Upper Class French Surnames

EXCERPT: John freed himself from the security lashes in order to gain more access to Tom. He gripped his friend's waist, squeezing to emphasize how much he was willing to give up for this man. "I can touch you. We can touch. Touch me." Tom searched John's face with his eyes, the flush on his cheeks darkening and capturing John's attention once more. He could feel Tom's uncertainty as if it were a weighted net falling over them both to pin them in place. Summoning his courage, he stripped his tunic from his upper body and seized Tom's hand in his own. "Touch me. Please." John thought Tom was going to refuse until he used his free hand to reach out. SYNOPSIS: Refugees of a dead planet, the Zen are grateful the people of Earth are willing to offer them a new home. Executive Orders from the White House declare America a safe-haven for any of the shapeshifting aliens as long as they follow three basic rules: 1. Zen must take a human appearance. 2. Zen must register with human names at Social Services. 3. Zen must find paid work or volunteer to help their country. Two friends declare themselves "married" during their registration without realizing they are now legally bound to one another as a couple. Will New Americans John and Tom see their friendship turn into a romance or will they reject being accidentally married aliens?

"Touch me until I cum so hard that I forget my own name," I gasped, my lips brushing his, trembling beneath the weight of his stare. "You will forget more than that, wife," he rasped, gripping my throat with one hand and sliding the other down my body, "I will make you cum until you forget how to fight your feelings for me." * Elena Thrown into a marriage with the city’s most dangerous mafia king, I had one mission, to seduce him, overwhelm him and make him end it. So, I moaned louder, touched deeper, played the part of a woman consumed by lust, all in hopes he would be repulsed. But Dominic Moretti doesn’t fall for games. He plays them better. Colder, rougher and unrelenting. Every fake moan becomes real. Every forced kiss turns savage. And every time I think that I have the upper hand, he flips me over and makes me forget I ever wanted to get out of this marriage. He doesn’t believe in love. I don’t believe in staying. But when lust ignites war and pleasure starts to hurt in all the right ways, it’s no longer about breaking the marriage, it’s about surviving it. One of us will break. One of us will beg. But we will be both drenched in each other's lust before it’s all over.

"I will give you an interest of one million dollars once we regain our lost glory," Nelly promised. "Really? Are you the only one who doesn't know my net worth?" Ivan questioned. "Fine. What do you want, Ivan?" "Marry me." Nelly Stratford was forced to approach her sworn enemy, the proud Ivan Landers, to beg for money. Their family business was dwindling and her father was in a coma. The money to foot the hospital bill was not in sight. Left with no other option, she accepts his marriage proposal.  Nelly spent the next one year proving her worth. She did everything to please Ivan because she had fallen in love with him but his heart was far away. He only loved a certain girl who saved his life seven years ago. Ivan told her to her face that he would never love her.   Two weeks later, he came back to the house he shared with her. He saw the divorce papers she left him alongside the ring he gave the girl who saved him seven years ago. Pain and regret burst out in his chest, but this time, he couldn't find her anywhere. When she returns, its not for love this time, but for vengeance. Will she succeed or will she let her love for Ivan take the upper hand?

Ga-eul was born in the lowest class status in Joseon. He belonged to the cheonmin or vulgar commoners—like butchers, shoemaker, shamans, magicians, etc. He never had a real name since he was born. Ga-eul was the one that is use to call him because of it's literal meaning that a baby boy born during fall. His family earns a living by performing at town alleys and even in gisaeng's places—typically located near the center of a town. After the early death of their parents, Ga-eul was forced to work harder for him and his sister to survive. Being a performer is not enough that's why he was urged to enter the gisaeng—trained to be courtesans, a prostitute, especially one with upper-class clients—world even though he is a male. He knows that he has a soft heart like a woman but doesn't want to be one. The life of Ga-eul is indeed miserable and unfortunate. He is literally going crazy on how he can managed to send his sister into a hospital—who has a osteosarcoma—tumor in the bone. A huge amount of money is needed for his sister's recovery. One night, while having a mental breakdown, he went to the gisaeng house to plead for his advance payment but the head gisaeng threw him outside. He cried out but then, a nobleman in his 20s approach and asked him to come inside again. He never knew that the nobleman was also struggling in a problem. He thought that the nobleman was just like the other middle class people. He plead but the nobleman offer him a huge amount of money. All he need to do is to marry him. The money offered was extremely helpful to resolve his problem, but should he really let the nobleman buy him?

It was our wedding anniversary when my husband's high school sweetheart posted a sonogram picture on her social media, with her captioning a public thank-you to my husband: [Thank you to the man who's been there for me for ten years, and for giving me a son.] The room spun, and anger surged through me as I quickly commented: [So, you're proud of being a homewrecker?] Almost immediately, my husband called, his voice full of rage. "How can you think such disgusting things? All I did was help her with IVF, fulfilling her dream of becoming a single mom. "And by the way, Ruby only needed one try to get pregnant, while you’ve been through three rounds with nothing. Your body is useless!" Just three days ago, he told me he was going abroad for business—ignoring my calls and messages the entire time. I thought he was just busy. However, it turned out he was with her, attending her prenatal checkup. Half an hour later, Ruby posted again, showing off a table full of delicious food. [I got tired of French food, so Ash made me all my favorite dishes. He’s the best!] I stared at the pregnancy test in my hand, the joy I had felt earlier now completely gone. After eight years of love and six years of swallowing my pride just to keep the marriage alive, I’m finally ready to let go.

In a whirlwind of multiple jobs and her relentless pursuit of happiness, Violet Carter finds solace in the one thing she adores most - shopping. Struggling to juggle her law degree, mathematics tutoring, personal shopping, and even stripping, Violet yearns for the rush of endorphins that come with spending money. She's no stranger to hardships, having grown up in poverty and shouldering the responsibility of caring for her nine siblings and a quirky pet snake. But when a chance encounter with Markus Legazpi, a man from the very social class she despises, sets off a chain of events, Violet is faced with a life-altering decision. Will she forsake her principles and embark on the most disreputable love transaction of all time?

Every other student could hear the inner thoughts of Chloe Yates, the campus belle. It was like a radio station was broadcasting her mind, and unfortunately for me, the broadcast was usually bad news. It started during the ROTC courses in our freshman year. I was doubled over with terrible period cramps and asked to sit out. Chloe just shook her head, letting out a dramatic, pitying sigh. "Oh, this is awful," her internal voice broadcast to everyone. "Should I tell everyone the truth? Sylvie is totally faking it. If the sergeant finds out she's lying, he's going to punish the whole class because of her." The sergeant, hearing her thoughts, immediately assumed I was a liar. He forced the entire class to run 30 laps as punishment. After that, no one would talk to me. Later, when I applied for the need-based financial aid grant, Chloe went on a rampage with her internal thoughts. "Her family isn't poor!" her voice screamed in everyone's heads. "They have a car and a house. She's just vain. She's trying to scam the college out of grant money so she can buy a new phone. I feel so bad for the actual poor kid whose spot she's stealing." Once the class heard that, they silently agreed to vote against my application. Without that money, I had no choice but to work three part-time jobs just to survive. I worked myself into the ground until I finally gave out. I collapsed in the classroom while clutching my chest, suffering a massive heart attack. I cried out, begging my classmates to call 911. However, Chloe's voice cut through the air right then. "She doesn't have a heart condition. She's pregnant. She's trying to trick a guy into taking her to the hospital so she can get an abortion, and then she's going to frame whoever helps her for getting her knocked up." Terrified of being blamed, the students backed away from me like I was radioactive. They stood there and watched as I died on the classroom floor. Right up until the moment I died, I never understood why my life had turned into such a nightmare. However, when I snapped my eyes open, I had returned to the day of the ROTC courses. The cramps were back, and the sun was beating down on me. Chloe did not know one crucial detail. This time, I could hear her thoughts too.

Dante Russo is a Mafia Boss that was trying to turn over a new leaf until his Rival Roman Ricci, kidnapped his girlfriend and made him turn back to his old self. As a means to get back to his rival and have upper hand, Dante decided to pressure Madonna Ricci, his Rival only daughter into marrying him. In order to protect her innocence, and her families reputation, Madonna accepted to marry Dante, the Young handsome Mafia "Hi." The bartender turned to see a very handsome young man sat beside the girl. The young man was so handsome that every other men pale in comparison. "Go away." Madonna said as she had told every other men. The bartender has given up his desires, but he still smiled when the beautiful girl rebuked the handsome man away without batting an eye. "I am afraid I can't do that." The handsome man smiled showing a dimple that would charm off the pant of any girl. "And why is that?" She still didn't look at the stranger beside him. "Because I am your future." The words of the young man made Madonna to look his way. "The last person I thought was my future, just broke my heart." Madonna stressed the last word as she saw the handsome young man in front of her.

Bai Yanlong reset her life to three days before apocalypse. She would have liked to rip a new one to novel gods for giving her such a short time, but she hasn't got the time. Not that she can do much if there was more time. After all, she's but a poor college student from a middle class family. Now if only she could catch all the super powers in the world... What is this? she got the super powers? ... This doesn't sound right.. she has never been this lucky.. oh.. Wait a minute why did that door handle vanish? she was sure it was there in middle of that door. It was only when she looked up that she understood. No good things ever comes with out a price...

Marina Russo has always lived a quiet life—graduated top of her class in culinary school, pays her bills on time, and avoids drama at all costs. When she lands a private chef position in a sprawling mansion on the edge of the city, it seems like a dream job. But nothing in that house is as simple as it seems. The brothers who own the estate are powerful, dangerous, and deeply tied to the criminal underworld. Domenico is gentle, perceptive, and blind—but he commands an empire with deadly precision and an almost eerie calm. Alessandro is sharp-edged, cold, and calculating—the kind of man whose presence is both intoxicating and terrifying. Marina is caught in their storm.But in a world where loyalty is currency and trust is a liability, love could be the one move that ruins them all.