Reduced To Atoms

My younger brother, Owen Rivera, and I are playing in Dad's refrigerated truck. Owen wants to grab my ice cream from me, but I refuse to let him have his way. He shoves me forcefully, causing me to lose my balance and fall to the floor, knocking me out on the spot. When I finally wake up and locate him in the freezer, I find out that he's gotten reduced to a frozen statue. The security footage shows that Owen has been screaming the words "Mommy, help me!" hysterically for three hours before his death. After Mom is done watching the footage, she breaks down on the spot. Then, she yanks me by my hair before slamming me against the wall. "What were you doing? You were at the entrance, dammit! Why didn't you open the door for Owen?" With reddened eyes, Dad throws me into the freezer. "Owen was cold and frightened in the freezer! You should have a taste of the same thing too!" The thick and heavy door is slammed in my face. Darkness and a bone-chilling coldness devour me instantly. I curl into a small ball in the corner Owen has just died in. My teeth are starting to chatter, and my consciousness is starting to slip away. I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. I don't feel cold. I'm not cold at all. I will never eat ice cream ever again in my next lifetime.

Blurb "Sign the papers, Celeste." I wiped the blood from my nose, my hands trembling as I handed my husband the contract I had worked tirelessly to finalize for him. But instead of gratitude, he shoved divorce papers in my face. And beside him, smirking in triumph, was the woman he had replaced me with—the daughter of his boss. Five years of sacrifice, of love, of loyalty… all reduced to nothing. Ethan Carter had used me, discarded me, and now he was climbing higher on the back of another woman. I thought that was the end of my story. Until he appeared. Damien Sinclair—the youngest billionaire in the country, ruthless in business, feared by his enemies, and a man who never gave without taking something in return. And he wanted me. Overnight, I went from the forgotten ex-wife to the envy of high society, the woman draped in luxury, held in the arms of a man who commanded the world. But Damien’s interest in me wasn’t coincidence. He knew my past. He knew my pain. And when he whispered my childhood nickname in his sleep, I realized… he knew me. Now, I must uncover the truth before I lose myself in the passion, the power, and the dangerous game I never saw coming. Because in Damien’s world, love is just another negotiation—and I might be the one paying the ultimate price.

She fell first, he fell harder. Liliana Storm, an innocent and naive 22 years old ambitious artist who always wanted to achieve something away from her watchful father and elder brother's eyes. Their sheltered princess was oblivious of the world's cruelty and Lily wanted to make a name for herself, so despite of their worries, they let her go to a complete different country and let her pursue her dreams. Russia, the beautiful progressive country which taught her many things, but the biggest was not everyone are saints. Cyril Sokolov, Russian mafia lord, far from innocent and naive man, complete opposite of what his future bird possessed in her. He was a slave of one thing, his competitive nature, he loves challenges and would be damned to lose any. He was raised by ruthless monsters in human flesh, and he didn't mind becoming one of them. Cyril once again took upon a challenge and played a dangerous game but he never thought this time, his victory will become his biggest downfall. The Russian mafia would be reduced to his knees after his obedient little bird would decide to embrace her freedom away from his toxicity. A story of deceit, betrayal, twisted game and obsession. When the dangerous playful challenge would ignite an unwanted attraction curling it into bloodthirsty obsession forcing the ruthless mob boss to paint the town red just bring his escaped bird back to his cage.

“I need to become the devil to destroy that demon,” she whispers, her body still broken, the evidence of his madness all around her. Of all betrayals, Marion Storm never expected her end to come at the hands of her husband. Once hailed as the Ice Queen of Biotech and CEO of the billion-dollar Icarus Industries, she now lies bleeding on the marble floor of her burning mansion, her empire reduced to ash. Richard took everything: her son, her reputation, her company, and now, her life. But fate intervenes. Her last desperate message is answered. By Jude Creed. Arrogant. Brilliant. Her rival. Her nemesis. And now… her savior. With nothing left but a broken body and shattered heart, Marion swears vengeance on every person who played a part in her downfall. Even if it means crossing lines, burning bridges, and becoming something darker than all of them. But even ice can melt. And Jude? He’s determined to melt her. As the line between their deal and desire blurs, Marion is forced to confront a terrifying truth: time is running out. Her enemies are more powerful, danger is in every corner, and secrets are on every page she turns. Who can she trust? And Jude? He may just be the one thing left holding her together. Will she let him love her, or will her thirst for revenge burn him down with the rest of them?

We have weird rules set in place in this home. 1. Ethan's opinion is the one that matters the most in all events. 2. If Matthew has any objections, please refer to the first rule. Ethan Moreno is the real heir who has been reunited with the family. I am Matthew Moreno, the fake heir. My adoptive parents claim that they've set up these rules because they are worried that Ethan might not feel at ease when he's home. That's why when Ethan asks to move into my room, I let him have it. When he demands that I give him my scholarship, I give it to him obediently. When he tells me he wants to marry my fiancee, Holly Nottings, I agree to it. Even when Ethan plans on using our family's account to donate ten million dollars to a university in exchange for an exchange student slot, I agree to let him have his way as well. After all, when I refused to give Ethan what he wanted in my previous life, he threatened to commit suicide after he got his sorry ass dumped by Holly. When my adoptive parents found out about it, they strung me up and had me whipped for three days and nights. By the time I was released, I was already reduced to a shriveled-up corpse. When I open my eyes once again, I hear my adoptive father claiming that he'll wire ten million dollars from the family account to Ethan.

I ditched a shot at studying abroad to help my boyfriend, Gavin Censori, launch his startup. Stuck it out with him through seven brutal years. Then boom—success hit, and so did the ghosting. On Valentine's Day, he hit me with the classic "work's crazy" excuse. Instead of showing up, he had some random delivery dude drop off a box of cosmetic samples. Samples. Later that night, his secretary Rebecca popped up on my feed, flexing hard. Caption: [With a boss like this, why go home early?] Pic: A box of high-end makeup. Same brand. Hers weren't samples. I dropped a comment: [You're doing great at your sidechick job. Gold star.] Gavin called instantly, losing it. "What's your problem? She's just an employee! I bust my ass making money for you, and you're always jealous!" I laughed. Didn't even yell. Just dumped him. Seven years, and I'd never touched a dime of his. Joke's on him—his precious startup? Secretly bankrolled by me. Fast-forward three years. Business summit. He rolled in wearing a tailored suit. The second he spotted me with a bag of bottles, his smirk kicked in. "Didn't like those cosmetics I gave you, huh? Now look at you—reduced to bottle collecting?"

At a gathering, I discover that the guy my best friend, Rachel Jost, secretly has a crush on has slipped something into her drink. When he brings the glass over to her, I deliberately knock it over, spilling the spiked wine and saving her life. He storms out in anger. The very next day, he announces his engagement to someone else. Rachel comes to me in a rage, convinced that I sabotaged her out of jealousy. "Stella Leigh, if you hadn't interfered, I would've already slept with him! The one he wants to marry would've been me! You just couldn't stand seeing me happy! You ruined my shot at love, so you'll pay for it with your life!" She pushes me off a high building. I fall to my death, my body reduced to a pulp that is beyond recognition. When I open my eyes again, I am back on the day of that gathering. Rachel is sitting next to me, stealing adoring glances at the man across from her. The next moment, she turns to glare at me and warns me not to meddle with vicious eyes. Seems like she is reborn, too. But what she doesn't know is that the man she secretly loves has always despised her for being obsessed with him. What he added to that glass of wine isn't some aphrodisiac—it is something that can kill her.

His gun-roughened hands burned against my waist, every breath laced with the cold, unyielding possession that had made him the most feared Cosa Nostra Don in all of Sicily. A shrill ring sliced through the haze. He answered in guttural Sicilian. It was the dialect I’d learned years ago to fit into his world, so I caught every word. His consigliere was screaming down the line at him for filing a valid, legally binding marriage license with Sofia Lombardi, the woman who’d abandoned him when a bomb left him mute for seven years. Luca’s order was cold as a trigger pull. “Secure the original license in the family vault. Draw up a forged, null-and-void marriage license for Isa to keep her compliant.” In the eyes of the law, of his entire crew, I was nothing but his mistress. After seven years of laying down my life for him, I’d been reduced to nothing but his mistress. Another call flashed. Luca turned to me, the lie already shaping his mouth. “Family matters. The guards will see you home.” Without a word, I stepped out into the Palermo night, my hands shaking as I dialed his mother, Anna Vitali. “I’ll take your fifty million euros. I’ll leave Luca. For good.” Anna once said Luca and I were worlds apart. I had to admit she was right. This time, I want to leave with dignity.

I am the woman who stays the longest by the side of mafia Don Jasper Shaw. I believe I hold a unique place in his heart. But when his beloved Rosie Hurley suffers violation and falls pregnant, everything changes. Accused of orchestrating Rosie's downfall, I become the venomous villain in their eyes. To shield Rosie from gossip, Jasper publicly claims her unborn child as his own. Meanwhile, I am branded a depraved woman, defiled and discarded. Desperate, I reveal my own pregnancy to Jasper, pleading for our child’s future. He dismisses it as a ploy for attention. When I confront him, his words cut deep. "This is the sin you must atone for. Rosie has always been raised like a princess, and she can't endure the whispers—not like you." For the first time, I realize I am nothing to Jasper but a tool for his desires. Rosie locks me in a cramped cellar, where I suffocate and die. My body lies undiscovered for a month. When Jasper receives the call to identify my corpse, he brushes it off, prioritizing Rosie's prenatal checkup. "Amara's lies are piling up. So what if she's dead? Cremate her and then talk to me." My body enters the furnace and is reduced to a handful of ashes. Later, the mighty Jasper Shaw kneels and sobs uncontrollably. He begs for just one glimpse of me.

Kyra should have died the night her world was reduced to ash. Born into a powerful bloodline of fire witches, she watched her family fall—slaughtered by a king terrified of their magic. Scarred by flames and driven by vengeance, she returns to the kingdom years later, disguised beneath another face and hiding in plain sight as a palace servant. Her mission is simple: learn the king’s secrets and, when the time is right, strike. But fate has other plans. Prince Lucian is nothing like his father--- the king. Cursed as a werewolf, he has hidden his dark secret from the royal court for years. The only cure? A witch’s blood—Kyra’s blood. When Lucian meets Kyra, an unexpected bond ignites between them. He should be her greatest enemy, yet fate twists their paths together. For beneath her servant’s disguise, Kyra is no ordinary girl—she is the last of a fire-witch bloodline, bent on avenging her family by killing the king. When Lucian discovers her secret and her deadly mission, he doesn’t condemn her. Instead, he offers to help her, driven by his hatred for his father… and his growing love for her. But as their alliance deepens, a devastating truth emerges: the only way to end Lucian’s curse is through sacrifice—Kyra’s life or his own. Now, Kyra must face an impossible choice: save herself… or the man she loves.