Metal Gear Solid Venom

Five years ago, Elara Thorne died in a wreckage of twisted metal and flames. Or so the world believed. In reality, she was running from the powerful Vance family who wanted her erased, and running from Julian Vance, the man who had shattered her heart before she could even tell him she was carrying his twins. Now, Elara is a shadow in the city, a mother living on the edge of survival. But the "Ice King" of New York has a long memory and even longer reach. When Julian catches a glimpse of a familiar face at an elite gala, his world of cold calculation turns into a furnace of obsession. He doesn't find a grieving ex-lover. He finds a woman who has become a lioness, and two children who are the perfect, sapphire-eyed images of himself. Julian doesn’t ask for forgiveness. He demands a debt. He drags Elara from the gutters of Brooklyn into the heights of his glass palace, forcing her into a Marriage of Convenience. He wants his heirs. He wants his revenge. And most of all, he wants to possess the woman who dared to make a fool of him. But Julian has forgotten one thing: a woman who has already survived death has nothing left to fear. As Elara steps back into the world of the elite, she isn't there to play the dutiful wife. She is a Trojan horse in a red silk dress, ready to dismantle the Vance empire from within.

"I was the reason behind his success, but now, I will be the reason for his downfall." Ashley Carter was the perfect and loyal wife every man in the business world envied. The woman that only Alex Montgomery could have. Ashley thought she had it all until the night of their anniversary. An anonymous call ended a five-year-old solid union and the happy life of Ashley. She was not just betrayed by her husband, but also lost all her properties and reputation in society because of him. With shame and the constant smear by the media, Ashley left, but promised to return to fulfill those words. And exactly three years later, she was back as a famous actress to take everyone who hurt her down. But she wasn't alone. She had the three most dangerous men fighting for her heart. Now, her ex-husband is falling at her feet, begging for another chance and set to compete with these three men for her cold heart. But love wasn't Ashley's priority anymore. Revenge and the unquenchable thirst for fame were. And even if she decides to give it a second chance, who would she choose? No one knows, but it is quite certain that she is out to destroy not just him, but everyone.

At the Mercer family's annual dinner, I accidentally wore a couture gown that belonged to Lucian's late wife. The eight-year-old boy I had raised myself, in front of every key member of the Family, threw a glass of expensive red wine all over my pure white dress. He just stood there, his cold, condescending expression a mirror of his father's. "Don't think you can become the mistress of this house just by dressing like my Mamma." "I swear, when I'm old enough to take over the family business, I'll make you disappear for good!" The cold liquid soaked through the fabric, clinging to my skin. But I felt nothing. My heart had frozen solid the moment I signed my life away eight years ago. I looked at the child I had raised as my own for eight years. There was no anger. The faintest smile touched my lips. I leaned down and whispered in his ear, "You won't have to wait that long, my little lion. I'm leaving, and it will be very soon."

The world might think billionaire Xavier Gaines has it all, but he’s got a big problem. His successful software company is about to sign a government contract that’ll land him smack in the glare of the public limelight, and his lifelong battle with social anxiety has marked him as a cold, uncaring bastard in the eyes of the press. To dispel the unflattering image, he needs help, and there’s only one person he trusts with the job—Peyton Smoke. Gorgeous, kind, and funny, she agrees to be his media relations director and soon imbeds herself so deeply in his life, his world will crumble if anything upsets the balance. He cannot screw up their solid unit. No matter how achingly he desires her. Yet, how is he supposed to resist when she tugs emotions from him he didn’t think he was capable of experiencing? Especially since it appears he’s not the only one fighting their undeniable attraction. Ever-after might be possible...if he can convince her to believe in love again.Counterbalance is created by Kelly Moran, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

For as long as I can remember, my family and I have been living in an underground basement that's completely shut off from the outside world. My parents have told me that the zombie apocalypse is terrorizing the outside world. The air is completely plagued with the zombie virus, and we'll die if we ever leave the basement. In order to save the supplies—which are already dwindling, to begin with—I've starved myself to the point I'm all skin and bones despite being only 18 years old. When I realize that there's only one last can of food left, I leave behind a suicide note. "Mom, Dad, now there's one less mouth to feed. You'll last a few more days." After that, I slit my wrist right away. Once I'm dead, my soul phases through the thick and heavy metal door. Bright sunlight illuminates the entire world. It's a beautiful, peaceful world filled with greenery. I can even hear birds chirping in the distance. Mom, Dad, and a bunch of people are throwing a barbecue party on the lawn. The mouth-watering smell of food being grilled permeates the air. So, it turns out that the zombie apocalypse is just a lie that's designated to trap me inside the fortress. I'm the only one who has died in this sunny, peaceful world.

Based on the untrue writings of the Satanic Panic. The Satanic Panic was a moral outcry in the United States over supposed “satanic” influence in media that were warping the youth of America. Claims that playing an elf in Dungeons and Dragons could lead to demonic possession, that playing heavy metal music backwards would reveal satanic messages, and that therapists could uncover repressed memories of satanic ritual abuse, were all too common. Volumes and volumes of material were produced on this fake subject. These texts lead to What Hell May Come, which takes a look at what the world would actually be like if all of the claims of the satanic panic were true. Set in 1986, Jon St. Fond’s life is a living Hell. Deliberately abused and neglected by his parents, the only joy he has in life is an escape into a fantasy land of role playing games. Soon he discovers that his parents are part of a secret occult religion with hidden ties all across the world. As Jon and his friends dig, they learn more of the secret history of the world and discover the power of making deals with creatures from Beyond. However, power has its price, as Jon and his friends quickly discover. One-by-one they begin to become consumed by their own desires and hatreds. Jon learns there is method behind the madness of his life, as his Father begins to bring him closer and closer into the ways of the cult. Ultimately, Jon must make a choice between all the pleasures of the earth and the future of his soul. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

"I should’ve killed him the night he betrayed me. Instead, I kept him alive — chained, bleeding, and trembling beneath my hands." Nicholas Rhodes, heir to the Rhodes crime syndicate, had everything: control, power, loyalty. Until him. Rafael “Rafe” Vega — the man he once trusted with his life — turned on him in the middle of a war, selling secrets to their rivals. But when fate forces their worlds to collide again, Nicholas doesn’t kill Rafe. He takes him back. As a captive. As a weapon. As a reminder of everything he lost. Hatred was supposed to keep them apart. Instead, it burns hotter than desire — twisting into something neither of them can name. Obsession becomes their language. Betrayal becomes their bond. And love… love is the bullet waiting in the chamber. Because in their world, love doesn’t save. It destroys. --- Main Characters: Nicholas Rhodes— 29 Cold, ruthless, born into blood and chaos. After Rafe’s betrayal, he’s become darker — quieter, crueler. He claims he feels nothing anymore… but Rafe’s name still tastes like venom and longing on his tongue. Rafael “Rafe” Vega — 26 Former hitman and Nicholas’s right hand, before he turned traitor. Charming, unpredictable, and carrying his own secrets. His betrayal wasn’t what it seemed — but he’d rather die than beg Nicholas to understand.

As I stepped out of my older brother's newly opened supermarket, the alarm suddenly rang. The sales assistant grimly reached out and grabbed me, "Miss, you haven't paid yet." I remembered that my buttons were made of metal, which triggered the alarm. After patiently explaining and easing the atmosphere, I said, "The owner of this supermarket is my older brother. He'll pay the bill." The sales assistant scoffed. "Your brother's the boss? Why not say he's your husband instead? You stole and refused to admit it. Pay up or I'll call the police immediately," she said and crumpled the receipt into a ball before throwing it at my face. I endured the humiliation and unfolded it. A baby pacifier for 100,000 dollars. Two packs of baby wet wipes for 200,000 dollars. Security personnel's hush fee, 300,000 dollars. All of the miscellaneous expenses added up to exactly one million dollars. I laughed in anger. "One million dollars? Why don't you just rob a bank? Go and get Chad Surrey. I want to see how I ended up with such a heartless brother." She rolled her eyes. "Don't pretend if you can't afford it, thief. Is Mr. Surrey someone you can see whenever you want?" When my parents came to help me, I said, "Only one of us exists in this family. It's either me or her."

Two days before my wedding, I was sorting through some old belongings when I suddenly remembered the time capsules Ethan Shaw and I buried ten years ago. His expression froze the moment he heard it. He tried to talk me out of going. “It’s been so long. Someone must’ve dug them up already.” I didn’t think much of it and went back to our old school on my own. But at the spot where we buried it, I unearthed five metal boxes of different sizes. Two of them were the ones Ethan and I buried a decade ago, now rusted all over. The other three didn’t belong there—one was just as rusty, while the remaining two looked brand-new. The old box had Rose Quinn’s name carved on it. On top were the words: “My secret crush was a war of myself. Ethan, I wish you happiness.” I remembered her then—an unremarkable girl who used to sit behind us. And the two new boxes were engraved with the names Ethan Shaw and Rose Quinn. The date marked on them was today. On Ethan’s box, it read: “My greatest regret in life is that I can’t give you a wedding.” On Rose’s box, it read: “My greatest regret in life is that I can’t openly wish you a happy wedding day.”

Her trembling body backed away watching her predator reaching her, her lips quivered in fear keeping her shaking hand over her bandaged stomach. "P-Please," She whispered letting out a loud gasp when he grabbed her throat roughly jerking her near him, his lips touched hers freezing her shaking body on the spot. "Don't worry il mio veleno, I wouldn't let you die, we will live together like we promised. but the difference is, the once promised heaven would be a hell now!" And he didn't lie, the man who once loved her beyond him hated her with the same intensity. They were poles apart, they were not meant to be but he refused to accept the fate, he refused to let her get away from him, his hate, his vengeance. This time he will hate her with passion the same way he loved her once, but the only thing that will stay same would be. He didn't let her go before, he wouldn't let her go now. She was his venom and he has let her intoxicate him with no escape. THE SPIN OFF SINFULLY YOURS CONTAINING ACE SULLIVAN STORY. IT CAN BE READ AS STAND ALONE NO NEED TO READ SINFULLY YOURS. REMEMBER ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE THERE WILL BE GRAMMATICAL AND SPELLING ERRORS SO PARDON ME.