Ruskin Bond

My husband, Daniel Thompson, looked down on me. I was just a farmer's daughter in his eyes, and he never loved the son I gave birth to. It wasn’t until our baby turned 100 days old that he held him for the first time. Then, one day, his first love, Claire Matthews, came back to the city. That night at dinner, Daniel, who was always cold and distant, finally smiled. He even reached across the table and placed a piece of meat on Noah’s plate. Noah beamed all evening, clutching onto that tiny gesture like it was a treasure. Just before bed, he whispered to me, "Mom, do you think he likes me now… even just a little?" I wrapped him in my arms, tears blurring my vision as I gently shook my head. "No, sweetheart. It’s because the woman he truly loves is back. It’s time for us to go."

Mia Anderson’s life has been defined by her battle with addiction, holding her back from achieving her dreams of becoming a successful businesswoman. After a failed attempt to land an accounting job, her past catches up with her, and she spirals back into old habits. But as she faces the consequences of her actions, Mia is forced to confront her darkest fears and find the strength to rebuild her life before it's too late.

I was in a car accident while saving my brothers. However, instead of gratitude, they urged the doctors to amputate my legs. "Carol, we're sorry," they said through tears. "We're useless… but don't worry. Even if we have to sell our blood or our kidneys, we'll make sure you're taken care of." Right after surgery, they abandoned me in a shabby apartment. Blood seeped through the sheets as they looked at me with teary eyes—then left in a hurry, claiming they needed to earn money for my treatment. I did not want to drag them down anymore. Enduring the pain, I crawled to the rooftop of a tall building, planning to end my life. That's when I saw it—inside a luxury hotel, a grand celebration was taking place. My brothers were there doting on another girl. She was eating an extravagant cake I had never even dreamed of, wearing a designer princess gown worth a fortune, sparkling with jewels. Everyone called her the Smith family's one and only princess. They had even hired a world-class symphony orchestra to play Happy Birthday just for her. While I lay bleeding in a dingy apartment, they would not spend a few dollars on bandages for me. I watched as my eldest brother gently fed her cake, his eyes full of tenderness. "Jasmine, only you deserve to be our one and only little sister." The second brother placed a tiara on her head with care. "Even for the smallest birthday, we won't let you suffer a single moment of disappointment." The third knelt to help her into a pair of crystal shoes. "Jasmine, you're our most precious darling." Then, standing on the stage, Jasmine held up the black credit card they had gifted her and smiled sweetly. "Brothers," she said, "Carol lost her legs saving you. Maybe you should go see how she's doing?" My eldest brother let out a mocking laugh. "She's not worth it. Now that she's crippled, she'll never be able to compete with you again. She got what she deserved."

He slapped me. The sting on my cheek was nothing compared to the pain in my heart. Daniel hadn’t even listened to my side of the story. His ex-fiancée, the one who suddenly came back from London, was doing everything she could to tear us apart. She pretended I pushed her during some petty argument, and Daniel believed her without a second thought. I left without taking my bags and walked out of the life we built together, too heartbroken to fight any longer. Now, as I try to rebuild my life without him, I’m torn between the love I once had and the future I need to protect for my unborn child.

Jethro Miles was an orphan sponsored by my dad. The moment I laid eyes on him, I flipped. Despite my family's objections, we dated for seven years, even as my dad threatened to disown me. Eventually, my dad relented and consented to our marriage. But as we exchanged rings, a young woman in a white dress burst into the venue, staring at Jethro with tears in her eyes. He chased after her, abandoning our wedding. Later, I learned that the woman was his childhood friend from the orphanage. Jethro desperately tried to explain, "Nancy grew up with me. She is like a sister to me. She's been through abuse and divorce. Please, give me time to help her, okay?" Tears blurred my vision as I watched him plead so fervently, my heart plummeting into despair. I managed, "Okay." Jethro took care of Nancy and her son as if they were his real family. What he didn't know were the two secrets I'd kept from him when my dad finally agreed to our marriage: I was pregnant, and I was dying.

In order to strengthen business ties and pay an unfathomable debt, Sharon Gray is forced into an arranged marriage with the ruthless and cruel heir of the Pavilochenki dynasty, Luca. He is vicious as he is powerful, and Sharon has no choice but to agree to the marriage despite loving someone else. However, they meet in the strangest of ways, and what should have been a marriage of convenience slowly begins to change. The Pavilochenki's also have a secret motive to cripple the Grays at all cost. What happens when Luca and Sharon actually fall in love while being forced to make difficult decisions for their families? Would they continue to play the age long game of generational hatred, or is their love stronger, will it prevail? Find out!

My father was a highly respected criminal investigator, and my mother was the head of the ER, dedicated to saving lives. However, I was a regular at the local police station. I fought, caused trouble, and earned the title of “the most hopeless kid on the block.” The first time, I publicly insulted my newly transferred cousin at school. My father dragged me straight to the police station in front of everyone and had me locked up for a full day and night. The second time, I led a gang of thugs to block my cousin’s way home in an alley. My mother was so furious, she dumped me deep in the mountains, leaving me to be bullied by a lecherous bachelor. The third time, I stole a keepsake from my cousin and tossed it down a sewer. My father put the handcuffs on me himself and sent me straight to juvenile detention. Five years later, I became a key informant in an anti-fraud operation, helping the police crack a major nationwide case. The media rushed to report the story, and journalists packed my parents’ house to interview the “hero’s family.” However, my parents just scoffed over the phone. “Her? A hero? We will only believe she is changed for the better when she is dead.” So why was it that when they saw me lying in a pool of blood after shielding a hostage, they finally cried?

**When society calls you worthless, but one man sees your true value...** Sonia Valencia thought she knew what rock bottom felt like—until she found herself homeless, penniless, and fighting for custody of her son after her husband's betrayal. With scars marring her once-beautiful face and deeper scars on her heart, she never expected salvation to come in the form of a marriage proposal from a stranger. Fabian Martinez, the country's most sought-after billionaire actor, needs a wife to secure custody of his own son. What he doesn't need are complications—but that's exactly what he gets when he meets the scarred woman the world calls ugly, who agrees to his business arrangement. --- *"I need a wife,"* Fabian said bluntly, his piercing blue eyes studying the scars on her face without flinching. *"And you need financial security and a father figure for your son. This could work for both of us."* Sonia stared at the contract in her trembling hands. Six months. A marriage of convenience to a man who could have any supermodel in the world—yet chose her, the woman her own husband called a monster. She should have known better than to trust a contract to contain her heart.

Melissa Jones was rapidly turning into a lady, her womanly features were as pronounced and a sharp cheekbone. One week to her eighteenth birthday,her transformation day,her father broke the news of marrying her off to a powerful alpha from another clan. In a bid to avoid getting married,she runs away and runs into the clan of an egocentric alpha,a ruthless alpha and a very attractive one at that. Sensing danger,she tried to leave but he gave her a condition. Either she stays at his clan as a watch nanny over an ancient beast that has been their hostage for over a long period of time and gets her freedom within a month or she remains in his clan as a captive forever. Angry and ready to tear him down,she speaks harshly to him and he lets her go away. She returns home only to get the news that her suitor would be arriving the next day. What happens when she finds out her suitor is no other person than the alpha she spoke rudely to? What happens when the alpha keeps it in mind to bully and teach his sharp mouthed wife a lesson.

Amidst a birthday celebration filled with cupcakes and Malibu drinks, Rome's night takes an unexpected turn when she drunkenly stumbles into the wrong hotel room The next morning, she woke up naked next to the man she hated the most--- Cayson Montemayor; a gorgeous bachelor and the only heir of Montemayor International Colleges where Rome's entire family was working. He was basically her family's boss, but also the same man who she hated the most for over a decade. They both had no idea how they ended up in the same room, but... something happened to them that crazy, drunken night and they could no longer turn back time to fix what's already done. Due to Rome's embarrassment and Cayson's lack of interest, they both agreed to sweep the incident under the rug. Not until four weeks later. Rome found herself pregnant with DEMONtemayor's baby. In hopes to protect her family from societal judgment and criticism, Rome decided to chase Cayson and force him to step up to the plate. Will there be any chances for them? Only time will tell...