The Gift Of The Magi By O Henry

I was born into a world where loyalty is currency and vengeance is law. In this life, love is a weakness... and I learned that too late. My name is Aria Valente—daughter of a mafia kingpin, a pawn in a bloody game I never agreed to play. I was raised to be poised, silent, and obedient. But everything changed the day I was forced to marry Lorenzo De Rossi—the heir of our enemy, a man as cold as the steel he carries. His touch burns. His silence cuts deeper than any blade. And yet, behind those dark, calculating eyes lies a storm that calls to the chaos in me. We were never meant to fall in love. Torn between family legacies and buried secrets, I uncovered truths that shattered the world I thought I knew. Lies. Betrayal. A history soaked in blood. Lorenzo isn’t just my husband—he’s the very weapon forged to destroy me. But I am not the delicate flower they raised me to be. In this world of blood and bullets, only one truth remains: I will not bow. I will rise. Now, we are no longer pawns. We are fire and fury. And this is no longer a love story. It’s a war.

"Kali, what have you seen?" The other warriors crowded around Kali and I. They were craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the captive. They had never seen such a being before. "Destruction looms over us all! He must be killed. The warrior must be killed." Kali rushed to get the blade but I grabbed her arm and stopped her. "No. In as much as we are a warrior tribe of women. We are not savages. We must investigate this." "Suprema Sequoia, please you must listen to me. No good can come out of this. Men can never be trusted. Their hearts are full of darkness and evil. They poison and corrupt the ways of nature. He must die!!!" I was confused. I could only grasp one strange word from all Kali had said. "Men? What do you mean by men?..." In a tribe of alpha female wolves born from the mystical waters of the Lunaria, Sequoia is born the Suprema of the pack, Mystic Shadow. All is well until they are attacked by male warriors. Sequoia is immediately curious of the new gender she and her other warriors have never seen and she is taken on an enlightening journey of love with their attackers Alpha. All soon falls to pieces with jealousy, greed and betrayal and Sequoia is now forced to make the choice between her new found love and the safety and continued existence of her pack.

The night my husband, William Costello, was assassinated by his enemies was supposed to be a celebration—our wedding anniversary. I was dressed in his favorite red dress, waiting for him, when the phone rang. "Mr. Costello was shot at the harbor. The bullet went through the back of his head. He died on the spot." I collapsed to the floor. I clung to his belongings, mourning for a week straight. We even lost our unborn child during this time. Everyone said William and I were true love. Even the Don himself came to the funeral, resting a heavy hand on my shoulder with a sigh. He said, "All of Blackhaven knows you were the only woman he ever loved." Grief nearly destroyed me. I stood at the river's edge, ready to follow William into the afterlife. However, I overheard my sister-in-law, Emily Hawkins, leaning into my brother-in-law, Jones Costello, her voice dripping with a twisted affection. She purred, "William, I love you so much. Between Nina and me, who do you think is sexier?" "Of course it's you, babe!" came the husky reply. I stood frozen, my eyes wide and my body trembling. Why was Emily calling my brother-in-law by my husband's name?

My name is Rayne and I've always been alone in life. Except for him… The Demon that watches me in the night. Reavers are ruthless, blood thirsty creatures. Disguised as distinguished gentlemen in suits and ties, the brothers will kill without rhyme or reason. Everything about them is made to attract you, make you forget that you should be fucking running the opposite direction. And it works. I live in the most powerful pack in the world. But even my Alpha is afraid of the brothers. The Reaver with eyes of molten gold, hunts me like it's a fucking game. He follows me, watches me in secret, and makes himself known if I do something he doesn't like… It's been 7 years since he laid his claim on me, but he should have let me fucking drown. He tries to control every aspect of my life, but I will do what I want, when I want, and I would like to see him try and fucking stop me. In fact, I'm counting on it… I refuse to be anyone's puppet. Not the Demon who watches me, not my Alpha's, and sure as fuck not the Demon's younger brother. I've heard the whispers. I know there's something different about me... But that gives exactly no one the right to think they fucking own me. How much am I willing to give up to prove that point? I ask myself this question, and then make a choice… A choice that nearly destroys me. Lucky for me, The Darkness would never let me face this trauma alone… With The Darkness on my side, I feel fucking invincible, and I'm going to go out of my way to make sure that everyone knows exactly where I fucking stand. (Book 1 in The Reaver Chronicles Series)

"I hate the effect you have on me" I said softly but I can feel my body betraying me by yearning for his touch. "It doesn't seem like that to me. You want this. You want me" He chuckled softly. I could feel his hands on the small of my back reaching out to caress my bare skin. I shuddered. Just one touch alone and I let my guards down. "Now say the words, Aria" "I want you. I need you" *** On the night of her Luna ceremony, Aria's world unravels when she catches her betrothed, Luca, in a compromising position with her cousin, Indie. Heartbroken yet she desperately clings to the hope that Luca will return to the love he once showed her. Just as she is about to be introduced as Luca's Luna, Alpha Kael bursts into the hall. A beast with a devil’s reputation, he claims Aria as his fated mate. As Luca resolves to fight for her, a fierce rivalry ignites between the two powerful Alphas. Conflicted and confused, Aria must choose between the love she once shared with Luca and an uncertain but dark future with Kael. Amid the tension, Aria harbors hidden secrets—some she knows all too well, and other secrets she is yet to find out. What happens when these secrets start unfolding before their own eyes?

Half a year after our divorce, my ex-husband became a trending topic online. His current wife, who had just given birth, jumped off a building. When she jumped, she was clutching a printed, 98-page copy of the "Cloves Family Code of Conduct." The reason for her suicide? She couldn’t buy discounted groceries online. A reporter came to interview me and asked, "Excuse me, were you also given the same family rules?"

Because I saved my husband during a car accident, I lost my eyesight. He wept, promising to treat me well for the rest of our lives to repay my sacrifice. I cooperated with the treatment wholeheartedly, hoping for a full recovery. But on the day I finally regained my sight, I stumbled upon something that shattered my world. In our marital home, his first love lay beneath him, her flushed face betraying the passion of the moment. Their bodies intertwined, and the air around them thick with stifled moans—a vivid tableau of infidelity. "She's just a blind woman. Why haven't you divorced her yet?" the woman murmured impatiently, her voice laced with disdain as she moved against him. My husband, immersed in pleasure, still mumbled an excuse. "My love, just a little longer. Soon, we'll be together openly…" I turned and left without a word, pretending I had seen nothing. As I walked away, I remembered the witch's sacrificial ritual in the misty forest—only a few days away. My husband's betrayal cut deep, carving wounds I couldn't ignore. I made up my mind to return to the forest, to embrace my identity as a witch once more, and to sever all ties with him. Yet, after I disappeared, word reached me that he was searching for me everywhere like a madman. Rumor had it he had completely lost his mind.

Breaking the Spotlight Fame. Power. Love. In a world ruled by billionaires and entertainment royalty, love isn’t just risky—it’s lethal. Behind every red carpet and viral headline lies a battlefield of jealousy, ambition, and betrayal. But for the power players at the top, love is the one thing they refuse to lose. This series follows three powerhouse couples—fierce, loyal, and utterly unstoppable—as they navigate scandal, secrets, and the cost of having it all. From fake engagements and forbidden pasts to dangerous truths and undeniable chemistry, each love story proves that when it comes to matters of the heart, the spotlight can either make you—or break you. Three couples. One world. An empire built on love, loyalty, and the fight to stay standing when the cameras stop rolling.

They say "behind every successful man is a woman", right? Well, in Maxwell Jay Gallagher's opinion, that's total bullshit! His company, M.J Tech, is the most successful tech company in the whole United Kingdom and there isn't even a single female staff member! For reasons best known by him, he hated women with a passion and he knew without any iota of doubt that he wasn't gay. But why was he developing such strange, bizarre feelings towards his new assistant whom he nicknamed 'little man'? Why the electric sparks and undeniable attraction? Unbeknownst to him, his 'little man' is actually Angelina McQueen, a gorgeous young woman under the disguise of a man who was hired as an undercover espionage agent by his rival in order to steal his company's business ideas... What will happen when he eventually discovers that the personal assistant that had always been not just behind him but in front of him, beside him and everywhere around him, was actually a woman?! And that too, an espionage agent!

Don't you get a bit annoyed some times when cliched novels, seemingly create characters just to misuse and dump them in the middle of a story? They say novels are an inaccurate of past pieces of history from different alternate universes, well this agent is here to make things right. {Esteemed host the female leads loathing is at maximum. Tread with caution, this eternal being wants those points} 'She really took her damm time~he he just what I've been waiting for, let me give the male lead a peck first" She snickered with a making a joke of her counterparts concerns. {Host!!!} 'Mmmwah' Thud! {She fainted} "En. Such fragile heart." *Shivers {Host is so cruel} 'Now it's his turn~honey' Have you read all the books of your favaorite genres off the internet and need the thrill of face slapping to end the day properly? Then this is for you. Follow, our goddess, Zhi Ruo through worlds with her trusty,crafty system, Timon, to give cheating bastards and white lotuses a taste of their own medicine, only a thousand times more bitter. -----------