Ocean County Library Jackson Novels & Stories

"You are just a golden cage ornament, Celestine. Two years. No touch, no real feelings, and never enter my room. I bought your freedom, so you owe me your life." ​To save her sick father from a lifetime behind bars, Celestine Aragon commits the ultimate sacrifice: she sells her freedom to Cyrus Valdemor—the ruthless, cold-hearted billionaire CEO who rules the city's corporate empire with an iron fist. ​The rules of their marriage contract were simple, practical, and completely devoid of warmth: Maintain a flawless public image, smile for the cameras, and remain absolute strangers behind closed doors. Celestine expects a lonely prison, but she doesn’t expect the strange, suffocating tension that ignites every time Cyrus is near. Nor does she expect the fierce, alpha protectiveness he unleashes whenever the world tries to tear her down. ​But one forbidden, alcohol-fueled night in his private library shatters all their rules. A dangerous passion breaks through Cyrus’s icy defense, leaving them breathless and bound by a desire neither can deny. ​Just as the lines between their fake marriage and real feelings begin to blur, a dark secret from the past comes to light. Cyrus discovers that Celestine's family is tied to the tragic accident that killed his parents decades ago. Stricken by guilt and targeted by his sudden, icy hatred, Celestine is cruelly cast out into the freezing rain—shattered, helpless, and carrying a secret of her own. ​She is pregnant with the billionaire's heir. ​When the truth finally unravels and the ruthless CEO realizes he banished the only woman he ever loved, will it be too late? Can a marriage built on vengeance and secrets survive the ultimate betrayal?

Before I could shove my wife, Cheryl Craig, into the ocean, I turned myself in. The security guard frowned. "What? Are you saying that you're going to kill someone on this cruise?" I nodded. "It's 5:05 p.m. right now. In 20 minutes, I'll push my wife off this cruise ship. You need to arrest me, now." He stared at me like I had lost my mind. "You've got to be kidding! I've never seen anyone confess before the crime." He waved me off and started to walk away, so I had no choice but to start smashing things in the lobby. Only when the cuffs snapped around my wrists did I finally breathe again. In my last life, Cheryl was pushed off this very ship and fell into the ocean. Before I could even finish arranging her funeral, the police came for me. The ship's security footage clearly showed me pushing her overboard, but at that exact time, I was in a room with my father. There was no way I could've done it. I asked my father to testify for me, but he said I had already been planning to kill Cheryl for the insurance money because my company was falling apart. In the end, I was sentenced to death for murder. Even as I faced execution, I still couldn't understand it. I didn't do it, so why did everyone insist that I had? When I opened my eyes again, I was back to before Cheryl fell into the ocean.

Emma Scott has always had it all—wealth, beauty, and power. As the privileged daughter of a business tycoon, she ruled her university years with confidence, arrogance, and an undeniable presence. But beneath her sharp tongue and ruthless attitude was an obsession she never dared to name—Killian Thomas, the one man who never bowed to her. Killian, a hardworking scholarship student from a middle-class background, despised Emma for the torment she put him through. She was cruel, entitled, and always seemed to have a target on his back. But when one heated argument after class turns into something far more physical, their hatred transforms into an addiction neither of them can resist. What starts as secret, no-strings-attached encounters after lectures spirals into something far more dangerous. They become study partners, but their breaks are filled with untamed passion. One night, they get locked inside the library and spend the entire night indulging in their darkest desires. Their obsession only grows stronger. Upon graduation, Killian is offered a job at Emma’s father’s company, the very place where Emma works. Their sinful rendezvous continue in secret—stolen moments in offices, forbidden trysts during business trips. They think they’re careful, but when Emma’s father catches them in a compromising position overseas, their affair is exposed. Faced with an ultimatum, Emma refuses to back down. She confesses that her bullying was always a twisted way of masking her love for Killian. She threatens to leave everything behind if her father dares to fire him. Forced to confront their true feelings, Emma and Killian finally make their relationship official. But even after marriage, their hunger for each other remains insatiable—whether at home, at work, or in places they should never be. Their passion is reckless. Their love is ruthless. And their temptation?

What makes a hero? They say a hero is someone that has given his life to something bigger than himself. I say a hero is no braver than an ordinary man, he is just braver for five minutes longer. All soldiers are brave, it's what they do with their bravery that makes them heroes. Am I a hero? Clayton Jackson dedicated his life to serving his country. Enlisting in the Marine Corps at the young age of eighteen, he never imagined following any other path. However, fate had other plans for him as a life-altering accident during his last deployment left him disabled and forces him to return home. Hiding in the small town he grew up in, Clayton tries to keep his secret from his loved ones at all costs. One day while seeking refuge from his troubled mind, his path crosses with Isabella Jones. Their connection is instantaneous as if the universe conspired to bring them together. Isabella, a mysterious and enigmatic woman, is haunted by the demons from her own past. As their relationship quickly blossoms, the unspoken truths between them threaten to tear them apart. When Clayton is presented with the opportunity to rejoin the Marine Corps, Isabella is faced with a decision: whether to accompany him or remain behind. Caught in this web of secrets and lies, they try to navigate their love through the murky waters, desperately hoping to find solace in each other's arms. But will love be enough to conquer the shadows that lingered in their hearts? Or would the truth ultimately be their undoing?

I never in my wildest imagination thought that my life would one day take such a huge turn: signing a marriage contract with Jonathan Wells, the coldest billionaire in Wells Enterprise, so my sister could stay alive. It was supposed to be cut and dry: I’d be his wife on paper, and in return, he would take care of my sister’s medical bill and promise our future. No attachments. No strings. Business only. But life rarely adheres to a simple script, does it? Pulled into his ruthless world, secrets of my past start to resurface, putting everything in jeopardy. I, Chloe Jackson, was the illegitimate daughter of his biggest competitor-a man I had been running from my whole life. Now my estranged father wants me back under his control, just when I’m starting to see that maybe Jonathan isn’t as heartless as he seems. Torn between the board’s merciless scrutiny, Jonathan’s mistrust, and a corporate war driven by my father, I’m adrift in a maelstrom of power, betrayal, and something even more dangerous—love. I wasn’t supposed to fall for him. I wasn’t supposed to care. But in the end, it might not be the contract that keeps our worlds apart-but rather the very thing that could mend my heart. Because Jonathan Wells isn’t just a billionaire. He’s the only man who can break me-or save me.

VENGEFUL EX-WIFE STRIKES BACK! “We are having a baby,” Nina announced with a wide smile. Asher slammed his fist on the table. “Is this a joke, Nina? How can you be so shameless?!” He pointed a finger at her. She was confused at his sudden outburst. “What are you saying?” “You and I know that thing you are carrying is not mine!” Her lips quivered. “It’s your baby, Asher.” “Cut the crap! I’m sterile!” “What?” She gasped in shock. Nina was excited to announce her pregnancy to those she considered family, only for her husband, Asher, to curse her out and claim to be sterile. Her life crumbles when her husband divorces her to be with her long-time best friend, Andrea. Cheated by her husband, cast away from her home, and humiliated by those she trusted, Nina vowed to get her revenge. Xander Jackson is one of New York’s favorite young billionaires. He is the innovative CEO of the Multi-Billionaire X&J Empire. Xander has everything: a billion-dollar mansion, perfect looks, and power. But he has secrets of his own. Nina met Xander, an ex who is still holding on to the feelings from the past, and he’s ready to do anything to have her back in his life. He is willing to go all out for her, but Nina wants one thing: Revenge. What happens when old flames rekindle? Will Nina be able to get her desired revenge?

My Ex’s Pregnant Sister When Grace, a 22-year-old woman abandoned by her boyfriend and rejected by her parents after an unexpected pregnancy, runs away to seek refuge with her older sister Anita, she believes she has reached the end of the road. But Anita has her own life falling into place—she’s about to move in with her new boyfriend Jackson and has already given up her apartment. With nowhere else to turn, Anita reluctantly asks the one man she never thought she would depend on again—her ex-boyfriend, Johnny. Johnny agrees to help, offering Grace a temporary place to stay. What begins as an act of kindness slowly becomes something deeper. Living under the same roof, Johnny and Grace form an unexpected bond as he helps her navigate pregnancy, heartbreak, and the fear of facing the world alone. But their growing closeness awakens buried emotions and unresolved history—especially for Anita. As jealousy, guilt, and unspoken feelings collide, the lines between loyalty, love, and betrayal blur. Grace must decide whether to follow her heart or protect the fragile relationships holding her life together. Meanwhile, Johnny must confront the past he shares with Anita and the future he might want with her sister. In a story filled with emotional twists, family tension, and forbidden love, one question remains: Can love born from chaos survive the truth?

Roselle Jackson Roselle has seen too much and endured a lot in life. After losing her parents and brother to a gruesome murder, she's thrown into foster care. She gets adopted and it turns out her new family isn't as innocent and caring as they pose. Facing child labour,abuse and negligence till she's 17, she plots to get out as soon as she finds out the truth about her family's death. Her plan is discovered and she's murdered by the same people who killed her family but this time she has seen the ugly faces behind those masks, she knows a lot about them and she's coming back for revenge.. Snow De Luca I've always had people do my biddings. Yes!! I'm a boss, a monster and some say I'm worse than death itself but who cares. I love to feed on fear and I must say am sick and twisted, no hope of salvation or redemption until her... She's everything I want and even more. She wants revenge, I want every single piece of her soul.She's my own personal brand of heroin. I always get what I want and I never loose but this time am up for a fail and I can see it...

Ava Coleman was always looked down upon as a mistress's daughter in her family. Her father Jackson ignored her existence and never said a word to her. Her stepmother Bianca treated her like a maid. Even worse, as she grew up, she started to feel a dirty gaze on her body from her stepbrother, Jonathan who wanted to have her first time at all costs before she found her mate. The only hope for Ava is to find her mate and escape from hell. To celebrate Jonathan finding the Alpha's daughter as his mate, her family held a big Party, and they invited many well-known Alpha families. But Ava was not allowed to attend, she had to cook in the kitchen though that day was her 20th birthday, Her stepmother forces her to serve a drink to a furious man -the ruthless Alpha Thorne, the Alpha of the Black Mountain pack. People said he turned into a cold-blood Alpha since he lost his Luna years ago. Unexpectedly, he turns out to be her mate. Alpha Thorne has no thoughts of taking a mate despite his pack's persuasion to take Agatha, the sister of his beta as his mate. But when he sees Ava for the first time, he's overwhelmed with the desire to have her. A cold man and a broken girl. Will they heal together and find love or will misunderstandings and enemies break them before they even know how to love again?

I was a mermaid from the deep sea. Out of curiosity and playfulness, I was caught by a fisherman and endured unbearable torment. Just when I was on the brink of death, Trevon Chapman happened to pass by and saved me. So, I gave up my identity as a mermaid princess, left the ocean behind, and followed him into the human world. For five years after our marriage, Trevon granted my every wish and showered me with affection. I truly believed I had found a safe harbor I could depend on for the rest of my life—until fate struck with its cruelest blow. Trevon's childhood sweetheart had fallen gravely ill, and only a mermaid’s tail could save her. I begged him desperately, but he responded with chilling indifference. "You're only losing your legs. Corinne is losing her life. Are you really that heartless? You're just going to watch her die?" "Besides, you can’t return to the sea anymore. That tail means nothing to you now. From now on, I’ll be your legs." After the surgery, I sat in a wheelchair, running my hand over the empty fabric where my legs should have been, and calmly demanded a divorce. Trevon pulled Corinne into his arms, sneering. "You're neither human nor fish now—a monster. Without me, the only road left for you is death." Yet in the end, when I transformed back into a mermaid and leapt into the sea, his cries and desperate sobs echoed across the waves.