Professional Have Standards

When principled accountant Maya Russo loses her job for exposing money laundering, she reluctantly accepts employment with the charismatic but dangerous Luca Ricci, underboss of a powerful mafia family. What begins as a desperate financial arrangement evolves into undeniable attraction as Maya's analytical skills make her invaluable to Luca's operations. As their professional and personal boundaries blur, Maya finds herself caught between rival mob families, with her growing feelings for Luca complicating her moral compass. When a shocking betrayal reveals Luca has hidden motives tied to her past, Maya must decide if their connection is worth fighting for. This darkly comedic romance explores how two people from opposite worlds navigate danger, loyalty, and love while finding their own definition of family.

Bella Harvey is the secretary of a young businessman named Nicholas Malik, secretly the two of them are having an illicit affair where there is no love, no ties but both of them are mutually beneficial to each other. Bella gets a position in the company and the kind of wealth she wants, while Nicholas gets a woman as a place to vent his lust. Until one day, Nicholas decided to end his forbidden relationship with Bella because Nicholas wanted to marry the woman he had been after. Yes, Nicholas didn’t target her because of love but as an outlet for his revenge to the parents of the woman named Miya Hadid. Because of this, the attitude between Bella and Nicholas changed. The two of them don’t seem to know each other. Instead of being able to establish a professional relationship together. In fact, they always sneer each other as if they both have hidden feelings that cannot be reciprocated. On the other hand, Bella doesn’t expect it at all. The life that initially felt boring because she was always forced to serve Nicholas with all his wild desires, now suddenly she feels lonely. Bella feels that one of the most important things in her life is missing, but Bella couldn’t say that directly to Nicholas. Moreover, in Nicholas’s company, Bella is always the object of ridicule, being a beautiful and attractive secretary, in fact she is so envied by many people that Bella is often hit with negative rumors because of this. Until finally, one of Nicholas’s business relations, Ethan Bowman, met and became acquainted with Bella. The man is so friendly and warm and offers his love to Bella. So, will Bella accept Ethan's sincere love?

Madam Pratt, my mother-in-law, was in critical condition after a car accident, desperately needing surgery. However, as the lead surgeon, I—Lilianne Davis—stood by, casually scrolling through short videos on my phone. My best friend, Tiffany Owens, who was also a doctor, was far more anxious than I was. She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the operating room. “Lily, why are you still stalling? Hurry up and save her!” I took a step back, clutching my stomach in pain as her face twisted in shock. “I have cramps so bad I can’t even stand. You do it.” In my last life, the moment I heard about Madam Pratt’s accident, I had swallowed a painkiller and rushed into surgery, working for hours to stabilize her. I had barely stepped away from the operating table when alarms blared. “Lilianne, what have you done? The patient is experiencing acute hemolysis!” “Call the family now!” Gareth Pratt stormed in, his face twisted with rage. He slapped me hard in the face. “Lil, you’re a professional surgeon, yet you gave my mother the wrong blood transfusion?!” I froze, reaching for Madam Pratt’s medical report to explain, only to find that the A-type blood I had seen before had somehow changed to B-type. The medical board arrived, and a blood test revealed traces of hallucinogens in my system. “Unbelievable! Taking illegal substances before surgery? That’s a cardinal sin for a doctor!” In the chaos, Emma Pratt, Gareth’s teenage sister, grabbed a scalpel and stabbed me multiple times. Blood gushed from my arteries, and I collapsed in a pool of crimson. As my vision faded, I couldn’t understand what had happened. I had never taken illegal drugs. Besides, I was absolutely certain of Madam Pratt’s blood type. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the moment right before stepping into the operating room.

Sloane is bright, fiercely athletic, almost 20 yo Sophomore student. On the track, she's a promising runner with Olympic-sized dreams. Off the track, she's perfectly happy being one of the guys, "the funny one"-a sharp contrast to the typical well dress college girl. But last semester, her tomboy façade cracked. A disastrous, unreciprocated confession to her lifelong best friend left a permanent, painful dent in their friendship. She was ready to power through the awkwardness, keep her head down, and focus on her sophomore season, when, her world was shaken. A celebrated international star athlete and new exchange student, steps onto campus and into Sloane's life. He's popular, he's gorgeous, and he sees the vibrant woman under the baggy sweatshirts. He doesn't just challenge Sloane on the field; he forces her to confront her greatest flaw: her deep-seated belief that she's not beautiful. But as he teaches her what "beauty" truly means, a complicated new set of rules emerges, with her scholarship at risk and loosing her mind over calculus. Can Sloane chase her running dreams, navigate a new and intense romance, and survive the rumors, bad grades, and campus chaos that follow? Or will the pressure of becoming someone new lead to the biggest stumble of her life? ♡ This romantic comedy explores the complications of academic and athletic pressure at the high level demanded by universities as well as the modern beauty standards, while also capturing how fun and dramatic campus life can be for young people. ┖┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈┚ This book is entirely a work of fiction. The characters are all fictional, and all rights to this work are reserved by the author.

Maya Davies is the midfield maestro of Manchester United City's women's team, a rising national star obsessed with proving her team's worth in a world dominated by men's football. Leo Sterling, the dazzling captain of the men's squad, is the club's golden boy, charismatic and undeniably talented, living under the intense spotlight. Their first encounter is a clash of competitive spirits and fierce personalities, fueling a rivalry both on and off the pitch. As training sessions, club events, and a shared passion for the beautiful game force them into constant proximity, the initial sparks of antagonism begin to morph into something undeniably alluring. But in the high-stakes world of professional football, where every move is scrutinized, can two fiercely independent leaders find common ground and a love that defies public expectation, club politics, and their own competitive hearts? Their greatest game might just be the one they play for each other.

Mia Williams thought landing a job at Declan Enterprises would finally bring stability—until she met the man who runs it. Harry Declan is a billionaire CEO with a reputation for being ruthless, brilliant, and entirely untouchable. But when Mia accidentally stumbles upon a confidential document that could unravel a major acquisition, Harry doesn’t fire her. He makes her an offer: stay quiet, follow his rules—and in return, he’ll give her everything she’s secretly craved. Control. Power. Him. As their dynamic spirals from professional to possessive, Mia finds herself falling under the spell of a man who plays dirty in business and even dirtier in the bedroom. But with secrets lurking in every shadow of his empire, Mia has to decide: is she a pawn in his game… or the only one who can beat him at it?

Malia Dawson is tired of wrestling with her demons, stress from her job, past regrets, and wishing to forget for only one night. After a night at the club with her work sister trying to do nothing but have a good time, she finds herself having a stress-relieving passion and a night of fun with a stranger she met. Unaware of who he is and too drunk to care to find out Malia is shocked to find out that not only has she known him in a literal sense since childhood, but he is her best friend's brother. Daniel Severide also known as Danny has had a crush on his sister's best friend for years, He was older than her and she was his little sister's best friend, feeling it wouldn't be right he avoided her and barely talked to her as a kid. As one night brings them together years later, not recognizing her and how she looks now. having a few drinks in and thinking it was a no-strings no attachments situation, and that he'd never see her again. Danny can't believe it when he finds out she was the girl he spent pinning over all those years ago. The universe is funny and has some type of sense of humor when they are brought back together once more when Malia gets transferred to the same firehouse as a paramedic as Danny who is one of the captains of the firefighters at the firehouse. Will Malia and Danny be able to fight the sexual urge and tendencies, and keep things professional thinking of their one night together as just one night or will they give in to each other risking both their jobs and their jeopardizing relationship with her best friend and his sister?

⚠️ Content Warning ⚠️ This book includes themes of homophobia, including discriminatory language and behavior. These elements are included to reflect certain real-world attitudes and experiences, but they do not reflect the views of the author. Reader discretion is advised. If you find such content distressing, please take care as you proceed. — Gunner took the job thinking it would be easy: keep an eye on the Floros’ only son while his parents were out of the country for a business trip. Follow and carry out the rules the Floros' had given him—watch the kid, keep him out of trouble, and collect a generous paycheck. But Layland Floros is anything but a kid. Beautiful, bold, and entirely too provocative for his own good, Layland isn’t interested in being watched. With a bratty attitude that dares Gunner to break every boundary he’s set for himself when he's on the job, Layland turns a simple assignment into something far more dangerous. Gunner's never been with a man. Never even thought about it—until Layland. Now, every moment in that house is thick with tension, with heat that hums just beneath the surface. The more Gunner tries to keep things professional, the harder it becomes to ignore what he was really feeling towards the young man. Soon, duty gives way to desire, and Gunner finds himself crossing lines he swore he wouldn’t. But when the chemistry between them explodes into something real and raw, he’ll have to face the truth: babysitting Layland and carrying out the young man's parents' rules was never the hard part. Staying away from him is. And if Layland's parents find out what really happened behind the closed doors of their home, Gunner could lose more than just the job.

My husband's parents were stung by an unidentified venomous queen hornet and rushed to the hospital. As soon as I heard the news, I hurried to the entomology research institute to seek help from my husband, who was the director, hoping he could assist the doctors with the diagnosis. Instead, he called for security to block me at the entrance. "I don't handle work matters after hours," he said coldly. "Penny's mother is sick, and I need to go take care of her." I tried to show him the critical condition notice from the hospital, but he tore it up in one swift motion. "People die every day. So what if your dad and mom died?" After my in-laws passed away, I filed a lawsuit against Penny Madison, who had deliberately disturbed the beehive that led to the attack. My husband, who had disappeared for several days, suddenly showed up as an expert witness in court. He fabricated a false professional opinion to exonerate Penny. When I decided to leave the country, he lost his temper. "What do your parents' short lives have to do with me? Is it so hard to understand that after a long day at work, I just want to rest? And now you want to drag Penny into this mess. Just because your own family is broken, you want to ruin someone else's? How can you be so vicious? You deserve to lose your parents!" Watching his brazen attempts to twist the truth, I suddenly realized something. He still didn't know that he had become an orphan.

In the novel "I Am in Love to a Womanizer," 30-year-old emerging writer Liezel-Anne Narisma finds herself entangled in a complex web of past love and unforeseen connections. Liezel was given a break when a big entertainment company offered her to make her novel into a TV series. Liezel's professional journey collides with her personal history when her ex-boyfriend Benedict Sarmiento, part owner of the agency that caters to the production's props and set. Benedict, a dedicated man with a clandestine past, discovers that the show's TV series eerily mirrors his own life. As it slowly unfolds, old wounds resurface, and Liezel becomes an unexpected anchor for Benedict's ex, Kathy Jones, a married woman with whom he had a relationship and the reason for his and Liezel's falling out as lovers. Amidst the complexities, a surprising revelation forces Benedict and Liezel to confront their shared history, paving the way for an uncertain future.