Stepping Artinya

Selama lima tahun, Alessandro Wijanarko adalah sosok pria sempurna. Setidaknya, itulah yang selalu kupercaya. Semua keyakinan itu runtuh pada malam pesta pertunangan kami, saat perempuan simpanannya menerobos masuk, menggandeng seorang bocah lelaki berusia sekitar lima tahun. Anak itu langsung berlari ke arah Alessandro sambil menangis tersedu. “Ayah! Ayah, akhirnya aku menemukanmu!” Ini pasti lelucon. Lelucon yang kejam dan menjijikkan! Namun, Alessandro menoleh padaku. Tak ada lagi kehangatan dalam suaranya ketika dia berbicara. “Ini putraku, Rivan. Sebuah … kesalahan yang Chyntia dan aku buat lima tahun lalu.” Dadaku menegang. “Rivan adalah pewaris Keluarga Wijanarko. Aku harus beri mereka status,” lanjutnya datar. “Artinya, aku harus bertunangan dengan Chyntia dulu.” Dia menatapku, seolah masih berhak memintaku memahami segalanya. “Tapi, Saskia, percayalah. Aku masih mencintaimu. Kita bisa menggelar pesta pertunangan enam bulan lagi. Kamu tetap akan jadi Nyonya Keluarga Wijanarko. Aku harap kamu bisa bersikap lapang dada. Ini keputusan finalku.” Aku tertawa, dingin, singkat, dan tajam, lalu menarik cincin pertunangan dari jariku dan melemparkannya begitu saja. Pandangan mataku menyapu ruangan, lalu berhenti pada seorang pria di sudut aula. Kresna Kartawijaya. Bos mafia paling berkuasa di Vantros. Dan aku satu-satunya pria yang mengetahui satu gelar lain dirinya. Yaitu pria yang sejak lama berniat menjadikanku miliknya. “Kresna,” panggilku, suaraku tenang dan jernih. “Aku sedang butuh tunangan baru. Kamu tertarik tidak?”

At the banquet, the most wanted bachelor of Rivenport announced that my stepsister was the woman he truly wished to marry. Without hesitation, I stepped aside and married Simon Barker, who had been pursuing me for years. Our married life was filled with love and happiness. That joy lasted until I finally became pregnant, when I discovered he had been slipping contraceptives into the milk he gave me every night. I also found a custom diamond necklace he kept in his safe that was labelled "For proposal", but the engraving bore my stepsister's initials. It became clear that I had only ever been an obstacle he needed to remove for the woman he truly loved. All those years, he had pretended to love me, but he was just using me as a stepping stone for my stepsister's bright future. No matter how blind I had been before, now I was fully awake to the truth. With a consent form for abortion and a divorce agreement in hand, Simon and I became strangers forever.

Divorced at a young age, Emily takes a step back at her love life as she strives to regain a new life away from her obsessive ex-husband. She experiences an unexpected encounter with George Walters who is on the line to becoming one of the city's most powerful CEOs as his father is gradually stepping down from his reign and to acquire this position, he must be presented as ‘Married’. Haunted by the continuous search for a perfect girl, he settles for Emily who rekindles the worn-out flame within his heavy heart while she struggles to hold down her feelings for his assistant, Ryan. Their relationship blossoms but is soon threatened severely by Eric, Emily’s ex-husband, who has a deeply rooted obsession for her even after their divorce but a stronger envious desire to get her back. However, amidst the trust complexities and shadows of their separate pasts, George and Emily struggle to navigate their supposed love story. Will Emily eventually get to the sweet end of the road with George? Or will she forever be hunted down by her obsessive ex-husband till he wins her over?

In my tenth year of marriage, my old childhood friend, Joshua Sears, posts a photo on social media. Both Joshua and my wife, Sabrina Lawson, are hugging his son, Andy Sears, and my daughter, Tiana Jenkins, in it. The four of them look very close to each other. The caption accompanying the post says, "Blessed to have the perfect son and daughter." I leave a comment below the post, saying, "Looking good together." A few seconds later, the post is deleted. The next morning, Sabrina rushes home and yells at me. "Ashton Jenkins! Joshua was finally feeling better for once. Why did you have to trigger him again?" Tiana shoves me hard and snaps in an accusatory tone, "It's all your fault that Andy's crying now!" I take out a copy of the divorce agreement and slam it down before them. "Yes, it's all my fault. That's why I'm stepping out of the picture now. Then, the four of you can form the wholesome family you've always wanted."

The medicine in her hand is a gateway to death, but it may not be. Victoria knew the path she was about to take could lead to destruction, but the hope for a little happiness remained. In the darkness of the hospital room, before her sits a man she once knew-a man who has lost everything, who now stares at her with sharp, hateful eyes. Logan, the badly injured CEO of Dallas Corp, spends his days in a wheelchair, trapped in a deep grudge. Victoria knows this is the right moment. If she didn't act now, it would all be over. “I can take you to get everything back,” Victoria said, voice wrapped in hesitation yet full of determination. Stepping closer, her eyes met Logan's dark, piercing ones. “Everything they ever took away, including your own honor as CEO of Dallas Corp,” she added, looking at him deeply, like an unbreakable promise. “But... pay for my daughter's entire treatment. Even if necessary, find the best doctor in the country so he can work on her recovery.”

After three decades of fighting each other, the humans and the werewolves had signed a peace treaty in Alexandra's hometown. She was summoned by the Alpha to marry the playboy billionaire, Luther Sinclair, to strengthen the treaty. But she knew that peace was the last thing that humans were aiming for because from the beginning, they were the ones who were more beastly than the wolves. They had always wanted to eliminate every single wolf in town. Alexandra became Luther's wife; he was the Governor's son and her stepping stone to infiltrate the humans' society and to fulfill their revenge plan. Her mission was to spy on him and make him fall in love with her and dispose him once she had uncovered all his family secrets. But there was a problem. She didn't expect the strong attraction she had felt for Luther. He was a tease and a devil in disguise who would never let himself be pushed around. And he had a mission, too: to own her heart, body, and soul. In this new battle where the loser will be devoured and only the wicked will win, can she still guarantee her victory?

"Stay out of my way, you human!." Jason's voice was a low, dangerous growl, his crimson eyes locking onto mine with a hunger that sent a shiver down my spine. "Or I'll make you regret stepping into my world!" "Regret?" I whispered, my heart hammering. "Or Crave?" I should have listened. I should have run. But when he pressed me against the cold wall, his fingers tracing down my throat, his breath hot against my skin, I knew I was already lost. As a human student in Blue Vile College, I was a fragile doll in a world of monsters. But when I caught the eye of two powerful vampires, Jason and Adrian, I became a pawn in their deadly game of desire. Torn between their forbidden love, I'm trapped in a web of lust, lies, and secrets. But the truth about my mother's death is hidden in the shadows, waiting to be uncovered. Will I surrender to their eternal hunger, or will I fight to survive? "Two vampires. One desire. My destruction..."

I replaced my sister. Stepping into Claire’s wedding gown, I vowed myself to Tobin Voss, the most feared mafia lord in the city. It was the perfect deception, my way of punishing her for a lifetime of betrayal. With every smile I gave him, every lie I told, I slipped deeper into her life, hiding my true name beneath the mask of a devoted bride. I thought I could control the game. Pretend. Lie. Survive. But Tobin is not a man easily deceived, and his world is built on blood, power, and loyalty. One slip and I’m dead. Then Claire returned. Broken but ruthless, and hungrier than ever to claim what I stole. Her husband, her throne, her place at his side. Now I am trapped between his dangerous desire, her merciless vengeance, and the secrets that could burn me alive. He thinks I am his bride. She thinks I am her enemy. And I don’t know which one will destroy me first.

**Dark Romance** Being the new girl is hard, Mary is shy, introverted, and prefers the solitude of being with her books than people. But in her new school, things became different as she got noticed by the wrong people. She catches the attention of the school's bad boy who begins to taunt and ridicule her. ***** I played with my fingers as he stared, he didn't stop staring and I was finding it hard to maintain eye contact with him. His stare was making me feel uncomfortable. I couldn't help but wonder what he was doing here alone. "Mary Davies," he whispered my name. "You are still a virgin right?" He asked smirking. "Hmmmn... Untouched. Innocent. Just like I have always wanted." He whispered, trailing a finger down my collar bone. "I am going to have so much fun with you," he whispered again, kissing my ear lobes. "So much fun." He added, stepping away from me. He began to walk towards the door. "See you tonight."

"You make it sound like I did something wrong?" Niklaus says with a sly smile before stepping back to avoid the punch I swing at him. His hand grabs my wrist tightly before he spins and presses me back on his desk, with my upper body facing him. His hips press against my parted legs. "Really...Luci, I missed you like crazy. How can you say such harsh things to me?" He says with a pout. Wait…wait, what is that pressing against me? "You crazy b*stard." I all but scream the words, but the manic excitement in his eyes doesn't waver as he forces his hips against me. Eight years ago, novice recruit Lucien Sinclair had the perfect partner and brother-in-law anyone could ask for; everything vanished in the blink of an eye when the 'perfect' man, Niklaus Heinrich, turned out to be the perfect devil, an arms dealer masquerading as the perfect CEO to the largest company in Ferndale. What happens when the two are forced to work together again? {This is a stand-alone book}