Tender Smile

She swore off the rink the night her ex, ice hockey’s golden boy, broke her heart in front of the school. Ice was for scars, not second chances. But everything changes when a mysterious transfer student shows up, a brooding goalie with a record as dark as his past and a smile sharp enough to cut. His deal is simple. Pretend to date him, and he’ll help her win the scholarship that could rewrite her future. But as sparks ignite and secrets unravel, she finds herself caught between old wounds and new temptations. Is he just another player in a dangerous game… or the one person who could change everything?

Staring straight into her eyes, a playful smile curls his lips. "If you agree to be my pet for a year, then you and your father will be free." The devil whispers coldly, with his eyes full of desire. To save her father who stole from the ruthless mafia lord, Theo Rodriguez. Everyone surrenders to him, but she dares to confront him. Even though she is trembling with fear, her tearful eyes show determination. She knows this will drag her to hell, but still, she says yes. Will this deal that started as a pleasure trade by force grow into more? Will they crave and fall for each other? Or will they just break up when the contract expires, leaving their passion behind?

To find the missing fake heiress, my family forced me to undergo a memory extraction. They were convinced that I had bullied her for the past three years and driven her to run away. I gave a bitter smile and let them continue. As the memories surfaced one after another, the truth became clear. I was the one who had been bullied all along. My parents, overcome with guilt, clutched my hands so tightly they nearly fainted. My brother’s eyes were bloodshot, his teeth grinding until he drew blood. In their arms, I looked up in confusion and asked softly, “Who are you?”

“Kamu harus pacaran denganku!” “T-Tidak.” “Apa katamu?!" Gabriel mendesis tak percaya jika gadis kolot seperti Angela menolaknya. *** Tentu saja hanya orang yang tidak waras yang berani menolak berkencan dengan Gabriel Leon alias The Midas. Ia adalah salah satu pemimpin mafia terkenal yang juga memiliki perusahaan konstruksi dan perbankan di Miami. Tidak seperti namanya yang berarti kaki tangan Tuhan, Gabriel tidak punya belas kasihan di hatinya. Dia menguasai pangsa peredaran senjata ilegal namun tidak ada polisi yang berani menangkapnya. Sampai suatu hari salah satu pesaingnya membuatnya rugi besar. Tidak mau dijatuhkan, Gabriel mencari celah untuk membalas. Saat itulah ia mengenal Angela Terrel ialah seorang staf keuangan biasa yang menyusun proposal analisis tender yang memenangkan perusahaan saingan terbesarnya yaitu Winston. Gabriel melihat sesuatu yang tersembunyi di balik matanya yang indah, serta bibirnya yang sensual, meski Angela menutupi semua itu dengan penampilannya yang kolot. Semenjak pertemuan mereka, Gabriel yang tidak sadar telah jatuh cinta, berusaha keras menarik malaikat itu ke sisinya.

Nia, after losing the man she loved—Ares—to a sacrifice she didn’t deserve, Nia’s life ended in guilt and heartbreak. But death isn’t her escape. Instead, the Moon Goddess Selene offers her a deal: live again in the bodies of women who met tragic ends, rewrite their stories, and fill a glowing necklace with enough energy to bring Ares’s soul back. There’s just one catch: Ares’s soul, it’s shattered, scattered across the worlds she’ll enter, hidden in the men who make her heart race and her pulse pound. From forbidden kisses with a nobleman who knows too much, to heated nights in a warrior’s tent, and the tender touch of an artist who paints her like he’s worshiping her body, every life brings her closer to completing her mission—and losing herself to desire. But as the necklace glows brighter, the truth becomes harder to ignore: these men aren’t just strangers. They’re pieces of Ares, tempting her to fall in love all over again. Will Nia bring back the man she lost, or will the fragments of him in every lover leave her longing for more than one lifetime can handle?

Amelia Hutton, an 18-year-old with a captivating charm, exudes an effervescent brightness that draws people towards her. A girl whose heart is a sanctuary for love, her family occupies the topmost rung in her priorities. In the tender embrace of her familial bonds, her elder brother Jonathan emerges as a formidable protector, his love for her an unshakable foundation. But life takes an unexpected turn when Amelia crosses paths with Gabriel Hamilton, a man whose mere presence exudes an aura of power and ruthlessness. With wealth beyond imagination at his disposal, he's not just a billionaire; he's a force of nature. Handsome as he is enigmatic, Gabriel's entrance into Amelia's world shatters her equilibrium. Yet, his intentions transcend mere curiosity. A dark obsession burgeons within him, a compulsion to possess Amelia, to draw her into his shadowy existence. His fixation on her grows like an insidious vine, weaving its tendrils around his thoughts until she's all he can see. Gabriel's heart is cloaked in darkness, a void he yearns to fill with her light. In this saga of love and power, innocence and darkness, the tale of Amelia and Gabriel emerges as a gripping narrative. Their destinies are intertwined, bound by a tumultuous journey that will test the limits of their hearts, challenging them to rise above the suffocating grip of obsession and claim their own fates.

Robin leaned close to my ears and whispered the words that only made me stiff and froze my heart. He leans back but while doing so, his lips brushed against mine and a smile escaped his lips, he left my chin and walked away whistling to himself. I just couldn’t move, the touch of his lips that were on mine yet again clouded my mind and the words he whispered in my ears just kept on resounding as silence filled the air where I stood, only the words he had just said arrogantly, yet sweetly, played on in my head. You belong to me and no one else!

After saving my girlfriend, Tiffany Swain, I suffer from a concussion, leading to me getting rushed to the hospital. That's when I decide to play a prank on her. "Who are you?" When I see Tiffany's expression freeze on her face, I almost burst out laughing. But Tiffany suddenly points at her best friend, Janet Emery. "I'm your fiancee's friend. That's your fiancee, Janet Emery." This time, my expression freezes on my face. Janet approaches me at that moment. "That's right. I'm your fiancee." I squeeze out a smile at her. "Let's go home, then."

At my 25th birthday party, my childhood sweetheart got down on one knee, holding a diamond ring. "Diane, will you marry me?" I nodded, my eyes misty with tears, but just as I reached out, he slipped the ring onto my best friend's finger instead. The room went silent for a beat before erupting in laughter. "Just kidding!" Livio Becker laughed. "You didn't take it seriously, did you?" I forced a smile and looked over his shoulder at someone. "I bet he would propose tonight, and I was right. You lost the bet, so tomorrow we're getting married for real."

"A great alpha handles pack affairs outside, and chores at home." my mate Luke had posted. I stared at these words. It was a post from my mate, Luke's Instagram. In the picture he was in a vineyard pruning grapes. Chores at home? Luke who would not even help me to clean a table was actually helping someone else. He had left this morning saying he was going on werewolf business, but from these pictures he was at a she-wolf's vineyard in our pack. A bitter smile escaped my lips as I quietly liked the post and put of my phone. Whatever was coming next, I did not know. But I knew it was over.