Paid Payback

My crippled sister, Monica Porter, jumped from the roof of the classroom building. The day before she died, she had just been fitted with the custom prosthetic legs I had paid for with ten years of savings. She was glowing, excited to finally stand up on her own. But my wife's best friend, a guy she said was just like a brother to her, locked Monica inside an empty art room. He smashed her new legs, forced her to crawl on the floor and lick paint clean to retrieve the broken parts, and recorded everything on video. And my wife, a judge, ultimately ruled that the case could not stand. "The video cannot confirm the time it was recorded and may represent consensual performance art between both parties," she said. Sandra Pauley's final judgment was simple. "The deceased had a history of depression. The school and the defendant bear no responsibility." I smiled and cooked her a full table of food. The next day, I hung the bully, Eric Hoyles, from the school's flagpole and livestreamed it to the entire internet. "Honey, remember how you said Monica had such pretty legs?" I raised a claw hammer and brought it down on his ankle. "If you don't hand over the video evidence right now, I'll hook out his Achilles tendon one strand at a time and let him learn what it feels like to crawl!" The wind passed through. His screaming broke apart in the air, mixing with the strained creaking of the flagpole until it sounded almost like music. The live chat went insane. Meanwhile, I laughed until my eyes filled with tears.

"I told you five years ago, Richard—your Omega is dead. I’m just the man paid to keep your father’s heart beating. Don’t confuse a business contract with a deathbed confession." Five years ago, Joshua Harrington was the "discarded runt" of the Harrington Pack. On a rain-slicked highway, his Alpha husband, Richard, made a choice: he saved his "fated mate," Bianca, and left a pregnant Joshua to plummet over a cliffside. The world mourned the weak Omega. The Pack moved on. Richard lived with a hollow chest and a "fated bond" that felt more like a cage than a blessing. But ghosts don't always stay buried. When the Harrington Patriarch is struck by a lethal silver-poisoning, only one surgeon in the world can perform the impossible: Dr. J, a cold, clinical genius who smells of sterile steel and holds the life of the Harrington lineage in his hands. When Dr. J walks into the boardroom, Richard’s wolf howls in recognition. But the man standing there isn't the submissive boy who used to wait up for him. Joshua is icy, powerful, and utterly indifferent to Richard’s Alpha command. He has a secret in the city—a son with Richard’s eyes and a "Silver-Rank" aura that could topple the Pack’s entire hierarchy. Richard wants his husband back. Joshua wants a divorce settlement. As the truth about the "fated mate" bond begins to unravel, Richard realizes he didn't just lose a spouse—he betrayed the True Blood heir. Now, the CEO Alpha must become a beggar, chasing a man who no longer needs him, in a world where a scalpel is deadlier than a claw. He left him to die. Now, he’ll have to learn how to live for him.

I had agreed to pay 10,000 at the wedding. At the very last minute, my mother-in-law, Alice Thompson, suddenly raised it to 500,000. I went to confront them. My husband, Dylan Forrest, kept his head down, pretending not to hear a thing as he looked at his phone. Alice rolled her eyes, clearly about to brush me off with some excuse. But instead, the truth spilled out of her mouth against her will. "Of course we have to take advantage of you being pregnant and unable to run to squeeze as much money as we can. It's the perfect timing to use it to buy Gideon a house, paid in full!" The words were like a silent explosion. I was so furious I actually laughed. "So, that's the plan? You're trying to strip me for everything I have? If I don't pay, does that mean there's no wedding?" Alice clamped a hand over her mouth, panic flashing across her face. But her voice came out louder than ever, like it was blasting through a speaker. "If you don't pay, then get lost! You're just a pregnant, used woman. Who else would want you besides Dylan?" The guests erupted instantly. Dylan's face went pale as paper. I smiled. Then a mechanical voice rang in my head. "Honest Lies System activated. Malicious fraud detected. Reward granted: 100 billion. Match assigned: the richest man in Lumeria at the next table." "Fine," I said softly. "You said it yourself." I wanted to see just how the Forrests planned to show their faces tomorrow after every ugly truth they'd tried to hide was dragged out into the open.

"You bloody gold digger.How dare you to.. manipulate my father.Tell me if you wanted my money then simply you could had told me,all you had to do was warm my bed for a single night.I had paid you enough to spend your life without doing anything."He spat venom under the effect of alcohl and the anger he hold for her not realizing the wound his words causes her. Fresh tears roll down from her eyes.Her dreams shatters into million pieces by his words.Her mate loathe her. "Trevor it's..it's..yo..your..father wish ..that..w..we.. should..ge..get..together and we are mates,destined to be together,its Moon Goddess' wish."She replied like a prey in front of its predator. "Yeah how can forget that you spell the charms of your innocence on him..and he imposed you on me right?"He laughed dangerously. "I didn't manipulate..him."She answers slowly yet firmly. "shut..up..just shut up you bloody liar do you really think that you worth to be my wife?"He gritted his teeth. "You're nobody to me..do you get that whoever you are but YOU ARE NOT MY MATE.I have fulfilled my promise of accepting the girl who is unfortunately my mate to declare my Luna that's it.Now get lost of my sight don't you ever dare to step inside my room okay you filthy woman."He shouted for the last time and push her out of the room. She stood their emotionless .Her fate again ditch her like always.Her life partner called her by different names. Did she really deserve such loathe and hatred from her mate?

For six years of marriage, Cyran Valehart and I lived with measured respect, as if we were partners holding the same scale in perfect balance. For the sake of my equestrian career, I refused to have children. He shouldered the gossip, endured the judgment, and stood beside me without hesitation. But when I rode into what should have been my final international competition, he went back home with his first love—her hand resting protectively over her swollen belly. "All these years, you chose the horses over me," he spat. "That damned competition meant more to you than our family ever did." His voice shook with righteous anger, but his next words cut far deeper. "Six years ago, I abandoned Celia once. Now she carries my child. I won't betray her again." In that instant, my marriage became nothing but a title. I was reduced to a wife in name only, a figurehead in his home, a shadow he no longer cared to see. During the very competition meant to crown my life's work, Cyran laced a sharp needle beneath my saddle, each stride of my horse a fresh stab of pain meant to break us both. I lost the match. My horse collapsed with a shattered leg. And in that fall, my dream and my marriage were crushed together—ruined by the very man who once swore to protect them. Later, he paid with everything he had, desperate to make amends. But no matter what he sacrificed, Cyran Valehart was already behind me, nothing more than a ghost I would never turn to face again.

In the relentless storm of misfortune, Jessa's world crumbled as her businesses fell like a house of cards, leaving her drowning in a sea of debts. The remnants of her once comfortable life vanished one by one, leaving only an overwhelming sense of financial ruin. Among the mounting troubles, the most pressing was her father's debt to a menacing loan shark. Jessa had to settle it, or risk dire consequences for her beloved Papa. To make matters worse, the family home was on the brink of foreclosure by the relentless claws of the bank. Desperate, she approached the formidable Mr. Guiller Moretti, proposing a dire trade-her internal organs in exchange for her father's life. Yet, Mr. Moretti turned down the grim offer and presented an alternative. A job. A demeaning profession she never thought she would consider. Faced with the choice of endangering her father or sacrificing her own dignity, she opted for the latter. Jessa agreed to become a high-priced escort to secure her father's freedom. Little did she know, this was just the beginning of her tumultuous journey. Fate took an unexpected turn when her first client turned out to be Xyrius Dale Smith, a notorious playboy from the university she attended. Xyrius not only paid off her father's debts but showered her with opulence-expensive dresses, cars, condos, and jewelry. Yet, the exorbitant price for this lavish lifestyle was her exclusivity. He demanded her body to be his and his alone. Was it a heaven-sent salvation? Far from it. Was she lucky? Definitely not. From the moment Xyrius became obsessed with her allure, Jessa's life took a chaotic nosedive into a whirlwind of unexpected passion and turmoil, leaving her to question if this twist of fate was a blessing or a curse.

Evelyn Larson's nephew, Maxwell Larson, has been staying at my home for 12 years. On top of sponsoring everything he has in life, I even view him as my own son. Heck, I'm the one who paid the down payment for Maxwell's new family home. But on the night we're having a holiday dinner, he throws me a list in front of everyone. "Uncle Lawrence, I've already hashed out the details with my fiancee's family. We'll be giving her family 700 thousand dollars as a wedding gift. You've raised me for so many years, so you need to prepare this amount for me." I frown instantly. "Didn't I just settle your down payment for you? Besides, Tiffany's about to get married soon. I need to save some money for her own wedding gift." But Maxwell instantly smashes a plate out of anger. "Since she's marrying into another family, that means she's no longer a part of this family! Are you saying that you're willing to give your money to an outsider rather than your own nephew? "If you refuse to agree to my terms, I'll make Aunt Evelyn divorce you right now!" I turn to look at Evelyn out of instinct, only to see her pulling out a gift agreement that she has already drafted. "We don't need to prepare any wedding gifts for Tiffany, seeing as she's the one marrying into another family. Max, on the other hand, is the only son of the Larson family. You should give your money to him instead."

My name is Emma. At 31, I am doing well for myself. I’ve got a great job. Or at least a well paid job, my boss loves me, and my girlfriends think I’m great. More important than anyone's opinion is that of my housemate, and best friend in the world, Scott. Scott thinks the world of me and always tells me to be myself. So why do I feel the need to lie outrageously on dates? From rock-climbing to Muay Thai: when it comes to prospective boyfriends, I am compelled to embellish my C.V. with unlikely porkies that alwaysbackfire - with hilarious results. I have Craig to blame for that - he really shattered my sense of self-confidence and self-worth. But then I turn the spotlight on Scott, and he wishes he'd never brought it up. With a penchant for checked shirts and Harry Potter-style specs, I decide he needs a makeover and to experience the abysmal dating world. My friendship with Scott began in the most unconventional way. His past life had made him homeless and isolated, but he saved me. And now we are inseparable. My dating disasters began when my relationship with he-who-must-not-be-named ended. Waking up with a pounding head, a dry mouth, aching limbs and a random arm draped over my waist, I struggle to get up and then stumble to the bathroom. I rubbed my eyes and stare at the hungover, half dead panda eyed loser staring back at me. What started out as a lighthearted challenge with Scott, became something more. We were prepared. But nothing could prepare us for the surprise results! Before long, I realise that our lives will never be the same again.

The Job: Save the career of the man she hates. The Boss: Her arrogant and damaged step-brother. The Rule: One month on a bus and no crossing boundaries. °°•°°•°°•°° Anya Sharma is a professional hater because she gets paid to ruin reputations. As a top music critic, she has spent years dragging Kai Rhodes for his lack of talent and his massive ego. She does not do it for fame but for the money she needs to fund her secret charity for immigrants. It is a noble cause fueled by a very dirty job. But after a career-ending car wreck leaves Kai broken, his manager offers Anya an offer she cannot refuse. She must join the tour and play his loyal assistant while writing a story to save his image. If she succeeds, her charity gets millions. If she fails, she loses everything. Trapped on a luxury bus for thirty days, Anya expects to find a monster. Instead, she finds a man who looks too good in the dark and knows exactly how to push her buttons. They're supposed to despise each others guys, but the tension between them is a live wire ready to snap. Anya thought she was the one in control until she found things she wasn't supposed to find. She thought he was the one she was saving until she realized he was the one setting the trap. Kai knows her secrets and she is starting to love his. But the contract ends in three days and only one of them is getting out with their heart.. and life, intact. PS- Do not read this if you want a sweet and normal romance. Read this if you want to watch a professional hater get wrecked by the one man she is legally supposed to avoid.

Welcome to Blackwood University, where the tuition costs a fortune, but the secrets cost your life. I thought a scholarship to the country’s most elite university was my ticket out of the shadows. I was wrong. I didn’t just walk into a school; I walked into a lion’s den. And sitting on the throne is Niccolò De Luca. Nico is beautiful, brilliant, and brutal. He is the heir to the most powerful crime syndicate on the East Coast, and he runs this campus like his personal kingdom. He breaks hearts, he breaks bones, and now, he’s decided to break me. Not because I’m the scholarship case. But because he knows who I really am. I am the daughter of the man who stole millions from the De Luca family and vanished. Nico intends to use me to lure my father out of hiding. His plan is simple: torment me until I break, make my life a living hell, and keep me under his thumb until the debt is paid in blood. But the line between hate and obsession is razor-thin. When his torment turns into possessiveness, and his taunts turn into touches I can’t refuse, the game changes. I was supposed to be his pawn, but I’m becoming his weakness. Now, with a rival family closing in on campus and my father’s enemies circling, Nico has to make a choice: Hand me over to settle the score... or burn the world down to keep me. "You think you can hide from me in the library, little mouse?" Nico whispered, his breath hot against the shell of my ear as he pinned me against the stacks. "You are living on borrowed time. And unfortunately for you, I’m the one collecting the interest."