Smile Like An Idiot

I spend three torturous years in a dark underground cell after taking the fall for Cole Greyhouse, a member of the nobility. He once held my hand tightly and tearfully promised that he would wait for me to return. Then, he would take my hand in marriage. However, he doesn't show up on the day I'm released from prison. I head to the palace to look for him, but all I see is him with his arm around another woman. He also has a mocking smile on his face. "Do you really think a former convict like you deserves to become a member of the royal family?" Only then do I understand that he's long since forgotten about the three years he was supposed to wait for me. I'm devastated, and my heart dies. I accept the marriage my family has arranged for me. On the big day, Cole crashes my wedding with his comrades and laughs raucously. "Are you that desperate to be my secret lover, Leah? How dare you put on a wedding gown meant for a royal bride to force me into marriage? You're pathetic!" Just then, his uncle, Fenryr Greyhouse, the youngest Alpha King in Lunholm's history, hurriedly arrives. He drapes a shawl around my shoulders and slides a wedding ring onto my finger. That's when Cole panics.

I was treating some friends to dinner at the private club my cousin owned. When we wrapped up, I waved over a server. "Just put it on Nick's tab." The server nodded, but a manager I'd never seen stepped in to block her. Wearing a smile that never reached her eyes, she said, "Sir, Bosco is a members-only establishment. We don't offer tabs." I felt a flicker of irritation. "I'm the owner's cousin. Just let him know." She let out a sharp, mocking laugh and slapped a bill onto the table. Eighty-eight thousand. Exclusive suite atmosphere maintenance fee, ten thousand. High‑end social network filtration fee, twenty thousand. Spontaneous entertainment ambience enhancement fee, fifteen thousand. And a mess of other miscellaneous charges. Since when did Nick's place dare to bleed customers dry like this? "What's wrong? Can't pay and now you're trying to name‑drop?" She looked me up and down with an arrogant tilt of her chin. "I've seen plenty of our boss's relatives. Not one of them is as broke, pretentious, and shameless as you." Right in front of her, I dialed Nick and put the call on speaker. "Ten minutes," I said. "Make sure she disappears from my sight. Otherwise, I'm revoking your authorization for this club."

*COMPLETED*"Hold your head up and smile, you coward," Arfaat growled when Juwairiyyah hung back at the top of the steps leading to Sophie's imposing home where the wedding traditional party will take place. His hand gripped her waist so tightly she gasped, and she felt like jerking away and fleeing back down the steps to the waiting car. There was a long line of cars in the street outside Sophie's home; it was obvious the ton had gathered to see the grand wedding of Alhaji Abbas daughter to a poor mechanic.If not for the cold dread in the pit of her stomach, Juwairiyyah might enjoyed the sight of her _wedding day_. As it was, she felt only a shivering apprehension at Arfaat cold rage and implacable face. They'd ridden from her fathers house on GRA in stark silence. Except for a brief moment when she had balked at getting into the car, he had not spoken to her until now. "I don't advise you to try anything you may regret, my Lily."Meet Juwairyyah Abbas who is a spoiled brat whose heart is set at tarnishing and destroying the image of anyone below her. She sees herself as a Queen and someone who is above everyone.Being the only child to rich parents, Juwairiyyah was pampered and given everything she wants.But, what happens when she met someone hell bent on changing her idea that the poor are to be loved and respected not trampled on.The story is steamy, filled with love, hatred, and revenge.

A Feral Curse swept through the werewolf world. Those wolves touched by it become monsters that devour their own packmates; others die in agony as the infection burns through them. The survivors formed an Alliance to fight back. I fought alongside my mate, Alpha Liam, until the very end. Until rescue finally came. But our transport was seconds from takeoff. That’s when Liam's first love, an omega named Chloe, ran back. All for a beat-up music box. Liam insisted we wait. The feral pack was closing in. I had no choice. I forced the ramp shut. Chloe was torn apart by ferals. Back at the Alliance base, I thought we were safe. I was wrong. That night, Liam knocked me out and threw me to a captured feral wolf. The infection was pure agony. It felt like my veins were erupting from the inside out. I died alone in a cold, empty cell. His last words echoed in my mind through our link: "You let Chloe die. It's your turn to feel what she felt." Then I opened my eyes. I was back. Back on the airfield. On the day he refused to leave. I saw the feral pack in the distance, and a cold smile touched my lips. He wants to save Chloe so badly? Fine. This time, they can die together.

Nineteen-year-old Rose should have lived a charmed life as an Alpha’s daughter, but nothing about her world is easy. Her mother died in a pack war she can’t remember, her wolf has never awakened, and her father’s rules keep her caged. On the night of the Luna Festival, Rose seizes one breath of freedom. She sneaks out with her best friend Laura—only to lose her in the crush of bodies and stumble into danger. Cornered by men with cruel intentions, she’s saved by a stranger with spellbinding mismatched eyes—one blue, one green. He vanishes before she gets his name, but his face brands itself into her dreams. When she meets “him” again, his eyes are only blue. He speaks like he knows her. He remembers details only her savior would know. Every time she sees him, something small is different—the gaze, the scent, the smile—but the same face keeps her believing… until the truth snaps into place. It was never one man. It was four. Quadruplet brothers who share a face and a secret—and who cleverly traded places to keep Rose in the dark. Drawn into their dangerous game of heat and deception, Rose becomes their forbidden. What happens when the quadruplets decide to make her their plaything? And what will Rose do when she finally uncovers the secrets they’ve been hiding all along?

He married her to save his empire. He divorced her the moment he no longer needed her. But what if the woman he tossed aside... was the only one who ever truly loved him? Rebecca Henshaw was once Davis Gates’ devoted wife — graceful, loyal, and deeply in love. Their marriage, born from family alliance, blossomed into something real... until one tragic night, a deadly fire, and a web of lies tore them apart. Branded a murderer in her husband’s eyes, Rebecca endured years of cold silence and rejection. Now, just as she discovers she’s pregnant with his child, Davis returns home — not with love, but with divorce papers. Heartbroken and humiliated, Rebecca walks away, determined to rebuild her life far from the man who shattered it. But Davis never expected her to rise like a phoenix. Behind her soft smile lies a thriving empire, a powerful identity, and a secret that changes everything. When danger begins to stalk her, Davis steps in — not out of guilt, but something far more dangerous: love. Now he wants her back. But Rebecca is no longer the woman who once begged for his affection. She’s stronger. Smarter. And she’s not alone. Can Davis break through the walls he built — before another man takes her for good? Or is his greatest regret losing the one woman he was too blind to treasure?

Gwyneth Glen and Liam Luther's loveless marriage was a union between two families. Despite three years of marriage, Liam knew nothing about his wife except that she was ugly and cowardly.Finally, Liam said, "Sign the papers! We're getting divorced!" However, Gwyneth didn't hesitate and replied, "Fine."As she signed the papers, a triumphant smile crossed her lips...This is the story of Liam's rash decision to divorce that leads to his challenging quest to win his wife back.

He is obsessed, not with her smile but with her tears. She is trying to escape, not just from his tortures but from her inferno. The dark world where no one is innocent, and nothing is pure. Everyone is a villain and everyone is a hero. Here, innocence kills you, and evilness traps you; there is no way to escape. The one who survives the wickedness is the survivor, there are no rules, and the game never ends, but will rules change if vengeance turns into infatuation, where death is not allowed to be part of, yet pain is a must! Welcome to the wicked world of revenge and obsession!

What does the underboss of an infamous crime family have in common with a spirited primary school teacher? Absolutely nothing, except a marriage of convenience, of course. When Lionel Tyson defaults on a gambling debt and offers his most prized possession as collateral, Austin Hawthorne is underwhelmed. But in desperate need of a housekeeper and permanent child minder, he knows he’d be an idiot to look a gift horse in the mouth. So, against his better judgement, he accepts an offer he should absolutely refuse. Marybeth Tyson is horrified to learn that not only is her father wanted by loan sharks, but he has also sold her off to a mafia boss. Bound by duty and pushed by guilt, she agrees to give Austin Hawthorne one year of her life, despite common sense screaming at her to run the other way. After all, how hard can pretending to be madly in love with someone be? It’s all fun and games until play pretend becomes all too real, and an earth-shattering secret from Austin’s past comes to light, threatening to destroy his second chance at love with his dogged pursuit for answers. Betrayal, especially at the hands of his older brother Blake and long-time friend, Andrei Ivanov, is a bitter pill to swallow for Austin, and letting them off scot-free is not an option. Driven by his unquenchable thirst for revenge, Austin will stop at nothing to get to the truth, even if it means destroying decade-old friendships and fragile ties to The Corporation. 2022 Val Sims. All rights reserved. No part of this novel may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author and publishers.

On the day of our engagement, my girlfriend, Jean Sullivan, is nowhere to be found until late at night. Beside myself with worry, I, Seth Lloyd, frantically reach out to our mutual friends and even consider calling the police. Suddenly, I come across a post about her from her assistant, Callum Cox. "My manager came over to discuss some plans, but the door lock suddenly broke. Does this mean we're going to be stuck in the same room tonight? I can't help feeling a little excited." When I like the post, Jean immediately calls me, furious. "Don't you have any idea how much I earn in a year? Just one day of my lost income would cover what you make in a whole week. "All I did was skip that stupid engagement party, and you start acting all snide. I don't have time to deal with your stingy relatives." My mom, Teresa Whitfield, stays silent, her eyes sweeping over the gold, eight sets of haute couture jewelry, and several property transfer deeds in the private room. With a forced smile, she asks, "Seth, have all these wedding gifts we've prepared embarrassed you?" I sneer, caressing the keys to the luxury car I'm about to give Jean. "No, it's me who's being too generous to her."