Ruins Synonyms

For twins Ethel and Elise, the line between dream and nightmare was always thin—and on Paron Island, it has been completely erased. Their idyllic gap year, a sun-soaked mosaic of beach bonfires and reckless abandon, is shattered in an instant. A "project," as the panicked news reports cryptically call it, has gone horrifically wrong, releasing a pathogen that reanimates the dead with a singular, gruesome purpose: to feed. The sisters' bond, once defined by shared secrets and sibling rivalry, is now their only anchor in a world drowning in blood. Driven by a raw, primal instinct to protect each other, they join forces with a few other fortunate—or unfortunate—souls who survived the initial onslaught. Together, this makeshift family must navigate the ruins of their former paradise, where every shadow hides a potential threat and every human sound could be a lure. Ethel, the more cautious sister, finds a hidden strength in strategy, while Elise's impulsive nature becomes both a weapon and a liability. But their fight against the decaying hordes is only the surface of the terror. Whispers of a coordinated presence, of supplies that go missing too conveniently, and of strangers who seem to know too much, point to a more insidious truth: the island's collapse was not a random tragedy. They are being hunted by something that thinks, that plans, that wears a human face. As their hope for rescue dwindles, Ethel and Elise are forced to confront the ultimate horror—that in the midst of an apocalypse, the most monstrous creatures of all are still human.

I was born just one minute after Tiara, but the world treated that one minute as if it lasted a lifetime. She was the star. I was the shadow. She was flawless. I was the afterthought. She was loved. I was forgotten. Even by Reagan de Russo, heir to the wealthiest family in the country and the man I had secretly loved for the past ten years. But to him, there was only Tiara. And when he proposed to her, I knew my quiet little dream had finally died. Until that day came. The day Tiara left him at the altar. The day the world stopped turning for just a second. The day the man who had never even glanced my way, turned to me and asked me to take her place. I knew what I was. An escape. A damage control. A backup plan. And I... I was too tired of being strong. So I said yes. We married. Without love. Without a future. Just a one-year contract and a life of make-believe in front of flashing cameras and watching eyes. But the longer I stayed by his side, the harder it became to tell what was real and what was just part of the performance. Because for the first time... Reagan saw me. But can love truly grow from the ruins of lies, old wounds, and the shadow of a woman who’s always been his first choice? Or will I always be… only the second best?

Content Warning: This book contains mature themes, explicit se.xual content, BD.SM dynamics, and a Daddy/Good Girl Kink between consenting adults. Recommended for 18+ readers who enjoy dark, erotic romance. ••••••••• “So what’s your name?” She asked “Julian.” I said Julian,” she repeated it like she was tasting it. “You sound like a man who ruins lives.” “I’ve been known to,” I smirk. She tilted her head,as she bit her lip. “Are you gonna ruin mine?” My cock hardened in response. ••••••••••••••• After catching her boyfriend of six years cheating—with her best friend. Zoe let’s loose and indulges in one drunken night at a club. After which she stumbles into the backseat of a sleek black car she thought was her ride share. But it’s not. It belongs to Julian. A brutally hot,commanding and much older man. With a reputation for being cold and dominant.She thinks it’s just one reckless night. But everything spirals out of control when he reappears in her world again but this time not just for one night. Julian remembers her. Every sinful sound she made. Every bruise he left. And now,he wants more.

I went into labor. And my mate, Alpha Alistair, locked me in a silver cage. The bars throbbed with curse runes, burning my skin. He did it for Livia. His dead brother's mate. Her pup had to be born first. That's when I learned the truth. He'd been poisoning me for months. All to make sure Livia's child would be the next Alpha. He called it "calming tea." A daily dose of poison to slow my pup's growth and delay my labor. But my body had other plans. My pup refused to wait. I went into labor at the same time as Livia. When he found out, he accused me of faking it. Of begging for sympathy. He let them poison me with wolfsbane. I lost my pup. A piece of my soul died with him. With my last breath, I reached out. To the one person who could save me. My brother, Alpha King Lucian. He came like a storm of rage. He burned the packhouse to the ground, with me inside. A phantom fire for all to see. Then, he plucked me from the flames. Only then, surrounded by the smoking ruins of his pack, did Alistair fall to his knees. His howl of regret tore through the night. For 99 days, he howled at the moon. Begging the Moon Goddess to return just a sliver of my soul.

After helping illegitimate son Clifford Johansen rise to fame, Seraphine Lodge gets ruthlessly discarded. Clifford turns around and proposes to his "true love" with a fireworks show worth hundreds of millions. He also indulges her as she makes Seraphine's mother, Andrea Lodge, die from a heart attack. He robs Seraphine of her identity as a true heiress without remorse. Seraphine gives her heart to the wrong man, but she doesn't scream or cry. Instead, she dumps the scumbag, pockets 200 million dollars in breakup fees, and watches her career soar. But Clifford refuses to let her go. He ruins her reputation, turning public opinion against her. Seraphine doesn't bow to power or cruelty. Anyone who dares cross her gets a taste of her revenge, which comes swiftly and brutally. Sweet revenge is satisfying, but an even sweeter thrill arrives one night while cloaked in moonlight. A tall, commanding figure approaches, radiating elegance and dominance. It's Elliott Johansen, the heir to Dirkane's most prominent family. He's powerful, untouchable, and feared by all. Seraphine freezes. Then comes his low, magnetic voice in her ear, "Sera, leave the violence to me. If you get hurt, my heart will ache." Her heart skips a beat. He continues, "Be good. We'll go home together once I'm through with them."

In a world where the powerful Elders ruled with iron fists, the Marked Ones warriors cursed and gifted with abilities beyond mortal understanding were bound to serve. Among them, Lyla, a fierce and unyielding leader, emerged from the ashes of war with one purpose: to shatter the chains of the Elders and claim the throne for herself. After years of bloodshed and sacrifice, Lyla did the impossible she destroyed the Elders, dismantling their legacy of domination. But victory came with a price. Her rise to power awakened something far older and far more dangerous: the Forgotten Kings ancient rulers who had existed long before the Elders, hidden in the shadows of time, waiting for the right moment to reclaim what was once theirs. The city of ruins that Lyla thought was a stronghold of the past turned out to be a gateway to a prison for the Forgotten. Her mere presence, her power, unlocked the seals that held them back, and now, the ancient kings stir, whispering through shadows, testing her strength with apparitions and phantoms that defy life and death. Lyla, unyielding and defiant, refuses to kneel. With the Marked Ones by her side, she begins a journey to understand the true nature of the power she wields, a power that may have never belonged to the Elders, but to something much older, much darker. As the boundaries between past and present blur, Lyla must decide if she will be a mere successor to the throne or its ultimate conqueror. But with the Forgotten Kings watching her every move, and the shadows growing restless, the true war for dominance over the world has only just begun.

A forced marriage. A ruthless CEO. And a contract that could ruin—or rescue—her heart. Ayla Morgan thought losing her father was the worst thing that could happen. She was wrong. Within weeks, her family restaurant is seized by debt collectors, her stepmother kicks her to the curb, and her arrogant CEO fires her in front of everyone over a petty mistake. With nothing left but humiliation and bills, Ayla is forced into a blind date arranged by her greedy family… and accidentally ruins the wrong one. That “wrong date”? Damon Cross. Her ex-boss. The coldest man she’s ever met—richer than sin and twice as dangerous. But instead of being furious, Damon makes her a shocking offer: Marry me. Three years. No feelings. No questions. In return, I’ll pay your family’s debt and give you your life back. To him, it’s just a contract. To her, it’s a lifeline. Living under the same roof, working as his personal secretary, Ayla swears she’ll never fall for a man who sees love as weakness. But behind Damon’s icy exterior hides a broken man forced to marry by his dying grandfather—and a loneliness that mirrors her own. As enemies become reluctant allies and fake kisses turn real, Ayla finds herself questioning everything. What happens when the contract ends… but her heart doesn’t? And will Damon let go of control long enough to realize that love might be his only salvation?

The Garcia family's notorious illegitimate son — violent, obsessive, and dangerously unstable — had sent out a public marriage summons. One of us, my sister or I, was to become his bride. My father, with his career in ruins and his influence dwindling, had no choice but to agree. In desperation, I begged my boyfriend Eric Jordan to return home and make our engagement official. He did rush back, travel-worn and anxious — but only to ask for my sister's hand in marriage. Shattered, I demanded to know why. Eric frowned, his voice icy. "You're just a foster daughter of the Lynch family. You've eaten their food, lived under their roof for years. And if it weren't for Willa, you would've frozen to death on the street. Now's your chance to repay her. Don't be ungrateful." I refused to stay silent. He shoved me aside in frustration. "I told you — Willa and I are only pretending. Once she's out of danger and that lunatic forgets about the proposal, we'll divorce. I'll come back for you. However, stop embarrassing yourself like this — it's pathetic." What Eric did not know was… Willa Lynch escaped the marriage. However, I did not. Later, on the day of the wedding, as the bridal car passed the Jordan family estate, I looked out the window — and locked eyes with Eric. His face turned pale as a sheet.

The once-glorious empire is in ruins, its capital buried beneath ash, following a bloody uprising. A competent scavenger who has been hardened by grief, Zara endures in the broken world, plagued by memories of the empire's devastation, particularly the ruthless purge that claimed her family's lives. She discovers a secret amid the rubble: a wounded man named Kael who says he is the final heir to the crumbling empire. Zara reluctantly consents to assist him, viewing his survival as a way to make amends. But Kael isn't interested in bringing back the empire he was born into. Rather, he is dangerously knowledgeable about a weapon that could upset the delicate balance of power in the world. An unforeseen attachment forms between Zara and Kael, complicating their objective as they create an uneasy alliance to traverse the lethal world of bounty hunters, imperial loyalists, and rebels. Zara is compelled to face her own troubled past—including the potential that her long-lost brother is still alive and fighting for one of the factions—as they delve deeper into the empire's hidden secrets. After the rebels kidnap Kael and torture him to find the weapon, Zara must decide whether to risk everything to save him or let him perish. Zara and Kael are pushed to the limit by their increasing love and the burden of their common past as they work against the clock to destroy the weapon and keep it out of the wrong hands. Will the fires of their decisions consume them or will they find salvation in a world of ashes?

After a brutal rogue attack leaves her family slaughtered and her pack in ruins, Racheal is forced to flee. Her mother’s final wish sends her to the Blue Moon Pack, where she’s promised protection through marriage to the young Alpha, Ezekiel. At first, it seems like a chance to heal. But within weeks, the dream turns cold. Ezekiel is distant, cruel, and completely entangled with his lover, Lucy a woman whose smile hides something far darker. Cast aside and humiliated, Racheal is left to suffer in silence, a forgotten bride in a pack that was never truly hers. Until the night she uncovers a letter hidden in a forgotten room. It changes everything. The letter is from Lucy and it reveals a devastating truth: she was the one who betrayed Racheal’s pack. She fed information to the rogues. She helped orchestrate the attack. And she’s been manipulating Ezekiel from the beginning, tearing the Blue Moon Pack apart from within. But what none of them know is this: Racheal didn’t come to the Blue Moon Pack empty-handed. She carries the untapped wealth and legacy of her bloodline, and something even more dangerous a power quietly chosen by the Moon itself. They tried to break her. They tried to erase her. But she’s still standing. And now, she’s done hiding. Now she’s coming back with fire in her veins and vengeance in her name.