Stiff

Brielle Davenport tells me to test out rat poison on her childhood sweetheart, Trevor Whitlock's live stream, just so the popularity can be boosted. "All you lose is a life, you know. Meanwhile, Trev has always dreamed of becoming a popular streamer." Then, Brielle hands the rat poison to me. I don't turn her down. Instead, I lift the rat poison to my lips and drink it right in front of the camera. Naturally, my actions boost Trevor to the top spot of the platform, making him the most popular male streamer. The delighted Brielle is quick to throw him an afterparty to celebrate his success. The next day, when Brielle opens the door to the studio, she notices my stiff figure on the floor, my lips still bluish-purple from the poison. She has always been cold and aloof, and yet, she crumbles from anxiety on the spot. I used to come back to life within two hours after my death. Yet, this time, I show no signs of life. Brielle keeps calling out my name. Later on, she can only listen in disbelief as the doctor pronounces my death. Meanwhile, I've already stirred awake in my original world and started my life anew. The truth is, I've transmigrated into this book eight times in a row. In the first seven times, Brielle had saved me seven times, but she also hurt me that many times. In the eighth attempt, I return seven lives to her. Finally, I'm able to leave this world once and for all.

A blizzard is approaching. Yet my mountain guide girlfriend, Clover Ainsley, insists on waiting for her childhood sweetheart, Elliot West, to return to the group before leading everyone down the mountain. In order to save everyone's lives, I keep pleading with her to take us down the mountain first. Finally, she reluctantly agrees to my pleas and takes us home. Unexpectedly, Elliot is trapped in a cave afterward. He ends up freezing to death because help never comes to him. Clover claims that she doesn't regret saving me and the rest of the group. In fact, she even proposes to me afterward. But on the night of our engagement, she poisons me and drags me to the snow mountain. "If it wasn't for you demanding me to leave the mountain, Elliot wouldn't have died! He was the billionaire's son, you know! You can't even compare to him at all! "He had died naked, and his stomach was filled with snow! I want you to suffer the same way he did!" After that, Clover strips me naked and pushes me into a snow mound. When my body goes all stiff from the cold, she drags me to a high ledge before throwing me off the ledge. Just like that, my body shatters into pieces because of how brittle I've become. When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the day the blizzard is about to come. If Clover wants to wait for Elliot, who's taken on my identity as the billionaire's son, then she can go ahead and do that. I'm not going to meddle with their fate this time.

Being the head of the family, kay Marco na atang ang responsibilidad na palaguin ang kumpanyang itinaguyod ng pamilya pati na rin ang pagpapalaki sa nakababatang kapatid na si Beatriz. He had worked hard, played all his cards wisely para marating ang kung anumang narating niya ngayon. Aside from being the CEO of Fuentabella Conglomerate, together with his two mates ay naitayo nila ang FHM Management. He then finally decided the inevitable, to settle down because part of him longed for something warm like the sunshine. How cheesy it may sound he wanted something like what Beatriz possess. Love and family. Everything was doing fine. He's waiting for Poleen to be ready until he get a taste of her. Her sweet, innocent Cielo. Consuelo Sta. Maria, ang dalagang napiling ipakasal kay Stefano Hernandez. Ang naturang kasal ang magiging kaganapan sa matagal ng plano ng parehong haligi pamilya. She give it a try, kung para sa abuelo niya ay gagawin niya ang lahat. Stefano seems nice sa kabila ng pagiging stiff at aloof. Until their paths cross, the remarkable Marco Antonio Fuentabella Would she succumbed to heat everytime Marco initiates it? Paano na ang nalalapit niyang kasal kay Stef? Would she commit?

Ean's face twisted with anger as he grabbed me by the arm, dragging me toward the old, rusted freezer in the corner of the warehouse. "You're going to feel what Helen felt," he spat. "Maybe that'll teach you not to mess with her." I struggled against him, panic rising in my chest. "Ean, this is insane! It was an accident! Let me explain—" He wasn’t listening. He shoved me inside the freezing metal box and slammed the door shut. The echo of the lock clicking into place made my heart pound in my ears. I banged on the door with my fists. "Ean, please! You can’t do this!" I screamed, but the sound of his footsteps grew fainter as he walked away. He left me with nothing but a single bowl of water, like I was some kind of prisoner. I slumped against the cold metal, shivering. The temperature plummeted almost instantly. The hum of the freezer kicked in, and I realized too late—it wasn’t broken like he thought. It was working, and I was trapped. My body shook uncontrollably as the cold seeped into my bones. I screamed for help until my throat was raw, clawing at the walls in desperation. My bloody handprints smeared across the icy surface, a silent plea for mercy that no one would hear. Seven days passed. When Ean finally returned, the look on his face was one of smug satisfaction. He had expected me to beg, to apologize. But when they pried open the freezer, all they found was my frozen body, stiff and silent, my suffering long over.

Married for five years, Lorenzo, the underboss of the Moretti family, had never been without a woman. He found my “noble lady” posture stiff and vanilla. Dancers from Trinacria, headliners from the city’s nightclubs, his rotating stream of mistresses could fill the entire estate. Yet whenever I was displeased, whether it was throwing drinks or kicking someone out, Lorenzo never intervened. He’d only lit his cigar with casual amusement and said, “Relax. It’s just fun. No one can touch your position.” Then a clumsy, naive maid appeared. Unlike the others, she wasn’t flashy. However, when Lorenzo returned, bloodied, she’d hand him a cup of warm tea, her eyes red-rimmed. She watched him with pure admiration while he handled the family business. Lorenzo said the estate felt cold and lifeless except for her. He said only when she panicked did he feel like a hero being needed, rather than just a husband in a political marriage. Until she accidentally broke an antique vase left by my mother… Before I could react, Lorenzo stepped in and shielded her trembling form, glaring at me as if I were the enemy. “What’s wrong with you? If you’re crazy, go see a shrink. Don’t scare her like a rabid dog!” Watching his careful, protective expression, I smiled. I guess it was time for the Moretti family underboss to be replaced.

All because I opened a window to air out the room, my husband’s childhood sweetheart, Celine Ashcroft, caught a cold. In a fit of rage, my husband, Ronan Blackwood, had his men bind me and drag me down to the ice cellar despite my being five months pregnant. "Don’t think that just because you’re carrying my child, you can bully Celine. If even a single hair on her head is harmed, I’ll make you repay it a hundredfold!" Shivering violently from the cold, I knelt through tears, begging for forgiveness. I promised that from now on I would serve his precious sweetheart well to atone, that I would never again let her suffer even the slightest harm. He only gave a cold order to seal the cellar, saying I needed to be taught a lesson so it would be burned into my memory. A week later, when Celine finally recovered from her cold, he finally remembered me in the cellar. "Vesper, have you truly realized your mistake? As long as you agree to kneel and apologize to Celine immediately, I’ll spare you." What he didn’t know was that by then, I had already frozen stiff in that ice cellar. And the child he had treasured so dearly no longer showed even the faintest sign of life.

On New Year's Eve, my in-laws, Richard Prescott and Leona Reed, had flown back to have dinner at my place. However, our butler, Rupert Williams, had only prepared two plates of cold lobster rolls even though I had specifically reminded him that Leona was allergic to lobster. Rupert looked at me with his usual stiff expression and said, "Mr. Shaw, I understand that people from your background like to take advantage of situations. Your parents showing up for a free holiday meal doesn't surprise me." He added, "But as Ms. Jaclyn Prescott's most trusted butler, I have a duty to protect the Prescott family assets from being touched by questionable individuals, even if it's just a dinner. That said, I'm not heartless enough to let two elderly people go hungry. "Here are some leftover expired lobster rolls. Your parents can eat them and leave. Ms. Prescott is very busy with work, and I can't have her come home later only to deal with your poor parents." I froze for a moment, then realized he had mistaken Jaclyn's parents for mine. He was deliberately trying to humiliate me like he always did. I was about to explain when Richard and Leona, furious, turned to leave. However, Rupert called for the security guards to block their way. "I can understand that people from rural areas might lack proper manners, but wasting food is still a bad habit. Since the lobster rolls have already been prepared, I insist you finish them before you go."

Rhett’s father is making him go to dinner because his father’s best friend is arriving and will be staying with the family while his new home is finished being renovated. All Rhett knows is the guy is a stiff. He runs some big company and is moving his headquarters here. He remembers meeting him once and thought he was boring and as annoying as his father. What Rhett didn’t remember is how attractive this older man is despite his stiff posture and suit, the much shorter and much older man has serious sex appeal. Despite his short stature and social awkwardness, Gabriel bests Rhett when he tries talking to him on the terrace and promises to “whip” the younger man into shape in a rather heated moment. The sexual tension is high, but their personalities clash. Meanwhile, Rhett is forced to move home and declare his major and Gabriel is having a hard time convincing the shareholders, firstly that his move to the East Coast was for the best of the company seeing as the most successful branches are in the region and that his spinoff idea which really connects with the essence of who he is will bring the company more success. He must find a solution and that solution might just save both his and Rhett’s asses, if he can get the younger man to comply. Trigger warning: This book contains mature materials and homosexual content including domination and kinks, betrayals, attempted suicide, depression, attempted murder, homophobia and mental health issues. There may not be content warnings on chapters within.

Moira wasn't the Luna he wanted. To strengthen the alliance, her father sacrificed her with a classic trap so that she could marry Alpha Jude Hammer from The Night Hunter Pack. The plan worked, but for seven years, Moira felt no happiness or love from Jude. Then, one day, she finds out the reason—Jude has found his fated mate. Heartbroken, especially since she had lost everything, Moira filed for divorce, left the company, and started a new life. *** I was startled by the commotion outside the apartment. It was unusually quiet for eight o’clock, and the sound I heard... I decided to check it out. Someone was standing at the door, which I opened hastily to confirm. Instead of peace, I found a new problem. Jude held the door, forcing his way in and locking it. He closed the distance between us, pinning me against the wall, so close that I could feel the warmth of his breath on my face. His strong arms wrapped around my waist, so stiff and tight. My heart skipped a beat, not because of lingering love for him, but because I felt disturbed by his presence. "What the hell are you doing here, Jude? You have Bella, don't drag me in. You shouldn't be here," I snapped, but it didn't faze him at all. "Screw Bella! I came to confirm something." He moved again, closer, so that our lips almost touched. “Are you drunk? Go home. You will only cause me problems. We'd been divorced, remember?” I said, trying to gently push him away. “What? Divorced? Don’t even think about it, Wifey. I didn't sign it. NEVER. Means, you’re still my wife. You're MINE.”

In the shadows of the city’s most notorious club, where danger and desire intertwine, he sees her. Valerio Moretti—ruthless, feared, and untouchable—is the most dangerous name in the criminal underworld. He owns the city, one blood-soaked deal at a time. Women throw themselves at his feet, yet none have ever caught his eye... until her. Sera Devlin is an enigma behind red velvet curtains. A stripper who doesn’t belong. Her stiff movements, wide eyes, and barely concealed fear as men paw at her set her apart from the others. She's innocent—too innocent for a place like this. And that's what draws Valerio in like a flame. One night, Valerio breaks the rules—his own rules—and barges into her dressing room. Half-dressed and startled, Sera throws him out without a second thought, unaware she's just challenged the devil himself. Now, Valerio is obsessed. She doesn’t know who he is. She doesn’t want him. But he always gets what he wants—and he wants her. As their worlds collide in a twisted game of dominance, secrets, and forbidden desire, Sera finds herself caught in a cage made of diamonds and danger. But behind Valerio’s control lies a man with a dark past... and behind Sera’s fear, a secret that could shatter them both. He’s her captor. She’s his temptation. And in this game, love could be their ultimate ruin.