Standing Ovations

When I'm scouring for food in the dumpster, I get recognized and taken home by the richest man in the city, Maverick Clark. As soon as I get home, Camila Clark, the fake heiress who has taken my spot for many years, asks our parents with an aggrieved look, "Mom, Dad, now that the actual heiress is home, does that mean I have to leave now?" Upon noticing the frowns on my parents' faces, I quickly sink down on my knees and begin pleading to them pitifully. "Mom, Dad, if you don't like me, I'll just go back to the alley you found me at." Camila Clark, you stole my identity and the affection meant for me by pretending to be frail and weak in the previous life. That was how I ended up dying on the streets from starvation. This time, not only will I kick you out of the Clark family, but I'll also take back the assets and identity you've swindled from my parents by playing the pity card! Aren't you the most skilled in acting pitiful? Let's see who's better at tricking the Clarks into voluntarily giving away their assets and social standing on a silver platter!

In the second month of my relationship with my best friend Sophie Vaughn's older brother, Elias Vaughn, Thanksgiving arrives. Sophie leans in, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Elias is bringing his girlfriend home for the holiday. Let's see what all the fuss is about." I take my time getting ready, heart fluttering with hope. Just maybe, I'll finally be formally introduced as his girlfriend. But the moment I step inside, I see him with another elegant, beautiful woman, smiling as he introduces her to his parents. "This is my girlfriend," he says. He then inadvertently looks over at me, stiffening for a moment, clearly caught off guard. But just as quickly, he recovers and turns to the woman beside him. "That woman over there is my sister's friend and a part-time student. You could say she's a maid in our household." A maid? As it turns out, I'm nothing more than someone for him to kiss and sleep with. I was never someone worthy of standing by his side publicly. I turn away and board the train back to Ashcroft University, choosing my future over another night in his bedroom.

I told Charlie my biggest secret—I was the long-lost daughter of the powerful Moore family in Dreslane. He swore he'd help me reunite with them. But the night before I met them, the Moore family made a grand declaration—they'd already found their missing daughter. A ceremony was set. I rushed there, heart pounding, only to see Charlie standing beside his childhood friend, Raine. She was being introduced as the Moore heiress. And somehow, she had the exact same birthmark as me. Before I could do anything, Charlie locked me in a restroom. "It's just a name," he said. "You still have me. So why does this matter? Raine's parents died saving me—she never had a real family. For my sake, can't you just let her have this?" Then, to erase any doubt, to make sure Raine could live as me without fear—Charlie took a knife and carved the birthmark off my body. The shock. The pain. I lost my three-month-old unborn baby that night. And as I lay there, blood soaking through my clothes, I finally gave up.

The Duke was standing in the middle of the room, his hands in his pockets, his head tilted to one side. It was a relaxed, casual pose, and yet the way he looked at her was anything but casual. The deep midnight of his eyes burned and he radiated a subtle, sensual energy that made the air around him crackle. He looked like a man who’d never heard the word ‘no’ in all his life. Unluckily for him, ‘no’ was the only word she had. “There's no reason why I should stay,” Anna clasped her shaking hands together in an effort to still them. “I’m not marrying you.” His gaze flickered, his mouth curving slightly, and she had the disturbing thought that far from putting him off, her insistence was only inciting him further. “But you haven’t heard my proposal yet,” he said mildly. “Isn’t that why you’re here?” “I don’t need to hear it. I already know that my answer will be no.” “Of course. But you can hardly tell your father that you heard me out when you haven’t, in fact, heard me out…. Anna.”

Nineteen-year-old Alyra Stevens thought finding her mate would save her from a lifetime of pain. After years of cruelty under her stepmother’s roof, Liam, the charming heir to the Silver Moon Pack, was her light. He was her promise of freedom. Until the night she found him standing over a dead maiden’s body. To protect the man she loved, Alyra took the blame. But instead of saving her, Liam betrayed her, sending her to Red Mountain: the cursed domain of Viktor Draven, the Lycan King feared even by the gods. Viktor was the monster every child grew up hearing about: merciless, cursed, and desperate. For years, he had hunted maidens from every supernatural realm, sacrificing them one by one in hopes of resurrecting his long-dead Luna. Alyra was meant to be the last—the one who would finally end the curse. But the moment he touched her, something shifted. Her scent stirred the beast in him. Her defiance set his blood on fire. She was not a sacrifice. She was temptation itself. Now Viktor faces the cruelest choice of all: to kill the woman fate sent to destroy him… or to defy destiny and watch his kingdom burn.

"No stop. We should not be doing this. You are Noah's brother and my boss" Esme murmured and tried to push Leo away. But he didn't budge. He pinned her to the glass wall in his office and started kissing her. Her protests drowned with his kiss. ....... Esme stood on the Altar alone, waiting for the groom who dissappeared. Standing alone on the Altar on her big day should have been devastating. That too when the groom was her best friend of fifteen years and fiance of four years. She should have seen this coming. And she should be a crying mess. But she is not. Strangely, she is feeling relieved. Her gaze fixed on Leo Ashford, her Fiance's elder brother. The wrong brother she fell for. The brother she shouldn't be thinking about. The brother who is off limits. The last man to whom she shouldn't have lost her virginity to. 'I promise Esme, I will cherish you this time' she remembered Noah's promise from just a few hours ago. She felt bitter, because he couldn't even hold his promise for even a day.

It was forbidden, a sin, but none of these men seemed to understand that. They all wanted to antagonize her, unveil her, tempt her, and pursue her. "A commoner is worth more than a grain of sand, a Half breed is even worse, and you are both, the worst of two worlds, truly you are pitiful….but your fidelity happens to be worth more than both noble and commoner combined. Is that not an interesting fact?"— Oliviér Lé Fóix. "I agree that aside from evangelism there is a sinful agenda but how can you judge my faith when you tempt me by standing in my house with your bare breasts in my sight?"— Sebastién Wright. "You can pray we are interrupted so you do not say yes when I ask if I can rip your underwear and play with your pulsing little clit, Vixen."— Nicolas Dé Penthiévre. "Haha, you've got me, I really have other plans besides seducing you into convincing that bastard for me, I want to fuck you, I mean the thought has been fucking me in the brain since I saw your bright and cheery face. I want my cock to tear that jaw."— Constantine Rousseau.

"Good morning.” She greeted as she peeked on my male's cheek with so much affection. And I could feel my heart start to bleed as the male destined for me smiled down at the female and kissed her temple with his heart oozing adoration. My wolf was on her hind legs staring at the female through my eyes. She fisted her hair and knotted them in a bun and my eyes fell on the glorifying fresh mark on her neck. I return my eyes to the male standing in front of me. That is when I noticed the angry red mark on his neck. And I could feel my heart shatter into a million pieces. The moment I found out that there was another life growing inside me, I was scared, I was terrified. But the instant I knew it was his, I was on my way to find him, to reclaim him after all those years of waiting. But fate had other plans, and I suppose the Goddess loved making my life a living hell. He was supposed to choose me, he was meant to love me, he was born to be mine. He was my other half, my soul mate. But he bore another's mark…he was mated to another.  

Arina Darius, a 20-year-old, takes a nanny job at the fancy Bruce Estate to handle her dad's debts and care for her sister. She just wants a steady job. But life there isn't what she expects. The kid she watches, Kael Bruce, is super quiet—smart, but keeps to himself. His dad, Damon, is a big-shot billionaire known for being cold. Damon's flashy fiancée, Viva, is nice but kinda mean, making Arina feel out of place. As Arina slowly gains Kael’s trust, she starts to see Damon's hidden issues—his pain, and loneliness. He sees the warmth he’s been missing in her strength. But Damon has a secret: Kael isn't really his kid. He's his late sister's son, and Damon promised to look after him. Their bond causes trouble. The fiancée gets jealous, old secrets pop up, and love becomes off-limits at Bruce Estate. The Nanny and the Billionaire’s Heart is a story about quiet moments, longing, and standing up for yourself. It shows how two people—and a quiet kid—find healing, family, and love in a place they never expected.

Buried deep in the Aster estate was the Heartwood—ancient, sacred, mine. Told my husband, Julian Aster—back when he actually listened—that if it ever fell, I'd die with it. At first, he freaked out. Flew in glacier water, hired a whole squad of plant experts to nurture it 24/7. Then one day, just because his childhood friend—Isabella Duvall—got a scratch from the bark, Julian had the Heartwood ripped out. The second it crashed, I choked on glowing blood—ichor. My power? Gone. Barely standing, I grabbed his arm. "You knew. If the Heartwood dies, I—" He laughed. Straight-up mocked me. "Sera, come on. That fairy tale? Only Grandma still believes that crap. Is that mayo on your mouth? Relax—it's a tree. I'll buy you a forest if you want." Overnight, my hair turned gray. Skin cracked. Eyes dulled. Still, I dragged myself to his grandmother, Henrietta. "I kept your family safe for two hundred years. That's why the Asters thrived. But the Heartwood's gone. Debt's paid. One day left. Whatever happens next? Not my problem."