Stepping Stones Synonym

Adrian Cain has no past. At least, not one he remembers. He woke up at eighteen with a name, a guardian, and a carefully constructed identity that led him to build one of the most powerful tech empires in the world. Now, as the CEO of CainTech, Adrian is feared, admired, and emotionally impenetrable, his past locked behind clinical amnesia, sealed files, and a steel wall he doesn't dare breach. Until the suicides start. After two employees from his most classified division die under suspicious circumstances, trauma counselor Sera Vaughn is brought in to assess the psychological impact on staff. But Sera has her own reasons for stepping into CainTech, her older brother vanished fifteen years ago, and the only lead she has left is a face in an old photograph: Adrian’s. But his name back then wasn’t Adrian. It was Daniel Ward. As Sera begins digging into Adrian’s history and as Adrian’s carefully managed psyche begins to crack, long-buried memories start surfacing: a mysterious basement, whispered codewords, and a girl calling his real name. What neither of them knows is that they were both part of a covert experiment known as Project Phoenix, designed to erase identities and rebuild human obedience from the ground up. Together, they uncover a trail of lies, altered files, and fractured lives along with a chilling truth: Adrian may have been programmed to forget what he did… and who he destroyed. Now hunted by the people who created him, stalked by a version of himself he doesn’t remember becoming, and drawn to a woman whose trust he doesn’t deserve, Adrian must face the darkest corners of his past before they both disappear into it. Because some memories don’t stay buried. Some were never meant to.

"But why me?" I asked the question that was bothering me. "If you hate me so much, why did you decide to marry me? Why didn't you just pick anyone else? Maybe Chiara, or some random lady in Trinigad, why does it have to be me?" I wasn't staring, but I knew he probably looked at me like I was naive or stupid. He clapped his hand, quite loudly, staggering me, "I never said I hated you," he declared, taking me off guard. I looked at him. His hazel eyes pierced at me with an intensity unmatched, making my stomach clench. "You are merely a pawn in my grand plan, a stepping stone. I do not hate you, but I do not need to love you either, I just need to make the most of you." Annalisa, the princess of Trinigad, was born in a world where Omega's were highly revered, and her father — Alpha king of the kingdom of Trinigad, showered her with immense love and gifts as a result. She was spoiled, ruthless. No one had ever refused her anything until she crossed paths with Alpha Alexander. Love at first sight. Alpha Alexander, a man of mystery whose being was an orchestrated falsehood, was the Alpha of the white pack. A pack concentrated in the kingdom of Trinigad. After receiving a marriage proposal from Annalisa, he accepted without hesitation. Albeit, making it clear to her that he only needed her for her womb and he didn't plan on loving her since his heart already belonged to another. As Annalisa and Alexander begin a relationship based on hate, hormones come into play, mate bonds are discovered, secrets are unraveled, one that could potentially orchestrate the downfall of the werewolf species, hanging in the balance of an ultimatum.

Kaira Yaren wakes up with no memory of the man who left her pregnant. Just a pounding headache. She's mocked and shamed by people she called her family. She refuses to endanger her child's life even if it means continuously stepping on her. Meanwhile, Damian James, the cold-hearted billionaire heir, retrieves his lost memories of that one steamy night, after a discussion with his sick father about an arranged marriage, which he despised. He hates staying under the same roof with someone he barely knows except it's business related. But since the chairman made it clear that it would be someone he knows, someone he took as his sister, with no romantic feelings attached, can never be his wife. Hence, to satisfy his father about the marriage issues and ease his concerns. He planned to find the woman he had spent a night with. To him, he hates romantic feelings. He was going to find her only to offer a contract marriage. Just a business. As she's the perfect fit— Vulnerable, quiet, at least that he remembered. What he doesn't know is that she's carrying his child. And by the time Damian discovers the truth, it's already late.. His younger brother, Oliver is already in love with her. Now, Kairan became the only thing Damian has ever wanted after falling in love with her. So was Kaira's favorite cousin, Tony. Whom she thought only cared for her because they were family, but it turned out he had always harbored romantic feelings for her. Three men love a woman, each with a special story and bond with her. With whom do you think she would go? The cold-hearted billionaire with whom they had a night together? Or the others whom she cares dearly for. A must-read!

"We reject your rejection, Dirk!" Tricc growled, his voice dripping with determination. "You can't run away from us, Alpha or not. You are our Mate, and we won't accept your rejection!" Seth added, his words filled with unwavering conviction. Kurt tsked, stepping closer to Dirk, his gaze intense as he looked down at their whimpering mate. "Your body's heat and scent are driving me wild, and yet you dare to reject us when your pheromones clearly say otherwise." The air thickened with their Dominant pheromones, overwhelming Dirk to his very core. His limbs quivered, and each breath escaped him in short, desperate gasps. He was on the brink of losing his sanity. If they continued drenching him in their pheromones, he feared he would succumb before he had the chance to carry on with his plans. It was a miracle they still yearned for him so fiercely, considering all that he had done to hurt them all these years. ***** In a world where shifter prides reign and Alphas are revered, destiny throws a curveball that shatters all expectations. In "The Alphas' Pride Mate: The Pride Who Goes Into Heat," love, power, and tradition are pushed to their limits like never before. Seth, Kurt, and Tricc, the enigmatic triplets, had long awaited their destined Mates. But they never could have anticipated that Dirk, a fiercely independent Lion Pride member, would be the one meant for them. Confusion and anger consume the triplets as they grapple with this unconventional revelation. Dirk, a proud Lion Pride, is equally astounded. As a Pride, he believes his place is with an obedient Omega, not in the arms of commanding Alphas. Now faced with the unexpected reality of being Mated to three Alphas, Dirk is torn between fear and anger. Rejection is his only escape plan.

Wealth, fame, power, Alpha Davien is the stereotypical playboy who has both the looks and commitment issues. Leading one of the most powerful packs in the whole of New York, life couldn't be much better for him. That was, till his father made an announcement that changed his all so perfect life. With his father stepping down from chairman and their company merging with their number one rival. Davien was left with no choice but to agree to a marriage between himself and the heir of their rivals to preserve the peace and keep his inheritance. Infamous for rejecting three mates in a row, Davien is certain that his so called marriage would end as miserably as any other of his entanglements. However, on the night of his engagement party to Silvia, the eldest daughter and heir to the company, a surprise guest arrives at the event. Kian Saint. The nineteen year old rebel son of the rival company, rumoured to have gone to prison abroad and was deported. Tension rises when Davien and Kian both discover that they're actually each other's mate! Determined not to lose his inheritance, Davien offers Kian a large sum of money with the intention of rejecting the mate bond. Things go south when Davien hears what Kian has to say... "Do I look stupid? Why should I accept this small amount when I can become your husband and have all your money to myself?" Conflicted, he tries to approach Silvia but is left stunned at what she has to say. "I'll admit, I'm a bit shocked myself, but I'm glad Kian has a mate! As long as you keep my brother happy, I won't run your company into the ground." Left with no other choice, the playboy Davien marries an omega seven years younger!

"You are no wife to me, do you get it?" He said, stepping forward crushing my already thinned personal bubble. "I am marrying you because of circumstances. The sooner you feed that to your peanut size brain, the better it will be for you and me. Do you understand?". Pushing me back against the wall with so much force it made me grunt at impact. Intense pain shot through my body when he pressed himself on me. It was like he was trying to ram me into the wall or something! - idiot- Big fat S-O-B. All these curses were going through my mind. All I want to do now is scratch his arrogant face and give him a feel of his own medicine. However, in this compromising position, I am right now! I can hardly move. So, all I did was look straight into his eyes and glared back with the same intensity. I try to break free by pushing and squirming. Alex had me in a grip so tight it felt like a hulk holding me down, so hard that it was painful. I tried to look away, but his voice made me freeze. "Answer me. Do not look away when I am talking to you bit*h!”. “Do-You-Get-What-I-Just Said? Or do I need to make myself a little clearer? hmm?" "Yes, I get it. I'm-Not-Your-Wife." "Believe it or not, I have no interest in being your wife," I said, more like spat it out, it was like poison coming out of my mouth. "Why are you smirking at me ?" he asked. Completely oblivious to what is about to come. I composed my happiness concealing it with my ‘I’m am innocent, like a kitty look’. "Oh, you're about to find out," I said.

He, Arius Accardo the mafia lord of entire Italy came in front of me as my boss willing to steal my heart to use for his benefits, to save a girl he unknowingly loved from his childhood. He crumbled my life for her better future, but reality crashed him down finding the girl he wanted to protect was none other than the girl he used as a shield for her, then he dragged me into that blood bathed church, decorated with dead bodies and bullet shells instead of flowers forcing me to become his bride, I knew my life was torn apart because of my love for him. The man holding a machine gun in his hand, pinning her to his chest to declare her as his queen stepping over the dead body dressed in white who was waiting to become his a moment ago, she knew she shouldn't have loved this man, the man who killed his love without a blink of an eye. One revelation, one secret brought my life to a high cliff. The hidden past came crashing down on my beliefs. The truth no one was supposed to find out, but he was searching for it his whole life, which has the power to the earthquake in my life, which bound me to fall for him. Will Elena be willing to become his Aria and accept her dark past which she had forgotten? Or does her resistance become fatal for both of their hearts and let them bleed until the end of them? "Congratulations my Snowflake, you became the mafia queen of Italy. She smirks and says, let's take over the entire mafia Business of earth. Glad, I tinted you enough to let you forget your divinity. " There may be some adult things in the novel.

"Get on the bed Elowen" His voice sliced through me in a command, silencing every protest in my throat. I climbed onto the king's-sized bed without a word, my pulse thundering as he unbuckled his belt from his trousers once more. My heart hammered wildly, skipping beats, and I opened my mouth to defend myself. "I came to talk to you about—" But he seized my wrists like they were nothing, binding them tight with the leather strap until I couldn't budge an inch. "You came here to let me teach you something filthy, didn't you? Tutoring my daughter isn't enough—you want lessons in boundaries too, right?" I shook my head frantically, but he loomed over me, those piercing Alpha eyes boring into my soul. His fingers pinched my n#ppl£s through my shirt, twisting just enough to send a sharp jolt of pain-laced pleasure straight to my cor£. ***** After her Pack was raided by the Lycan King of a dangerous Pack, she fled and got into the arms of a good Samaritan who took her in and nurtured her as their daughter, She finished her degree in college and became a teacher in the famous School in Ashvielle Pack until the day she was chosen to tutor the Alpha's daughter but a lot changed when she wasn't just tutoring her the Alpha's daughter, She was being tutored by the Alpha after stepping into a forbidden room that was sacred, What's worse? She's mated to him and the Alpha's friends, when the sons returned from their trip overseas, they wanted to have her too. She doesn't know how to escape or flee from this entanglement. Warning: Strictly Contains Smut, Reverse Harem MM, MMF and some trigger degrading words.

Arabella Winters made a desperate choice to save her father’s life: sabotage Sebastian Bancroft’s engagement to the Windsor heiress. Her mission was simple, create a scandal that would destroy his wedding plans. And she succeeded. But Sebastian Bancroft is no ordinary billionaire. As the ruthless head of the Bancroft mafia empire, he’s a man who never forgives betrayal. To make Arabella pay, he traps her in a dangerous game of revenge, a contract marriage designed to humiliate and control her at every turn. What starts as cold, calculated vengeance begins to turn into something darker and far more dangerous. The lines between hatred and desire blur as Arabella finds herself falling deeper into Sebastian’s complicated world. Now, she must decide whether to play and submit to his rules or risk everything to rewrite the game against the mafia billionaire who refuses to let her go. Excerpt: “Did you really think you could cross me, Arabella? That you could disrupt my plans and simply walk away unscathed?” Her voice faltered, though she tried to hold her ground. “I… I didn’t have a choice.” “Oh, you had every choice,” he murmured, stepping closer. His breath brushed against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. “But now, my vixen, you’ll live with the consequences.” He tilted her chin up with a surprisingly gentle touch, though it only amplified the tension in the air. His tone dropped, low and dangerous. “You’re mine now.” Before she could respond, his lips claimed hers, not gently, but a claim. It wasn’t the kiss of a man seeking affection; it was the kiss of a man who wanted submission. And, despite every instinct telling her to resist, Arabella found herself unable to pull away…

As a male Omega, stepping onto the ice was never supposed to be my dream. Hockey belonged to Alphas—strong, dominant, born to conquer both the rink and everyone on it. Omegas like me were meant to stay hidden, protected, controlled. But hiding had never been enough. The World Hockey Academy was the only place powerful enough to shield my identity, the only place my adoptive father—its Dean—believed I could survive. To the public, it was an elite sports academy. To those like me, it was a prison disguised as opportunity. To them… it was Alpha Academy. From the moment I arrived, I swallowed suppressants like oxygen. Every breath had to be measured. Every movement controlled. A single slip—one flare of Omega scent—and I would be exposed. I had to skate like an Alpha. Fight like an Alpha. Bleed like one. On the ice, weakness wasn’t forgiven. That was when I noticed him. The strongest Alpha in the academy. The storm everyone feared. His presence alone made my knees weaken, my instincts scream in panic and hunger all at once. His golden eyes tracked me every time I touched the puck, sharp and suspicious, as if he already sensed something was wrong. During practice, we crashed into each other. The impact sent us both sprawling across the ice—but it was his hand gripping my jersey, his scent crashing over me, that shattered my control. My suppressants burned uselessly in my veins. His lips curved slowly, dangerously, as he leaned close enough for his breath to brush my ear. “Funny,” he murmured, voice low and certain. “For an Alpha… you smell like prey.” My heart slammed against my ribs. If he figured it out, everything would end. And yet— my Omega instincts whispered something far worse. I wanted him closer.