Trial By Fire: A Novel

She thought she could endure a loveless marriage to repay her family’s debt—but she didn’t count on the cost of her heart. Once the proud daughter of a wealthy businessman, ELENA BRADFORD watched her life crumble when her father’s betrayal left her and her mother drowning in debt. Desperate to protect her family, she reluctantly agreed to a marriage contract with her father’s former business partner’s reckless son, ADRIAN HAWTHORNE—a man who once loved her during their university days but now only mocks her fall from grace. Trapped in a cold marriage filled with scorn and humiliation, Elena finds herself suffocating under the weight of Adrian’s cruelty. But everything changes at a high-profile dinner when she locks eyes with the one person she never thought she’d see again—LUCAS EVERHART, her childhood best friend, who once confessed his love before vanishing from her life. Now a powerful CEO, Lucas is stunned to see the woman he loved trapped in a toxic marriage. Learning of her misery, he vows to free her from the chains of her past—even if it means clashing with Adrian who refuses to let her go. As old feelings reignite and secrets unravel, Elena must decide: will she fight for the love she once believed in, or will her past mistakes keep her from the future she deserves?

“Your body is made to carry my pup! Do that without objection and leave after giving birth to him,” Travis husked, his voice causing vibrations on earth. Rhea Duncan stared at him unblinkingly and scoffed, “I didn’t want to stay here anymore either. I’m still enduring your annoying nature because I have no choice.” • Rhea Duncan was inseminated by her best friend, Phoebe Barton, so that she could snatch her boyfriend from her. Her scheme was successful, but what Phoebe didn’t know was that she had just made her best friend a surrogate mother to the most eligible and enigmatic man in the country, and the alpha of his pack. What happens when a random human invades Alpha Travis’s world unexpectedly? What happens when Rhea Duncan realizes that the world she assumed was fiction is actually real, and she has just become a surrogate mother for the leader of that world? Will they accept that it is fate or just an accident?

Elena Hart is a genius scientist mired in debt and can't even afford her mother's life-saving surgery. Her rescuer can only be one man: Dominic Blackwood, a ruthless billionaire who doesn't believe in love but needs a wife for some mysterious reason that Elena can't fathom. When he offers to marry her for a relaxed, contractual wedding in exchange for paying off her debts, she signs on. What begins as a bargain slowly becomes something more when both of them begin questioning one another's faith, battling foes, and fighting emotions they had not expected. However, love's journey is not one to be taken lightly. With lies revealed, the foes closing in, and open wounds biting back, they must decide if love can conquer any pact.

For eighteen years, Cara devoted herself to Caleb—the wolf she thought was her future. She trained beside him, fought for him, and sacrificed everything for him. But when Caleb finally had the chance to claim her, he rejected her… . Left with no choice, Cara returns to the Shadow Wood Pack, the place she once escaped from. She expects to be treated as an outsider, to live quietly in the background. What she doesn’t expect is for fate to play one last cruel trick on her. Liam Wilson—ruthless, powerful, and feared by many—is her mate. Cara is prepared for rejection all over again. She’s not the kind of mate an Alpha like Liam would want. But instead of pushing her away, Liam does the unthinkable. He claims her.

My best friend and I were in relationships with the brothers from the Wilson Family, and we both got pregnant at the same time. She flaunted her relationship publicly, making everyone in Junopia know that Rick had left the monastery for her. On the other hand, I kept silent about my relationship with the heir of the Wilson Family. Thus, everyone mistakenly thought I was single. That was until my best friend saw my pregnancy report. In a fit of rage, she rallied a group of friends, stormed into my dorm, and vandalized my room with food waste. "I thought you were my best friend, and here you are, trying to steal my man," she accused. Not only did she live-stream this accusation, trying to paint me as the other woman, but she also spiked my chicken soup, hoping to get rid of my unborn child. In defiance, I poured the contaminated soup over her head. "Just so you know, Rick isn't the only Wilson brother," I retorted. Later, Rayden, the man who controlled Junopia, wrapped his arm around me and declared icily, "I've heard troubling rumors about my wife being called a mistress. We need to talk."

You are the CEO of Garner Empire. You are looking for your wife for the last five years who you abandoned at the altar without knowing how she looked. You know nothing about her except she has azure eyes. What would you do if she is right there under your nose working as your PA? Wait a minute! What would you do if she is working as your PA under the disguise of a boy? Once her identity is revealed what will you do? Throw her out of your business empire and your life? Or will you spoil her to bits?

Once destined to lead his family’s empire, Liam Harrington’s life shattered after a car accident left him in a wheelchair. Abandoned by friends, mocked by society, and betrayed by those closest to him, his bitterness grew as he faced enemies who sought to exploit his weakness. Ava Bennett, the overlooked daughter of her family, dreamed of escaping her oppressive home. But forced into a contract marriage with Liam, she found herself battling not only her family’s cruelty but also those who wished to see her husband fail.

Erica Vaughn, a 24-year-old woman, discovers she's pregnant on her wedding anniversary, but her joy is short-lived. Her husband, Asher Whitfield, a wealthy and ruthless CEO, reveals he's been having an affair and wants a divorce. To make matters worse, Erica is kidnapped and nearly killed, only to be rescued and left to rebuild her life. Five years later, Erica returns to Texas with her young son, determined to confront Asher and seek revenge. As they're forced to work together on a business deal, their past sparks a passionate and intense reunion. However, their rekindled romance is threatened by Asher's fiancée, Miley, who'll stop at nothing to keep them apart. As Erica navigates her complicated feelings and the treacherous world of corporate politics, she must confront the dark secrets of her past and the true nature of her relationship with Asher. Will she be able to overcome her pain and forgive Asher, or will their love be destroyed by the very secrets that once tore them apart?

At her own wedding, Isabella Stromfang's life comes crashing down when her beloved, Logan Ravensong accuses her for an act she didn't commit and reveals that their marriage was only for the benefits of both clans. Heartbroken and disgraced, Isabella flees and ends up in the hands of the most powerful Lycan, Ethan. With his help, she seeks revenge against Logan and lover Elena.

Magnolia's life slowly falls apart when her step mother sells her to a ruthless Mafia boss, Orion, as payment for her parent sins. His wrath was known to be swift and painful, Magnolia knows this spells doom for her. But Orion's revenge comes with a price: her complete submission to him. He unleashes his inner vengeance and pain on her for the pain her parents made him pass through. Magnolia's world is slowly turned upside down. But Orion has no idea that this beauty would be the end of him. She is a spy sent by his rival Mafia clan to get Intel on him and take him out. Magnolia doesn't want to do it but he doesn't give her a reason to not want to. She is stuck in between the lines of pain, pleasure and love. She finds herself, craving for the very man who absolutely loathes her. Will Magnolia surrender to this intense passion, or will she fight to regain her once lost freedom? In this dark and mysterious world of mafia's, there is one saying that guides all: "Once you've submitted, there's no escape"