Nine By Nine

After the real son, Asher Vale, was brought back, everything in our house became tied to drawing lots. The chef of the day, who would have to cook a particular person's preferred dishes, had to be decided by drawing lots. Even our parents' kisses and hugs were chosen the same way. I always drew the short stick. The long stick, by default, belonged to Asher. He never had to do anything to receive our parents' love. Whenever I felt it was unfair and wanted to cry, Mom would scold me sharply, "I bought the lot-drawing box because I was afraid you'd feel hurt. I wanted to be fair to both of you. If you want something, decide it yourselves. Your father and I won't interfere. If you can't draw the long stick, you can only blame your bad luck." So I began practicing every day, shaking the box diligently, over and over, in hopes that one day, it would help me earn my parents' love. Unfortunately, for ten years, I never once drew the long stick. Until my birthday. Asher wanted to go to the amusement park, and Mom once again told us to decide by drawing lots. I secretly glued the two short sticks together and handed them to Mom, hoping to keep her with me. She slapped me hard across the face, screaming that I was cheating and disobedient. Then she stormed out of the house with Asher. When I fell to the ground, the short stick stabbed deep into my neck. 'I'm sorry, Mom. Next time, I'll work harder. Next time, I'll definitely draw the long stick.'

Perfect Grades, Perfect Features, Scholarships, Money, Boys at your feet, Every material thing you desire-Are these what make up the perfect life¿ Not for Danielle Sanchez. Danielle lives what everyone sees as a perfect life-except it's far from perfect. When her dad dies in an accident, everyone thinks she lost her father but she lost way more than that...she lost her mother too. Her mother became nothing but a force pushing her to get better grades..the force that leads her to do something she later regrets...the force that leads her to make a wish- a wrong wish. There is only one way to break the spell. ~Find Her Soul Mate But what happens when her soulmate is not Human¿? It's drama. It's mystery. It's fiction. It's romance. It is....JINXED BY ME¡!!

In a kingdom ruled by a brutal king, Thalia Blackwood, an infamous assassin, is given a choice: fight for her freedom or remain a prisoner in the deadly salt mines of Karnak. Selected to compete against ruthless criminals in a contest to become the King’s Champion, Thalia soon finds herself entangled in dark court politics, where enemies lurk in the shadows, and nothing is as it seems. But as she navigates this treacherous competition, sinister forces far beyond the throne emerge, and Thalia must confront a hidden magic, long thought lost, that could destroy everything. With her deadly skills and a mysterious past that threatens to surface, she must outwit her rivals and face dangers both human and magical. Freedom comes at a price—and Thalia will pay it in blood if she has to. Will she win her freedom, or will the darkness of her past consume her first?

"Who is she?" My voice came out weak, foreign to my own ears. I despised the way it sounded--like a scared child-and I hated how he made me feel so small, so powerless. He let his breath out in a noisy sigh-a low, suffering sound, as if he was putting up with something beneath him. "Are we really doing this?" His voice was low now, tined with irritation. "It's not what you think. And even if it was, what are you going to do about it? You blind bat?" I froze, as tears slid down my face. I was just blind to him. A burden.

"In the game of the rich and ruthless; where lines of humanity blurs, blood was inevitable, manipulation was ensured, and betrayal was a norm. You either become a pawn or a player." To the world, Chiara Marino was an art gallery owner with a perfect luxurious life. What people didn't know was a monster she was turned into with no choice but to embrace it. Carmelo Conti is an ambitious and ruthless billionaire who valued his people and family. He is calm and collected, until you touch where you shouldn't have. A forced marriage to a man far worse than her stepfather threatens her life purposes. To them it was just a game. But they forgot that she was a made monster. And monsters don't give a fuck! What happens when Chiara decides to create her own fate?

“Andronikos, stop,” I said, not meaning it one bit. “Stop?” he echoed, his breath hot against my skin, eyes like molten silver. “Tell me to stop again, Adira. Say the word, and I’ll walk away.” Silence. Neither of us moved. Neither of us spoke. Then I broke. He was supposed to ruin her. She was supposed to hate him. But when blood, secrets, and obsession collide, Andronikos Karas finds himself torn between vengeance and the woman who’s slowly setting his world on fire. Adira Abara knows she should run. He’s dangerous, unhinged, and he's a literal warning sign. But when desire turns lethal and the truth threatens to destroy them both, can she resist the man who was never meant to love her? One thing is certain: Andronikos will stop at nothing to claim both his justice... and the woman who’s become his greatest weakness.

When Aria Collins’ father desperately needs an expensive experimental cancer treatment that she can’t afford, she becomes desperate and forms a contract with CEO Alexander Blackwood: She will be his wife for three years in exchange for him giving his medical care and his financial security. What it really is business -- separate bedrooms, public appearances and a marriage of convenience. As Aria moves from being a part of Alexander’s elite business venture to being part of him, the lines between performance and reality begin to blur. When feelings neither of them bargained for to start to open up, they need to decide whether to live up to the contract’s terms or risk everything in search of something bigger than convenience. In this marriage of convenience, convenience was never meant to become love

She never meant to become his wife. Aria Hale had only stepped into the marriage registry to deliver her sister’s documents. Yet somehow, she walked out as the legal wife of Leon Mercer—the city’s most ruthless billionaire. One signature. One mistake. One furious husband determined to make her regret it. “You trapped me,” he growls, ice lacing every word. “You’ll pay for this.” But Aria isn’t who he thinks she is. She carries secrets he could never imagine—an identity carefully hidden, a fortune he never suspected, and a strength that refuses to break under his cruelty. He assumes she’s a gold-digger. She lets him believe it. When he insists she stay until the divorce is finalized, she agrees—but only because she has her own plans. And then he notices. The way she never begs. The subtle power in her laughter. The way other men glance at her… and how his chest tightens in ways he can’t explain. By the time the truth comes crashing down—when he finally discovers who she really is—it’s too late. Aria is gone. Now the hunter becomes the hunted. The billionaire married the wrong woman by mistake. And losing her will be his greatest regret.

Nocturne rules the underworld and is determined to never let a human live past their lifespan. One day he encounters Leo, a human who is supposed to die and is bold enough to offer himself to escape death. Nocturne accepts the bold offer and their love story begins. Soon it becomes clear that things are more complicated than they both realized and Nocturne has to chase down his love before he is lost forever.

Selena Formosus is a regular woman with a good heart. She always grins to put a nice atmosphere about herself. She had always wished to work for Silvenia Technology Company, which she did, and to be the wife of the CEO. Everything is fine until Jaxon needs to fly with his ex on a business trip. Selena had a nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right, but she ignored it in favor of looking for herself and her family. She almost forgot she was four months pregnant at the moment and needed to be strong for her unborn child.