Unscramble Waited

At the company holiday party raffle, I'd barely stepped on stage when my superior, Victor Grant, shoved a crumpled slip into my hand. "Special prize for our top sales guy. Go on, open it. Let's show everyone." All eyes were on me as I unfolded it. Scrawled across the paper: [VIP janitor status unlocked—every toilet in the company, three days.] The room lost it—laughter everywhere. Victor crossed his arms, grinning. "Fair, right? Everyone knows you climbed the ranks hooking up with rich cougars. Gotta avoid hard feelings for the others, yeah? While the rest of us take a break, you can get busy. You're not gonna back out, are you?" The crowd cracked up. My girlfriend—and CEO—Rachel Sullivan stood off to the side, watching. Didn't say a word. Everyone waited for me to explode. Instead, I just nodded. Next day, over 300 refund requests hit. Cash flow flatlined. Victor and Rachel begged me to talk the buyers down. I shrugged. "Nah. Don't wanna save the company and make my performance too good. That'd just cause more ' hard feelings,' right?"

In the tenth year of my marriage to a genius pianist, I came down with a strange illness. A month ago, my husband missed my birthday party to care for his ailing sister-in-law. Night after night, I had waited for him to return home. But that night I forgot to wait at all and went to bed early. Half a month ago, he attended an important performance with his sister-in-law. I had always been petty and prone to jealousy, yet this time I didn't get angry. I simply went home in silence. Three days ago, I fell seriously ill with a burning fever. My husband rushed back from out of town in a panic—but only to tend to his sister-in-law, whose hand had been scalded. When we ran into each other at the hospital, I was strangely calm. I, who used to be fiercely jealous, felt nothing at all. I forgot the promise we had made to grow old together. I even forgot how he once fretted over me for days when I'd scraped a bit of skin. It wasn't until he said he wanted to bring his sister-in-law home and take care of her for the rest of his life that I—my memories riddled with holes—summoned the system at last. "I want to go home."

  "There is no escape for you. I have waited a long time for you,mate. I will not let you go this time." I gasped and placed my palm over my heart, doubling over. I felt it. Strong and unbreakable, a cord that connected our bodies, minds and souls to each other's. It reached out, connecting me to him, over time, over space, over realms. I felt his power fuse with mine and cuddle around my ice, making me warm. Fire to my ice. Ice to his fire. I didn't need to see him to know it was him. My dragon growled again with mixed emotions coursing through her. I joined in with a snarl and lifted my head, anger of a woman and beast merging into something cataclysmic.      I thrummed my fingers in the air and I raised my head. Our eyes met and I resisted the urge to double over at the sensation in my chest. With Fae vision, he looked even more gorgeous than any being should be. So sensual. So dark. So powerful. My mate. I searched his turquoise depths for answers, hoping I was wrong, but they said it all. He was my mate. And he'd hurt me. I'll kill him.

Serena hesitated for a moment before asking the question that had been weighing heavily on her mind. "What if I'm pregnant? Would you still proceed with the divorce?" The silence in the room was thick and palpable, and her heart began to race as she waited for Rick's response. She looked at him expectantly, hoping against hope that he might have a change of heart. However, Rick's face remained cold and expressionless as he spoke. "I love Gina and I'm committed to building a life with her. I'll do whatever it takes to remove any obstacles from our path, even if that means getting rid of the child in your womb, assuming there is one." The words hit Serena like a ton of bricks, leaving her feeling hurt, angry, and scared all at once. She couldn't believe that Rick was willing to go to such lengths just to be with his ex again. Serena was once a subservient daughter-in-law, but she never complained. All she craved was her husband's affection, which she thought she had. However, she never realized that her husband was merely using her for his benefit. Rick initiated the divorce. Fuelled by rage and agony, Serena discards her submissive facade and returns to her family. She vows revenge on Rick for the pain he caused her.

My Lycan Mate, I Am Just an Omega Yolanda Edwards has always been an outcast—a wolf-less omega in a world where strength defines worth. Bullied and belittled, she dreams of escaping her pack and finding solace among humans. But fate has other plans. When a mysterious substitute professor with piercing red eyes enters her life, Yolanda’s world is turned upside down. Alejandro Romero is no ordinary werewolf—he’s the Lycan King, a powerful and enigmatic ruler who has waited over a century for his fated mate. And to Yolanda’s shock, that mate is her. Thrust into a world of opulence and danger, Yolanda must navigate the treacherous politics of the lycan kingdom, where enemies lurk in every shadow and her worth is constantly questioned. As she struggles to embrace her newfound identity and the wolf within. But Alejandro’s throne is under threat, and Yolanda’s presence has only intensified the target on his back. With a vengeful brother, a jealous rival, and a kingdom on the brink of war, Yolanda must find the strength to stand by her mate’s side and prove that even an omega can become a queen. My Lycan Mate, I Am Just an Omega is a tale of love, power, and self-discovery, where the weakest link becomes the strongest bond.

Out on a holiday with my boyfriend, Jack, and my good friend, Eva, a catastrophe occurred. As the floods came, we waited for the rescue helicopter to come. As I fastened the safety rope, I noticed that my metal safety clip had been swapped for a plastic ring. Climbing up the rope ladder, Jack said nonchalantly, "Eva's luggage is heavy. She needs another safety clip, so I gave her yours. You can wait for the next rescue." I replied in a panic, pointing at the water level already past my chest, "But I can't swim!" Jack replied irritatedly, "Naomi, stop causing a scene! You're a strong swimmer, what's a little time in the water? Eva is my boss's relative. If something happens to her, my promotion is gone. Why can't you understand that?" "Which matters more? My life or her luggage?" I reached for the rope ladder when he kicked my hand away. "I've studied the waters. The flood won't rise so quickly. It will at most be at the level of your neck. You won't die!" I said nothing further. Watching the floods rise crazily, I quickly pressed my family's special alarm on my wrist.

I’d been married to my husband James for three years. On Valentine’s Day, he gave his stepsister, Mia, one hundred and eighty thousand dollars, along with millions in jewelry. I, on the other hand, received a free bouquet of roses. When I didn’t look thrilled, he accused me of being a gold digger. “Mia never had anyone to care for her growing up. Why are you competing with her? Isn’t being Mrs. Smith enough to feed your vanity?” Furious, I stormed out of the house. When a car lost control and came barreling toward me, he instinctively rushed to protect Mia, who was standing a full ten feet from the road. I was the one who ended up in the hospital. Lying in that bed, I finally gave up. I signed the divorce papers without hesitation. “Giving up the title of Mrs. Smith is the dumbest decision you’ll ever make,” he told me, looking down at me from above before walking away. Seven years later, we met again. He took one glance at my simple dress and laughed out loud. I didn’t bother to respond. I just held my daughter close and waited for her father—the richest man in the city—to arrive.

Rejected on the night of her mating ceremony, Valeria’s world shatters when the mate she waited for abandons her without mercy. Branded a disgrace by her own family, she is betrayed in the cruelest way—offered in place of her sister to the most ruthless Alpha known to the packs. Alpha Sebastian does not want her love. He does not want her loyalty. To the pack, she is Luna,To him, she is nothing but a slave. Humiliated, tortured, and stripped of her title, Valeria is framed for a crime she did not commit. Her sister steals her identity. Her parents turn their backs on her. And the Alpha who owns her sentences her to death—only to spare her life for a fate far worse. Broken and chained, Valeria loses all hope… until a mysterious Alpha saves her life. Alpha Xavier is powerful, dangerous, and impossible to read. When he touches her, something awakens—a bond stronger than fate. But Alpha Sebastian will not let go of what he claims belongs to him. Caught between two Alphas.Hunted by her own blood. And carrying a secret that could cost her life, Valeria must escape… or rise and take revenge on everyone who destroyed her. Will she remain a slave forever, or become the Luna they all feared?

“I was just a pawn in your game!” Tears streamed down my face. “No!” He was quick to deny the accusation. “Look me in the eye, Declan, and tell me you didn’t marry me for revenge!” My heart was burning. “It might have started like that, but I swear, everything between us has always been real, Kendra.” It was hard to believe his pleading tone. “This is it, Declan. This is the end of us.” ***** Kendra Hazelwood’s world turns upside down the moment her father announces she must marry Declan Davenport—their sworn enemy. Knowing she has no choice, Kendra finds herself in a marriage built on secrets, lies, and the ashes of an old feud. Declan has waited his whole life for this chance. Marrying a Hazelwood is the perfect cover to finally take his revenge, and he vows to never let his heart get involved. However, everything about Kendra rattles his world, and soon the line between vengeance and desire begins to blur. Everything changes when Kendra uncovers the brutal truth. Feeling heartbroken and betrayed, she walks away, determined to reclaim her life. Declan is determined to win the woman who owns his heart back, but will he succeed? Can love survive betrayal and pain?

A video of my boyfriend proposing to his secretary makes it to the trending topics. Everyone squeals over how romantic and touching it is. His secretary even posts on social media, "I've waited so long for you to appear, and I'm glad I didn't give up. I'll leave my life in your hands, Mr. Emerson." One of the comments goes, "God, this is so sweet. A CEO and his secretary—I ship them!" I don't weep or cause a fuss. Instead, I close the webpage and ask my boyfriend for an explanation. That's when I hear him talking to his friends. "I didn't have a choice. She would've been forced to marry someone she doesn't love if I didn't help her." "What about Vicky? She's your actual girlfriend. Aren't you afraid of her getting mad?" "So what if she is? She's been with me for seven years—she can't live without me." Later, I have my wedding on the same day as his. Our cars drive past each other, and I exchange bouquets with his secretary. When he sees me, he breaks down.