Twenty-sixth

Alessia had been given an all-expenses-paid trip to Italy as a reward for her outstanding contribution in her workplace. It was like a life-changing experience for her. However, Alessia encountered a devastating turn of events upon her arrival in the country when she was abducted by unknown men and found herself being auctioned in a bidding event. Not only that, she was bid on by the ruthless mafia lord, Angelo Santoro. ~~ "Ten million," I heard someone say from the crowd. The lights from the ceiling were blinding my eyes, and the handcuffs secured around me weren't making the panic inside me any better. I had no idea why I was at an auction event. "Fifteen million," another voice came through, making me more confused than ever. "Twenty million," another followed, and then someone raised the bid to "Thirty million." "Two hundred million," this time, the voice was sharp and carried danger as he spoke. The whole room fell into dead silence. In that moment, my eyes met his. Dark and penetrating, they instantly sent shivers down my spine.

Nearly twenty years ago, a vicious Alpha slaughtered hundreds of werewolves in cold blood in order to steal their pack lands. Winners write the history and Alpha Carlos Rivera made himself the hero of his tale. He claimed that he devised The Expansion, a plan to unite the surrounding packs to defend them all from a rogue war, for the common good. Enola Grey was made an orphan in The Expansion and grew up on the united pack lands, never knowing she has Celtic Alpha blood running through her veins. Kallan O’Cleirigh, a Lycan clan leader, travels to the united pack lands in search of his pretimarei, his precious love. But Kallan will have his work cut out for him; his mate is a strong-willed, independent she-wolf and will have to fall in love with him of her own volition whilst resisting the pull of her werewolf mate. Will Kallan be able to win the love of his pretimarei? Or will Enola succumb to the undeniable pull of the werewolf mate bond? Enola might think her life is plain and boring, but as the twentieth anniversary of The Expansion approaches, her final year of college will prove to be anything but.

On the day Moon Spencer received the Medal of Honor, she made a public declaration of love on live television to her accompanying military medic, Xavier Quinn. “If it weren’t for Xavier, I’d have died in that storm at sea. He is the most important person in my life.” At the same time, her husband, Nathan Johnson, was lying on his deathbed at home. For years, he had taken care of Moon’s parents and raised their child alone. The strain destroyed his health, and he had little time left. He never expected that after twenty years of sacrifice, he would not even hear a word of thanks from her. What truly broke him was their daughter’s comment. “Dad, don’t you think Dr. Quinn and Mom are perfect together? You should leave sooner and make room for him.” Nathan collapsed in fury and regret. He died that night. When he opened his eyes again, he was back to the night before Moon left for her coastal deployment. This time, he refused to stay behind as the forgotten man who kept everything running. In this life, he would pursue his own dream.

A NOVEL ON STOCKHOLM SYNDROME BOOK 1 OF A THREE BOOK SERIES *TRIGGER WARNING* This book contains scenes that some readers may find disturbing… and also slightly annoying. “Miss. Iris, do you believe she has a point?” she asked and returned to her seat once again. “I don’t think so, her father and uncle deserve to go to jail.” My answer extracted a smile from her like she was proud of my response. “My name is Christine; I am a renowned medico-legal psychotherapist. Been in the business for over twenty years and that is what a case of Stockholm syndrome looks like. In my years of experience, we see situations similar to this but its our job to help the victims realize” “Wow…” I started, really amazed at what she had said and what her work entails. I was only concerned why they locked me in a room with a psychotherapist “it must be difficult at times” I added. “yeah, its difficult every time” she laughed “but today isn’t about me, I have a question for you.” There was a brief pause in between before she carried on “Does Hunter deserve to go to jail?”

Rosalia Marina was eighteen when her father sold her to clear his debts. By twenty, she was no longer just another girl trapped in a trafficking house, she was chosen. Auctioned into a marriage she never consented to, Rosalia becomes the wife of a powerful mafia patriarch who believes ownership is the same as salvation. In his home, she learns how to survive by silence, patience, and control, even as her body is treated like a debt that must be repaid. A year later, everything changes when his son returns to claim his place as heir. Cold, judgmental, and determined not to become his father, he sees Rosalia as a woman who traded herself for power. What begins as contempt slowly fractures into something far more dangerous, desire neither of them can afford. Torn between guilt, longing, and the quiet mission she has carried since the day she was sold, Rosalia must decide whether survival is enough, or if destroying the system that enslaved her will cost her the only man who ever truly sees her. In a world where loyalty is currency and love is betrayal, wanting the wrong person can be fatal.

The day Yancy Shepherd died, Benedict Page poisoned our dinner. His eyes were wild, and bloodshot, as he watched me writhe in agony. There was a madness in his gaze, but worse was the hatred, a disgust so deep it twisted his face into something unrecognizable. "If it weren't for you forcing your way into our lives, Yancy wouldn’t have died from heartbreak. You ruined us! It’s all your fault!" A photo slipped from his trembling hand and landed at my feet—Yancy at twenty, looking radiant, her smile as bright as a blooming flower. I collapsed to the ground, my strength fading fast like a rose withering in the final grasp of winter. Helpless, I waited for the darkness to claim me, consumed by despair and bitter regret. Why hadn’t I listened to the system and killed him when I had the chance? But when I opened my eyes again, everything was different. I stood watching Benedict flee our engagement ceremony. My brother moved to chase after him, but I quietly raised a hand, stopping him. This time, things would be different.

“Uh, sir, maybe it's better for you to get dressed first?" Amy said. “No need, Ms. Brooke. I'm more comfortable this way.” Samuel smiled, pulling Amy's hand so her position was closer to him. “Besides, I won't need the towel for much longer.” Amy frowned to hear that. “What do you mean?” “Please, Ms. Brooke, ah, maybe I should call you Amy instead. After this, we will be more intimate. It will be awkward to call each other by our last name. Agree?” *** Amy Brooke (twenty years old), the eldest daughter of Brooke's family, has everything all women want: youth, beauty, wealth, and a great family. However, she will lose all in an event and changes her life immensely. Samuel Hoffner (thirty five years old), a billionaire, has everything all men want: great looks, wealth, popularity, and power. However, he is an anti-commitment guy. When they will meet each other and tie in a marriage contract, what will happen later? Can Amy make Samuel fall in love with her? Will their marriage survive or will it be only a short-term arrangement?

The past is perilous, but we can't help but glance back at times. Millions of people have been affected by the word "memories," which has brought them grief, despair, and pessimism. They were lives that had a reason for existing, lives that could have lasted decades and accomplished a great deal.... Maria Camara Villagonzalo becomes an astute twenty seven-year-old girl with huge ambitions who aspires to achieve her dreams in life. She dreamed of having a complete family, yet, it didn't happen. She knew it wouldn't be simple to live happily because there are still secrets she needs to unfold.... "Looking up to the sky, seeing the brightest star. Ended up with a sigh, and a heart full of scars," Camara murmured, resolved to realize her ambitions and uncover the secrets of her family's past.... There are some things we don't want to happen but must accept, some things we don't want to know but must learn, and some people we can't live without but must let go. And that, my friends, is life. So, what kind of twists and turns does Camara have in store?

When I was born, my father left me to die beside my mother's corpse in the fields. Why? Because I looked like a ghost—white hair, white eyes—and the chaos that followed my birth terrified him. He didn’t even give me a name. Twenty years later, I’m still wolfless. Still the family punching bag. Still hated by the entire pack. And when the Alpha’s son, my mate and my step-sister framed me, I was sentenced to death by hanging. But death never came. Instead, I was claimed by another mate. The devil himself. Primus Alexander of the Theriakon Pack. The most feared, merciless creature to ever walk the earth. His goal? Find or mold a strong mate and produce an heir. My goal? Find peace, maybe even freedom. Easy enough. Or so I thought. But what happens when friends, loyal subjects and even family try every means to kill me? Because the deeper we fall, the more I uncover the terrifying truth—about his need for a child… and worse what he really is.

Tired and desperate, a twenty two year old Caroline Dawn just wanted to have a descent job, a peaceful and a happy environment. She just wanted to at least experience a wealthy life. But despite of that, Caroline is a woman of principles. She wanted everything to go in a process. She wanted to work hard for herself and achieve the victory on her own. But when she met her Billionaire boss, Arthur David, everything got complicated. She never taught that loving someone could be as hard as this. She built a wall to stop herself because she knows that it's hard to enter the man's world, she covered herself with beliefs and had to stand so strong. The world was too cruel, running away is the only way to escape from the pain and agony. The man she loved the most failed and destroyed her, destiny was too hard to her as well and when she started to run, the only thing she have is her anger dominating her heart and a fading love. She started to run, she promised that there is no turning back anymore.... even if it will break her, even if it will destroy her, or even if it means she will carrying a child, alone.