Smiles Softly

"You belong to me!" he said in his deep, husky voice, sending shivers down my spine. "And you are mine to love, princess!" His tone was full of possessiveness. "Let me go-" I started to protest, but he silenced me by pressing his index finger to my lips. "Shh, be quiet!" he whispered softly against my lips. I looked into his eyes, which were filled with desire and longing. "It's just you and me tonight, and I want to make it special for us," his strong voice sent chills down my spine. My heart raced as I felt his fingers at the edge of my dress, ready to tear it away. *"I'm about to do the most sinful things with you now, Jaan!"* His voice echoed in my ears. "I've waited long enough!" His voice grew deeper with desire. "No, please-"before I finish my sentence, he interrupted me as air rushed around my body. He ripped my dress in two pieces.

She thought she’d found her fairytale… until the fairytale turned into a nightmare. When Sarah married billionaire Austin, she believed her life had finally taken a beautiful turn. But behind the mansion doors and expensive smiles, Austin's love became her prison. His charm turned to cruelty. His promises became bruises. The final blow came not from his fists — but from her best friend’s betrayal. Broken and humiliated, She swore to rise again, no matter who stood in her way. Then came Richard, a stranger with kind eyes and a past as dark as hers. He offered her help, but what Sarah didn’t know was that Richard carried a secret that could destroy them both. Now, trapped between love and vengeance, Sarah must decide: Will she heal the scars of her past, or use them as weapons against the man who made her bleed?

My husband, Samuel Crawford, made an excuse about attending a company business meeting and refused to participate in our daughter's school activity. He also suggested that we should not participate either. Seeing my daughter's disappointment, I decided to take her myself. As soon as we entered the school, I spotted Samuel sitting on the stage with his ex-girlfriend, Monica Sterling, and her son. They looked intimate, appearing every bit like a perfect family of three. Samuel spoke confidently into the microphone about achieving family harmony and career success. Throughout his speech, he occasionally exchanged glances and smiles with Monica. The audience applauded enthusiastically. Samuel's expression grew increasingly smug, and even the little boy beside him wore an arrogant look. Soon the Q&A session came. I then grabbed the microphone and asked, "Mr. Crawford, when did you have a son? Does your wife know about this?"

Three days before our wedding, I tell Gabriel Miller that I want to terminate our marriage once and for all. He just smiles helplessly at me. "Is it because I hooked Katherine's bra for her?" I nod in response. "Yup." The helplessness in his smile grows. "Kat is so clumsy. The last clasp came loose and she couldn't fix it herself. There were so many guests at the banquet last night, so I had to lend her a helping hand." Upon noting my lack of response, Gabriel pushes a Victoria's Secret giftbox in my direction. But I refuse to accept it. We've been together since our years in our hometown all the way till our time in Marise. Over the years, we've grown older and more mature. It's been 18 long years. Now is time for me to let go of this relationship once and for all.

One day before my wedding, my fiancé, Tristan, declared, “you can no longer be my bride." The reason? My sister, Victoria, had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Her dying wish was for me to give up my place as the bride, so she could marry my fiancé instead. And Tristan agreed without hesitation. He even turning on me, "How can you be so heartless? She's your own sister!" The mocking smiles from my sister and the righteous anger from my fiancé left me broken. Little did I know, I would turn to the man I never anticipated—Rowan, my fiancé's uncle. He was the true power behind the family. Rumored to be ruthless, politically powerful, and never interested in women. However, I had never expected that he would took me in his arms tightly."Don't leave me."

"I'm not going to forget you." He said solemnly, pausing to take my hands in his. I relished the feeling of his rough palm against my smooth ones. ~~~~~~ "You're raising your voice, Weston!" Mrs. Smith half yelled. "You're raising your voice at me, all because of her!" "I should probably go." I said softly, before turning and walking out of the room. ~~~~~ "My parents want me to begin the mating ritual with someone three full moons after I'm officially made Alpha." He finally admitted. My eyes widened in surprise and a bit of dread. "B-but...you haven't found your mate yet." ~~~~~~ Ella Badmus has been in love with her best friend for as long as she could remember. She's used to being his priority just as he was hers. Now he's turning twenty-five and getting ready to be the pack's Alpha. A lot's changing and there's nothing she can do about it.

At the party, my daughter deliberately raises a question to my husband. "Daddy, since Ms. Lloyd is having your baby, does that mean we'll be living with her in the future?" He places the nicely cut steak onto my plate and answers softly, "Your mommy and I made a deal—whoever betrays first will disappear from the other's life. I can't afford for that to happen, darling, so this must stay a secret. Even when the baby is born, I will never let Mommy find out about them." Then, he signs to me, "I'll always love you." My eyes turn red-rimmed without him noticing. Little does he know, my hearing was restored a week ago. He doesn't realize I've learned about the mistress he's been hiding either. And he definitely doesn't know I've secretly bought a ticket to volunteer-teach in the Seru Plateau. All I have to do is wait for the paperwork to clear in seven days. Then, I'll disappear from his life for good.

Ava Sinclair died pregnant, betrayed by the two people she trusted most, her husband and her best friend. When she opens her eyes again, she’s twenty six again and back in the moment before her life fell apart. This time, she refuses to walk into the same trap. She rejects marrying her boyfriend Luca and opted for an arranged marriage with Damien Moretti Ava knows Damien isn’t marrying her for love. He’s marrying her because it’s his duty , He warns her not to expect affection from him but she told him she'll make him fall in love with her. He laughed it off. But the more he pushes her away, the more Damien starts to crumble, revealing a possessive, caring man. “You don’t have to love me,” Ava said to him softly, but I'll love you. And when the truth behind her past life’s betrayal resurfaces, Ava realizes fate isn’t done with her yet… and neither is her marriage to Damien Moretti.

I suffer from a hereditary form of amnesia. By the time I found out, I had only seven days left. On the first day, I found my boyfriend had fallen for my younger twin sister. With a bitter smile, I suggested we break up. On the second day, my most treasured Lego set was smashed by my sister. Everyone laughed at me, saying I was disgraceful, unworthy of being a daughter of the Fleming family. On the fourth day, I forgot that my sister was allergic to mangoes. She ended up in the hospital, and my parents glared at me with resentment. Even my ex-boyfriend accused me of being heartless. On the seventh day, I woke up in a hospital bed to see my father walking in with a stern expression. He demanded that I quit my job and devote myself entirely to taking care of the family, as nothing more than a housekeeper. But I only looked at them in confusion and asked softly, “Who are you?” When they realized I had truly lost my memory, they lost their minds.

Leah is a woman who has always lived life on her own terms, navigating through the world. However, her life takes an unexpected turn when she lands a new job and finds love in an unlikely place with billionaire Declan Samuelson. As their relationship blossoms, Leah is faced with a difficult decision as everything she holds dear is at risk of falling apart. So, what do you do when your love life is at war with your dream job?**Declan leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips. I respond eagerly, deepening the kiss. He gripped my waist, turning me to him, pulling me close. I ran my hands across his chest, loving how sturdy they felt against my hands.I bit his lower lip slightly, earning a growl from him. He pulled away, staring into my eyes and breathing heavily.“You’re going to be the death of me, Leah Garcia,” he said and kissed me again.**The Unraveling of Leah Garcia is written by Mirian E., a signed EGlobal Creative Publishing author.