The Water Dragon's Bride

“Hmm.” Luca lowered himself, his groin making contact with mine. He brought his nose to my hair and sniffed, letting out an appreciative moan. “Roses. I like it.” “Luca…” his name came out as a moan when he nibbled my ear. “Don't hurt Matt, please.” He looked at me with an indescribable look. “And what are you willing to give me in return for sparing your lover's life?” I gaped at him in surprise. He knew? That Matt was my ex boyfriend? “How did you…” He shook his head with a humorless laugh. “You wound me, honey. I know a lot of things. I just choose not to say it.” “I haven't threatened to kill you in your sleep, have I?” I asked, then let out a defeated sigh when he raised a brow in disbelief at me. “Fine. What do you want in return?” He stared down at me for one… two… five seconds and then said, “I'd like to watch you come undone. With my tongue.” ********** Born into a family of generational tradition, Ariadne has a duty to uphold. She has been engaged to part of the society's son Santiago Russo since birth. Never having met or talked to her fiancè, she's accepted her fate that she could never be married to the one her heart wants. On the day of her debut, she is hit with an avalanche of shock when she discovers after an unforseen circumstance that Santiago won't be the one marrying her, but his Uncle, Luca Russo, the infamous, ruthless, billionaire bachelor in New York will be the one she will be tying the knot with. Caught between accepting her new fate or rebelling, Ariadne learns that there's nowhere to escape the beast and the only way to survive is abiding by his rules.

“It won’t be a straight death from where you’re standing.” I blink, turning around. “What?” But he doesn’t give me a reply. At least not yet. Instead, he takes hold of my arms in his large, gloved hands, and pulls me to him so that we are standing toe to toe. “What are you doing?” I whisper. This new position has brought us closer. So close that if I stand on my toes, and he dips his head down a bit, I’d probably have the best kiss… “If you fall from here, the possibility of you dying immediately is 98% at the very least,” He begins as I stare at him with my mouth slightly agape. “Falling from where you stood before is about 35% lesser. You’d die eventually, maybe after a night or two of trying to revive your shattered bones, but not immediately.” Having made his point, he steps back from me and climbs down the somewhat elevated platform. “Did you just make way for me to kill myself?” I murmur, feeling like I’m losing my mind all over again. What kind of a man is this? *** Sonia’s life is going great one minute and then takes a spin for the worse when she is betrayed, gets pregnant and worse, is told that she will be getting married to Italian mafia heir, Anthony Romero, who doesn’t mind raising another man’s child. She abhors the idea, but having also recently been disowned by her father, she has no choice but to accept the marriage proposal if she wants protection for herself and her child. But she has questions. Why would a sane man from her world want to raise a child that isn’t his? Surely they’re ulterior motives in play.

t was in the stark interrogation room where Caesar laid eyes on Lola's face for the very first time. Lola, accused of betraying her own country, was in a dire situation. She was draped in nothing but a flimsy, damp garment and weighed down by the clanking chains that bound her to the floor. Clad in his regal black military uniform, Caesar sat as the judge of her trial. Years later, when news of their lavish wedding emerged, the world assumed it was the genesis of their love story. "They said when Caesar, once a general, first saw Lola, shivering in agony and desperation, his heart swelled with empathy. He tenderly removed his black gloves and reached out to her with love." In reality, Caesar never removed his gloves throughout the trial. He sat outside the iron railing, observing Lola with a frigid countenance. But it wasn't until yesterday that Caesar finally held Lola in his arms.

When event planner Sophia Martinez crashes billionaire Ethan Cross's exclusive charity gala, she's just trying to steal enough food to feed her dying mother. She never expects to catch the attention of New York's most ruthless CEO or to accept his shocking proposal. Ethan offers Sophia five million dollars for six months of her life: pose as his devoted fiancée to make his ex jealous and secure the biggest business deal of his career. The rules are simple no real feelings, no physical contact, just perfect public performances as the ideal couple. But Sophia harbors a devastating secret. She's the daughter of the man who destroyed Ethan's family empire five years ago, and she's been living with the guilt ever since. As she falls deeper into the charade, the lines between pretense and reality blur. Every stolen glance, every fake smile, every staged kiss pulls her further from her mission and closer to the man she's supposed to hate. Ethan finds himself breaking his own rules. The woman he hired to heal his wounded pride is awakening feelings he thought were dead. But when business rival Marcus Reid begins circling like a vulture, threatening to expose their arrangement, Ethan realizes the game has become far more dangerous than either of them anticipated. As corporate espionage collides with family secrets, Sophia must choose between protecting the man she loves and saving herself from a past that refuses to stay buried. When Ethan discovers her true identity, their contract becomes worthless but their hearts have already signed a deal that could destroy them both. In a world where billion-dollar empires rise and fall on trust, can love survive the ultimate betrayal? Or will the truth shatter more than just their fake engagement?

For Maxine, "normal" is a costume she wears every day. She's an imposter, a forbidden creature hiding in plain sight. But her act is tested when four new students arrive, seeing through her mask as if it were glass. They are like her, but different. Dangerous. And they might be the only ones who can save her from a fate she doesn't yet understand. To survive, she must trust them, but trusting them could mean losing herself—especially to the one whose gaze makes her forget she's supposed to be human.

Needing to get married before his grandfather dies, Dr. Lyrek Cole goes to the bar to drink away his problems. There he meets the most beautiful bartender he has ever saw. Captivated by her beauty, he tries to catch her attention. Veronica Reed, however, is too preoccupied with her own troubles to notice him. She is drowning in medical bills and her brother is dying of a brain tumor, which is why she is works four jobs. Her brother's brain tumor is inoperable, but she is doing everything she can, in hopes of saving him. Little does she know, Lyrek is exactly who she needs to save her brother. Only if she agrees to marry him. Not only because is the best brain surgeon in the world, but also because he has more money then he knows what to do with.

“Forbidden marriage, dangerous love, and a bloody inheritance.” Enola Spark was nothing more than a “useless child” in the eyes of her family—beautiful but always looked down upon, oppressed by her uncle, and sidelined by her cousin, Clarine, the perfect heiress. But everything changed on the night of Clarine’s engagement to Damian Cassel, the tyrannical heir feared by the entire city. A scandal erupted in front of family and guests: Damian chose Enola instead. One night of sin binds them in a marriage that shocks everyone. Clarine is humiliated, her uncle is furious, and Damian’s stepbrother vows to bring them down. The wedding is only the beginning of the war. Enola must endure humiliation, jealousy, and betrayal from the family dinner table to the corporate boardroom. Yet behind Damian’s cold exterior, Enola discovers a side of the man he only shows her. In a world filled with intrigue and inheritance battles, can Enola survive? Or will this forbidden love be their downfall?

Sa mundo ng mga mayayaman at makapangyarihan, ang kasal ay hindi palaging tungkol sa pag-ibig. Minsan, isa lang itong kasunduan. Solen Mira Callisto, isang occupational nurse sa Monteverde Lines Inc., ay biglang nabaon sa utang matapos pumanaw ang kanyang ama. Dalawang milyong piso—isang halagang hindi niya kayang bayaran sa loob ng tatlong linggo. Sa gitna ng kanyang desperasyon, dumating ang isang hindi inaasahang alok mula kay Leonidas “Leon” Monteverde, ang matikas pero mailap na COO ng Monteverde Lines. Bilang susunod na tagapagmana ng kanilang shipping empire, may isang kondisyon bago niya makuha ang kumpanyang matagal nang itinakda para sa kanya. Kailangan niyang magpakasal. Isang kasunduan ang nabuo. Isang taon ng pagpapanggap bilang mag-asawa. Walang damdamin, walang komplikasyon. Para kay Leon, ito ay isang kasunduan lang. Para kay Solen, ito ang kanyang tanging paraan para mabawi ang lahat ng nawala sa kanya. Dapat ay simple lang, pero bakit parang hindi lang basta umaarte si Leon? He’s too convincing and too protective. Sa tuwing tatawagin siyang "asawa ko" sa harap ng iba, hindi niya alam kung dapat ba siyang mataranta o kiligin. Unti-unti, nagiging malabo ang linya sa pagitan ng kasunduan at katotohanan. Sa mundo ng kapangyarihan at intriga, paano kung ang isang relasyong nagsimula sa papel… ay mauwi sa isang bagay na totoo?

The next day, I woke to the sound of an angry voice filling the room. My heart sank as I struggled awake. With my sleepy eyes, I see him pacing the room, muttering under his breath. He was all dressed up and by the look of his expression, he wasn’t in a calm state. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he growled, slamming something against the wall. I sat up, panicked. “What’s wrong?” I questioned but he said no words to me. Walking towards him, just as I was about to touch him, he turned to me, his eyes blazing with fury. “You used me,” he spat. “What?” He pointed to my neck, where the faint scare of the mating mark of I and Sabastiam still showed. “You have a mate. You’re married, and you didn’t think to mention that before dragging me into this?” What? “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? I don’t get involved with mated wolves.” “I’ll pay you,” I blurted out, “Whatever you want… mention any amount.” I grabbed my purse and brought out my black card, stretching my hands towards him. “Here. Take this.” I said. “You think this is about money?” “Stop being dramatic. Have this card. Just forget about everything. This card will go a long way.” “Here.” I added. Coldly, he stepped closer, glaring directly at my eyes as shivers ran down my spine. He took another step forward and I took another backwards, his eyes still locked in mine. It happened twice. Reaching an inch from me, his cold husky voice broke the silence. “This isn’t about money.” With that, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

I'm Aurora, a commoner, an inferior bloodline. My parents taught me a lot of things growing up, but the most important one is never piss off a royal. They run the world, they make the rules, and they are brutal when they don’t get exactly what they want, especially an unmated commoner girl. Most royals fuck commoner girls for fun, knowing we couldn’t possibly fight back. Some of them do it to get their release and then kill them, leaving behind no chance for an heir that is a half-breed. I’ve never seen a commoner female return from the palace. There aren’t many of us left in my pack, but my alpha has managed to convince the royal warriors that there aren’t any unmated females in his pack and if there were, he would gladly hand them over I’m unmated, only a year and half away from turning twenty to feel my mate. I pray to Moon Goddess that I need the protection of a mate. Until that day, a tall, brute man walks into my house like he was invited in. I tremble while he grins. He is a Royal.