Stepped Up Synonym

After her husband found her in bed with his brother, Adrea’s world shattered in an instant. Rafael asked questions, yes — but he didn’t stay to listen. He opened their marriage and moved on, with another woman in his bed and no apologies. Left reeling, Adrea refused to beg for what should have been obvious. She had her pride. And when a charismatic old friend, Aris, stepped back into her life, offering comfort and something dangerously close to love, she complied with the terms her husband had set — and let herself be with him. But just as her heart began to settle, Rafael uncovered the truth: his brother had set them both up, and the wife he condemned was innocent all along. Now he wants her back. But after everything he’s done, does Adrea still have room in her heart for the man who walked away?

As I stepped out of my older brother's newly opened supermarket, the alarm suddenly rang. The sales assistant grimly reached out and grabbed me, "Miss, you haven't paid yet." I remembered that my buttons were made of metal, which triggered the alarm. After patiently explaining and easing the atmosphere, I said, "The owner of this supermarket is my older brother. He'll pay the bill." The sales assistant scoffed. "Your brother's the boss? Why not say he's your husband instead? You stole and refused to admit it. Pay up or I'll call the police immediately," she said and crumpled the receipt into a ball before throwing it at my face. I endured the humiliation and unfolded it. A baby pacifier for 100,000 dollars. Two packs of baby wet wipes for 200,000 dollars. Security personnel's hush fee, 300,000 dollars. All of the miscellaneous expenses added up to exactly one million dollars. I laughed in anger. "One million dollars? Why don't you just rob a bank? Go and get Chad Surrey. I want to see how I ended up with such a heartless brother." She rolled her eyes. "Don't pretend if you can't afford it, thief. Is Mr. Surrey someone you can see whenever you want?" When my parents came to help me, I said, "Only one of us exists in this family. It's either me or her."

"You like this, don't you?" His voice was dark velvet, wrapping around me, sinking under my skin. I swallowed hard, refusing to answer, but my body betrayed me-the sharp inhale, the way my lips parted, the way my thighs pressed together. He noticed. Of course, he did. He stepped closer, eliminating the space between us, his heat overwhelming. "Say it." I shook my head, a weak attempt at resistance. His fingers traced up my arm, slow, teasing, until they reached my throat. He didn't squeeze, didn't apply pressure-just let his touch linger there, making me hyperaware of my own racing pulse. "Liar," he murmured. I exhaled sharply. "You're too close." His lips brushed my ear, not quite a kiss, just a whisper of warmth. "And you're not stopping me."

“You scrape by, taking me to cheap dinners, wearing the same old clothes, living like you're stuck in some broke college life. It’s embarrassing. You’re embarrassing!” Claire scoffed at Julian,“We’re done, Julian. Take your pathetic cheap gift and get out of my life. This is over.” -- Julian, a young man, barely getting by as a janitor, had always been belittled and looked down upon by society. He was constantly treated like he was worthless. Not caring what the world thought of him, he never stopped trying to make his fiance Claire happy, pouring every ounce of himself into their relationship. However,Julian uncovers the painful trut, that Claire has been cheating on him with his boss, leaving him broken hearted. That same night, he’s left homeless. Faced with the harsh reality, he was forced to reclaim his estranged family empire, to teach those who looked down on him, and treated him like dirt a lesson.

Melissa Marasigan's life was shattered when her father was framed for a crime he never committed, they lost there to pack and her father died trying to give them a good life. On the verge of saving her mother, she slept with a stranger only to find out her mother was dead before she got to the hospital. Weeks later she found out she was pregnant, broken and shattered she tried finding her mate who's her only hope, but when she find her mate he was the Alpha of white wolf pack, he cruelly rejected her and was ready to turn her to rogue, but dangerous Hybrid and ruthless Alpha of Black wolves pack stepped in and claimed her as his property Melissa taught she was finally going to be happy but what she didn't know is that she just stepped into a lion's den Cruel fate book 1 Facebook page: Augustina T books

Kiana James’s world shatters when she is forced to break the heart of the man she loves-her childhood sweetheart, Calvin. To save her father’s failing business, she agrees to an arranged marriage with the powerful Alexandria Cartwright. Cold, commanding, and devastatingly handsome, Alexandria is a man used to getting what he wants as he is known for his cold demeanor and ruthless deals. To Kiana, it may seem that their marriage is just another contract-a necessary alliance for her father’s business. But as she steps into his world of wealth and intrigue, she finds herself drawn to the man beneath the icy exterior. Passion ignites, blurring the lines between duty and desire, yet shadows from the past threaten to tear them apart. Torn between a love she lost and a fate she never expected, Kiana must decide: fight for the life she once wanted, or surrender to the man who might just be her destiny.

Dawn, a human girl who lived with her family in an underground bunker for most of her life finds herself getting thrown into a tight web after the night her little brother goes missing on a full moon night. She is helped by a vampire who happens to be her mate but doesn’t hear from him ever since. However, her life takes a mysterious turn when she finds out that she is mated not just to Zade, the vampire but to two other people, a ruthless werewolf Alpha, Xavier and his best friend, Ryan. Burdened with this, she’s made to make a decision, to choose whomever she wants to be with. Zade, the vampire was sweet to her but vampires were known for their slyness, they were trouble and she knows that. Moreover, she wasn’t ready to become a night creeper like them. The werewolves on the other hand are more like humans… her kind. She finds them more predictable and easier to cope with but that doesn’t mean she could cope with Alpha Xavier, the one who had sworn to make her life a living hell. She’s torn between making this decision and in the end, she chooses to be with all! Delve into this fascinating story that revolves around these people who are of different kinds but are forced to be together by a force greater than all. Love. Is Alpha Xavier who Dawn thinks he is? Was she even who she thought she was? And most of all, what dark secrets from their past binds them all? Read to find out!

Serena Alcaraz lives a life of survival working as a waitress, struggling to pay bills, and taking care of her sick mother. She has no time for love, especially not for arrogant, rich men who think the world revolves around them. Enter Damian Cruz, the cold and ruthless billionaire feared in the business world. To stop his family from pressuring him into marriage, he needs a woman who won’t fall for him, someone he can control. When his path crosses with Serena, he sees the perfect candidate. Damian offers her a deal, pretend to be his girlfriend, live in his luxurious world, and in return, he’ll give her enough money to save her mother. Serena knows it’s dangerous to get involved with a man like him, but desperation leaves her no choice. What begins as a cold arrangement slowly turns into something neither of them expected. The poor waitress who wanted nothing from him suddenly becomes the only woman Damian can’t let go of. But in a world full of power, lies, and family expectations, will their fake relationship survive when real feelings start to blur the line between love and the deal?

Celia never wanted trouble, just a quiet life, working hard to support her younger brother. But trouble finds her when Rafael, a ruthless mafia boss, walks into her gas station one night. He’s dangerous, untouchable, and completely uninterested in attachments, until she becomes the bait in an ambush meant to take him down. Rafael should have walked away. Instead, he kills for her, rescues her, and drags her into his violent world. Celia fights him at every turn, refusing to be just another possession. But with enemies closing in and no way back to her old life, she has no choice but to trust the man who claims to own her. What starts as a battle of wills turns into something far more dangerous. Celia is no longer just a captive, she’s becoming Rafael’s greatest weakness. And in his world, weaknesses get people killed. But Rafael doesn’t care. He’ll burn his empire to the ground before he lets anyone take her from him.

****PLEASE Read Book 1 The Silver Dragon to understand the background of this story. You won't find this interesting or understand what's going on if you don't******** Here you will find books 2 and 3 of the Silver Dragon Series. Book 2 Family Secrets Book 3 Revenge Our story continues following the journey of Davina Ortiz, now Brooks, and Derek Brooks. Malayah has been kidnapped. Enzo is controlling her with the help of the rogues and the necklace. Malayah struggles to fight back as he continues to use her to kill everyone he captures. It’s a race against time as Derek and Davina are recruiting as many allies as possible to save their daughter, including a sister she didn’t know she had. Davina learns deeper secrets regarding her family as she prepares to go head to head with the master mind behind it all to get her daughter back. Can Malayah be saved before it’s too late? Will Davina be to handle the revealed secrets of how her parents died and who killed them? Keep an eye out for books 4-6 of the Silver Dragon Series!