Oranges By Gary Soto

⚠️ WARNING ⚠️ DARK ROMANCE AND MATURED CONTENT. "I love you." His words made my world still. "What?" "I love you. Is that enough to make you stay?" I pushed at his chest. "Don't you fucking say that to me!" I screamed. "You don't treat someone you love like this! You don't even know what that word means!" "You can teach me," he yelled back. "Fuck. I'll learn. I swear." Once a predator locks onto its prey, there's no letting go. Leah Walsh is a lonely wife, starved for the love her husband no longer gives. Aiden Kingston is a ruthless caporegime of the city's most feared crime family. A man who doesn't understand the word no. She fights her attraction to him, but one reckless choice shatters her marriage and binds her to him. Now, Leah is trapped in his violent world, where simply standing by his side makes her a target for his enemies. Every attempt to escape his chains only tightens them, and Aiden's obsession grows stronger each passing day. Will leah break free or surrender to the man who is determined to ruin her and claim her as his?

Si Ariadne Altavilla ay anak sa labas ng isang dating Gobernador. Nang mawala ang kanyang ama sa posisyon niya sa politika, nagbago ang landas ni Ariadne, at natutong lumuhod sa tukso ng casino. Nabaon siya sa utang, at ang tanging paraan upang maayos ang mga pagkakautang ay ipasok siya sa Dream Fortress—isang Class-A na prostitution house na ang mga kliyente ay kabilang sa pinakamataas na uri ng lipunan. Isang gabing puno ng pagbebenta ng laman ang nag-iwan sa kanya ng isang hindi malilimutang karanasan. Matagal na ang nakalipas, ngunit hindi pa rin mabura sa isip ni Ariadne ang unang lalaking pinag-alayan niya ng kanyang sarili. Sa paglipas ng panahon, nanatili na lamang sa alaala ang lalaking iyon… hanggang sa makilala niya si Adam, na kalaunan ay naging kanyang kasintahan. Masasabi ni Ariadne na tila maayos na ang buhay nila ng kanyang ina, kaya tinanggap niya ang marriage proposal ng kanyang nobyo. Subalit habang papalapit ang araw ng kanyang kasal, muling lumitaw sa kanyang buhay ang lalaking una at huling umangkin sa kanyang katawan, handang baguhin ang lahat ng kanyang pinangarap.

When Eliana lost her job and faced a heap of debt, a lifeline event happened in an unexpected form. A marriage contract with wealth and emotions scarred Geoffrey. Geoffrey's father's life is hanging a string, and the pressure to secure his family legacy is mounting. Eliana, out of options, agrees to the agreement without hesitation, stepping into a world where love is a transaction and trust is a luxury. But their fragile agreement is threatened when Geoffrey's Ex discovers their Union and would stop at nothing to win him back. Will Geoffrey be swayed by his ex's manipulation or will he see the potential to build something genuine with Eliana? Will their reel marriage turn into a real marriage, or will it crumble when the terms expire?

In a world divided by species, alliances, and betrayal, Elora, a fearless human wanderer, stumbles into a forbidden territory—a hidden pack of werewolves led by the enigmatic and battle-scarred alpha, Joel. When an ancient prophecy foretells that a human will hold the key to the pack's survival, Elora becomes both their savior and their most dangerous liability. Bound by secrets, hunted by those who fear her power, and torn between loyalty and love, Elora must navigate a treacherous path where every choice could shatter alliances and ignite wars. As tensions rise, she and joel must fight together to protect their pack and uncover the truth behind her destiny, all while grappling with a bond they were never meant to share. Will Elora embrace the magic of the moonlight or let darkness consume her soul?

Alva has been arranged to get married to Lucas, the young heir to the Rossi Empire. On the day that has been arranged for her engagement, Lucas changes his mind, choosing to marry her timid, less attractive servant and throwing the family into chaos. Lucas Rossi is the, strikingly handsome, yet intimidating heir to the Rossi Empire. A man barely seen, completely avoidant of the paparazzi and with rumours spreading here and there about how he is only half human, yet no one can tell what the other half of him is. When he agrees to marry the politician's daughter in paper alone for the sake of business bonds, he is astounded by his sudden pull to the Hazel, whose life is turned upside down when she catches his attention instead. Why has he left the ethereal looking heiress to settle for a mere maid?

Evelyn tried to open the door and pulled it hard but all her efforts were in vain. "Tsk... Tsk.. Looks like this bird didn't like her cage." Sebastian said while putting both his hands around her. Defeated, Evelyn turned her face and started looking at him, but finding him so close to her, she pressed her forehead against the door. "Pl-please let... me go." She said suppressing her hiccups. The teeth started grinding with fear. "Please...." "Hmmm....Why don't we make this time useful?" He whispered while he was close to her ear. Feeling his breath on her earlobe, she shivered again. Evelyn pushed him with all her strength, which caused Sebastian to take a few steps away from her and started laughing like a madman. "You... you... are you crazy?" He started laughing more on this and then he became silent at once and started looking at her with his cold eyes which were devoid of any emotion. "No my dear. I am not crazy. My reality is just different from yours." Saying this, he smiled sarcastically and then moved towards her. Evelyn immediately ran to the left. There must be another way in such a big house. "You can't escape from me. Not until I want to." He was enjoying this game now. Evelyn's fear had begun to provide him with a different kind of tranquility. He slowly put his hands in his pockets while whistling and started walking in the direction where Evelyn had run.

Amara never wanted this life, but working under **Leonardo DeLuca**, a ruthless mafia boss, leaves her no choice. He’s obsessed with her—dangerously so. When his enemy, **Dante Russo**, sets a deadly trap, Leonardo falls for it—only to realize *Amara was the target all along*. But Amara isn’t just a pawn. *She’s about to play the player.* As secrets unravel and obsession deepens, she must outsmart both men before she loses more than just her freedom—she might lose herself. ---

They say the happiest moment in a Lycan's life is meeting their fated mate. But what if you reject your fated mate to be with your chosen one, only to realize you made a mistake as your chosen mate betrays you? That's the dilemma Elara found herself in. After discovering she was pregnant with the child of her boyfriend and chosen mate, Elijah Reed, he rejected her and chose her step-sister, Fiona Arundel, instead. Little did Elara know, this was all a plot orchestrated by her step-sister and step-mother. They wanted to secure Elijah, the Alpha of their Forestheart pack. Since her mother's death and her father's absence, Elara had been slowly poisoned by her stepmother, leading to a miscarriage and her impending end. In her final breath, she uncovered the truth about her child's death and her stepmom's entire plan. "Even in your last breath, Elara, you remain naive. Too kind, just like your mother. That's why you'll die now without a fight." Fernanda smiled at her, covering Elara's face with a pillow. Helpless and unable to move her body, Elara had no chance. In her last breath, she vowed to seek revenge, to make those who tormented and belittled her pay. And as she opened her eyes, she found herself back in the past, a year before her death. There, she reencounters her rejected fated mate, Damian Raven Ashford, the man she would use to achieve her revenge. "Mark me and I will give you my body and my whole life. In exchange, help me seek revenge against those who have oppressed me." Elara saw the mischievous smile on Damian's lips. "If that's the case, start by making me happy using your body." They marked their alliance. a bond that would draw them closer to each other.

Humanity is on the verge of extinction. "I am willing to sacrifice myself, my love, and re-establish Earth as a safe haven for human beings in order to save mankind," a group of five gifted young scientists pledged. Kavya's life is turned upside down when she discovers her planet is being controlled by Xenomorphs from another planet. What's worse, they've been ruling over them for 50 years and are extremely powerful supernatural beings. She decides to form an underground Human Armies Organization with her team members to fight them, but the chances of victory is 1%, and a lot of courage is required to do so secretly in their world system. "How will KAVYA and her team members deal with the impending disaster of war?"

Rafael DeLuca is a man forged in blood and betrayal. Once the rightful heir to a powerful mafia empire, he lost everything when his family was slaughtered in an act of treachery. For years, he rebuilt his power from the shadows, rising as the most feared mafia strategist in the underworld. Now, the time for vengeance has come, and his enemy’s greatest weakness is within his grasp—Sophia Romano. Sophia has spent her life in a gilded cage, unaware of the sins that stain her last name. Sheltered and untouched by the violent world her father commands, she believes she is destined for an ordinary life. But when she is kidnapped by a man as dangerous as he is captivating, her world shatters. Rafael is her captor, her tormentor, and her only protector in a world far darker than she ever imagined. What begins as a calculated act of revenge soon turns into something Rafael never anticipated—obsession. Sophia’s innocence should make her easy to break, yet her quiet defiance ignites something primal within him. He tells himself she is only a pawn, a means to an end, but with every glance, every forbidden touch, she threatens to unravel his carefully crafted plans. As hidden truths come to light and past betrayals resurface, Rafael is forced to make an impossible choice: will he sacrifice the one woman who has become his greatest weakness, or will he forsake his vengeance for a love that could destroy them both? In a world where love is as deadly as betrayal, Rafael and Sophia will have to decide—will their obsession ruin them, or will it be the only thing that saves them?