Not A Bad Thing

In a world where family ties and business deals are intertwined, Ivy Smith finds herself trapped in a nightmare. Her father's company is struggling, and the only way to save it is by forming an alliance with the powerful Blackwood family. The cost? Ivy's hand in marriage to Victor Blackwood, a ruthless and cunning man with a reputation for getting what he wants, no matter the cost. Ivy is devastated. She's always been a strong-willed and independent person, and the thought of being tied to someone like Victor is unbearable. But her family's situation is dire, and she feels she has no choice but to accept the arrangement. As the wedding preparations begin, Ivy's brothers - Ethan, Lucas, and Julian - are fiercely protective of her. They know Victor's true nature and are determined to keep her safe. But they're also bound by the agreement, and their hands are tied. Victor, on the other hand, is determined to break Ivy's spirit. He's cruel, manipulative, and has a hidden agenda. He sees Ivy as a trophy, a way to solidify his family's power and control. And he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants. As Ivy navigates her new reality, she must find a way to survive Victor's abuse and manipulation. She's trapped in a gilded cage, with no escape in sight. But she's determined to fight back, to find a way out of this nightmare and take control of her own destiny. The story is a dark, twisted tale of love, family, and power. It's a tale of survival and rebellion, of one woman's fight against the forces that seek to control her. Will Ivy find a way to escape Victor's clutches, or will she be forever trapped in this living hell?

On our fifth wedding anniversary, my husband cancels a 100-million-dollar business deal to take me on vacation. While we're together, breathless and intimate, I'm about to tell him the news that our IVF finally succeeded when he answers his phone. His Valerian flows, smooth and effortless. "Of course I'm coming to tomorrow's prenatal checkup. That's our baby." "But won't your barren wife get jealous?" The woman on the other end speaks with a sultry lilt. Ethan Shaw traces his tongue along my neck as he responds, "What she doesn't know won't hurt her." My mind went blank, like lightning striking too close. I stuff the pregnancy report back into my pocket without thinking. "Honey, who's that?" Ethan pulls me close by the waist. "Just a business partner in Valeria. Time difference, that's why they're calling now..." I can't process the rest of his words. Ethan doesn't know I understand Valerian. Since he's clearly not excited about our child, I'll make sure this baby grows up without him as a father.

My heiress wife's childhood sweetheart has just announced his engagement to someone else today. For some reason, she seems heartbroken. As her husband, my mind turns into a mess when I hear the news. Everyone in our social circle knows that my wife's family is incredibly wealthy. When she buys luxury goods, she basically buys out the whole store. But today, she coops herself up at home and doesn't go out. Worse yet, she doesn't give me the money for this month's living expenses. I'm seriously losing sleep over this. "Honey, please accept reality and move on. Is there anyone who hasn't been a fool for love?" The second I hit send, my heiress wife bursts out of the bedroom, where she was holed up. "Tell me for whom you were a fool. For whom did you humble yourself?"

All her life, Octavia had endured one form of abuse to another. From a father who hated her guts and blamed her for the death of his wife, to the mob boss who was supposed to be her knight in shining armor. Octavia is ready to cross love off her list when life throws her the mysterious Giovanni heir. A bad boy who would do anything to get in her pants, piss her off and still manage to be charming about it. What happens when love falls into the forbidden mix? When life tosses her into a web of secrets and betrayal, will she be able to hold on to this bad boy or lose him in her quest to hurt those who caused her pain?

Elara Hart resides in a gilded prison. She agreed to marry Adrian Kingsley, a man who sees emotions as a liability and his wife as a required transaction in order to save her dying father. In the hopes that her patience would eventually break the billionaire's heart, Elara puts up with the chilly quiet of their London house for a year. However, Elara's hope is dashed when she learns two things on the same day: that she is carrying the Kingsley heir at last, and that Adrian has already completed the legal paperwork to dump her as soon as the kid is born. She is a throwaway container for him and a minor inconvenience for his mother. Elara does the unthinkable as she realizes she is imprisoned in a home that just wants her womb. She vanishes without a trace. Dr. Elara Hart is now a much more confident woman than the shy young lady who asked for an appointment seven years ago. She is a well-known doctor and a fiercely protective mother to Lucas, who has Adrian's steel-gray eyes. The balance of power has changed when Adrian returns to her life through a chance meeting. Too late, Adrian understands that love can not be controlled, but Elara is no longer available. He must realize that in this struggle of wills, some hearts can not be won back once they have been broken.

"Please," I whisper as his teeth graze my neck, my body betraying every promise I made to keep him at a distance. "We can't—" "Can't?" His laugh is dark, dangerous. "Your wolf is screaming for me, Fin. I can smell how much you want this." His hands pin my wrists above my head, his body pressing mine against the wall. "Tell me to stop. Tell me you don't dream about my hands on your skin, my mark on your throat." His lips brush my ear, voice rough with need. "Tell me, and I'll walk away. But we both know you're tired of denying what's between us." Finley Bennett never expected to be Alpha of Forest Trails pack. But when her brother refuses the role, she's determined to prove a female can lead - even if it means burying her broken heart. Because the one wolf who was supposed to be her perfect match chose another, leaving her with nothing but duty to cling to. When Mountain Ridge's powerful Alpha arrives to discuss border threats, his sudden marking of her as his mate offers a second chance at happiness. But fate isn't finished testing her yet. Another cruel rejection leaves her wondering if she's destined to lead alone. As mysterious attacks threaten pack lands and ancient magic stirs, Finley must navigate pack politics, unseen enemies, and the return of her first mate. But something darker lurks beneath the surface - a hidden enemy whose manipulation could cost her everything she's fought to protect. With her territory under siege and her heart torn between two wolves who rejected her, Finley must decide: can she trust fate's choice a third time? Or will opening her heart again destroy everything she's built?

"I, Alpha Xander Finch of the Red Moon Pack,” he said. Wait, is he going to accept my rejection now? “Reject your rejection, Alpha Chastity Reid of the Silver Moon Pack,” he added, and my eyes widened when I felt something extraordinary. Maybe he felt it too because he was surprised as well. Then he carried me before he pinned me at the back of the now already closed door and kissed me and, oh goddess, I felt like I missed him for a thousand years already, so I kissed him back. ***** Chassy, an omega who carries the weight of her heritage, is mistreated by her mother and the Red Moon Pack for her entire existence. Her real potential, which was acquired from a father who came from a mysterious lycan clan, is hidden from her and her tormentors. She found out that Xander, her Alpha, was her mate. For some reason, he hurt her. As a result Chassy leaves and rejects him. But destiny has more in store for her. With the advent of her lycan beast, she unexpectedly rises to the position of alpha in her adopted pack. Then she met her father whom she never knew and found out more about herself. The persistent vampires, push packs to band together under an alliance. Chassy's previous and present lives intersect when Xander stops by her new pack for a joint training session against this backdrop of peril and unity. Will Xander and Chassy be able to cross the gap between them? Can they stand together in the face of the impending vampire threat? What will Chassy do when she knows that she's unable to give Xander an heir and a boy with his mother comes to the pack claiming Xander to be the father?

I was a violin prodigy. But to pay my mother’s debts, I was forced to give up everything. That’s when I met the man who would own me: Dante Moretti. He was the king of New York's underworld. The Don of the Moretti family. With a single phone call, fortunes were made. With a single glance, blood was spilled. The world didn't just bend to his will—it broke. And on that day… what he wanted was me. He gave me a five-year contract. A penthouse in a skyscraper overlooking all of New York. More jewels and gowns than I could count. Every night he needed me, I’d put on whatever lacy thing he picked out. We’d have sex. Five years. 999 times. There were moments—his sweat dripping on my forehead, his soft breaths inside me, the way he’d look at me—when I let myself dream he loved me. Then the video dropped. Him. On the street. Kissing another woman. I knew the truth. He was my keeper, not my lover. Everyone laughed. They couldn't wait to see me lose my mind, begging him to keep me. Instead, I turned my back on him. And married another man.

Hindi plano ni Alexie Kim Padilla na magmahal ulit. After being cheated on by her ex-boyfriend, she promised herself one thing—no attachments, no expectations, no pain. Kaya nang lumipat siya ng network, ang goal niya lang ay magsimula ulit at iwan ang lahat ng nakaraan. Pero isang banggaan sa hallway ang magpapabago ng lahat. Doon niya nakilala si Emmanuel Villa—gwapo, charming, at… hindi pala straight. Parte siya ng LGBTQ+ community at may boyfriend na rin. Sa unang tingin, alam na ni Alexie—hindi pwede. Pero bakit parang ang hirap umiwas? Habang tumatagal, mas nagiging malapit sila sa isa’t isa. From simpleng tulong, naging comfort, hanggang sa maging sandalan sa mga sakit na pareho nilang tinatago. Pareho silang nasaktan, pareho silang takot… pero pareho ring unti-unting nahuhulog. Hanggang sa dumating ang moment na kailangan nilang tanungin ang sarili nila—kaya ba nilang sugalan ang isang bagay na alam nilang komplikado? Isang relasyon na walang label. Isang pag-ibig na bawal. At isang katotohanan na mahirap tanggapin. Nang masira ang lahat dahil sa isang pagkakamali, mapipilitan silang harapin ang tanong na matagal nilang iniiwasan— Kung ang pag-ibig ay hindi ordinaryo… karapat-dapat pa rin ba itong ipaglaban? Sa mundong puno ng judgment, expectations, at takot—pipiliin ba nila ang isa’t isa? O hahayaan na lang nilang maging isang alaala ang lahat?

At nine months pregnant, I suffered an unexpected miscarriage. My husband, Graham Pearson, fought back his own grief as he comforted me. He would whisper to me every day, trying to soothe my shattered heart, "Whitney, we will have children again someday. Our little angel was here for a while, and next time, we'll make sure we hold onto them..." Under Graham's careful care, I slowly began to pull myself out of the numb fog I'd been trapped in. But then, a month later, I overheard him talking to one of his friends. "If Whitney finds out the baby didn't actually die and that you've let Cassidy raise him, don't you think she'll flip out? You've worked so hard to get where you are; you can't let this mess it all up." Graham casually flicked his cigarette, his voice almost detached as he waved a hand dismissively. "Cassidy can't have kids, but she loves children. If this baby brings her joy, it's a blessing for the child, too. "I might never get the chance to be with Cassidy, but letting her raise my son, in some way, feels like a kind of fulfillment..." The truth hit me like a frozen wave, paralyzing me in place. It turned out this whole ordeal had been part of Graham's plan from the start.