Pianoforte Sound

I knock on the door, heart pounding like it always does when I’m about to see him. “Come in,” Justin’s voice calls—cool, smooth, and frustratingly calm. I take a deep breath and walk in, holding the folder tightly. “Here’s the report you requested, sir.” He doesn’t even glance at me. Just keeps typing, his expression unreadable. “You’re late,” he says without missing a beat. I clench my jaw. “There was a delay at the printer—” “No excuses, Joanna. Just do better next time.” Ouch. Professional and cold. As always. I nod, ignoring the sting in my chest. “Yes, sir.” I turn to leave, gripping the doorknob—just one more second and I’ll be out of this weird tension-filled office— “Wait.” I freeze. I turn around slowly. “Yes?” Justin stands now, walking toward me. In his hand, a familiar brown paper bag. He holds it out. “You didn’t have lunch.” I blink. “I’m fine.” “You skipped breakfast too. Eat.” I hesitate. “What is it?” “Chicken pesto. No onions.” My breath catches. He still remembers? “Why are you doing this?” I ask quietly. He shrugs, not meeting my eyes. “I just… remember things.” My fingers brush his as I take the bag. Warmth. Stupid warmth that shouldn’t still feel this familiar. Then, he looks at me—really looks at me. “You shouldn’t skip meals… wife.” Silence. My chest tightens. “Don’t call me that.” But my voice is too soft to sound convincing. I walk out before I say something I’ll regret. His words echo in my mind like a dangerous lullaby. Cold one second. Kilig the next. God… he’s still him. And that’s exactly the problem.

Regina's heart disease determines her heart desire. Her second chance to life gave her a moment of rethink, either to be with a man she loves or the man that loves her.  Everyone has their flaws but a handsome billionaire, Jack has flaws that keep him away from happiness. Can their lives be redefined by fate?. Can their love cover their flaws? **** He walked inside and saw her on the bed groaning in pains but he didn't care less. She saw him walking around like nothing was happening. Was this really the man she loved?. "Jack, please, I need to go to the hospital" she said with pains but he slowly raised his head like she was joking. "I should release you, and you will be able to elope with that bastard, tell me, do you think I'm a fool?" He said and walked to her in anger. Holding her down to the bed, applying force on her hands as she was screaming in pain caused him tears but her resistance kept breaking him inside. He finally released her and walked toward the door. "It's either you accept me forever or die inside here" he said and closed the door with a banged. The sound was all she heard before blacking out. *** "Forgive and forget, my lady" he said right at the altar.

A Luna, Wasn't that supposed to be an honorable position? Only meant for the best of women? Opening my eyes to the sound of a clock in my dark room, I met myself tied to the bed but what was worst, I was already branded! Forcefully, I was betrothed to the King of all Alphas, Alpha Asher! The most cruel Alpha in the history of Werewolves and funnily, He was known to be a cold psychopath, who would kill his mate after two years of being together. Strangely, Alpha Asher is different from every other Alpha as he changes mate like papers! It was my turn to be used and killed. Will I survive this cold torture of life? This savage custom of Alpha Asher? What will be my fate when the Moon goddess decides to intervene? Married to the psycho Alpha!

Behind every great Queen stands no one; something Miliani Hwang learned from the early age of ten after she was forced to take over the Hwang Family Mafia when her parents died in a murder-suicide. In light of their tragic end, she built herself up from the ground for 11 years, trusting no man to stand behind or even beside her. The sheer sound of her name was enough to have even the toughest men on their knees and despite not ever taking a life with her own hands, everyone in the crime world knew they should never cross The Great Miliani Hwang. It doesn't surprise her when she is betrayed on her 21st birthday but she never expected her own blood to be the mastermind. She flees to Sicily with the help of the Ravello Crime Family, where she learns many secrets about her lineage and starts falling for the smug Vincenzo Ravello. Now a disgraced mob boss with nothing but her name and rage a lingering question lingered in the back of her mind; who was she now if not The Great Miliani Hwang? Vincenzo Ravello, the eldest son of the Ravello Crime Family knew all too well about the dangers that come with his title as heir to the Cosa Nostra. He's spent the past few years of his life reminding his enemies time and time again that he wasn't a man they wanted to mess with. His heart was made of stone and women, to him were nothing more than playthings until her. He would do anything for her. Every Queen needs a King to avenge her and Miliani must learn to trust her heart to stand beside hers because he will burn the whole world until all her enemies bow at her feet.

He joined them like the others to destroy me. When he was good, he made me believe we could weather the storm. When he turned bad he made me believe he was the storm. “Good luck to your present Luna and if you haven’t good luck when you find her. I never loved you more than a friend, and today I’ll repeat I don’t love you, never did and never will not in a million years. What happened between us was in the past which was never meant to blossom. Let me go, I don't belong here, not in this pack and never will….” Before the words could successfully leave my lips a deafening sound rocked the cell and a large open dent came on the wall. Tagon. He took long hoarse breaths, his tight fist stuck in the wall. His eyes darkened with angry growls. What kind of a man has he turned to? It felt so hard not to think of the past. It was so hard not to think about how things were. The good days. He was the sweetest man I’ve ever met. I was foolish back then to think those affections were real. I was stupid to think my tainted blood could be made pure by garnering his favor and his affections. There were only two events he ever got mad: the first time we met where he met me crying and the second was when I told him… nevermind. He clicked his tongue sharply, “As long as you live you would forever be under my dominance. I own you. Your life, your blood and even your soul to do whatsoever my soul pleases. You are my slave and that’s your lot!”

"Marry me." He said with a straight face, casually, as if he was talking about the weather. "You're joking right?" "Why would you ask me that kind of question?" He frowns "It's because you sound ridiculous," she bit out harshly. "You know what's more ridiculous?" he smirked darkly, showing his straight white teeth. "A lifetime of debt." Emily breathed harshly, knowing Sebastian as she has for four years, he could be brutal when he doesn't get what he wants, she had never been on the receiving end of his competitive side when it comes to closing deals, yet here she was facing him, chills running down her back, heart beating fast as if she ran a marathon. She was terrified of what the future holds.

This is a sexy and dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast where the beauty is a shy and sweet twenty-one year old girl and the beast is a twisted, psychotic, arrogant and cunning vampire. ****"C-can you p-please be gentle?" She meekly stuttered out between tears and hiccups. Her gaze still attached to the ceiling. Seconds passed. She could feel her cheeks heat up even after uttering that small request. What it implied. She'd never had sex before. She hadn't even seen a naked male before, in her entire life. She didn't know what to expect. But she definitely knew that it was going to hurt. The girls from her high-school had warned her of that. That it was going to hurt really bad at first. And that it wasn't actually that pleasant either. She startled at the sudden sound of his masculine chuckle. Her head instinctually turned to look at him before she could even try and stop herself. She watched him turn to lie on his side, his elbow digging into the soft pillow as he held his head in his hand. A sly smirk displaying on his beautifully-carved features. "And why would I do that?" He rose one brow. She immediately felt her cheeks burn even hotter. "B-because I asked you nicely," she bit her lip. Her hands were still tightly holding onto that duvet, keeping it at chin level. His gaze momentarily dropped to her mouth, taking notice of that small action. "A-and because I'm scared. I haven't done this before. Any of this," she truthfully admitted after a moment, her gaze lowering as she couldn't help but feel so embarrassed. About all of it. What she'd just told him, their current position. All of it. "You mean the sucking or the fucking part?"***

*WARNING* *THIS BOOK CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT* *PROCEED WITH CAUTION* “Don’t… Don’t come any closer” I whispered, but I knew he heard me. “Why, My Little Vixen?” He asked in that husky tone that almost made me go weak in the knees. “Because I don’t want you,” I lied and tried to sound adamant, pretending like his touch didn’t make me weak. “I don’t think so,” He snickered and started to walk towards me like I was his prey, and he was my predator. Involuntarily, I began to move backward while he closed up on me. “I mean it, Adrian. Do not come any closer,” I warned in a slightly shaky voice, but he approached me and caged me to the wall. “Then prove it, my Little Vixen. Prove that you don't want me,” He whispered to my ears as his fingers ran through my hair, and I shivered at his touch. ***** A deal. It was meant to be just a deal between Adrian and Isabelle, but this deal ignited old flames. Old flames that they both assumed were all in the past. Then all hell was let loose when the person Isabella had known to be her brother all her life came back from the dead, claiming that they were betrothed since birth. What would happen next?

Sara's legs straddling Austin's lap, their lips clashed in a fierce, passionate kiss. The sound of their lips meeting was like a spark, igniting a flame that threatened to consume them. "Mmm," Sara murmured, her lips vibrating against Austin's. "I hate you," Austin growled, his hands grasping her hips, pulling her closer. His fingers dug into her skin, sending shivers down her spine. Sara's hands were just as busy, her fingers tracing the lines of Austin's face, her thumbs brushing against his lips. "I hate you too," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of their kissing. Their lips parted for a moment, and Austin's tongue darted out, tracing the curve of Sara's lower lip. She moaned, her hands tangling in his hair, pulling him closer. Sara's hands began to roam, her fingers tracing the contours of Austin's chest. She reached for the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head. As she exposed his chest, Austin's eyes locked onto hers, a warning flashing in their depths. "You'll hate me tomorrow," he said, his voice low and rough. Sara's eyes flashed with defiance, her hands continuing to explore Austin's chest. "We don't like each other anyway," she said, her voice husky with desire.

His reputation stretches far and wide and is darker than his dark suits and ties. After Lauren's first encounter with her father's killer, she realizes he’s just as dangerous as he is handsome. She doesn’t like the man or anything he stands for, though that doesn’t stop her heart from wanting to jump out of her chest like an excited rabbit when he’s near, nor the shiver that ghosts down her spine at the sound of his voice. And he’s always near. Telling her what to do. Dragged into his world in a contract marriage that'd benefit the dark lord and satisfy her thirst for revenge against her mother's enemies, her life and heart goes towards a downward spiral. Lauren may be a sweet girl on the outside, but she’s beginning to learn she has a taste for the darkness, for rough hands on her neck, cigarettes, and emerald-colored eyes.