Talent Code

When Andrei Ivanov returns home to clean up his twin's mess, he doesn't expect his stay to be long or eventful. But then his father makes him an offer he can't refuse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one woman he can't stand—Holly Anderson. She's everything he hates in a woman: incredibly spoilt, short-tempered and too damn self-absorbed. And the biggest red flag? She's his frenemy's little sister and comes with a giant warning label. But with the body of a goddess and the untamed spirit of a gladiator, she tempts him beyond measure and makes him want to break all his rules and risk it all… Holly Anderson didn't become a national treasure through talent alone. Hell, she's had to work hard and fight everyone and everything, including all kinds of temptation. So when Andrei walks into her life, dangling a too-good-to-be-true deal right before her eyes, she knows she should shoot him down and send him packing. But down on her luck and dreaming of a big comeback, she throws caution to the wind and signs on the dotted line, jumping headlong into her long-held fantasy… Against the sweeping backdrop of Rock Castle's underworld, smoky boardrooms and awry business deals, what begins as a harmless con soon spirals into stolen moments of fleeting kisses and lingering caresses, taking this unlikely duo down a dark and thrilling path where desire and danger constantly collide and heartbreaking choices must be made. 

Titre : Pas de deux avec le diable Elle s'appelle Graziella Valcourt. Fille d’une couturière et d’un ouvrier, elle n’a que son corps et sa rage pour conquérir la scène. Depuis l’enfance, elle rêve d’être l’étoile, cette ballerine adulée, lumière unique dans l’ombre des autres. Mais à l’Opéra, le talent ne suffit pas. Il faut des appuis. Des noms. Du pouvoir. Quand Élias De Marens, mécène influent, richissime et redouté, lui propose de financer sa carrière en échange d’un contrat... particulier, Graziella hésite. Un marché immoral, inavouable, mais irrésistible. Car il lui promet la scène, la reconnaissance, l’immortalité artistique. À condition de lui appartenir, corps et âme. Graziella accepte. Mais plus elle grimpe, plus elle s’enlise dans un monde de faux-semblants, de jalousies et de pièges. Entre les applaudissements et les nuits volées, entre les projecteurs et les chaînes invisibles, elle vacille. Jusqu’à ce que l’art devienne poison. Et que l’amour, le vrai, vienne tout bouleverser. Jusqu’où ira-t-elle pour danser au sommet ? Et à quel prix ?

[Rebirth, writing, slag abuse, one-on-one, no abuse!] She was the king of mercenaries who made the world's big men talk, holding a piece of ancient jade in her hand, repairing the truth, medical skills... all proficient. Unexpectedly reborn, she turned into an upper - class joke, school people see the evil school slag girl? The king of talented mercenaries, who used to deter the entire mercenary community, said, "Don't make trouble. Waste incompetence? How do you feel about being twisted off by a piece of waste? The last? Come on, let your sister tell you how to write the word "genius!" She doesn't have the talent to do business, financial, managerial half - sister? Well, do you know that the present king of commerce cried and begged her to accept him? Father unknown? As soon as her father's name comes out, the world will shake! A magical ancient doctor, she is the god of heaven in the eyes of countless patients. Sweeping the army, she is no one on the road dare provoke. Beauty coexists with acting. She is the goddess of the circle. A rebirth, a new life, she is still alive, accidentally become a national citizen who no one dares to provoke! Life and death on one hand and fate on the other. The misogynist should play face-to-face, play the rich, play the entertainment circle, and conquer someone by the way. * * * [Little Theater] Old man: It's almost midnight. Are you still busy? Man: No. Then you go out so late? Man: The family is strict. The Lord

A struggling Internet entrepreneur, a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter, a wife of an impressionable state senator, and a famous voice over actress find themselves caught in a web of espionage and intrigue that threatens their lives and those of everyone they know. When the undercover agents first approached Melanie Tyler and Kathleen O=Brian the night of their 30th high school reunion, the women could never have imagined that their innocent game of playing spies from a 60=s television show would become a real life confrontation with one of the most insidious criminal minds of their generation. Melanie "Mel" Tyler and Kathleen "Katie" Conner have been best friends since kindergarten. As teenagers, their favorite television show was The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The girls even had a hidden room where they kept files on various schoolmates. But after graduating from high school, everyone in the graduating class went their separate ways. Mel's voice-over talent landed her a high-paying job in Los Angeles while Katie married her high school sweetheart, James O'Brien, now the youngest member of the Minnesota State Senate. Mel and Katie find it difficult to believe that they are about to attend Abbeyville High School's thirtieth reunion. Seeing most of their former classmates should be fun, but there are a few that the ladies hoped would not attend. Unfortunately, the three worst do make an appearance. Charles Haussman and Eric Kramer were bullies back in school and they have not forgotten how the ladies once bested them. Then there is Wyatt Gaynes, the jock that Melanie had a crush on - along with many other female students. A novel of romance and adventure for Baby Boomers, fans of "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and anyone who has ever attended their high school reunion!

Jake Monroe, heir to the Monroe Shipping fortune, boards the luxury cruise ship Royal with his ambitious parents. His father, Miles, is determined to find Jake a wealthy wife to expand their business empire. He dismisses a modestly dressed young woman as unsuitable—a "gold digger" beneath their social class. Against his father's wishes, Jake is drawn to this mysterious woman, who turns out to be Amity Jenkins, a world-renowned violinist performing under a stage name. Playing her unique transparent violin called the Crystal Voice, Amity captivates audiences with haunting melodies that speak of rebellion and longing for freedom. Both Jake and Amity are secretly struggling against their families' expectations. Jake yearns to marry for love rather than money, while Amity has been hiding her true identity as an heiress to Jenkins-Whitmore Industries, one of Monroe Shipping's biggest rivals. She's created this separate musical life to escape the politics of high society and prove herself through talent rather than inherited wealth. Their growing connection is complicated by family pressure, class assumptions, and hidden truths. Jake's father pushes him toward "suitable" matches like Rebecca Ashford, while Amity's brother Liam tracks her down, demanding she return to the family business. Past betrayals have left Amity wary of trust, especially from someone in Jake's social circle. As the ship sails toward the Mediterranean, both must decide whether to continue living the lives their families have planned or risk everything for authentic connection and self-determination. Their story unfolds against the backdrop of maritime luxury, where appearances deceive and true identity lies beneath the surface.

My family is the oldest healing bloodline in the Frostmoon Pack, and I am the most promising talent to become the pack's Chief Healer. My destined mate, who promised to mark me on my 20th birthday, instead chose my stepsister Eliza on the very day that was meant to be mine. Then Alaric Blackwood, the legendarily powerful and cold Alpha of the Blackwood pack, openly pursued me after I was abandoned. For five years after becoming his mate, he treated me with tender care and bone-deep devotion. He told me not to work so hard as a healer and to focus on being his Luna. Until I accidentally overheard a conversation between him and his loyal Beta. "Alpha, Eliza has already become Chief Healer. How long will you continue pretending to love Amara?" "It doesn't matter since I can't be Eliza's mate anyway. Besides, as long as I'm with Amara, she won't interfere with Eliza's happiness." Every night, he prayed to the Moon Goddess, and every word was filled with longing and love for Eliza. "May the Moon Goddess bless Eliza. May she find peace in body and spirit." "May the Moon Goddess grant Eliza all she desires, and protect all that she loves." ... "Eliza, we're not destined for each other in this life. I only pray we become fated mates in the next." Only then did I realize that my mate—his body belonged to me, but his heart belonged deeply to my stepsister. I've prepared a fake identity and planned a staged death at the hands of rogue wolves. From now on, we will never meet again, in this life or any other.

SIX-PACK SERIES BOOK THREE *While this book can be read as a standalone, I'd highly recommend reading books one (Alpha Gray) and two (Alpha Theo) for context before this book* JAX : I'm no stranger to one night stands. Lots of girls want a hook-up with an alpha, so why should this one be any different? Maybe it's because she's the best I ever had. Maybe it's because she refused to tell me anything about herself. We agreed to one night, no strings attached. The problem is, I can't get that night out of my head; I've been obsessed with finding this girl since. When she shows up at the squad complex for training, I feel like it's my lucky day- until my best friend introduces her as his sister and things get... complicated. I can't go against bro code, right? Even if Quinn is my dream girl. Even if there's a crazy attraction between us that's harder to resist every day. I'm so screwed.  ~ QUINN : One night. It was supposed to be one night of anonymous, meaningless with a stranger. I just wanted to have a good time and forget about my cheating ex. It definitely did the trick- I haven't thought about my ex since, but now I can't stop thinking about that night or the sexy stranger who had all the right moves. When I arrive at the complex for a fresh start, I'm shocked to see him again- and even more surprised to find out that he's not only an alpha, but also one of my brother's best friends. Theo would Jax if he found out about that night. He can never know- which means I have to keep my distance. Even if I can't stop fantasizing about Jax. Even if it kills me.

My elder sister, Emma Rothschild, longs for a life of luxury. As such, she requests to marry the prince of Northia, Matias Redburn. On the other hand, I'm married off to an elven scholar visiting human territory, Aleron Glintwood. After the wedding with Emma, Matias leaves Northia and visits the giant clan's territory to establish a trade route. He's never heard of again. Meanwhile, I accompany Aleron to Empiria. He obtains a teaching position at the Royal Academy of Magic by virtue of his elven talent for magic. As for me, I become a highly envied professor's wife. Emma continues to live alone in the Northian Frozen Plains. She's later discovered to be having an affair with a human knight. When the Draconian Council of Elders exiles her from their lands, our father—Gareth Rothschild—furiously declares that he's severing ties with her. She's thus forever cut off from the Rothschild family. While I'm on my way home for the festival, Emma forcibly stops my carriage. She begs me to take her home and put in a good word for her. Along the way, she suddenly grabs the reins. As a result, the carriage goes out of control and tumbles over a cliff. When I regain consciousness, I see Emma on the floor. She's crying and demanding a change in engagement plans. At that moment, I realize that she's also been reborn. However, Emma doesn't know that life with the elves isn't as wonderful as she imagines. I immediately begin preparing for the magic academy's entrance exam. This time, I'll spare no effort to be admitted into the academy myself.

Kharris has the beauty, talent, and popularity but she seems to have no interest in it 'cause she only has eyes for her first love, Dos. But no matter how hard she tries, her love is unlikely to be reciprocatedㅡespecially when she received an invitation to his engagement party. Desperate to get over her unrequited feeling, she spends one passionate night with Dos' twin Uno; a billionaire and the firstborn son of a conglomerate of the mafia. The man who has his own unrequited love. Buong akala ni Kharris ay isang gabi ng kapusukan lamang ang nangyari ngunit hindi niya inaasahan na sa unang pagkakataon ay papayag siyang pumasok sa isang relasyon na purong pisikal lamang at walang attachment. Being friends with benefits. That was their original plan, but things began to change as Kharris and Uno's love-hate relationship grew stronger, and find themselves surrendering to a passionate love than they could have ever imagined. Nagbunga ang kanilang pagmamahalan, ngunit dahil sa isang pagkakamali at problema ay nagdesisyong lumayo si Kharris at palakihin nang mag-isa ang kanyang dinadala. 5 years later, iniwan si Kharris nang malaking utang ng kanyang ama matapos nitong magtago. To make it worse, ginawa pa siyang collateral kaya naman napilitin siyang magtrabaho bilang hostess sa isang high-end club na pagmamay-ari ng loan shark. At sadyang mapaglaro ang tadhana dahil ang kauna-unahan niyang naging customer ay walang iba kung hindi si Uno, ang ama ng kanyang anak.

EXPECTATION. That's how Zialla Trixie Alcantara describe her life. She's the type of girl who craves for freedom ngunit pinagkait ito sa kaniya. Living in a world full of perfectionist, hindi alam ni Trixie kung saan pa ba siya lulugar sa mundong ito. She almost believed that disappointing everyone is her talent because that's the only thing she's good at. She's aware how dark her life is because she always feel lonely and alone. Even her father never treated her special dahil maging ito ay mataas din ang expectasyon sa kaniya. She's too soft to even resist her father's expectations that's why she didn't had any second thought to obey her father's will. Her main goal in life is to experience the feeling of being inlove and to be loved by someone not until Kairo Ace De Guzman entered her life. Ang akala ni Trixie ay nagbago na ito pero roon siya nabigo. At sa ikalawang pagkakataon ay muli na namang nasaktan ang puso niya. Paano pa matatakasan ni Trixie ang taong pilit niyang kinakalimutan kung mismo ang tadhana na ang naglalapit sa kanilang dalawa? Will they be able to chase the love they had before, or they will just leave it behind and just call it as their memory of the past? Handa na ba siyang tumaya ulit para sa kaniyang kaligayahan o tuluyan na niyang tutuldukan ang kaniyang nararamdaman at sundin ang kagustuhan ng kaniyang magulang? It is the battle between love and expectation.