The Kiss Bet

**This book contains a trigger warning. Mention about rape and torture in this book. Please read with caution** "Our marriage is nothing but a deal," he said looking at the girl, her green eyes met his cold silver eye, and both of them glared at each other. "For any rules you break, I will claim any part of your body," his gaze grew dangerously darker at his word. ************* Ashley Harlow was at the top of the world, living the perfect and luxurious lifestyle as the legitimate daughter of the well-known Daniel Harlow. But sadly, a one-night stand put an end to that and brought her life upside down and that of her family's name to the ground. To restore his family's reputation, she was forced into marrying Damien Albrecht, a young, ruthless, obnoxious, brutal billionaire and the head of a mafia gang in exchange for her father's company.

On my wedding day, my fiancé’s childhood sweetheart arrived, wearing the exact same custom wedding dress as me. They stood together, greeting guests, while I smiled and praised them as a match made in heaven. Humiliated, she left the venue in tears. In her defense, my fiancé publicly accused me of being petty and unreasonable. After the wedding reception, he left with her for the honeymoon we had planned together. I didn’t cry. Instead, I called my lawyer immediately.

Maddox Ventura fell in love with her sister's best friend. The first moment he saw Sariel Dixon, he told himself that she’d be the woman he would tie the knot with and cherish with all of his heart.   They became in close proximity since his sister dragged him along on every bit of their adventures of all kinds, and he’s even more attached to her, despite the fact that she tends to be stubborn all the time.   However, Maddox was very delusional in that moment, considering that he believed Sariel was the one he had been looking for, but it turns out she is the one who would destroy and betray him. Maddox Ventura is a seductive but merciless. He’s both deadly and lovely to look at, he poured out his revenge on Sariel Dixon. He tormented her, he blamed her for killing his parents deaths for the betrayal that she used him for, and for playing his love for her.    Sariel Dixon, on the other hand, was taken up in the retribution that was never intended for her. But then she accepted Maddox Ventura’s rage toward her, since she’s in love with him. The big day comes. There was an event where they were completely wasted on alcohol consumption because of her best friend. They were unable to resist the temptation, and something happened between the two of them one night. Author’s Note: This is the official English version of my novel, Billionaire’s Tale of Retaliation, now titled Price of Betrayal. (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

In the shifter city of Ancnix, strength is law, loyalty is survival, and every young warrior is taught that their soul belongs to the moon. Seventeen-year-old Elora Jardine has spent her life mastering control—of her shifting, of her temper, and of the secrets she keeps hidden behind a composed smile. Born into a respected warrior house yet trapped beneath her father’s cruelty, Elora’s only anchors are her younger brother, Micah, and her closest friend, Kailee Blackstone. But on the eve of her graduation, a violent confrontation awakens a power inside Elora that no Shifter should possess. When the city’s future king, Gregory Forstfang, moves to claim her under the guise of duty, Elora’s world collapses into fear, fractured trust, and a destiny she never asked for. Forced to flee Ancnix, Elora’s escape leads her deep into the untamed Outer Wilds, where she encounters two strangers whose paths intertwine with her own: Briar Vale, a gentle but powerful Strega guided by visions she doesn’t yet understand, and Declan Eldritch, a Farisee whose calm presence stirs ancient magic in the world around him. Each carries secrets. Each carries a purpose. And each seems mysteriously drawn to Elora’s growing, unstable power. Together, the unlikely trio must navigate haunted forests, forgotten ruins, and a rising darkness spreading across Nethara. As Elora’s abilities intensify beyond her control, the three uncover whispers of an old prophecy—a legend hinting that the fate of their world may rest in the hands of a girl who never wanted to be anything more than free.

During a mission overseas, I shielded my younger brother from an explosion—only to wake up months later, my body broken, my mind trapped in the void of a coma. Grateful for my sacrifice, he repaid me by marrying my wife. When I finally clawed my way back to consciousness and rushed home, I found my son kneeling on the ground, sobbing as his college acceptance letter lay shredded in his fists. My nephew loomed over him, slamming a steel pipe into his back. "Lick my shoes clean," he sneered. "Who are you to think you deserve an education?" And there was my wife clapping in delight, dabbing the sweat from my nephew’s brow like a doting servant. "You’re just like your deadbeat father," My wife spat. "Born to be my stepping stone." My eyes bloodshot, I tightened my fists. Every last one of them would pay for this dearly.

Because I refused to terminate my pregnancy to donate bone marrow for my younger sister, Selena Malone, she left behind a suicide note and threw herself into the sea. While my mother hated me for standing by and doing nothing, my father blamed me for being selfish and heartless. My husband, Lucian Crowe, sent me to the hospital to abort our child, forcing me to experience the pain of losing someone I loved. In the end, they joined forces to bind me to a sea stack, saying they wanted me to taste what it felt like for Selena to be swallowed by the ocean. By the time they remembered me, my corpse had already begun to rot.

Blurb One sacred promise, a thousand lies, and one secret that destroys. For Dewangga, his wedding day with Vivian should have been the beginning of a perfect and honorable life. However, a small incident in the dressing room—an accidental spill of coffee—led him into a trap he never expected. Behind the locked door, he met Davian, Vivian's wild and manipulative half-brother. Davian knew Dewangga's biggest secret. He knew that behind the dashing wedding suit, Dewangga hid an orientation that he suppressed deeply. With intoxicating touches and sharp words, Davian began to ensnare Dewangga in an irresistible forbidden obsession. Now, Dewangga is trapped in a torturous charade. By day, he is the perfect husband to Vivian. But in the darkness, he is a prisoner of Davian's passion. When his wife's touch no longer stirs his body, Dewangga is forced to borrow another man's shadow to survive his wedding night.

Selene loved Nathan. She gave up being Alpha to make him Alpha. Female wolves never did this before. Selene promised to be Nathan's Luna and queen. But Nathan said bad things about Selene. He said she was not faithful and wanted to rule with the rogue king. To prove she was innocent, Selene drank poison wine. She fell down nearly dead. Her pack put her in dungeon and kicked her out of the pack. Selene was bleeding in the woods. Logan was Alpha of the powerful Blood Moon pack. He found Selene and saved her life. "You're safe now, little one," he said kindly. But Logan's mate Zara was jealous. "She can't have you. You're mine!" Zara shouted. Unknown to all, Logan had a curse. Only Selene's powers could break it. When Zara learned this, she kidnapped Selene. Now Nathan and Logan raced to find Selene first. Whose mate would she choose? The one who betrayed her or the one who rescued her? Selene had to pick one wolf and break the other's heart. No matter what, her Alpha would betray her.

As I was cleaning up the house, I noticed something had fallen out of the cabinet my wife always kept locked tight. I remembered Megan's constant warnings. "That cabinet holds all our family's important records. If anything gets lost, there's no getting it back. Just leave it alone and don't touch it." Worried something valuable might have fallen out, I rushed to pick it up. But what I found was a thick stack of remittance slips. From forty years ago to now, every month, my wife had been sending money to the same account. And that's when it hit me. My wife had been lying to me. The money I'd been pouring into this family had been flowing right out, into the hands of someone else.

At my father's wake, my wife came in carrying her son. The boy was less than two years old. He was not mine. In front of me, in front of every person there to mourn my father, she opened the urn and held the boy over it. I screamed and lunged for the urn. The Vance security team was on me before I cleared the aisle. They held me on the floor. My father's ashes, mixed with the boy's urine, smeared across my face and into my mouth. I could not stop crying. Stella Vance straightened her skirt. "Zane has been crying every night. Our adviser said the ash of an honored elder will calm a child like that. Good for his health." The taste of metal came up the back of my throat. Before I could move, she was already at the door. "Have his ashes dried out by morning. Zane will need it again tomorrow night." By the time I came back to myself, she was gone. I held the rage in. I sent her one message. "You think you're going to do this to my father. You're insane. The divorce papers are coming." After that, every message I sent was blocked. I turned to the woman next to me, the woman who had stood beside me my whole life. And I said, "I will sign the company over to you. Help me bury Vance Group." Cassia Wynn looked at me a long time. "I don't want the company. I want you." I went still. Then I said, "Yes."