Stare Antonyms

The night I find out I'm pregnant, my family's villa suddenly goes up in flames. I endure the suffocating smoke and run the risk of being disfigured as I run to my son's bedroom. However, it's empty. Just then, I hear his excited exclamations outside the window. "Monica, you look so cool when putting out fires! I bet you'll get first place in this upcoming Firefighter Challenge!" I'm about to head downstairs to lecture him when a wall collapses and crushes me. As I drift in and out of consciousness, I hear my stern, stoic husband praise Monica Sloan for her courage. If I'm guessing correctly, my husband and son have started this fire to please her. I stare at the door, which is so close and yet so far. I send out one final text before dying of asphyxiation.

She returned to bury her father. Instead, she was forced to marry his enemy’s son. - Rosalind Marlow returns to New York to settle her father’s affairs, once one of the city’s most feared mafia bosses, only to find he died beside his greatest rival… and left behind a contract binding her to the rival’s son. Viktor Marino is cold, calculating, and infuriatingly magnetic. Rosa has no intention of becoming anyone’s pawn, not in grief, not in business, and definitely not in bed. But Viktor plays a long game, and with every stare, every challenge, he pulls her deeper into a world of secrets, power, and heat. She was raised to be untouchable. He was born to conquer. And in the space between vengeance and desire, who is going to lose control first? (Contains mature and dark content) ***** EXCERPT ‘Why would you want to leave this behind?’ he growled in my ear, his chest rumbling against my back. Because I can’t trust you. Because I don’t know what I want. ‘Because it’s cruel,’ I whispered. And then he pulled away, leaving me trembling, desperate, and furious.” ❦

“You’re mine, Lily. I don’t care about your age or your past. You belong to me now.” William looked deep into my eyes with that smoldering stare, and I melted into his arms as his lips pressed down on my neck. It no longer mattered that he was old enough to be my father, or that he was my friend’s dad. All that mattered was that he was about to consume me. And I would let him. *** In the world of art and love, Lily and William's passionate journey unfolds. As Lily's paintings captivate the globe, their love is tested by a vengeful ex-wife and a dangerous art thief. Together, they navigate fame, deception, and the power of their shared dreams. A gripping tale of resilience and the bond between two hearts, will their love survive the shadows threatening to consume them? Billionaire Daddy’s Little Artist is created by Scarlett Rossi, an eGlobal Creative Publishing author.

"How could you conspire with them. I trusted you Layla!" He was really mad. "I didn't give them the code Damon, okay? I don't know how they got it?" She said. She strangely felt no nervousness or fear. Only the guilty felt fear. "Why didn't you tell me the truth about him? God! We've been dating for almost a year and you never told me he was a ex-convict", he said a shade quieter. He watched Layla look down for a minute and stare back up at him, tears gathering in her deep blue eyes. "If I did tell you, would you still have fallen for me...?" Working in a coffee shop wasn't Layla's dream. She has a degree in Business Administration but getting a got job in America was difficult for minority groups like her. But her boss, William Grey was wonderful, plus, she did get some pretty awesome customers like Damon Prince, the billionaire businessman and New York's most eligible bachelor and some pretty awful ones as well like Logan West, Damon's annoying and stuck-up assistant. After a brief argument with Logan, Damon comes to the coffee shop to make an apology to Layla on behalf of Logan and offers her a check. She turns both down and demands that Logan apologizes or they can forget about their coffee orders. She wasn't going to be pushed around by some rich folks. This intrigues Damon and he gradually falls in love with her. They begin a beautiful relationship but it's not all roses. They soon meet Damon's ex, Yasmin Kyle and Layla's criminal and terrible father, Dario Hernandez. Their trust and love for each other is tested as well as family ties but will they pull through or are something's just not meant to be?

Damien’s hands clamped hard around my thighs, spreading me wide, making me feel obscene. His stare pinned me even before his mouth touched me—black fire in one eye, molten red in the other, daring me to resist. My breath snagged. Every part of me ached for him to finally do it, to stop teasing, but he only smirked mischievously. His breath feathered hot against the slick ache between my legs. That was all....just air, just heat and my hips betrayed me, jerking up toward his face before I could stop them. Shame scalded me but his chuckle was darker as if he’d been waiting for me to surrender. “You want my mouth here?” His voice rumbled against my skin, cruel amusement dripping from every word. “Then you’ll beg.” *** I didn’t ask for a new family, and I certainly didn’t expect to meet them..the two dangerous, devastatingly hot biker Alphas my mother married into. They’re rough, possessive, and rule the roads with iron fists. And now, they’ve come home. They barely speak to me. They keep their distance. But their eyes burn. And when the truth unravels—that I’m their destined mate everything shatters. Now I’m caught in a web of forbidden desire, biker wars, and a bond I can’t escape. I was just a girl trying to survive her mother’s reckless choices. Now I’m the obsession of two ruthless Alphas who would burn the world for me. And I’m not sure I want to stop them. This book contains big of mature content, readers discretion is advised

“You have this last case to prove yourself miss!" Mr Troy said with a fixed cold stare at Jessica. Jessica is a detective of the state agency who struggles evidently in solving cases. Now on a high-profile case involving a billionaire philanthropist and benefactor named Liam, assigned to her after much plea from being terminated, by her boss, Mr. Troy. Liam's family is known for their legacy and questionable wealth, with his mother ever cunning to protect the family legacy since the sudden disappearance of his father. To investigate Liam, Jessica takes up the role of his new secretary but Liam has ulterior motives for hiring her too. Jessica struggles through the new phase of her life as she tries to uncover troubling family history and questionable business dealings but she's caught in a dilemma as tension grows between her suspect and herself. As she delves deeper into the case, she is faced with new challenges, putting her in a pool of hard decisions and possible emotional vulnerability. Wavering through, she's taken by what she finds out about herself, her job, and her case.

She froze, breath caught, facing the storm in his delinquent brown eyes. He leaned over her, hands gripping the rail, boxing her in. The air was thick, too heavy to breathe. Her gaze locked on his—unwilling, yet unable, to look away. The closer he leaned, the harder her heart pounded. She bit her lip, nerves twitching. No matter how far she ran, he always found her. “Why do you keep chasing me?” she asked, barely above a whisper. Her voice trembled, as if volume might shatter her. He didn’t answer. Silence roared between them. His stare—cold, unreadable—never left her face. “Do you like me?” she pressed, ignoring the disinterest in his eyes. She needed something. He gave a soft tut, then brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, twirling it lazily. The touch was light, but his closeness made her pulse race. “‘Like’ is a bit heavy, Tinkerbell,” he murmured, voice low and indifferent. The nickname slipped out like smoke—mocking, yet oddly tender. He leaned in, close enough for her to feel his heat. Close enough to unravel her. But his eyes stayed dark. Empty. She swallowed hard, unsure what hid behind them. “It’s strange,” he added, voice softer now. “But you’re the first woman I’ve ever aknowledged as a lady, Snow White.” — She was the good girl. Quiet. Overlooked. Her life, a shadow. No warmth. No safety. For a moment, she thought she’d found love—someone who saw her. Someone worth clinging to. But he broke her. When he left, he took her love—and her self-worth. She hated herself after that. Then she started to rebuild. And that’s when Zachary Gonzalez appeared. Mysterious. Magnetic. Dangerous. Everything she shouldn’t want.

CEO's Midnight Temptation: Mated To Ex’s Irresistible Alpha Boss! My face flushed with heat yet I remained unable to break free from his comforting hold. He guided me to a secluded spot while maintaining constant contact with his hand on mine. I collapsed into the chair when he managed to get me seated because exhaustion was overwhelming me. I whispered my desire to remain in his embrace while I pressed closer against him despite the chair. Your warmth surrounds me and your scent is pleasant. Rytis stopped moving while his intense stare locked onto me as he leaned forward until his lips brushed my ear. The whispered confession he delivered next made my heart race. “Mate.” My eyes locked onto him while confusion scrambled my thoughts. What did that even mean? The moment felt monumental because it seemed like a statement that could change everything. The room spun around me while a single pressing question repeated in my thoughts without stopping. What was his intention when he said ‘Mate’?

My heart felt like it had been ripped from my chest, my world shattered into a million and one pieces. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. All I could do was stare, my eyes fixed on the unreasonable scene before me. “L...Lucia...” my father stuttered, his face flushed with embarrassment and guilt as he immediately lifted his underwear. “It’s not what it seems...” But I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want to hear their excuses. “Lucia!” Beta Mario called out, his heart pounding heavily as he swallowed a heavy lump. “Mate?” I said and a pained chuckle escaped my lips. Goddess! How could you let this realisation come to me now— my cheating asshole boyfriend is— my mate. My lifelong wish had come to pass… I found my mate. And he happened to be my childhood lover, same guy who had been my boyfriend for two years. It should have been fun, this should have been a happy moment. But there was a painful twist. My dad and my mate were secret lovers, or would I rather say ‘fuck buddies’. What could be worse than this? I turned, ready to run off. My heart was already split and I knew that any more second there could make me even more furious, but there was still one thing I was yet to do. “One more thing...” “No, please Lucia... you can’t take decisions in haste. I swear I really like you...” “I Lucia Herod of Crescent land pack reject you Beta Mario of Crescent land pack.” I'm glad I rejected him— that cheating asshole. But then, the goddess wasn't done with her surprises. "I want you to become my wife!" The Lycan King said, causing everyone's jaw to drop.

Scarlett I was in love with Archer. He was my everything- the one I was so sure I would end up with. Until fate ripped my world apart. Because my mate wasn't Archer. It was him. Adrian Blackwood. The cocky, entitled, and unapologetic Alpha who believed the world revolved around him. A notorious heartbreaker who toyed with hearts like they were nothing… He was everything I swore I'd never want. Yet the one temptation I couldn't escape. One touch sets my skin on fire. One stare unravels me completely. Adrian was forbidden, a fire waiting to consume me… and he’s relentless Now I'm caught in a deadly game of love between two rival brothers. Two men. One heart. Do I fight for the man I love or surrender to the one fate has chosen for me? ******* Adrian She was already mine. The moment fate tied her to me, it was done. Sealed. Unbreakable. But Scarlett? She refuses to accept it. Her heart belongs to Archer, my step-brother. My greatest enemy. That should have made me walk away. But I didn't. Because no matter how much she fights it, she is mine. Mine to ruin. Mine to claim. Mine to protect. I never chased. Never got attached. But for Scarlett, I’d break every damn rule.