Smirk Synonym

The Heart Beneath the Thorn — A Modern Beauty and the Beast Retelling 💔 In a glittering city of fortunes and façades, The Heart Beneath the Thorn reimagines Beauty and the Beast through the broken glass of betrayal, redemption, and forbidden love. Emilia Grace, a fierce yet quietly bruised soul, is just trying to survive. Between juggling hospital shifts, family debts, and the ghosts of her past, she’s never had the luxury of dreaming. But fate has a cruel sense of humor when she’s assigned to care for Max Carter—the cold-hearted billionaire who once made her school years a waking nightmare. Max was the golden boy with the cruel smirk—the privileged heir with everything, except peace. Years later, a tragic accident leaves him scarred, not just physically but emotionally. Isolated and emotionally exiled, Max is now a man haunted by his past choices and a legacy wrapped in barbed wire. When Emilia walks back into his life, she's no longer the girl he mocked—she's the woman who might just be his undoing. Forced into each other’s orbit, what begins as a war of words slowly melts into lingering stares, late-night confessions, and an unraveling of everything they thought they knew. Max, the beast of her memories, begins to reveal the tender man beneath the mask—a man who collects poetry he never shares, who builds gardens no one sees, and who might have always loved the girl he couldn’t protect. But trust doesn’t bloom easily in thorn-covered soil. And when old enemies, buried secrets, and a scandalous inheritance come to light, Emilia must decide: can she love the man who once broke her, now that he’s the only one trying to piece her back together? A tale of enemies-to-lovers, second chances.

The Shadowed Alpha Series: Bride Of The Shadowed Alpha Book 1 Marked By The Shadowed Alpha Book 2 "I will give you the most pleasurable pain you’ve ever had. You like pain, and lucky for you," his smirk deepened, his gaze dark with promise, "I know how to give pain until you cry for me." The villain wasn’t meant to be emperor, nor was he supposed to be handsome. Yet for reasons I can’t understand, he hates me. At the Academy of the Arcane, I became untouchable, unstoppable. My beauty was both a weapon and a curse, a cruel reminder of the life I lost. But none of it mattered to him. Tharros. The Emperor of Shadows. The unchallenged ruler of witches, vampires, werewolves, and fae. His gaze burned with something raw, something personal. "You made me this way." he growls. I stared at him, confused. "I don’t even know you." His laughter was slow, cruel. "Then I’ll make sure you never forget." Days later, I woke up as his bride. Bound to him by marriage, a punishment, a prison. Now, I must untangle the truth of his hatred, uncover the past he swears I buried, and face the dark memories that lie in wait. Because in this game of vengeance, I am both his prisoner and his beautiful prize, one he will break. He craves my pain, but I crave the way he gives it. Book 2 My name is Obsidian Sigil of Liora. They say he’s cruel. That no one knows where he came from. But I remember how he looked at me, like I was the only thing he ever wanted. And I ruined him. I betrayed him. But this my second life, I will make it right. Warning: Extremely Dark Romance | Rated 18+

Alessia Morretti was a cop working diligently for Five years and trying to pin down a Deadly Mafia Lord who killed her parents through the Drug he manufactured. She made it her mission until she became obsessed, However Leonardo Ricci got impressed by her persistence and watched her every move and action till he became obsessed himself, he was done dancing around and watching her destroy his little hideouts. He's going to have her so he surrendered himself to the police instead, set her husband up and pinned the crime on him. Instead of being sentenced, he was bailed out and he blackmailed her with something extremely dangerous that would destroy her career for life.***Leo’s smirk widened as he continued to taunt me. "Imagine that. A dedicated little police officer like you, spread out in my backseat, moaning like a whore for the very man you’ve been trying to put behind bars." I felt sick. He leaned back, completely at ease. "I’m sure the department would love to see it. The media. Oh, and your family." "Shut up," I whispered. He didn’t. "Hell, maybe I’ll send it to your old rival in the force. The one who’s been dying to ruin your career. What was his name again? Oh, right. Detective Harris." I thought my body couldn’t handle more rage. I was wrong. I gritted my teeth, my whole body shaking as I hissed, "What the fuck do you want from me?" Leo’s expression turned smug. "Now we’re talking." He leaned forward, his voice dropping into something low, dangerous. "You’re going to sign a deal," he said. "You’re going to be my bride."

"You ignore me, you don't want me, you don't touch me, you don't fuck me, and then you come at me with this weak threat just because I danced with someone else at the party?" I managed to push out the words, "Let's face it, you're not going to do a damn thing and just keep playing saint-maybe your machine has rusted after all these years of being without a mate." His jaw tensed, and his fingers dug into my skin, but then a low, husky chuckle escaped him. "You really enjoy pushing boundaries, don't you?" His free hand traced a slow path down between us and he suddenly cupped my pussy causing a gasp to slip past my lips, "Just so you know, Poppet-I have a lot of respect for you, but in the next hour, I'm going to make you forget that I ever respected you at all." Before I could retort, his lips brushed against my ear, a wicked smirk playing on his lips. "Brace yourself-because I am about to fuck you like my whore and I'll show you just how well this machine still fucking works." *** When Aurora Steel's mate cheats on her with her best friend just before their mating ceremony, her world shatters. But....Just as she hits rock bottom, a familiar face reappears in their pack-the Alpha of Darkclaw Clan, Jaxon Blackwood, her father's friend, and...the crush she'd long buried. And suddenly it seems there is no better choice for revenge against her cheating mate than letting a hot, cold, and older alpha fuck her. But in the world of revenge, betrayal, illicit desires, and forbidden temptation, an affair hidden from everyone with an Alpha like Jaxon is anything but a wise choice, isn't it?

Betrayal--- I thought it was the worst pain I could feel, until I found out my husband wasn't just cheating on me with my sister... He had poisoned me to kill our unborn child so he could finally get married to my sister. 'Sign the divorce papers if you want to save your child , Rose' Wallowing in pain, I watched the man who had once sworn with his life that he loved me with everything in him. The man whom I've sacrificed everything for. My career, my dreams, my identity, and my heart. Was it in exchange for this betrayal all along? My heart twisted in my chest resentfully as tears blurred my vision. His betrayal cut deeper than a dagger, but my only thought at that moment was my unborn child. He was innocent. He didn't deserve to die. He deserved to live no matter the monster his father was. My hand trembled as I signed the divorce paper, my blood soaking every page that I turned. "I have signed the divorce papers, Mathew... Please take me to the hospital. I need to save our baby." I pleaded, my hand clutching my stomach tightly as pain shot through it. I was scared that I might lose my baby if I spent any more minute bleeding. He looked at me, without remorse, his arm wrapping around my sister's waist as a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Why should I? Just pack your things and leave." And with that, he turned his back on me, walking away without sparing me another glance as if I didn't exist. As darkness came looming over, my strength slowly draining off, only one question echoed in my mind. Is this really the end?

Completely frozen and horrified, her watery eyes were staring at that bleeding dead body in front of her. She couldn't just believe he had just killed someone in front of her so brutally, just because she dared to talk to that person and not any person, but his own wife's brother. "Now, you will forever remember…never to get closer to any other man," she heard him whispering those words in her ear. His blood stained hands gripped her waist more firmly which made her finally look at him. "He was your wife's brother. H..he was your family," she stuttered, disgusted by this brutal monster on whose embrace she was captured now. A feral smirk ghosted on his face. "You needed to think about this before getting closer to him," he brought his face closer to her. Her glossy eyes filled with more disgust, hatred and anger for this barbaric animal before her. "You shouldn't have forgotten that…." Sensually grazing his lips against hers, he peered into her watery eyes. "You are my possession," his words made her fists her palms, especially when she felt his hand opening the zip of her gown. He would again taint her by claiming her body as his. "I am your sole possessor, cara mia," he grinned, sadistically before completely undoing her gown's zipper. She just helplessly stood in his embrace. "Now be a good girl and let me have you again…." hotly murmuring that, he captured her mouth in his and freed her from her clothes and she was not capable of doing anything to stop that sinner from committing that sin with her again because she was…..HIS SINFUL POSSESSION……. Why was she committing that sin of letting a married man have his sinful possession over her? Read to find out…

Theda thinks her life is slowly turning warm after she's saved by the said-infamous alpha Tyler, but things rumble for her when he gets to know a bitter truth about her, and ignoring the fated signals, he turns cold and ill-treats her. What bitter truth led to his drastic change? What will be Theda's new faith after she runs away to save her unborn child and herself? ****** "Isn't it enough, Alpha Tyler? You've hurt me way more than I could ever imagine in the past few weeks. What have I done?" I couldn't stand his grayish-blue eyes piercing my soul. I tried the look away when I became confusingly lost in his eyes. He grabbed my chin and lifted it, he made me look back at him. "These eyes. I never once thought that I would dislike them so much, nor did I ever think that this face of yours is related to something behind my past miseries." His voice was cold and emotionless and I couldn't believe he was the same man who once treated me with love. "I. Hate. You." He spelt out his hatred without blinking an eye, causing my mouth to drop. "Just kill me then and maybe you'll be free from the haunts of your past miseries," I whispered hoarsely with so much bitterness bottled up inside me. "I will surely do that without regret." My eyes grew bigger in awe and a despicable smirk snarled up the face of his that once gave me sparkles. Sadly, it still did. "Every day…will be a living hell for you, Theda." His hot-cold whisper sent chills down my spine and I froze. I thought I'd seen the worst but for him..it was just the tip of an iceberg.

When Avelina Salazar's father, the Alpha of the Crimson Hounds pack, is brutally murdered before her eyes by her own uncles, whom she never heard of to this date, Avelina is thrown into a twisted game of power, secrets, and fate. Trapped under the sinister rules of her father's killers, Matteo Augustus and Dante Romano, Avelina Salazar discovers that she is destined to be their mate, forever branded with the dark shadow of their clan's tradition. But Avelina is not one to accept her fate without a fight. As she unravels the mysteries behind her mother's death, the clan's secrets, and the true intentions of the Alphas, Avelina is forced to confront the brutal truth of her family's history and rethink her choices, what her eyes see and what her brain believes, especially when her pure blood makes the enemies chase her and danger lurks around every corner. ***** "You seem to have forgotten the rules, Avelina," Dante's voice reverberated in the dark as he stood behind me, his lips brushing against my neck, "Perhaps it's time we refresh your memory." A surge of vulnerability coursed through my veins, but I refused to succumb. My breath trembled, my palms perspired, yet with defiance in my eyes, I spat, "I don't give a fuck about your so-called rules." "Then start giving a fuck, Princess," Matteo hissed, gripping my jaw tightly and bringing his face dangerously close to mine, our lips inches apart, "Or else, you'll face the consequences." They repulsed me, yet a forbidden desire remained. "I'm not afraid." A wicked smirk adorned Dante's lips, while a sinister chuckle escaped Matteo's mouth, "Let's take you to the torture cell then. Your untouched body will make for a beautiful plaything." I drew in a quiet breath-The torture cell was no good news.

"Take me back to my family, you monster." I seethed in anger at the person in front of me now. I am not bothered at the sight of him naked before my eyes. Anger and fear had over-powered me since the moment he kidnapped me and brought me in this damn place. He chuckled and as he move closer to me cupping my face with his warm hand. "I am your family... my mate." "Stop calling me that. I am not your mate and I will never be." "Oh I can't do that. You belong here and not with those weak humans." amusement not leaving his eyes. "Humans? Of course I belong there. If there's a place I don't belong to, it's in this godamn place. Just let me go." "Oh really now? How come you don't belong here when you are... " he paused a moment. "What's that term you used again?... ah, a monster....yourself?" I was taken aback at what he said. "Me? A monster? You are making a mistake. I am not like you." Just as I about to speak again, the man changed his form. With the cracking of bones and the appearance of thick black hair in his entire body, he is once again the monster I saw earlier. I am beyond scared now but I can't do anything because both my arms are chained to the wall. His eyes were a mix of amber and black that watched me intently. Then very slowly he came forward. He looked me in the eye and with that came a voice from my head. "Really? Then explain to me why you can hear me talking now? It's one thing we werewolf can do. It's called mind-link." With that he changed into human form again with a smirk in his face. "See you later." Then he walked outside the room leaving me here petrified.

“I don't want any trouble, Easton.” She breathed. But he only stepped closer, running his fingers on her cheeks slowly as a smirk stretched the side of his mouth, “Well, that's too damn bad because I want to see you in trouble. I want to see you in pain until you're nothing but a shell in a body.” Tears rolled down her cheeks as she held back a sob, her throat was dry as she asked the question that was burning in her chest, “Do you hate me that much?” Seeing her tears made something in him shift but he quickly recovered. He took a few steps back and tucked his hands in his pockets before finding her gaze again, “That would make me too kind. What I feel for you isn't hate, Scarlet. It's deeper than that, but most importantly, I want to make you pay for ruining my life and taking my brother from me.” ……….. They say opposites attract, and for them, it was love at first sight. But love wasn’t enough to keep them together when fate tore them apart. She left him, convinced it was the only way to protect him. He believed she abandoned him out of cold-heartedness, and love for money. Blaming her for his brother’s tragic accident. For five long years, he’s harbored a fierce bitterness, a desire for revenge so intense it’s reshaped him, hardening his heart to ice. Now she’s back—stronger, wiser, but still haunted by the shadows of their past. And he’s waiting, ready to make her pay for what he believes she stole from him. She takes his anger, thinking it’s because she left, unaware of the deeper wound that fuels his wrath. But what happens when the truth finally comes out?