Rigid Fork

SLOANE HOLBROOK is a thirty-five-year-old copywriter whose only commitment is to sarcasm, but every major holiday turns her into a single, pitiful spectacle for her judgmental family. Her solution? JACKSON, a charming, commitment-phobic Australian golf coach who needs a distraction just as badly as she does. They forge the "Holidate Pact" a year-long contract to be each other’s flawless, platonic plus-ones for every major event, with one rigid rule: zero feelings. But when a New Year's Eve kiss designed for public consumption feels startlingly real, Sloane and Jackson realize surviving the holiday calendar is easy; surviving the relentless, rule-breaking, undeniable attraction might be impossible. They signed up for a cynical transaction, but what happens when their fake relationship becomes the most honest thing in their lives?

A modern-day fujoshi (a woman who’s obsessed with pairing men together in fictional or real scenarios) dies in an accident — only to wake up in the body of Lady Seraphina Edevane, a noblewoman in a world of arranged marriages and rigid social rules. Seraphina is married to Lord Adrian Vale, a stoic duke rumored to have a scandalous past. The twist? Whenever Adrian gets within a certain distance of her, he starts hearing the original woman’s unfiltered inner voice — full of snark, romantic theories, and wild speculations about pairing him with other men. As the woman begins to warm up to him, the “voice distance” increases, forcing them to stay apart or risk exposure… until they realize the connection might hold the key to unraveling a curse tied to both their fates.

Having an Awakenist as my wife meant enduring her monkish attitude toward sex. We could only be intimate on the sixteenth of every month. Every detail—my position, rhythm, even my expression—had to follow her rigid rules. If I showed too much pleasure, she would immediately rise and leave. We had been married for five years. Was I ever tired of this? Yes. Still, I always gave in. I accepted these limitations because I loved her. "The Saintess loves me too," I told myself. That faith shattered the day I was sent to extinguish a hotel fire. Amid the flames, I found my wife pressed close to a man in disheveled clothes. Between their arms was a young boy.

Unfortunately for some, Lucas Villareal, the devastatingly handsome and heir to a powerful business empire, is gay. But bound by the rigid terms of his inheritance, he’s left with no choice but to marry a woman, even if it’s only for show. That’s when fate brings him to Rhea. Once the cherished daughter of a renowned chef, Rhea’s world fell apart after a heartbreaking tragedy left her with nothing. Now struggling to get back on her feet, she finds herself at a crossroads when Lucas offers her a deal: a marriage of convenience that guarantees financial stability in exchange for pretending to be his wife. Will Rhea accept the unexpected proposal? What will she choose when her heart feels more than it should? And what happens when emotions, something neither of them planned for, begin to blur the lines of their arrangement?

Unfortunately for some, Lucas Villareal, the devastatingly handsome and heir to a powerful business empire, is gay. But bound by the rigid terms of his inheritance, he’s left with no choice but to marry a woman, even if it’s only for show. That’s when fate brings him to Rhea. Once the cherished daughter of a renowned chef, Rhea’s world fell apart after a heartbreaking tragedy left her with nothing. Now struggling to get back on her feet, she finds herself at a crossroads when Lucas offers her a deal: a marriage of convenience that guarantees financial stability in exchange for pretending to be his wife. Will Rhea accept the unexpected proposal? What will she choose when her heart feels more than it should? And what happens when emotions, something neither of them planned for, begin to blur the lines of their arrangement?

　Just two weeks after their wedding, Raphael left for the other side of the world on business. Two years later, when he returned, Grace barely recognized her own husband. 　　 　　Everyone knew their marriage was nothing more than a business deal between two powerful families. To Grace, it was simply the last hurdle on her way to freedom. She barely knew her husband. All she really knew was that he was rigid, dull, and emotionally detached—like a financial machine. She figured he must find her just as insufferable—dramatic, and high-maintenance. When Grace placed the divorce papers in front of Raphael, stating that she wanted to end this loveless marriage, he merely looked at her, his gaze warm yet unreadable. He gently took her hand and murmured in a husky voice, half-smiling, 「Hmm? Did I not please you enough last night?」

Xavier is on the verge of giving up and settling for what his life is -grueling, onerous, and insipid. Sierra is a woman with dreams as big as the sun but a heart as rigid as a rocky mountain. She is constantly facing obstacles and has a hard time letting go and healing from events of her past. These two are least likely to make a match but when the odds are in favor, hope blossoms for them. On the other hand, Xander is an accomplished man with the power kings crave and intellect that the world envies atop a slight maniacal charm. Between the two underground kings, Xavier and Xander, lies the only queen left- Sierra -she has to choose between a mysterious love full of surprises or love that she could only dream of. In this compelling novel, we take a new approach to whimsical romance, banter, and the grim side of reality. Find out how the story unfolds, twists, and turns in this revolutionary book - My Altered Mate. by Lothaire.

    "This marriage has been fixed and it must hold."  That was the rigid statement of Charlotte's father.      A wedding day was supposed to be a lady's happiest day, but in the case of Charlotte, it was her saddest day. Her parents were about to force her to marry Ethan, a person known to be ruthless. Charlotte's marriage was a pivot of financial benefits for her family, but her happiness and career was at stake.     Will she bend to her parents' wishes? She was at the point of breaking ties what her parents when her aunty said the following words,     "Do you really want to let your parents down? I will teach you how to display an irk attitude, after you get married to him, and in a very short time, Ethan will divorce you." Is this a trap? Will her aunty show her the easiest way out of this ruthless marriage? Her entire hope lies on herself to display an irk attitude to a man who has started loving her.

Anna is a pretty girl with dreams as wild as fire and eyes that can pierce into the soul of the most rigid person. She comes into The Archer Group as an intern interested in Investment Analysis, but is forced to be in the taxation department. She knows nothing about herself, as all her life has been spent trying to get to work in the greatest Venture Capitalist Company in New York. But the CEO of the Archer Group dies and hands the company over to his son, who is the last person who can make a company work. An artist with a specific sexual preference, private, reluctant, borderline rude, too brilliant for his own good, Carson Archer never plays by the rules. Anna only wants a chance to prove that she is better than writing reports. But Investment Analysis might just be the last thing on her mind when his gaze lands on her. At the Archer Group, falling for the boss isn't just career suicide. It’s heartbreak too. Because Carson Archer doesn’t do love.

Caspian Henderson has been rigid and restrained throughout his six-year marriage to Juliet Bennett, and their life together feels dull and uneventful. Even their nights together feel like a chore with a set time. He arrives on the dot, does what he came for, and leaves. Everyone in their social circle believes he's the kind of man who will never bend for any woman. That was true until a month ago, when he returned with an orphaned girl who claims to have saved his life. Her name is Willow Everly. She's cold and unapproachable—the polar opposite of Juliet, who has been doted on all her life. Juliet's girlfriends attempt to warn her. "That young woman looks like a handful. You'd better keep an eye on your husband." Juliet beams. "Don't worry. Caspian doesn't even waver when I tease him. There's no way he'd be interested in that delicate little thing." Yet in just a few days, she finds out just how wrong she is.