Vassal State

On the third day of my business trip out of state, someone new joined the group chat formed for my son's class. It had been quiet for weeks when she suddenly sent a voice message. I tapped it, and an unfamiliar woman's voice played through my phone. "Hello, everyone. I'm the new language teacher at the school, and I'm also Tony Gardner's mother. Looking forward to getting to know you all!" My whole body went cold. I opened the group member list and checked it over and over. My son's name was Tony Gardner, and she said she was Tony Gardner's mother. Then, who the hell was I? I immediately called my husband. "Did someone get added to the parent group by mistake?" He paused on the other end before he laughed it off like it was nothing. "Oh, probably just a mix-up. The school has so many kids. It's not unusual for kids to have the same names. What's the matter? Did something happen?" I kept my voice light and told him everything was fine. The second I hung up, I booked the next flight home and headed straight to my son's school.

Prologue. “You are not her,” his deep, dangerously dark voice whispered softly in her ear. “W…what do you mean? I am not who?” holding her breath unconsciously, she stuttered. “My bride. You are not the woman I was supposed to marry. Where is she?” His hoarse voice pierced through her chest like a knife and she felt her knees go weak, and then staggered backward, shivering. “Where is my bride?” === Sapphire Rodriguez's life got turned upside down when she suddenly had to take her twin sister’s spot on her wedding day. When she thought nothing could be worse than the maltreatment she was getting from her family, her twin sister got involved in an accident a day before her wedding which caused her to go into a state of comatose and she had to be the substitute bride until the real bride wakes up to take back her place. When the billionaire who married her was smarter than she had expected, Sapphire knew that her life was never going to be easy because this husband of hers will not believe that she didn't cause her sister’s accident in order to take her place at her wedding.

Dominixe Cantavalle, an Alpha slayer, is torn between her loyalty to her father and her love for her Alpha mate. In a desperate bid to gain her father's favor and become the heir of the powerful House of Cantavalle, she chooses to betray and slaughter her mate's pack members, a decision that leaves her in a state of misery and despair. As if that wasn't enough, Dominixe finds herself betrothed to an abhorrent man arranged by her father and is forced to sleep with him against her will. But her fate takes a dark turn when she is poisoned by one of her own sister. In her dying moments, the only one who tends to her is a rogue Alpha who has long admired her. However, when Dominixe wakes up, she finds that she cannot remember him. She can only recall her fated mate Valerian Leveaux, whom she betrayed in the past. Determined to seek revenge against those who have wronged her and protect those who care for her, Dominixe sets out on a perilous journey, with her new allies by her side, to right the wrongs of her past and change the course of her and her Alpha mate's destiny. ︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵ Moon Goddess' Daughters series: Dameta, the Goddess of Time

After crashing her stepfather's car, Jo Fisher faces a five-year sentence under the strict oversight of a high-level mafia vampire guardian. **WARNING: INCLUDES DARK SCENES SOME MAY FIND DISTURBING** In this new world order, large vampire families once thought to be the mafia in the 20th and 21st centuries, now preside over all legal matters and wield global authority after making their true natures known to the world. Jo's sentence is to be served as a contracted slave at Camilla Academy, a prestigious institution established by the more refined families. Here, vampires at a young age learn to coexist with their human counterparts and maintain control. All while ensuring their human charges become compliant and dependable sources of sustenance. Jo's options are limited. She must either adopt the role of a slave/pet to a vampire master or become the more cherished ward of a Daddy (or Mommy) vampire, expected to regress into an almost adolescent state of obedience. Dane, an ancient vampire prince underboss from the original family, is drawn to Jo's vibrant spirit and tendency to push boundaries. Captivated by her fiery demeanor and stubborn temperament, he is determined to have her as his mate rather than a subordinate. Can he temper Jo's vivacious spirit just enough for them to navigate the academy's demands without extinguishing the very fire that draws him to her?

Meet Leon — a promising indie actor who’s about to take on a new film project. But his life takes a bizarre turn when he starts hearing a mysterious voice in his dreams, a voice that he cannot seem to recall. As the voice becomes more insistent and the dreams more frequent, Leon’s mental state begins to crumble, leaving him questioning the world around him. In the midst of all this chaos, Leon stumbles upon a fortune teller with incredible abilities who hands him a necklace and cryptic instructions to “listen to the voice of his heart.” With this new talisman in hand, Leon starts to unlock the truth behind the enigmatic voice, and as he digs deeper, he realizes that nothing in his life is quite as it seems. As he grapples with this revelation, Leon must also confront his long-term lover, Sheldon, and the secrets that have been kept from him. But what he uncovers goes far beyond what he could have ever imagined, and the truth he seeks threatens to unravel his entire existence. Will Leon be able to navigate the treacherous waters of his own mind and uncover the truth before it’s too late? One thing is for sure — when he finally discovers the truth behind everything, the repercussions will be more profound than he could have ever imagined. Copyright ️ 2022 HiGANBANA

" I....I don't have anything else left with me, except my heart with love." She said crying her heart out with a pained expression in her black orbs. Staring at her vulnerable state, I went near her pulling her into my embrace and hugging her tightly preventing her from crumbling into pieces. Tears well up in my eyes too, but I blinked back squeezing my eyes shut. I didn't lie to her saying that everything will be okay and false promises that everything will be better. I stood there hugging her that would say enough for her that I'm there for her no matter what! Athena is a broken girl with only the memories of the horrible past which she hides it from everyone. She always smiles to heal her broken heart. Liam Knight is one hell of a successful and ruthless billionaire who owns Knight Industries. No one stands when it comes to business. To him, love means nothing but a trash and has no sympathy or kindness towards anyone. But she changes him at first sight. What happens when Athena is appointed as the Personal Secretary of Liam in which Liam tends to find the mystery about her that catches him off-guard. Will he protect her with all his life? Content/Trigger Warning: this story contains sexual content and deals explicitly with sexual assault and violence.

My child-free husband went back to his hometown for a funeral, and after he returned, he suddenly wanted me to have a baby. He was one of the best obgyns in the state, so he handled my IVF procedure himself. After more than 160 hormone shots, we finally heard the baby’s rhythmic heartbeats for the first time, which made my usually calm husband tear up. Soon, he tightened every part of my routine, from a strict diet to my schedule, and once my belly started showing, he barely let me get out of bed. I thought he was just being overly protective. But then, right by my ear, I heard a nasty little boy’s voice. [Which player starts their mission inside the womb? And she’s not even my mom!] [Just four more months. My dad will make sure she dies on the operating table so he can keep only his son.] [After that, he’ll bring my real mom back, and my mission will be complete!] I canceled my afternoon checkup immediately as soon as I heard this. Did the system forget to tell him that he wasn’t the only player in this world?

After experiencing a devastating rejection, Eleanor found herself struggling to piece together the fragments of her shattered life. Accused of inadvertently causing her mate's father's death by administering herbs as a treatment, she was heartbroken when her mate chose to disbelieve her, imprisoning her and replacing her as his Luna. Despite giving birth to twins, she was forced to part with one of her children. In a state of irreparable heartbreak, Eleanor managed to flee the pack with her remaining child. Seven years later, she gained renown as a successful fashion designer and model. When Killian, her former mate, reappears in her life, will he easily recognize her as the once-vulnerable omega, Eleanor, whom he had mistreated? With a heavy curse hanging around Killian's pack, he embarks on a perilous journey to win back Eleanor's trust and unite their separate offspring. Will she ever find it in her heart to forgive him ? Turns out she was not only Killian's second chance mate but also the key to breaking the curse. Faced with a choice between forgiveness and uniting her twins, will Eleanor find it in her heart to rebuild a fractured family with Killian? In this gripping tale of love, betrayal, and redemption, Eleanor navigates a treacherous path where the stakes are high and the price of forgiveness may be their very survival…

Charlotte always hoped for forever with her college sweetheart, Jonah, but after their marriage, the man she gave her heart took her freedom and turned her into a shadow of herself. He married another woman for her money and dumped Charlotte to the curb because of his greed. Broken, with no hope from anywhere, her savior comes in form of the man she least expected, her ex’s uncle. Xavier Roman is the wealthiest man in the state, a zillionaire whose income cannot be counted. He proposes a contract marriage to his nephew’s ex-wife in order to silence the ugly rumors surrounding him and she agrees out of desperation. In return, he promises to help her exert her revenge on everyone who wronged her, and spoil her beyond imagination. Driven by hate and jealousy, her ex-husband returns with his family, tarnishing her image in every way they can to get back at her, but she cannot be touched because of the man whose name she is affiliated with. What happens when she starts to want more than just his money? What happens when he realizes that it was never just business for him? How will she ever get over him, when coupled with his money, he shows her in more ways than one, what it means to be truly pleasured by a man…?

On my wedding night, I was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance after a tampered condom left me in excruciating pain. The surgery took over twenty-four hours, and the story spread like wildfire. My husband, Alexander, let it be known that anyone who managed to photograph me in my post-surgery state would be rewarded with ten million dollars. Overnight, I went from being a billionaire's new wife to the laughingstock of every elite circle in New York. The next day, Alexander's childhood sweetheart Dahlia showed up at my door. That was when I learned the truth: she'd coated the condom with industrial-strength adhesive as part of what she called a "social experiment." She didn't show a shred of remorse. Her tone was flippant and cruel: "It was just an experiment. I mean, how was I supposed to know you'd react like that? Besides, we both know you were never good enough for Alexander. So drop the act." Alexander stood beside her, his gaze cold and dismissive: "If it weren't for the marriage contract, no one would've touched you. You know that, right?" What he didn't know was that the woman he was calling a slut had saved his life more times than he could count.