Picnic At Hanging Rock

By the time I return home from a business trip, it is past midnight. However, my wife, Celeste Beaumont, isn't home. A man's shirt that isn't mine is lying on the couch. When I call her, she tells me that she's working late at the office. "Whose shirt is it on the couch?" I ask, cutting straight to the point. She playfully scolds, "Who else would it be? It's a gift for you, so hurry up and try it on." I skeptically put it on and immediately feel how tight and uncomfortable it is across my shoulders. "This is an L, babe. I've always worn XL." Celeste runs a clothing company. She's the one who handles all my clothes and even uses my body measurements for her menswear line. There's no way she doesn't know my size. The line goes quiet for half a second before she thoughtfully says, "It's from my new menswear collection. "I had pieces custom-made for you and Felix, so I must've grabbed the wrong piece. I'll swap it tomorrow." A beat later, her voice carries a little sob as she continues, "Babe, I've been so exhausted without you these past few days. I've missed you so much…" It's past midnight. As I listen to the undeniable weariness beneath her affectionate, playful words, my heart aches in distress. I can't help chiding myself for overthinking. However, after hanging up, realization hits me. Her brother, Felix Beaumont, and I are about the same build. He's always worn XL.

Three months before my wedding, I found my fiancé buried deep inside my maid of honor. ​I gave Leo five years of my life. I ironed his shirts, managed his stress, and sacrificed my own dreams to build our perfect future. My reward? Standing in the doorway of our bedroom, listening to him call me "boring" while he ruined our bed with my best friend. ​Shattered, humiliated, and completely alone, I ran out into the freezing, torrential rain with nothing but the clothes on my back. I thought my life was over. I thought I had hit rock bottom. ​Until a massive black umbrella blocked out the storm, and a heavy, expensive suit jacket was draped over my trembling shoulders. ​Alexander. Leo’s incredibly wealthy, terrifyingly ruthless Godfather. ​He is older. Untouchable. The most feared man in the city and the patriarch who controls Leo’s entire inheritance. He is the ultimate forbidden fruit. ​He didn't look at me with pity as I sat bleeding and broken on the pavement. He looked at me with a dark, consuming hunger that made my breath hitch. Kneeling in the wet street, he wiped a tear from my jaw and whispered a promise that would change my life forever: ​"Tell me who did this to you, and I will ruin his life by morning." ​I only wanted a place to dry off. I only wanted a little bit of revenge. I never meant to let him back me against the marble counters of his penthouse. I never meant to crave his rough hands, his possessive growls, or the intoxicating danger of his bed. ​If Leo’s family finds out, it will destroy Alexander’s empire. ​But once the Godfather claims you... there is no going back.

Luna Wicken has spent her entire life believing she was just an ordinary girl, but on her 18th birthday, everything she thought she knew is shattered. Her supposed parents are revealed to be impostors, paid off by her real mother to keep Luna hidden from the world she truly belongs in. Even her name is a fabrication, and Luna realizes she knows nothing about who she really is. As Luna's powers begin to manifest and the spell cast on her as a baby starts to break, she discovers that she is not just any witch - she is the forgotten werewolf princess and the most powerful witch of all time. But her true identity puts her in grave danger; both witches and werewolves seek to exploit her power for their own gain. Among those drawn to Luna is Braxton Lykos, the cruelest alpha of them all. Instead of seeking to harm her, however, he claims Luna as his one true mate. The bond between them is undeniable, but as Luna grapples with her newfound abilities and the dark forces that threaten to consume her, she must navigate a treacherous path towards self-discovery while fending off those who wish to see her destroyed. With enemies closing in from all sides and the fate of the lunas life hanging in the balance, Luna must confront not only external threats but also the darkness within herself. Can she harness her powers for good and prevent the impending catastrophe? Or will she succumb to temptation and become the very thing she fears most? The fate of all supernatural beings rests in Luna's hands as she embarks on a journey of self-realization and ultimate sacrifice. all while falling love.

Daphne has fought her whole life to survive. After escaping an abusive marriage, she made sure to protect her child, even if it means taking risks. So, when an opportunity comes her way, she doesn’t hesitate, ready to do whatever it takes.Arthur,proud and used to getting everything his way, has always been in control of his life. But when his father, on his deathbed, refuses to hand over his shares unless Arthur is married, his world starts to fall apart. Marrying a woman he barely knows seems like the solution. A simple arrangement, nothing attached. But one wild night changes everything.Suddenly, their marriage is under threat from secrets and Arthur is forced to face a future he never wanted. Daphne faces a choice that could change everything, either keep the baby, and risk everything she’s worked so hard for, or walk away . As if things weren’t complicated enough, Arthur falls seriously ill. For the first time, the proud man who’s always relied on himself is forced to lean on someone else. Despite her past, Daphne’s emotional self step’s up to care for him and shows a side of herself Arthur never saw coming. What started as a pen in paper marriage begins to look like something deeper.As they push through their connection, they struggle to admit their feelings. Arthur’s fear of being seen as vulnerable. The contract that brought them together no longer feels simple but complicated.With Daphne’s past threatening to tear them apart and Arthur’s health hanging by a thread, their marriage is put to the test. Will they survive the effect of the secrets ? Or will their differences destroy what little connection they’ve found? In the end, can they find something real?

They say fated mates are sacred, practically unbreakable. But Aiden wasn’t mine, and I wasn’t his. That didn’t stop me from loving him like he was the last man left in this cursed world. He swore he didn’t need a bond to love me. Said it was pure. Said he’d love me unconditionally. Said he’d choose me—always. But now he’s in our bed, moaning another woman’s name like a prayer. Wearing a forbidden pendant laced in black magic—magic strong enough to block the mate bond so I wouldn’t feel the betrayal. Too late, Aiden. I felt it. Like a dagger slicing straight through my soul. And just as I hit rock bottom, he shows up. A young, enigmatic Alpha—feared, powerful, far too young for me. Alpha Damon. He’s asking questions about illegal mate bond magic. Magic my husband used to cheat without consequences. Magic that ties back to a dark conspiracy. Turns out, my perfect little marriage is just the rotten tip of a magic-smuggling empire. Damon wants my help. Needs me close. Says I’m the only one who knows enough to crack this wide open. But every time he says my name, something in me stirs, something I swore was long dead. I shouldn’t want him. I couldn't him. He’s too young. Too dangerous. Too…everything. But goddess help me—he’s the first man who’s ever looked at me like I wasn’t something broken. Like I wasn’t disposable. Like I was worth fighting for.

My mom and I work our butts off in order to clear Gregory Hudson, my boyfriend's crippling debt. Because of that, Mom even contracts lung cancer. But when I rush to the hospital to pay off the hospital bills, I find out that she's already taken her life by hanging herself. All she leaves is a suicide note. "I can't hang on anymore, Hailey. You should use the money to pay off the debt. Gregory is a good man. I know he loves you; it's just that he's stepped down the wrong path. "Once the debt is cleared, both of you should stay together and live a good life." After collecting Mom's ashes in an urn, I entrust the 300 thousand dollars—the money that Mom has earned with her blood, sweat, and tears—to Gregory. When I return to the company, I accidentally overhear the conversation between Gregory and a few of his debtors. "Mr. Hudson, Ms. Jackman has already passed all of your trials so far. What other arrangements do you have for her?" Gregory's childhood friend, Sophia Wagner, suddenly speaks up. "Even though Hailey can endure all the suffering with you, we still need to test if she can still handle living a good life with you." Gregory purses his lips. "Next, I'd like to know if Hailey's love for me is pure and sincere. If she doesn't pine for my wealth and doesn't become materialistic after finding out about my identity, I will marry her." As I look down at Mom's ashes, I can't help sobbing like a lost child. Both my mom and I are wrong about Gregory. I don't want to marry him anymore.

She has always lived a normal life like a normal girl should but her life isn't all that it seems. After losing her sister in the hands of an unknown, Scarlett is determined to find the murderer behind her sister's death, one mission that turns her life upside down. Being the kind of girl who suffers from nightmares and personal vulnerability, Scarlett finds it hard to cope with her feelings for her unpredictable boss whom she thinks despises her gut but the more time they spend together the more he becomes attracted to her and soon did he begin to fall deeper for her that she suddenly becomes his weakness. Wrapping up her life in the hope of finding peace and tranquility, Scarlett suddenly starts to discover some changes Within herself, they weren't normal changes and she knew it, she soon finds out that her nightmares were connected to her sudden changes and also surprisingly connected to her boss, something which left her mouth hanging in disbelief. As time passes by with her father on the loose to hunt her down, Scarlett soon discovers what she is, she is no longer the normal girl she used to be but something more powerful and beyond humanity, a hybrid. One question though, what kind of hybrid is she? She's yet to find out. As if that wasn't enough on her shoulders, little by little did she begin to discover the real identity and darkest truth behind her boss's life. Her boss! He turns out to be something she had never thought he could be. Indeed, her normal life ended when she found out they had an unbreakable bond... **** Everything in this book is 100% fictional. Any offense was not intended. Anything resembling that of the real world is simply a Coincidence.

“You loved me at my worst so you deserve me at my best.” Unrequited love hurts but what hurts even more is when the person you love with all your being is in love with your best friend. And what hurts even worse is when your Best friend slaps the truth right in your face that your man has been in love with her all along and you are nothing but just a second choice. As important as a rock on the street. No one should ever go through this. But Serena wasn't that lucky. To get revenge on Shanice Cooper- the queen bee of High Central- Asher Carter begins dating Serena Adams- Shanice's best friend. Serena, who is deeply in love with Asher, fails to notice his ulterior motive and keeps falling for him even more. It takes her 7 long years to know she was just a pawn in his game. But 7 years is long enough to change the game. It was all supposed to be just a game, but Asher couldn’t help himself falling for this innocent girl. He didn't realise when she became the center of his world. When did she become so important? So much that he bent the sky and moved the world only to see her smile. He became the richest man on earth only so that his woman lived like a Queen. He thought he was in love, but what he felt for Serena Adams was far more intense than he had felt for anyone ever. It was straight madness. But what happens when his first choice returns? The question is would Asher go back to her or would he, this time, protect his marriage? And what will happen when Serena finds out the truth- will she stay or leave him?

“I’m done with you, Aurora Fernandez—if that’s even your name.” Mia’s voice trembled with rage as she turned for the door. “You’ll regret refusing me,” Aurora snapped behind her. Mia's hand touched the knob—just as it turned on its own. The door creaked open. Her heart dropped. Standing in the doorway was a face she never wanted to see again. Lucius Lovato. The cold, merciless CEO of the department store where she'd once worked. His eyes swept over her with visible disdain. “Who is this little thing, Eva?” he asked, his voice hoarse and biting. And just like that, Mia knew—she was trapped again. Wrongfully accused. Publicly humiliated. Betrayed by the only man she ever loved. Mia Simpson thought she'd hit rock bottom. Then came the offer—escape prison and start over, under one terrifying condition: seduce and marry Lucius Lovato, the mafia heir with a heart of ice and a soul no one dares touch. But Mia isn’t the fragile girl the world thinks she is. She agrees to the deal—on her own terms. Behind her innocent eyes burns a thirst for revenge, and the deeper she steps into the dark world of power, blood, and secrets, the more dangerous she becomes. Lucius, however, is not a man easily fooled. Every attempt to break him only draws him closer. And every secret Mia hides? He already suspects. As enemies close in and her hidden past begins to unravel, Mia discovers a horrifying truth—she is not just a girl caught in the middle of a mafia war. She is the legacy of something much greater… and much more feared. He was her mission. She was his undoing. But in the underworld, love might just be the most dangerous weapon of all.

Roseline's stomach turned and her fist clenched tightly around the handle of the big travel box beside her. She heard the clanging sound of the metallic head of Thompson's belt meeting the ground. Next, quite footsteps. Then, Thompson appeared in her view, like a ghost she didn't believe existed. He was completely bare, with his hairy chest rising and falling slowly, his cock shooting out in front like a gun ready to be fired, his balls bloated from desire, swinging from side to side as he walked closer to bed. Roseline's feet stuck to the ground and her eyes refused to blink as they looked on. "That's it, my boy. Hmm! I like what I see", the red hair gasped, rolling her eyes longingly at Thompson. As Thompson climbed unto the bed, his eyes totally locked in hers, she drew her breasts closer him, then, proceeded to rock the big pumpkins against the flushed skin of his face. "You like them?", she asked, moaning lightly. Thompson paused. Then, in a defiant move of uncontrollable desire, dug his chin into her breasts, burying his entire face in them. "Ouch", she gasped, then broke into a weak laugh, pushing his head more into her chest. "The damn bra", she spoke again, twisting uncomfortably as she threw her hands behind her to unhook the material. But Thompson caught her hands. Without words, his head still hidden in her cleavage, he slowly returned her hands to his head. Obliging to his silent command, she cackled loudly, pressing her chest even more into his face and then, with her tongue, glided across his neck and ears hungrily. Roseline froze. She wanted to scream but in that moment, she forgot how to.