Painted Scars

When NHL superstar Thane Slade suffers a brutal fall during the Stanley Cup Finals, he doesn’t just lose his career—he loses his name, his future, and the life he thought was untouchable. Then Madison Wallace walks into his hospital room. A quiet nurse with storms behind her eyes, Madison is undocumented, out of options, and hiding wounds deeper than the ones she’s paid to heal. She’s not supposed to get attached—even if she’s been his biggest fan. And he’s not supposed to care—not for anyone, especially not her. But somewhere between the silence and the scars, something dangerous blooms. Something real. Her secret could get her deported. His could destroy them both. And when love grows where lies once stood, one mistake shatters everything. By the time Thane learns the truth… Madison is gone.

In the coastal quiet of Baler, a studio is born—not of architecture, but of intention.* Founded by Yam, a poet whose words cradle pain gently, and Franc, an artist who paints tenderness into walls, the studio becomes a refuge for those learning to stay—with grief, love, longing, and themselves. As visitors arrive, they leave behind more than footprints: a sigh recorded in bamboo, a poem tucked into the “Found Letters” shelf, a mural painted in crooked lines. Through zines, tea, silence, and sketchbooks, the studio teaches softness as revolution. Ren creates the *Window of Soft Returns*, an installation of anonymous voice recordings—each whisper forming a community of echoes. Drew builds the *Staircase With No Wrong Turns*, inviting people to walk through emotions without shame. Franc offers brushstrokes as brave work, and Yam curates writing circles that map healing in half sentences. Together, they host festivals that feel like hugs, and they begin traveling their archive, letting softness cross oceans. Even those who once left—like Miguel—return, discovering that some doors never truly close. Others, like Tala, capture the studio’s sound and turn it into a podcast of breath and becoming. Over seventy chapters, the studio transforms into something larger than itself: a mural of memory, a sanctuary for second chances, a place where return is sacred and voice is proof of survival. In the final bloom, the studio stands not as a monument—but as a reminder: > *“Staying isn’t easy. > But chosen together, > it becomes home.”*

In a world ruled by Alphas, where Omegas and Betas were meant to serve, Mikhail lived in the quiet safety of his mother's love. He was a rare kind of Omega-mute, delicate, and unseen by the brutal world beyond their small cottage. His mother shielded him from the harsh reality of their hierarchy, whispering soft words into his ear as he traced the shapes of her lips with his fingers. But peace was fragile. One cold evening, his father returned-a man Mikhail barely knew, reeking of alcohol and desperation. With a cruel glint in his eye, he grabbed Mikhail's wrist, pulling him away from his mother's trembling arms. "You're worth more than you know," his father muttered, shoving him into the arms of a hooded stranger. Mikhail didn't need words to understand. He had been sold. Colton was a name whispered in fear, a beast draped in human skin. An Alpha whose touch left scars on both body and soul. He ruled with cruelty, his presence alone enough to make even the strongest Omegas tremble. Mikhail had heard of him. Everyone had. When he was thrown at Colton's feet, he didn't fight. He didn't beg. He simply met the Alpha's piercing golden eyes with silent defiance. The room was silent. Colton tilted his head, intrigued. "A mute Omega," he mused, his voice like gravel. "How will you scream for me?" Mikhail swallowed hard, but he refused to break. The Alpha's lips curled into a smirk, but there was no amusement in his eyes. Only hunger. Only the promise of ruin. "Let's see how long that silence lasts."

In a world ridden with greedy, predatory men, Calista Miller’s survival depends on selling her body for money. A low life stripper, that's what she is. The richer the men, the more docile she has to be to satisfy them, not to risk losing her means of survival. Stripping for powerful men has been her routine for as long as she can remember and to her, that night, it was no different until she laid eyes on the dangerous and sinfully attractive man, ending up in his bed. Thorne Blackwood, shielding his scars from the world and clinging to his reputation as the brutish and terrifying heir apparent to the throne as the Alpha King, always thought he had nothing to lose until his throne was at stake. To take his place as the Alpha King, Alpha Thorne is stuck with an option to find his mate or take the daughter of a powerful elder as his chosen mate. Never in his wildest dreams did he think his mate would turn out to be a worthless human stripper who knew nothing about the werewolf world. Sold to the ruthless and dangerously attractive stranger she slept with, Calista remains in the dark about his true nature, having to work her ass off as his maid and warm his bed. To Thorne, owning Calista satiates his dark need to possess her. But the Moon Goddess has other plans because when two broken hearts fall in sync with each other, beating as one, how do they resist the heated and magnetic pull between them? Will Thorne risk losing everything because of his human stripper mate?

Tidak sengaja menjalin sebuah rasa dan masuk ke dalam biduk rumah tangga salah satu Redaktur Pelaksana di tempatnya bekerja. Sinar Bhanuresmi, sang Sekretaris Redaksi, harus menjalani banyak cobaan terjal di masa depan. Pertemuan dengan beberapa pria yang sempat singgah di hatinya pun, tak pelak menjadi rintangan tersendiri dalam kehidupannya Di saat kesempurnaan raga Sinar tidak sesempurna garis hidupnya, mampukah ia bertahan dan menghadapi semuanya? Life isn’t always black and white; sometimes it’s painted in shades of gray.

Chio Ghabila Alcoreza, daughter of the governor, is used to live her life away from her father. Halos kamuhian na ng sariling pamilya dahil sa mga isyung nakadikit na sa pangalan niya. They painted her as a girl who bedded men out of lust. As a skilled baker, her tita sent her to Priacosta to handle Rouseau. It is not her home, she believed. Ang kagustuhan niyang maging abogado ay naglaho dahil sa responsibilidad at buhay na naghihintay sa kanya sa Priacosta. Paano na kaya kung ang inaakalang kalmado at payapang buhay ay aanurin ng mga alon sa dagat sa sandaling makilala niya si Weino Miscreant Zaldego? Will the rebellious and stubborn marchioness of Priacosta tame the arrogant and snobbish young Zaldego? Kakalma kaya ang dagat kasabay ng pagtatago ng araw sa likod ng mga alon? Because when it is Priacosta, she makes the rules. Amiche Series #5

Ataisha was on the brink of losing herself. Everything has gone cold—he has gone cold. It all played perfectly a few months back but everything changed in a blink of an eye. She couldn’t handle the pain all at once, especially when she felt the love she had always craved in him. Siya na lang ang nakakapag paramdam kay Aisha na may taong nagmamahal sa kanya at magpapahalaga, but what happened? Why does it have to be like this? She was never loved by her family, treated less than trash. She was always desperate for affection and when she finally gets it with him, this has to happen. He kept blaming her for something she doesn’t even remember doing, and he won’t explain. He will keep acting like he hates her, or maybe he really does. Who knows, she might have really done something to push him away like this. But the truth is always bound to be unveiled, and in desperation to find answers and make sense of it all, Ataisha found herself trapped in a deeper hole of secrets waiting to be freed. Secrets that will bring new wounds and open scars she never knew were still needed healing. Secrets that will forever open her heart to acceptance even if it’s going to be painfully difficult. Will she be able to free herself from the chains holding her in that deep hole of secrets and lies? or will she forever be tangled in whispers of secrecy and distrust?

Inside the house of pure darkness, there lived a girl who was once painted with purity and innocence. Until the demon began devouring her femininity, stealing her faith away from God as it destroys her whole existence.At sino'ng mag-aakala na ang demonyong sisira sa kaniyang buhay ay ang sariling ama? How can this demon be so manipulative that all she could do was scream in pain and whimper in silence?Slowly, the wall she tried to build was falling down, making the hopes from deep into her soul crashed into pieces. WARNING: This book contains violence and suicidal ideation. Reader's discretion is advised.

(⚠️ WARNING HARD SPG) "How's your feeling,?" he asked her while laying down on the floor and rested his head on his folded arms. "I will never be okay again, even though these wounds will be healed but the scratch will remain forever, and that's a remembrance all the pain you made," she said while closing her eyes, she was shocked when he lay down next to her. "Would you tell me How can I erased that's scars," he said and she even feels his Fragrance breathe upon her neck. he wrapped his arms around his waist like he apologizing to her. "Let me go," she said and he release his arms. "What İ mean, is let me go home, İ won't sue you just take me back where the Placed I used to," she said and he just sighed. "NO," he said and she faced at him. "What do you mean no, you asked me what you need to do how to erase the scars you made," she said. "You can request anything except to let you go," his voice cold. READ AND ENJOY!

Mina endured unimaginable pain—physically, mentally, and sexually abused by her own mother and stepfather. When she was finally rescued and placed under the care of her real father, her life slowly began to change. But the scars of her past refused to fade. The nightmares still haunted her, pulling her back to the darkness she desperately wanted to escape. And no matter how hard she tried, the dream of living a normal, peaceful life always seemed just out of reach. Because peace, it seemed, was never meant for her. Kristoff and Kenobi Sandoval—two brothers burning with hatred for Mina’s biological mother—decided to make her the target of their rage. Kenobi made it his mission to turn her college life into a nightmare. No matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried to stay out of his way, he always found an excuse to bully and humiliate her. Then there was Kristoff. The complete opposite of his brother. He was her unexpected protector—the one who always stepped in to shield her from Kenobi’s cruelty. But behind his gentle facade was a secret agenda, a hidden motive for getting close. And Mina, once again, finds herself caught in the middle of a game she never wanted to play.