentioned it, her face stiffened for a moment. She quickly tried to talk me out of going. "It's been so long," she said. "Someone probably dug it up already." I didn't think much of it and went back to our old high school alone. At the spot where we buried it, I started digging. Instead of one box, I pulled out five metal containers of different sizes. Two of them were the ones Natasha and I buried ten years ago, their surfaces rusted and worn. But there were three others. One of them was just as rusted as ours. The other two looked almost brand new. The old extra box had a name scratched into the lid. Vince Houle. On it were the words, [My secret crush was a war I fought alone. Natasha, I hope you're happy.] I remembered him then. He had been a quiet guy who sat behind us in class. The kind of student no one really noticed. The two newer boxes had names carved into them, too. Natasha and Vince. The date etched into both of them was today. On Natasha's box were the words, [The greatest regret of my life is that I couldn't marry you.] On Vince's box were the words, [The greatest regret of my life is that I can't openly congratulate you on getting married.]

Clarity was better. “I'll be gone in the morning.” I said quietly. It was sometime between two and three am. We both sat, lost in our own thoughts, my body shamelessly yearning for his comfort, when I'd just broken his heart. I kept sobbing quietly cause there was no stopping the tears that stemmed from a place of pain and guilt. Three times, three solid times, I stopped myself from lurching at his feet. I wanted to be held by him, but even though the distance between us, physically, was so small, we were more than miles apart emotionally. What terrified me more than the look on his face was what was going through his mind. Emma has caught the attention of the playboy in school, who happened to be the sexiest bully, and her Stepbrother.... They battle webs of secrets and lies, from friends and family, and finally, their own ego and desires. Chase wants to be Emma's last 'Goodnight' and her first 'Good morning', so does Kevin. Can he battle the insane attraction she has for Kevin, whom she had unfinished business with? Will Chase throw in the towel and let the rich tech guy swoon his girl? Will Emma ever forgive Chase's betrayal and indifference? Are their issues even solvable? Find out in the fast paced Falling For My Stepbrother 1

Ciara thought her relationship with Austin, her boyfriend of six years, had always been solid and full of love. But on the night before their wedding, she caught him and her young stepmother doing something unspeakable. The shock of the moment shattered her heart, yet she didn’t confront them. Rather, she found herself making out with Rowan, the older brother and sworn rival of Austin. The next day, she went through the ceremony confidently, only to humiliate her cheating fiancé by not saying ‘I do’ before leaving him at the altar. As a result, Ciara’s father got enraged and even dismissed her claim of her stepmother’s affair without a second thought. As if that wasn’t enough, she got kicked out of the company. With nowhere left to turn, she sought out Rowan and accepted his offer of an alliance, fueled by a desperate need for revenge against everyone who wronged her. Ciara knew exactly how dangerous Rowan could be. She was well aware of his obsession, his psychopathic behavior, and the risks that came with trusting a man like him. Still, vengeance was all she had left to her name. And if it meant making a deal with the devil and surrendering herself to his darkness, then she would do it, no matter the cost.

Samuel Blanton gave me a rare antique every time he asked me to do something or abandoned me. In just two months, I'd collected 94 antiques. Then, the 95th package arrived from the auction house, and with it, a message from his true love, Zara Hill. [Hey, should the invitations for my and Samuel's wedding have patterns or just a solid color? [By the way, the wedding's next month. I really hope you can make it.] I didn't argue or make a scene. I just got a wedding gift ready and sent it to Zara myself. That night, Samuel came into my room. He said he wanted to reward me for not making a scene by giving me a child. On the wedding day, when Zara found out I was pregnant, she ran to the cliff, screaming she was going to jump. The usually cold and proud Samuel groveled before me for the first time, begging me to terminate the pregnancy. Everyone around us was waiting to see my reaction. But I obeyed. That very day, I went to the hospital. Samuel held me tightly, saying, "Ophelia, I'm only marrying Zara out of obligation. Once we divorce in a few months, I promise I'll give you a child again, okay?" But he didn't know… I had decided to leave him.

Victor and I were nothing more than a pair of sworn enemies married inside the camp. He hated me for handing over my frail sister to the research institute, all so they could extract the antiviral serum from her blood. And I hated him for never seeing anyone but her, even in the apocalypse, when she could barely lift a metal rod. For the ten years of the apocalypse, the words we said to each other most often were, "Die a miserable death." … However, when the zombie horde finally broke through the last line of defense, he chained me to the modified mech truck and went out alone to face it. "Live…" I watched as the tide of corpses swallowed him whole, the crack of breaking bones mixing with the sound of flesh being torn apart. On the edge of death, he pulled out my sister's faded photo and placed it over the one clean spot on his chest. "This life is yours. But if there's a next one, don't go near her again." … That night, when I returned, I blew up the camp. When I opened my eyes again, I went to the zombie king. His razor-sharp claws closed around my throat, and I smiled as I took hold of his hand. "Let's make a deal. Give humans five more years, and I'll willingly be your queen." Last time, he gave his life to save me. This time, I'll be the monster—so they can all get what they want.

In her past life, Aria Vale loved the wrong people. Her stepsister framed her. Her fiancé betrayed her. And on the cold metal of an operating table, Aria died— watching the man who truly loved her take his last breath trying to save her. But fate gives her a second chance. Reborn seven years earlier, Aria returns sharper, colder, and armed with the one thing she never had before— clarity. This time, she refuses to be the Vale family’s sacrificial pawn. To escape their control, she boldly replaces another girl and marries the man everyone in Meridian City mocks: Damian Cross—the “disabled,” unwanted heir. Rumour says he’s powerless. Rumour says he’s cold and useless. Rumour says his own family discarded him. Rumour is wrong. Behind the wheelchair is a man whose power shakes cities— a man hiding his true identity, calculating his rise, and waiting for the right moment to strike. And to everyone’s shock, he chooses to protect Aria. To cherish her. To claim her. As Aria unleashes her hidden brilliance— her beauty, her medical genius, her cold confidence— the people who once mocked her find themselves kneeling at her feet. The scum who destroyed her? This time, she destroys them first. But as her enemies fall one by one, Aria discovers the most dangerous truth of all: Her “disabled” husband isn’t disabled at all… and the gentle man who pampers her by day turns into a possessive wolf by night. This lifetime, Aria rises from ashes to glory. This lifetime, Damian stands by her side as king. And anyone who tries to tear them apart— will learn the meaning of regret.

After ten years of being mated, I discovered my aloof Alpha mate had been keeping a sunshine-like Omega lover. That Omega could bring warmth and light to everyone she meets. My Alpha mate, Dominic, who had spent his childhood in the doldrums, was easily attracted by that kind of pure warmth. That very night, I presented him with a mate bond severance agreement. Dominic sneered coldly as he tore up the agreement, throwing a psychiatric evaluation at me instead. "Sign this. Admit you have delusional disorder, and I'll send you to the best mental hospital to live out your days. I know all about your dirty little tricks. I won't give you any chance to hurt her." So, all these years… every little thing I’d done to protect him? To him, it was just despicable scheming. I refused to sign. Dominic had me bound and tortured with silver powder, watching coldly as I convulsed in agony. He even had our two five-year-old pups hung from the bow of massive ships about to collide. "Either sign, or watch them get crushed to pulp. Your call." I dropped to my knees on the deck, banging my head against the wood like a madwoman, begging him to let me sign. But it was too late—I watched helplessly as my pups' small bodies got torn apart by metal shrapnel. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I discovered he was keeping that girl. I decided never to love him again. But after I left him, Dominic suddenly went mad searching for me everywhere.

Sold like a circus animal. Collared, forced into misery and self-hatred. With a single blow, she hopes to change her life, only to find herself trapped again. Ocean has no idea what freedom means, but she desires nothing more than a taste of it. The secrets hidden from her will unfold before her eyes, no one can escape the truth. ~~~ The book excerpt: "Here, I have a key to your heart," I left the key in my palm, metal, and skin together. I stumbled upon the ancient artwork in the locker rooms. It caught my attention because it resembles a dagger, so I took it and waited for the perfect opportunity. "Silly girl, that is not the key to my heart. Pathetic attempt." Vladimir growls in disgust. If I'm lucky, I'll be free by the end of the night. Taking the first step toward my destruction, I grin and move my hips in time with the slow music in the background. Vladimir swallows, his Adam's apple bobbles in his throat. The vampire's eyes focus on the crook of my neck as I stop directly in front of him. I place my palm on his chest, guide my fingertips down to his abdominal muscles, a corner of my lip twitches in disgust. When he closes his eyes, I take the opportunity to plunge the key directly into his heart, smiling as his eyes shoot open and he looks down at me in horror. "Are you still convinced I don't have the key to your heart?" I ask, grab him by the collar, and pull him closer. My lips nearly touch his ear as I whisper, "It fits."

Hailey thought marrying Rome Martinez would be the adventure of a lifetime—and she was right, just not in the way she imagined. As a kindergarten teacher who thrives on structure and routine, Hailey never expected to fall for someone like Rome: mysterious, spontaneous, and utterly unpredictable. Their whirlwind romance swept her off her feet, and saying "I do" felt like diving into uncharted waters—thrilling, terrifying, and full of possibility. But marriage without a map is more complicated than Hailey anticipated. Rome refuses to be tied down by rules or expectations, believing that true love needs no boundaries. What started as exhilarating freedom soon leaves Hailey adrift, craving the stability and normalcy she never knew she needed. As the lines between adventure and chaos blur, she begins to wonder: Can a marriage survive when only one person sets the course? Without boundaries to guide them, Hailey and Rome's relationship teeters on the edge. Will their love be strong enough to weather storms of jealousy, misunderstanding, and unmet needs? Or will their vastly different visions of marriage pull them apart? When one partner's desires eclipse the other's, can intimacy—physical and emotional—truly flourish? In this compelling and heart-wrenching story, discover what happens when love collides with reality, and whether a marriage built on passion alone can find its way to solid ground. Some journeys change you forever. This is one you won't want to miss.