Twenty-five Thousand Five Hundred

“That’s a wrap, this little rogue has been sold for eight hundred thousand dollars,” the woman cheered. She came towards me with an evil smirk. “Please,” I whispered. “You’re so tough, dear child, your new master will enjoy taming you,” she grinned before I felt a prick in my neck. “Ow! What did…” I didn't finish my question before a wave of dizziness hit me and I passed out. *** Mia faces a heart-wrenching choice to save her mother. Betrayed by her own family, she finds herself imprisoned and at the mercy of a ruthless captor. But hope flickers in the form of two brothers who come to her rescue, revealing a hidden world she never knew existed. As Mia grapples with her newfound destiny and a forbidden love that could unravel everything, she must outsmart her pursuer and navigate a treacherous path to secure her family's future. Will she escape the clutches of darkness and rewrite her own fate?

Five years ago, I lost my memory in a car accident. Eira Jones had claimed she was my beloved. She saved me, cared for me, and we naturally got married. For five years, I managed every aspect of our home for her. As I tended to her every need with unwavering devotion, I was convinced I was the happiest husband in the world. But as I was about to tidy up the study, I overheard Eira and her childhood sweetheart talking. “Eira, these past five years, Vedran Clarus has been utterly devoted to you. He just hasn’t chewed your food for you! I’m getting jealous.” Eira kissed his cheek affectionately. “Silly boy, those chores are his responsibility. I’d never let you do them.” Furious, I burst through the door and accused Reed Harris of being a shameless homewrecker. But to my shock, he showed his marriage certificate to Eira. He declared that I was the third wheel in their relationship. As we shoved each other about, my head slammed into the bookshelf, and my memories returned. Apparently, I was the sole heir to the city’s wealthiest, the Grant family. I watched as Eira ranted accusations at me, and the fair-faced, pretty boy in her arms feigned hurt. I turned and dialed my childhood sweetheart’s number. “Elena Gibson, your fiance is being bullied!”

After the video exposing my sister Issa Acosta’s plot against me was revealed, my parents and my fiancé, Henry Nolan, stood firmly by my side, making me feel loved and safe. I confidently handed over all the evidence to them, trusting them to handle it. However, they told me that after Issa was kicked out of the house, she died in a sudden car accident, and I believed them. That was until five years into my marriage, when I accidentally saw Issa—the woman who was supposed to be dead. She was holding a little boy, clinging tightly to Henry’s hand. "Henry, if it weren’t for you and my parents, I’m afraid Zoe would’ve thrown me in prison. Thankfully, my parents destroyed the evidence and even opened a jewelry design studio for me. To avoid suspicion, you even sacrificed your own marriage. Thank you for everything in the past five years.” "Think of it as me atoning to Zoe on your behalf. As long as you and Bear are happy, that’s enough for me." So, what I thought was a happy family was nothing more than a giant lie—a scheme concocted by my parents and Henry. My parents, my husband, and Issa were the real family, and I? I was just the fool who had been deceived for five long years. Whether it was family or love, none of it was real, and I don’t want any of it anymore.

I was at the Blood Registry office to reissue my Blood Covenant Certificate with Lord Ethan when the registrar looked up at me and said, “Your Blood Covenant Certificate is forged.” “There is no record of your bond in the vampire consort system.” I froze. “That’s impossible,” I whispered. “I registered my union with Lord Ethan five years ago. Please check again.” The clerk searched once more. “Lord Ethan’s record is here,” he said calmly. “His lawful consort is Ella.” Ella? The name fell like a blade. Before he said it, I still hoped it was a clerical mistake. But Ella… was his childhood companion. In that moment, everything made sense. In five years, he had never marked me. He had publicly acknowledged me as his Blood Queen, letting the entire Coven believe I stood beside him by right. He had given me titles, a throne at his side, and a crown to wear in front of the world. Titles can be announced. Only the Registry makes it law. The certificate he gave me had been nothing but a beautiful lie. The five years I believed were happiness— were nothing more than a carefully forged illusion. An illusion crafted to keep me obedient, grateful, and blind. If none of it was ever truly mine, if even the title of “Blood Queen” was only a performance, then leaving should be easy.

Five years ago, he had abandoned her, betrayed her, destroyed her company when she had trusted him and needed him the most. Five years later, Evelyn was back for revenge. She would return everything he had done to her tenfold, and to do that, she needed to live in the same house with him again. “Ex-husband, let's sign a marriage contract again!” Evelyn demanded after barging into her ex-husband's party. “Okay.” **** She had sworn to frustrate and destroy his life as they live under the same roof but who can tell Evelyn why everything was different from what she had expected? Who was this man cajoling her every request? Why is her ex-husband who’s supposed to be an enemy looking at her dotingly? Ex-husband, this was supposed to be a fierce revenge battle, not a love battle!

She loved him in high school. 10 Years later, Preetah finally becomes Arjun’s wife through an arranged marriage. But the boy she once adored is gone. In his place stands a man who is cold, ruthless, and impossible to love. Can she survive being his wife, or will he break her completely? Dean is Arjun’s best friend. The one man who should protect Artha, not desire her. But when loyalty collides with forbidden love, how long can he fight what his heart wants? Roshni endures her boss’s abuse in exchange for money. But when she falls for his son, her secret threatens to destroy them all. Five voices. Five forbidden loves. All tied together by secrets too dangerous to survive. (This book contains dark themes and may be triggering for some readers.)

Andrey and Hazel had an accidental one-night stand five years ago, and Andrey couldn't n forget Hazel’s body. He couldn't get to Hazel because of the family turmoil caused by his father's sudden death. Five years later, Andrey had taken over the family business and found Hazel, who was in debt from her mother's gambling. Andrey rescued her and helped her pay the money, becoming Hazel’s debtor. He asked her to become his lover but she refused because she had a boyfriend. Andrey made a bet with Hazel that her boyfriend would leave her for the money, and to her surprise, her boyfriend left her for the money. She was single but didn’t agree to become Andrey’s lover. She hated him even more because he disrupted her peaceful life.

Ariana Lubove and Spencer Ulrich have been married for three years. She doesn't hope to win his heart, but she thinks that she's at least special to him. To her devastation, he finds himself a mistress and treats her like she's his treasure. Ariana finally faces reality and gets a divorce. She turns to leave without another look back. Five years later, she shows up with a little boy by her side. Spencer looks at the boy and snorts. "You're a little bastard." The boy gives him an equally icy look. "And you're an old bastard." Five years is enough for Spencer to turn a new leaf and start with a clean slate. He's confident he can win Ariana's heart again. But why the hell does he have rivals in love all over the world?

Warning! mature content but not too explicit!!! "If you don't do as I say then you will never see our son again, not in this life or the next," Henry said in an icy tone that made me shiver in fright. Five years ago, I had a one-night stand with an unknown man. It was never my wish, how could my stepmother and my stepsister be this cruel to set me up with a stranger? I trusted them but I guess it was too late, the deed was already done. They threatened to ruin my reputation, so I ran away. Five years later, I returned with my son to the country, after getting the heartbreaking news that my father was sick. The stranger, whose name I knew to be Henry, a ruthless billionaire, wanted me and my son and if I didn't abide by his rules, he threatened to do the unthinkable.

Teenage life is always complicated but it's nothing compared to the lives of Max, Kristen, Ashley, Tatiana and Mckayla. See what happens when five best friends allow themselves to enter the world of love triangles, sex, addictions, obsessions, secrets and toxic relationships....