The Gaze

“I don’t want you. I hate you.” Those words from her only son slice deeper than any blade. Sarah returns from the hospital expecting love, only to find her place at the family table stolen. Her husband, James, stands arm in arm with Tiana — his late brother’s widow, while her son clings to the other woman’s waist, rejecting his own mother. The betrayal does not end there. After a confrontation with Tiana, she woke up in an abandoned building, her hands tied, and mouth taped. Beside her was Tiana too. Tied. James stood, his confused gaze darting from Tiana to Sarah. And then came the baritone voice from one of the kidnappers: “One life. One choice. You can only save one. Choose!” Sarah turned, seeing how Tiana was communicating with the kidnappers with her eyes. She struggled to let James see the truth; that this was all a setup. But she couldn’t. Her mouth was tapped. But then, like a match striking steel, James’ voice came brittle and final. “Tiana.” He chose his ex over his own wife. Over the mother of his child. Sarah was abandoned in the warehouse. Immediately they left, the warehouse exploded, covered in flames. And Sarah’s screams and cries inside, filled the night. Did Sarah survive the fire outbreak? If she did, can they stand her revenge when she finally returns?

Their kiss left them craving more, their bodies aflame with desire. Brynn willingly granted Killian entry to her mouth, his yearning evident in a throaty moan. His scorching lips ignited a passionate fire within her, and his hand gently traced along her curves, coaxing seductive sounds from Brynn's lips. While they hadn't ventured beyond their previous encounter in the study, Brynn's readiness was palpable. She longed for him so ardently that the mere thought of having him made her quiver. Killian was enraptured by her taste, his desire overwhelming. He broke the kiss momentarily to gaze into Brynn's eyes, which smoldered with a hunger that mirrored his own. They both ached for each other. As his fingers deftly undid the buttons of her attire, a shiver of anticipation coursed through Brynn's skin. When Killian beheld her exposed breast, he couldn't resist a hiss of desire, sending her into blissful sighs as her garments fell away. Her gown pooled at her feet, leaving Brynn in a sensuous black two-piece lingerie set that left Killian spellbound. The way her voluptuous curves accentuated her body left him in a state of eager anticipation, his excitement evident. "Damn," he muttered, reminiscing about their previous passionate encounters. "You're incredibly seductive," he declared, his voice husky with desire, as he guided her gently to the bed. "And you're all mine."

"You shouldn’t be here." Lila’s voice trembled, betraying the iron resolve she clung to. Cassian smirked, his broad frame blocking the doorway. "And yet, here I am." His gaze lingered on her, dark and hungry. "You didn’t think I’d let you go so easily, did you?" Two years ago, he shattered her heart with a rejection that still stung like a fresh wound. Now, the powerful Alpha stood in her doorway, his scent wrapping around her like a forbidden promise. "You made your choice, Cassian," she said, stepping back, even as her pulse quickened. "I’ve moved on." "Have you?" His voice was low, dangerous, as he closed the distance between them. "Because I haven’t. Every moment without you has been hell." Lila’s breath hitched as his hand brushed her cheek, the touch sparking a fire she thought had long since burned out. "You don’t get to do this," she whispered, though her body betrayed her, leaning into him. "I’ll do whatever it takes to make you mine again," he growled, his lips just a breath away from hers. "Even if I have to fight the entire world you to prove it." But Cassian isn’t the only one after her heart. And this time, Lila refuses to be anyone’s second choice.

Arabella's pleasant life becomes a life of pain in the space of one night. That man put her father in jail and rendered him on bankrupt. The man she hated the most. Maverick Julius. The richest billionaire from a mega-company that dominates trade throughout Europe. She's not sure what the man is hoping to get out of her. Bella realized that she was the object of the man's worst hatred. When they looked at one another, his eyes were so icy. He was certain that Bella should experience all of the pain. "I warn you. Obey every order I give you." He locked his gaze on me. His eyes showed seriousness. As if to say, 'Don't mess with someone like me!' That man was frightening. Don't want to be denied. Very dominant. Once Arabella lived with that man, she discovered a lot of secrets. A secret that Bella never knew existed in that man. What will Bella do? Can Bella conquer that man? "Strip," he gave me command. His hunter's eyes tell me not to refuse what he said. As the man got closer, I remained silent because my legs were too rigid to move. "W-what?" He taps his finger on my chin. Put it up. Forcing me to stare into his lust-filled eyes. "I said, strip! Don't make me punish you for disobeying my rules. You belong to me. Be submissive and you will get that pleasurable pain." Are you intrigued as to what became of them? Discover their entire narrative by reading the entire story!

Surrounded by the darkness, she wasn't sure what was this place. She was lost in this dark abyss and didn't knew the way out. She was tired now, tired of running in different directions yet reaching nowhere, tired of trying to be brave when she was everything but that. After few moments of silence when she thought nothing can go wrong now, she heard something. Sge turned and saw.. Nothing.. No! She was sure she heard that, it wasn't her hallucination. She was terrified yet didn't lose her facade of being the strong girl she is trying to be since the time she landed here. She looked everywhere but she wasn't able to locate the source, releasing a defeated sigh, she wandered her gaze above her and shrieked at the sight. He, with that terrifying yet the most attractive smirk on his face, was watching her from the building above her. He glared at her with those piercing eyes and evil look on his face. She didn't realized she was shivering and sweating badly and suddenly he was there just an inch away from her face. She felt like he snatched the oxygen from the atmosphere leaving her breathless. She started gasping for air. And then... Thud! She woke up sweating and breathing heavily. She observed her surrounding before taking a sigh of relief. It was a nightmare, again! But what's the gurantee it won't be a nightmare the next time? She knew her nightmare will soon turn to reality and this nightmarish reality will make her life hell. ••••••••••

“No! Please, Santiago--” I whimpered, as his hand seized my wrist with an iron grip, yanking me forward, dragging me effortlessly toward the chair he had pulled into the center of the room the night before. The symbol of my humiliation. He stopped right in front of the chair, spinning me around, facing him. "You want me to be your monster, mi ángel?" His hand grabbed my throat, tilting my chin up until my eyes locked with his dark gaze. I flinched from the sudden movement. "Cause I’ll be your favorite monster — just say the word, cariño." Santiago’s face hovered only inches from mine. His lips so close, I could taste the sweetness of his breath — once making butterflies take flight in my stomach, now curdling my insides into a cold, suffocating fear. Slowly, his free hand rose toward my face. I held my breath. His touch was deceptively soft and gentle, caressing my cheek. His thumb lingered against my lips, tracing them slowly, his eyes fixed there as he spoke — his voice soft, yet heavy with menace. "Divorce is not an option, mi amor. We took a vow five years ago. Remember?" He finally lifted his gaze to meet mine, catching every flicker of fear before he delivered his last words like a verdict: "Till death do us part."

“Wait.” His voice was soft as he stepped closer. “Who are you?” I turned back to him, my smile never wavering while I tried to slow my heart rate racing. “Oh, it's Emilia Cattaneo from Verona.” I lied. He stared at me, his gaze unwavering. “Funny because last week… you said your name was Juliette” My blood froze. He remembered? No way. My mouth opened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You must have mistaken me for someone else.” His smile vanished and I could make out the tick in his jaw. “Don’t lie to me in my house.” ****** He was never meant to fall for her. She was never meant to betray him. Isabella De Luca enters the world of the Romano mafia empire with one mission: destroy it from the inside. Armed with secrets and trained for deception, she becomes the perfect candidate for the mafia king’s bride — beautiful, bold, and completely fake. But Matteo Romano is not just a cold-blooded heir. He’s cunning, ruthless, and dangerously magnetic. The deeper Isabella sinks into his world, the harder it becomes to tell where the mission ends and where desire begins. When betrayal collides with bloodlines and a buried truth resurfaces, everything unravels. A deadly empire. A forbidden pregnancy. A woman torn between revenge and love. And a king who must choose between power… and the one person who was never supposed to matter. In this world, loyalty is currency. And trust? The deadliest weapon of all.

"You are my mate, Sarah," he confessed, his voice trembling with pain. "I knew it before I even spoke to you that night at the club. I lied when I said it was a joke because I was hiding who I really am, and because I’ve always believed having a mate is a weakness..." His voice dropped to a whisper, his gaze locked on mine. "Until now."   I should feel excited to eventually meet my mate, but confusion clouded my mind.   ******     Sarah’s life is already in shambles. At 26, she’s a teacher struggling to survive as an ostracised witch. As if that's not enough, she was betrayed by her fiancé, hated by her mother, haunted by a dark past, and plagued by a mysterious illness only a mate’s mark can cure. The last thing she needs in her life is Anderson, a cocky and arrogant 18-year-old student.   But what begins as forbidden attraction turns dangerous when lust gives way to something deeper, while her life becomes entangled in a series of murders and disappearances that all lead back to her.   As their connection deepens, so does the danger as a prophecy surfaces—one that has tied their fates since childhood.   Pursued by a power-hungry Alpha, Anderson's uncle, and a deadly cult determined to kill them to prevent the prophecy from coming to pass, Sarah and Anderson must confront their pasts and unravel the secrets binding them together.   In this dark and gripping supernatural romance, fate and choice collide as two unlikely souls discover that some bonds are worth dying for to make the prophecy come to pass.

Extract Alpha Dominic’s gaze cut through me like ice. “I don’t know you,” he spat, his voice filled with disgust. “How dare you show up out of nowhere, claiming to be my mate, claiming to carry my child, when I have never laid eyes on you before?” “Um, I—” I opened my mouth to explain, to tell him everything, but he cut me off. “Are you here for money? Is that it?” Without waiting for an answer, he reached into his car and pulled out a bundle of cash, flinging it at my feet. “I don’t want to see your filthy face again. I won’t waste my energy rejecting you. We will never be together. The moon goddess must have been mistaken to think a lowlife like you could be my mate.” The money lay scattered on the ground as hot tears blurred my vision. “I’m not lying,” I sobbed. “I am carrying your child.” Wolfless and satisfied, all Odette ever wanted was to be promoted and to become a full-time teacher. But her world came crumbling down when her boss made sexual advances at her, saying it was the only way for her to keep her job. Brokenhearted, she ran from the school, and instead of going home to her family, she went to a hotel, got drunk, ended up in the bed of a stranger, and got pregnant afterwards. She was sent out of the house by her mother until she aborted the baby. Will she abort the baby? Or find the father of her child?

My husband's childhood sweetheart was diagnosed with a terminal illness. To fulfill her last wishes and let her experience the warmth of family, my husband, Aaron Turner, gave her my necklace. He even let her claim my birthday. Even our son started calling her "Mom" in private. He told me, "Chrishell, Sylvia is dying. Just give in to her, will you?" Whenever I asked him to spare even a little time and affection for me, our son, Lucas, would rush to speak on their behalf. "Mom, didn't you always teach me to be generous? Sylvia is dying. Why do you always make things difficult for her?" Over time, I stopped asking for anything at all. Then one night, I overheard my son speaking to his father after returning from the hospital. "Sylvia is so gentle and graceful. I wish Mom could be more like her." Aaron chuckled and affectionately brushed his hand over our son's hair. "Your mom may be a little strict, but it's all for your own good. Since you like Sylvia so much, how about we let her be your godmother?" So even the child I risked my life to bring into this world didn't like me. I lowered my gaze, quietly closed the bedroom door, and pretended none of it had happened. Since they were both filled with such regret, I'd leave quietly and give them what they wanted.