When Does Zuko Become Good

June Williams had given up everything—her family, her inheritance, her dreams—to build a life with the man she loved. But in the blink of an eye, Larry, the husband she had sacrificed so much for, shattered her world. Cast aside for another woman and left broken in the street, June suffered a devastating loss that stole not just her future, but the child she had carried. Now, consumed by grief and burning with a vengeance that threatens to consume her, June vows to take back everything Larry stole from her. His wealth, his reputation, his empire she will make him suffer, just as he made her. And when he finally kneels before her, begging for mercy, she’ll remind him of the moment he told her she was nothing.

My boyfriend, Yves Steward, is the head of the orthopedic department. When Julia Henderson and I get into an accident at the same time, he pushes my hands away and shouts, "Stop this nonsense, Summer Simpson! Julia needs to be operated on immediately!" So, I'm the one who deserves to die. The day my skeleton is donated to the orthopedic department, Yves sits in his office for a day and night. Later, the man known as the hospital's genius orthopedist never holds a scalpel ever again.

Tessa and Raymond’s marriage was never about love, it was convenience, appearances, and expectations. Raymond, with his conventional charm and striking handsomeness, was admired by everyone, but his heart was never fully hers. He had always been drawn to Danielle Green. He claimed she was just a friend, but Tessa knew better. Every secret outing, every hidden smile all carved wounds into Tessa’s heart, leaving her feeling invisible in her own marriage. The tipping point comes when Tessa stumbles upon a post online, a wave of public scolding aimed at her for supposedly breaking the home, for being the obstacle to Danielle. In a blaze of frustration and humiliation, she serves Raymond divorce papers. But instead of freeing her, Raymond refuses. He offers her silly, manipulative terms to meet him, seduces, and taunts her, proving he will never let her go easily. Fueled by a mix of rage and determination, Tessa begins to reclaim her power. She finds herself drawn into a complicated dynamic with Derek, Raymond’s best friend, a man with his own history of tension with Raymond and secret feelings for Tessa. The attention stirs something in her: attraction, validation, a hint of revenge. It ignites a spark Raymond cannot ignore. For Raymond, it is only the beginning. The thought of losing her shook him to the core. He begins to fight for her in ways he never has, even as his love twists into jealousy and obsession. When Raymond finally drops the mask, revealing the man beneath the arrogance, the man terrified of losing her, Tessa is forced to ask herself the question she swore she’d buried: Can love truly be reborn in the depth of hate, or is his devotion just another chain designed to keep her bound?

There's a ten-car collision on the highway, and I'm trapped in one of ten. For some reason, none of the ambulances can get to us. I desperately call my boyfriend to ask for help. I expect him to immediately come to my rescue, but he merely snaps at me. "Yvette didn't even make a sound when she sliced her finger. Couldn't you have just dodged when the accident happened? You're not crippled or anything! Stop being so childish at your age!" He doesn't want me to disturb him anymore, so he blocks my number. Fortunately, a kind soul saves me and takes me to the hospital. I survive the ordeal. When I leave the hospital, I see a breaking news report on the screen in the lobby. "Love exists in the world! Mr. Fenton spends a fortune to gather the city's ambulances to save his true love when she slices her finger!" The news report makes my heart ache. I pull out the ring I was going to use for my proposal and throw it away without hesitation. Henry Fenton and I have been together for 14 years, but I don't want the relationship anymore.

Five years ago, Olivia Derie made a deal with the devil himself. To save her mother from dying from stage-four brain cancer and settle her crushing debts, she signed away her freedom to ruthless Mafia don Vincenzo Moretti. The terms were simple: marry him, give him a child within nine months, and disappear from his life. But Olivia quickly realized Vincenzo’s cruelty knew no bounds. Beneath the cold façade was a man who viewed her as nothing more than a means to an end. When she discovered she was pregnant, the stakes became higher than her own survival. Fearing for her unborn child’s life—especially when Vincenzo made it clear he intended to dispose of her after the birth—Olivia did the unthinkable. She ran. Now she is back thinking she could start all over again with her daughter but the one person she never expected to see again walks back alive to her life: Vincenzo Moretti, But he doesn’t forgive, and he doesn’t forget. Now he’s found her. And he wants everything she took from him: He wants his heir. His wife. And the revenge he’s patiently waited years to exact. Olivia isn’t just his bride—she’s his obsession. Even though she ran, even though she stabbed him and vanished, he’s never let go. Now that he’s found her, he won’t let her slip away again. “When we meet again, Princess,” he whispers, “you’ll learn you were never free. You’re mine—now and always.” ---

On the day we receive our bonus, one of the staff members of the finance department gives me 500 dollars worth of vouchers for the fast food restaurant downstairs. He tells me that my wife, Jillian Dunn, who is also the company's president, specifically ordered him to do so. In utter disbelief, I seek out Jillian and question her. "Didn't we agree that whoever secures the project will get a 50,000-dollar bonus? Stop messing around! I still need to pay for Freya's cochlear implant!" "I'm not messing around with you," Jillian answers seriously. "These vouchers can last you for a whole month. I wouldn't even give them to you if you were anyone else. "Money is tight right now at the company. Besides, Freya has been deaf for more than a decade now. She can survive being deaf for another decade." The next day, Jillian gives one of the interns a sports car that's worth 50,000 dollars. I look at the photo she uploads of her and the intern grinning widely as they sit in the car and give it a like. Jillian must assume that everything is proceeding smoothly since she has signed the contract. However, she misses the additional condition that's printed on the last page of the contract. I dial her rival's number, asking, "Ms. Swan, are you interested in Project Charlie?"

“You've read the contract, I assume?” His tone was soft but firm. His eyes, however, were fixated on her lips. “Every word.” Aurora hesitated, fingers brushing against the folder's edge. Michael furrowed his brows, gauging her expression. “Are you sure you want this? You can say no, and we’ll simply pretend this never happened.” “No,” Aurora said firmly, gripping the edges of her skirt. Her entire body pulsed with need for him, so how could she disagree? “I want this.” She quickly signed the contract. His hands left her jaw, reaching down to pull her up and against his office table. His hands slowly reached under her skirt. “Well, then. Let us begin, shall we?” *** Aurora Lane thought the worst day of her life was catching her boyfriend trying to sneak off on a hotel trip with her best friend, using her money. She was wrong. Booking the suite solo, she never expected to find a stranger already there. Tall, brooding, and infuriatingly magnetic. Michael Carson, a billionaire hotel mogul who lives for control, should’ve thrown her out. Instead, one night of passion turned into something neither could forget. When fate brings them together again, their simmering chemistry becomes impossible to ignore. A secret “no-strings” contract should have kept their hearts safe, but the more they try to resist, the deeper they fall. Then the past returns to destroy everything. A jealous ex. A web of lies. A powerful family that will do anything to keep them apart. And when a shocking betrayal turns deadly, Aurora must decide whether love is worth risking everything for… even her life. In a world of money, manipulation, and impossible love, can two broken hearts rewrite their destiny, or will the secrets between them burn it all down?

When the House Fell Silent is a gripping and emotional family saga that delves into the lives of five siblings — Abby, Aubrey, Tshepo, Mathapelo, and the youngest, Gail — after the sudden death of their father. The novel explores the struggles of grief, the challenges of responsibility, the shadows of abuse, and the weight of family expectations. As the siblings navigate the complexities of marriage, work, and personal trauma, their mother emerges as a steadfast pillar, guiding them through turmoil while facing her own battles as an unemployed matriarch. With in-laws disputing the will and old family wounds resurfacing, the narrative captures the resilience, heartbreak, and courage required to survive. Told with intensity and sensitivity, this novel is a tale of love, loss, and the enduring strength of family bonds. Through trials and triumphs, When the House Fell Silent is ultimately a story of hope, healing, and the voices that must rise to reclaim a family’s future.

The day I began working, I found out that the boyfriend I’d picked up off the street was actually a rich young man from the capital’s elite circle. His fiancée sneered at me, “You’re nothing but a bit of fun for us when we’re bored.” “You didn’t really think you were some kind of heroine here to save him, did you?” I was humiliated, my lips trembling. I couldn’t forgive myself—how could I have spent half of my father’s lifesaving money to help him? I even dropped out of school, working three jobs every day, foolishly treating him as the second most important person in my life. Later, my father passed away, leaving me all alone, so I left that city. But who would have thought that the young rich man who had toyed with me would go mad, searching for me all over the world for the next five years?

Rome has been angry with Cayson Montemayor for more than a decade now, but the young woman can do nothing but show kindness to him because her entire family works and teaches at the school owned by the young man's family. One night, she found herself at a party that would lead to her greatest misery. She got drunk and went into the wrong room. The next morning, she woke up naked beside the devil himself, Cayson Montemayor. Something happened to them that night; an incident he thought was a bad dream caused by the spirit of alcohol. She asked him to forget about what happened that night, and they agreed to never speak of it again. But thirty days later, she found herself pregnant with Cayson Montemayor's child. And her family wanted to know the truth. How could she tell them the truth without tarnishing the family name and not being forced to marry the father of the child she was carrying? She would never marry and live with that man under the same roof, she would die to be with that demon every day! But does she have any choices?