The Gaze

“You’re my goddamn stepbrother. You know this, so let’s set boundaries,” I whisper as if I’m speaking of something abominable. But it’s something that should be normal. Sane. Logical. Then Riven Rythrone lifts a hand and grabs my chin, forcing my gaze up to his. His eyes don’t belong to someone normal. They belong to someone dark. Abnormal. Insane. Illogical. “You begged to be mine. Remember?” My breath hitches, my pulse riots, and my body stupidly flinches as he snakes a hand around my waist, dragging me closer. Close into his twisted, demented world, where he rules, where reason burns, and where I’m the only thing he refuses to let go of. Twenty-year-old Adelina West has no reason to hate her mother’s marriage to a California millionaire. But when a devil with blue eyes is involved, resentment comes easy. She wants to escape him. He wants to own her. And when Riven Rythrone wants something, not even blood or sin can stop him.

"A fake marriage. A dangerous game. A love that could destroy them both." When Aurora Lane is forced to save her father from ruin, she finds herself trapped in a deal she never expected—marrying the ruthless billionaire Damian Blackwell, the man who shattered her world years ago. Damian offers her a lifeline: marry him for one year and her father's crushing debt will vanish. But as they step into a world of luxury, power, and lies, the line between hate and desire blurs. Aurora swore she would never fall for him. But his touch sets her on fire, and his dark, possessive gaze sees right through her defenses. Yet behind Damian’s cold façade, dangerous secrets lurk—secrets that could destroy everything if exposed. As passion ignites and emotions grow, both must confront their pasts before their fake marriage turns into something real—and even more dangerous. What happens when the man she should hate becomes the only one she can't resist?

My African American Mom married a rich Japanese man. As I moved the skeleton of my new bed next to the window, I felt a gaze focused on me. Outside my window, was the house next door. The house shape was similar to ours, so it also had a window facing mine at the same level. Standing there on the other side was a skinny Japanese boy. As soon as I laid eyes on him, he stiffened, then shyly smiled and waved. His hair was all over the place, seeing him in his tanktop I thought to myself that he must've just rolled out of bed. But wasn't it the afternoon already? The boy says something but of course I can't hear him with my window closed so I slide it open. "Eto....hi." He tried in English. If someone were to tell me later I'd come to care about him deeply, I'd find that hard to believe. For as long as I could remember I've always felt empty. And that emptiness, I hid on instinct.

"Let's be clear. While I stay here, no kissing, no hugging," Aiden Anderson said without breaking his gaze at Jessamine, his best friend since third grade. "You're my best friend... You're like a sister to me and my only family. I don't want to be reckless and lose you in the end." "I was only teasing you, Aiden. I'm not losing you as well. You're the only man I trust besides my father," Jessamine assured him. Jessamine turned her back on him, fighting the tears, unsure why her heart was disappointed. A part of her brain said she would rather die with heartache than admit to him that she wished there was more to their friendship, but her heart screamed something else. She wanted to be reckless with him and gave her heart the freedom to love him more than best friend, but how could she admit to him she loved him when Aiden assured her he would disappear from her forever if they crossed the boundary of their friendship?

"I, Leila Steen of the Lycan King's Pack, rejecgt you, Lucas Lavoie, Alpha of Kingfisher Pack."
 "You think this stunt will win me over? You're gravely mistaken." In her past life, Leila, a Lycan princess, cast aside her pride to appease her mate, Lucas - a cold, merciless Alpha whose heart belonged to another. While Leila groveled for scraps of his affection, the entire kingdom whispered of his torrid affair with Josephine, his true love. Scorned and discarded, Lucas drained every ounce of Leila's worth, leaving her to perish in agony on an operating table. Reborn with fire in her veins, Leila vows to reclaim her destiny and sever ties with the man who shattered her. But after her bold rejection and demand for divorce, Lucas, once repulsed by her very existence, undergoes a shocking transformation, pleading for a second chance. Unmoved by his groveling, Leila turns away, her gaze fixed on a new horizon - and into the arms of Darren, Lucas' fiercest rival, whose dangerous allure promises a future forged in passion and power.

Looking into the eyes of the brilliant Gregory Green, the world around her disappeared. The grin on his face grew wider as he watched a star struck Willow, gaze deeply into his eyes. Picking up her hand in front of all in the room he shouts ," she is mine! The room was silent and Willow snapped out of her hypnotic trance,looking at the ring on her finger, she tried to tug it off. To her surprise it felt as if it was getting tighter. Gregory watched her struggle,his laugh echoed in the room as he slowly leaned in. Willow stepped back,assuming he was diving in for a kiss. Pulling her into him,his hot breath tickled her ears as he whispered," this is no ordinary ring,babygirl. you are mine forever!" She shook her head , a clear indication of her saying no but the guests at the diner started to applaud. No one dared go against Gregory Green,the richest man in the city. No one dared! Until he forcefully wedded Willow Winter, a waitress in a little diner! A mischievous Willow sets alight to his life,until he claims her heart!

"I, ALPHA LUCIOUS DARK, REJECT YOU AS MY MATE! YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A WEAK HUMAN, AND THAT'S NOT THE KIND OF LUNA I WANT FOR MY PACK!" I declared, locking my intense gaze with hers. I noticed her eyes welling up with tears, and I could hear the rapid beating of her heart in response to my harsh words. ********* Aurora finds herself forced into an unwanted marriage with Lucious Dark, a notorious and dreadful Alpha. However, Lucious has a desperate need for an heir to break a curse placed upon him by his father. Despite her reluctance, Aurora is sent to Lucious' chambers to fulfil her duties as his forced Bride. But instead of accepting her as his mate, Lucious coldly rejects her. Yet, driven by his desire for something she possesses, he makes a disturbing decision; he accepts Aurora as his sex slave, reducing her to a life of pain but pleasure… What happens next when he just can't help but get attracted and obsessed with Aurora? What happens when Aurora finds a second chance mate?

“What did you say?” “I said that if you won’t touch me and make me yours, then maybe someone should.” To my surprise, Archie smirked at me and his gaze drifted to my lips. “No one’s ever going to touch you but me, Rosie.” *** Rosie Fay is the daughter of the mafia, so she is used to being surrounded by guns, sulky men, and dangerous deals. But her father thought she shouldn’t lead things after he was gone, so he made a deal and offered her hand in marriage to Archie Donovan. The arranged marriage wasn’t the problem though—Archie was. He treated her well and took care of her, but that’s all their relationship entailed. No romantic strings attached. But they clearly liked each other, so why did he always push her away? As the tension between them intensified, the dangers around the family increased. Was happiness even a possibility for them? Or would the mafia life take that away from her? Daughter of the Mafia is created by Rafaella Dutra, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

When her mother marries a billionaire, she’s dragged into a world she never asked for… private jets, elite academies, and a mansion that feels too big to breathe in. But nothing prepares her for him. Her new stepbrother. The school’s most dangerous playboy. The boy every girl wants… and every parent fears. The one person she must avoid if she wants her life to stay peaceful. But the moment their eyes meet, his gaze burns into her like a claim. At school, she tries to keep her distance. He pulls her closer. She hides from the rumors. He wraps an arm around her waist and whispers one word that changes everything: “Mate.” Suddenly, she’s the target of every jealous girl in the academy, trapped between school drama, a possessive stepbrother she can’t resist, and a bond she never believed existed. She only wanted a fresh start. Instead, she walked straight into the arms of the one boy she can never have… And the only boy who refuses to let her go.

I attended a party that was supposed to kick off my career in Jewelry design and make me rich and famous. But that didn't go as planned, I did not meet any clients and I didn't climb up the social ladder like I imagined. All I got was the attention of a paranoid, possessive billionaire that would do anything, I mean anything at all, just to keep me by his side. “Why, Felix? What do you want from me?” I let out in frustration and sadness. He smiled and walked towards me, pulling me closer and forcing my face up to gaze into his eyes, “By now you should know the answer to that question, cupcake. I want you, Selina, and I won’t let you get away from me.” He affirmed in a hoarse tone that made me hate and love him at the same time. His words are always revealing his deep and possessive affection for me. "What am I suppose to do now, how can I hate and love him at the same time?"