Villainous Laugh

One night before our engagement, Darren Finch insisted on throwing a singles party aboard a cruise ship. He made it clear I wasn't invited. But in the middle of the night, I got a call saying he'd fallen overboard. Panic overtook me. Feverish and disoriented, I stumbled to the deck and dove into the sea without a second thought. The night waters were icy, sapping the strength from my limbs. As I was pulled back onto the deck, shivering and soaked, I heard laughter ring out from the crowd. Carrie Specter, Darren's childhood sweetheart, stood above me. She gave a soft, lilting laugh. "Seeing how far you're willing to go for Darren... I can finally hand him over to you without worry." At that, Darren wrapped an arm smugly around her waist. "Carrie, you really do know me best." "I told you," she beamed, "Paula would pass your test." I let out a cold laugh, slipped the engagement ring from my finger, and flung it at his face. "No, thanks. I wish you two eternal bliss. Just don't ever drag me into your drama again."

I fell for Don Lorenzo Moretti the second I saw him. Hard. As a mafia princess, I wasn't supposed to chase anyone. But for him, I swallowed my pride and made him my mission. A year later, he finally had me, pinning me to the bed as he moved inside me. His eyes were pure fire, and in that mo ment, they saw only me. For ten years, we were electric. We fucked in five-star hotels all over the world. We just fit. I was his lucky charm at the poker table. I took shots for him until I bled from my stomach. I even took a bullet for him. Then came our engagement party. Lorenzo left me standing there alone. Said something "came up." I went back to our apartment, only to find him kissing my stepsister, Juliana. That’s when I knew. He had always loved her. I was just a stand-in. He tried to explain, words tumbling out in a panicked rush, promising a bigger, better party to make up for it. A laugh, cold and hollow, died in my throat. I turned my back on him, pulled out my phone, and called my mother in Sicily. "I'll marry into the Romano family."

The story revolves around a ruthless mafioso who finds a woman buried on the ground as a sacrificial bride to the woman's townfolk's cult. He finds himself drawn to her and claims her from the grave just before she died and was instead wedded to him. Althea's fate was sealed when she became the mafioso's corpse bride. She was like a lifeless flower in a sea of blood and wrath. Men have been fawning over her ever since she remembered, and it was revealed that she was an actual human cursed by her own mother after the man who impregnated her left her to rot. She was like a human succubus, drawing men to her until they became crazy enough to kill her. And every time Althea is killed, a new Althea comes to life as though, the curse goes on and on. It is revealed later on that throughout the world, there have been more than thousands of Altheas enough to dominate the world in secret. At the end of the story, the mafioso due to the curse would kill his wife, only to be killed as well by another Althea who had been watching on the sidelines all this time. She goes back to visit her mother who had been brought to the mental asylum only to laugh hysterical at the term, 'monster'.

The day my biological family comes to take me home, a car accident occurs. My parents and the fake son who had been living my life all die, but my sister, Kayla Bennett, survives. She despises me completely after that and blames the company's bankruptcy on me too. Desperate to make amends, I work over ten jobs a day, giving her every cent I earn so she can buy back the villa that has all our family memories. The day I finally save enough money, I discover my supposedly dead parents inside that same villa, celebrating Dylan Bennett's birthday. My usually cold sister is laughing warmly with them. As they bring out the cake, Mom mentions me. "Today's Nathan's birthday too. We've been punishing him for eight years now. Maybe we should bring him home?" Kayla cuts her off immediately. "We agreed on ten years to make sure he never suggests sending Dylan away again. Not one year less!" I clutch my medical report and laugh through my tears. But Kayla, I'm dying.

For eight long years, Bryan Millan and I were married, but you’d never have known it by looking at his life. He never once acknowledged our relationship in public. Not a single post, not a single mention of me on his social media. Then came our anniversary. The day that was supposed to be about us. Instead, Bryan made an announcement on his Instagram account—just not the one I expected. There he was, hand in hand with his assistant, her draped in a wedding dress. The caption read: [When you're in love, you want the whole world to know.] The comments flooded in. [Bryan finally got married!] [Congrats! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness together!] In that moment, I could no longer lie to myself. Bryan wasn't reserved. He just never loved me. So, I decided to let go. But he wasn't ready for that. He clung to me, desperate now. But I pried his hands off and laughed—a real, genuine laugh, the kind that comes from somewhere deep inside when you realize you're finally free. Then, I looked him straight in the eye and said the words I'd been holding in, "Don't beg me to come back. Because now that I don't love you, I've never felt better."

My mate is the bravest patrol chief of the Sundara Pack. When the rogue straps a bomb laced with wolfsbane to me, I try to reach him through our mind-link. Once, twice... He blocks me 99 times. The rogue forces me to call for help, and when Aiden Campbell finally answers, his first words come blazing with anger. "Lina Rutherford! You're risking your life over jealousy again? Kate's pet snow wolf has been stuck in a tree for three days! "She loves that wolf like her own child—if I'm late to save it, that's on you! You'll be a murderer!" I laugh so hard that tears stream down my face. That so-called "trapped" snow wolf? It's simply climbed onto a slanted pine tree in the yard so it can lazily sunbathe on the branches. No one trapped it—it just doesn't feel like coming down. "Thank you, Aiden. You're amazing!" There comes a soft, delicate voice through the phone. It's Kate Summers—Aiden's late brother's widow and also his childhood sweetheart. The bomb's countdown ticks down to three minutes. With a calm heart, I send my final message. "In the name of the Moon Goddess, I sever our mate bond." And then, I cut the mind-link.

“I hate you so much, I can’t stand the sight of you.” He said, his face etched with irritation. “Alright. I will try my best not to be in your sight.” I replied, attempting to walk away but stopped when he spoke. “And who asked you to leave?” “You said you cannot stand the sight of me so I’m making it easy for you?" I replied, looking everywhere else but him. He let out a dry laugh, taking a step towards me and now standing in front of me, his height towering over my small frame. “Yes, I can’t stand the sight of you but fuck, I hate that I want you so bad.” And with that he crashed his lips against mine. ——————— Desperate to save the only family she had left in the world that cared about her, Mirabel agrees to a marry a man from her past that had done nothing but make her life miserable. Giveon Jameson is a well-known figure in the business industry, a devilishly handsome man who any woman would kill to marry. He hates Mirabel and wants nothing but to hurt her feelings and break her but for what reason? Is it hate or could there be something more? Read to find out.

At our wedding ceremony, the four-year-old nephew of my fiance, Michael Thompson, suddenly rushes onto the stage. He grabs his uncle's hand and cries, "Daddy, why are you marrying another woman? Don't you want me and Mommy anymore?" Seeing this, Lisa Jenner quickly runs over to intervene. She sounds apologetic, but her words are slightly provocative. "I'm so sorry, Sarah. Danny lost his father when he was little and has always seen Michael as his dad. He didn't mean to cause trouble." Even Michael remains completely calm as he picks up Danny. He explains to me, "Before David passed away, he made me promise to take care of his widow and child. I only let Danny call me 'Daddy' so he could have a normal childhood. You understand, right?" As I look at the three of them, standing there like the perfect family, I laugh coldly and rip off my veil. "This poor child has been through so much. How could I possibly steal his dad away? "You know what? Why don't I just let Lisa take my place up here? Then you can have your happy little family of three."

Keira buried her face in his chest, her voice trembling. “Maybe I’m not good enough for you.” He ran his fingers through her hair, then whispered. “You’re perfect for me. One walking disaster in this relationship is enough.” She sniffled, a small laugh breaking through. “Are you comforting me or mocking me?” He tilted her chin up, his lips hovering just above hers. “Both,” he whispered. And then he kissed her. ****** Keira Small has spent her life in the shadow of her family’s legacy as the daughter of the prestigious owner of Small Solutions Tech. But instead of following in her father’s footsteps, she chooses to keep her identity a secret and work elsewhere—all to be closer to the one man she’s never forgotten. When she’s sent to deliver documents to her enigmatic boss, the CEO of Dawnborne Inc., she doesn’t expect to find him intoxicated—or to end up in the bed of the one man she had never expected to have: her childhood crush. But one night of passion isn’t so easily forgotten, as an investigation was held by the CEO to find who the woman he slept with was. Buried feelings begin to resurface and secrets threaten to unravel, Keira must decide: will she continue to hide who she really is, or risk everything for the man she’s always wanted?

For months, Liam has been silently captivated by Alex, his charismatic personal trainer whose fiery determination hides a soft heart. Every shared laugh, every lingering glance during their sessions at the gym feels like a spark, but Liam harbors a secret that keeps him from confessing his feelings. Liam is a werewolf. He’s spent years concealing his dual nature, keeping people at arm’s length to protect himself and those around him. But Alex is different. He's someone who stirs feelings in Liam he thought he'd buried long ago. The bond between them grows stronger with every interaction, but Liam’s fear of rejection and exposure holds him back. When Alex begins noticing strange behavior, and Liam's unexplainable strength. And then his aversion to late-night workouts during the full moon, and fleeting glimpses of something primal in his eyes that turns curiosity into confrontation. One stormy evening, Alex corners Liam with a single question that shakes him to his core: “What are you hiding from me?” Now, Liam must decide whether to reveal his secret and risk losing the one person he’s ever truly cared for or run from his feelings, forever haunted by what might have been. In this tale of love, trust, and self-acceptance, two souls must navigate the shadows of fear and the light of truth to find out if their connection can transcend the boundaries of the ordinary and the supernatural.