The Seventh Man By Haruki Murakami

Alva has been arranged to get married to Lucas, the young heir to the Rossi Empire. On the day that has been arranged for her engagement, Lucas changes his mind, choosing to marry her timid, less attractive servant and throwing the family into chaos. Lucas Rossi is the, strikingly handsome, yet intimidating heir to the Rossi Empire. A man barely seen, completely avoidant of the paparazzi and with rumours spreading here and there about how he is only half human, yet no one can tell what the other half of him is. When he agrees to marry the politician's daughter in paper alone for the sake of business bonds, he is astounded by his sudden pull to the Hazel, whose life is turned upside down when she catches his attention instead. Why has he left the ethereal looking heiress to settle for a mere maid?

"Part One: TakenJessie Coford had a plan: work hard, save money, open her own restaurant. She sacrificed her relationship with the man of her dreams to get it. Then, in the blink of an eye, she lost her job and her apartment and her life crashed around her. Until a letter taking her to Fort Mavis, Texas, and an unexpected windfall.Part Two: TamedShea Prescott was astonished when million Cruz Castillo chose her to design his new home on his ranch. They hardly traveled in the same circles. But Cruz had been hot for Shea since he first saw her and at their first meeting the chemistry between them ignited. Cruz coaxed her deeper and deeper into a whirlpool of erotic sex, awakening latent sexual desires and bringing her orgasms beyond her wildest imaginings. Her body screamed yes at his every touch, but will she say yes to the most important question?USA Today best-selling and award-winning author Desiree Holt writes everything from romantic suspense and paranormal to erotic. and has been referred to by USA Today as the Nora Roberts of erotic romance, and is a winner of the EPIC E-Book Award, the Holt Medallion and a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice nominee. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA Today, The (London) Daily Mail, The New Delhi Times and numerous other national and international publications.Taken by Surprise is created by Desiree Holt, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author."

They say hatred is stronger than love. For Selena Cruz, that has always been true. Born into a cartel dynasty, she swore no man would ever own her—not her father, not her enemies, and certainly not Dante Moretti, the ruthless heir of the Italian Mafia. Their marriage isn’t a choice. It’s a weapon. A deal struck in blood to end a war neither of them wanted. Dante is everything she despises—cold, controlling, untouchable. But every time he looks at her, she feels her resolve crack. He wants her obedience. She wants his downfall. And yet, the fire between them burns hotter than either can control. When betrayal shatters the fragile truce between their families, Selena and Dante are forced to fight side by side. In a world of guns, lies, and vengeance, enemies can become lovers…and hatred may be the only thing keeping them alive. In the mafia, love is never pure. It’s a weapon. And sometimes, it’s deadly.

Three years into our marriage, Rylan Shaw brings another woman home. "Maeve, you should learn from the younger ladies. Stop acting like a block of wood all the time." With a calm resolve, I shatter our wedding photo and hand him the divorce papers I've long prepared. "Let's get divorced, Rylan. I'll step aside for her," I declare. His friends insist that without him, I'll starve on the streets. Rylan believes the same. "Once she's suffered enough out there, she'll realize how lucky she was to be Mrs. Shaw." But a week passes, then a month—and I never return. That's when Rylan begins to grow uneasy. Panic and restless nights consume him. One evening, drunk and desperate, he pounds on the door of my new apartment. "Maeve, if it's money you want, I'll give it all to you…" The door swings open to reveal an unfamiliar man—bare-chested, pajama pants hanging low, fresh scratches streaking his abdomen. Jonah Archer arches a brow, dissatisfaction flickering in his eyes as he asks, "Mr. Shaw, what madness brings you to my wife's door in the middle of the night?"

Kyra is a resilient, compassionate, yet quite naive nineteen-year-old girl who lived with her father and stepmother ever since she lost her mother. Her stepmother, driven by greed, was determined to sell her off to an old man for money. Due to this pressure, Kyra sold herself to a ruthless billionaire. Will Kyra's sacrifice lead to her freedom, or will it trap her in a cage she can never escape.

Isabel Mays has spent her whole life being the daughter nobody mentioned, the girl they hid behind closed doors while her sister wore the gold and her mother wore the smiles. She survived by being brilliant in silence, building a cure for epilepsy inside a hospital that felt more like home than anywhere her family ever lived. Then Aiden Black walked into her lab at two in the morning and changed everything. He his Cold, commanding, and dangerous in the way only a man with nothing left to lose can be. He didn't ask for her help, he told her she was going to give it. His brother was dying, and Isabel was the only person alive who could save him. She said yes for all the wrong reasons and climbed into his car before she could talk herself out of it. She had no idea she had just walked into the middle of a war, because Aiden Black didn't just want her cure. He wanted to destroy her biological father, the same man whose blood runs through her veins, the same man whose secrets buried her mother, silenced her past and put a target on her back long before she ever knew his name, and the worst part? Aiden knew exactly who she was before he ever set foot in that lab. Two people with one revenge, and a love neither of them planned for, built on top of the most beautiful lies either of them has ever told. The question is not whether they will fall. The question is what will be left standing when the truth finally hits the ground.

Daisy’s heart raced with excitement as she entered the elegant wedding venue, the sweet scent of flowers filling the air. She held onto her boyfriend Noah’s arm, feeling a mix of nerves and anticipation. But as she laid eyes on her best friend’s soon-to-be husband, her world shattered. The man standing before her was the one she had been searching for all these years. The room seemed to spin as she struggled to comprehend the cruel twist of fate. Her heart sank as she realised he didn’t remember her, treating her like a stranger. The disappointment was crushing, but she accepted the harsh truth with a heavy heart. She steeled herself, determined to witness her best friend Julian’s wedding with the man she had longed to meet. But she didn’t knew that fate had a unique plan in store for her. Unbeknownst to Daisy, she was about to find herself standing on that very aisle, adorned in a wedding dress, instead of her beloved Julian. However, the man she has married - Dylan Astor, despises her with an intensity that is palpable. He has transformed into a completely unrecognisable figure from the man Daisy had encountered years ago. His once radiant, charming smile has transformed into a dark, icy countenance, causing Daisy to hold her breath whenever she sees him. The tension in the air is suffocating, as if a storm is brewing. Dylan knows very well that Daisy doesn't have feelings for him, which only makes him even more angry at her.

Serena Hale thought she had it all: three years of love, trust, and memories with the man she believed was hers forever. That changed the night she walked into Damien’s apartment and found him with her step-sister, Lila. ​The betrayal cut deeper than she ever imagined. But the true heartbreak came when her parents told her the cruel truth. They had known all along, and they had chosen Lila over her. Their family was bankrupt, and the Crowe family offered a way out. But there was a catch: Serena had to marry their son. He was a man rumored to hate women and cursed with a mysterious illness that might take his life early. ​Forced into a marriage she never wanted, and shamed in front of her family and the world, Serena vows she will not beg for love. She will not crawl for respect, and she will not be a tool for others to use. ​But what happens when the man she is forced to marry is nothing like the monster the rumors promised? And what happens when the betrayal that broke her becomes the fire that makes her unstoppable? ​Betrayal. Power. Revenge. A love she never asked for.

She signed the contract to save her life. She didn't know she was signing it to lose her freedom. When her brother steals from the wrong empire, she becomes the price. Delivered as collateral to a man no one dares to name out loud, Dante Moretti. A billionaire who rules both the corporate world and a violent underground empire where loyalty is enforced in blood. Cold. Strategic. Untouchable. A man who doesn't forgive. A man who doesn't let go. He offers her a deal: Marry him. Live under his rules. Obey without question. Or watch her entire family disappear. She expects cruelty. She expects violence. She expects to be broken. What she doesn't expect is the truth. Her brother didn't just steal money. He stole something that could destroy Dante's entire empire. And the only person who knows where it is, is her. She doesn't remember. But someone wants to make sure she never does. Now she's trapped between the man who owns her and the enemies hunting her. Dante says he'll protect her. But protection comes with a price. And in his world, everything costs blood.

Series One: On her wedding day, Isabella Hernando stared into the mirror and wondered— how could she possibly marry someone she barely remembered? Miguel Martez, the man she was arranged to wed, was only a childhood friend who had long since disappeared. But just before the ceremony was about to begin, Miguel vanished without a trace. To save the family’s reputation, Maximilian Martez, his elder brother, was forced to take his place at the altar— without anyone knowing, not even the bride herself. But when Isabella finally stood before the man, she was shocked. That face, those eyes… that voice… Series Two: Adeline Martez is a quiet, introverted girl who grew up cherished and spoiled by her parents. Marriage was never something she worried about—until the day her parents announced her arranged match. Her groom-to-be? Jason Castello—the man she despised most. Her senior. Her tormentor. The shameless bully who had made her school days miserable. Adeline fought with everything she had to escape the engagement. But the harder she pushed him away, the tighter Jason held on. One stubborn cat. One relentless dog. When hatred sparks, tempers clash, and neither is willing to surrender— how does a battlefield turn into a marriage?