The Retreat Sarah Pearse

How far can you go to save the ones you love? Cassie Barn’s father dies leaving behind nothing but a huge debt and a ruthless loan shark. Cassie must find a way to repay her father's debt or risk losing her sister’s life. Going against all fear, she offers herself as a surrogate to billionaire widower Zander Scott. This one time offer was her ticket to freedom but nothing is ever as simple as it looks. Zander Scott only cares about two things; his inheritance and his baby. After losing his beloved wife to cancer, he vows to do everything in his power to create a child in her memory. Their own flesh and blood. His child must be perfect and so he leaves nothing to chance. Who would have thought that a simple, high paying job will send them on a wild journey where Cassie is caught up in the middle of a fierce battle between the Scott brothers ? Zander and Cassie battle enemies within and outside their circle and find themselves wondering if this journey is worth the stress. And just when the tension dies down, somebody falls in love and complicates things. Will they both get what they want from this deal or will they be forced to make different choices? Just how messy can a simple contract get?

My mate, Charalambos, was the heir to the Nightshade Pack. To take over as Alpha, he was sent to Noctis City, the capital city, for special training. When he left, my stepsister, Francesca, insisted on going with him. He refused at first, but she forced his hand, threatening a hunger strike until he gave in. Eventually, he allowed her to accompany him as his assistant. This went on for three years. Throughout those three years, our mate bond stayed strong. I never felt the slightest hint of betrayal. He constantly reassured me through our mind-link. "You're the only one for me." At some point, I started receiving photos anonymously. Francesca kissed him in the face, but he never refused. Once, Charalambos and I were on a video call in the dark, and I could hear Francesca’s breathless voice clearly while she whispered his name in the heat of it. Three years later, the day he returned to the pack, I saw her walking behind him. She had been with pup for five months, and there was a smug, victorious smile on her face. He looked at me apologetically. Guilt was written all over his face. "I'm sorry. I’ve only ever loved you. Once the pup comes, you can raise it." I was done. I had waited for three years. I made up my mind to reject him.

Laura Walker was forced to marry an old man by her mother so that her bride price could be used for her younger brother's wedding. However, Laura felt that she should be in control of her own life.Her blind date didn't go as planned. Instead, she ended up getting married to a stranger.The two of them had undergone a flash marriage and planned on setting guidelines so that they wouldn't disturb each other's lives. However, Laura didn't expect the man to cook for her, put her to bed and force her to call him "Honey"."Honey, I want a kiss.""Honey, I want a hug."Laura had thought that her husband was just a normal working class, so she had planned out their future in detail.That was until she realized that her husband had a garage full of luxury cars.Not only that, her husband looked identical to the richest man in Empfield!

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?

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.

In a bid to lose her innocence to some random guy just before she leaves for college, Leah goes to a bar full of men with her friend. However, fate draws her to one man and she goes home with him. After a night of wild passion, she doesn't remember much but his face is not one she can forget. Her first class on campus, she realises the man who took her first kiss and virginity is none other than Jared, her Econs professor.What can she do? What should she do? Pretend it never happened or confront him on the fact that he'd left her all alone in his house and had to find her way back home?Jared thinks he's made the biggest mistake of his life but what happens when Leah is named a second representative of her class, will he continue to make that mistake? Secrets will be exposed, friends will become haters.Will their past leave them alone or will it come hunting for both of them in human form? How long can they pretend? How long can they hide it from the school?

Life is unfair, that's what Helga Novalie thought, living in poverty and torture from her drunk and gambler father. The girl had to sacrifice everything, her job and her future. Even the hope of getting out of that hell felt impossible. However, one night Helga accidentally witnessed a car accident where the female driver tried to save Helga but in vain. Who would have thought that it was the beginning of how Helga got out of the hell created by her father? However, Helga never knew that a new, colder, and more thrilling hell was waiting for her when Zean Wilder made Helga his replacement wife. A famous billionaire like Zean could not possibly be involved in the dark mafia world. Helga, who was trying to get out of that cold and dark hell, learned that the woman she had saved and given the necklace to was Helga's older sister who had long since left with their mother. Feelings of anger and revenge burned in Helga's heart and she swore to find whoever killed her older sister. However, Helga's existence is threatened because of a secret hidden in her necklace. Can Helga find her happiness amidst the hell that always surrounds her, and conquer Zean's cold and empty heart? Who would have thought that something big was waiting for them both?

She exuded strength and control, like a rare, once-in-a-lifetime enchantress-wolf named Lucia. Her life took a thrilling turn when she fell for a billionaire human, but soon, a chain of extraordinary events unfolded. She transformed from a sweet, gentle girl into a formidable, perilous force. Love drove her to fight relentlessly, sparing no one in her path. Yet, her very existence was on the brink of doom as Roberto's mother uncovered her true identity.

Jaroch, my mate, had a twin brother, Torma, who was the Gamma of the Shadow Grove Pack. Torma was born with exceptional combat abilities. After Torma died, my mother-in-law, Neradia, feared losing influence in the pack. She forced Jaroch to assume Torma's identity and take over as Gamma. To keep the lie from unraveling, she ordered Jaroch to sleep nightly with his widowed sister-in-law, Lezah, hoping they'd produce a pup. I was furious and protested against it. Neradia slapped me hard across the face. "As long as Lezah doesn't remarry, your husband will continue to be the Gamma. You'll enjoy endless wealth and glory too," she said. I thought Jaroch would refuse, but he had no problem tossing morality aside and getting into bed with Lezah. The worst part was that they flaunted their love right in front of me. When Lezah got pregnant, I decided I'd had enough. I wanted to leave with my daughter, Sylvia Cardin. Instead, Jaroch locked me in a room and went on a family vacation with everyone else but me. That was when a pack of rogues broke into our home. They robbed us, set fire to the house, and were about to kill everyone. I called Jaroch in a panic and begged for help, but he replied in an irritated voice, "Bityah, stop making a scene. Just behave! "Lezah agreed to get along with you. You should learn from her and be more considerate. "From now on, I'll spend Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with you. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are hers." He then hung up. The house burned to the ground, and I died in the fire. He had already severed our mate bond. He didn't even sense that I was gone. Only Sylvia cried out in the flames. "Mommy! Mommy, please don't leave me!"

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!