Not A Synonym

Broken and shattered, Andre Torello contemplated suicide. Love failed him, it pierced his heart and left him bleeding. There's nothing left to hold on to, nothing is left when love has failed him. His fiancee left him, she kept him waiting while she walked the aisle with a richer man. He thought love was stronger than wealth and riches, he'd always believed that nothing can break love but it's all a fallacy. But what if love is waiting at the door? What if all he needed to do was glance in a different direction, but it was too late, Andre concluded. There's no love anywhere again. He'd been shattered by love; he is not ready to give in to its deception anymore. Love is cruel. But more than a lost love, something else was waiting, a throne and a lover and Andre Torello had only one option, accept it or get ruined forever.

Shane realized that his family is in trouble and he has less than a year to find the money to solve the problem. However, he has to go to college and he made up his mind to follow his childhood crush to the college she will go to. However, will things work out the way he wants it to? And will he still feel the same way about her when he goes to college? After all, he will be surrounded by a lot of beautiful women.

"Why aren't you ready for me?" His voice cut through the darkness, sharp as a blade. His hands gripped my hips, fingers digging into soft flesh. "How often do I have to tell you about the rules?" "I'm sorry," I whispered, my throat tight. "I was sick again today, and work was—" "Excuses." He ripped away my underwear, the fabric tearing. "You smell like a kitchen maid. Disgusting." I bit my lip until I tasted blood, fighting back tears. Three years. Three years of being his unwanted wife, forced on him by his grandfather's deal. The old man's words still echoed: "You saved my life, child. Let me give you a good life in return." ***** Five years ago, Elena thought she’d left her nightmare behind. Forced into a loveless marriage with the ruthless Nikolai Ashford, she endured his cold accusations and cruel indifference. But when their toxic relationship threatened the life of her unborn child, she vanished, reinventing herself as Mia Thompson—a confident heiress with a powerful empire of her own. Now, Mia’s carefully rebuilt world is crumbling. One of her twins is gravely ill, and the only hope for survival lies in Nikolai, the man who shattered her heart. Returning to his world isn’t just a desperate gamble to save her child—it’s a chance to exact the revenge she’s dreamed of for years.

Rima: Jacob Snow is a puzzle. I had initially mistaken him for a cold, uncaring, and arrogant CEO, but as we work together, I realize he's the exact opposite. He's warm, considerate, and humble, a far cry from the man I had painted in my mind. But acknowledging this doesn't mean I'm ready to let my guard down. My past is a dark, haunting shadow, and I refuse to let anyone get too close, afraid of the potential pain that could follow. It's been a while since I've felt this way about someone, and the familiarity of these feelings scares me. The last time it ended being the worst mistake of my life. I don't want to give in to these feelings, but I can't deny that Jacob is becoming more than just a boss to me. Jacob: Rima is enigmatic. She’s resilient, determined, and initially, she appears distant. But as we collaborate, I find myself drawn to her strength and determination. She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met, and the spark between us is undeniable. She’s built a fortress around herself, a wall that's impossible to penetrate, but I’m determined to break it down. I sense she’s hiding something, and I can’t shake off the protective instinct that emerges whenever I see her. As we confront the danger together, I find myself struggling to resist the growing feelings I have for her. As danger looms, Rima and Jacob find themselves struggling to resist the growing attraction between them. Their pasts threaten to tear them apart, but they can’t deny the feelings that are blossoming between them. Will they be able to overcome their fears and trust each other? Or will their pasts continue to haunt them and prevent them from finding love?

"Kau siapa?" Charlotte tak menemukan jejak ingatan siapa yang berdiri didepannya memakai handuk dengan rambut basah di kamar hotel itu. Pria tampan atletis dengan tubuh mengagumkan itu memandangnya dengan senyum lucu. "Kau tak tahu siapa aku? Kau tidur diranjangku." Bajunya sudah berganti baju pria itu, Dan sialnya namanya pun tak bisa diingatnya. Nasib sial apa yang menimpanya sekarang. Charlotte adalah seorang wanita mandiri yang tak pernah mempercayai cinta pria, apa yang harus dia percayai. Dari kecil tak ada pria yang berperan dalam hidupnya, dan dia adalah pengacara perceraian, dia melihat banyak wanita brengsek dalam hidupnya. Tapi sekarang dia jatuh ke pelukan pria asing karena minuman, karena kebodohannya sendiri. Dia minum karena kesal terhadap teman mesranya yang sebenarnya dicintainya menggoda wanita lain didepannya. "Mari kita tak saling bertemu lagi." Dia berkata begitu saja dan menghindar. Merasa kejadian ini adalah lembaran yang tidak akan punya pengaruh apapun ke hidupnya. Benarkah mereka tak akan bertemu lagi.

On the day we were supposed to get our marriage license, Michael Robertson ghosted. I sat outside the County Clerk's Office for hours. Instead of him, I got a pic from his secretary, Kallie Clunt. She was in his lap, arms wrapped around him, making out like it was the hottest scene in a drama. [Sorry, Elsa. Michael said he had to comfort my broken heart. You don't mind, do you?] When I asked him about it, he just looked annoyed. "She gave me blood once. What's the big deal if I hang out with her? Can't you be a little more understanding?" My stomach dropped. I turned away and called his older brother. "Leon, do you still want to marry me?"

I wasn’t even pregnant, yet I ended up popping abortion pills like they were candy. It was all because in my past life, the moment my widowed sister-in-law got pregnant, every single side effect of her pregnancy became mine. She strutted around happily with her big belly, consuming spicy tamales, while I was rushed to the hospital for violent nausea and stomach pain; she showed off her flawless skin in crop tops every day, while my stomach broke out in hideous stretch marks. When I told my husband what was happening, he just shoved me away impatiently. “Enough with the jealousy! My brother’s dead, and she’s carrying his only child. Of course, I should look out for her. Do you really have to put on such an act?” After that, my sister-in-law went even further. She kept testing her limits during pregnancy and even ate a mango she was allergic to. And me? I went into anaphylactic shock, landed in the hospital, and nearly died. Doctors couldn’t explain it. They just brushed it off, saying I was overly jealous and it was all psychological. Later, my sister-in-law tried to brand herself as a “hot single mom”. She went live, belly and all, to show off her weight-loss workouts. She jumped around for three straight hours. And me? My uterus literally gave out, and I hemorrhaged to death. When I opened my eyes again, it was the exact day she first announced her pregnancy.

Kali was never meant to bow. Branded an outsider and raised to obey, she’s spent her life defying the pack that expected her submission. When she rejects her first-chance mate, the future Alpha, she’s banished—expected to crawl back. But she unintentionally runs straight into the territory of Alpha Jack: ruthless, dominant, and her second-chance mate. He wants obedience. She gives him war. But when his touch unlocks memories of a forgotten past—and the truth of who she really is—Kali must choose: surrender to the bond and reclaim her power, or walk away forever. Jack may believe he can tame her. But he has no idea that the woman he seeks to break is the one he was always meant to kneel before.

Part 1 - Fated Mistake: Kira and Arkyn As the daughter of Alpha Kai, Kira knew not to doubt what the Goddess had already carved in stone. A Fated mafia marriage of alliance in play to strengthen the packs. It should have been easy, right? Then why was it so damn hard? Alpha Fenriz's son, Arkyn Vega, made her question everything she thought she knew... Everything that should have never been doubtful in the first place. The Goddess chose her mate, so why does she still feel this way about Arkyn? Why does she still crave the touch of a man who is supposed to be her best friend? When her mate takes the Volkov pack hostage, it forces Kira to pick sides. Does she follow fate and remain at her mate's side, or trust the one she has an unbreakable bond with? Did the Goddess make a fatal mistake? ---------- Part 2 - Fated Desire: Kaia and Elijah Elijah Priest and Kaia Volkova thought their lust-filled tryst was a one-time thing, especially after they found out that Kaia was to marry Arkyn Vega. It didn't matter that they were attracted to one another; it didn't matter that it turned out Kaia was actually Arkyn's family.  It also didn't matter that their one-time thing turned into a continuous thing. It was just sex, right? Or so Elijah thought. Seeing Kaia meet her mate at the Convergence Ball leads him to realize that he's actually in love with the woman who lit a fire in his soul. What happens when he finds out Kaia cannot bond with her mate because of a mistaken bite he left in the middle of a sex-filled haze? Even more so, her bite didn't kill him and his blood didn't kill her... Can a vampire and a werewolf truly be mates?

I came back to life the day Cedric Gramont got drugged. This time? I didn't offer my body to him. I called his so-called soulmate instead. In my last life, I stupidly fell for the uncle who wasn't blood-related. When I found out he'd been hit with something strong, I ignored his plea to call Elyna Humbert—and "helped" him myself. A month later, I was pregnant. He had to marry me. On our wedding day, Elyna, who'd gone abroad to "clear her head," got kidnapped and killed. Before she died, she called Cedric 199 times, begging for help. He didn't pick up once. Too busy sealing the deal with me. Later, he just stared at those missed calls, not saying a word. Then the day I went into labor, he locked me in the basement. I begged him to take me to the hospital. He just smiled, cold and empty, and watched me die screaming, the baby still inside me. Last thing I heard? "If you hadn't gotten pregnant, I wouldn't have married you. I wouldn't have missed Elyna's calls. You deserved to die." When I opened my eyes again, it was that same day—Cedric was drugged, but this time, I knew better.