Smiles Softly

My wife, Jana Webster, uses her work at the company as an excuse to skip out on Leah Haynes, our daughter's field day. She even tells us not to participate in the activity. Having noticed how disappointed Leah looks, I decide to take her to the field day myself. As soon as we walk into the school, I spot Jana sitting on the couch located on the stage with her first love, Barton Ritter, as well as his son, Trenton Ritter. They look so close, as though they were an actual family of three. With a microphone in her hand, Jana goes on and on about how she's capable of keeping her family happy while maintaining a successful career. As she speaks, she smiles at Barton from time to time. The audience beneath the stage applauds heartily, giving Jana an ego boost. Even Trenton wears a haughty look. Soon, it's time for the Q&A session. I quickly snatch the microphone over. "Ms. Webster, since when do you have a son? Does your husband know about it?"

I discovered my Alpha mate Ethan's secret. The ring he gave me on our wedding day was actually used to track and monitor me. But I didn't cry. I pretended my eyes hadn't healed, and witnessed firsthand how Ethan and his mistress clung to each other, entangled in affection. Ethan's voice was low and husky: "Let's be quick. Selene usually wakes up after an hour of rest." The mistress covered her mouth and giggled softly: "She's just a blind wolf. What does it matter if she wakes up? As long as we don't make any noise." Hearing this, Ethan glared at her in warning. "Even though Selene has lost her sight, she's still the person I love most, and she's my bottom line. If you disrespect Selene again, whatever is between us ends right here." But what he didn't know was that my blindness had been cured. I could see everything clearly now. After getting out of bed, I wiped away my tears and made a phone call. "Tell the Alpha of the Shadow Pack that I'm willing to become their Chief Healer."

The day before Henry Baker and I are supposed to marry, my mother sedates me. She makes my twin sister marry Henry instead. A few years later, the company Henry established turns into a thriving empire. My sister, Diana Halliwell, flourishes with him. While I was at the lowest point in my life, my childhood friend, Jorge Ward, proposed. It's only after marriage that I realize he's worthless. Diana and Henry attend various parties. They enjoy delicious food and wear expensive clothes. Meanwhile, I end up exhausted after having to cook and clean for my family. One night, Mom speaks softly to Jorge when she thinks I've fallen asleep. "I was worried she would find out the truth about what happened back then, but it seems she's too dumb to notice anything." Jorge laughs. "You're a genius, Erica. You laced Laura's water with sleeping pills so Diana could marry Henry on her behalf. I'm glad to see how happy Diana is now." Mom sighs. "I just feel bad for you. You've always liked Diana, yet you're forced to live with a wash-out like Laura…"

"Whose illegitimate child are you pregnant with?" My parents demand to know, looking crazed. They want to know whose child I'm carrying. I look at them and laugh. "One of the kidnappers, of course." My parents and brother are stunned, and they turn ashen. I continue softly, "Don't you guys remember? The kidnappers asked for a ransom, but you guys were only willing to save your other daughter. You wanted to teach me a lesson." Mom collapses on the couch. "That can't be. We wanted to teach you a lesson so you would stop bullying Eden. I didn't… We didn't…" I crouch before her. "You guys never expected the kidnappers to violate me, right?" I don't wait for an answer. "Do you think a few kidnappers would have morals and ethics?" She parts her lips to speak, but I don't give her the chance. "I was covered in injuries when I got home. Why didn't any of you ask me about them? "You guys took Eden away without bothering to save me. You didn't return for a day, for two days, for a month… Did you think the kidnappers would think that they could still receive the ransom?" They should be happy now—I'm about to die.

"What if I tell you that you can actually, live that dream?" Ethan said softly, his voice taking on a gentler tone as he swept his hand on her shoulder. She tensed, everything in her body responding to him in ways she had always dreamed of. But it was so wrong for her to even dare to dream about her boss like that. "You crave for your boss? Wish Granted. You can have me," his words resonated with so much assurance that shook Sofia to her bones. Her breath caught in her throat, the wave of Ethan's unbelievable words shaking her. The tension thickened as he sealed the tiny gap that was separating them. "The question is, Sofia," He lifted his hand to tuck her loose hair behind her ear while she shivered under his touch. "Can you handle your boss?" A cold boss with the darkest insatiable desires that a naive and inexperienced girl like Sofia could never match- what could they possibly have in common? Love? However, even love needs a common ground, and these two are different in all ways, and everything stands in their way. With a possessive fiance who is a perfect match for Ethan in all aspects, perfect even for his darkest desires, is there anything that can make Ethan choose Sofia against all odds?

His eyes were dark wild with an emotions I couldn't name. "You are playing with fire kid," he warned his voice a raw ragged growl. A thrill shot through me. I bit on my lower lip feigning innocence as I stared right into his stormy eyes “What if I want it to burn me?" I whispered leaning forward until my lips were a hair's breadth from his. I could feel his warm breath on my skin fast and uneven. "Come on old man," I taunted softly my hand coming up to rest on his chest. I could feel his heart pounding under my palm. "I know you want me. Stop fighting it." ••• For seven years Alyssa White lived a lie hiding her billion-dollar inheritance to be the perfect wife but on the night of her in-laws' anniversary everything shatters. Her husband Damon reveals his secret family and cruel shove from his mistress sends Alyssa falling and causes her to lose the twin babies. Burned by betrayal and imprisoned on false charges Alyssa takes on her identity with burning desire for revenge and her personal bodyguard who is also her ex husband’s Father in law, she would burn Damon’s world to the ground.

The day Pedro Palmer's mom was supposed to get my kidney, I ghosted. He waited outside the OR for ten hours. What did he get? A death notice. After that, he went full beast mode on his career. Five years later, his company blew up. Media darling. CEO. Power suit. And yeah, he was holding another girl's hand, all smiles for the cameras. "Do you have anything to say to Ruth Rackham? We heard she supported your early days," a reporter asked. Not even a pause. "Yeah. Thanks for vanishing. For letting my mom die with questions. For wrecking me. She taught me not to trust anyone." He stepped in closer, eyes cold. "This is what you wanted, Ruth? Too bad. Love's gone. And you? Not even worth my hate." That's when Nellie Lyon, the reporter, went pale. "Mr. Palmer... Ruth Rackham died five years ago. She was the test subject. She donated her body—before she passed..."

My husband doesn't love me or our daughter. It's been six years since she was born, but he's never held her. The doctors say he has an emotional disorder, and that he doesn't know how to express the way he feels. But when his true love returns, he smiles at us for the first time. He even brings our daughter a gift. I think it's because he's finally seen sense… until she and I see the photo he uses as his phone's wallpaper. In it, his eyes are crinkled as he smiles. He has one arm around a little girl whose front tooth is missing, and he holds his true love's hand with the other. My daughter tugs on my hand, and her eyes redden. "Mommy, do you think we should leave? Should we give Daddy three final chances? Let's leave him if he still doesn't want us after that."

"Do I make you nervous, baby?" he whispered, close to her ear and her grip tightened on his shoulder."Tell me, baby... how do you feel? Do you remember the kiss we had...?""I trace my fingers across your thighs, grab the back of your neck and tightly and kiss you, you grab my face and lightly brush your lips across mine. Twirl your fingers through my hair and kiss me softly, kiss my lips, my jawline, my neck. Then bit my lip, I turn my face and pull you closer nibble on your ear and breathe hot air against your neck. Slide my hand up your stomach into your chest. I send shivers down your spine. You don't even know what you do to me." Hearing this increased her breathing. What is this man doing to her? She never felt this before not with any other man... why him? what is special in him?Before him, her life was so perfect... she had everything she ever wanted... money, fame and power. What more could a person need to survive in this world? Money right? She has it but he made her feel like.... out of this world.

Prologue. “You are not her,” his deep, dangerously dark voice whispered softly in her ear. “W…what do you mean? I am not who?” holding her breath unconsciously, she stuttered. “My bride. You are not the woman I was supposed to marry. Where is she?” His hoarse voice pierced through her chest like a knife and she felt her knees go weak, and then staggered backward, shivering. “Where is my bride?” === Sapphire Rodriguez's life got turned upside down when she suddenly had to take her twin sister’s spot on her wedding day. When she thought nothing could be worse than the maltreatment she was getting from her family, her twin sister got involved in an accident a day before her wedding which caused her to go into a state of comatose and she had to be the substitute bride until the real bride wakes up to take back her place. When the billionaire who married her was smarter than she had expected, Sapphire knew that her life was never going to be easy because this husband of hers will not believe that she didn't cause her sister’s accident in order to take her place at her wedding.