Spoiling Myself

"My life was ash. Burned to the ground. Razed with no chance of rebuilding.Empty.Alone.Just as I had to be.No one else was going to get hurt because of me. No more deaths.For years I’ve secluded myself, stayed in the darkness, and tried to melt into the background. Hiding in plain sight.Taking a new job, working in close confines with a new partner, is risky, and I thought I was up to the task. So I hide behind a mask of my own making, a façade for the world.The problem is, I can’t stop thinking about my new partner. I hate her, but I crave her like she’s the most intoxicating thing I’ve ever encountered.It’s maddening, but I need to stay away. I have to stay away.I can’t love anyone ever again."

There's an earthquake. I'm trapped underneath the debris with another young woman. "This woman's chest has been pierced by a steel bar. We have to save her immediately." The rescuers start to approach me when my husband, Quintus Ford, suddenly darts in the other direction. "She's pregnant! Save her first!" I look at him to see him staring at the other young woman in panic. He doesn't know I'm pregnant, too. The doctor who's trying to stop my bleeding shouts, "I can't stop her bleeding! I suspect she has a blood clotting disorder!" I force myself to nod and look at Quintus desperately. However, he says, "I'm her husband. I'll bear the responsibility if anything goes wrong."

My fiancee was diagnosed with cancer and needed a liver transplant. When I found out I'm a match, I agreed to undergo the surgery without a second thought. They removed two-thirds of my liver. The pain is excruciating, but the moment I wake up, I force myself to check on her. Outside her hospital room, I overhear her talking to a friend. "Trish, you're a genius! This revenge plan is brilliant!" her friend exclaims. Patricia Zeller laughs. "If I weren't trying to keep it low-key, I would've taken a kidney just for fun. It's all his fault that Warren messed up his college entrance exam and had to study abroad. Warren's coming back in a month. Once he does, I'm done with him for good."

My name is Chase Murphy. I've been married to Jessica Stanton for three years. After she tells me that she's infertile, she brings home two children from an orphanage. I raise them as my own, investing everything I have into their lives. But in return, they push me down the stairs without a second thought. "Now our real dad can finally be with Mom." In that split second, the truth crashes down on me. These aren't just any children—they belong to Jessica and her first love, Troy McPoland. When I open my eyes again, I find myself transported back to the day Jessica first introduces the children into our lives. This time, I'm done being the fool raising someone else's family.

In the midst of the darkness of my soul, I have found Chiara Bianchi, a withered flower. I am Wolfgang Krüger, a cruel and heartless man. Seeking revenge, I kidnap Chiara, determined to make her suffer as her uncle has made my family suffer. But Chiara is much more than a defenseless victim. I discover that her beauty hides a deep pain, and her silence tells me stories I could never imagine. Chiara is mute, trapped in a world where words cannot escape her lips. The torture I had planned for her turns into a dangerous game, an internal struggle that I cannot control. Every day, I find myself watering her withered garden, wishing to bring life back to her face and challenging my own cruel instincts.

I want you so badly, Aria" How did he know my name? "I need you." That was the moment I melted and decided to walk outside with him... Fumbling for his car keys... On him. Under him… Windows steaming up... "Fuck, you're amazing." More words that made me lose my mind as I writhed on his lap and forgot myself in the moment...His tattoos, those dark piercing eyes..."I could do this forever, " He whispered in my ear. Aria is a good girl except for that one wild night in the backseat of a stranger's car and that stranger happens to be a bad boy, not to mention her new boss. But what happens when they both become entangled in their complex and intricate lives? Passion and love take a toll and they discover that one can't live without the other.

Aurelio Vivaldi I passionately swore off love and marriage five years ago, after being betrayed by the woman I once loved. Since then, playing hard and working harder with no emotional commitment has been my life motto. Until my mother decided my fate by choosing a bride for me. Now I am left with two choices: Get married or lose Vivaldi's family Villa. Lucy Evans Falling in love is something I promised myself not to indulge in, after watching my Dad fall apart because he loved my mom. Therefore, marrying Aurelio is just an avenue to repay his mother's kindness, a marriage of convenience, nothing more. All we have to do is pretend to be happily married for two years before going our separate ways.

“Save the girl,” Maya whispered through trembling fear, “and I’ll give you myself even if it destroys me.” ##### Maya has spent her life unwanted too human for wolves, too wolf for humans until one reckless act of bravery changes her fate forever. When ruthless Alpha Zion annihilates her corrupt pack, Maya offers herself in exchange for an innocent girl’s life. Zion is a dangerous incarnate: dominant, merciless, and bound by his own dark code of honor. What begins as captivity becomes obsession, as Zion discovers Maya’s quiet strength and unbreakable compassion threaten everything he believes about power and control. In a world ruled by blood and dominance, desire becomes destiny and survival demands sacrifice. This is not a love story meant to be gentle. It is meant to be unforgettable.

"There are over a hundred thousand werewolves in existence, but the moon goddess choose to mate me to the one I hate the most, the one behind my misery, the one that killed my father." ****** "Why do you play with me?" I whispered, my voice almost inaudible. "I don't mean to, but I cannot stop myself from wanting you." ***** Natalia's world crumbled when Aaron killed her father and took over the pack as the Alpha. She wanted nothing but to avenge her father's death. But life always had a way of playing tricks on her. She discovered that he was her mate on her eighteenth birthday and he wanted her as his Luna. Was Natalia about to experience a life of terror, or would Aaron turn out to be an Angel in disguise?

"Strip," Dante ordered, his voice cold and commanding. Nora stood frozen in horror, disbelief washing over her. He leaned closer, eyes darkening. "And if you don't, I'll do it myself," his tone unwavering. She knew he meant it, her heart racing, unable to utter a word as the dangerous man before her mistook her for someone else entirely. When innocent Nora takes the fall for her cruel sister, Aria, to save their father, she becomes trapped in the dangerous world of mafia leader Dante, who believes she is Aria. As Dante prepares to make her life a living hell, will Nora find a way to survive the torment meant for someone else? Content Warning: This story contains mature themes that may not be suitable for readers under 18.