Twelve O Clock

To save her sister from dying—and herself from going to prison—brilliant but desperate hacker Layla “Lyx” Costov must do the unthinkable: seduce and betray Micheal Wade, the ruthless tech billionaire from her past and Atlanta’s most untouchable bachelor. Her mission is simple and deadly—slip into his life, earn his trust, and steal the incriminating evidence that will destroy his empire. But the man she remembers isn’t the man she meets. Beneath Micheal’s cold power and fortune is a lonely genius who’s drawn to her fire, her defiance, her refusal to bow to him. The more she pushes him away, the deeper his obsession burrows. And the closer she gets to his secrets, the more tangled she becomes in his arms… and his world. Every touch she shares with him is a lie. Every kiss is a trap she set for herself. And every moment she falls harder. As the clock races against her deception, she must decide: save her sister, or shatter the heart of the only man who has ever seen her—the man she’s sworn to ruin, and the man she’s terrified to love. But everything changes when she uncovers a darker truth: her dead, brilliant mother may have been murdered… by Micheal’s father. Now the line between love and survival blurs. Will Layla protect her sister and expose the powerful man she loves—soon to be a father in law? Or face the monstrous truth about her own blood… and her illegitimate father? One betrayal will destroy an empire. Another will destroy her heart. And only one will save the people she loves.

Toda véspera de Natal, o herdeiro da família mafiosa Marco, Adrian Marco, deve seguir a tradição da família: sortear um nome para decidir se pode se casar comigo ou não. Porque eu, Irene Cast, não nasci na máfia. A menos que ele tire o papel com o meu nome, ele não pode me tomar como esposa. Por quatro anos, Adrian sorteou quatro vezes. E nenhuma vez saiu o meu nome. Sempre acreditei que ele brigava com a família por minha causa, que estava disposto a arriscar perder o posto de Don só para me escolher. Toda vez que falhava, ele me abraçava com força e sussurrava: – Tudo bem. Sempre tem o ano que vem. E eu o amava tanto que doía. Doía a ponto de eu aceitar esperar, ano após ano. Este ano, eu disse a mim mesma: Se ele ainda não tirar meu nome… vou trocar o resultado em segredo. Cheguei de mansinho à porta do escritório de Adrian e ouvi seu irmão mais novo perguntar: – Don… todo ano você tira o nome da Irene. Por que finge que não saiu? É porque você ainda não conseguiu deixar a Sera ir? E ele apenas respondeu, com a voz fria: – A Sera precisa de mim para algo urgente. Faça como sempre: troque o nome da Irene por um papel em branco. Ele saiu sem olhar para trás. Em vez de trocar, o irmão jogou o papel em branco no lixo, deixou o papel com meu nome sobre a mesa e saiu apressado atrás de Adrian. Entrei no escritório, peguei o papel em branco do lixo e substituí pelo que tinha meu nome. Observei meu próprio nome cair na lixeira. Adrian… eu não quero mais esperar e casar com você. Vou te conceder a sua escolha.

She’s loud. He’s cold. She believes in happy endings. He doesn’t believe in love at all. Sa mundo ng luxury, deadlines, at perfection, siya ang lalaking hindi marunong ngumiti. Cesar Araneta, 35, CEO ng Luxe Life Magazine, gwapo, matalino, at mayaman — pero kilalang pusong bato. Para sa kanya, ang feelings ay sagabal, at ang pag-ibig ay walang lugar sa success story niya. Hanggang dumating si Gabriela “Gavine” Gutierrez, isang Gen Z aspiring writer na kasing ingay ng alarm clock at kasing saya ng kape sa umaga. Masayahin, palpak minsan, pero may tapang at puso.Hindi siya intimidated sa suplado niyang boss sa katunayan, crush pa nga niya ito simula pa college! Ngunit isang viral post ang gugulo sa tahimik na buhay ni Cesar. Ang “Heartless but Handsome Boss” article ni Gavine ay magpapainit hindi lang ng internet, kundi pati ng opisina ng Luxe Life. But when her “Heartless but Handsome” post goes viral, their worlds collide in the most chaotic, hilarious, and unexpectedly romantic way. Pero paano nga ba magtatagpo ang dalawang magkaibang mundo? Siya, mayaman, sikat, at sanay na lahat sumusunod. At siya, simpleng dalaga lang walang pangalan sa lipunan, pero may pusong kayang umintindi kahit sa pinaka-malamig na tao. “You called me heartless.” Can a cheerful nobody melts the heart of a man who thinks love is overrated? Maybe love isn’t overrated after all — maybe it just needed the right kind of disaster to begin.

Title: Whispers of Frost and Fire Author: Seraphina Belladona Synopsis: Aurelia had always been certain about one thing: she and Jeremy Philings were meant to be. As the captain of the cheerleading squad, daughter of the Ravenclaw pack’s beta, and a beloved figure in her pack’s community, everything seemed to fall into place. With Jeremy, the captain of the football team and soon-to-be alpha, by her side, Aurelia was sure that their bond would be sealed on his 18th birthday. The moment they’d been waiting for—the moment when the goddess would confirm their mate bond—was just around the corner. But when midnight strikes on Jeremy’s birthday, everything changes.As the clock chimes, Jeremy’s wolf emerges, his eyes locking onto Aurelia with a chilling coldness that shatters her world. With a single, harsh command, “Move,” he pushes her aside and walks straight toward Shanika Mason, the graceful, confident captain of the soccer team—and the daughter of the first Gamma couple. The girl he has chosen as his mate. Devastated and humiliated, Aurelia flees the celebration, unable to comprehend how the life she’d imagined for years has evaporated in an instant. In her pain, Aurelia is forced to confront the cold truth: she is not the one Jeremy wants, and she must find a way to heal from the heartbreak of losing her mate. But Aurelia’s journey is far from over. Sent to her mother’s old pack in the frozen wilderness of Alaska to escape the painful memories, Aurelia begins to unravel the mysteries of her own past. The Foraker Mountain pack is everything her former home was not—rugged, cold, and steeped in ancient traditions—but it’s here, in the frozen lands of Chase, that Aurelia discovers the truth about her lineage.

“You’re a blank, John. A hollow shell. Do you really think I’d tie the future of the Card family to a man who can’t even manifest a drop of instinct?” Caleb’s voice was like a wire garrote, tightening around John’s throat. “Carl is the heir. You’re just the mistake we kept in the basement.” John Mark was the Syndicate’s golden prince—until his power never came. In a world where the Hale Mafia rules through raw, predatory instinct, being a "blank" is a death sentence. When his biological brother, Carl Cole, returns to claim his birthright, John isn't just pushed aside; he’s erased. His brothers look at him with loathing, his father treats him like a stain on the ledger, and his fiancé, Caleb Card, discards him for the new, powered heir. But the city is rotting. The Abyss King, Morcant, demands a soul to keep the shadows at bay. With nothing left to lose and fifteen days to live, John signs the Sacrifice Certificate in secret. He’ll give his life to save the family that hates him, paying back his debts in blood. He dons a red coat and a porcelain mask, becoming the nameless "Red Savior" the city worships—while by day, he is the "useless" son the Hales kick into the dirt. As the clock ticks toward the final jump, John discovers his power didn't vanish—it was stolen. Now, trapped in a house of vipers, John must decide: Does he reveal the truth and watch his family’s world burn, or does he leap into the dark to save the monsters who broke him? The Abyss is hungry. And the man they called a failure is the only one who can feed it.

Elara Reed has endured years of abuse as her pack's omega—the lowest rank, treated as less than nothing. When the arrogant Alpha heir Kai Thornwood discovers she's his fated mate, he's revolted. In front of the entire pack, he publicly rejects and humiliates her, then marks another she-wolf as his chosen Luna to solidify his disgust. But Kai made one fatal mistake: underestimating Elara. During the rejection, Elara's wolf breaks free, revealing what was hidden her entire life—she carries True Alpha bloodline, a power thought extinct for centuries. That night, she vanishes without a trace. Three years later, Alpha Kai's world is crumbling. His pack is failing, his chosen Luna is barren and bitter, and mysterious enemies are picking off his wolves one by one. Desperate, he tracks down the one person who might save them: Elara. But the broken omega he rejected is gone. In her place stands Alpha Elara Reed—confident, powerful, and leader of the fastest-growing pack in the territories. She's thriving, happy, and definitely not interested in helping the man who destroyed her. Oh, and she has three-year-old twins. His twins. With Alpha powers that shouldn't be possible at their age. Now Kai must grovel, fight, and prove he's worthy of a second chance—while enemies close in on Elara's rare bloodline, traitors sabotage from within, and a rival Alpha offers Elara everything Kai failed to give her: respect, partnership, and love. The clock is ticking. The bond may be severed, but the danger is just beginning. And Elara holds all the power now. His biggest mistake might cost him everything—including his life.

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.

— Professor… Por favor. Eu vim pra aprender a dirigir. Não pra isso. Ela era casada. Ele era instrutor de direção e, para piorar, amigo do marido. Durante as aulas, cada erro no pedal virava um pretexto para se aproximar. Cada correção vinha acompanhada de um toque que ultrapassava o necessário. Presa dentro do carro da autoescola, sem ter para onde ir, ela sentia a linha entre o certo e o proibido se desfazer minuto a minuto. Naquele dia, uma escolha errada, de roupa, de silêncio, de confiança, fez tudo escapar do controle. O espaço apertado, a respiração próxima demais, a tensão que já não dava mais para disfarçar.

Rocco Falcone, que é o Don da família Falcone e meu suposto marido, desliga na minha cara pelo que parece ser a 99ª vez. Tendo sido diagnosticada com leucemia, arrasto meu corpo devastado até o escritório do advogado da família. — Estou aqui para pedir o divórcio. — Eu disse. … Quando Rocco fica sabendo, ele invade o local com a minha família dez minutos depois. No momento em que entra, ele me dá um tapa. — Você usou a linha de emergência só para arruinar a grande noite da Sofia? Você perdeu a cabeça? Lily Marone, minha mãe, arranca o diagnóstico da minha mão e o folheia rapidamente. Ela ri de forma desdenhosa. — Você fingiu estar doente só para chamar atenção? Quantas mentiras você contou desde criança, Claire? Sofia Moretti segura o braço de Rocco com lágrimas nos olhos. — Me perdoe, Claire. Eu não deveria ter aceitado o cargo. Por favor, pare de se machucar e de machucar o Rocco. Eu limpo o sangue da boca e me viro de volta para o advogado. — Eu não tenho mais família. Por favor, agilize a papelada do divórcio. Preciso que tudo esteja resolvido antes da minha cremação em três dias.

Eu carreguei o filhote do meu companheiro destinado. O filhote do Alfa Seth. Mas por doze anos, ele se recusou a me aceitar. Eu era seu segredo. Sua curandeira pessoal. Nada mais. Ele nunca sequer permitiu que nosso filho, Leo, o chamasse de "pai". Tudo porque ele odiava que o destino tivesse escolhido uma companheira "impura" como eu. Ele alegou que eu o drogara, que eu o prendi com uma criança. Ele faltou ao Primeiro Uivo de nosso filho por causa de outra mulher. Uma Beta poderosa chamada Sarah. Aquilo foi a gota d'água. Eu o rejeitei. Peguei nosso filho e fugi. Dizem que o orgulhoso Alfa enlouqueceu. Que a dor da rejeição o destruiu, e que ele nos caçou como um louco. Mas não há volta. Não há perdão.