Shelf Awareness

Grace Lim was a woman well on her way to making her dreams come true, but she soon learned that she may be out of job. To make matters worse, a tragic misunderstanding lands her on the wrong side of her soon-to-be boss. As a business prodigy, CEO, James Gregori Grayson wasn't afraid to make hard decisions. After all, he was the world's last pure-bred vampire and had a deadly score to settle with the hunters who killed his family centuries ago. But when one of his friends was killed, leaving an orphaned half-breed daughter with no awareness of her heritage and origin, he was forced to guide his now gorgeous secretary into the world of the undead. Racked by confusion and changes in her body that weren't there before, Grace found herself irresistibly drawn to her seductive boss as passion ignited and threatened to consume them both. However, she was unprepared for the reason he had sought her out and the danger that lay ahead. Regardless, sharing a love of conquering their goals, this unlikely pair began to form an unexpected bond that led them to a place neither of them ever expected to be.

In the coastal quiet of Baler, a studio is born—not of architecture, but of intention.* Founded by Yam, a poet whose words cradle pain gently, and Franc, an artist who paints tenderness into walls, the studio becomes a refuge for those learning to stay—with grief, love, longing, and themselves. As visitors arrive, they leave behind more than footprints: a sigh recorded in bamboo, a poem tucked into the “Found Letters” shelf, a mural painted in crooked lines. Through zines, tea, silence, and sketchbooks, the studio teaches softness as revolution. Ren creates the *Window of Soft Returns*, an installation of anonymous voice recordings—each whisper forming a community of echoes. Drew builds the *Staircase With No Wrong Turns*, inviting people to walk through emotions without shame. Franc offers brushstrokes as brave work, and Yam curates writing circles that map healing in half sentences. Together, they host festivals that feel like hugs, and they begin traveling their archive, letting softness cross oceans. Even those who once left—like Miguel—return, discovering that some doors never truly close. Others, like Tala, capture the studio’s sound and turn it into a podcast of breath and becoming. Over seventy chapters, the studio transforms into something larger than itself: a mural of memory, a sanctuary for second chances, a place where return is sacred and voice is proof of survival. In the final bloom, the studio stands not as a monument—but as a reminder: > *“Staying isn’t easy. > But chosen together, > it becomes home.”*

In a realm where beasts held dominion, Ace King reigned supreme—a creature of awe-inspiring power and enigma. But even the mighty can stumble, and Ace's colossal error set off a chain of events that would reshape destinies. Fiona, a beacon of beauty, faced a harrowing rejection from her intended mate, plunging her into the clutches of her worst nightmare: Ace, the once-cursed Beast now proclaiming her as his soulmate. Yet, the complexities of their entwined fate began to unravel. Secrets emerged—the haunting truth behind her father's demise and the enigmatic scarlet stone. Fiona's awareness of her reincarnated past revealed the shocking revelation: her previous life's murderer was none other than Ace himself. Amidst the impending mating ceremony, where Ace's purring voice and tantalizing caresses cast a hypnotic spell, Fiona grappled with her conflicting emotions. Her feigned compliance masked a brewing plan for escape and retribution. She had to navigate this perilous dance, concealing her intentions while aiming to expose the malevolent Ace. Under the moonlit ceremony, Fiona steeled herself, ready to face the inexorable fate. Unknown to Ace, she was armed with the determination to break the cycle, expose the horrors of her past, and liberate herself from the clutches of the cruelest Beast. This was her chance to rewrite history and reclaim her sovereignty.

Ambelyn did something terrible six years ago. She willingly gave her virginity to the college bully who had been tormenting her because she was forced in an arranged marriage by her family to marry the son of their biggest investor. Now stuck in a loveless marriage, where she watches her husband parade his first love and their second child hurting her and her miracle baby. Her husband hated her after divorcing she wasn't a virgin, which was the main requirement for their marriage and decided to show her how worthless she was. She swallows the insult for the sake of their child, but when her husband refuses to sign the papers for their son to get surgery or loses his life, and their second child bullying her and his elder brother and wishing for a new mummy, she decides to do what she never thought and divorce her husband, granting him slow custody of the second child, while she takes sole custody of the first child. The only issue was, she started working for the Heartless Cruel CEO who returned back home after six years abroad and it was the same man who pinned her against a library shelf and deflowered her. Would Ambelyn be able to survive working under the bully who once made her life a living hell, or would she be able to find her happily ever after in the hands of someone unexpected.

I stared at him, wide-eyed, aware of the heat from his body, rolling off in waves. Awareness swept through me, my stomach clenched and wetness flooded my core as I felt his nearness; and I sighed. He gripped a handful of my hair with an oath and brought his mouth down on mine, his hard lips slanting as they claimed my mouth. His heavy, strong body forced me against the wall and I trembled with need and fear… I was rigid for a while, unable to understand what was happening. My body begged me to hold his shoulders, to stroke him, to let go. But my almost Puritanical upbringing made me stay stiff and resistant. Till he sank his teeth into my lower lip and I opened my mouth in a gasp. * When the cynical, jaded Mafia Don Lucien Delano, meets eighteen-year-old, Proserpina Martinez, she falls in love with him without realizing that she is just a plaything for him. By the time she comprehends the reality, it is too late. Pregnant and alone the spirited young woman does something that takes the Don by surprise. She runs away. What happens next? Read it to find out how the stormy, passionate lovers battle their emotions and themselves. *

Her heart began to beat heavily. She was fascinated by the man. Awareness flooded through her, as did a sudden need to brush her hair. Dammit, why had she put on this stupid bum short and singlet today. She wondered what he would look like with that shirt off. She swallowed and tried to look away. Fantasies like that would get her nowhere. "Hi" he said. And for a few seconds Emma didn't realize he was speaking to her. She blushed when she lifted an eye brow questioningly. "Oh hello" "Urmm...name's Daniel. Nice to meet you" "it's nice to meet you too.. I'm Emma" -------------------------------- Emma Green has totally given up on relationships and happy ever after. Not because she doesn't think it's amazing to have someone, mind you, but because she simply doesn't believe in love. She's been there and done that, and she's not doing it again. But when she meets Daniel Rohan, she starts to think that maybe, just maybe falling in love again might not be all that bad.... -------------------------------- Take control.. Feel the rush... Explore your fantasies Step into stories of provocative romance where sexual fantasies come true. Let your inhibitions run wild.

So this is how the mate bond feels. A rush of energy, a pull like gravity tightening around us, and an almost maddening awareness of the other person. I wasn’t about to let it sway me though. Sure, the man in front of me is ridiculously perfect, but I wasn’t some love-struck fool who’d drop everything at the first spark of fate. I had a life, plans, and a fiancé waiting for me upstairs. I raised an eyebrow, forcing myself to stay calm even as my heart raced. “Take a number and get in line, sweetheart,” I said coolly, flashing the engagement ring on my finger in front of his gray eyes. “I’m otherwise occupied right now.” …Five years later, when I pushed the door open, my mate remained motionless on a leather couch, his piercing gaze boring into me with a cold detachment that sent shivers down my spine. He leaned back, the casualness of the gesture at odds with the intensity in his eyes. His arms rested lazily on the backrest, but there was nothing relaxed about him. His body was coiled tight, like a predator ready to pounce, and the air between us crackled with tension. “Is my number finally up?” he asks, his tone laced with bitter amusement. “My dear mate.” The words sting, but I can’t deny the truth in them. He is my last chance.

Lucia had never believed in rebirth. She had read about it a few times in books tucked away on her shelf, but she never imagined it could be real. Yet, here she was—reborn. This time, she swore she wouldn’t let kindness be her downfall. She would make them pay. Her so-called best friend and husband had used her, drained her of everything, and left her with nothing. They manipulated her, deceived her, and when they had no more use for her, they poisoned her—leaving her to suffer in agony for over a year. What a vile couple. On the night of her death—her own birthday—they stood before her, laughing as they confessed their betrayal. They had taken everything from her, and now, they wanted her to know the full extent of their cruelty. Her husband and best friend, her supposed confidants, had been lovers all along. Worse, they had killed her true mate. Lucia had wept until there were no more tears left to shed. Too weak to fight, too broken to scream, she watched as they reveled in their wickedness, even making out right in front of her as she lay dying. That night, amidst a raging storm, Lucia took her last breath. But when she opened her eyes again, morning light streamed through the window. "Is this heaven?" she whispered, confused. A familiar voice answered. "Lucia, you’re awake! Let me get the doctor!" Brittany exclaimed before rushing out of the room. In that instant, Lucia knew the truth. She had been reborn. And this time, she would make them pay—for everything they did to her and her family.

"Hell Gabby I'm such a douche." "I know." "I'm sorry." What defenses did she think of again? Were they even up in the first place? The dull pounding in her heart had better be the early stages of a heart attack. She moved then. Not to him, but away from the door. Seeing him in the flesh like something molded from her deepest desires and darkest fantasies, wearing a tapered black suit that practically worshipped his tall frame, an unbuttoned shirt that brought awareness to his hard chest and broad shoulders making her wonder how many buttons she had to open to see him in all his glory, she'd seen enough of him to compel her to not think. She was a healthy woman after all. Gabrielle Lot or Gabby as she loved to be called was one of the leading names in the Fashion industry, but she didn't do it in just one day she had to work and fight for it. Even if it meant disappointing her parent. Everything was going on well for her, with the success of her business waxing stronger and her name getting acknowledgment from different spheres of the fashion and business world. It changed when she met the one who broke her heart, Tan. Would she risk her heart being broken again or would she forget about the business proposition brought to her by Tan.

Kate's perfect life shattered into pieces on the day she received the news that her parents had died, leaving her alone with a failing business and the family's reputation hanging by a tiny thread. The day her parents died was the day the Drays invested in her parents' company, and the Drays were on the verge of reaching the next level when the disaster happened. After the tragedy, the Drays were at risk of losing a significant profit and project. Mr. Carlos, Kate's uncle, then decided with the rest of the family, without Kate's awareness, that due to the family's reputation and the business, Kate must marry William Dray. When Kate found out, she was devastated and didn't want to give in, but the family threatened and forced her into marrying the cold billionaire, William Dray. She reluctantly agreed and accepted the loveless marriage with William, holding onto the hope that this marriage might somehow lead to something she had never imagined. William Dray has only one goal With the marriage: to protect his billion-dollar investment, even if it means marrying a woman he didn't know or love. Kate, determined to reclaim her parents' legacy, vows to endure the icy walls Of the union. But with William's cold and ruthless demeanor, he keeps a secret that could unveil everything Kate thought she knew about her family, as well as the truth and secrets behind her parents' deaths.