Romans & histoires Painted Scars Neva Altaj

Isabelle Dela Cruz never imagined that her new job as executive secretary to one of the country’s youngest CEOs, Damian Villareal, would come with emotional turbulence. Cold, calculating, and fiercely private, Damian keeps everyone at arm’s length—until Isabelle’s warmth starts breaking through his walls. As business deadlines loom and past scars resurface, they must choose: guard their hearts or risk everything for love.

"Master, do you miss this apprentice?" Lips painted in bright red ticked up in a sharp smile. Her eyes were a pool of dark red, like a swirl of the finest wine. One jaded hand in his throat, nails slightly digging in the skin there, the other was on his cheek carefully caressing. The clashing of both gestures were confusing, but Rion's mind only provided one instinctual response; to run away as far as possible. ----- Rion Ren, one of the strongest sword masters in the world, had to make a difficult decision to hand over his apprentice, Ruby, to the Demon Master when Ruby's real identity as a descendant of Demon Sovereign was revealed. Three years later, Ruby who had successfully taken the reign of the Demon Realm, came back to take revenge on her master that had betrayed and abandoned her in the hand of cruel demons. Rion swore on his life as a sword master, he only wanted to protect those who were precious to him, but how did it manage to turn the whole world into chaos? How would Rion face his own apprentice in a battle between life and death?!

I've decided to hire Queenie Sullivan, an impoverished student with excellent grades, as my tutor in my studies. However, she asked me whether or not she could bring another student named Timothy Dunn with her to the tutor session. After I turned her request down politely, Timothy left while looking crestfallen. But he got into an accident immediately afterward. Queenie continued to tutor me. Gradually, we started dating, and we got married later on. Life was amazing after our marriage… or so it seemed. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. On the night when my cancer tormented me to no end, Queenie locked me up at home and watched as I painted the floor with the blood I hacked out. "You owe Timothy this much, Zachary. It's your turn to have a taste of despair." Only then did realization dawn on me. It turned out that Queenie had been hating me all these years. When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the day Queenie has asked me if she can bring Timothy along with her to the tutor session.

All Norah wanted was to finish nursing school and keep her head down. She didn’t expect Ivan Thomas—the boy with the broken past and the fire in his eyes. He was her first protector, her first heartbreak… and the man she never forgot. Years later, their paths cross again. He’s powerful now, and still impossibly drawn to her. But love between them comes with scars, second chances, and a fight for forever.

I was sold for only five hundred thousand dollars. In a single night, I lost my home, my freedom and the man I thought I loved. I never imagined the stepmother who raised me would betray me so cruelly—or that my life would be handed over to the coldest, most dangerous man in New York. Damien Hawthorne. Former special forces commander. Billionaire. A man carved from scars and darkness. His presence alone terrifies people. His heart is colder than ice. Broken. Damaged. Cruel to the world around him… and seemingly to me most of all. A contract marriage. An unbreakable agreement. One shared bedroom. And rules that cannot be broken. Every day, I endure his suffocating coldness. Every night, I catch glimpses of the scars he hides… and the pain he refuses to confess. I hated him. Resented him. Tried to escape him. But no matter how hard I fought it, my heart began betraying me for the man I was forced to marry. What I never expected… was for him to start feeling the same way. Slowly. Reluctantly. Dangerously. So can a marriage built on a transaction turn into the deepest kind of love? Or will falling for the beast become the greatest mistake of my life?

Out of side don't mean out of mind. Nora lives a typical Cinderella existence; two stepsisters and a stepmother who despise the sight of her. Ace Woods, an epitome of extravagance, capriciousness, insolence, and disrespect finds himself in an unfamiliar continent of the world doing what he knows best; get his parent's attention. But an enchanted night, An awful event that occurred at Cinderella's curfew, scars a memory for as long as you can navigate into THE TRAGEDY OF THE AFRICAN CINDERELLA.

Set in the mid-19th century, a masked benefactor purchases a supposed 'satanic' creature on London's black market. What he gets instead, however, is someone he never knew he would fall in love with, much less be loved back. As they both heal from the scars of their past, they find their fates are more interwoven than either would have ever imagined. *Contains themes from Beauty and The Beast, Phantom of the Opera, and Frankenstein* (I do not claim rights to the cover image)

Tilly has always known where her strengths lie, and fighting? Well, it’s not one of them. Her family is ashamed of her and as a way to get rid of her they ship her off to Warrior Elite camp after a rogue attack leaves her blind. Tilly knows her fate has her painted as a rogue and it is only a matter of time before she flunks out of training. But she finds something to work hard for when starts falling for the Alpha she can never have, even if he is making her promises for a better future. Onyx doesn’t play games, and he mostly certainly does not take risks. That is until the smartmouthed, blind warrior literally stumbles into his warrior elite camp. Her quick wit and bold honesty awakened a part of him he didn’t think existed. Only one small problem…She is an awful warrior and he can only be with the best. Yet when his gamma lays down a bet, Onyx finds himself taking a gamble he isn’t quite sure how to handle. Especially when it lands him a rejection from his mate…

In a tale woven with both love and obsession, Adele Romero believed she had mended her shattered heart when she delivered a flower to the grand mansion. Little did she realize that her actions had already captured his attention. He was known as the mysterious figure, harboring a dark obsession that consumed him completely. The lingering desires from their shared past and the chance at redemption compelled him to entrap her in his grasp. This time, he was ready to script their story with spilled blood and possessive intent, and she remained oblivious to his true identity. "Have you ever felt the touch of a rose?" he whispered, his silhouette looming before her. "Yes," she replied, her voice quivering with anticipation. "Each petal holds its own unique allure, painted with shades that evoke fascination. And when you press it against your lips, it imparts a magnificent sensation," his voice husky and laden with desire. In that sacred moment, she felt his lips graze her skin. "You, Adele, are like a rose." "And I yearn to crush this rose beneath the weight of my insatiable craving."

When I follow my boyfriend back to his hometown, I accidentally discover the wounds and scars all over his sister's body. Then, an old lady in the village tells me to flee as quickly as I can. This makes me shudder. Before I can process what's happening, I run into my long-lost best friend at my boyfriend's uncle's house. The way my boyfriend looks at me becomes increasingly creepy…