Striking Synonym

"IS THIS TRUE???" Aria's uncle screamed at her, but Aria couldn't say a word. "YOU BASTARD! IS THIS TRUE???" He asked her again, as he hit her with the paper so hard, forcing her to kneel on the ground in a fall. "I... I..." Aria tried to say something, but the words were choked in her throat. Her tongue suddenly lost, and her voice became cracked and shaken with fear. "I SWEAR ON MY LATE BROTHER'S ASHES THAT IF THIS IS TRUE, I DAMON WILL RIP YOUR SOUL OUT AND FEED YOUR BODY TO THE HUNGRY WOLVES IN THE FOREST!!! ANSWER ME!! ARE YOU PREGNANT???" In this heart-pounding, intense scene, Aria's world is turned upside down as she faces the wrath of her uncle, Damon. Accused of an unforgivable transgression, Aria's very existence hangs in the balance. Forced to flee her home, Aria finds herself on the auction block, sold to the highest bidder. But just as all hope seems lost, a mysterious and feared king appears, his presence striking fear into the hearts of all who behold him. With a single, chilling command, the king claims Aria as his own, sparing her from a life of slavery. But as Aria navigates her new reality, she begins to realize that her new "savior" may be more monstrous than she ever imagined. Will Aria find a way to escape the king's clutches, or will she be forever bound to this dark and mysterious figure?

“I don’t want you. I hate you.” Those words from her only son slice deeper than any blade. Sarah returns from the hospital expecting love, only to find her place at the family table stolen. Her husband, James, stands arm in arm with Tiana — his late brother’s widow, while her son clings to the other woman’s waist, rejecting his own mother. The betrayal does not end there. After a confrontation with Tiana, she woke up in an abandoned building, her hands tied, and mouth taped. Beside her was Tiana too. Tied. James stood, his confused gaze darting from Tiana to Sarah. And then came the baritone voice from one of the kidnappers: “One life. One choice. You can only save one. Choose!” Sarah turned, seeing how Tiana was communicating with the kidnappers with her eyes. She struggled to let James see the truth; that this was all a setup. But she couldn’t. Her mouth was tapped. But then, like a match striking steel, James’ voice came brittle and final. “Tiana.” He chose his ex over his own wife. Over the mother of his child. Sarah was abandoned in the warehouse. Immediately they left, the warehouse exploded, covered in flames. And Sarah’s screams and cries inside, filled the night. Did Sarah survive the fire outbreak? If she did, can they stand her revenge when she finally returns?

I did everything against my beliefs in marriage. The day our worlds collided, I hated his guts. If you think a man who is striking—so damn good-looking, shallow, narcissistic, and extremely rich like Mykel Creed will ask the love of his life to marry him? You’re wrong. It was me who asked—a complete stranger, a hardworking independent woman who took a different path from the family business. Yet, right now, I’m marrying him for my inheritance. I blame myself for my self-defeating action. It doesn’t take long for me to realize my biggest mistake is marrying the right man for the wrong reason until my actions speak the loudest, and my heart starts to get a mind of its own. *** Not so long ago, my only priority was making billions with a little bit of fun along the way. Yet it only took Adley Kross a minute to make me agree to marry her—the woman who called me names. If you think I will laugh in her face, call her nuts, and show her the way out? You’re wrong. Well, I owed her, and now she comes to collect it, but that’s not the point—she had me at the first sway of her ass. I blame myself for being drawn to those sterling eyes and her gorgeous curves. But being with her seems to matter more than my money and being bound to her stupid terms.

Clay Nikolaidis: I don't know why everyone's so worried about me. I'm happy being single. H-A-P-P-Y, Happy. I don't understand why my twin sister thought her getting married and having my niece and nephew meant I felt left behind. Least of all, to the point that she decided I needed a dog… It’s a joke. She gave me a corgi and said he’s my new wingman. of a wingman, I've been striking out, and worse, just got evicted from my apartment. Now I'm staying at my cousin's place till I find a new one. This dog owes me. Xenia Rosario: I've loved everything about living in the Big Apple. Everything but my apartment seems to be big here. Shoebox apartment aside, I just became the owner of Tinkerbell, a therapy training dropout. Trust me when I say her name is meant to be ironic. She's bigger than me. This is probably how I got dragged through the park, and if I ever find the owner of that tiny dog who scared Tink, I'm giving them a piece of my mind. This is a standalone story but is the fifth book in the Ravenwood series. Book 1 - The Princess of Ravenwood Book 2 - Chasing Kitsune Book 3 - Expect The Unexpected Book 4 - Out Of My League Book 5 - Man's Best Wingman

Catalina Ramirez has always been the subject of gossip on campus—labeled a playgirl not for what she did, but because of what people think they saw. When her long-distance boyfriend left for the Philippines, rumors flew that she cheated with her boy best friend, Aiden. What no one knew was that Aiden was simply protective of her, always by her side, never crossing the line. But to others, closeness easily looked like something more. With striking blue eyes as calm and deep as the ocean, Catalina doesn’t need to lift a finger to catch anyone’s attention. Her beauty is effortless, her voice captivating. As a member of a rising campus band, she sings with a passion that defies the quiet disapproval of her mother. Who has always tried to pull her away from music. Catalina feels it deep in her bones: her mother is hiding something from her, something about her past, something she’s not ready to confront. Then came Logan Axel Tyndall. At first, Catalina thought it was nothing but a harmless crush, an infatuation she’d get over in a week or two. She tried to laugh it off, but soon found herself stalking him, chasing after the way he walked, talked, and carried the world like he knew more than he let on. Before she knew it, she wasn’t just falling... she was drowning in him. But Logan wasn’t just another boy. He held the missing pieces of a puzzle she never knew she was trying to solve. Through him, secrets begin to unravel. Questions long buried rise to the surface.

After years of being in love with her husband, Evelyn Summers faces a shattering betrayal when his ex-girlfriend, Jade, returns and manipulates her way back into his life. When Evelyn learns she’s pregnant, she’s ready to fight for their marriage ,until her husband accuses her of cruelty and sides with Jade in a public scandal. Heartbroken, Evelyn files for divorce and disappears, leaving behind her old life. Three years later, Evelyn returns to New York as a renowned doctor and single mother. Her life takes a dramatic turn when her ex-husband, Landon Byers, is rushed to her hospital after a severe accident. Landon, now filled with regret, is stunned to see his ex-wife transformed and with a child who bears a striking resemblance to him. Determined to win Evelyn back, he begins to pursue her, unaware of the dangerous schemes Jade has set in motion to keep them apart. As Landon grows closer to Evelyn and her daughter, secrets from the past start to unravel, and a passionate rivalry emerges between him and Evans, a compassionate cardiologist who’s fallen for Evelyn. When Evelyn and her daughter are kidnapped by Jade’s criminal associates, Landon and Evans work together to rescue them, uncovering the truth behind Jade’s lies. In a climactic rescue, Evelyn must confront the trauma and betrayal of her past, ultimately choosing the man who will fight to protect her and her child. Filled with suspense, betrayal, and a second chance at love, Reclaiming Evelyn is a journey of redemption, forgiveness, and the power of true love.

Step into the town of Blackmoor, where common sense is a luxury and staying alive will cost you dearly. Get to know Kaelira Nyx Vale, a practical 19-year-old student who loves math, science, and solid evidence. She's always brushed off the spooky tales about Blackmoor Forest as just campfire stories. However, everything changes on a stormy night when she comes face-to-face with a huge black wolf with striking, wise golden eyes that seem to peer deep into her spirit. The wolf disappears, replaced by a mysterious man named Zayden Draven Thorne, radiating a primal and dangerous aura. He's the next in line to lead the Blackmoor Pack, a family of powerful werewolves burdened by a centuries-old secret known as the Alpha Curse. Tradition binds Zayden to find a mate as an Alpha, but the ancient laws warn that marking a human will lead to her demise. Rejecting her will drain his strength, making his pack vulnerable to his rival, Alpha Ronan Virex. Immersed in Zayden's world of ancient power struggles and instinctual behaviors driven by the moon, Kaelira uncovers a startling revelation: she's not just an onlooker caught in the middle. She's a Siphon, a rare genetic anomaly with the ability to enhance a True Alpha's powers. With the Blood Moon approaching and Ronan advancing to exploit her exceptional lineage, Kaelira and Zayden must choose if their destined connection is a blessing or a curse that may lead to their downfall. To protect the pack and the man she loves, Kaelira must let go of her reliance on logic and embrace a future that could either destroy her or elevate her as the first Human Alpha Queen.

“Say it…Tell me to go and I promise you’ll never see me again”. She said to me but I didn’t want that to happen, not now not ever. “Is that what you want?” I spoke softly hoping she would take back her words and she only said it as a moment of weakness. “No…I want you” I found myself utterly speechless when she made this revelation. God, I wanted her too but I could only confess my feelings in my heart. Everywhere went silent. Marcella Solis and Lucille Parker, two young women with a hidden sexuality trapped by the stifling expectations of their elite, high pressure families. Marcella, the "miracle child" and brilliant heir to a mafia empire, maintains a mask of cold perfection to hide her true sexuality, in fear that coming out would tarnish the prestigious Solis name. However, her status quo is shattered by the arrival of Lucille Parker, a striking star athlete and transfer student. While Lucille is presented as a "trophy" for her parents to showcase to college scouts, she carries the scars of a "darker" past. Lucille is viewed by her family as a profound shame that must be hidden behind her athletic prowess. An instantaneous spark ignites between the two, but they initially resist their feelings to protect their families' reputations. This tension finally breaks when they meet in college. In the newfound freedom of campus life, they embark on a passionate, secret romance that serves as a sanctuary from their rigid upbringing. As the moment of revelation nears, they face a devastating choice to succumb to their families and secure their glittering inheritances, or risk everything for their love.

Grace Anderson is a striking young lady with a no-nonsense and inimical attitude. She barely smiles or laughs, the feeling of pure happiness has been rare to her. She has acquired so many scars and life has thought her a very valuable lesson about trust. Dean Ryan is a good looking young man with a sanguine personality. He always has a smile on his face and never fails to spread his cheerful spirit. On Grace's first day of college, the two meet in an unusual way when Dean almost runs her over with his car in front of an ice cream stand. Although the two are opposites, a friendship forms between them and as time passes by and they begin to learn a lot about each other, Grace finds herself indeed trusting him. Dean was in love with her. He loved everything about her. Every. Single. Flaw. He loved the way she always bit her lip. He loved the way his name rolled out of her mouth. He loved the way her hand fit in his like they were made for each other. He loved how much she loved ice cream. He loved how passionate she was about poetry. One could say he was obsessed. But love has to have a little bit of obsession to it, right? It wasn't all smiles and roses with both of them but the love they had for one another was reason enough to see past anything. But as every love story has a beginning, so it does an ending.

Pia Bellucci descends from the slums in Hughlin. Orphans like her are supposed to spend their lives struggling in the bottom rung of society. They are meant to live in the darkness till they draw their last breaths. But the appearance of Vito Castaldo, the Don of the Castaldo family, has completely rewritten Pia's fate. Thanks to Pia's resilience and talent, she fights against all odds and becomes Vito's personal bodyguard. She takes it upon herself to block all harm coming his way and resolve deadly crises for him. Once, when Pia gets kidnapped by Vito's rivals in his stead and almost dies in that ordeal, Vito confesses his feelings to her after rescuing her. After that, he holds an engagement banquet and slides a diamond ring onto her finger before making his vow. "Once I become the Don of Nework, you shall become the Donna." Pia is grateful to Vito for saving her life while showering her with love and affection. It's only natural that she's willing to sacrifice everything for his sake. From then, she works even harder in striking more dangerous deals and wrapping up the most brutal negotiations on Vito's behalf. She practically puts herself at risk just to get rid of all obstacles in his way until his strongest foes are dead. But when Pia thinks her dream is about to come true, she stumbles upon the cruelest truth. It turns out that she's nothing but a tool for Vito to wield from the start till the end.