Sardonic Grin

“What’s wrong, doctor?” Elena’s worry etched onto her face and various thoughts roamed her mind while her chest tightened and became heavier. “Do you believe in God and miracles?” The doctor’s smile softened his words as he looked at Elena. Elena narrowed her eyes, shaking her head dumbfoundedly. “No, I don’t believe in anything like that.” The loss of her parents had shattered her faith long ago. “Then maybe you should, because a miracle just happened,” the doctor’s grin widened. “What do you mean?” Elena’s confusion mingled with the lump forming in her throat, tears pooling in her eyes. Her chest felt both relieved and heavy with emotion and the bright and shallow ambiance of the lights added to her tension. “You’re not dying anymore,” the doctor announced, his excitement changing the aura in the room.

Emma Caldwell's ordinary life as a librarian in Willow Creek is turned upside down when she receives an enigmatic invitation to the reading of a stranger's will at Haverstone Manor. What begins as an inexplicable summons quickly spirals into a labyrinth of secrets, danger, and intrigue. As Emma delves deeper into the manor's mysteries, she discovers she's not the only one with a stake in its secrets. Fellow guests, each with shadowy motives, vie for a piece of the late Lord Haverstone's enigmatic legacy. Amid ancient symbols, cryptic maps, and peculiar artifacts, Emma uncovers the existence of a machine designed to manipulate time itself. Guided by clues left by the deceased lord, Emma must navigate a gothic maze of shifting alliances, hidden chambers, and eerie warnings. Her companions, including a sardonic teenager and a glamorous but cunning relative of Haverstone, are as unpredictable as the dangers lurking in the shadows. When betrayals come to light and an old foe reveals their true intentions, Emma finds herself the reluctant guardian of a power that could reshape existence—or destroy it. As the stakes rise, she must unravel the truth about Haverstone’s experiments and decide whom she can trust, all while racing to prevent the manor’s secrets from falling into the wrong hands. Blending gothic suspense, unexpected humor, and thrilling twists, "Haverstone's Legacy" is a gripping tale of mystery and courage, where every choice could mean the difference between salvation and catastrophe.

"What am I to you, princess?" He demanded in a husky tone while tracing his finger on her lips. "Daddy Alpha," she replied with a playful smirk, watching him grin with satisfaction. A smack of her hip as his voice rang in her ears. "You're my little girl in front of the world," he growled biting on her neck, "but at night, you're my princess in bed to serve me like an obedient little slut, understand?" She nodded quickly like a good girl, "Yes, Daddy Alpha." With a sinister laugh, he tossed her on the bed, and she knew it is going to be one more long sleepless night. Aurora, facing her mate's betrayal and a painful rejection, has an encounter with a tempting hot stranger who is also her uncle, her father's bestfriend left her with no other thought apart from craving for him. His raw dominance attracted her, and before she knew it, she had surrendered herself to him, body and soul. Under his control, she became a little submissive. Edmund, a man who lives with lust and sex. Commitment wasn’t in his vocabulary. But when he met Aurora, the daughter of his best friend with both an innocent face and a hidden wild side, which got him curious about her. He became her Daddy, shackling her with his dominance. Would she be consumed by his darkness, or would she be the one to bring light into his world? What'll she do when she finds the secrets he hid from her? Where would this sinister romance lead to? Will they ever become anything more than just partners in bed, driven by the lustful needs for eachother? Will love ever bloom between them, or was Aurora destined to go through a heartbreak once again?

He pinned me against the wall, his eyes burning with intensity. I tried to push him away, but he just smiled, his lips curling up in that annoying grin of his that looked sexy as hell. 'You can't resist me, can you?' he teased, his breath hot against my skin. I tried to deny it, but my body betrayed me, arching into his touch. He chuckled, his eyes glinting with triumph. "Don't," I whispered, my voice trembling with need. "I'm not ready for this." He paused, his gaze searching mine. Then, he leaned in closer, his voice low and husky. 'I think you are." When Tilda's fiancé cheats on her, she seeks comfort in a one-night stand with a stranger who pretended to be her groom to get her our a a bind but when she discovers he's her new boss, Richard, and the father of her young patient, Ivy, Tilda's world is turned upside down. As she explores her feelings for Richard, she must confront the consequences of their whirlwind romance as well as the Pandora's box they open. Will their love survive or will they end up like every Ill written love story?

“ I'll make sure you regret this. I'll take away every calm in your life. Everything you could ever love. I'll completely ruin you.” The thought of her pulling a knife to my throat brought a jolt of excitement to my lower belly. For a woman who hated the mafia she played the part well. An unofficial ice queen with a lot of emotion raw on display. I couldn't wait for all the emotions I could get out of her. “I'd like to see you try baby girl.” I replied with a grin tightening my hold of her hands getting another glare from her. The priest cleared his throat bringing us out of her little death play. “ Do you Aleksei Vadik, take Ava Addams as your lovely wedded wife in battles and in strength?” “Yes.” I responded confidently. °°° Being a part of the Mafia had their pros and cons. Ava as a matter of fact hated being the Bratva’s daughter. Who knew a night with the wrong stranger could turn her life around in the worst possible way.

“Do you know how much I purchased you? you worthless pet!”…another slap landed on Lisa’s face and this came from no other person than her master,Adam. “You ungrateful brat!…how dare you refuse to pleasure me?”,Adam let out and then a sardonic laugh escaped her lips. She let the tears fall down her cheek freely. Her “I’d never be your pet!,get a dog or any other animal if you need one,besides I never begged you to buy me.”Lisa spat out with endless tears streaming down her cheeks. Adam moved closer to her,locking his hand around her neck till she began to choke,”Then prepare to work for your breath under my roof”. He spat into her face. ****** Lisa Gray who is hated by everyone after the death of her parents where only her survived.Most people said she was cursed and wanted nothing to do with her. Her paternal relatives took over her families wealth and betrothed her to a man without her consent to form alliance to protect the company. She was driven from the her home and was kidnapped by the underworld.On the day of her auction,her groom finally appeared and bought her as a pet. Adams Archer a successful billionaire also involved in the underworld market sighted his bride on the podium about to be auctioned.His possessiveness ruled him when he spoke out the highest amount ever given to purchase a slave. His relationship with his slave starts up on a thorny ground but Adams and Lisa soon develop soft spots for each other. Unknown to them that their slave and master relationship would flourish into something real.Who would have thought Adam would want anything out of his pet other than pleasure.

"This isn't love, Killian. It's obsession," I whispered in a shaky voice, my body still trembling from the wave of orgasm that had just hit me. A dark grin curled his lips as he brushed my wet hair away from my face. "Then let me be obsessed." Killian pressed a lingering kiss to my throat and I moaned, my eyes slipping close. "Let me worship you in the dark, if the light was never meant for men like me." .... I should have known better than to sign his contract. My new husband was never meant to be real. He was supposed to be a name on paper, a shield against the vultures circling my late husband's empire. An arrangement with an expiration date. But Killian Cross doesn't let go. He's ruthless, obsessive, and dangerously possessive. The kind of man who doesn't just own his empire. He owns everything in his grasp. And now, that includes me. I thought I could play his game. That I could survive the year, take my freedom, and walk away unscathed. I was wrong. Because my contract husband has made one thing clear. I belong to him now. But what if he's the real enemy hidden in the shadows?

"I never wanted this with you. Leia forced me into this! If you hadn't lied about a mate bond, did you think I'd have chosen to keep your mark?! Why do you still keep me anyway?! Reject me, Kayden and let me leave!” I yelled out in anger, thrusting my arms forward and flanking him at his side. He winced but still held me tight against him even as I bucked and kicked. His lips curled back in a small smirk as his chest heaved when he lazily dragged his fingers through his hair. "Tell me, Renna. What did you think would happen when you jumped in here? Amari was reckless enough to bring you here, but she isn't dumb enough to not have told you where this was, and what this very lake you stand in, does to lovers." His grin broadened, and he tutted, "Unless, Little Wolf, you were indeed hoping something would happen? Does it excite you to see me in a rut? Did you wish that I would take you right here, right now and affirm my claims and desire for you?" Kayden taunted. †★† Renna, the eldest daughter of the Crimson Moon Pack, endures a life of torment. Exploited by her ruthless stepsister Leia, and betrayed by her former mate Kieran she finds herself tossed in the middle of a century-old feud. Born without a wolf, and a cursed blood, Renna is on the brink of destruction. But everything soon changes when Kayden, the Alpha of the Silver Pack, infiltrates the Crimson Moon Pack as an omega, and she ends up becoming his fated mate. Can their love bring them redemption? or will it be their downfall?

Sienna Calder swore she’d never touch her father’s world—Dorian Ashford, shipping mogul and billionaire king, left her mom to rot while he built his empire. She’s there to curse his grave when he dies, not to claim a dime. But his will traps her, naming her co-heir to his $50 billion legacy alongside Roman Valtieri, the brooding, hard-edged protégé who’s clawed his way into Dorian’s shadow—and now into hers. They’re to run the empire together or lose it all, and Sienna hates him for it: too slick, too close, every look a spark she doesn’t want. Then a letter from Dorian’s cold hand ignites the fire—he was murdered, and Roman’s name’s scratched beside the truth. A silver key and a vial of blood—hers, his—drag her deeper, promising answers locked in Ashford estate.But the walls crash in fast: Ezra Locke, a scarred snake with a grin like a blade, wants that key, and he’ll drown the place to get it. Roman’s her lifeline—gun drawn, hands steady, pulling her from the flood—and she loathes how his touch burns, how his voice steadies her when the water’s at her throat. Caught between rage and a pull she can’t name, Sienna fights the heat growing with every near miss—Roman’s too damn solid, too damn close, and she’s torn between shoving him away and pulling him in. The empire’s crumbling, the cliff’s falling, and Ezra’s not the only shadow circling—something darker watches, waiting. Love’s a gamble when blood’s the stake, and Sienna’s playing with a deck her father rigged. Can she trust Roman’s hands to hold her up, or will the crown they’re fighting for crush them both in its ashes?

"Yield Jessica! You know you can't defeat her!" "This is foolishness, Jess! You have to end it. Your bones are broken, and you are bleeding. If this continues, she will kill you!" They said to her through the mind-link. With her eyes glaring at her opponent, and a grin playing on her busted lips, she said the word, "Never." Everyone thought she was insane and stupid, but not him—not the Alpha of the Blackwood pack. Michael sat in his chair, staring at her. She wasn't a Warrior or a Shifter; she wasn't even an Awakened yet. He couldn't explain what was going on. He was drawn to her, and he didn't know why. Never in Jessica's life did she think a day like this would come. Being the weakest person in the Redwood Pack, she was always treated badly. From the day she was brought to the pack, she was considered a nobody. But that all changed when Alpha Michael arrived. As mysteries begin to unfold, and prophecies resurface, will things get better for Jessica, or will it all get worse?