Rice By Manuel Arguilla

Elena Thompson’s life has never been easy, but she’s always managed to survive. Working long shifts at a small diner, she’s spent years cleaning up the mess her father made—until the day he makes the ultimate mistake. Drowning in debt to dangerous people, he signs away the only thing he has left to offer: her. Alexander Calloway is ruthless, powerful, and dangerously cold. When he steps in to settle William Thompson’s debts, he doesn’t want money—he wants Elena. To him, marriage is just another contract, another deal to control. But what he doesn’t anticipate is the fire in her eyes and the way she refuses to bend to his will. into a world of wealth and secrets, Elena vows to fight for her freedom. But the more she clashes with her formidable husband, the more she finds herself drawn to the man behind the icy exterior. And as an old flame from Alexander’s past resurfaces, determined to ruin everything, Elena realizes that escaping her new life might not be her biggest challenge… Surviving it—and resisting the growing tension between her and Alexander—might be. In a battle of wills, desire, and betrayal, how long can Elena fight the pull of the man who holds her fate in his hands?

Lana Bellen is an 18 years old naive student with a dream of flying high. She has a passion to travel her wonderland and when it executes; she collides into real danger; a fatal mobster. A 28 years old Armando De Luca who is famous as Lord of Mafia. His heartless trait radiates fear in the core of hearts. Betrayal awakes his devil, his loaded bullets thrusts their bodies before culprits could clean themselves up. He is known as "El Veneno (The Poison)". As heir of D. L Enterprises Holding Inc and Master of Spanish Mafia, he owns half of the intercontinental sphere where his sharp jaw and cold eyes confirm his foreboding. Nobody dares to mess up with a man like him. But when his own captive makes his heartbeat for the first time, How would he fight with love and ferity?

Tired of being a Sub, Nadia takes on a role of a Dom, but all that changes in a blink of an eye. A series of events leave her at the mercy of a man she never thought she'd see again. Will she be able to escape her past? Or is her past back to punish her? "Remember the safe word Nadia." "Red" She breathlessly answered.

"I'll haunt your every step, Lia.” His whispers send shivers down her spine. He would stop at nothing to claim her. ~ No one cares about her, not even her father who pushed her into the devil's den with a smile on his face because he wanted an alliance. The Devil; She drugged him to get his signature on a divorce paper, and now they are done. Ophelia Laurent thought it was over, not until…he had her back in his dungeon, but this time not behind bars, but in front of him, on her knees in chains that drove her to dark pleasures. The devil would do all it takes to show her that he loves her, and wants to protect her, but not in a gentlemanly way. “I would own you without buying you red roses nor feeding you with empty promises….

Zara always lived a life of fear and abuse at the hands of her alcoholic father and brother. She lived in an average pack, isolated from the rest of the werewolf community, and had no one to turn to for help. One night, after enduring yet another beating from her brother, Zara knew she couldn't take it anymore. Urged on by her wolf, Zara ran away from her pack. As she ran, she could feel the weight of her pack's disapproval and abandonment bearing down on her. She was a rogue now, an outcast. But she didn't care. She just wanted to be free of the abuse and the terror that had defined her life for as long as she could remember. Zara ran until she reached the border of a notorious pack, known for its brutal treatment of rogues. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she had made a terrible mistake. But then she heard the sound of her brother's voice in her head, taunting her and telling her she would never amount to anything. That was all the motivation she needed. Zara crossed the border into the unknown, determined to make a new life for herself no matter the cost.

After being accused of killing her father, Azura Riverstone runs away from her pack when her mate and husband orders his Gammas to hold her as the captive. Torn between hurt and betrayal from her mate and step-family, she decides to seek the Alpha King for help but the only way to get to him is participating in the Alpha combat where only Alphas are allowed. How will she find the true murderer of her father when her ex finds her and offers a deal which she can't deny?

Izzy's life has been turned upside down. As the local high school freak, she's never really fit in before, but things have lately gotten worse. To top it all off, her mom decided to suddenly move them in with her Aunt Luna and Uncle Alpha at their so-called PACK. Everything changed when she met their triplet sons. There are secrets in this village. And Izzy is slowly realizing that things aren't quite as they seem. The more questions she asks, the more questions she has. As events unfold, can Izzy find out the truth about herself, the strange village, and the strange Triplets?

**This book contains a trigger warning. Mention about rape and torture in this book. Please read with caution** "Our marriage is nothing but a deal," he said looking at the girl, her green eyes met his cold silver eye, and both of them glared at each other. "For any rules you break, I will claim any part of your body," his gaze grew dangerously darker at his word. ************* Ashley Harlow was at the top of the world, living the perfect and luxurious lifestyle as the legitimate daughter of the well-known Daniel Harlow. But sadly, a one-night stand put an end to that and brought her life upside down and that of her family's name to the ground. To restore his family's reputation, she was forced into marrying Damien Albrecht, a young, ruthless, obnoxious, brutal billionaire and the head of a mafia gang in exchange for her father's company.

Book 1 of the Blackfern Werewolf Series. Completed - A fully edited version was put up Jan 2024 - please log out and log back in to read this finalized version. It's hard being a half-blooded werewolf… especially when you have no idea that werewolves actually exist. Clementine – I did not know what to expect when I decided to move with my dad and brother to Blackfern Valley in backyard British Columbia. The first thing I noticed was how ridiculously fit and good looking everyone was. Then I started to notice the odd behaviour, comments and how everyone in the town just seemed to hate me. Well, everyone excluding Liam, he seemed like the only friendly person in the Valley… Liam – I was not expecting my world to be shaken so hard when a half-breed moved into the pack. Half-breeds were extremely rare, and often hunted and terminated by pure-blood werewolves if they do not develop a wolf at sixteen. I thought that when his Uncle Jed's reign had ended, that the hatred would have died with him… I was wrong. They were after Clementine and something inside of me could not let that happen…

Trapped in a loveless, tyrannical marriage to ruthless billionaire CEO Damon Cross, Emma Walker endures the whispers of admiration from outsiders, who believe she is the envy of the city. They see her glittering life—the mansions, the diamonds—but none can imagine the cruelty she suffers behind closed doors. Damon treats her as his possession, a mere maid in his palatial home, caged and stripped of dignity. Then, an unexpected event brings Jake Carter, her high school sweetheart, back into her life. Now a powerful entrepreneur, Jake is not only Damon’s business rival but Emma’s last hope for freedom. As Damon’s control tightens, Emma faces an impossible choice. Will she risk everything for a second chance at happiness, or will the chains of her marriage prove unbreakable? As Emma’s journey unfolds, she is plunged into a world of betrayal, suspense, and passion. In this high-stakes love triangle, the lines blur between true love and obsession, freedom and bondage. Can love save the day, or will Emma be bound by her vows forever?