Xiao Mask

She left him after that steamy night, and she was confident he would never look for her because he never saw her face because of the mask she wore. But what if fate suddenly pulls its strings and bring them back together? ----- Autumn Aurello did something three years ago. For the sake of money, she did pole dancing in front of someone she admired, not expecting she would give in to the way he stared at her, and to the way he caressed every inch of her skin. After that steamy night, she left him, moved on from that night and got herself a boyfriend. She became a successful painter in those three years and went to Manila. When she came back, she planned to surprise her partner, waiting inside his room only to witness his adultery. Taking her broken heart with her, she hurriedly left his unit but accidentally broke his flower vase. She didn’t have any choice but hide in the next unit which had its door opened. And it was a decision she regretfully made. Because in front of her is Dr. Knoxx Silva, the man whom she had a one-night stand with three years ago. Now that their paths crossed, fate never separated them from each other, especially when Knoxx asked her to become her date in his parents’ anniversary and things took a turn when the supposed-to-be anniversary turned into their engagement party. Now, what will happen to them? Will Knoxx find out about their steamy night? Or will their sudden wedding make him get his mind off from that night?

After three years of renting, the landlord kept raising the rent, so I decided not to renew the lease. I hired cleaners to thoroughly clean the entire place, inside and out. There was not a single scratch on the furniture or appliances. I figured the landlord would not return the deposit easily, but I never imagined she would come out swinging with such outrageous demands. “This dining table cost me 25,000 dollars! You got it dirty, and we can’t clean it. You owe me 25,000! “How did this living room lamp get so dusty? Don’t you know how to clean as a girl? We’ll have to deduct 1,500 from your deposit! “There are hooks on the wall. You damaged my walls! 2,000 for that! “This mattress... Hmph. You live-streamers probably brought home who knows how many men. This one’s ruined anyway. There goes 15,000! “Why are there strands of hair in the bathroom? How am I supposed to rent this out to the next tenant? Five hundred for cleaning fees!” She tapped away at her calculator, then thrust it in my face. “You’ve lived here for three years. I’ll give you a friend’s discount. I won’t charge extra for the other damages. Pay me 50,000 dollars, and we’ll call it even! “Otherwise, I’ll expose you online and make you lose followers!” I glanced at the live stream that had 50,000 viewers at the time. When I looked up again, my face was only a mask of smiles. “Ms. Lane, let me think about it. I’ll give you an answer in two days.”

On the eve of the National Robotics Championship, I smashed my carefully designed bot to pieces and announced my withdrawal. Everyone said I was a fraud who was quitting out of fear of being exposed. Online, the netizens mocked me relentlessly. Only one person, Adrian Cross, the so-called genius of the century, spoke up in my defense, his voice dripping with false sincerity, "I believe in River Lowell’s skills. Only he deserves to be my opponent. No matter what setbacks he’s facing, I hope he comes back to the arena and proves himself." In my previous life, the robot I built was identical to his. No matter how I tried to prove he had copied me, Adrian stood before the cameras, wearing his benevolent mask, and said, "It’s fine. This robot can go to River. I can always build something even better." His fans swarmed me, tearing me apart online, and no one believed in my talent. I swallowed the humiliation and vowed to rebuild my robot from scratch. However, when I was assembling it, the Power Core in my kit exploded, shattering my skull. That same night, I was rushed into the ICU. Netizens clapped and cheered, saying I got exactly what I deserved. That night, my girlfriend, Lila Hart, signed the hospital’s DNR consent form without hesitation. Until the day I died, I never understood how Adrian had gotten my robot’s data or why Lila had joined forces with him. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day of the competition.

Cassia’s life has been hell since the day she was born—a cursed daughter, a traitor’s spawn, and a slave to her own pack. Cast out and despised, she exists only to serve the cruel whims of those around her. And at the top of this pitiless hierarchy is Alpha Rhett, her supposed mate. Cold, calculating, and merciless, Rhett rejects her, branding her as nothing but a stain on his honor. Yet his rejection binds her to him in ways she can't escape. Rhett’s obsession with Cassia is a twisted, possessive hunger, a brutal reminder that while he may reject her, he will never let her truly go. When Cassia crosses paths with Lucian, a beta hides his cruel secrets behind a mask of kindness, she dares to hope that someone, anyone, might rescue her from Rhett’s shadow. Lucian is everything Rhett isn’t—charming, attentive, and understanding. Yet behind his smoldering gaze lies a dark intent, a loathing for Cassia that she is oblivious to. Blinded by her need for an escape, Cassia is drawn to Lucian, mistaking his carefully veiled malice for genuine love. But Rhett’s hold on her is absolute, and as his possessive jealousy flares, his twisted need to control her deepens. Cassia finds herself torn between two dangerous men—one who would destroy her in his hunger to dominate and another whose lies could lead her into ruin. Amidst a landscape of dark obsession, forbidden desires, and brutal love, Cassia must decide if she can claw her way out or fall prey to the ruthless games of those who would claim her body and soul.

.“You should not look at me like that.”Kate turns, slow, heat sliding under her skin. “Like what.” “Like you already know how this ends.” Her breath stutters. “Then stop standing so close.” “I cannot,” Nathan says. “And you should walk away.” Neither of them moves. Kate Brown lives by rules her mother carved into her bones. Be polite. Be careful. Never want what you cannot have. So when she visits her best friend for the holidays, she expects noise, comfort, safety. She does not expect Nathan Reid. Her best friend’s father. Older. Calm. Watching her like he sees straight through the good girl mask she wears so well. Their first meeting lingers long after the night ends. It steals her sleep. It coils in her thoughts. The more she tries to forget him, the louder her body answers. Something inside her wakes up. Something hungry. Something reckless.Her mind screams no while her body leans closer. Stolen glances turn heavy. Accidental touches last too long. Silence becomes loaded. Want becomes dangerous. Every moment with him feels like standing at the edge of a fall she might enjoy too much. Nathan knows better. He knows the line. Single or not, he is forbidden. And yet Kate is everything he should not crave and everything he cannot stop wanting. Caught between control and desire, Kate must choose what to obey. The rules that shaped her. Or the man who makes her feel alive for the first time.

Ever since I lost my Alpha, Kael, in a brutal fight with some nasty rogues, I've been raising our young son, Finn, all by myself. My old pack has been pushing me to take a new Alpha, you know, so Finn and I would have protection. But I truly believed my Mate Bond with Kael was unbreakable. Then, on the Blood Moon ceremony, the fifth anniversary of Kael's “sacrifice,” I overheard Kael's father, old Alpha Marcus, tearing into Kael's quiet twin brother, Ronan: “Kael! You damn wolf! It was Ronan who went down on Blood Moon Cliff five years ago! He was the cursed one! You faked your death, lived as Ronan, all to protect Alina? You lied to the whole pack, to your sacred mate, and your own flesh and blood! Was it worth it?!” “For five years, Elara has raised Finn from a tiny pup all alone. You gave your so-called 'niece' a fake 'father,' but did you ever think? The day you put on Ronan's mask, Finn lost his real father for good!” I felt like I'd been struck by lightning. After Kael “died,” Ronan had been the dutiful uncle, “looking after” Finn and me. I never dreamed he was Kael in disguise. And he did all this just to protect Alina, Ronan's destined mate, who was already pregnant?! That night, under the bright moon, I snuck away and sent a message to my cousin, the Head Beta of the Silver-Moon Pack: “Tell your Alpha Lucian that I, Elara, accept his courtship offer.”

Julian "Jules" Ashford was born to wear a suit, walk the shiny halls of power, and marry the perfect woman - even when he's lied his entire life to everyone, including himself. Closeted, bullied by father Stephen Ashford Sr., and stuck in a copycat marriage to political heiress Camille "Cam" Stratton, Jules has just one freedom: acting... until an ice-blue mess and a beat-up Dodge Challenger smash into his carefully built world. River Moreno is signed, shattered, and too occupied destroying Moreno Custom Garage with his sister Sierra and father Tomás to give a shit about billionaire dickheads in fancy suits - until one of them "accidentally" hits him from behind to get his attention. When Jules and River's worlds collide - quite literally - what begins as a calculated untruth sets something raw and magnetic in motion. One man's existence is constructed on silence and legacy; the other's on survival and truth. But when a brick comes through River's shop window and threats begin to escalate, Jules doesn't hesitate to defend him - even if it means putting himself at risk and exposing himself in ways he's never been brave enough to. As Jules utilizes his power to protect River from harm, something deeper takes root - deeper than lust, deeper than rebellion. It's real. It's risky. And it may cost them everything. In a city where Ashford & Co. Wealth and the Stratton political machine reign supreme, where love between two men puts more than reputation at risk - it puts power at risk - Jules must make a decision: Can the man who was trained to live behind a mask come to love - and live - in the open?

"Luna Seraphina, are you certain you wish to proceed with the breaking of the mate bond? Once we begin the ritual, the bond between you and Alpha Kaden will be gone forever. Your power, your standing, and everything you hold within the pack will no longer exist." The aged priest of the pack held Seraphina’s hand, her weathered eyes reflecting worry. Seraphina nodded, her voice unwavering with determination. "I’m sure." The priest persuaded Seraphina, "The ritual will bring you unimaginable pain, and Alpha Kaden will suffer greatly too. Please, could you reconsider it?" Seraphina broke the skin of her finger with a silver pen and pressed her blood print on the ancient werewolf script to seal the deal. "Let’s begin." "Very well. After the ritual, you will forsake the name, Seraphina Mor, and in return, the Moon Goddess will grant you a new life. You will go by Kathryn Flint, is that correct?" "Yes." Kathryn would leave and begin a new chapter in a forest. It was a path she had set out for herself. She was going to leave and break free from the pack that had been nothing but lies. After the ritual, the priest handed her a new human ID and passport. "Can I leave the territory now?" "Yes, you may. The confirmation slip holds the Moon Goddess’s blessing, which has the power to mask your scent from the Alpha seeking to track you, but it can only last for a week." Seraphina prepared her departure with haste. She would bring nothing else with her, neither her Luna staff nor her registered name on the pack’s records. Seraphina was leaving with her new passport in a week anyway. The Luna title could remain with the pack for good, for she no longer needed it.

Marissa was the perfect wife. She gave up her high powered corporate career to build a beautiful life supporting her husband, Ethan—home cooked meals, a curated home, and unwavering loyalty. But her world shatters when Ethan confesses to a four-month affair, not out of guilt, but because his mistress is blackmailing him for $300 million. His solution is as cold as his betrayal: “Cheat back. Get even. Stay married.” Fueled by rage and humiliation, Marissa agrees. Determined to reclaim her power, she steps into the night seeking one reckless moment to erase the sting of his betrayal. It leads her to an exclusive masquerade club, where identities are hidden and desire rules. Behind a mask, she meets a commanding stranger—mysterious, intoxicating, and unlike anyone she has ever known. For one night, he sees her not as a wife, but as a woman with fire still burning inside her. Their connection is intense, unforgettable. By morning, Marissa disappears, intending to leave it as nothing more than a calculated act of revenge. But some secrets refuse to stay buried. When she returns to the corporate world, Marissa comes face to face with the man behind the mask....Xavier Sterling, her former boss, a ruthless billionaire CEO… and Ethan’s best friend. Xavier recognizes her. He knows her in ways no one else does and he knows exactly what Ethan did. Now, Marissa is trapped in a dangerous web. Her husband is desperate to keep her, his mistress wants her gone, and Xavier is determined to claim the one woman he was never meant to touch. As power, betrayal, and desire collide, Marissa must decide....will she remain a pawn in their game or become the one who controls it?

On the night of our engagement, the ward my family sponsored left without a word. She went alone to the Mexican border, a lawless land crawling with cartels, to become a combat medic. From then on, Dante and I tortured each other for ten years. He hated me for trapping him with my birthright as the heir, stealing the spot of the woman he loved. I hated him for humiliating me while still craving the power and wealth the Moretti family provided. In countless fights, we spewed the most vicious curses at each other. Until that raid on the underwater sanctuary. The base was rigged to blow and sinking fast. Dante didn't hesitate. He strapped the only oxygen mask onto my face and turned to jump into the swarm of sharks. He slit his own wrist, using his blood to lure the predators away. Moments before the sea swallowed him, he roared at me: “I don't owe you anything anymore, Sophia!” “If there's a next life, please, let me go!” After I was rescued, the family only recovered his mangled remains. Clutched in his palm was that charity case's cross necklace. That was when I learned Elena had died from a stray bullet years ago. And he, in the end, chose this brutal suicide to join her. Dante's death shook the entire Underworld. The family Elders took their anger out on me. I was accused of being a "Black Widow" who sent her husband to his death to save herself. I was beaten to death by a mob of angry thugs on the street. When I opened my eyes again, I stopped my father. This time, I’ll let them have their epic love story.