Smile Behind The Pain Novels & Stories

The day the Royal Academy's screening results came out, the twin Alpha heirs — Julian and Damien — stood in front of me. Each of them was holding an application form. "Ivy. Have you decided whose name you're putting on that form?" In my previous life, I chose Julian for love. I gave up my direct admission to the Royal Academy and stayed behind in the pack with him and Celeste — his childhood-friend Omega who'd failed the screening — to help them train for another year. I thought that was what it meant to go through hardship together. That was love. But the pack laughed at Celeste — an Omega who thought she could get into the combat track at the Royal Academy. She couldn't stand the gossip, ran off alone, and was killed by rogue wolves. Julian threw me into the silver pit — the pit our pack used to execute traitors. Silver burns a wolf's flesh like acid. "If you hadn't been so desperate to cling to me, I could've focused on protecting Celeste. She wouldn't be dead!" "Ivy Hale — all of this is your fault. You ruined us." He poured silver down my throat. I died thrashing in agony. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day the screening results were announced. This time, I slipped my arm through Damien's and gave the brightest smile I had. "Let's apply to the Royal Academy together." Julian let out a quiet, relieved breath and turned to go find his Omega. He didn't see the way Damien's hand tightened around mine — or the obsession and ambition he couldn't quite hide behind his eyes.

In a world where power is currency and secrets are more valuable than diamonds, Isabella Voss steps into the empire of the ruthless and magnetic Damian Moretti with one purpose—revenge. But beneath the polished marble halls and glittering galas, she discovers that every smile hides an agenda, every alliance conceals betrayal, and every touch carries a price. Their attraction is instant, forbidden, and dangerous. Damian sees in Isabella not just a rival, but an equal—a woman whose intelligence and ambition rival his own. What begins as a calculated partnership to outwit a shared enemy soon spirals into a seductive battle of wits, passion, and strategy. As they rise together through deception and desire, a shocking secret threatens to destroy everything: a hidden heir, born from a past neither fully understands and protected by a web of lies. With enemies closing in, manipulative seductress Selene Varchen weaving psychological traps, and the shadowy mastermind Kane orchestrating their downfall, Damian and Isabella must decide whether love can survive a world built on betrayal—or if they must sacrifice their hearts to keep their empire from burning. In Seduction and Strategy, loyalty is fragile, passion is a weapon, and every kiss could be a trap. Behind every luxury and every whispered promise lies the same truth: in the war for power and love, only the most cunning survive.

“Will you marry me?” “Hell no.” ––– Isabella Kingston built her empire with cold steel and ruthless determination. At twenty-six, she’s the CEO every man wants to conquer and every woman envies. But when her grandfather’s will took her control away from her, she made a dangerous move—one that could save her legacy or ruin her. Elion Dawson, dark-eyed, devastatingly handsome, and infuriatingly calm, he’s supposed to be nothing more than her assistant. Instead, he’s the man she chooses to marry in a reckless gamble to escape her uncle’s grasp. He was supposed to be another pawn in her games but his touch is addictive, his kisses ruinous, and his intentions anything but innocent. Elion came into her life with a sole purpose, to destroy the family that destroyed his. He was never meant to fall for her… yet every stolen glance, every brush of skin, draws him deeper into a passion that burns hotter than the city skyline at night. In a world where betrayal hides behind every smile and desire can destroy an empire, Isabella must decide—will she fight for her throne, or surrender to the man who could ruin her?

I receive a phone call at 3:00 pm. Apparently, my daughter, Marilyn Lopez, has suffocated to death because she was left behind on the school bus. When I arrive at the scene, I'm overwhelmed with sorrow the moment I see Marilyn's purple face. That's when I snatch a gun from a policeman and put a bullet between the eyes of the school bus driver, who's been playing on his phone this whole time. After the gunshot rings out, I open my eyes immediately. My alarm clock rings once again, showing that it's 7:00 am. I've gone back in time! Then, I see Marilyn wearing her backpack and telling me sweetly, "Mommy, the school bus is here!" I quickly stop Marilyn like a madwoman and refuse to let her board the school bus. But a gas leak occurs at 3:00 pm on the same day, causing Marilyn's death. No matter how much I try to save her, she keeps dying in various ways at 3:00 pm. This is the 108th cycle. As I stare at the weird smile on the school bus driver's face, I finally understand everything.

“Dad What do you mean, you sold me to the Russian mob?” Ana never thought her father capable of betrayal, but the truth hits harder than she ever imagined. Sold to New York’s most feared Bratva boss, Dmitri Orlov, Ana’s life turns into a waking nightmare. Dmitri is a man whispered about in dark alleys—a ruthless crime lord with a reputation carved in blood. With his sharp suits, chilling smile, and a voice that can command armies, he’s the very definition of danger. And now, he owns Ana. Their arrangement is simple: she’s the price her father paid, and Dmitri has no intention of letting her forget it. Cold and calculating, he’s determined to use Ana to exact his revenge. But there’s a darker, more complicated truth behind Dmitri’s anger. The beast with a soul as black as midnight has a weakness—and it’s her. Every heated touch, every possessive growl, chips away at Ana’s defenses. Despite her fear, she starts to see glimpses of the man behind the monster, the one who wants to claim her not just in body, but in soul. But falling for Dmitri was never part of the plan, especially when she discovers she’s carrying his child. Now Ana’s running for her life, caught between her father’s betrayal and Dmitri’s wrath. But there’s one thing she can’t escape—the fact that no matter how far she goes, she belongs to him. And Dmitri will stop at nothing to bring his wife—and his heir—home. Because in their world, “till death do us part” isn’t just a vow—it’s a warning.

Catrina Lombardi never chose Vincenzo Morgano’s world—it seized her. Dragged into the dangerous orbit of a ruthless loan shark and sex club owner, she is trapped between survival and desire. Everyone believes Maria De La Fonte is dead. But when Catrina steps into the powerful De La Fonte empire, the truth refuses to stay buried. A chance encounter with the cold and dangerously powerful billionaire Julian St. Clair pulls her into a world of wealth, secrets, and deadly family politics. To him, she is a mistake… a woman who looks far too much like the ghost of someone he lost. Yet Catrina hides a secret far more dangerous than a resemblance, one that could shake the De La Fonte empire to its core. The woman the world buried… was never supposed to survive. The heir they erased… has finally returned. Enemies are closing in, and powerful men will do anything to keep the past hidden. Julian must decide: is Catrina the greatest threat to his empire… or the only woman who can save it? In a world where power is everything and betrayal hides behind every smile, one truth will destroy them all. The De La Fonte empire was built on a lie.

She lives on her own terms. He’s living on borrowed time. Neither of them planned on falling—especially not for each other. Blue has made a life out of leaving. Her summer is all dusty boots, soft sunsets, and smoky guitar covers shared with millions of followers from the back of her boho van. Portland was supposed to be a quick visit—just her best friend, a short-term gig harvesting,, and a little time to breathe.But then there’s Teddy.He’s the brooding, blue-eyed lead singer of No Name, the local grunge band with a sound that hits like a bruise and a smile that makes her forget how to breathe. He’s wild onstage and guarded off of it, carrying secrets behind that slow-burning gaze. He’s everything she never wanted: complicated, magnetic, dangerous in a way that feels too good to ignore.What starts as stolen glances and flirtation under stage lights turns into something hotter, deeper, harder to walk away from.They come from different worlds—but under the heat of a summer that feels endless, they collide in all the wrong ways that somehow feel right.And the only thing harder than falling for him… is trusting he won’t break her.

“Hey, Stranger… You look dangerously delicious tonight. Want to get wild?” That's what Brinda says to a handsome stranger in a club— just hours after discovering her fiancé in bed with her sister on their wedding day. The betrayal cuts deep, but nothing numbs the pain like a wild night with Las Vegas’ most notorious billionaire playboy, Jason Adam. But when a pregnancy test changes everything, Jason makes her an offer: leave behind her life as a sex worker and live under the roof. No strings… or so she thought. As Brinda struggles with secrets from her past, Jason is hiding demons of his own. When dangerous enemies resurfaces and a shocking truth about her parent's death is unconvered, Brinda must decide if the man who broke her walls down is also the one who can save her. Will love be enough to heal two broken souls? Or will lust, lies, and betrayal tear them apart forever?

Aurora Donald was known as the wolf-less wolf of the Silver Crest Pack and after the death of her parents, she was regarded as an outcast and was stripped of her power. Being a maid, Aurora always wished for the Moon Goddess to someday bless her with a mate, but surprisingly fate had other plans for her. On Aurora’s birthday eve, she discovered she was fated not to one mate, but to three powerful brothers… and another Alpha she despised with every fiber of her being. Now, Aurora has to choose between the three brothers or the man who had caused her pain and misery. What would happen when she finally uncovered the truth behind her parents’ wrongful death? Would she choose revenge, or would love soften the anger burning in her heart? And when the Moon Goddess tied her fate to four powerful wolves... who would Aurora ultimately choose as her true mate? All? Or just one?

The night before my mating ceremony with Alpha Garrett Northwood of the Silverpine Pack, he held a grand Luna ceremony for my silver-poisoned stepsister behind my back. He held Serena close under the starlit sky, his smile tender in a way I'd never seen: "You're the only one I truly love, Serena." "Even though Maya and I are already registered as mates with the Alpha Council, she'll never have my heart. You're the only one I recognize as my Luna." The pack members cheered and blessed them as they completed the ceremony with joy. I watched it all without crying or screaming. Instead, I quietly scheduled an abortion appointment. I've loved Garrett Northwood for twelve years, ever since I first shifted as an adult. But his heart still only had room for my stepsister Serena. If that's how it was, I'd let go. Later, I joined the secluded Herbal Research Center of the Alpha Council. I left Garrett nothing but a mate bond dissolution agreement. But for some reason, Garrett—who had always treated me with disdain—suddenly went crazy begging me not to leave.