Open When Cards

An aspiring journalist with a strong sense of justice. A reluctant mafia heir. And a mystery box that binds them. Twenty years ago, Nicolette Meyers witnessed the brutality of the Sticks mafia family. Twenty years later, she made it her mission to bring them down using her pen name ‘Nico Sticks’. Unfortunately, her editor stole her idea and took all the benefits before firing her. And her only consolation was a mystery box from a fan. When a blind, homeless man offered her bank cards in exchange of being her tenant, she accepted the offer not realizing he is the real ‘Nico Sticks’ – the newly-crowned heir of the Sticks family. Steffan Miller was a loyal foot soldier for the mafia until he was appointed to become the head. When his box was stolen and was sent to Nicolette, he pretended to be homeless to search for it. When the police force learned the name of the new mafia leader, it became a cat and mouse chase between them and the police force with Nicolette becoming the perfect patsy for Steffan’s operations. When strong attraction and forbidden emotions got mixed in the mission, does betrayal taste sweeter when it comes from the man you love?

My grandfather is hit by a car, and his skull is shattered. I take the driver to court. That's when I find out my husband, Stuart Creed, who was supposedly abroad on a business trip, is suddenly at the hospital. He looks at me coldly and snaps, "Do you have any idea how important Maddy’s valedictorian announcement is? Her future can't be ruined by some car accident! Drop the case right now, or I'll cut off all your credit cards and have your grandfather kicked out of the VIP ward!" He slams the door and storms out. Before that, he snarls, "Come home when you agree. Until then, forget about calling yourself Mrs. Creed!" While I'm out desperately trying to gather money for my grandfather's surgery, a team of lawyers contacts me. Turns out the patent my grandfather once authorized to Creed Group has expired. And now, I'm the new legal owner.

I thought I was the Conti family's "legitimate wife." Until the day I saw it with my own eyes, my husband, Christian, resting his hand on my stepsister Emma's bump belly, gentle like he was cradling the future. Everyone told me to be "big-heated": when the baby was born, they'd put it under my name, make him call me Mom, because the family needed an "heir." Even the private doctor they hired announced it in front of everyone—steady heartbeat, and from the ultrasound, it looked like a boy. I didn't cry and didn't make a scene. I just picked up the phone and told my lawyer to initiate the divestment. Twenty-four hours later, Christian's cards were frozen, his projects got their loans yanked, and assets started getting seized— That's when he finally understood: he hadn't betrayed a wife. He'd betrayed the lifeline of the entire family. But what I really wanted to know was— When he dropped to his knees and begged me to come back, would I tell him— I had already picked out his grave?

After my boyfriend, Jonathan Jenson, gets laid off from his work, I let him stay at my home out of the kindness of my heart. But he thinks he's the actual owner of my home now. Not only does he spend my money, but he also moves his family into my residence. The entire Jenson family spends my money nilly-willy, and yet they have the nerve to demand that I scrimp up every penny when it comes to my own needs and wants. Jonathan's mother even has the gall to slap me on the spot just because I bought myself a milkshake. "This is my son's money! What makes you think you have the right to spend it all?" I retaliate by freezing their bank cards and throwing their luggage out of my home. "What's with the ego, huh? You're leeching off me, yet you have the guts to trample all over me like that? In that case, get the hell out of my sight!"

"A talented and ambitious chef, Jaime Martinez knows the value of hard work. Now the executive chef at his best friend’s vineyard in Heron’s Landing, Jaime only wants to make his mark on the culinary world. Romance? Not in the cards for him. And definitely not with his best friend’s little sister, who’s recently grown into a beautiful young woman. A painter and an innocent, Grace Danvers is a temptation that would only end in disaster. Yet when Grace confesses her feelings for Jaime one night, he’s suddenly torn between his attraction to her and his loyalty to her brother. Soon that loyalty is tested when Jaime comes under scrutiny for a crime he didn’t commit, a crime that could jeopardize all of his hard work and his blossoming romance with Grace. As things heat to a boiling point between the forbidden lovers, Jaime must now decide if he’s willing to sacrifice everything for the woman he loves. This title was previously published as Tempt Me Tenderly. It’s been rereleased with a brand-new look and with lightly edited content."

For the past two weeks, my best friend, Matthew Douglas, had been dodging me. While scrolling, I came across a tarot livestream and decided to use it to check whether something had gone wrong between us. I had barely sent two gifts into the stream when an anonymous male account unmuted himself. His voice was deliberately disguised, but he spoke with barely concealed glee. "Tarot master, I'm about to run off to Sanyara with my best friend's fiancée. Read my cards. Will he catch us?" I recognized the cadence, the pauses. I was still frowning at my screen when the tarot reader flipped a card and said, "The cards show some risk. My advice? Lay a smokescreen first. Tell him your company is sending you on a business trip. Stagger the timing, and you'll be in the clear." A second later, my phone lit up. A message from Matthew appeared. Matthew: [Sorry, man. I can't make it to your suit fitting this week. An investor just sprung a last-minute site visit on me in Sanyara. My bad!]

Phoenix Alaric ends up in the royal palace , saved by the lycan prince. She was supposed to be part of an event called the Fated Banquet where she would she have been taken to be a breeder. She doesn’t believe she is his mate but he is insistent on that. After being betrayed by her boyfriend of five years and best friend, love and men are not in the cards for her but Prince Ezra doesn’t want to understand or give up. He gives her a job in the palace, in a bid to make her stay while he finds a way to uncover the mystery of her wolf not recognizing that she is his fated. When his brother and arranged bride set their sights on Phoenix. Prince Ezra has to work towards protecting his mate while also convincing her they are meant to be. Nothing is as it seems in the palace and Phoenix will soon learn that.

In the middle of a lively night, can you guess what's about to come? In the middle of the busy street, do you realize there is something in the dump? Shane Hoseinzade was peacefully sleeping on the floor when three conservative, loud knocks echoed inside. Would he open the door? On the other side, someone wearing a black cloak and holding a giant scythe is standing on the doorstep. With head bowed down, a pair of mismatched eyes glowed while staring at the door. Patiently waiting for the target to open the door. If you hear three violent knocks on your door at exactly midnight, would you dare to open the door? But what if those violent knocks are the knocks of the person you promised to marry in the future? Death? A grim reaper? A demon? Whoever it is, are you ready to face your fears?

I was raised by my mother, a single parent who never revealed the identity of my father. For years, that part of my life remained a mystery until her final moments. With her last breath, she asked me to find him. I shared this with my best friend, who had never known her own parents. With tears in her eyes, she confided in me that she longed for a father, too. She tried to manipulate me, suggesting I work as a housekeeper for my father so she could claim him as her own. Soft-hearted, I agreed to the plan. When I finally met him, he was stunned. The resemblance between me and his first love was undeniable. He wanted to take me under his wing as his mistress. "Come to my room tonight and wear something… revealing," he said. To protect myself, I laid all my cards on the table.

Revenge is a dish best served cold, and for Orla, it's a dish that has been brewing for years. Her once-happy life was shattered when her mate, Ryker and adopted sister, Ophelia, betrayed her in the worst way imaginable. Alone, Orla’s dying wish was for a second chance, a chance to right the wrongs that had been done to her. And the moon goddess has granted her that wish. Reborn into the past, Orla now has the opportunity to rewrite her own history. But will she be able to resist the temptation of revenge? The Alpha position of her pack may have been Ryker’s ultimate goal, but it's Orla who holds all the cards now. Will she choose to forgive and forget, or will she use her newfound power to exact the ultimate revenge? Would she also find her real mate and fall for him? Only time will tell.