Number Nine

After three miscarriages for Xavier Lowe, I see it—my mother-in-law has three years left, my father-in-law nine years, and my sister-in-law two years. I say nothing. After the third miscarriage, my mother-in-law blames me, calling me a curse who "kills" children. My sister-in-law sneers, saying she almost died in a car crash the year I married Xavier—as if my bad luck dragged her down. My mother-in-law snaps, "She can't even keep a child. It must be because she's cursed!" Xavier just stands there, silent. He doesn't say a single word for me. I know that, deep down, he believes that I bring bad luck. Maybe it's also because he already has someone else—his secretary, Yvette Snyder. His mother has always liked her better, and he clung to her the night I lost my third child. I don't explain because I know the truth will only destroy them faster. On my 28th birthday, I catch a glimpse of my own countdown in the mirror. On that day, I take a leave of absence. I go to the funeral home and pick out an urn—pure white, just like the wedding dress I once wore. Wearing a beautiful floral dress, I text Xavier, asking him to meet me at the lake where we first met ten years ago. I wait from daylight until nightfall as my countdown ticks to zero. I die, and he never shows up.

DISCONTINUED INDEFINITELY ********************************** WARNING CONTAINS SEXUAL CONTENT ********************************** Ashlee is a trouble maker who has been expelled so many times that she drove her parents to the edge of insanity. They had run out of ideas on how to get her to straighten up so they decided to send her to an all boys private school where her roommate and all of her classmates are, you guessed it, boys! Once she gets used to the nonstop flirting and staring she makes friends with a number of the guys and quickly realizes that half of them have crushes on her. Will being put here be a punishment or a hidden blessing, only time and her unique experience will tell in the end. ********************************** "You're a girl." He stated coldly glaring at me "You're a boy." I countered raising one eyebrow ********************************** "Ugh stop staring." I stated before adding "Where can I take a shower?" "Um well the showers here are down the hall but they're not private at all." Matt stated "We could guard the door for you so no guys go in." Max added "Awwwww thanks guys, should I strip in front of the whole school now or when you let them in the showers while I'm naked?" I replied sarcastically "Awe Ashlee we wouldn't do that." Matt said "But I wouldn't mind a Private showing." Max added with a wink

"I have Two Rules For You. One; Do Not Fall In Love With Me. Two; Never Forget Rule Number One!" *** Jonathan Black, a formidable mafia tycoon, finds himself ensnared in a personal hell. Scarred by a previous distraction that cost him the life of his own brother, he swore an oath to prevent history from repeating itself. But little did he know, fate had other plans in store. Desperate for redemption, Jonathan is confronted with an unthinkable proposition—a marriage to his late brother's widow, the alluring and mysterious Hazel. As they embark on this union, the lines between loyalty and love blur, igniting a tempestuous attraction that defies all reason. Bound by the levirate contract, Jonathan and Hazel try to resist the magnetic pull between them. Yet, like an unbreakable elastic band, their desires only grow stronger, threatening to shatter the delicate balance they have meticulously built. In this high-stakes game of passion, each touch, each stolen glance, becomes a dangerous step towards a perilous edge. But beware, for the consequences of letting go are dire. As Jonathan begs for absolution, he teeters on the precipice of a choice that could either lead to their ultimate salvation or plunge them into an abyss of irreversible destruction. Will they succumb to the intoxicating allure of their hate-love, risking everything they hold dear? Or will they find the strength to resist, knowing that the consequences could be devastating for both their souls? Can Jonathan Black find redemption and hold onto the woman he craves, or will his insatiable hunger for absolution condemn them both to an eternal torment?

My boyfriend, Nick, has finally returned after a decade-long battle in the south. I'm overjoyed when he tells me he'll marry me and make me his Luna. At that moment, I feel like I've finally found my home. But after getting pregnant, I accidentally come across a treasure trove of videos of him and my best friend, Sherry, in bed together. His journal also details his love for her. I log in to his extra WhatsApp account. Sherry has already blocked his number, but he still sends her messages of love—confession videos, words, and voice messages. I head to the hospital for a prenatal checkup. That's where I see My Alpha, Nick, getting on one knee before Sherry with a bouquet in one hand and his family heirloom—a moonstone necklace—in the other. He proposes to her. "I gave up on my dream to conquer the southern packs to return and see you, Sherry. I only have one goal—to marry you! Our child can't be without a father, and I'll mark you once you say yes! I'll make you my Luna!" he says. I turn away and make an appointment for an abortion. Then, I leave. Unexpectedly, he abandons Sherry and their child to come after me like a madman.

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?

The explosion wiped out my parents—and their company. All I had left was some insurance cash and a pile of patents nobody cared about. I begged their old partners to back me. Crickets. Then Alex Ross strolled in, played the hero no one asked for, and proposed. Five years deep into our marriage, after my 99th FDA rejection, I finally cracked. I was in the garage when I heard his phone on speaker. Mark's voice came through: "Dude, you're still handing Lily Emma's blueprints before she even files? How many times has she flopped now? Girl's relentless, huh?" Alex? Straight-up ice. "Ninety-nine. She'll quit soon." "You're really tanking your wife to boost Lily's brand? Worth it?" "Lily's launching her new product tomorrow at the Boston Medical Summit. Patent number 100. Watching her blow up from nothing... makes me proud." "But it's all Emma's stuff. Your dad made you marry her for her brain, didn't he?" "Don't bring up my father." His voice turned sharp. "He forced me to dump Lily. I just played along." I sank into the driver's seat, frozen. I wasn't a partner. Just a pawn—revenge bait for his dad and backup fuel for his ex.

The night before our wedding, Jason Scott receives the cancer diagnosis of my adopted younger sister, Helena Sanderson. His expression falters, and he says indignantly, "We'll cancel the wedding tomorrow, Victoria. Helena is very fragile now. I can't risk upsetting her at this point in time." I reply, "I don't agree with it! Why would my wedding upset her?" Jason doesn't show any displeasure after my rejection. He even thoughtfully prepares a glass of milk for me. … When I wake up the next morning, I realize the house that should be full of excitement is eerily quiet. Anxious, I dial Jason's number 99 times. He only picks up the call on my 100th try. "Where did my wedding dress and shoes go?" I ask. Jason falls silent for a moment. His tone is apologetic when he replies, "I'm sorry, Victoria. Helena wants to experience being a bride once. I can't let her leave with regrets. Please bear with this for now. I'll make it up to you once she passes away peacefully." As the line goes dead, I sit frozen on the bed, unable to recover for some time. … A month later, while Jason is on his honeymoon, I send the livestream of my wedding announcement with his rival, Frank Lawrent, directly onto his phone. Jason regrets it bitterly.

On the day we receive our bonus, one of the staff members of the finance department gives me 500 dollars worth of vouchers for the fast food restaurant downstairs. He tells me that my wife, Jillian Dunn, who is also the company's president, specifically ordered him to do so. In utter disbelief, I seek out Jillian and question her. "Didn't we agree that whoever secures the project will get a 50,000-dollar bonus? Stop messing around! I still need to pay for Freya's cochlear implant!" "I'm not messing around with you," Jillian answers seriously. "These vouchers can last you for a whole month. I wouldn't even give them to you if you were anyone else. "Money is tight right now at the company. Besides, Freya has been deaf for more than a decade now. She can survive being deaf for another decade." The next day, Jillian gives one of the interns a sports car that's worth 50,000 dollars. I look at the photo she uploads of her and the intern grinning widely as they sit in the car and give it a like. Jillian must assume that everything is proceeding smoothly since she has signed the contract. However, she misses the additional condition that's printed on the last page of the contract. I dial her rival's number, asking, "Ms. Swan, are you interested in Project Charlie?"

Lindy, a simple teenage girl who lives in Canada, never wanted to stand out because she is afraid of getting noticed and does not want or hope to get anyone's attention. Milo , a famous member of Spitfire Strip, extremely popular, filthy rich and a woman's magnet while adored by millions of his screaming fans. He has everything could ask -- sold out concerts, album, world tour concerts year after year, money, and women. But despite everything he has, he knows there's still something missing in his life because he wants a woman that can love him not for his fame or because he is Milo Beckett from Spitfire Strip. One wicked night Canada, Lindy managed to lose her phone and once she found it, she didn't realize that it was not hers until she receives an unknown number calling her. Only to realize that an English cheeky boy had accidentally swapped phones with her who is now on his way back home to England. She kept communicating for a week with the man named as Mill who is five years older than her. When she retrieved her phone, she found out that she had swapped phones and had eventually fallen in love with a man who she didn't expect at all. Will it be easy for Lindy to date a famous celebrity? All questions she has in her head but she did not know she just got lucky.

I was a brilliant artist. But I crushed my right hand saving my mafia husband, Vincent, and my ability to create died with it for three years. Vincent promised he'd make me whole again. Our private doctor swore he was doing everything he could. But my hand remained numb, useless. Then, one day, I overheard a conversation that shattered my world. "Make sure she can never create again," Vincent told the doctor. "I can't have Isabella threatening Sophia's place in the art world!" "But, Mr. Torrino, another procedure might... she could lose the hand for good." "I don't care what happens to her! Sophia saved my life. I will not let her down!" It turned out my husband was the one who had destroyed me. And the assassin, Sophia, was the woman he truly loved. He let her claim my designs, turning her into the art world’s new darling while I was trapped in a broken body. When I confronted him, pregnant with our child, he slapped me in public and told the world I was losing my mind. That night, I burned everything that bound me to him. Then I dialed an encrypted number I hadn't used in what felt like a lifetime. "Grandpa. In three days, I need to disappear."