Palahniuk Guts

“You like it when you’re being watched, don’t you?” Alex grunted, making Ivy have goosebumps. “Should we give them a show?” Alex breathed against her neck, causing her nipples to ache and harden against her bra. She made a mental note of the guards scattered around the property, who were trying hard not to look. Ivy gulped as she felt Alex’s mouth on her neck, one of her weak spots. He sucked on it as she hissed, placing her hands on his shoulders for support. Alex knew what he was doing to her; he could feel himself getting hard and could sense her arousal. He stopped, raised himself out of the pool, and stretched his hands for her to grab, which she did. He pulled her out of the pool with one hand. Without a pause, he carried her over his shoulder, her bare bottom exposed to the air. “Alex, let me go!” Ivy struggled against his body, receiving a spank from Alex that quieted her down. --------- Ivy Queen meets Alexander Donatello, CEO/ mafia lord of the American syndicate at a party. She is intrigued by his presence as he is drawn to her. Alex schemes up ways to get Ivy to marry him as she is in debt after the loss of her family in a ghastly car accident. Alex's childhood friend and business associate, Ryan Smith was smitten by Ivy when he first set his eyes on her. He followed her everywhere, obsessed with the way she moved, talked, but had no guts to ask her out. Ivy's best friend, Tim Rumble, was also in love with her but he was satisfied with being her friend as long he got to be with her.

“Sofia, you're really going through a lot. I wish I could help you out” Lisa said, “That man, he deserves to die!” she pulled Sofia in for a warm embrace. They pulled out smiling at each other.  Sofia sniffed her nose and stood up, heading for her bag laying on top of the mini cupboard. "He gave me a check afterwards," Sofia said. Lisa was bewildered, shocked as hell. “How much?” "Two hundred thousand. He even sent a letter last night, saying I was doing very little paying off the debts.I truly want to pay off this stupid debt, quit this job and have my life back"  Sofia explained with a frown. "What?” Lisa exclaimed. “I am so speechless Sofia. You mean he paid that huge amount of money to you? Wow. Some guts he has there. Did you accept it?”  “No, I rejected it. Two hundred thousand can't restore my dignity. I was ashamed of myself tonight”. “But, how do you intend to pay the rest of the debts?” Lisa asked with concern in her voice. “Sofia, I'm scared for you” Sofia dreaded that thought. Thoughts of how she would raise enough money to clear the debts.  The man she met had this ominous, dangerous aura around him. She silently prayed she  would complete his payment so she could finally get her life back. Sofia's peaceful life became chaotic, the moment her mother was unable to pay the debts she owed the Mafia Lord before she died. She was forced to do his biddings. He was cold and ruthless. She fell in love with him. Now she must navigate a world of danger and deception. But can their love survive the secrets and lies that surround them?

“Are you crying?" She shook her head and wiped at her face as more tears were falling. “I’m so stupid.” she groaned. "Now I am truly and utterly alone. If I had just said yes to marrying him, none of this would’ve happened. I wouldn’t have dragged you into this mess.” Without warning, I turned sharp to the side, putting the car to a sudden stop close to the curb. “Don’t ever say that again. You think marrying a man you don’t love, a man who doesn’t care if he hurts you, just to please your family is the right thing to do?” I turned to her slowly. “That would’ve ruined you.” “But I would’ve had a home to go to, I would’ve been taken care of. Now I have nothing,” she looked away. I reached over and gently took her bruised hand in mine. “You did the hardest thing anyone in your position could have done. You saved yourself. That takes more guts than standing there and pretending to be happy.” I tucked a hair behind her ear. “You think you are alone? You’re not… you have me.” ___ Alina Etienne has always lived a life dictated by her parents. She is groomed to be an obedient daughter, a perfect public image, and now, a bride to a man she doesn’t know or love. On her wedding day, crushed by the weight of expectations, Alina does the unthinkable... she says “I don’t” and flees the altar. On the run and scared with nowhere to go, she crosses paths with Mikhail Antonov. A cold, guarded man with a past he doesn’t talk about. What began as a reluctant act of kindness turned into something neither of them expected.

"To think it took all the guts in me to try to be with a fat ugly ogre like you, and yet, you're pushing me away?!" He yelled at her. Trapped in a marriage built on lies, Elora Stark thought she had already lost everything—until a dangerous truth shatters the last of her illusions. As hidden enemies close in and old promises crumble, a new love sparks where she least expects it, awakening a fierce passion she can no longer deny. Caught between the ruins of her past and the dangerous hope of a future, Elora must risk her heart—and her life—to break free. In a world where loyalty is deadly and love is a dangerous game, will she dare to choose herself—and a love worth fighting for?

“Please sweetheart, I’m sorry for how I treated you, you know this has always been my dream job. I can’t lose it please, I’ll do anything you want please sweetheart”, came Cooper’s disgusting voice. The audacity of this man, he even had the guts to call me sweetheart, the name he had stopped calling me during our marriage. “Don’t you ever call me again in your pathetic little life and from now on, refrain from calling me inappropriate names, I am your boss’s wife. The next time you disturb my peace or call me inappropriately, you’ll be hauled off to jail”, I replied coldly and hung up. After Mila catches her husband, Cooper having sex with his “shortcut to a better life” in their matrimonial bed, he divorces her then throws her out in the middle of the night. Mila is shocked to discover Cooper also cleared their joint account leaving her penniless. Mila thought her life was over but she is swept off her feet by Ryan Anderson, the richest billionaire in New York, one who happens to be Cooper’s boss and maybe something more. Now Mila can make those that hurt her pay. Mila is finally happy but like they say good things don’t last forever. Will she be able to save herself and her family when danger starts lurking? Will she finally get her happy ever after?

Zara James thought she had it all—a promising journalism career, a passion for uncovering the truth, and the guts to expose the powerful. But when her exposé on a corrupt politician backfires, her world comes crashing down. Blacklisted, penniless, and humiliated, Zara is desperate to rebuild her shattered life. Enter Adrian Cross, a tech billionaire with a reputation as ruthless as it is alluring. Adrian’s empire is on the verge of collapse, thanks to a scandal tied to his enigmatic and estranged brother, Nathaniel. Desperate to salvage his public image, Adrian offers Zara an irresistible deal: become his fake fiancée, and he’ll give her the exclusive story that could redeem her career. It’s a win-win—or so it seems. Thrown into a world of glittering galas, high-stakes boardrooms, and shadowy secrets, Zara quickly realizes Adrian is hiding more than just a tarnished reputation. Beneath his icy exterior lies a man haunted by betrayal, bound by dark ties to his family’s criminal empire. As their staged romance starts to feel dangerously real, Zara finds herself torn between her growing feelings for Adrian and the truth she’s determined to uncover. But Adrian isn’t the only one with secrets. Ethan Blackwood, a charming stranger who sweeps Zara off her feet, has his own hidden agenda—one that ties him to her worst enemy. Caught in a web of lies, power plays, and dangerous alliances, Zara must navigate the treacherous waters of love and ambition. When betrayal strikes from all sides, Zara faces an impossible choice: trust the man who’s kept her in the dark or risk everything for the one who might be playing her.