Stoic Expression

They say fate chooses your mate. But what if fate is cruel? Aiden has always been a nobody—abandoned, cursed, forgotten. Raised by Jake, the stoic professor who saved him once. Aiden vanished at sixteen after confessing the one truth that shattered everything: “he loves him.” Now twenty-five and hiding a deadly secret—a feral lycan curse counting down the days—Jake walks into Aiden’s college classroom as his student. Aiden was older, obviously. But, he was bitter and still hurting. Jake left his pack, his title, and his past behind for a quiet life of just books and lectures. But nothing prepared him for Aiden’s return—or the soul-deep pull that threatened to destroy the walls he had built. As the time for curse creeps closer, only one thing can save Aiden- his true mate. Jake’s not just the professor. He’s the one thing Aiden can’t have… and the only one who can save him.

“This is Abraham Blackwood, heir to the Blackwood empire, one of the richest families in the country." The moment I stepped ahead, he turned slowly and my breath caught in my throat. The shock of seeing him again struck me like a bolt of lightning. No… It can’t be him. But it was. Sitting there, casually sipping tea, was him—the man from the bar. The same piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, his expression shifting from mild amusement to disbelief. His sharp blue eyes pierced through the room and locked onto mine with an intensity that made my breath freeze in my throat. I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. The memories of the night in the bar flooded back—his arrogance, his rude comments, his piercing gaze that had felt so unsettling. I stared at Alexander, still in shock. The man sitting across from me wasn't just any stranger. He was a billionaire—an heir to a vast fortune. My brother had been friends with him for years, and their families had arranged this marriage as part of a business partnership.

Suddenly, I was slammed against a cracked pillar. A strong arm pinned me by the throat, not enough to choke me, just enough to let me know I could be. And then I saw him. Amber eyes. Fierce. Burning. Too wild to be fully human. Too focused to be feral. Face contorted in boredom. The strange yet familiar man.. His body pressed against mine, tall, muscled, furious. I felt the tremble of his restraint as if the beast inside him was clawing to get out. “Smells like blood,” he growled, breath hot against my skin. “Yours?” I smiled despite myself, excitement seeping into my veins much to my annoyance. “Disappointed it’s not?” He didn’t blink. Just stared at me with that maddening, unreadable expression, as if I were a puzzle he already intended to break. I jerked my knee toward his groin, fast and vicious. But his reflexes were faster. He caught my leg. Held it midair, balancing me with one hand as if I weighed nothing. And for a heartbeat, we just… looked at each other. His eyes weren’t just amber. They were gold. Like molten metal cracked open under pressure. He was beautiful in that brutal, savage way, the kind of man carved from war and grief, not born. And I hated him for it.

I waited for Kai to speak, to claim me as his own. But he didn’t. Seconds passed. He just stared at me, his expression unreadable. What was going on? “I don’t.” My entire body froze as I heard those words. “I reject her.” Gaps erupted from the crowd. My chest tightened. It felt like I was being stabbed with a physical knife. ~•~ Halle’s world is turned upside down after being betrayed by her twin sister and boyfriend on her wedding day. Forced to flee, she finds refuge with a powerful Alpha. But as secrets begin to unravel, she realizes her past is more complicated than she thought. Can she reclaim her destiny and rise above the lies that have haunted her family for years?

Abigail Snow accidentally caught her fiancé being intimate with her sister. She learned that her fiancé had only used her to advance his business and had never truly loved her. Heartbroken, Abigail called off the engagement and left everything behind to start a new life with nothing. At her lowest point, she met Sawyer, a hidden tycoon who helped her rebuild her life and seek justice against those who made her suffer. As Abigail begins to fall in love with Sawyer, his childhood sweetheart reappears, causing doubt and confusion for her. *** Excerpt: "Okay. Tell me, where do you live?" Sawyer asked, focusing on the street ahead. Fifteen minutes later, Sawyer's vehicle stopped in front of Abigail's house. He was stunned beyond words when he saw the gates. After a few seconds, Sawyer, trying to suppress his shock, turned to her. "Is this where you live now?" he asked. "Yes, I'm staying here..." Abigail answered excitedly. She wanted to invite him to stop by, but she remembered the rental contract rule stating she couldn't bring her friends or family onto the rooftop. "Can I stop by your house?" Sawyer casually asked, but Abigail felt tense upon hearing that. "Sawyer, I'm so sorry. The homeowner forbade me from bringing guests or family over," she faintly smiled at him. Sawyer was impressed to hear her words, "Aah, so there's a rule like that?" "Yeah. That's why I can't let you enter. If you want to meet me, we can meet at the café. Or, you can call me if you pass by this area." "Sure." ... As soon as Abigail stepped out of the car, Sawyer's smile vanished, and his expression slowly darkened. His sharp eyes remained fixed on Abigail as she entered the small door.

A young psychologist, Maria Reyes, fresh out of college, decides to take her first freelance case to build her résumé. Feeling bold and free on her graduation night, she let herself loose after getting charmed by an alluring mysterious man. One drink leads to another and another, and she finds herself drowning in passion in his bed. She reads him like a map and falls for his scars before she even asks for his name. But the morning brings the brutal truth, Darian Wolfe is her father's enemy, a ruthless businessman, an heir to the empire sworn to destroy her father's legacy. She vanishes before he wakes, unable to face what has been done. Weeks later after being able to set up her new office, the past begins to blur until her first patient walks through the door. It's him, Darian Wolfe. Her expression freezes when she sees him. He walks around her office uninvited. He takes a seat without a word. The silence between them is thick with everything unsaid. And then, he looks unblinking in her eyes. "I have a lot to... unpack, Dr Reyes," he says, with a dark smile. "Let's start with a woman I met two weeks ago at a bar," he says, pulling out a red panty from his pocket.

Alex Lepont et Léa Thomas ne s'entendaient pas depuis l'enfance. Et pourtant, cette année-là, il ne restait plus qu'eux deux pour un mariage arrangé dans leur cercle. Alex affirmait qu'il préférerait mourir plutôt que d'épouser Léa. Léa, soudain intéressée, a répondu : « Alors je vais absolument t'épouser. Meurs vite, s'il te plaît. » Le jour du mariage, Alex a lâché des dizaines de poules pour humilier Léa. Elle, sans la moindre expression, a attrapé une poule et l'a jetée vers lui. Alex, aussitôt, a perdu toute envie de se moquer d'elle. En regardant Léa qui tenait absolument à l'épouser, il lui a lancé d'un ton moqueur : « Tu vas le regretter. » Après trois ans de mariage, Léa a surpris Alex pour la quatre-vingt-dix-neuvième fois en train de la tromper. Ce n'était qu'à ce moment-là qu'elle a vraiment compris ce que signifiait réellement les mots d'Alex.