Smiles Warmly

"Last Time I Dug My Own Grave, This Time I Dug One for You Too" Aurelia Vance was born with everything—beauty, grace, and the promise of a legacy. As the beloved only daughter of the prestigious Vance family, she was raised to inherit the estate and carry on the family name. Her life seemed perfect, until the day her father brought home an adopted daughter—Silea. At first, Aurelia welcomed Silea with kindness, never imagining that behind the sweet smiles hid envy and ambition. Slowly, Silea began taking everything Aurelia held dear—attention, affection, and finally, Owen Ashford, the man Aurelia was destined to marry. What began as a fairytale quickly twisted into a nightmare. Betrayed by her husband, pregnant and heartbroken, Aurelia watched helplessly as Silea deceived their father, stole the Vance estate, and then—pushed her off a cliff. But death wasn’t the end. Aurelia awakens on the morning of her 21st birthday—the day her world began to crumble. Armed with the knowledge of betrayal and the fire of vengeance, she vows to rewrite her fate. This time, Aurelia won't be the naive heiress led to ruin. This time, she’ll outwit Silea, expose Owen’s treachery, reclaim her legacy, and choose her own destiny—with Theo Knowles, the childhood friend who truly loved her all along. Power. Revenge. Redemption. This time, the grave isn’t for her. It’s for them.

In New York’s underbelly, secrets are currency, and spending them can cost your life. Oliver Blaese is a brilliant British hacker with a talent for blackmail and a magnetic pull toward trouble. When a routine job exposes a powerful politician’s murderous secrets, a single power failure leaves Oliver’s identity exposed. Now he’s the target, and desperately in need of a shield. Kirill Nikolaev runs a club built on chrome, loyalty, and very expensive body counts. Russian. Ruthless. Untouchable. He doesn’t babysit reckless hackers, and he definitely doesn’t let chaos move into his penthouse. But the money is good. The job should be easy. Keep Oliver alive. Eliminate the threat. Except Oliver is all sharp smiles and filthy wit, a chaos monkey who presses every button Kir has. Trapped in the same space, hatred mutates into something hotter. Oil and flame. Threats that sound like foreplay. Stares that feel like impact. Kir understands dominance, violence and control. He does not understand why the golden, sharp-tongued hacker makes him question everything he’s ever believed about himself. As danger closes in and a secret affair ignites, obsession begins to twist into devotion. What starts as hate-fueled heat becomes a dark romance built on chosen loyalty. In a landscape built on secrets and body counts, love isn’t tender. It’s territorial. It’s volatile. And it demands blood in return.

Eight years into marriage, and Fabian's mom finally gave me and my son her stamp of approval. Invited us to spend Christmas in his hometown. My son—Luca--and I were hyped. We picked out a gift for her and hit the road with Fabian. Right as we pulled into the village, Fabian's old friend called—crying, claiming she'd crashed her car. Fabian panicked. Left me and Luca in some random snowy mountain town and sped off. It was pitch black. Snow dumping down. Then Luca screamed. He'd stepped on a trap and dropped into a pit. Blood everywhere. I called Fabian, totally panicked. He goes, "Stella, Roxana's in a wreck. I need to be with her. Stop making everything a competition." Then he hung up. Blocked me. No time to fall apart. I wiped my face, called an ambulance. Too far out. By the time they got there, Luca was already gone. Cold. Broken. Gone. I held him and screamed until my lungs gave out. Meanwhile, Roxana's posting in the social media. All smiles in Fabian's arms. His face soft. Loving. [Highway jam turned into truth or dare. One word—"accident"—and he came flying. So happy.] I exhaled. Tagged Fabian. [Let's get a divorce.] This joke of a marriage should've ended forever ago.

Before the engagement ceremony takes place, my fiance, Vincenzo Rizzi, makes a formal announcement on the deck of a cargo ship docked at the new harbor. Apparently, my younger stepsister, Sofia Russo, will become his legitimate wife. Vincenzo has an arm wrapped around Sofia's waist. As they stand beneath the spotlight, Vincenzo smiles tenderly at her. "According to the mafioso's rules, only those who have received the core elders' acknowledgment shall become the Madre of the family. Others are nothing but lovers and mistresses." Under the family elders' blessings, Vincenzo gives Sofia a black diamond necklace. Then, they exchange vows with each other and are now engaged. I just watch the ceremony take place quietly. Then, I make an appointment to have an abortion. I have loved Vincenzo since I was 16 years old. I'm 28 years old now, meaning I've been in love with him for 12 years. Yet, Sofia is the only one he has ever loved. In that case, I choose to let go of him once and for all. After that, I travel to a hidden safehouse located in Sombral. All I've left for Vincenzo is a letter stating the termination of our engagement and a farewell gift. But the man, who has never shown concern toward me this whole time, ends up breaking down to the point he doesn't even have the mood to deal with his family matters.

Amara Lawson never imagined her life would change because of someone else’s broken promise. One minute, she is living quietly in the shadow of high society. The next, she is standing at the altar as a replacement bride. When a powerful engagement collapses days before a crucial billion-dollar merger, the Harrington family needs a solution—fast. To avoid scandal and financial ruin, they choose Amara. She is suitable. She is convenient. She is expendable. But they underestimate her. Lucas Harrington is cold, calculated, and dangerously controlled. To him, marriage is a contract—nothing more than a strategic move to protect his empire. He makes it clear from the beginning: he did not choose her, and he will not fall for her. Indifference, he believes, is his strongest shield. What he doesn’t expect is Amara’s quiet strength. Behind the polished smiles and grand public appearances lies a marriage filled with tension, unspoken attraction, and emotional warfare. Every cold glance hides curiosity. Every sharp word masks a pull neither of them can ignore. But the truth behind the broken engagement is darker than anyone knows. Secrets begin to surface. Betrayals come to light. And enemies circle, waiting for Lucas to lose everything. As danger closes in, Lucas is forced to confront the one thing he never planned for—his growing feelings for the woman he once saw as nothing more than a substitute. Because sometimes, the wife you never wanted becomes the only woman you cannot afford to lose.

Angela Hunter. She died once—betrayed by the two people she trust and loved most. But the moon goddess gave her a second chance. A second life. This time, she wouldn’t fall for a pretty face or promises wrapped in lies. This time, she’d find a mate before fate dragged her back into hell. So she picked the darkest, most dangerous wolf she could find. He doesn’t smile. He barely speaks. He smells like secrets and death. But when he looks at her, it’s like he sees every crack in her soul—and wants to hold the pieces. She asked him to pretend. She didn’t mean to fall. Aaron Shepard. He was never meant to fall in love. With vengeance burning through his veins, he walked the world like a shadow—cold, silent, and deadly. But then she came along—reckless, stubborn, and wild-eyed—and flipped his world off its axis. Now, she thinks he’s just a rogue. A stranger willing to pose as her mate to prevent her from getting chosen. But every time she smiles at another man, he feels something unholy crawl under his skin. She doesn’t know he’s the Alpha king. She doesn’t know he would tear down packs to keep her safe. And she definitely doesn’t know…She’s already his.

*My mate turns out to be the mafia king?!* “Stop flirting with my staff.” My head snaps toward the guy I’ve run into twice today. I thought he was just an average school playboy. “Your staff?” I ask stupidly. He smiles widely. “That’s right, sweetheart. This is my club.” * “W-what are you doing?” I whisper, but the look in his eyes says it all. “Do you feel that?” He asks. It takes a second, but then I feel tiny sparks racing along my skin as his hand slips under my jacket and over my skin. I gasp, and then his lips are on mine. *** A few years ago, a series of scientific research buildings were attacked. The chemicals from those research facilities had seeped into our water supply and slowly manipulated our DNA. Last year was the first report of someone showing a hint of supernatural abilities. Then another and another until suddenly, there were people with abilities popping up all over the place. People with abilities were either feared or envied. I have tried hiding my ability for as long as I can. My ability would have me locked up and used until there was nothing left of me. The ability to heal is a gift everyone would want to take advantage of, so I never use it…ever. Until... I meet him. Julian. My schoolmate. The boss of The Hell Club. The Mafia King. My...mate. What we didn't know at the time was that these so-called DNA alterations were all werewolf genes growing inside the human body. And he, Julian... is my mate.

After nursing the baby, I closed my eyes to rest for a moment. The nanny, thinking I was asleep, brazenly clung to my husband, cooing, "Harlan, if your wife finds out that the son she gave birth to was swapped out long ago and that the baby in her arms is actually ours, do you think she’d be furious?” “You’re so smart. Swapping the babies at the hospital was brilliant. Once our daughter inherits her fortune, we’ll kick her out of the house in no time!” I pretended not to hear their conversation. I continued to raise my daughter with utmost care and devotion. When she returned from her studies, I immediately transferred all my shares to her, supporting her to become the youngest heir of the company. At the handover celebration, the nanny dressed even more extravagantly than I did. She boldly grabbed my daughter and declared, “I am Yasmine’s real mother! You’ve kept her from me all these years, but now it’s time that the truth is revealed!” My husband handed me the divorce papers with a smug look. “For Yasmine’s sake, let’s part ways amicably.” My daughter folded her arms and glared at me. “Since you raised me for so many years, I’ll visit you in the nursing home once a year.” Watching their victorious smiles, I lowered my eyes. “As you wish.” I hope you’re ready to handle the kind of wealth that shatters the heavens!

I have spent ten years fighting against the fake heiress, Cynthia Powell, to secure the Powell family's inheritance. Eventually, we both set our sights on the eldest son of the wealthy Wright family, Robin Wright. In my first life, I secure the marriage, but on the very night the shares are transferred to my name, I die a gruesome death. Blood seeps from my eyes and mouth as I collapse. As I lie there dying, Robin calmly wipes the poisonous powder from his fingertips and smiles at me. "My apologies, Kathy Powell. You have to die for the sake of the woman I truly love." I repeatedly curse Cynthia in my heart. In my second life, I am determined to avoid being murdered by Cynthia and her lover. So, I pass the marriage opportunity over to Cynthia. On their wedding day, I'm relaxing at home with a face mask when the police burst through my door and handcuff me. "Cynthia's car was firebombed on the way to the wedding ceremony, and she was burned to a crisp. We found your fingerprints on the fuel tank. You're under arrest for arson and murder. Please come with us," the police orders. The news shocks me. I'm sentenced to death, all thanks to Robin's manipulation. When I wake up, I'm in my third life. After seeing the Wright family's marriage proposal on the table, Cynthia and I take a step back. A chill runs down both our spines. Robin is a curse. How is it that whoever marries him ends up dead?

Elara Hayes had no idea that one night her life would end. Elara is forced into a contract marriage with Alessandro De Luca, the cold, ruthless CEO of a global empire, after being betrayed by her fiancé, burdened by the crushing debts of her family, and cornered by circumstances she can no longer escape. Their marriage is a calculated alliance to the outside world. Alessandro views it as a business arrangement designed to safeguard his position and silence internal threats. It is a cage that Elara never asked to enter. Elara is obligated to learn how to survive in Alessandro's perilous world, which is ruled by power, secrets, and enemies hidden behind polished smiles, and is bound by a contract with strict rules and an even stricter expiration date. She discovers that the man she married is far more complicated than his icy reputation suggests as she struggles to protect her family and maintain her independence. Despite the fact that Alessandro is in charge, guarded, and emotionally untouchable, his focus on Elara grows dangerously intense. What initially appears to be forced proximity gradually develops into an unspoken tension that neither of them is willing to admit. However, secrets do not remain hidden forever. Elara is forced to reevaluate everything, including her marriage, her own heart, and her safety, as resurfaced betrayals and hidden enemies draw near. Additionally, she must make a decision when she discovers information that could cost her everything and bring down Alessandro's empire: When the contract expires, will she terminate it? or put her heart at risk for a man she never intended to love? There are rules in the contract. However, love was not one of them.