Stern Expression

After my divorce, I went to the southwest mountainous regions to volunteer for rescue work, where two years passed in the blink of an eye. One day, our daughter gets diagnosed with aplastic anemia, and her life can only be sustained through a bone marrow transplant from me. It's only then that my ex-wife thinks of me. She heads to the mountains with a group of bodyguards and searches everywhere, but she can't find a trace of me. She thinks I have deliberately hidden myself from her. "As long as you're willing to donate the bone marrow, I'll promise you visitation rights to see our daughter in the future." However, the townspeople tell her that I have long since passed away. She frowns slightly, her expression full of impatience as she says, "I never thought that, after all these years, he would still play these childish games." In the end, she searches high and low, only to unearth my bones.

I arranged a lavish dinner cruise in Alpha Lucien Grimfang's honor. However, I mistakenly wore the ceremonial gown that had once belonged to his late Luna, Sylvia Wilder. In front of all the guests, his ten-year-old son, Rhett Grimfang, suddenly rammed me into the champagne tower. The shattered crystal glasses left deep cuts across my skin. "Don't think that you can replace my mother just because you're wearing her sacred gown! You're nothing but a dog—obedient and always at my father's beck and call! Don't you dare dream of claiming a Luna's honor!" His cold, scornful expression mirrored Lucien's perfectly. "I can make you leave anytime I want!" I forced myself to look up at the pup I had raised. "Don't trouble yourself. Tomorrow, I'll submit my resignation to the Elder Council and leave for good."

The richest man in Hovendale, Stanley Hawk, had been in a vegetative state for three years. His wife, Wendy Crone, took care of him during that time. After he awakened, Wendy caught him cheating through a message on his phone. It turned out his first love had returned to the country. His friends, who once looked down on her, were now poking fun at her. “The swan has returned; it’s time to kick that ugly duckling to the curb.” It was then that Wendy realized Stanley never loved her. She was nothing but a joke to him. One night, Stanley received the divorce papers from Wendy. Her reason for wanting to get a divorce was due to his failing potency. Stanley went to confront her with a gloomy expression on his face, only to find that she had transformed into a gorgeous doctor in a long dress that glistened under the dazzling lights. Seeing him approach, Wendy smiled gracefully and asked, “Stanley, are you here for an andrology consultation?”

On the company's designated monthly day off, Gigi Lott, Donald Hoover's secretary, posted an Instagram story. The caption read, "So what if you're the boss of me when we're at work during the day? At night, I'm the one on top!" In the photo, she was lying atop a water bed covered in rose petals, and the usually stern Donald was kneeling down to massage her feet for her. From his pocket hung a brand new golden necklace. Just that morning, I bought several gold bars and gave them to Donald while beseeching him to make our relationship public. He happily took the locket from me, but when I tried to take a photo of us with our phone, he smacked my phone out of my hands, smashing it into pieces. With a look of pure derision, he declared, "Why don't you take a good look at yourself in the mirror first? You really are a motherless wretch who wasn't raised right. Look at the lengths you'd go to just to ruin me!" Throughout the last five years, I had meekly gone along with his demand that we keep our relationship a secret, claiming it was because office romances were forbidden. But now, I was abruptly hit with the realization of how laughable it all was. The next day, I sent my father a message. "I admit defeat. I'm willing to come home and inherit the family business."

"You take me for a fool?” He yelled, gripping my arms tightly, his fingers making sure to leave marks. “I would never lie about something of utmost importance, Diego”, I tried to convince him while earnestly trying to save myself from his strong grip. “No one dares to look me in the face and lie.” He said while gripping my arms more strongly than ever. “Yet, you stand here, lying to my face. You want to use me against my father as your revenge, isn't that right Adriana?” With that, he let go of my arms, shoving me aside angrily—whilst I hit my head against a door frame. _______________ A strong-willed yet vulnerable young lady from a mafia family finds herself stuck in a marriage with a rival heir arranged by both families as a means to stop bloodshed among them. Her husband, being the mafia heir, is a stern person who is feared by members of the syndicate. He hates negotiating and solves his problems on his own. But, when he falls in love with the daughter of the rival family, will it complicate his plans? What will happen when circumstances force them to choose between love and loyalty to their families? How will it affect their lives? A tale where love and vengeance intertwine and the hearts of two individuals are tested against the ultimate betrayal.

Maria Isabella Cortes also known as Bella. The only daughter and heiress of Guillermo Real Estates Company. Dahil sa dami ng kalaban at katunggali ng pamilya sa negosyo ay napagpasyahang itago at gawing pribado ang buhay niya sa lugar ng El Fuego. A small town that is part of Zamboanga where she can live a peaceful life away from showbiz and danger. With her simple life she will accidentally meet the young stern and bold Zackeriel Bennedict Buenaventura, the ruthless and intimidating young Don in El fuego. Dahil lumaki sa karangyaan at nasanay na nakukuha ang lahat nang gusto. Naging isang pagsubok sa kanya ang pagkuha sa atensyon ni Zack. So she did everything to get his attention. Determinado siyang magpapansin dito. Pero talaga pa lang may mga bagay na hindi mo pwedeng pilitin kahit ano pa ang gawin mo. May mga bagay na hindi mo kayang abutin kahit abot kamay mo na. Kahit anong pilit at higpit ng kapit mo dito ay dudulas at dudulas pa rin. When will she be able to learn to let go? Kapag nasaktan na? O kapag napagod na? O dikaya'y kapag natuto na niyang tanggapin sa sarili niya na hindi talaga pwede.

After a tragic accident Charlotte was left in a coma for several years, when she wakes up she has no recollection of who or what she was including anyone she knew. Throughout the book Charlotte goes back to her home town and buys her old house - without knowing it- whilst meeting the man she was married too, Daniel Stern. Charlotte starts to get flashbacks of her life before the coma, when she starts to research and come into contact with old friends and people in the small town she now lives. Daniel Stern is heir to a billion-pound legacy, head of an estate agents and Charlottes former husband. He doesn't know Charlotte has woken from her coma until she walks into his office looking for a house. His journey throughout the book consists of trying to hide how he tarnished their marriage by taking up a mistress, now his secretary and running away from Charlotte when things got tough through alcohol, drugs and sex, trying to forget she existed. Someone starts to leave mysterious notes and gifts inside Daniel's apartment and Charlottes house causing Charlotte to run to the police and another man’s arms. After several weeks of quiet and no more notes, Charlotte disappears and it’s up to Daniel to find her. After a one￾manded rescue mission and a big secret revelation a lot of skeletons come out of the closest.

My roommate sets me up. She deliberately forces me into a death-trap survival game. As I shut my eyes and wait for death to take me, I realize that the game's bosses can read my mind. "Look at the blood spurting from this baby doll's neck. It's like a fountain of pee." The baby doll is baffled. It's about to launch its ultimate move, but it falters. "Man, look at how this guy is still sweeping the streets when he's so old. Does he not have a pension?" The old man is about to swallow me whole, but he suddenly gets a heart attack. An ambulance takes him away. "Oh, so this is the amusement park's owner. Oh, dear god, he's handsome, albeit a little skinny. I can send him flying with a kick!" The handsome owner's expression darkens. He instantly takes off his shirt to reveal his washboard abs. "Do you still think I'm skinny?"

As my blade pierces the base of his neck, the silver sizzles against his skin. His cold blue eyes open wide. The grim reality of his situation sets in. He gulps hard and shakes his head in fear. "I repent." He squeaks like the coward he is. "Forgive my crimes. Let me face the Council." "You'll find no mercy here, Sin." Blood gushes down his bare chest freely. "You will be judged by the Goddess." His expression quickly changes to one of anger, exposing his ruse. "I see you in the Palace of the Goddess, I will kill you again." I growl. "And if she casts me out, I will meet you on the edge of the River Styx and kill you in Purgatory over and over until the Ferryman come to collect us. And if Hades allows, I will continue to kill you in the Underworld until the end of time." "I underestimated you." He chokes. "Everyone does." I whisper as I lay my full weight against the pommel.

"Zeke, was I just a substitute?" I asked, my voice trembling. "All these years, was I nothing but a replacement?" But then again, he remained silent. And I took that as a 'yes' to my questions. "It's over. The sooner you accept that, the better." Zeke's cold expression remained unchanged. - Discovering she was just a stand-in for her husband's ex, Vivienne Lancaster divorced billionaire Ezekiel Harrington. She signed the papers and walked out of his life, secretly pregnant with twins. Years later, when Ezekiel's company was on the brink of collapse, he needed the help of the elusive and influential mystery designer Viatrix. Little did he know, the designer he had been chasing was none other than Vivienne—his ex-wife. Vivienne had returned and she was ready to get revenge and reclaim her life, while Ezekiel had to face his past mistakes. Could he win back the woman he had taken for granted, or would he fail chasing the billionaire's substitute ex-wife?