The Winner Novel David Baldacci

He is the most terrifying man in the Empire—Hadrian, the Lord Protector. Cold, ruthless, and dictatorial, he rules the chaotic world with an iron fist, crushing rebellions without mercy. To the world, he is a monster devoid of human emotion; a tyrant who bathes in blood. She is a rose growing in the mire—an ordinary, low-born girl struggling to survive in the slums. She possesses nothing but her pride and a fragile life. Their worlds should never have collided. But in a twist of fate amidst the smoke of revolution, the lofty Dictator set his eyes on the humble commoner. He didn't know how to love, so he used the only method he knew: Conquest. He clipped her wings, trapped her in his gilded cage, and forced her to bloom only for him. "You fear me," Hadrian whispered, his fingers tracing her trembling lips. "Good. Because in this lifetime, you will never escape me." In a game of power and submission, can a tyrant learn to kneel for love? And can a bird in a cage tame the beast?

The darkest corners of the world hold the secrets the leaders want you to forget. Deep inside a cabin covered with moss and shadows, those secrets are not yet forgotten. Under the moon, light glistens off of shining stones lining the porch and bundles of herbs drying from the rafters. Candlelight emanates from the interior and warmth surrounds the occupant. Inside this cabin was a forrest witch who was chanting a spell as she added herbs to a small caldron. Smoke rises and electricity fills the room. Her raven hair started to rise and the smoke turned glowing green. Leaves outside the cabin started swirling in the air raising around the cabin forming a circle. “None may find me where I reside, safe in the forrest this witch hides. Safe from the evil doers and safe from their men. None may ever find me again.” Cold. Like ice from an iceberg, his skin molded smoothly across his frame. The envelop in his hands was sealed by the Elder Lords sigil pressed into blood red wax. Slipping his long pale finger, breaking the seal, one word was inside. “Urgente.” His particular talents were once again needed.

Anya Voss, a werewolf-witch hybrid, is the pack’s pariah, blamed for a tragic car crash that killed her beta parents and the alpha and luna. Stripped of her status, forced into servitude, and rejected by her fated mate, Alpha Rowan Draven, Anya endures relentless torment orchestrated by her sister, Cassandra, who harbors a deadly secret: she’s the adopted child of the beta and his wife, she even knew about the tampered brakes, framing Anya to steal her inheritance.  After a brutal kidnapping leaving Anya near death, she flees to a rival pack, where the scarred alpha Damien Blackthorn sees her strength—and ignites her powers. As Anya’s heart wavers between Rowan’s haunting mate bond and Damien’s intoxicating love, both alphas become obsessed, their rivalry spiraling into a dangerous tug-of-war. But when Anya’s visions reveals that Damien might know what happened to her parents, she must harness her hybrid gifts to seek revenge and protect Rowan from a curse she placed on him.  With enemies closing in—a treacherous sister, a rogue blackmailer, and a shifter council hunting hybrids—Anya faces betrayal, comas, and sacrifice. In a world of claws and secrets, can she reclaim her truth and choose her heart before obsession consumes them all?

In the Kingdom of Deovaria, the peaceful Faery have been killed and enslaved by their neighboring Kingdom of Humans. The remaining few forced to choose between life or death, agree to live under the humans rule. Freedom comes with a price though. Faeries are to immediately stop all use of magic, and all faerie women are to be taken into the castle walls to bear one child that will be half human, and half faery. Giving the King a glimpse into what he always wanted, and invincible army. To try and protect their kind, a curse is placed on the Kingdom to stop all faery from having female children. Eighteen years later, Aspen, is the last female to turn of age. When she is taken by force, she turns her magic onto the humans, killing a guard in the process and committing treason against her new King. Little does she know she will soon come face to face with a furious Prince, and a longer journey than she had ever imagined.

My mother was the villainess of a story. When I was born, the story came to its end. In the past, she was a rich heiress who drowned herself in luxury and pleasure. At present, everyone condemned her and spat in her path. After my father, the male lead of the story, betrayed her, her family went bankrupt. She knew nothing and had no skills, but for me, she was willing to learn from scratch.

Ava-Rose Redclaw is excited when she meets Alastor Drexel on her 19th birthday. He's handsome, powerful, and the Alpha of The Drexel Forest pack. Proud of the mate the Moon Goddess gifted her with, she wants to jump into her role as Luna only days after meeting. As soon as Ava-Rose touches the Drexel Forest pack's soil, her mate's true nature surfaces. He's a cruel tyrant, with a thirst for blood. Ava realizes that her mate has no love in his heart for her. Saddened by this fact, she turns to his younger brother, Beta Trenton Drexel and they begin a 10-year affair. He loves her dearly, but he loves his brother more, so much so, that he turns a blind eye to the abuse Ava-Rose endures by his brother's hand. Tired of the abuse and humiliation, Ava teams up with a White Witch she befriended who lives alone in the swamps. Winifred invites Ava to run away with her to a land far, far away, out of the reach of her mate. Ava sees this as the perfect opportunity, as she's been planning her escape for a while, knowing that the day is near when her secret will come out. On the day of the voyage, scores of she-wolves from near and far show up to journey with the Luna. They are tired of their abusive relationships as well. Days later and they arrive at Mount Hecate, a sacred place for white witches. Ava is content with getting revenge on the pack that tried to break her. Love is the furthest thing from her mind until she meets Typhon, a mysterious shifter that lives on the top of the mountain.

Arina Darius, a 20-year-old, takes a nanny job at the fancy Bruce Estate to handle her dad's debts and care for her sister. She just wants a steady job. But life there isn't what she expects. The kid she watches, Kael Bruce, is super quiet—smart, but keeps to himself. His dad, Damon, is a big-shot billionaire known for being cold. Damon's flashy fiancée, Viva, is nice but kinda mean, making Arina feel out of place. As Arina slowly gains Kael’s trust, she starts to see Damon's hidden issues—his pain, and loneliness. He sees the warmth he’s been missing in her strength. But Damon has a secret: Kael isn't really his kid. He's his late sister's son, and Damon promised to look after him. Their bond causes trouble. The fiancée gets jealous, old secrets pop up, and love becomes off-limits at Bruce Estate. The Nanny and the Billionaire’s Heart is a story about quiet moments, longing, and standing up for yourself. It shows how two people—and a quiet kid—find healing, family, and love in a place they never expected.

"menikahlah denganku!" Kata kenzo dengan tenang. Dahi Mirai berkerut tajam " apa kau gila?" "Tidak! Menikahlah dengan ku dan aku akan menjanjikan kehidupan yang lebih baik untukmu. Menikah dengan ku tidak akan membawa kerugian untukmu."

Eliana is an independent architect living alone in the city. A bread winner and a woman near her thirty's being pressured by her family to settle down but Eliana has other plan. Hindi ang pag-aasawa ang priority niya kung hindi ang big project na matagal na niyang hinihintay bilang isang architect. And this is the part where Eliana meets Sylvan, a famous engineer with a bad temper with female architect, as they joined to complete a big project. Eliana and Sylvan in one big project that resulted in one night's mistake. How did the bad temper Sylvan ended up waking up in one bed with the independent and mature Eliana? How will they deal with the aftermath of that one hot steamy night they've shared?

The girl wore a two-piece bikini that perfectly complemented her flawless figure. Her staged slip and fall into the water were executed with perfection. But why did that petite face carry an innocent, naive look, resembling a nymph? She lowered her head, and her long hair clung wetly to her slender shoulders. Each droplet cascaded down, brushing against her delicate collarbone, and just below the collarbone, Richard Harris's gaze couldn't help but shift. If he were to pull down her swimsuit just a bit... the light shining on her glistening skin would only enhance her allure. Richard Harris felt his blood rushing to a certain part of his body, eagerly awaiting stimulation. His eyes momentarily flickered with flames, enough to consume Roxana Nelson. Why did he feel this way towards that girl, even intensely so? Becoming aware of this, his expression grew colder, and a sinister smile crept onto his lips. In the swimming pool, many greedy eyes ogled at Roxana Nelson, her figure no less captivating than a professional model's. It turned out that it wasn't just him salivating over her alluring physique. This realization deepened the somberness of his complexion. Casting a sharp glance at the crowd, without a word, everyone discreetly retreated 20 meters, each one taking it upon themselves to save their own lives! It was her! He wouldn't spare her. If she willingly offered herself at his doorstep, she shouldn't blame him for not refusing!