Scared Vs Scarred

The Crown’s Bargain Emilia Valoria has spent her life in the shadows of her royal lineage, content to be overlooked as the second princess of the Kingdom of Avariel. But when her elder sister defies tradition and elopes, Emilia is thrust into the spotlight, forced to fulfill the royal obligation her sister abandoned: an arranged marriage to the stoic and enigmatic Prince Kael of Arindale. Determined to protect her kingdom from the fragile alliance's collapse, Emilia reluctantly agrees to the union. However, her first encounter with Kael proves more tumultuous than she expected—his cold demeanor hides a kingdom scarred by betrayal, and his heart, she suspects, is locked away behind impenetrable walls. As Emilia navigates the intrigue of a foreign court, political machinations threaten to tear the kingdoms apart. Bound by duty but drawn together by fleeting moments of vulnerability, Emilia and Kael must decide whether their marriage will remain a mere contract or evolve into something neither of them dared to hope for: love. Caught between loyalty to her kingdom and the desires of her heart, Emilia must find her voice in a world that demands silence, proving that even in an arranged marriage, she has the power to rewrite her own destiny.

Evelyn thought marrying Jason meant finding love, a home, and a family to call her own. But reality turned out crueler than her dreams. Scarred from saving her son and silently bearing the weight of sacrifice — including giving Jason one of her kidneys — she is now nothing more than a shadow in her own home. To the world, she is just a maid. To her son Liam, she’s an embarrassment. And to her husband? A secret. Ignored. Unloved. Unwanted. Jason hides their marriage to protect his image, while openly entertaining Ivy — the woman everyone believes is Liam’s real mother. Evelyn’s once-kind son now cruelly compares her to Ivy, mocking her scars and weight. But the final blow comes the day she discovers them celebrating Liam’s birthday — without her. Heartbroken and drunk, Evelyn ends up having a one-night stand with a stranger… only to later discover he’s the company’s new boss — and Ivy’s brother. As Evelyn begins to fight for herself, uncovering her hidden strength and quiet dignity, secrets start to unravel. But how much pain can one woman endure before she finally says: Enough?

A prophecy tying two souls. He is destined to die at the hands of his mate. She is fated to kill even the gods themselves. What will happen when they are mated to each other? Anna Visserion is an assassin with a vengeance. She will do anything to take down all those who are responsible for her family’s demise. Strong and resourceful, Anna is trying to find the last killer who is hiding behind the protection of the powerful Prince of Faika, Lavi Costa. Lavi is an ambitious Prince without a wolf but that doesn’t make him any less dangerous. With his intellect and cunning ways, he has taken down some of the strongest lycan warriors. His thirst to dethrone his brother and take over Faika is fueled by hatred and a traumatic past. But standing in his way is a prophecy. A prophecy which states that his mate will kill him. So when Anna crosses his path, they are on the verge of killing each other. But when her blood spills, he is also hurt. If she is scarred, he feels the pain. Will they give in to their mate bond? Or will their chess match end in a bloodbath? .... Note: Standalone sequel to Lycan and his Lover. You do not have to read the first one to understand this one!

This is not your regular arranged marriage love story. It is layered, intense, and rooted in an emotional journey. This story contains mature themes and complex characters. The female lead is not weak, nor is she waiting to be saved—she is on her own journey, growing through pain, survival, and strength. If you’re looking for a light-hearted love story with cliché romance and guaranteed happy endings, this one might not be for you. __________________________________ Sarah Darrell always longed for a simple life. But life never played fair. Scarred by an abusive childhood and teenage years marked by cruelty from her stepmother and stepsister, Sarah made a choice—to leave behind her city, her home, and her so-called family. Five years later, at 26, she returns to New York City as a strong, independent woman to take over her late mother’s company and fulfil her last wish. Adrian Parker, is the magnetic CEO of the world’s leading tech empire. He’s sharp, composed, and devastatingly handsome. Unlike other billionaires, Adrian believes in loyalty, and his heart is set on marrying Jessica, the woman he’s built a life with. But fate has other plans. When Sarah and Adrian cross paths, their worlds shift in ways neither of them expected.

Selene Whitmore has known only pain. Half-blind, mute, and scarred from years of torment, she has spent her life as a captive, treated as nothing more than a possession by the ruthless rogue, Sebastian Kane. She stopped screaming long ago. She stopped fighting. She stopped hoping. Until the night Alpha Killian Blackwood slaughters her captors and finds her trembling in the dirt—his fated mate. Killian is a warrior, feared and respected, but nothing prepares him for the fragile girl who flinches at his touch. He swears to protect her, to give her the freedom she’s never known. But his pack whispers—how can a broken, silent human be the mate of a powerful Alpha? Selene tries to disappear into the shadows, but fate won’t let her. Neither will Killian. Because Sebastian isn’t done with her yet. When warnings turn into attacks and the past refuses to die, Selene must make a choice—remain the powerless girl she was or become something no one ever expected. Can Killian convince her to trust him before it’s too late? Or will Sebastian drag her back into the darkness she barely escaped?

Hakim was every girl's dream at Northwest High, and every guy's role model. He was hot, smart, popular, romantic and all, and every girl's dream was to get laid by him. He was living the dream life, but he had one single problem; Dante. Dante was the complete vice versa of Hakim. Soft, gentle, unnoticed, innocent, and these traits drew Hakim's heart towards him, and for that reason, Hakim hated him. He hated his lingering gazes and admiring glances, and he hated that he felt the need to hold him, to protect him, and for that reason he resolved to torment Dante, making his high school days unbearable. Dante was forever scarred by him, and his heart broke into pieces. Now, years later, after the two drifted apart, going on to their two separate worlds, Dante builds an image for himself, he is no longer the timid, innocent boy he was back at Northwest High, but is now a top corporate lawyer in the industry, and a fine one at that. What happens when he is hired by a law firm and finds out that his boss is no other person but Hakim? What will evolve as mysteries unfold and actual truth gets told?

I glue my back to the door hoping it would swallow me up as a whole. “Is my feisty kitten scared now?” his 6’2 tall figure towering over me. Pulling up his right hand from his pocket, he grips onto my nape, bringing my face infront of his, mingling our breaths. I attach my hands to his chest in an attempt to put some distance between us. My efforts turn futile when he won’t budge but instead shoves his face into the crook of my neck inhaling my scent. “There is no point in running away now, kitten. You are already trapped” he speaks against my skin. Sparks erupt through my body, travelling down my spine and settling between my legs. Another hand going around my waist pulling me closer to dig his face deeper into my neck. “No wonder you always had men swarming around you all the time!” his deep growls affecting me in a way it shouldn’t.

Freya Daniella Howard, 24 years old, first heir of Howard Constructions is in ‎love with her boyfriend ‎Benjamin, but scared to tell that to her parents ‎because she knows Benjamin will not meet with ‎their expectations. When her ‎mother asks who she is dating, she without much thought says her best ‎friend's ‎name - Rafael. ‎ Rafael, 28 years old, sole heir of Eastmond Builders, secretly dating a model ‎because he ‎knows his high and mighty parents have high plans for him. ‎Though he's not much bothered because he only wants to savor his love-life for now and focus on his dream; to be eligible enough to be the CEO of his ‎family's business. ‎ However, Freya's lie which was intended to be unharmed ruins all his plans ‎and he becomes her ‎betrothal out of nowhere. Their families celebrate the ‎moment and tie them into Wedlock -- too swift for ‎them to comprehend what in the world has happened to them.‎ Is it fate or Freya's heedless mistake that confined them into marriage?.....hard ‎to answer. ‎

“Call me Daddy.” I froze at that, my throat drying instantly. My dick jumped, hardening as that word settled in. “What? You don't want to?” He frowned. “Don't you want to be my baby boy? To be taken care of? Don't you want Daddy to show you how good with his hand he is?” “I…” I swallowed. “I want it.” So fucking bad. “Then say it. Tell me what you want Daddy to do for you, and he will.” I bit my lower lip, thinking of it before I whispered, “Stroke my cock, Daddy.” …. Will the truth make or mar their union? Asher knew it was against his work ethic to fall for his younger employee, but he couldn't help it. Each interaction with Guel leaves him panting, wanking to the thoughts and gripped by a forbidden desire, one he was scared to act on. What he didn't know was that beneath the exterior calmness Guel showed, was a devil out to drag his pet back to the pits of hell where they belong...

For three long years, I was trapped in a toxic relationship with Edwin Kent.During those three years, he started by verbally insulting and controlling me, but eventually escalated to physical violence. Not only did he drain my finances to support his family and lavish my money on his "goddess", but he also impregnated me three times, leaving me to face the emotional and physical toll of abortions alone.Despite the repeated disappointments, I remained blind to the truth. It wasn't until one day when I overheard him asking his goddess, "When will you become my girlfriend?"His goddess laughed and asked, "Aren't you already in a relationship with her, scum?"Edwin nonchalantly responded, "She's the one who won't let go of me. I've always loved you."That was when reality finally slapped me in the face. I left behind my scarred heart and returned to the embrace of my wealthy family.But Edwin refused to let me go. He persistently challenged the boundaries of me and my family.Finally, I couldn't tolerate it anymore. Trash should be thrown into the garbage dump, not wandering around and bothering people.