Ripped Out Heart

On our fifth anniversary, Henry Judd—the guy who once swore he'd propose—rented out an entire mall for Cecilia Cheape's birthday. A diamond the size of a pigeon's egg sparkled on her finger. I'd been dumb enough to think it was meant for me. "Cece, I'm gonna give you a birthday you'll never forget," he announced, loud enough for the whole world to hear. Then he yanked the tab off a soda can and handed it to me. "Lulu, those gaudy things don't suit you. You deserve something unique." He slid the can tab onto my finger—his version of a proposal. Cecilia got the dream birthday. I got a piece of trash and a slap of reality. Later, when he found out I was marrying someone else, he got down on one knee with that same ring and begged me to say yes.

Everyone in the city knew that James Frost loved me and our son to bits. When I suggested stargazing, James spent millions to create a meteor shower. As my son loved riding carousels, James built the biggest amusement park and named it after him. He was never stingy when it came to doting on us, and it was only natural he brought in the best doctors to save me when my son and I were caught in a car crash. I fought to stay conscious and asked him to save our son first, only for him to tell me tearfully that our son had died while being transported to the hospital. Devastated, my mind caved, and I passed out. When I woke up, I overheard the doctor asking James, "Why did you stop us, Mr. Frost? We could have saved your son!" "Stan is only alive to save the son I had with Sue," James replied nonchalantly. "If he was alive, how would I ever transplant his heart without legal repercussions? "I've been plenty kind to him and Wanda over the years—it's time they repay me." So everything he did for me and Stan was just a trade—for Stan's heart. That meant he was responsible for the suffering Stan and I were put through as well! In that case, I would let him have his wish!

Get ready to dive into the coming of age story of Adanna, a victim of tape. This story will drive you through the gallops, exuberance, sentiments, hardships, heartbreaks, love and the growth of Adanna. This story is meant for all; the babes, the growing, and the developed mind. It is set in Africa, to be precise. Our Heroine, Adanna, is a victim of rape. Not once did she believe that she would encounter the dire unfortunate circumstances. Life, however, does not go the way we wish. And, that is the case for Adanna. Despite the awful rape incident that seemed to end her life at first, Adanna refused to yield to depression and give up on life. She chose to hate the world instead, and love the child that grew within her. It is easy for one to speak, but is it easy to take action? Her resolve was fickle and weak, making her a subject to the storms of life. She's pulled into lies and deceit. Will she make it out unscathed or will she drown in lies?

During the holiday, my six-year-old son received his cleft-lip surgery. He wore a mask and sat quietly in our family bookstore, engrossed in a picture book. A young man came in, pinching his nose dramatically as he swaggered up to the manager. "Why did you let someone with an infectious disease in here?" he demanded loudly. "Get them out!" The manager winced. "Sir, I'm sorry, but I don't have the authority to remove other customers." Undeterred, the man marched up to me. "Be wise and get out of here. My girlfriend is Imogen Slater, CEO of the Slater Group. You don't want to mess with me." I froze in stunned silence. Imogen despised all men except me, and this guy claimed she was his girlfriend.

Selena of the Moonglade pack is in love with Callum from the Silvergleam pack. But he is not her fated mate. To her dismay, her match made for her under the moon is Callum's brother, the next Alpha of the Moonglade pack and possibly the coldest person Selena has ever encountered. Lucian, in question, is largely indifferent to this discovery. His father remains in a dire state of health, and being his heir, the mantle of leadership and protection of the pack is now draped on his youthful shoulders. The day for the enemy looms closer and he must be prepared. But now his concerns would deviate. His heart will teeter to the most magnetic force. Selena his beautiful distraction; Selena his inevitable weakness. But what will Selena do now that her heart says yes, but her wolf says no? Torn between being mated to Lucian while a part of her is with someone else? And then there's Uncle Bane whom Lucian confides in more than his father. He is liberal and easygoing. Or so they think... There's a suspected spy amongst them conniving with the Bloodfang pack–the enemy pack. What are Uncle Bane's true intentions? Despite sharing a love like running on a treadmill, with Lucian being defiant to his mate, jealousy creeps in eventually and it creates a clash in his relationship with his brother Callum. Selena will assist Lucian in piecing together the puzzles in his life bit by bit.

Born into one of the main Brazilian mafias, Celeste Brandão fights to escape the fate that awaits her. However, at the age of sixteen, she was chosen to be the alliance that would unite two of the biggest American mafias, in a struggle for honor and power, marrying none other than the "Knight of Death", Kaanadan Salvatore, the current Capo dei Capi of the Washington mafia. And now, at twenty-one, the day she dreaded the most has arrived: her wedding. Despite the fame that her future husband carries and the fear he causes in her, Celeste is determined to escape this world without choices, even if she has to defy her worst nightmare. But Kaanadan's predatory and dark way will provoke an internal conflict with several doubts and desires, the main one being: If even an implacable heart is capable of love.

Kirsten wanted to break up with her boyfriend, but it was hard because she loved him so much. Breaking up is the greatest thing to do. Unexpectedly, Charles, her boyfriend's older brother, found out about her plan to break up with his brother and decided to help her.

This Thanksgiving, Elmer Fuller finally agrees to go on a trip with me. But when I wake up in the hotel, I don't see him anywhere. I spend the entire day desperately searching for him, only to stumble across a social media post from his first love. It's a selfie of her and Elmer having a cozy family dinner with her parents. The caption reads, "Someone's finally meeting the parents on Thanksgiving night. Mom and Dad can stop pressuring me to get married now!" Around her neck is the scarf my mother knitted for me before she passed. I left a comment. "Stop using my things to flirt with my husband. Take the scarf off—you can have him." Not long after, she posts an update. The scarf is shredded into pieces and tossed into a dog bed, with the caption, "What trash—too filthy even for a dog!" Elmer likes the post.

My name is Themis and I am not supposed to be alive. I survived the hunt, saddled with a husband and still I have to waddle my way through so many things to remain alive at the end of the day. The one person I can count on other than myself is my new husband who saved my life from the get go. And my gift of prophecy. Maybe, just maybe, it is also enough to save the Dar Empire too. My name is Themis and this is my story.

Sonia Martinez, 20, has eyes that have seen too much and a heart armored by a childhood scarred by domestic warfare. Screams, slammed doors, and broken promises defined her early years, teaching her that love is a dangerous illusion. Emotional walls weren't a choice—they were survival. While others dreamed of romance, Sonia became a fortress, determined never to fall victim to heartbreak. Then comes Alex Rodriguez—charming, persistent, and exactly the kind of man she’s sworn to avoid. Their first meeting crackles with tension; the second ignites a chemistry too intense to ignore. But Sonia is no easy conquest. To her, relationships are emotional landmines, and she’s not about to let her guard down. Yet Alex isn’t easily shaken. With a shadowed past and secrets of his own, he’s determined to prove that not all love stories end in pain. As danger looms and old wounds resurface, Sonia faces a pivotal choice: cling to the safety of her walls or risk everything for a chance at healing. Their story isn’t just about falling in love—it’s about surviving it.