Newly Baked

When Miranda Forbes wakes from a stolen kiss under the cover of darkness, her world unravels. The man before her is not Fiore Ilarde, her devoted boyfriend of three years and newly minted fiancé, but Xylon Diaz—Fiore’s closest confidant and the last man she ever wanted to be near. What should have been a moment of bliss becomes a haunting betrayal that sets their lives ablaze. Fiore’s anger destroys their future, leaving Miranda’s heart fractured and her disdain for Xylon consuming her every thought. Yet, fate intervenes, forcing Miranda and Xylon into the isolation of a remote estate nestled deep in the woods. Resentment gives way to reluctant understanding, and Miranda begins to see beyond Xylon’s arrogant facade. The fiery disdain she once felt begins to transform into something she cannot control: longing. Against her better judgment, she finds herself drawn to the very man she swore to despise, craving the touch that awakened her soul. But when Fiore reappears, promising redemption and reigniting old flames, Miranda faces a harrowing choice. Torn between the man who was her first love and the one who now claims her desires, she must decide: Will she follow her heart or surrender to the untamed passion that could destroy everything she once believed in? A tale of betrayal, redemption, and the unpredictable nature of love—a story where every choice carries the weight of the soul.

Maverick Spencer, my husband's older brother, sacrifices himself just to save my husband from a car accident. In order to repay him for his benevolence, my husband, Mateo Spencer, decides to move his newly widowed sister-in-law, Lily Shepherd, into our home. Mateo tells me, "Maverick died saving me, so I must repay him for his benevolence. He was the most worried about Lily when he still drew breath. In order to fulfill his death wish, I must let Lily stay with us. "Lily's biggest wish is to have a child of her own. I have no choice but to sleep with her. It's to repay Maverick, you see. Don't worry, Phoebe. Once she gets pregnant, I won't touch her ever again. You're the only woman for me." But since then, Mateo pays more and more attention to Lily. At the same time, he spends less time with me. When I notice the way he looks at me icily, I feel my love for him starting to get snuffed out. The day Lily finds out that she's pregnant is the day Mateo puts half of the Spencer family's assets under her name. Even the token of love Mateo has given to me on our wedding can be seen adorning Lily's finger. At that moment, I know that it's time for me to leave.

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."

"I'm Aiden Hart's secretary!" I shrieked over the phone. "Calm down, Charlie. It can't be that bad." I heard amusement in Emily's voice. My roommate's attitude did nothing to soothe my nerves. "It's not bad; it's a disaster!" I convinced. "I can't work for someone as hot as him! I can't breathe around him!" I might have been on the verge of a panic attack. I was supposed to work for his father, the well-respected sixty-eight-year-old Alexander Hart, not his youngest son! This wasn't what I agreed to! Less than a month ago, my dear friend died while working at Hart Global Corporation as the CEO's secretary. Now, I was about to replace her while investigating the truth behind her death. I thought I was prepared to enter the snake's nest, but I clearly underestimated the enemy… Aiden Hart was the purest embodiment of my sexual fantasies, and believe me, after four sexless years, I had more than too many of them twirling inside my brain. Every day, I found my boss more and more alluring, and I could only protect my weak heart by repeating my newly created mantra... "Don't fall for Mr. Hart... Don't fall for Mr. Hart... Don't fall for Mr. Hart."

The year is 2304 and war has ravaged the world, leaving scattered communities. Keira, a headstrong 25-year-old, has joined the Eagle tribe with the goal of making a difference. Their primary mission is to take back Meraki, a planet that was intended only for the wealthy and privileged. For the past 50 years, raiders seeking riches have taken over Meraki and severed all communication. The Eagle tribe, trained by old war heroes, has been selected to assess the situation and is actively searching for scattered pieces of a space shuttle that was used to travel to Meraki. Keira is one of the few women who joined the force, as most women help out with daily necessities. She has no interest in marriage, but she can't help but react whenever Josh is nearby. Josh, newly appointed as second in command, has a string of women eagerly throwing hints of marriage, and he would stop at nothing to make them sway. His piercing green eyes, sun-kissed blonde hair, dashing dimples, and ripped physique due to excessive training would contribute to the madness. As fate would have it, she found herself crossing paths with Caleb - a master of manipulation with a dashing demeanor. Despite his apparent immunity to emotion, he exuded a commanding presence that was both cold and alluring. There was something dark and mysterious about him that drew her in, and she couldn't help but feel like he had a way of penetrating her guarded thoughts. Meraki is a place for dreams, a meaning to a better future, or maybe where dreams are now scattered by the selfish traits of men for self-gain.

A brutal rogue and vampire attack leaves the newly appointed Alpha Helios on the brink of death, his body rejecting every attempt to save him. When the eccentric pack healer reveals that only the Alpha’s fated mate can heal him, the entire pack is stunned, because Helios had claimed he had no mate. Timid yet determined, Starlight steps forward, shocking everyone with her ethereal beauty and the truth they refused to see. She gives her blood to save the mate who tormented her, only to fall into a coma herself. As Helios recovers, he is forced to confront the bond he tried to deny. Watching over Starlight, he realizes the unbearable truth. He doesn’t just need her to live; he craves her in ways he never imagined. His wolf, once cold and indifferent, now growls with possessiveness at the sight of her. But Starlight is no longer the weak omega he scorned. She awakens changed, stronger. And she is not so easily won. Determined to make him suffer as she once did, she flips their dynamic, forcing the proud Alpha to submit to her terms. No mate bond, no consummation, until she decides he’s earned it. For the first time in his life, Helios, the dominant Alpha, is at the mercy of the omega he once rejected. And he will do anything to make her his. This is a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers werewolf romance where roles are reversed, and the strongest Alpha finds himself bowing before the mate he once discarded.

My mother-in-law, Kylie McGowan, told me that she wanted to experience the life of the younger crowd, so I took her to my husband Jerome Callen's newly opened upscale bar for a quiet drink. I had just ordered her a signature cocktail when a woman from the booth across the aisle sauntered over, wine glass in hand. Her eyes flicked over the menu on our table, and she laughed mockingly. "Seriously? You ordered the cheapest drink on the menu? Did you bring this old lady here just to enjoy the free AC? People like you should stay in the gutter. This place isn't meant for penniless people!" I rose to my feet, holding back my temper. "We're paying for our drinks here. What does our drink choice have to do with you?" But she suddenly snapped, grabbed a half-finished beer bottle off a nearby table, and swung it at my head. "My husband's the owner of this bar! I could smash your skull in and still afford the damages! Get out, you pauper! Don't be an eyesore here!" I wiped the liquor off my face as my entire body shook with anger. Then I turned away, started my livestream, and spoke directly to my followers. "Look here, everyone! I'm going live to catch a cheater. Let's go explore my husband's other home."

A wolf in hunter's clothing. Belle is a rare and odd beauty among her pack. Unlike the lycans in her pack who can combine themselves with their wolves when they shift, she can only become a full wolf or a full human. She is different, but that does not mean that she is weak. With her being the newly appointed beta of the pack, the alpha assigned her a mission to watch over a human child. Belle did not like the idea of using a kid for their plans to take down the humans, so she helped the girl escape. Because of saving the child she was adopted by the humans, allowing her to enroll to their academy and learn their secrets to compensate to her pack for letting the child escape. But the more she learns, the more she realizes she is siding with the wrong people. Mysteries emerge as she learns that she is not the only lycan who can shift between human and wolf, or otherwise known as werewolves. Whenever she tries to learn about these creatures like her, she is always hampered by Ajax Finnegan, another hunter in training at the academy who is just as strong as she is. To Ajax, he feels like Belle is hiding something. He can sense that she's too different - too special, to be just an ordinary human. She's a beauty with the strength of a beast. Will Belle continue to side with the lycans, or will she continue her search for answers about these so called werewolves? Can Ajax figure out the beauty's secret?

Arranged-marriage, age-gap, Mafia/cartel romance, forbidden Due to my birth order as a child of the Luciano famiglia capo, I’m used to second place. Second son. Second in standing. Never number one. It’s the way my life has always been. Only in the dark alleys, private clubs, and seedy establishments am I respected. Not just as the consigliere to my brother, the new capo of the Kansas City Famiglia, but also for my unmatched skills with a knife and my particular skills of interrogation. This status is as high as I will achieve. First place will forever be out of reach. Camila Ruiz is the younger daughter of Andrés Ruiz, a top lieutenant in the Roríguez cartel. From the first moment I laid eyes on her, I knew I wanted her. She is too young and fragile, though, to be with a man like me, a killer and criminal. I don’t deserve a woman like Camila. Taking her would ruin her. With the newly established alliance between the Luciano famiglia and Roríguez cartel, I ask for the impossible and promise my life. With the blessing of my capo and the Roríguez drug lord, Camila is to be mine. For once, I will be first in another’s eyes. And Camila will always be first to me. What happens when the fragile alliance is tested? Can I keep my promise to my wife and my oath to the famiglia? Have you been Aleatha’d?

Ginnieva Fajardo, a 21-year-old college student had enough. Her life always kept on failing no matter what she did to keep it from happening. It got to the point where she had to work to be able to study and obtain a degree as her parents passed away before she was even thirteen years old. Due to the unfortunate events that occurred to her, she aspired to be someone who would inspire people, an educator. Ginnie then met her professor, Phillip Añonuevo. Phillip is a 27-year-old newly promoted teacher and the eldest child of Añonuevo's family. Phillip's life, in contrast to Ginnie's, resembles that of a prince. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but that does not make him a tyrant. Since then, Ginnie has found him enticing and a man who is entirely right for her, so she has pursued him. However, love should be felt by both sides, which didn't happen. Ginnie was rejected for her feelings on Valentine's day, making her fearful of that special event. In order to progress in life, she refrained from Phillip up until the moment they met again. She realized that she still has feelings for Phillip after all these years, but it was too late as Phillip is now preparing for a marriage. Knowing that information prompted her to entertain boys in order to forget the man who keeps breaking her heart. But what if circumstances changed miraculously, making her the soon-to-be bride of the man who had stolen her young, innocent heart? Will the romance that has failed twice become an everlasting love, or will it remain the same, putting young Ginnie's dream to die?