Proper Table Manners

After my 99th failed confession of love to Jim, my parents grounded me for two weeks. "You've embarrassed yourself enough over that illegitimate son from the Larson family," they snapped. "Has he ever even spared you a proper glance?" "Stay home and reflect. We've already arranged your marriage to the Shaw family. The wedding will be in two weeks." However, I didn’t give up. I was so determined to see Jim, no matter what. Only to walk in on him locked in a deep kiss with his precious first love in a private room. "Jim, you really know how to play," one of his friends laughed. "If the Cunningham family's heiress catches you like this, she'll probably lose her mind again." "Seriously, you've turned Ella down so many times, and now that she's grounded, you haven't even sent her a message. Aren't you afraid she'll finally give up on you?" Jim just scoffed with disdain and said calmly, "What's there to be afraid of? Everyone in the capital knows Ella is obsessed with me. Who else would want her but me?" "If I hadn't needed her to get back into the Larson family, I never would've postponed my engagement to Rowena in the first place."

Just as my wealthy boyfriend and I were talking about getting married, his mother dismissed me as an unrefined girl and demanded I attend a finishing school to learn how to be a proper wife. Looking at Zach’s pleading gaze, I gave in. I endured relentless psychological and physical torment for three months. However, on the day I was discharged, I overheard a phone call between Zach and his friend. “Zach, if you don’t want to marry Cathy, why didn’t you just tell her? Why did you have to send her to that hellhole to suffer? That finishing school your family runs is a freaking torture chamber. Constant beatings, electric shocks, forced kneeling for hours… No one comes out of there the same.” “You don’t get it. Jen is about to get engaged, and I can’t risk Cathy ruining it. As long as Jen is happy, I don’t care who I marry. Cathy grew up poor, so she can endure a little hardship. Three months of hardship for a lifetime of Stein money is a fair trade.” My vision blurred with tears when I heard those cruel words from his mouth. I thought. “Zach, since you loved Jenna so much, why did you have to toy with my feelings?”

[ Warning: It has violence, killings and 18+ erotica theme] Getting into an intimate relationship was not my choice, but when I saw him, I lost myself. Bella Diór was a carefree, young, beautiful, impatient, and playgirl who couldn't open her heart to any man. As the only daughter of Choelob Chairman, her greatest fear was that men pursue her because of her father's wealth. Her insatiable desire was fueled by a string of disappointments in her personal life. Desires included being tied up and used as a rag doll by a dominant man. Bella Diór's wildest fantasies came true in the form of a handsome man, thanks to an unexpected turn of events. Caspar Mcadam, 28 years old, the richest man in the world, met Bella in a nightclub . Young, brilliant, powerful, and with billions in his pockets, he is more than the proper gentleman he appears to be, concealing a dark personality reserved solely for bedroom exhortation. This man became Bella Diór's obsession, and she falls head over heels in love with this most dangerous man. Fascinated and tempted by each other's desires, their relationship grew into an obsession. There was also a brutal truth about Bella's relationship with Caspar. To learn more about their enticing temptation, read further.

“…I and my son wanna bend you over that stuff pier table worth $ 4.6 million and fuck the decency out of you!" Mr. Reagan naughtily rasped, with a stern grin on his face. ••••••••••••••••••••• Gabrielle's POV I was compelled to sign a sinful contract with a powerful man, Mr. Reagan, the fifth wolf. Furthermore, he forcefully engaged me to his drop-dead gorgeous son, Hidalgo Massimo Reagan. Both father and son wanna have me and they both trapped me, Caged me. Imprisoned me. And possessed me. I was more like property to them, and there was no escape! I am their adorable plaything —and they are my wildest fantasies. They are my pretty distractions. And They are my commanding kings! •••••••••••••••••

My parents' enemy kidnaps me and livestreams chopping off my fingers just to force them to show up. For a time, the entire Internet searches for my parents. But what they don't know is that the captain who appeared in the livestream is my biological father. At that moment, he's on a beach in Hashford, setting off magnificent fireworks for his adopted daughter. And on their barbecue table, the livestream of my fingers being severed is playing. Later on, when I survive long enough to be rescued, I reach out my mangled hand to touch my parents. They recoil in disgust and leave without looking back, taking the adopted daughter out for Wersole food. But they don't know that the thing hidden within my mangled palm will make them regret their actions beyond measure.

My wife, who had always despised lugging around keys, ditched our modern smart lock for a clunky old-school key version. She even bolted it shut during showers. Every time I returned from work, I'd have to ring her up first. Fed up, I slapped the divorce agreement on the table during a family get-together. Everyone assumed I was drunk and joking. My wife hauled off and cracked me across the face. "Am I asking too much? You promised you'd indulge me forever." I met her glare with icy indifference and let out a bitter scoff. "Aren't I divorcing you and never returning the ultimate indulgence?"

Zara Storme was the ghost in the machine at Sterling Global. For three years, she wasn’t just Mark Sterling’s fiancée she was The Architect. The unseen force who patched his weaknesses, outplayed his rivals, and quietly engineered a billion-dollar empire while he collected the applause. Then, over an elegant dinner, Mark slid a severance check across the table instead of a ring. To him, Zara was indispensable but temporary. Brilliant, yes. Loyal, certainly. But she lacked the pedigree required for his permanent throne. So he chose optics over love, trading her for a strategic merger and a well-bred socialite. Mark expected tears. Begging. A woman unraveling. What he didn’t know was that abandonment had trained Zara long before him. Her father had taught her the art of leaving without looking back. Fueled by a quiet rage, Zara committed one final act of treason which was leaking Mark’s most valuable upcoming deals to his greatest rival, Asher Vane. It was meant to be her clean exit. Then fate intervened. She was pregnant. Five years later, Zara returns to the city reborn as the formidable CEO of Lucent Capital. No longer the woman behind the throne, she is the throne. A venture-capital titan whose influence eclipses every man who once dismissed her. At her side is Luca her five-year-old masterpiece. Disciplined. Brilliant. And unmistakably the son of the man who walked away. When Mark Sterling’s empire begins to collapse under the weight of its own lies, desperation drives him to seek salvation from a firm powerful enough to save him. He comes to the boardroom expecting mercy. Instead, he finds Zara Storme seated at the head of the table untouchable, and finally holding his fate in her hands. This time, she’s here to watch it burn.

I'm the daughter of the Alpha King of the Werewolf Alliance that's based in Valdoria. In order to give my Alpha fiance whom I've never met before, Lucas Howell, a surprise, I've specifically hidden my scent as a royal she-wolf. Clad in a seemingly ordinary white T-shirt and a pair of jeans, I walk into the venue, where the Dark Shadow pack is hosting their annual celebration. As soon as I take my seat at the main table, which has been reserved for me, I feel someone dumping a glass of red liquid onto me. A she-wolf wearing a red dress that comes with a deep V-neck can be seen standing in front of me. Her expression is one of disdain. "Where did you come from, you filthy Rogue? You really think you get to sit at the main table, huh?" As I wipe the wine stains off my clothes, I do my best to suppress the ferocity of my wolf. "Lucas has specifically reserved this seat for his mate. Why can't I sit here?" The she-wolf acts as though she's heard the biggest joke ever. She then point at her work badge that's pinned on her chest while saying mockingly, "I'm Lucas' personal secretary as well as the future Luna whom everyone has acknowledged. In this pack, my word is the law here. "Guards, drag this delusional half-breed away and throw her out!" What a coincidence. Lucas has just texted me, pleading with me to announce our relationship as soon as possible. I dig out my phone and dial his number. Then, I put my phone on loudspeaker mode. "Your personal secretary claims that she's the future Luna, and she has commanded the guards to throw me out. What's your explanation for this matter, hmm?"

“Hayden, don’t.” I said. My legs wouldn’t stop trembling as he started to come forward. I shook my head as my tears started to roll down my cheeks and the way he looked at me sent chills down my spine. “Please.” He put his palm on the wall as he moved closer to me and caged me in his strong arms, leaving me no space to escape. “Serena!” he spoke, bringing his lips close to my ear. Everything of his was intimidating including his hoarse voice. After all, he was the devil himself. "Hayden…” I couldn’t take proper breaths as his fingers started to stroke my cheek. He clenched his jaw as he brought his finger close to my lips and his eyes darkened. The next thing he said scared me to the core. “I don’t understand if I should kiss you or KILL YOU.” ______ Serena's life was never exciting, and she never wanted it to be exciting. However, things don't go same when she meets a handsome stranger, who is filled with lies and secrets and his world is filled with guns and knives.

“I want nothing to do wi…” she swallowed hard as he turned to her. The heated look in his eyes was enough to make her resolve fly out of the window. “You were saying?” His voice felt like a wisp caressing her body. “Huh?” Serena was sure that the heater had been turned up another notch as she struggled to remember what she intended to say. *********** Serena Jones was married to her emotionally abusive, prim, and proper college sweetheart. Living a boring life as the "perfect" housewife supportive of her husband and his habit, though she was frustrated with the lack of passion in their home. Frustrated while conforming to the standard set for her by her mother and mother-in-law, she met Kincaid Aslanov. Kincaid Aslanov is the current head of the Aslanov clan, a gun-dealing and influential family. Betrayed by his aide and fatally wounded, he met the dutiful Serena, whom his brother coerced to take care of him. She was a temptation he couldn't resist. He was the danger she should never have known. This story is the perfect example of how powerfully opposites attract. Will Serena give in to her inner fire and grab on to the opportunity to come alive? Partake in the amazing, plot-twisting journey of our protagonist to find out.