Past Tense Smile

Serena Miller is a young capable woman who strives to be something but is haunted by past. Raised by an adopted family who sees her as nothing but a tool, Selena views the world as a reflection of her past, beneath every smile is an agenda and behind every helping hand comes a chain. By fate, she saves a dying old man, Duncan Tate who is the patriarch of one of the most powerful elite families. He names her as his granddaughter Selena Tate bringing Selena into a world she could only dream about. Selena must learn to survive the world of the elite, amongst filial betrayals, masked enemies, schemes and even terrors from her past. And watching closely from the shadows is a cold and ruthless heir, Damian Montalvo, with ties to Selena than she could ever imagine. When long buried truths begin to surface, betrayals strike from within and forbidden feelings develop between two heirs, will Selena choose love and survival or will she choose to bring it all down?

"Why aren't you dressed yet?" "W-what?" She stuttered. "You didn't say anything about joining you." He gave her a once over before clenching his jaw. "Now I have. Get dressed we leave in thirty minutes. I'll be waiting downstairs." **** Kallista Hughes Jones is a 25-year-old chef whose world is shattered when she loses her job and house and moves back into her family’s home. Life becomes even more chaotic when her half-sister, Penelope, disappears on the morning of her wedding to billionaire CEO Jaxon Hawthorne, leaving behind only a cryptic note. In a shocking twist, Kallista finds herself standing in for her sister, marrying the enigmatic Jaxon-the very man she spilled coffee on the day she lost her job- in a whirlwind of confusion and obligation. **** Jaxon Hawthorne, a 35-year-old billionaire known for his aversion to touch and disdain for emotional connections and relationships. Jaxon views marriage as a mere formality to placate his demanding parents. He has no love for Penelope, but when she vanishes, he goes ahead to marry Kallista to dispel rumors and appease his parents. What begins as a tense and transactional arrangement soon changes into something more as Kallista slowly cracks the walls around Jaxon’s heart. As Kallista and Jaxon grow closer, their newfound happiness is threatened by cryptic warnings, mysterious messages, seeds of doubt, and violent attacks that nearly claim Kallista’s life. An almost forgotten person from Jaxon’s past emerges, leading to a deadly game where betrayals are exposed, lives are lost, and their love is tested in unimaginable ways. In a story of love, redemption, and sacrifice, Kallista and Jaxon must overcome the darkest chapters of their lives to find their happily ever after. But at what cost?

Roho walked into the training center as she did every morning but this morning things seemed to be pretty tense around the entire pack and it spread even to the warriors "what's going on?" "haven't you heard Red? the Alpha King is demanding every pack send members to undergo trials to join his army, they're saying the Reapers Nation seem to be on the move again so he wants to be prepared just in case they attempt to do what they did 76 years ago" "oh come on, you don't think that's really going happen do you Pete" " well, whether or not it's going to happen, the king has sent his degree, so the Alpha will hold a meeting tonight to announce the chosen ones to be sent to take part in the trials" A chance encounter between two mates, one yearning and the other is defiant and fights against their bond, what will happen when they are put to the test and all they have to rely on is each other.

For the past three months, I've slept only three hours every day just so my team and I can create an app. Thanks to our hard work, the app goes absolutely viral to the point we've garnered over 100 million registered users on the first week of its launch. At the afterparty, my wife, Stacie Woodward, announces that her godbrother, Tory Frost, who's the PR manager, will be the one receiving the million-dollar bonus. She then tosses me a few 50% discount coupons that can be used in shopping malls as my bonus. "You're just a code monkey—why do you need that much money anyway? You can have these discount coupons. Use them on anything you want. At least buy some nice clothes for yourself. Don't go around wearing these rags. You'll just end up humiliating me more." I plead to her in a low tone, "Have you gone crazy, Stacie? My dad needs the money for the best medication in order to save his life! Can you please stop joking around?" But Stacie clings to Toby's arm, looking high and mighty. "Your dad's dying, isn't he? He might as well stop wasting the public resources! I can always choose him a better grave and hold a nice funeral for him when his time comes!" As I look at Stacie's smug face, I just smile at her instead of getting mad at her. She must have forgotten that the app's core algorithm and the user growth model are built using my private, undisclosed technology stack. That means the copyright is mine and has nothing to do with the company. I just smile while nodding at Stacie. That night, I activate the technology stack's self-destruct and migration protocols.

The crowd starts a countdown to midnight like New Year’s Eve. I close my eyes and smile, holding Liam’s hand tightly. Everyone yells “ONE!” and cheers. I open my eyes and see the iridescent liquid light of the full moon pouring out of the giant orb flowing down over us. People around us ooh and ahh at the beautiful sight.  When the first rays of moonlight cascade over my skin, I feel a heat inside me turn into a burning fire. I gasp and look up at Liam. He looks at me with wide, surprised eyes. “Mate,” he murmurs and squeezes my hand tighter. It isn’t a comforting feeling. There are no sparks like people describe when they touch their mate. Maybe it takes a few minutes to develop. I smile and try to admire Liam, but I don't want to say it back. Nothing feels different. I still love him, but he’s not the one. Liam is looking at me, but it isn’t a look of true love. It’s lustful and carnal. I feel a pit in my stomach. Liam isn’t my mate. How can this be? And how was he able to call me his mate if he’s not mine? “Zara,” a woman’s voice says in my head, “My name is Lavender. I’m your wolf and you’re in grave danger, my dear. You need to run. You need to run now. Your life depends on it.” “My… wolf?” With everything that happened the past couple of hours, I forgot she was waking up. “L-Lavender, what’s happening? What do you know?” Lavender repeats her order. “Zara, you need to run. I can explain later. I’m so sorry this is happening to you, sweet girl.”

It was in elementary school when Zack was in the darkest moment of his life, and unexpectedly a transferee guy saved him from loneliness. It was love at first smile. From the moment he saw it, he saw the brightest smile he could ever imagine. He met this guy and even though this guy was also struggling in his life, he still managed to smile, which Zack adored even more. . . . but this guy transferred to another school after a month. Although years have passed, he still likes him. Luckily he met his first love again, he saw him at their university. So now he took the opportunity to be with him.

Promises are meant to be broken. That's what Infinity believes. Because ever since no one has kept their promises to her. Until she learned not to hope, because, in the end, it would not come true either. Until one man changes her beliefs, he fulfills everything he says and promises to her. Now she began to hope, to believe, to trust, and to love once again. But fate has another plan for her. The man behind her smile left her hanging. That turned her life into nothingness once again. Because of this, she only writes painful stories. That's why The Journal, the biggest and most well-known online reading application and website in the country, editor-in-chief dubbed her The Tragic Writer. After that, she began to rebuild herself. She’s trying to survive and be alive, even in pain and nothingness. But the past keeps on haunting her. Until someone came who made her feel alive again, he made her believe that she was not alone, that she was worth it and had a place in this world. Is he her saving grace? Or another heartbreak?

Eighteen-year-old Eunice secretly loves Denver, her brother Paulo’s best friend. Before he leaves for U.S. medical school, their passion culminates in her losing her virginity; he vows to return and seek Paulo’s blessing. Scared of Paulo’s reaction and pressured by parents to focus on studies, immature Denver panics and ghosts her, believing distance is best. Years later, hearing of her pregnancy via a friend and getting shut down by Paulo (protecting her secret), he misinterprets it as her moving on and stays away. Eunice, feeling abandoned, raises son Leo alone in silence. After ten years, Denver returned, now a pediatrician engaged to another, treats Devon and spots the uncanny resemblance and timeline. Confrontation reveals Devon is his son; misunderstandings unravel. Denver ends his engagement and pleads for forgiveness . Eunice must choose: reclaim their love or safeguard her heart after a decade of pain from fear and miscommunication. A tense second-chance romance on the misunderstanding trope, delving into regret, pride, and enduring love.

Amirah Mistake Laurel Chavez is an unfavored illegitimate daughter of a well-known family. She migrated to other country due to unfortunate circumstances that lead her to experience traumatic events that will be etched in her soul forever. However, she finds her life completely changing before her eyes when she found out that she accidentally got a vitro insemination in California and responsibility forced her to marry the person who she only met twice as a compensation of damaging his reputation. The man she will marry happens to be Castiel Rain Engraver a CEO and Mafia boss who is sharp as a knife and doesn't miss anything. He turned into vengeful person after his wife was killed when he still in a coma, and he pledges to do everything in his power to take the justice his wife deserve. To make it happen, he needs to secure his position as the supreme boss of their Mafia Organization and find the chip that contains all evidences that can bring them down. But, will he be able to give up what he planned for so long if he found out that his only daughter is suffering from her illness, where she needs to undergo bone marrow transplot? Thus, they did a surrogacy, but things didn't go as planned when Amirah accidentally got the embryo. Will he be able to give up and forget his position if he found out the whereabouts of the chip he searched for so long? Or He will sacrifice important lives just to get the justice he desired? Could romance be in the cards of these two different people who vows to protect each other even if it means throwing themselves in the path of danger? Can they find their own version of happily ever after?

My world shattered when I discovered my husband Ryan's infidelity with my best friend. The pain and betrayal I felt were suffocating. Our five-year marriage, once a fairy tale, had been a facade. Behind closed doors, Ryan's charming smile hid a web of deceit and infidelity. I was blindsided, left to pick up the pieces of my broken heart. That's when Ethan, Ryan's billionaire brother, entered my life. His piercing eyes and charming smile made me feel safe, like I could trust him with my deepest secrets. Ethan was everything Ryan wasn't - honest, loyal, and true.