Modest

Annie's life was simple — a modest job, a best friend who always knew how to make her laugh, and a circle of co-workers she adored. She never expected that one fateful night would shatter everything. Out of curiosity, she crossed paths with a man who would change her life forever. Dylan Xavier — a cold, dangerous mafia lord — rarely did his business in public. But the night he met Annie, he saw more than just an innocent stranger. He saw someone he could claim… someone he could own. To him, Annie was the perfect toy — and the perfect caretaker for his beloved daughter, Amy, the girl destined to inherit his empire. In Dylan’s world, no one leaves. No one escapes. But as Annie is pulled deeper into his dark, luxurious cage, she begins to question her own heart. Will she fall for the man who stole her freedom, or risk everything to run from the one place she can never truly leave? Rated 18+ | Dark Mafia Romance | Possessive Male Lead | Forced Proximity | Dangerous Obsession

I never imagined that my scholarship to Nocturne Academy would lead me straight to my mate. At eighteen, I was supposed to focus on my studies, carve out a future beyond the limits of my modest upbringing, and leave behind the life I once knew. But then I met Elias Grey—my enigmatic professor, the man fate has tethered me to in ways I can’t begin to fight. He's everything I shouldn’t want: older, untouchable, born into privilege, and bound by expectations that would crush a weaker man. As the heir to the Grey legacy and the son of Nocturne’s powerful dean, Elias knows what’s at stake. But how do you turn your back on something that feels inevitable? The pull between us is undeniable. But desire alone isn’t enough—not when Elias faces relentless pressure to marry Claudia Castille, the woman chosen to secure his family’s influence. Caught between obligation, longing, and fate, Elias and I must decide: How far are we willing to go to hold onto something everyone tells us we can't have?

BLURB: “I love you, Micheal.” My voice echoes through the living room begging him to accept me with the unborn child, hoping my husband who has recently become cold toward me will consider my condition. He stood there with his face, cold and tinged with contempt, fixing his gaze to the screen. He said, “I never wanted a child with you. Raise it alone—or don’t.” My heart skipped a beat. Tears began to well down my cheeks. ***** A modest young lawyer Anne was thrown into emotional turmoil when his husband ex-fiancee returned, suffering negligence. Feeling betrayed and devastated, she decided never to look back again. Blind love make Micheal to put himself to the hand of his unhealthy rival which resulted him to lose almost everything. When Evie was caught with Greg, his rival company and his intimate friend, Michael harbour a dark secret about Michael parent's evil in the past with his family, revenge sprang up. Michael sought out Anne , a top ranking lawyer that time. But will Anne forgive him with his past and her relation to his new husband?

Set in 90's times... Jennifer used to be a cold hot headed teenage girl. She was living a normal life, not until she met Akira, a college guy who spilled a 1peso worth of juice on her 7,000 worth of peso bag. She then ended up being in love and in a relationship with him. One night under the full moon she witnessed with her two eyes how her boyfriend turned into a beast that the folks used to call it as a werewolf. She was totally shocked, however, she didn't feel afraid of Akira. Akira confessed about his true identity to her. She learned that every werewolf has a mate and that will only come within their breed. That makes her to persuade Akira to turn her also into a werewolf because she was afraid that Akira would be mated to another werewoman. As Akira fangs pierced on her neck, untold history before them, began to unfold in her mind. And when she totally became a werewolf, she ended up killing Akira. Her life of being a witch with a blood of a werewolf started. She came to the underworld to avenge her parents- the powerful white witches, who had been killed by the black witch and a father and son- werewolf. There, she saw again the face of the man she love, with a modest beautiful woman beside him who turned out to be Akira's mate.

Set in 90's times... Jennifer used to be a cold hot headed teenage girl. She was living a normal life, not until she met Akira, a college guy who spilled a 1peso worth of juice on her 7,000 worth of peso bag. She then ended up being in love and in a relationship with him. One night under the full moon she witnessed with her two eyes how her boyfriend turned into a beast that the folks used to call it as a werewolf. She was totally shocked, however, she didn't feel afraid of Akira. Akira confessed about his true identity to her. She learned that every werewolf has a mate and that will only come within their breed. That makes her to persuade Akira to turn her also into a werewolf because she was afraid that Akira would be mated to another werewoman. As Akira fangs pierced on her neck, untold history before them, began to unfold in her mind. And when she totally became a werewolf, she ended up killing Akira. Her life of being a witch with a blood of a werewolf started. She came to the underworld to avenge her parents- the powerful white witches, who had been killed by the black witch and a father and son- werewolf. There, she saw again the face of the man she love, with a modest beautiful woman beside him who turned out to be Akira's mate.

Arielle Santos 24 years old never imagined that her life would be written for her — even her love story. She was raised in a modest family, a dreamer who painted her hopes in colors only she could see. But one evening, her world collapsed when her parents revealed the truth: to save their family from bankruptcy, she had to marry the son of their business partner — Evan Monteverde, the 28 years old, cold and distant heir of one of the country’s most powerful companies. Evan didn’t believe in love. To him, emotions were distractions — weaknesses that could ruin a man. He had long promised himself never to trust feelings again after being betrayed by someone he once loved. So when his father announced his arranged marriage with a woman he barely knew, he didn’t protest for love’s sake — only to end the endless lectures about “duty” and “family legacy.” Their wedding day was perfect — at least in the eyes of the guests. But behind the veil and the smiles, two strangers stood at the altar, reciting vows they didn’t mean. The words “I do”echoed in the church, but neither of them truly did. After the ceremony, they made a deal — they would live together for one year, play their roles for the sake of appearances, and then quietly separate. No love. No expectations. Just peace. But peace was harder to keep than they thought.

Gina and I were just ordinary werewolves in the Silver Claw Pack. Our incomes were modest, but we married well. Her mate was the captain of the Silver Claw Pack patrol unit. Mine, the fire squad leader. They grew up together—childhood friends—and were the youngest golden duo in the Werewolf Alliance. On the day we married, our mates each bought us a luxury high-rise apartment on the top floor of the central castle, side by side, with the promise of sharing life and death together. That is, until that fateful night. Rogues broke into the central zone. Chaos reached even the upper levels of our building. The tower caught fire. Amidst the thick smoke, I sent a desperate mind-link to my mate. He blocked it. Turns out, both our mates were busy shielding their shared first love, Lifu. They ignored our calls for help. Gina dragged me as we ran. She was six months pregnant; her pup was already kicking from the panic. Her mate never showed up either. We made it to the stairwell, where we were trapped for five hours. Toxic fumes filled our lungs. I went into labor too early. My pup didn't make it. Gina bled for three days in the hospital. Her pup was gone too. Meanwhile, our mates were digging through the wreckage—twenty-four hours straight—searching for Lifu's lost dog. That was it. Right then and there, Gina and I looked at each other and knew. We were done.

Rich, handsome and intelligent heir to the billionaire company, The Grey Business Empire, Andrew Alexander Grey, has always got all he ever wanted with his charm, looks and brilliance which attracts all the girls. Being the most popular and the number one heartthrob of every girl on campus, Andrew is shocked when he meets Robin, the only girl resistant to his looks and fame and vows to date her and include her name in his long list of conquests to prove that he is the greatest player of all to his friends. But what if he finds himself catching real feelings for her? Will the player be tricked in his own game? ★★★★★★★★ She is beautiful, tomboyish, fierce, headstrong and intelligent, a scholarship student from a modest background, she is Robin Jane Stevens. Having met Andrew after an accident involving her brother she is shocked by his ego and arrogance. So when fate brings about several encounters between them, Robin decides that Andrew must be taught a lesson to change his habit of looking down on others and makes it her goal to crush his inflated ego by dating him and being the first girl ever to dump him. Considering herself immune to his charms, Robin is surprised to find herself getting too involved with him and forgetting all about her original plan. Could she be falling for the player after all? Things get complicated when secrets are revealed and lots of hurdles come in between them. Will the player finally change his ways and what secret exactly would he discover?

They say if you work hard, you will be able to achieve what you want. Born in a modest family, orphan at a young age, struggling in a capitalistique world to find her place; that's what her daily life seemed to be. But who would have thought she would die a meaningless death when hit by a truck after leaving from the office?! And say what !? She died a virgin without even having a boyfreind once! Luckly the universe is righteous! She get's a new chance for life and become the daughter of the all powerful Duke Evanson! Lady Satiana Von Evanson! Living a life of pleasure she enjoys beeing rich and live a carefree life... But that all will change when she realize that the world she's reincarnated in is that of a Role play game called "Saga of Regulus". A fantazy world where magic and monsters exist... and what ? she is the main stories Female Villainess ! The Solis Family that rules over the Regulus empire, she is engaged to the heir to the throne ! The blonde Crown Prince Lukretus La Solis! Her nemesis! To escape a fate of ruin and destruction, she struggle day and night under the cover of the Sorceress Satania. With schemes and devious toughts she takes on the role of the Villainess with the sole purpose of survival! And during her journey... her fated encounter with the Red haired boy will change everything... "Who is this man? Why is he so familiar !? And why the hell am i falling for him! i don't have time for this! i need to continue with my plan!" With such toughts will she achieve her happiness? Will her hard work pay at last? Folow the story of the Sorceress and her journey against the fate of the Villainess!

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing