Orange Prize For Fiction

"Rule 1! I don't want to see your filthy hands on my kids, make sure you are clean before touching them." "Rule Two! I don't want you close to me. People like you are nothing but gold diggers." Those were the rules Lucas Maxwell, the renowned billionaire gave to Scarlett Barnes before she was finally accepted into the big mansion as a nanny. She had long dreamed of a high-paying job to foot her bills, and she finally got one. Without considering the terror she would face from Lucas, being the father of the kids she bonded with. Scarlett thought it was the beginning of a new life, without realizing it was another phase of woes for her. Fortunately, an opportunity came and she got into a contract marriage with Lucas, she gradually falls in love with him, but then secrets are revealed. Would she be able to stick with Lucas even after discovering his secrets? What happens when she herself discovers her true identity?

At my coming-of-age party, Dad told me to choose one of the three boys I had grown up with to marry into the family. The first to step back was my childhood friend, the boy who had grown up with me in the orphanage. The second was the bodyguard’s son, who had once taken three knife wounds for me. He shook his head without hesitation. As for the man I was supposed to marry through a family alliance, the same man who had held me just yesterday and promised he would never marry anyone but me, he looked at me with open ridicule. “Mr. Deen, isn’t this a bit too much? Everyone knows Emma was kidnapped for more than ten years. Those kidnappers were insane. Who knows what they might’ve done? I’m not about to marry damaged goods. If you’re really serious about an alliance, why not marry your other daughter, Isabella, to me instead? Someone like Emma is only suited for men who live in the shadows.” He glanced around the room, then pulled a boy from the corner—a quiet young man who had been standing there with his head lowered. Together with the other two, he laughed as they shoved me straight into the boy’s arms. “What a perfect match!” one of them jeered. “The used goods and a bastard son!” What was supposed to be a grand ceremony to choose my husband turned into a public humiliation for me alone. Later, they told me the reason they had done it was all part of a little game with Isabella. “As long as Bella is happy, we can honor our promises to you afterward.” They all assumed I would do what I had always done before—swallow the humiliation and shamelessly continue following them around. However, this time, I didn’t want to humiliate myself anymore, because I was indeed getting married, and the groom was the very man they pushed into my arms earlier that night. As for Isabella and their little game, I wasn’t playing along anymore.

Ever since her parents died, nerdy Amelia Forbes has always been bullied by the school's bad boy and jock, Jason. Ruthless and drop dead gorgeous, Jason makes her school years a living hell. Meaner than the devil himself, he is always sure to ruin Mel's day. One day, they are paired up for a school project and in the process of working on the project at home, Jason forces himself on her. Ashamed, Mel feels disgusted with her inability to stand up for herself and soon, she finds out she is pregnant with her bully's baby. Scared out of her wits, poor Mel is helpless. No one is willing to come to her aid except Adrian, Jason's best friend. And as Jason sees Mel with Adrian, he begins to get jealous and soon, he finds himself falling for Mel. But will Mel ever forgive him? Will she ever forget the wrongs he had done to her?

"If you don't give me an heir, you'll lose everything. I've brought a woman to bear you a child," Asher's father, the former CEO of Ingram Corporations threatened his son. Suddenly, a brilliant idea came into Asher's mind. Anne. With her twin boys, he could trick his father into thinking they were his for the short moment he had left to live. "That won't be necessary father. I already have an heir, two in fact, and I can't wait for you to meet them." *** Five years ago, Anne was publicly humiliated and banished, after giving herself to Asher, the heir to Ingram Corporations and the man she truly loved. A one-night affair left her pregnant and she had to raise the children on her own for five years. She's playing a risky game by letting him pretend with her children when she already knows the truth, but her thirst for revenge blinds her. Asher, the stoic charismatic billionaire can't stand his ailing father pressuring him to settle down and have a male heir, completely unaware he already has twin five year old boys. He has no desire to settle down with one woman, but when he meets Anne, the woman whom he once loved but had his father separate them when he was younger, he feels drawn to her all over again. He enters an agreement with her to pretend the kids are his before his father, in order to secure his inheritance. What happens when he discovers the children are truly his? Will she let him into their lives after everything he's put her through? Will he forgive her for keeping such an important part of his life away from him? Or will they let their feelings for each other prevail against all odds?

"I'm sorry." She said clearing her throat unnecessarily in embarrassment. Oh Gosh, he was even more handsome up close and personal. Gosh, and he was bigger, could her day get any more better? He smiled and she melted, inside. On the outside, she has a blank face. Wow, his smile was breathtaking "I'm Luke" He said extending his hand out to her "Lena." She said, slipping her hand into his. Perfect fit, his hand was both soft and hard at the same time, somewhere in between. "Can I get you a drink?" "I already-" Vero kicked her thigh again and she closed her eyes for a second. "I already have a drink. But yes, I would love you to get me a drink" He smiled at her again, for some reason, admired her unmoved faze. He'd seen how her friend kicked her. "Two shots of devil spring" He said to the bartender and drew a seat for himself "By the way. This is my friend, Veronica." "Hi" He nodded "Hi." "I'm Luke" "Yeah, I know" She said with a smile, said something to Lena and left. Lena did not seem to happy about it he could tell. "So, uh... What brings you here tonight? Thank you" He referred to the bartender as he set their drinks on the table. "Uh... I guess I just wanted to get out." "No". She raised a finger up, bringing her beer to her mouth. "Don't try to ask questions. I know what you want. Okay" He smiled "And quit smiling. I've seen enough of your dentals already. Okay let's get drunk first so I'll have some courage. Lets do this"

John Garnett's secretary fed me to the dogs on my own birthday. I called his number endlessly to call for help, only for him to block my number immediately, as he fooled around with his secretary at the presidential suite in broad daylight. All I felt was agony as I was ripped into countless little pieces, still holding on to the black rose seeds he had given me when we were younger. That was not thrilling enough for the secretary, however, she buried me in the backyard of John' villa, intent on making my perished soul watch their bedroom activities. It was not until rain poured a month later, and a cluster of black roses suddenly grew in the backyard. "Where's Claire? I was just scaring her with the dogs—did she run away just to spite me?"

New book: Alpha's moonborn mate is OUT now. Read it today8-) ____ Trap. That's what he assumed he was setting for her! Max stokes. The heir to a billion dollar fashion empire has never been seen crushing over a girl as much as he was doing to Stella Miller, the newly retained employee. Stella had never anticipated to catch the CEO'S eyes like that either. However, there was a fire of revenge burning under the back of his impressive eyes that was supposed to burn her! 'He thought it was him who was playing her but he didn't know, she had many more secrets darker than his own.' *Contains mature stuff. Read at your risk*

My brother-in-law started making a fuss about wanting to spend Christmas vacation at the beach, so I decided we'd make it a family trip. When my husband's adoptive sister got wind of it, she insisted on tagging along with her kid. Without a second thought, my husband went ahead and booked plane tickets for everyone—except me. He expected me to drive there with all the luggage. I thought at least someone in the family would speak up for me, but no, they all sided with him. Fine. If that's how they want it, then we'll go our separate ways—what's theirs is theirs, and what's mine is mine. But the moment I took that stance, the whole family suddenly started panicking…

Madiaah Is the first daughter of Mr Elfuego Carli. Her father is a run away drug lord who owed people money and has been on the loose, he's become a useless man and drinks his sorrows away and his daughter and their only son keeps getting into danger because of their father's problems. Her father decides that to save them, he had to sell his daughter to the rich Family of the Clyde's for marriage as it's the only way to protect her. Their Son Anthony Clyde is everything including a monster, just like how people describes him. Will her marriage to him be a fire to hell adventure or will broken meet a healer? Find out.

He was rumored to be heartless, cold and inconsiderable. What happens when he sees a lady who had pierced her way through the heart of this man at first sight, but everything comes with a price, she has become the target of his enemies. Will they ever succeed in using her to get to him?. "stop calling me your mate, I don't know you " I said to the man who looked like he didn't listen to what I had said, " you are my mate, I will make you mine whether you like it or not ".