Subtle Pride Wallpaper

"Abby Davison only wants to focus on her career as a nurse, as she has no time for dating after a bad breakup over a year ago. When her mother presses her about settling down, Abby tells her a little white lie: she’s dating Mark Thornton, the handsome and gruff rancher who both frustrates and makes her heart flutter every time they meet. When Mark overhears Abby's lie, he decides to cut her a deal: to keep his silence regarding their make-believe relationship, she'll come to live with him on his ranch until his broken arm heals. Despite her wounded pride and initial trepidation, Abby can’t help but begin to fall for the guarded Thornton brother as the days pass on his ranch. The black sheep of the family, Mark makes no secret that he prefers horses over people. His brusque exterior, though, only conceals hidden depths and a wounded heart that Abby understands all too clearly. As feelings start to bloom between them, neither is sure what is real and what’s make-believe. Yet the sizzling attraction between them is anything but fake, and with every kiss and every touch, they fall harder for each other. But as their pasts begin to creep toward them, unearthing secrets both would rather keep buried, Abby and Mark must learn to trust each other—or risk losing the love both never knew they needed."

The day before the World Piano Masters Competition, I was kidnapped, and my tendons were deliberately severed. Endorsements were swiftly terminated. Advertisers, once eager to work with me, turned instead to my rival. Crushed under the weight of betrayal and despair, I spiraled into a deep depression. Just when I was at my lowest, Carl Manos appeared. He not only paid off all my breach-of-contract penalties but also sought out top specialists to treat my damaged hand. Later, he knelt on one knee and solemnly proposed. I saw him as my salvation, the light that pierced through my darkness. Without hesitation, I let Carl slip the ring onto my finger. Two years later, my hand had fully recovered. I rushed to the study, eager to share the good news, only to overhear a chilling conversation. "Carl, if you hadn't arranged for someone to sever Reily's tendons, my sister never would've had the chance to win the competition and land those endorsements. I'll never forget what you did for us." There was a pause. Then came Carl's indifferent reply, "I simply helped Lucy achieve her dream. Breaking a woman's tendons in exchange for that is nothing." So this was the truth. The marriage I took such pride in… was nothing but a cold, calculated nightmare. Since that was the case, there was nothing left for me here. It was time to leave.

Werewolf Fiction, Trope: Arranged Marriage / Forced Mating / Rejected Mate / Betrayal Setting: A mighty werewolf city, Perth, ruled by competing packs. The MoonStone Pack — once amongst the strongest, now takes an alliance with the vicious ruthless Night Walker Pack, led by Alpha Derrick Wilson. From ancient werewolf traditions to modern pack politics, the city is the battlefield for dominance, power, and bloodlines. BLURB Kimberly has always lived in the shadow of her perfect younger sister, Mona. When her father brokers her marriage to evil Alpha Derrick Wilson, it’s supposed to be a sacrifice for peace. But on the night of the engagement, everything falls apart—Derrick is hers and then rejects her for Mona, her own sister. With her pride not just bruised but battered (she has been humiliated, betrayed, and has lost her position in the pack), Kimberly now faces a fate she could not have imagined; being the slave of the man she should have mated with. But when it seems like all hope is lost, a mysterious stranger offers her something far more dangerous — an opportunity to seek revenge. Now, with her wolf awakening and secrets of her bloodline surfacing, Kimberly has a choice to make: run and start over—or embrace the darkness and reclaim everything that was taken from her. While Mona stole her mate, Kimberly is the one chosen by fate. And fate does not take kindly to creeping around her light.

“I hate that man, I hate that man, I hate him but oh!! How I love him”. Valentina Berkeley got married to a man she knew nothing about, a man who hated and did nothing to get close to her. At the altar he looked like someone reciting his death sentence and when they got married, he isolated himself from her. He loved another woman and made it obvious to her that he hated her because of their arranged marriage, yet she loved him. She loved his brooding look and read into the littlest things he did for her but when it became too much, she gathered what little pride she had left and divorced him. Fast forward to few years later, they meet again and they have to work together. Feelings develop and the man that was filled with hatred for her seems nowhere to be found. It does not help that she had his child and she would do anything to keep him a secret. Will she be able to keep the hatred she had for him or will he slowly eat away at the walls she built to protect herself? Will the love she once had for him overcome the hatred that built up and festered over the years or will secrets and untold truths doom their relationship to the same end? Will she give in to her son's demands for a father? Will he be able to redeem himself in her eyes or would he be the same man that hurt her time and time again?

My wolf had been wounded by silver. It took me two years to find a rare herbal cure. But before I could use it, my mate, Gary, gave it away—without hesitation—to my adopted sister, the Black clan’s darling, Jane. The healer told me I had only one week left to live. So, I made a decision: I would freeze my body. Preserve it. I donated myself to Jane’s Werewolf Research Facility—the one she took such pride in. The day I signed the donation agreement, my pup threw himself into my arms and said, “Mommy and Aunt Jane are finally getting along again!” My parents praised me, saying I had finally learned what sisterhood meant. Gary looked relieved. “You’ve finally let go of your resentment,” he said. “I’m proud of you.” I smiled faintly. Yes. I’ve finally learned to obey. I would return the title of Black clan heiress to Jane, and did my best to grant everyone their wishes. But it was only when they realized I could no longer fight back— when my body had been sealed away in cryostasis, cold and silent— that the regret began. Suddenly, they wanted to bleed for me. They wanted to compensate. They wanted to follow me into the grave. But where were they when I needed them, when I was still alive?

Cassandra “Cassie” was the brightest movie star, adored by millions—yet behind the dazzling lights of fame, she was nothing more than the secret lover of Julian, the cold billionaire who had helped her become the most famous actress in the industry. Behind the scenes, she was merely Julian’s slave of desire. When a scandal ruined her career, Julian—the man she loved—betrayed her without mercy. Julian chose to return to his first love and married the woman. Heartbroken, Cassie decided to leave with what little pride she had left. But just as she was about to go, Julian kidnapped her, turning her into his pleasure doll. One night, Cassie finally managed to escape. But fate was cruel—her car brakes failed, and a terrible accident followed. The vehicle exploded into flames, and the world soon declared the beloved actress dead. Seven years later, the world still believed Cassie was gone. But she returned—with a new face and a little daughter by her side. She came back with one purpose: revenge. Would she succeed in making Julian feel the same pain he once caused her?Or would fate play its twisted game and make her fall for him once again?And how would Julian react when he discovered that Cassie was still alive—and that she had a little girl, his own flesh and blood?

Her: My husband is not the man I love. No, He is my punishment. No one forced me to marry him, I married him willingly.  I share his bed every night, willingly. I don't love him. I used to love someone else but that man betrayed me and my love. Hence, I punished myself by marrying the man I hated the most. But My husband wants something from me that I am not ready to give.  Children! Him: The first time I saw her, I couldn't take my eyes off her. She was my enemy’s daughter. Proud and egoistic just like her father.   They say there was no better way to bring your enemy to his knees than hurting his family. I did that, I married his daughter to hurt him.  She came to me willingly. She thought I had forgotten the insults she had done to me. But she didn't know that I forgot nothing.  It was time for payback.  There was only one payment I wanted from her: Children.  The day she insulted me I promised revenge. I promised to crush her pride and arrogance. She called me bad blood, she insulted me for being an Orphan. Now my children will have her noble blood in their veins. Now she will be known as the mother of my children!

On the aftermath of her father's death, Sophia is stuck with her evil stepmom who turned her, a daddy's little princess into a hardworking slave. At last Sophia escapes the house which swiftly became a prison to her. She had to, her stepmom have asked her to sign all her father's property which he had put in Sophia's name over to her. Sophia bailed. But on the same night she escaped, her stepmom kills the governor, her father's old friend who came to visit, and unfortunately she frames Sophia for it with active evidence. Sooner Sophia's whole life distorted before her eyes as she comes to find out that her stepmom and the cops weren't the only one after her, three of the biggest Mafia families in the continent wanted her father's fortune too. It looks like he was involved in something big. ... "The clock's ticking... (Sophia) is an enemy of the three Mafia families who rule this continent, plus the government itself. She's just a lone ram who has managed to upset a pride of lions." In this journey hate disguised itself as love and collided upon Sophia. True love yearning for her fortune instead of her heart. Who said there ain't men who're golddiggers? Eventually, Sophia's who's already stubborn and sharp-mouthed, had to learn to be tough and survive by being a trickster as life tosses her around. Yeah she is a daddy's girl, nowadays a daddy's girl who won't bat a eye before she pulls a trigger.

My fiancé was the CEO of a powerful financial conglomerate, and to the outside world, he adored me beyond measure. A week before our wedding, I found out I was pregnant with triplets. I had planned to tell him the joyful news in person. But instead, I witnessed him in bed with other women. Not with just one. It felt like a knife had carved into my soul, cutting so deep I lost all hope, all trust. My tears begged for release, but I held my head high, forcing myself to stay strong. For him, I had given up everything—my pride, my family, my career. Yet he chose to share our love with others. All those vows to love me and only me for a lifetime had been lies. Our so-called future, our wedding—it was all a cruel joke. He was no longer the man I once loved. He had become tainted. I would not endure his betrayal. He no longer deserved to be the father of my children. So I made my decision—to disappear, to fake my death and start over, to give myself and my babies a chance at a free, unburdened life. But I never imagined he'd become obsessed and start searching the world for women who resembled me, all while declaring I was the only one he ever loved. Too little, too late. His affection now is worth nothing. This time, I'm not looking back.

Her pulchritudinous black pools as big as saucers were shooting daggers on him. A streak of rage, might and valor whooshes from them that flame sharp and fierce like the orbs of a tigress before it hunts its prey making him almost wet his pants. The reprobate shivers in terror by the cogency of force whizzed from her aura yet tries to conceal it using his words. "My beauty...." She is just a woman....what can a puny female do to a minacious monster like him? He thought but that was the biggest mistake the wretch has ever made. The sound of his annoying words into her ears caused a fathomless fury in the queen's existance. "You cannot do anything to my kingdom, Otaku. Your end is destined in my hands." She yelled with power and pride whirling her head towards the profligate as her long hair swayed in the air with vigor like a Goddess of victory. Amara turned around hurling in air. Raising it up in a duress she flung the sword, right into his kernel ripping the flush away off the libertine's chest. Otaku shuddered under her cold gaze turning to a ball of flesh and gazed at the dominion queen in helplessness. But the next thing that happened between them had shaken up the entire humanity. The bloodied sword dropped from the queen's hand draining the life out of her face as she succumbed to floor on her knees beside the body of Otaku. "Otaku....you are....you are...." But it was too late for the realization. Note: This book has two parts in it. Enjoy