Taking Chances

WARNING! By starting to read this story, you are taking the first step towards signing a pact with Lucifer. There will be no turning back, and by the time you finish the story, the deal will be sealed. You have been warned. Jonah is a 12-year-old boy who has the head of a parasitic twin that failed to develop. At a very young age. Jonah is humiliated, and rejected by all the inhabitants of the village, who give him a fatal beating. Jonah ends up in a circus that is brought from the depths of hell and whose owner is Lucifer. The monsters, who live there, were normal person, who were forced to sell their souls to the Devil and now must spend all eternity as deformed circus monsters. INSTAGRAM: alefaxis

Shaun never expected his enemy to steal more than his pride. Nathan the arrogant, dangerous senior has a habit of taking what he wants. One drunken night. One impulsive kiss. Shaun kissed him just to mess with him. That was the plan. Nothing more. But Nathan… Nathan didn’t take it lightly. One impulsive kiss, and suddenly, Nathan was possessive, infuriating, and impossibly irresistible. Shaun thought it was just a game until Nathan’s teasing touches, daring glances, and relentless attention made it impossible to ignore. Enemies? Maybe. Teasing rivals? Definitely. But the line between hate and desire is thinner than Shaun ever imagined…

Ivory grew up just like every other girl in her father's pack. Her kindhearted nature drew everyone in, making her extremely popular. With her porcelain skin, sky blue eyes and white hair made her look like a goddess. The whole pack was excited for the full moon to finally find their mates! Ivory ended up finding more than just her mate. After crashing the party, Ivory's uncle reveals himself, making the truth of Ivory's heritage come to light. Can Ivory, daughter of the Moon Goddess and Mother Nature, stop her uncle, Creator of the Underworld from taking over Earth?

Three years… That is how long Eunice Tsui spent in a coma after the car accident five years ago. Now that she is awake, the perpetrator must settle his debts. She's returning to the country that never gave her a warm home, and this time, she's taking matters into her own hands. She will track down every rat hiding in the sewer and eliminate them herself. No more being pushed around or feeling unwelcome—she's taking control of the situation. However, her well-thought-out revenge compromises when Jullian Lopez keeps appearing before her. What will be his role in the stage she built for the culprits to gather around? EXCERPT: “Mommy, I missed you!” A four-year-old boy rushes to her side and gives her a loud kiss on the cheek. “How’s my baby?” With an unusually delicate smile on her lips, Eunice asked softly. “Mommy, don’t embarrass me!” Eunice raised a brow and chuckled. “And why is that? You will always be my baby. Besides, we’re the only people here. Why would you feel embarrassed if I called you my baby?” Jillian pouted, folding his arms as he looked past his mom and pointed at the man who emerged from her bathroom only wrapped in a bath towel, barely covering anything. “Eunice Tsui! Why does that child look so much like me?” the man inquired. Eunice rolled her eyes and retorted, “Jullian Lopez, stop assuming. We never sleep together!” Astounded, Jillian shifted his gaze from the two adults to the bedroom, which looked like a super hurricane had passed because of how messed up the bed and every corner of the room were.

When my parents got old, they needed someone to take care of them. Katerina—my younger sister—was off to Amiraka with her smug husband Chris. Meanwhile, I was crammed into a two-bedroom in Bellavaro with my husband Pavel, who drove a taxi. Mom had no retirement savings, so guess who she dumped herself on? Yep—me. Dad took the cash and ran straight to Katerina. Our place was tiny, but we still gave Mom the master bedroom. She hated it. Constant complaints, constant drama. According to her, life with me was pure misery. Every night, she'd hop on video call with Katerina, gushing about Amiraka like it was heaven, while throwing shade at me for not "taking care of her properly." Meanwhile, I was drowning—trying to hold it together for Mom, help my daughter prep for exams, support a husband with spine problems, and check in on aging in-laws. Mom didn't care. She wanted a plane ticket to Amiraka to party for Katerina's birthday. I snapped. We had a blowout fight, and she collapsed—brain hemorrhage. Even in her hospital bed, she stared me down, whining Katerina's name like a broken record. Then she spat out, "I should've never picked a useless daughter like you!" My chest cracked in half. I blacked out. When I woke up—I was ten years younger. Back to the day they decided who'd get stuck taking care of them. This time, Mom didn't wait. "I want Katerina to take care of me. It's my turn to enjoy life!"

Five years after I broke up with my childhood sweetheart, Jason Thorne, my ALS progressed to its terminal stage. Since I can't receive any treatment for my disease at all, I decide to fly back to my hometown and wait for my death to come. Meanwhile, Jason has been dating a woman named Freya Tyler for five years. In fact, they are about to get married. Freya is even pregnant with Jason's child. We bump into each other in the hospital's garden. When Jason sees the blanket around my shoulders, he scoffs at me. "You're already this weak, and yet you're here all alone. It seems that your doctor boyfriend isn't taking good care of you at all. Then again, you did cheat on me with that guy. It only makes sense that your new relationship won't end well at all." Freya smiles brightly at me. "That's enough, Jason. It's not like everyone is capable of taking care of me very well, just like you do. "Our wedding will be held at the base of a snow mountain in Selvaria. You simply must attend our wedding, Ms. Moyer." As I gaze at Jason's cold and arrogant expression, I do my best to suppress my feelings of longing and guilt. Instead, I reply calmly, "No, thank you. I'm not interested in my ex-boyfriend's life. I'm only staying here for a short while. In the future, I will never come back ever again." Jason merely huffs before turning on his heel and walking away. But when I depart from this world, he loses his will to live too.

Emilia Clark, a young woman struggling with mounting family debts, responds to a mysterious job posting that arrived unexpectedly in her email. When she arrives at the upscale office for what she assumes is a standard interview, she discovers she's the sole candidate for an unusual position that wasn't clearly described in the original correspondence. The role, as revealed by the formidable Mrs. Grey—matriarch of a wealthy and traditional family—is that of a surrogate mother. The Greys are offering an extraordinarily large sum of money for Emilia to carry a child for their family, with the biological father being Mrs. Grey's son. The older woman presents this as a business transaction, delivered with cold efficiency and an underlying air of entitlement that comes with generations of wealth and influence. Mrs. Grey makes it clear that this is a one-time offer with no room for negotiation or delay—Emilia must accept immediately or leave and never return. There will be no second chances, no time to consider, and no opportunity to ask questions or seek advice. Caught completely off guard, Emilia finds herself in an impossible position. The money would solve her family's financial crisis and lift a burden that has been consuming her life. Yet the weight of the decision—to carry a child for strangers under such pressured circumstances—leaves her reeling. As Mrs. Grey waits for an answer, Emilia must quickly weigh her desperate need for financial security against her autonomy, dignity, and the ethical implications of entering into such an arrangement under duress.

Ning Tian Tian was one of the few people who could see ghosts. She was destined to be the Queen of the Spiritual world. She had the power to choose if the soul could go back to the body or will the soul keep wandering. The souls would have only 100 days to find their killer and make them confess with the help from Ning Tian Tian. Sounds easy, Right? No. Tian Tian cannot make even a single mistake, it will cost her something that she would never think of. Apart from helping the souls who had died due to a mistake she also has to be extreme careful so as not to let a vengeful soul fool her. ---- Gu Shen was an extraordinary person who had the power to kill a vengeful soul. But he also had the choice to kill any soul who tries to disturb the realm of living world. Smart, cold, handsome and decisive was all that could define his character. He was young but was strong enough to hold all the responsibilities. He can kill a vengeful soul but, will it not affect him? He would have only three chances to kill a vengeful soul, but were they enough? ----- What will happen when, these two meet and decide to make the world a better place by fulfilling the incomplete wishes of those wandering souls. Would they be able to find love amidst of the chaotic world or would their own wishes remain unfulfilled. -----

In a whirlwind of masked confessions and secret desires, Holly takes a leap of faith at a dazzling masquerade party, declaring her undeniable love to her best friend's older brother. Little does she know, their passionate encounter beneath the mask is shrouded in mystery and forgotten in an instant. When Holly finds she's out carrying his child weeks later, she musters up the courage to reveal the truth to him, only to be met with jealousy and confusion. As she grapples with his unexpected coldness, she can't help but feel a deep sense of shame, prompting her to vanish without a trace, carrying their precious secret within her. Years pass, and Holly's life takes an unforeseen turn when her mother falls ill. Forced to confront her past and return to her roots, she unwittingly exposes her hidden truth, forever altering the course of her life. In a heart-wrenching tale of redemption and second chances, Holly and her lost love embark on an emotional journey back to one another, rekindling a love that time couldn't extinguish. Uniting in sacred matrimony, their shared love blossoms, bringing forth a future filled not only with the twin sons they were destined to have, but with the healing power of forgiveness and a love that defies all odds.

Maya Bennett never expected to cross paths with Lucas Thoreau again not after high school, not after life pulled them in different directions, and certainly not inside a corporate boardroom years later. Their reunion is cold. Professional. Controlled. But beneath the silence lies unfinished history. Now a medical student struggling to build her future, Maya finds herself caught between her steady boyfriend Josh and the dangerous pull of Lucas the powerful CEO whose presence awakens everything she tried to bury. What begins as coincidence slowly spirals into betrayal, obsession, and devastating secrets. When lies surface, friendships shatter, and one woman's jealousy turns deadly, Maya is forced into a nightmare she never saw coming losing her freedom, her reputation, and almost her unborn child. Lucas must confront the consequences of his silence. Sophie hides a truth capable of destroying lives. Josh's loyalty is tested by greed and temptation. And Maya must learn that survival sometimes means letting go of the man you love. In a world of wealth, deception, and broken trust, Waiting in the Shadows is a gripping story of first love, second chances, and the painful cost of believing the wrong person. Because sometimes, love doesn't save you. Sometimes, it leaves you waiting in the shadows