Stepping Up

With one of the best college grades and her degree in medicine, Emma Newton’s next plan is to move to Abuja to pursue her dreams. Her goals in life were easy; get a great job at a private hospital, pay back all her family's debts and make her parents proud. That was before her father got very sick in front of her eyes and is fighting for his life. She reluctantly moves to Abuja with one major goal at the top of the list; Save her father from dying. Alex Lightwood is the CEO of the billion dollar technology company; Pearl mobile, and one of the top business moguls in Abuja. He's also one of the hottest men in the city. But what no one knows is the pain he carries in his heart from mourning the death of his wife and first love. Because of that, he has become cold hearted and ruthless. His wife left him with their three kids but he can't stand to look at them because they remind him of her so much so he hires nanny after nanny to take care of them. However, his mischievous and ill mannered kids have sent away all THIRTY nannies he's hired. That's when he realizes he needs major help. Fate causes Emma and Alex’s paths to cross and he offers her a job to be 'His Caretaker’. Desperate for the money to save her father, she accepted. To Emma Newton, Alex Lightwood must be the coldest, insufferable, arrogant and bipolar person she has ever come across. But, to Alex Lightwood, Emma Newton is the only girl who has ever dared to look him in the eye and question him. Will they let love win or their egos?

Karena kemampuan tertentu yang sangat kuat dari pacarku, kami selalu berusaha mencari hal-hal baru untuk dilakukan selama bercinta. Untuk itu, dia tidak hanya sekali membujukku dengan kata-kata manis, "Kita akan menikah setelah kamu lulus." Bodohnya, aku percaya padanya. Jadi, aku berjuang mati-matian menyelesaikan SKS agar bisa lulus lebih cepat. Aku juga diam-diam membaca berbagai materi dan mempelajari teknik, hanya untuk memuaskan tubuhnya. Sampai suatu hari, karena belajar sampai larut dan melewatkan jam malam asrama, aku pergi ke bar untuk mencarinya. Tanpa sengaja, aku mendengar dia berbicara dengan teman-temannya. "Kak Aidan, apa pacarmu benar-benar segatal itu?" "Ya jelas, masa nggak? Dia dilatih oleh Kak Aidan sendiri." "Kalau Lira gimana?" Aidan Jace mengembuskan asap rokok, tatapannya lembut. "Dia beda, dia sangat polos." Saat itu juga, aku mulai membencinya. Sesampainya di kampus, aku langsung menelepon profesor. "Proyek rahasia yang Bapak sebut waktu itu... saya ingin daftar." Mulai dari hari itu, seluruh hidupku hanya untuk bangsa dan negara.

Di layar besar aula pernikahan, foto prewed-ku menghilang. Yang muncul justru hasil pemeriksaan kehamilan milik asisten tunanganku. Pada bagian nama ayah, tertulis jelas nama pria yang seharusnya menjadi suamiku. Asisten itu tampak panik dan terisak sambil meminta maaf kepadaku. Sementara pria itu menjelaskan dengan wajah tenang, seolah tak terjadi apa-apa, “Dia hamil di luar nikah, hidupnya sangat menyedihkan. Jadi aku menemaninya saat periksa kehamilan dan menulis namaku. Ke depannya, aku akan tetap menjadi ayah asuh anak itu.” Tapi sebenarnya di hari yang sama, aku juga melakukan pemeriksaan kehamilan pertamaku. Para tamu mengira aku akan cemburu dan mengamuk. Namun aku hanya melepas kerudung pengantinku, lalu membuat janji pada dokter untuk menggugurkan kandunganku. “Wanita hamil tanpa suami memang menyedihkan,” ucapku datar. “Pernikahan ini memang seharusnya diberikan untuknya.” Aku lalu mengangkat gelas, tersenyum tipis, dan memberi selamat kepada mereka. “Selamat menempuh hidup baru. Menikah karena sudah terlanjur hamil.”

Aira Valerius, the poised and dutiful daughter of the Beta of Crescent Wane Pack, was raised to be Luna. Engaged since childhood to Rico, the Alpha’s son, her fate had always been bound to his whims his arrogance, and his indifference. And out of loyalty to her family, who owed everything to the Alpha’s bloodline, she swallowed her pride and wore the mask of the perfect mate.Until her wedding day.When Aira caught Rico in bed with her adopted sister, she walked away from the altar with fire in her veins but she never made it out alive. Betrayed. Silenced. Killed.Only… fate had other plans.Aira wakes up alive, in the past, in her bridal suite once more, memories of her death seared into her soul. And this time, she refuses to be anyone’s puppet.Still in her wedding gown, she flees, stepping into the unknown with one vow: never again.Then she meets him.Alexander Thorne, the mysterious man in the back of the sleek black car, with eyes like winter storms and a name that shakes the werewolf realm—The Alpha King.Desperate and cornered, Aira blurts out the impossible: “Marry me.”And to her shock… he says yes.But Aira is no longer just the Beta’s daughter, and Alexander is far more than a stranger. In his arms, she finds safety. In his palace, danger. Because the Alpha King has secrets of his own and a possessive streak that won’t let his new Luna walk away.Not now.Not ever.

On my eighth Mate-Marking anniversary, I had carefully prepared a special celebration ceremony. My Alpha mate, Derek, told me the pack had an emergency and the ceremony was canceled. When I arrived at the venue, I was shocked to see the ceremony proceeding as planned. Scarlett, once my best friend, was walking hand-in-hand with Derek onto the ceremonial platform. Her daughter and my son were being led by their hands, one child with each adult. The four of them stood closely together while other pack members, unaware of the truth, praised them: "The Alpha of Shadow Pack and his mate look so happy together." I stood up in the crowd and applauded: "I didn't know Shadow Pack had replaced their Luna with an Omega. They make such a perfect couple." The next moment, Scarlett's face turned pale as she collapsed on the platform. I ignored the chaos and walked straight home. The following day, Derek stormed back home and confronted me: "Scarlett's condition has barely improved. Why did you have to provoke her?" My son pushed me and accused: "It's all your fault! You made little Emma cry!" I pulled out the mate-bond dissolution agreement and threw it in their faces: "Yes, it's my fault. So I'm stepping out. Now you four can be one happy family." But my mate and son suddenly began to panic.

"It is your choice," he said stepping so close to me that our lips were almost touching. "Either do as I say or see your family ruin." Anger shot in my veins, "I don't take orders from annoying snobs like you, mr. Russo!" I countered back confidently while maintaining eye contact. "Then I guess I will have to add that to my agenda; teaching you to take orders." He snapped back. My nails unconsciously dug into the the palm of my hand." ____________ James Russo; A cold and ruthless CEO of Russo Enterprises has decided to take Sapphire Ronaldo as his bride in exchange of saving her family.

My mate, Ethan Rickman, is an Omega without a wolf. No official position is willing to hire him. That means we live in poverty, but I've always believed that our love can overcome anything. Seven years after our mating, hunger drives me and our son, Theo Rickman, to dig through trash bins late at night, looking for food. Theo moves quickly and quietly. He's become skilled at it. With a cheerful grin, he whispers to me, "Mom, this bin belongs to an award-winning restaurant! The food's fresh and tastes great. Let's bring some back for Dad!" The next day, I put on the cleanest clothes I own and head to that same restaurant, hoping to get hired as a janitor. If I get the job, maybe I can bring home leftovers before they're tossed out. But when I look up, I see Ethan stepping out of a luxury car worth millions. Behind him stands a woman and child, both dressed in designer clothes. I recognize her instantly. She's Mira Alstone, his childhood sweetheart. The restaurant owner gives me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Ms. Everdeen. Alpha Ethan reserved the whole place for Mira today. I have to focus on serving them, so I don't have time for interviews. Maybe come back another day?" In that moment, Theo and I both freeze where we stand.

“Get the fuck away from her!” Owen shouted his voice heavy with desperation. “She is my Luna.” “No, Alpha.” Damon replied. “She’s mine.” *** Omega Callie always lived a quiet and humble life, with her fantasies of finding a mate one day. When the day finally came, her mate turned out to be none other than the Alpha of her park. Sadly, she was rejected and hurt. Her fate was sealed until Lycan Damon had a reason to visit her park. But with every blessing, comes a curse. Will Callie accept her new life regardless of the circumstances? Would she finally get her revenge? Explore a tale of romance, suspense, treachery, and love. The fascinating novel ‘Prophecy of the Lycan Queen will have you reading until the very last page.

Untuk menyembuhkan depresi si putri kaya palsu, kekasih masa kecilku yang pernah bersumpah hanya akan menikah denganku, Darryl, diam-diam pergi mendaftarkan pernikahan dengannya. Di belakangnya, aku menyetujui perjodohan keluargaku. Aku menikah dengan pewaris keluarga konglomerat di ibu kota, Vincent, yang diam-diam telah mencintaiku selama bertahun-tahun. Setelah tujuh tahun menikah, dia memanjakanku sepenuh hati. Malam demi malam dia selalu menuntut kemesraan dariku. Bahkan jika aku menginginkan bintang di langit, dia tetap akan berusaha mengambilkannya untukku. Aku sempat mengira, akhirnya aku telah menemukan kebahagiaan. Hingga suatu kali setelah bercinta, aku tidak sengaja mendengar percakapan Vincent dengan sahabatnya. "Avril sudah jadi aktris internasional peraih penghargaan. Kapan kamu mau pisah sama Ariel?" "Toh sama saja harus nikah sama orang yang nggak kucintai, jadi mau sama siapa pun itu nggak ada bedanya. Lagi pula, aku harus jaga Ariel agar dia nggak mengganggu kebahagiaan yang didapatkan Avril dengan susah payah." Aku membuka komputer di ruang kerjanya. Di dalam sebuah folder tersembunyi, tersimpan ratusan ribu foto Avril dan seratus surat cinta yang tak pernah dia kirimkan. Setidak percaya apa pun pada kenyataan, saat ini aku benar-benar sudah harus sadar. Aku membeli sebuah tubuh plastik, lalu merancang sebuah kebakaran besar. Mulai saat ini, entah di langit atau di neraka, aku tak akan pernah bertemu dengannya lagi.

Tepat pada peringatan sepuluh tahun pernikahan kami, juga bertepatan dengan ulang tahun kesepuluh anakku, aku sudah menyiapkan rencana sejak sebulan sebelumnya. Aku merencanakan perjalanan wisata keluarga bersama suami dan anakku. Namun, menjelang hari keberangkatan, ayah dan anak itu justru menghilang begitu saja. Tinggal aku seorang diri berdiri di jalanan yang diguyur hujan deras, menelepon mereka berulang kali. Di seberang sana, terdengar suara anakku yang masih kekanak-kanakan, dingin dan tak sabar. "Papa lagi temani Tante Brittany makan, kami nggak mau pergi lagi." Telepon itu ditutup dan aku langsung diblokir. Ayah dan anak itu sengaja mengunciku di luar rumah, membuatku kedinginan semalaman penuh. Ditambah dengan hujan deras semalam, malam itu juga aku demam tinggi hingga menderita pneumonia. Sementara ayah dan anak itu justru sibuk berlibur bersama Brittany, bahkan mengambil foto liburan keluarga. Kali ini, aku tahu bahwa pernikahan ini benar-benar telah sampai di ujung jalan.