Synonym Reluctantly

CEO's Affair is a gripping tale of love, betrayal, and survival set against the dark, high-stakes world of the mafia. Isabella "Izzy" Romano is a single mother struggling to pay for life-saving medical treatment for her young daughter. Desperate for work, she takes a job as a waitress at a luxury restaurant, but her world is shattered when a dangerous mob threatens her. The last person she ever expects to save her is Dante Vieri, her former boyfriend turned ruthless mafia boss. Once a man who promised to protect her, Dante now demands that Izzy become his mistress in exchange for his protection. Trapped by her circumstances and the dangerous world Dante now rules, Izzy reluctantly agrees. As she is pulled deeper into his shadowy empire, old feelings of resentment and lingering passion resurface, forcing her to confront the man he has become and the man she once knew. The stakes escalate when Izzy’s long-held secret—Dante’s daughter—threatens to unravel everything. As the mafia world closes in, Izzy faces a devastating choice: reveal the truth about their child or risk losing everything to the empire that Dante has built. Torn between protecting her family and surviving in Dante's world, Izzy must navigate the blurred lines between love and loyalty, while Dante grapples with his own feelings of guilt and unresolved desire. In CEO's Affair, both Izzy and Dante are forced to confront their pasts, their deepest fears, and their complicated emotions for each other. Can they rebuild the trust and love they once shared, or will the deadly forces of the mafia tear them apart for good?

Although born into opulence, Hermione Watson Pierce has always felt like a mere pawn in her parents' ruthless game of power. Her voice has been silenced since childhood, her autonomy suffocated by the weight of expectation. Behind the facade of luxury, Hermione has discovered a devastating truth: her life is not her own. As a result, she has learned to suppress her emotions, earning her the reputation as the icy queen of the corporate world. However, when her parents demand she undertake a task that will irreparably alter her future, Hermione decides to seize control of her destiny. That's when Aiden Mendes enters the picture – a charismatic playboy with a reputation for recklessness. But beneath his carefree exterior lies a complex web of scars, forged in the fire of his dysfunctional family. Aiden's coping mechanism is to indulge in the excesses of life, using his charm and good looks to keep people at arm's length. Yet, when he's threatened with disinheritance unless he marries the enigmatic Hermione, Aiden reluctantly agrees. For him, it's a mere contract marriage, a means to an end. But when they meet for the first time, Aiden is blindsided by an unexpected attraction. It's love at first sight, but his notorious reputation precedes him, and Hermione's disdain is palpable. As their contract marriage turns into a battle of wills, Aiden must thaw Hermione's icy heart and prove that there's more to him than meets the eye. But can he convince her to look beyond his reputation and take a chance on love?

After being publicly rejected by her mate, the Alpha's son, orphans Kit, and her little sister Cami, run away from their pack. Seven years later, who should walk into the diner that Kit works at and Cami studies in, but the new Beta of the pack they abandoned, who just so happens to be Cami’s very smitten mate. Kit is horrified when Cami begs her to come back to the pack where she still feels the humiliation from her rejection, but she can’t abandon her only family, so she reluctantly tags along. What she doesn’t expect, is that the once arrogant but popular son of the pack’s healer, Colin, has turned out to be not just a nice guy, but smoking hot too. And much to her surprise, he is interested in her. Which is great, because the mate who rejected her is now her Alpha and seems to take amusement in embarrassing her. Embarrassing her, and at the same time, wanting to use her for his pleasure, which even though she can’t stand him, she struggles to be able to physically resist him. And to make matters worse, he refuses to let her reject him back, threatening to kick her out and prevent her from seeing her loved ones anymore. Will she ever be able to finally reject him back and be happy with Colin, who wants her for more than just her body, or will she forever be trapped in an infatuation with someone who is emotionally uninterested?

"I like her," I said as I sat across from my mother unable to keep the frustration from boiling over. "Like who?" "Callie," I admitted, my chest tightening as I said her name. Her expression froze for a moment before she set the papers aside and leaned forward. "You’re joking, right? Callie is your brother’s girlfriend." "I don’t care," I snapped. "I can’t stand seeing him with her. She should be mine, and I’m not going to just sit back and watch them together." "Well, well. This is interesting." She sat back, steepling her fingers. "You really want her all to yourself?" "More than anything," I confessed. A slow smile crept across her face, and it sent a chill down my spine. "Don’t worry. I have a plan.” Whatever she had in mind, I knew it wouldn’t be simple. But if it meant having Callie… I was willing to do whatever it took. **************** Callie was given a choice by her new boss: either lose her job or act as his escort for his family’s Christmas and New Year celebrations, pretending to be his girlfriend. Left with no other option, she reluctantly agrees to be his escort but what she doesn’t realize is that she’s walking straight into a trap. Dive into a story of love, betrayal, romance, suspense, and a Christmas miracle. Second Chances Under the Tree is a gripping and intriguing read that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

Rose is a beautiful nerd with a vulgar mouth. She was blissfully living her boring life in ignorance of her family's darkest secret until the very fateful summer when she reluctantly had to go back to her hometown for some 'unknown' family crisis. Just when she thought of converting this unwanted trip into a self care vacation, she forcefully had to attend the trip to the waterfall in the middle of the forest that her brother and cousin so generously planned. Unsurprisingly, the clumsy Rose lost her way and crossed paths with a gorgeous golden-brown wolf, and to her utter shock, the majestic animal spared her life. But that wasn’t it, she had to witness the horrific fight between her uncles and the same wolf which resulted in the wolf being extremely injured and her uncles running for their lives. Feeling pity for his condition, she went to check on it only for the wolf to change into an equally gorgeous man. Our not-so-brave heroin screamed and tried to run away but being a medical student, she couldn't leave a ‘handsome' dying 'man' behind, hence she decided to treat him in private. Just when she thought the drama is over, the GORGEOUS man she so generously saved, revealed that he is the Werewolf King and also her mate? And she HAS TO MARRY HIM to protect her family! How will she react knowing about her true self? Amidst this chaos, will she ever find out the sly creature who has been playing with their lives for years? Embark on the journey to know more about Rose's nerve-wracking adventure!

Born From Darkness - A Legend Will Rise After many years of fear and suffering, the brave Ravennites of the Dark Zone have come out of hiding and engaged their oppressors from the Outside in an all-out war to reclaim their homes, their lives and their freedom. In the wake of countless victories and losses across the vast, mountainous territories, there are many who attribute their newfound hope to the young Outsider who selflessly turned his back on his own life to save all of theirs: Alex Lee. Determined to prove his loyalty to the cause, Alex leads a small but daring squad of Ravennite warriors to take the fight deep into enemy territory. As time continues to wear on, Alex’s mind is constantly plagued by many unwelcome thoughts; the fear that the day may come when his valor and his resolve fails the people he calls his family, a growing and restless love for the young Ravennite woman who vowed to fight by his side, and the haunting memory of the night, many months ago, when he reluctantly revealed the location of the last Ravennite refuge known as the Citadel. Time is running out. Alex’s heart is torn between what he believes is worth fighting for and protecting the one he loves. As he struggles to keep his gallant team, and himself, intact, he soon finds himself before a trial far more malevolent than anything he has ever faced in his life. His convictions are being challenged, his mettle put to the ultimate test, and in his mind, Alex begins to wonder if he is truly losing his sanity - and if he will ever leave the Dark Zone alive.

She spent ten years chasing after the right brother, only to fall for the wrong one in one weekend. ~~~ Sloane Mercer has been hopelessly in love with her best friend, Finn Hartley, since college. For ten long years, she’s stood by him, stitching him back together every time Delilah Crestfield—his toxic on-and-off girlfriend—shattered his heart. But when Delilah gets engaged to another man, Sloane thinks this might finally be her chance to have Finn for herself. She couldn't be more wrong. Heartbroken and desperate, Finn decides to crash Delilah’s wedding and fight for her one last time. And he wants Sloane by his side. Reluctantly, Sloane follows him to Asheville, hoping that being close to Finn will somehow make him see her the way she’s always seen him. Everything changes when she meets Knox Hartley, Finn’s older brother—a man who couldn’t be more different from Finn. He's dangerously magnetic. Knox sees right through Sloane and makes it his mission to pull her into his world. What starts as a game—a twisted bet between them—soon turns into something deeper. Sloane is trapped between two brothers: one who’s always broken her heart and another who seems hell-bent on claiming it... no matter the cost. CONTENT WARNING: This story is strongly 18+. It delves into dark romance themes such as obsession and lust with morally complex characters. While this is a love story, reader discretion is advised.

Nora's father was a powerful witch who was presumed to have gone crazy and tried to kill the Leader of their coven. The coven shuns her for her dads wrong doings. Until one day she discovers that her father was trying to save them from the leader all along. She is determined to use her magic for good and master her skills in order to finish what her dad started. She becomes the strongest healing witch of the coven. The leader finds out about her plot and has her kept in the dungeons. One day the Beta of one of the strongest packs ever comes on behalf of the Alpha asking for help. The luna is pregnant and having complications with the pregnancy. Reluctantly they let Nora go to help her. She finds out that the Alpha is her destined mate and he rejects her immediately. She is heartbroken but stays with the Luna feeling obligated to see her through her pregnancy. It breaks her heart to see the mate happy with someone else. She works closely with Ja,ke in the clinic and she can see herself settling down with him. That is when the Leader of her coven decides to carry out his plan. Secrets are unraveled and the Alpha realizes that his luna isn't the perfect mate he had thought. Nora is determined to bring a stop to her coven leader and the werewolves are right by her side. She begins to see a different side to the Alpha and when everything is over who will she chose. The man who broke her heart or the one trying to piece it back together?

Amber Cole is a 31-year-old stripper. With her prime years in the industry slipping away, she’s aware that soon her looks will no longer be enough to make the money she needs to survive. Struggling with her self-worth and looking for a way out, Amber’s world is about to be upended when she meets Ryan Carter, a cold, successful businessman from Chicago. Ryan, reeling from his fiancée's betrayal, is forced into a bizarre deal by a clause in his late grandfather’s will: he must marry and stay married for one year. When his best friend, Tom, suggests he hire a stripper to pretend to be his fiancée, Ryan reluctantly agrees. He picks Amber, offering her $500,000 for her time. Unaware of the deep complexities of her own emotions, Amber agrees, seeing the money as her ticket to a fresh start. Despite their differences — Ryan's polished world of wealth and Amber's gritty, down-to-earth life — they are drawn into a tense, fiery dynamic that forces both to confront their prejudices and assumptions. Amber start their arrangement, initially unaware of the emotional journey she’s about to embark on. As she undergoes a transformation, both physically and emotionally, Ryan begins to question his initial perception of her, discovering that beneath her tough exterior, Amber is more than just a stripper. As the months pass, their relationship evolves from contractual obligation to something far more complicated. Sparks fly, but so do their insecurities. Amber finds herself falling for Ryan, but can she ever be the woman he needs her to be? And can Ryan truly let go of his past and embrace the real, messy woman Amber has become?

With one of the best college grades and her degree in medicine, Emma Newton’s next plan is to move to Abuja to pursue her dreams. Her goals in life were easy; get a great job at a private hospital, pay back all her family's debts and make her parents proud. That was before her father got very sick in front of her eyes and is fighting for his life. She reluctantly moves to Abuja with one major goal at the top of the list; Save her father from dying. Alex Lightwood is the CEO of the billion dollar technology company; Pearl mobile, and one of the top business moguls in Abuja. He's also one of the hottest men in the city. But what no one knows is the pain he carries in his heart from mourning the death of his wife and first love. Because of that, he has become cold hearted and ruthless. His wife left him with their three kids but he can't stand to look at them because they remind him of her so much so he hires nanny after nanny to take care of them. However, his mischievous and ill mannered kids have sent away all THIRTY nannies he's hired. That's when he realizes he needs major help. Fate causes Emma and Alex’s paths to cross and he offers her a job to be 'His Caretaker’. Desperate for the money to save her father, she accepted. To Emma Newton, Alex Lightwood must be the coldest, insufferable, arrogant and bipolar person she has ever come across. But, to Alex Lightwood, Emma Newton is the only girl who has ever dared to look him in the eye and question him. Will they let love win or their egos?