Societal Pressure

“Say it…Tell me to go and I promise you’ll never see me again”. She said to me but I didn’t want that to happen, not now not ever. “Is that what you want?” I spoke softly hoping she would take back her words and she only said it as a moment of weakness. “No…I want you” I found myself utterly speechless when she made this revelation. God, I wanted her too but I could only confess my feelings in my heart. Everywhere went silent. Marcella Solis and Lucille Parker, two young women with a hidden sexuality trapped by the stifling expectations of their elite, high pressure families. Marcella, the "miracle child" and brilliant heir to a mafia empire, maintains a mask of cold perfection to hide her true sexuality, in fear that coming out would tarnish the prestigious Solis name. However, her status quo is shattered by the arrival of Lucille Parker, a striking star athlete and transfer student. While Lucille is presented as a "trophy" for her parents to showcase to college scouts, she carries the scars of a "darker" past. Lucille is viewed by her family as a profound shame that must be hidden behind her athletic prowess. An instantaneous spark ignites between the two, but they initially resist their feelings to protect their families' reputations. This tension finally breaks when they meet in college. In the newfound freedom of campus life, they embark on a passionate, secret romance that serves as a sanctuary from their rigid upbringing. As the moment of revelation nears, they face a devastating choice to succumb to their families and secure their glittering inheritances, or risk everything for their love.

Gilbert Pierce, my wife's male trainee, bragged that he could disarm a bomb just by relying on his senses and with his eyes closed. However, he misjudged it and triggered the bomb's secondary detonation sequence. I stepped in at the last second and used the most dangerous method available, liquid nitrogen flash cooling, to save the entire building. Gilbert was pulled off frontline duty and placed on suspension for review. My wife, Jasmine Clem, tried to speak up for him, but I stopped her cold. "If you defend him now, you won't save him. You'll just get dragged down and suspended alongside him." Unable to handle the pressure, Gilbert blew himself up in an accident. In his suicide note, he accused Jasmine of choosing self-preservation when he needed her most. Jasmine said nothing. She only locked that letter away in her study. Years later, Jasmine became a nationally renowned bomb disposal expert. During a terrorist attack, I was captured and strapped with a timed explosive. Jasmine came to the scene personally to defuse it, but right in front of me, she repeated the exact same mistake her trainee had made years ago. She watched the countdown and smiled lightly at me. "See? He was just nervous back then. If I had encouraged him, he'd be a hero now." The bomb detonated, and I was blown apart. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment she was about to defend Gilbert. She didn't know that inside that building sat the nation's most classified core servers.

Tiana Greene arrives on Lycan Isle with nothing but a suitcase, a scarred past, and a desperate need for work. When she is hired as a maid in the sprawling cliff-side mansion of Ross Lycan – the island’s reclusive billionaire – she expects long hours, strict rules, and silence. What she does not expect is the man himself: cold as the steel in his voice, brutally private, and carrying a shadow in his gaze that keeps everyone at arm’s length. Rumours whisper through the island of former staff fleeing in fear, of Ross’s cruelty, and of the mysteriously vanished brother whose memory haunts the mansion halls. Tiana tries to keep her distance, but every forbidden glance and accidental touch tightens the invisible thread pulling them together. When a near-fatal accident on the cliffs pushes Ross into her life more violently than either of them intended, the dynamic shifts. Ross grows protective yet distant, drawn to Tiana in ways he cannot accept – while she fights her own confusion over the man beneath the frost. As the annual island festival approaches, tensions rise. Tiana becomes a target for the island’s elite women, whose humiliation of her sparks a dangerous, possessive reaction in Ross. Social pressure thickens, rumours spread, and the boundaries of employer and servant begin to blur into something darker, deeper, and irresistibly intimate. But everything changes the night Tiana slips into a forbidden study and uncovers the truth about Ross’s past – a past woven with loss, guilt, and secrets buried beneath the island’s stormy surface. Now she must decide. Can she love a man built from shadows? And can Ross love someone brave enough to walk into the darkness he’s spent years trying to hide?

Jake Monroe, heir to the Monroe Shipping fortune, boards the luxury cruise ship Royal with his ambitious parents. His father, Miles, is determined to find Jake a wealthy wife to expand their business empire. He dismisses a modestly dressed young woman as unsuitable—a "gold digger" beneath their social class. Against his father's wishes, Jake is drawn to this mysterious woman, who turns out to be Amity Jenkins, a world-renowned violinist performing under a stage name. Playing her unique transparent violin called the Crystal Voice, Amity captivates audiences with haunting melodies that speak of rebellion and longing for freedom. Both Jake and Amity are secretly struggling against their families' expectations. Jake yearns to marry for love rather than money, while Amity has been hiding her true identity as an heiress to Jenkins-Whitmore Industries, one of Monroe Shipping's biggest rivals. She's created this separate musical life to escape the politics of high society and prove herself through talent rather than inherited wealth. Their growing connection is complicated by family pressure, class assumptions, and hidden truths. Jake's father pushes him toward "suitable" matches like Rebecca Ashford, while Amity's brother Liam tracks her down, demanding she return to the family business. Past betrayals have left Amity wary of trust, especially from someone in Jake's social circle. As the ship sails toward the Mediterranean, both must decide whether to continue living the lives their families have planned or risk everything for authentic connection and self-determination. Their story unfolds against the backdrop of maritime luxury, where appearances deceive and true identity lies beneath the surface.

Why we all want to FALL IN LOVE? They say because that experience makes us completely alive. When you’re in love with someone, it inspires you and gives you hope. But it’s not the case for all - falling in love can be a BLISSFUL experience for many but a PAINFUL memory to some. Faith Anderson and Marco Matthews are happy and very much in love with each other. She doesn’t have an idea that he’s the heir to Matthews Group, one of the most successful companies in New York. But when she met his extended family and friends, it's clear that they are from incredibly different backgrounds. Destiny isn’t always good, it becomes playful sometimes and the influence of money is probably as old as time. The constant disapproval and pressure left her with no other choice but to let go. It was the hardest thing for her to do, not because she wants to but because she has to.  It hurts her even more - to hurt him who doesn’t deserve to be hurt.  But what’s really more important? - To be HAPPY or to be RICH? She can’t guarantee to help him in his success. She’s aware of how low her worth is. She knows that there are things in life that she can’t forever have, no matter how much she fights for them. Forcing herself to fit into someone’s world isn’t her thing. She won’t go low just to please other people who she knows that whatever she does - will never be proud of. But did she do the right thing to let go because she was hurting or she was doomed for not staying and trusting him? And here we realize that to LOVE is really to SACRIFICE.  

I'm Caleb Jennings. When I announce my early retirement, everyone in the city cheers. Only Nathan Sloan, my junior from the police academy, who claims to be able to see things from the criminal's perspective, panics at the news. During the party organized in his honor, he openly states his intention to find me. "I owe my success to the guidance Caleb Jennings has provided me all along. I hope everyone can help me find him and bring him back into the police force." Scoffing, I choose to ignore that. … In my previous life, I was the celebrated captain of a criminal investigation team. Yet, whenever I uncovered a clue, Nathan, a rookie in the city police department, would announce it first, beating me to it. After multiple incidents like this, everyone started saying that I was past my prime. To prove myself, I worked myself to the bone for three months before finally locating the hideout of a human trafficking ring. However, when I arrived on the scene with my team, Nathan had already swept through the place. He was launched into stardom, becoming the rising star detective that everyone adored. As for me, the public mercilessly tore me apart, labeling me as incompetent and shaming me. Due to the pressure from work and the negative public opinion directed at me, my mind was distracted. I ended up getting killed while hunting down the remnants of the trafficking ring. When I open my eyes again, I find that I'd gone back in time—to the day we launch a raid on the human traffickers' hideout.

My name is Michael Lockwood. I am the CEO of Lockwood enterprises. You might know my family. Raphael Lockwood (The shark) is my father and he stepped down from his job as CEO for me to take over. He was also one of the biggest Mafia bosses this city has ever seen. My brother Gabriel and my sister Amelia are my two pillars. I wouldn’t be who I am today without them. Whenever life gets tough we get together and we solve the problem together. I am the only one in my family that has no ties with the Mafia. Sometimes I do a dirty job here and there and help laundry some money but my siblings know better than to ask that from me. My integrity and honesty are my pride and joy. Too bad I can’t be honest in every aspect of my life. My life is controlled by old men with strict family values. Because of that I am part of an arranged marriage. If I want my business to succeed and make my father proud I need to get married to one of the old men’s daughter. I know. Great. The thing is... I am living a lie and I don’t know how to let the truth out. I am completely in love with someone. Someone my father and my business associates would never approve of. Will Mike give in to the pressure and let go of the love of his life? Or will he find a way? This is the Fourth Book of the Shark Mafia boss.This book can be read as a stand alone but for better comprehension of the characters and the story it is recommended that you read the previous books.

In the city of New York, Darltech has become a global brand known by many nations with its headquarters in New York. Duncan built the company under his sweat and leaves it on to his daughter, his only flesh and blood. On the death of her husband, she realizes she’s alone in the cold world. Her mother not being literate in the business world, increased the pressure for her takeover. Kesa Duncan is the heir to Darltech, one of the largest business enterprises in New York. Her father is gone and she steps in to take charge of the company. Her two kids, Debbie and Tyler need to be taken care of properly. They miss the warmth of having a father. With running a multi billion dollar company and two overactive children, she will need all the help she can get. Mason Greenwood is a divorcee with many bills piled up for him, so he needs a job. His ex wife Tania, left him high and dry. When the opportunity calls for him to fill in for another person who rejected the job, he rushes for it.. Kesa is a hard nut to crack and a determined young woman. Ignoring her horror, he instills a sizzling seduction at their first encounter, taking all choices—leaving her stunned and wanting more. Mason has shown her how to embrace her feminine side. She finds that it doesn't limit her—it expands her perspective. She is respected by all her employees. She likes who she sees standing before her The pair begin with fighting the mutual attraction.They seek help and solace amongst themselves. Will their past let them move on to the future or will they be dragged along to pay for their mistakes?

In a world where dragon shifters once ruled alongside humans in a delicate magical monarchy, a catastrophic war 300 years ago left the dragons nearly extinct. Now, in modern-day Seattle, 25-year-old Maya Chen discovers she's the last fertile female dragon shifter when she spontaneously shifts during a panic attack at her corporate job. The twist: There are only seven male dragon shifters left worldwide, each bound by ancient magic to different elements (fire, ice, storm, earth, shadow, light, and void). Maya's emergence triggers a supernatural召唤 summoning that compels all seven to converge on Seattle, their dragon instincts screaming that the survival of their species depends on her. But Maya isn't interested in being anyone's salvation. She's a fiercely independent software engineer who just learned that her chronic anxiety and "weird dreams" were actually her dragon trying to emerge. As the males arrive—each incredibly powerful, devastatingly attractive, and convinced they're destined to be her mate—Maya must navigate not only her new abilities but also the political intrigue of a hidden supernatural world. The complication: An ancient enemy, the Order of the Silver Chain, has been hunting dragons for centuries and will stop at nothing to eliminate this last chance for the species to survive. Meanwhile, Maya discovers that the seven males can't all survive—the magic binding them means that when she chooses her mate(s), the others will lose their dragon forever. The story blends urban fantasy with romantic tension, found family dynamics, and the pressure of being the key to an entire species' survival while trying to figure out who you really are. However, what if all seven of them were her mates? Would that allow them to save their kind?

Leah and Abigail are separated at birth at the request of their mom, Amber. Leah stays with her mom and Abigail goes to live with her aunt, Emerald, calling her mother. Caleb is Leah’s best friend and finds out that he is part of a lineage of werewolves who promised to protect Leah’s lineage of witches. Caleb is taken into his father's old pack by Seth, one of his father's dearest friends. Caleb meets Hope who has her heart set on mating with him, but his heart belongs to Leah. Hope is relentless in her pursuit and Caleb. Emerald is extremely jealous of Leah and Abigail's powers, both being more powerful than she. She will stop at nothing to keep the girls in check, even turning to the dark arts. Emerald knows that she is angering the Goddess by turning to the dark arts but is willing to take her chances. She enlists her familiar, Silden a shapeshifting Raven, to spy on Leah and report back on her progress. Silden can no longer take the pressure of spying on poor Leah and she reveals herself to her. They hatch a plan to fool Emerald by making her believe that Leah isn't as powerful as she thinks she is. Caleb teaches Leah how to fight, making sure that she not only focuses on her magic to keep her safe. She is a quick student and easily picks it up. Leah is bitten when in a fight with a rogue pack of wolves from a neighboring pack and becomes a hybrid. Wracked with jealousy Emerald hatches a plan to try to steal Abigail's powers, but Leah and Caleb find her just in time to stop her and rid their family of the evil within.