Oranges By Gary Soto

In my previous life, my brother took his sugarbaby to see a meteor shower because she said she wanted to. He drove to the countryside with all his bodyguards to create a perfect stargazing night for her. Unfortunately, business rivals whom my brother had bankrupted saw this opportunity and broke into our estate seeking revenge. My mother fought desperately to protect me, suffering severe injuries that left her fighting for her life. I called my brother repeatedly, begging him to return quickly and help us. He finally had to come back with his security team. The intruders were captured, but then terrible news came from the countryside. His sugarbaby had left a suicide note, her fate unknown. In her letter, she accused me of deliberately drawing my brother away, causing her to be tortured by his enemies before she took her own life. My brother coldly burned her letter and told me not to worry about it. Afterward, my brother was blamed for what happened, and my father promised to put me in charge of the company. However, after the celebration dinner ended, my brother brutally murdered me in my bedroom. His face showed no emotion as he coldly said, "Someone as treacherous as you should have died long ago. "You should have been the one to die, and the family inheritance should have been mine!" I died with my eyes wide open in disbelief, and when I opened them again, I could hear our enemies breaking down the front door of our mansion.

He has made it crystal clear that I’m not to call him ‘boss’ except on certain occasions, like right now, when his dominating gaze carries a hint of playfulness. I can’t help but smile every time he gets like this, all lovey-dovey, but when he whispers in my ears asking me to go on an adventure with him, it is like an invitation to a forbidden feast and the thought sends a shiver down my spine which unlike you would think, is almost painful. Maybe this is because I have been on an adventure with him for as far as I want to recollect. My memories, if you peeked inside, would be overflowing with every moment with him, each one a brushstroke painted with his boldness and my, well, let’s call it a touch of recklessness. I now wear a souvenir, a mark etched onto my soul. It’s like a silent agreement, a reminder that our fates are tangled, intertwined like climbing vines. He’s the puppet master, my very own Mr. Strings, and every twist and turn of his whims gets woven into the fabric of my being. Maybe you find that hard to believe, like something out of a fairytale. But trust me, my darling, as I unravel the threads of our adventure, one by one, you’ll understand. With each turn and twist, you’ll find yourself hooked, a willing captive in the captivating narrative of our lives, possibly harnessed in the labyrinth of our love, where danger dances with delight, and fate is etched in the footprints of a love like no other. So buckle up, dear reader, for this isn’t a mere tale, it’s a thrill ride, a love song made of equal parts fear and freedom.

Natalie Shane is a 21 year old woman who's never known happiness. It is said that one's family serves as one's utmost pillar, however, Natalie's family is anything but. She's always viewed as second to her sister, she's cast away like nothing but a piece of trash. Could her life get any worse? Apparently, one unfortunate night marks the peak and maybe, even the end of her lifelong misery. Unexpectedly impregnated by not one, but two billionaires, Natalie Shane appears to have reached rock bottom, especially when both men reject her! Heartbroken, shattered, and all alone, she has no choice but to leave the country. §§§§§§§§§§§ Skip five years and a wealthy, drop-dead gorgeous woman with sinfully adorable twins have everyone at the airport drooling in their wake, including two billionaires who have coincidentally returned to the country that same day as well. What happens when the two men fight to regain Natalie's love and attention? When they lay claim to the twins? Most importantly, who is the actual father of the twins, especially when each twin looks identical to the man?

Nocturne rules the underworld and is determined to never let a human live past their lifespan. One day he encounters Leo, a human who is supposed to die and is bold enough to offer himself to escape death. Nocturne accepts the bold offer and their love story begins. Soon it becomes clear that things are more complicated than they both realized and Nocturne has to chase down his love before he is lost forever.

One lie sets off a chain of events that drastically alters the lives of several people involving them in a world they had no way out from. Facing the risk of losing her home, Love at the push of her best friend Mira agrees to pretend to be blind in order to secure a job. Her decision is driven by a pure heart, wanting nothing more than to help a struggling soul. As she works, she helps Sebastian while falling in love with his brother, Christian. Love struggles with the burden of her lie, she considers walking away from everything, even if it means losing Christian forever but the lie has already laid roots tying her down and ultimately making her pay the price of her dishonesty while seemingly stripping Christian off of his humanity.

It is rumored that Mr King is ruthless,a murder and a King. Everyone kneels and bows when they see him! It is rumored that there is a snake den in Mr King’s house which is full of skeletons! Rumor has it that Mr King’s married little bride has run away! ! !Mr King was so furious that he want to destroy the world,and everyone was in danger... However, Seeing her again, Mr King smirked and handcuffed the little bride and held her in bridal style directly to the bed, "If you run away once more, I will broke your legs." The little bride trembled, her eyes wet. Then Mr King heart’s softened and he directly pressed a kiss on her lip!

When I was younger, I loved to dress in pink colors and high heels. I was born as a man, but I always felt like a woman. And after many nights of thinking, I decided to tell Logan, my crush and best friend, my secret. I poured my heart out; I even confessed that I'm in love with him—big mistake. He laughed into my face and said it was disgusting to see me wearing a dress. According to him, I would never be a real woman. Those words broke me, and years later, even after I've gone through with my operation, my self-confidence is still in pieces. Logan broke me, and when fate puts him back into my life, I only have one goal in mind—revenge. He is the unknowing CEO, chasing the woman he can no longer recognize, and I will break his heart this time.

Damien's life was ruined two decades ago by betrayal: his dearest friend Ethan and sister Serena betrayed him, leaving him impoverished and broken. Damien was consumed by vengeance and spent years rebuilding his kingdom, preparing to strike revenge. His plan is now being carried out: he sends his son Nate to seduce Ethan's daughter, Evangeline, intending to break her heart and destroy her family. But as old secrets resurface, Nate discovers harsh facts about his father's betrayals, compelling him to doubt everything. Meanwhile, a shadow from Damien and Ethan's past, James, reappears with his own desire for vengeance, threatening to destroy both families in the concept of killing two birds with one stone. Betrayal by Love is a compelling story about love, vengeance, and the deadly consequences of justice. Who will ultimately triumph in this battle?

ANGELA ANDERSON is a 24 years old young woman, who is confident, independent, smart, and extremely beautiful. She lives her life in her own ways. She follows her own rules and never takes orders from anyone. She is the princess of her parents and can do anything for her family. She can even cross all the limits to protect her family. NOAH ROBERTS is a 28 years old young CEO of the world's largest empire THE ROBERTS EMPIRE. He is handsome, rich, hot as hell and sexy as some Greek God. He is the world's number one most eligible bachelor. He is every girl's dream man. Girls swoon over him. But this young man's heart and mind, both are captured by very innocent Angela. Angela is his, and only his. He is very much possessive, when it comes to his Angela. He will make her his, and only his by any means. Even if he has to blackmail her, he will do it. He always gets what he wants, and he only wants his Angela. So join Angela and Noah in their passionate love story in none other than ---- "BLACKMAILED BY MR. BILLIONAIRE (BBMB)"

Emily, Daughter of the alpha of the crescent pack and Tyler, alpha of the red dawn can't stand each other. After a one night stand, they are forced to marry. So, they make an arrangement to stay out if each others business till they can find a way to get out of their marriage. But suddenly, tension starts to brew and they start having fillings for each other. "Tell me you love me." he told me, staring me dead in the eyes. "Just say it once and I wouldn't walk away." I looked at him, I didn't know what to say. All I knew was I couldn't hold back anymore.