The Self From Various Philosophical Perspectives

Samantha Hurst, a showgirl from Las Vegas, did not expect that at twenty-five her life would be transformed when she met Theon Adamos at a bachelor party. Theon, from a large and noisy Greek family, could not have imagined that one phone call could completely alter the course of his life. A single fun and spontaneous weekend can have definite consequences. What happens in Vegas, does it really stay in Vegas? Sometimes life really is a bitch!

Today was supposed to be my marking ceremony. Instead, it became my funeral. Eliza had run me down with her car. She dragged my broken body into the storage room. "Stay here. When the ceremony is over, I'll let you out." She wanted to take my place, to be marked by Greyson, as his Luna. Greyson loved me. But his family could never allow their precious Alpha son to marry a lowborn Omega. "Millie," murmured, his voice thick with guilt. "I have to obey my family and give them an heir first -- with Eliza. You know... she's Alpha blood. "Once the pup turns one, I'll marry you." And I marked the days one by one, counting down to our forever. He claimed it was a mere duty, but but their feverish nights suggested she was his preferred addiction. A month later, Eliza was pregnant. Ten months after that, she bore the Alpha's heir. Another twelve agonizing months dragged by, and finally, it was the day he was supposed to claim me. But now, I was lying here on the floor, my body shattered. Greyson's voice cut through the phone, sharp and impatient. "Why aren't you here yet? Haven't you been desperate to marry me?" "I've let the pup's birthday incident slide -- are you still going to sulk about it?" "If you don't show up, I'll mark Eliza instead." I wasn’t coming, Greyson. I couldn’t -- I was already dead. But he believed I was simply having a tantrum.

On the night of her 18th birthday, Elara is publicly rejected by her fated mate, Alpha Kael, for being "wolfless." Instead of begging, she accepts the rejection with a smile, cuts her ties, and disappears. Five years later, she returns—not as a weak Omega, but as the wealthy CEO of a rival empire and the mother of a powerful pup Kael doesn't know exists. Now, Kael needs her help to save his failing pack, and Elara is ready to make him pay.

Married three years. Stood up three years. Today was the last time I bothered showing up. Surprise—he bailed again. Still clinging to hope like a total idiot, I called. One last shot. "A-Aurora, I'm busy. Just wait," he muttered. And then her voice cut in. All breathy and smug: "That old woman can't satisfy you, huh? Paolo, be gentle." Click. Right on cue, Marco Medici—loyal, patient, saint-like Marco—sent his 99th proposal. This time, I didn't leave him hanging. [Want to come over for bollito misto?]

She was sold to be a maid in a Werewolf family, only to get her younger brother treated. Unknown to her, she was treasured, treated differently from others, and the person doing so, stayed in dark. A shocking truth stunned her when she was about to accept her attraction towards him and make their bond stronger. Torn between believing him or showing filial piety to her family, what will she choose?Let's embark on the journey of Mary, a normal girl who tried hard to accept the fate that she was destined for.

On the day of her wedding, Elena Bianchi was left standing alone in a church. For the nineteenth time, Don Giovanni Rossi failed to appear. His excuse was the same as always—Lina was 'dying' again. This time, the humiliation went further. While Elena waited in her wedding dress, a video call arrived. On the screen, the lace veil her mother had left her—the one promise Elena had sworn to keep—was being torn apart by Lina’s dog as Lina laughed and urged it on. Giovanni followed with a careless apology. He promised to buy her a better one. That veil had been the last thing her mother ever gave her. Elena did not cry. She did not argue. Instead, she made a call no one in the Italian underworld dared to make. Seven years later, the Rossi family had fallen. Their power was gone. Their allies had turned away. And Giovanni—once untouchable—stood among the defeated, waiting to receive the Donna of the most powerful Mafia family. He never expected it to be Elena. Now married to Rafael Bellini, Elena was no longer the woman abandoned at the altar. She was Bellini’s Donna—calm, ruthless, and beyond his reach. The veil that had once been fed to a dog had become a crown. And the man who had destroyed her was now her enemy. In a world ruled by bloodlines, loyalty, and vengeance, Elena proved one unbreakable truth: A woman cast aside by a Mafia king did not disappear—she rose, and she returned as his reckoning.

"I'm a dominatrix, Harry. I need control! In business, in life, in my home... in sex." She looked at him, who now had his eyes fixed on her. It wasn't that he had become less shy or more comfortable, he simply continued to follow orders, without even understanding why he was doing it. "But the club tired me... the submissive guys at the club tired me." She returned to the sofa, then moved much closer to him, bringing their knees together, and took a firm hold of his chin when, for a second, he dared to look away from her. "So I really wanted to try something new, Harry." Kath took a deep breath and said a few words that would have the power to radically change two stories. "I want YOU to agree to be my new submissive."

"Mommy, Mommy! Look at that mister! Will I be as handsome as him when I grow up?" Liam's question forced me to look at where his finger pointed. "Holy f—" I cut myself off, trying not to curse in front of my son. Why, why, why did I have to run into Alexander Ravenford as soon as I walked out of the airport?! Among the millions of people living in New York, I surely didn't want to meet one—Liam's biological father. Five years ago, my scumbag of a boyfriend cheated on me, and I decided to go on a genuinely therapeutic weekend in the Bahamas. I wasn't looking for a rebound, but somehow I ended up spending a decent amount of time having sex with a man who was basically a stranger—a divinely hot, insanely mouthwatering, and ridiculously irresistible Alexander Ravenford. The morning after brought a disappointing hit in the gut, which assured me that for my Prince Charming, I was only a one-time adventure. But screw that, and screw him! I had plans. I was ready to pursue my dreams and study in London. But then fate decided to throw me another curved ball... I was pregnant, and Alex was the only possible father. I didn't give up. I came back as a successful interior designer and the mother of an amazing boy, Liam. I thought that I would be able to avoid Alexander, but it turned out to be almost impossible. But then it got worse… The arrogant, annoying, and even hotter than before CEO of a multibillion-dollar company became friends with my son—his son! And I have a feeling that the sweet little devil who calls me "Mommy" has a mischievous plan to bring his parents together. Should I give this insane relationship a chance?

Thunder's only sibling Lightning was found dead inside a secluded bar where he was believed to be last seen with Rufius, a mafia leader and one of the ruthless businessmen in the underworld organization. Puzzled on why his brother was entangled with such a man, he swore in his grave to avenge his untimely and brutal death. He starts digging on Rufius’s background, searching for links to give him a clearer path for his revenge with a help from a total stranger. There he discovered Rufius’ twin sister Rain, who was the total opposite of Rufius in every aspect. Thunder formed an unfair plan against her, by using her and have access to her brother’s life. He did everything for her to fall for him. But in the process of his pretend relationship with Rain, Thunder fell head over heels in love with her. Rufius did everything in his power to tear the relationship apart, even ordering his men to dispatch Thunder. But they failed to accomplish the task, so he uses his connections and quickly arranges a marriage for her. Thunder was helpless and almost gave up his love until he discovered who he really was and the truth about his real identity was revealed. Thunder appeared at Rain’s wedding day as the legitimate and only son of the most powerful mafia lord of their generation. He did not only regain the woman he fell in love with, but also avenged his brother’s death the minute Rufius got killed during their massive shoot outs. He became the most respected mafia lord not only to his subordinates, but to every mafia clan there is. He was known as the only mafia lord who possesses a fearless yet a heart made of pure gold.

To help her lover win the rally championship, my fiancée, Alanna Johnson, deliberately sabotaged my race car. The vehicle lost control on a curve at nearly two hundred miles per hour, and in utter despair, I called her one last time. Her voice, however, brimmed with impatience. “Stop being dramatic. “This championship means nothing to you, but Jack is about to retire. This is his final chance. “Once this race ends, I’ll cut all ties with him and marry you. All right?” But she never realized that this event had drawn unprecedented global attention. After my death, the in-car surveillance footage would be released to the world. And she would face a judgment far worse than death.