Miranda Collins

When Love Becomes a Prison After twenty failed IVF treatments and four years of heartbreak, Lily Collins finally has everything she's ever wanted: she's pregnant with the miracle baby she and her husband James fought so hard for. But the man she married is becoming someone she doesn't recognize—controlling, secretive, and increasingly dangerous. When James strikes her for the first time, Lily tells herself it's the stress. When he isolates her from friends and monitors her every move, she convinces herself it's concern for the baby. But when she discovers he's been lying about their fertility treatments, she realizes the father of her unborn child might be hiding something far more sinister than she ever imagined. **Meanwhile, across the city...** Alpha werewolf Ace Winters has spent years searching for his destined mate. When the bond finally calls to him, leading him to a pregnant woman living in fear, his protective instincts roar to life. But his mate is human, fragile, and already running from one dangerous man. One wrong move could send her fleeing forever. One right move could save her life. Two men. One woman. A baby caught in between. As Lily fights to uncover the truth about her husband's deceptions, she has no idea that her salvation might come from the mysterious stranger watching over her or that accepting his protection will thrust her into a world where fairy tales are real. Love can be written in the stars. But first, she has to survive long enough to discover that monsters don't always look like monsters... *And heroes don't always look entirely human.*

“I swear, I’ll kill you if you don’t back the hell up.” “I much rather you kiss me.” ... Twenty-two-year-old Nora Macie is a master of invisibility. As the maid’s daughter in the suffocating Collins mansion, silence isn't just a virtue, it’s survival. With her college tuition funded by the family who owns her mother’s future, Nora’s plan is simple: graduate, stay quiet, and disappear. That plan shatters when a private, scandalous video is accidentally sent to the one person who can destroy her: Asher Collins. Asher is the ruthless heir to a billion-dollar empire and Nora’s untouchable stepbrother. He holds her fate in his hands, but instead of exposing her, he becomes dangerously obsessed. When he discovers Nora’s hidden crush on the "golden boy" James Porter, Asher makes a proposal she can’t refuse. He will remake her—transforming the invisible girl into a woman who commands every room she enters. The metamorphosis is explosive. Suddenly, Nora is the center of a gravity she didn’t ask for. James Porter finally notices her, and Damien Priest, Asher’s lethal rival, begins circling with predatory interest. Her quiet world unravels as she is thrust into a high-stakes game of desire and power. Asher remains the architect of her transformation, pulling the strings with calculated precision. But as Nora evolves into the unforgettable creature he designed, the lines between mentor and monster begin to blur. He was supposed to be teaching her how to catch another man’s eye, yet he can’t stop watching her himself. In a world of glittering wealth and dark secrets, Nora is no longer hiding. But being noticed comes with a price, and Asher is finding it impossible to remember that she was never meant to be his.

Note: This is the second book in the "Are You Our Daddy?" series but can also be read as a standalone.   “Please don’t do this. You know I have nowhere to go, don’t you? Please, I still love you. All you’re being told is false. Listen, I am going to tell you the whole truth now. I was actually the one who... who...”   “Look, Salindra,” James cuts in quickly.   “No, James.” Isabella continues. “Please let me speak, you’re going to want to hear this. My name is not even…”   “Salindra!” James shouts.   “I get you. I know you must be all spiked up and all. But it is you who really need to listen to me. Look, I... I never loved you,” he blurts out, swallowing hard.   ~~~   Isabella Harrington, under her father's command, pretends to be poor to test her husband's genuine love. After falling in love at first sight with James Collins, she marries him, hiding her true identity as a billionaire heiress. On their second anniversary, eager to reveal her family background, she instead discovers his infidelity, and she’s confronted with a divorce letter, forced by James’ family to sign.   Homeless and heartbroken, she returns to her family, where they welcome her with open arms.   Michael Howard, who had secretly admired Isabella from afar even before her marriage, is forced into an arranged marriage by his family, just when Isabella got divorced. James, the ex-husband, crosses paths with Isabella again, not as a nobody, but as the chairman of the hospital where he works and also as the renowned phantom medic. Can Isabella reclaim her life and find true happiness with Michael, or will the shadows of her past continue to haunt her?  

— Utilise ta putain de bouche, ordonna-t-il, déjà ses mains ont attrapé ma tête et m’ont tirée vers sa bite épaisse. J’ai ressenti une démangeaison presque incontrôlable dans ma chatte. J’étais terriblement excitée à l’idée de savoir que je prendrai cette énorme bite dans ma chatte. — Ta bouche est trop petite pour ma bite n’est-ce pas ? Alors petite salope, lèche-moi cette bite . — Tu adores quand je te traite de salope n’est-ce pas ? — Réponds à ma question, tu aimes quand je te traite de salope n’est-ce pas ? demanda-t-il en me donnant un coup sur les fesses. — Oui j’adore ça bébé, je suis ta grande salope. Vas-y, donne-moi encore des fessées, vas-y, vas-y. Trois ravissantes femmes… Toutes, je les ai rendues accro à ma bite. Rien que des patates, dévorées par le désir. D’abord Miranda, puis Cynthia, sa fidèle amie d’enfance… et bientôt d’autres. Ceci n’est pas une simple histoire de passion. Non. C’est le récit du sexe infernal. Un sexe qui consume, qui dévore et qui laisse une marque brûlante sur chaque corps qu’il traverse. Le sexe infernal, c’est cette union sauvage où plaisir et douleur se confondent, où chaque gémissement devient une prière et chaque pénétration, une damnation délicieuse. Alors, suivez-moi. Vous allez goûter, ligne après ligne, paragraphe après paragraphe, à ce vertige où la luxure règne en maîtresse. Et je vous le promets : vous allez adorer.

Bagaimana rasanya jika mantan kekasih menjadi kakak tiri? Kakak Tiri yang selalu jatuh cinta, dan tergila – gila dengan kekasihnya justru harus mengakhiri hubungannya. Hubungan keluarga yang semula hangat, justru menjadi panas. “Elle mama mau nikah sama Om Alief, dia ngelamar mama gimana restui mama atau tidak?” tanya Mama Miranda yang sudah janda selama 10 tahun setelah suaminya meninggal. “Om Alief yang sering kasih kita makan itu Ma?” jantung Elle berdebar hebat. “Benar sayang, mama dilamar Om Alief... tapi kembali ke kamu lagi, kalau tetep gak izinin mama nikah gapapa kok.” Pasalnya Om Alief wajahnya mirip sekali dengn mantan kekasihnya Elvandra yang sudah putus hampir satu tahun ini. Hubungan mereka akhir dengan kesalahpahaman, dan membuat Elle mengakhirinya. Namun, Elle tau jika ayah dari Elvandra bukn Om Alief. Namun tetep saja wajah mereka sama, hanya curiga dan perasaan Elle saja. “Gue yakin, papanya Elvandra bukan Om Alief tapi Om Kevin... gue pernah ketemu bahkan ketemu mereka langsung.” *** “Jadi Elle jadi adik tiri gue? Istri dari papa gue?” Kabar menikahnya Papa Alief membuat darah Elvandra marah. Wanita yang selama ini ia jaga, ia cintai dan berakhir menjadi adik tirinya. Tidak, bagaimana pun cinta mengalahkan semuanya. *** “Elvan... jangan cium terus. Kamu kakak aku sekarang.” Elle menolak, fakta yang di tau ternyata mantan kekasihnya menjadi kakak tirinya. Papa Alief menduda dan memiliki putra, yaitu Elvandra. Elle mengetahui setelah mamanya resmi menikah dengan Papa Alief. Hatinya sakit dan hancur saat mengetahui mantan kekasih yang mencintainya menjadi kakak tirinya. “Aku gak peduli mau kam u adik tiri aku atau siapapun itu, aku sungguh cinta kamu Elle...” “Ini salah Elvan...” “Kamu menyukainya Elle sayang...”

Três dias antes do meu casamento, descobri que Shane Dawson havia mudado o local da cerimônia da casa da vovó Mae, no Sul, para o Castillo de Sol, o castelo espanhol que Tania Collins — sua antiga paixão de infância — adorava. Eu o confrontei, mas acabei ouvindo ele reclamar ao amigo: — Graças a Deus a Tania tem bom gosto. Caso contrário, eu seria motivo de piada pelo resto da vida. O amigo retrucou: — Você não prometeu que faria a cerimônia na casa da avó dela? Não tem medo que ela fique brava e se recuse a se casar? Shane apenas riu, com frieza e deboche. — Os Quinn estão à beira da falência. Casar comigo é a única saída dela. Ela não pode arriscar. Já pedi ao cerimonialista para ligar para ela. Aposto que agora ela está correndo pra trocar o vôo. A vergonha e a raiva queimaram no meu peito. Mordi o lábio, e no fim, fui embora. Três dias depois, o casamento no castelo aconteceu como planejado, só que eu não mudei o vôo. Eu não apareci. Em vez disso, estava no velho pátio da vovó Mae, me casando com outro homem. Até hoje, o Shane não entende. Eu nunca quis me casar com ele em busca de alguma "rota de fuga". Eu quis me casar por um amor que durou dez anos. Mas quando o sonho acaba, é preciso coragem para escolher outro caminho.

Sandro was Coreen's first love. Unang beses pa lang niyang nakita ang lalaki sa library ay na love at first sight na siya. Subalit kahit pareho lang dila ng eskwelahan ng lalaki ay hindi siya nagtangkang magpakilala rito ay aminin ang kanyang nararamdaman. Malinaw sa kanya na imposibleng magustuhan ng isang campus crush na si Sandro ang isang tulad niyang wallflower. Nanatili na lamang siyang lihim na humahanfa sa binata. Hanggang sa dalhin siya ng ama sa Greece ay hindi niya nagawang umamin sa binata. Eight years later, bumalik si Coreen sa Pilipinas. She was different from the girl she used to be eight years ago. Isa lang ang hindi nagbago sa kanya. She was madly in love with Sandro Madrigal, her first love. Two months na bakasyon lang ang pakay niya sa Pilipinas subalit nagbago ang lahat ng iyon nang malaman niyan mula sa pinsan ng bestfriend ntang si Miranda na naghahanap si Sandro ng bagong secretary. Itinapon niya ang planong pagbabakasyon sa ibat-ibang panig ng bansa at sa halip ay nag-apply bilang secretary ni Sandro. Itinago niya kay Sandro ang katauhan na anak siya ng isang Greek tycoon. Natanggap siya bilang secretary ni Sandro. Lubusan pa niyang nakilala ang binata at napalapit siya rito. Akala niya, kapag napalapit siya sa binata ay mawawala na ang 'obsession' niya rito. Subalit na iyon ang mangyari ay lalo lang siyang nahulog sa binata. Hanggang sa dumating ang araw na bigla siyang inalok ni Sandro. But his term was "temporary wife". Ayon kay Sandro, kailangan nito ng babaeng papakasalan upang makuha nito ang mana nito. Pumayag siya na maging temporary wife ni Sandro. Hindi niya alam na iyon na pala ang simula ng pagbabago ng buhay niya dahil matapos ang kasal nila ay naaksidente si Sandro at nawala ang ala-ala nito.

When the gas cooker exploded and Sharon Milton was close to death, only her five-year-old son, James Collins, was at her side. Her spirit stood next to James and looked at him as he sobbed and called Sean Collins. He begged Sean to come home and save his mommy. However, Sean only scolded him and told him not to lie like Sharon before hanging up. James wiped the tears from his eyes and called 911. When the ambulance finally arrived, Sean appeared and stept in. "Daddy, Mommy is bleeding out and needs the ambulance. Please don't take it from her!" "You little liar. Looks like your mom hasn't taught you very well. Step aside! Riley is due. She needs this ambulance more than Sharon!" James's eyes had turned red due to all the crying, but Sean pushed him away and left without even taking a look back. He got into the ambulance with Riley in his arms. "Daddy... Daddy! Please save Mommy!" James sobbed as he chased after the ambulance, but he didn't see the speeding truck that was heading towards him. Sharon shouted her son's name and wanted to push him away, but there was nothing she could do. She could only watch as James was run over by the truck. Beneath the wheels, there was a pool of blood spreading across the ground. Sharon was about to lose her mind. Over the past years, Sean had abandoned Sharon and James countless times for Riley Winston and her daughter. Whenever Sharon and Sean had an argument about this matter, Sean would always just say that he was repaying Riley's father for saving his life. Sharon just felt that Sean didn't know what he was doing. What she didn't expect was that he didn't care about her and James's lives at all. Sharon felt that she was the one who killed James. Her heart ached as she took her last breath. If there was another life, she just wished that she had nothing to do with Sean.

Una vez que quedé embarazada, fui aclamada como la mujer más preciosa del submundo. Mi esposo, el nuevo Don de la familia Jenkins, cerró toda una ala de un hospital privado para mis chequeos, mientras que mi padre, el Don de los Collins, convocó a todos los chefs con estrellas Michelin de Nueva York a la mansión, solo para que yo pudiera elegir cualquier cosa que se me antojara. El bebé que llevaba en mi vientre estaba destinado a ser el único heredero de las dos familias de la mafia más poderosas. Pero el día en que debíamos firmar los documentos que aseguraban la herencia de mi hijo, ambos desaparecieron. —Surgió un asunto familiar urgente —dijo mi esposo, Vincent, besando mi frente—. Podemos finalizar la herencia del niño cuando regresemos. No hay prisa. Poco después de que se marcharan, recibí un enlace a una transmisión en vivo anónima. La voz de mi padre se escuchaba en el video, más fría de lo que jamás la había sentido. —Estás diciendo que tu contrato de matrimonio con Evangeline nunca fue válido. ¿Eso no convierte al niño en un bastardo? Vincent, relajado en un club, sopló un anillo de humo. Acurrucada en sus brazos estaba mi media hermana, Sarah. —Evangeline siempre ha tenido todo el amor y el afecto. A su hijo no le faltará nada —respondió Vincent—. Sarah ha sido burlada por su estatus durante años. Tengo que hacer las cosas bien para ella, darle a nuestro hijo un nombre legítimo. En ese momento, mi corazón se paralizó y apenas podía respirar. Entonces mi teléfono vibró de nuevo. Era un mensaje de texto: [Bienvenida a casa a la familia Gallo, mi reina.] [Solo di la palabra, y el niño que llevas llevará el apellido Gallo y se convertirá en el heredero más poderoso del submundo estadounidense.]

Assim que engravidei, fui aclamada como a mulher mais preciosa do submundo. Meu marido, o novo Don da família Jenkins, fechou uma ala inteira de um hospital particular para meus exames, enquanto meu pai, o Don dos Collins, convocou todos os chefs com estrelas Michelin de Nova York para a mansão, apenas para que eu pudesse escolher o que desejasse comer. O bebê que eu carregava estava destinado a ser o único herdeiro das duas mais poderosas famílias mafiosas. Mas no dia em que iríamos assinar os papéis garantindo a herança do meu filho, os dois desapareceram. — Surgiu um assunto familiar urgente. — Disse meu marido, Vincent, beijando minha testa. — Podemos finalizar a herança da criança quando voltarmos. Não há pressa. Pouco depois que eles partiram, recebi um link para uma transmissão ao vivo anônima. A voz do meu pai veio do vídeo, mais fria do que eu jamais tinha ouvido. — Você está dizendo que seu contrato de casamento com Evangeline nunca foi válido. Isso não torna a criança uma bastarda? Vincent, relaxado em um clube, soltou um anel de fumaça. Acomodada em seus braços estava minha meia-irmã, Sarah. — Evangeline sempre teve todo o amor e carinho. Seu filho nunca vai precisar de nada. — Sarah foi ridicularizada por seu status durante anos. Preciso consertar as coisas para ela, dar ao nosso filho um nome legítimo. Naquele momento, meu coração se apertou, e eu mal conseguia respirar. Então meu celular vibrou novamente. Era uma mensagem de texto: [Bem-vinda ao lar da família Gallo, minha rainha.] [Só me confirme, e a criança que carrega terá o nome Gallo e se tornará o herdeiro mais poderoso do submundo americano.]