Modern Library's 100 Best Novels Novels & Stories

I suffered from a skin condition. I scratched myself in the library, and millions of netizens spammed my private inbox. Only then did I find out that a girl accused me of harassing her. I took out my diagnostic report to defend my innocence, but the girl cried pitifully. “You really know how to make an excuse for yourself! How could someone innocent like me frame you?” Even my elder brother spoke up for her! “Why would she frame you of all people? Can’t you take a look at yourself?” I could not bear the cyberbullying, and I died from a sudden heart attack the day before the court hearing. My grandfather could not accept my death, and he collapsed into a coma. My parents cut off ties with my brother before they committed suicide at home. Meanwhile, the girl did not just successfully make her way into graduate school, but she also dug open my grave and used my ashes to make fireworks. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day when she had asked me to reserve a seat in the library.

On the eve of the SATs, Sasha Lane’s diary got leaked. Every private thought she had ever hidden about her uncle, Gabriel Quinn, was dragged into the open. Humiliated. Picked apart in public. She was forced to give up the exam. Sent overseas like an exile. After that, she was branded shameless, trashy, and completely out of line. Those accusations followed her everywhere. Years passed. No matter how hard she worked, she could never shake the weight of that judgment. Even after getting into a top global university. Even after becoming a rising star in pharmaceutical research. In the end, they still pushed her toward a stable civil service job, like none of her accomplishments meant a thing. Then came the scandal. A rumor about an illegitimate child exploded overnight. For the sake of his reputation and future, Gabriel forced her into a marriage with the most powerful heir in the city, Sebastian York. Gabriel told her, “Sebastian isn’t interested in you. He only agreed to a fake marriage to deal with his family. Once things calm down, you’ll divorce.” That was the moment her heart finally went cold. She didn’t owe him anything anymore. At City Hall, Sebastian York, a man infamous for his ruthless reputation, handed Sasha his medical report. “Everything checks out. No problem consummating the marriage.” Sasha looked him over, then shrugged. “Fine. You’re this good-looking. I’m not exactly losing out.” Sasha thought Sebastian wasn’t interested in her. She was wrong. After they got married, all it took was one extra look, and something in him snapped. He treated her like his wife in public. In private, he was anything but restrained. Every touch was slow, deliberate, and dangerously tempting. He knew exactly how to get under her skin. Knew exactly how to pull her in. Before she realized what was happening, she was already in too deep. Later, Sasha posted her pregnancy update on social media. Gabriel dropped his speech mid-event and walked out without a word. He drove through a storm just to find her. Soaked to the bone, he blurted out, his voice shaking. “Sasha… divorce him. Come home with me.” Back when she loved him, he didn’t care. Now that he finally wanted her, she had nothing left to give. On the other side of a closed door, Sebastian had her pinned against him, his hand locked around her waist as he kissed her until she could barely breathe. His palm slid over her stomach, his voice low and rough, coaxing. “Be good. Let him hear you.” She was the woman he had fought to claim. And anyone who thought they could take her away? Dream on!

When my best friend, Dulcie Quinn, and I went to Westhaven on vacation, my boyfriend, Shane Lewis, got me a lower berth in a soft-sleeper. Before I boarded, he pointed at the dark circles under his eyes. “I spent three days trying to snag you a lower berth so you’d be comfortable on the trip. “So no matter what, don’t give it up to anyone else. Not even Dulcie.” He looked so serious that I nodded and told him I understood. Sure enough, as soon as we boarded, Dulcie, who had the berth above mine, asked if we could switch. Remembering what Shane had told me, I shook my head and said no. I explained it to her too. I never expected something to go wrong that very night. When she climbed down to use the bathroom, she missed the handrail and fell. Clutching her stomach, she screamed, “My baby! My baby’s gone!” I did not even have time to ask when she had gotten pregnant. I rushed her off the train and took her to the nearest hospital. Late that night, Dulcie’s husband, Wallace Lambert, arrived at the hospital with Shane. By then, she had already undergone a D&C. The moment she saw me, she pointed at me and started cursing me out. “Do you have any idea how much I sacrificed for that baby?” Shane blamed me too. “I thought you were just joking when you said you were jealous of Dulcie. I never imagined you’d be cruel enough to do something like this!” I didn’t even get the chance to say a word before Wallace slammed me against the wall and strangled me to death. After I died, Dulcie ended up with Shane. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to three minutes before boarding the train.

When the mission ends, the real war begins. Captain Jack McCormack has lost everything that mattered. His partner, Lieutenant Michelle Richards, was killed during a covert operation in Iraq—her death a brutal reminder that even the best can fall. Months later, his ASIO team—friends, family in all but name—were systematically executed during a routine bonding session at a suburban paintball park. It wasn’t an accident. It was a message. Now isolated and hollowed out by grief, Jack tries to disappear into the shadows. But when a dangerous new synthetic drug called Supernatural starts flooding the city streets, he’s forced back into action. Jack knows this drug. He’s seen what it can do—what it did before, in a mission buried so deep it was meant to stay forgotten. With ASIO compromised and political forces tying his hands, Jack turns to the only people he can trust—his retired SAS brothers, elite operators with scars of their own. Together, they launch a black-ops investigation to uncover who’s behind Supernatural… and why the same shadows keep reaching into their past. But some ghosts aren’t just memories. Some are still alive.

When Aria, an unassuming omega with a mysterious power she can't control, is named the fated mate of Alpha Caden, chaos ensues. Caden, too proud to accept a weak mate, plans a public humiliation to rid himself of her. But when Aria’s latent abilities begin to surface, the pack is thrown into turmoil. As a ruthless rogue Alpha threatens to overthrow the pack, Caden must choose between protecting his pride or embracing a destiny he cannot deny. In a world where strength is everything, the only thing more powerful than fate is the force of an unexpected love.

Charlene was taken away by Alfredo, a Ruthless Mafia who doesn’t joke with his money on her father’s burial. She was taken away to be sold to get back the money her father owed him but everything changed on the Auction day when Alfredo begins to imagine her in her bed. Alfredo who was supposed to sold her off keeps her for himself and slowly what was meant to be list turn out to be love. Alfredo began to fear loosing her because he had so many enemies but Charlene choose to be with him. Charlene got pregnant but Alfredo wasn’t aware, Alfredo enemies became much and he forced her out of his life even though he had his men watching her. Charlene left with tears but hit kidnapped by Alfredo’s rival in the underworld, Alfredo rival who wanted to use Charlene to get Alfredo sees the charlene’s pregnancy as an opportunity for he and his wife to have their own babies. Will Alfredo rival and his wife take Charlene’s babies away ? Will Alfredo find Charlene? Will Charlene forgive Alfredo?

Anya Petrova has always lived life her way—strong, fearless, and in control. But when she’s bought by Viktor Romanov, the most dangerous man in Moscow, everything changes. He says he owns her now, but Anya has never been one to bow to anyone. Viktor wants more than her obedience—he wants her to give in to him completely. But Anya is not the kind of woman to back down, and the tension between them is as dangerous as it is irresistible. Viktor is used to getting his way, and Anya’s defiance only makes him want her more. But she’s not someone he can easily control. The more she fights, the deeper Viktor falls, and soon, what started as a battle for power becomes something much more dangerous. But Viktor doesn’t know everything—Anya has secrets even more dangerous than his own. As desire clashes with control, they’re drawn into a world of secrets, betrayal, and a passion they can’t deny. But with enemies everywhere, trusting each other might be the most dangerous risk of all. Warning: Mature content, blood, fights, and explosions.

Emma Stone, a literature student at NYU, meets Nathan Blackwood, an enigmatic 28-year-old billionaire, during an interview. Their relationship evolves in a luxurious setting, with venues like penthouses, posh restaurants, and the Hamptons.

Tanin “Tee” has always been the dependable one, the loyal best friend who stood beside Pat through heartbreak, ambition, and every messy chapter in between. So when fate reunites him with Wayu, Pat’s unforgettable ex lover, Tee knows he should keep his distance. But Wayu is no longer the reckless artist who shattered Pat’s heart years ago. Now successful, magnetic, and impossibly charming, Wayu slips past Tee’s defenses with teasing smiles, stolen glances, and a vulnerability hidden beneath his carefree facade. What begins as harmless encounters soon turns into something far more dangerous. Tee finds himself torn between the growing desire he can no longer deny and the friendship he refuses to betray. As buried feelings resurface and old wounds reopen, tensions explode between the two best friends, threatening to destroy the bond they once believed unbreakable. But love is never simple, and neither is Wayu. Behind his playful charm lies a truth Tee never expected, one that could change everything he thought he knew about heartbreak, loyalty, and second chances. Caught between guilt, passion, and the fear of losing everyone he loves, Tee must decide whether following his heart is worth risking it all.

Rule #1: Never lust after your father’s best friend. Rule #2: Especially if he’s the most powerful Alpha in the territory. Ava is unmated and desperate for a connection. When Alpha Xavier arrives for her birthday, the atmosphere shifts from celebratory to electric. He’s always been a distant figure of respect, but tonight, he’s a temptation Ava can’t escape. After a literal "eye-opening" encounter that leaves Ava swooning—quite literally—she realizes that the man her father calls a brother is the only man she wants in her bed. The scent of his skin is a drug, and his touch is a wildfire. When the house goes quiet and the doors are closed, the forbidden tension finally snaps. Ava is about to learn that some bonds are forged by the Moon, but the best ones are stolen in the dark.