Zodiac Dates

"Mom, Dad, I’ve decided to come home for the blind dates you mentioned. I’ll be back by the end of the month." In the early spring, with the lingering chill of winter in the air, Valerie Stonecutter pushed open the door while speaking softly into the phone. Her gentle voice drifted through the rain like a thread weaving through the mist. Pulling her collar tighter against the cold, she heard her parents breathe a sigh of relief on the other end. "Val," her father began, his voice heavy with age. “Your mom and I haven’t been in good health these past few years. So now that you’ve made up your mind, that’s good. When you’re back, I’ll have your Aunt Laura arrange a few suitable candidates for you to meet." Hearing that her parents were already making arrangements for her future, Valerie’s gaze flickered, her emotions momentarily unsettled. After a few more words of small talk, she ended the call. She glanced around her home with a heavy heart, her thoughts tangled in a quiet storm. Then she retreated to her bedroom and began to pack.

ALICE RILEY “I like you; you’re a wonderful girl. But your stubbornness? I can’t deal with that. Unless you change—” Before he could finish, I said goodbye and walked out. Just a week into dating, and all he could see was my so-called obstinance. Honestly, dating wasn’t my thing. Men admired my looks, sure, but my mind? That was a different story. A few dates were all it took for them to brand me as headstrong or argumentative. I was okay with that. I had no intention of changing myself to fit someone else’s expectations. Then came Vivian Scott, the enigmatic CEO of Scott Group. He was unlike anyone I’d met before. Why wasn’t he running for the hills like the rest? Did he actually think he could tame me, bend me to his will? VIVIAN SCOTT I had everything a man needed to make women swoon—looks, power, status, and wealth. Becoming the CEO of Scott Group at a young age had made me responsible, but it hadn’t dulled my appetite for fun. Whenever I encountered a beautiful woman, I knew exactly how she’d react. I never missed an opportunity to tease and charm my way into her good graces. It was all harmless fun—short-lived and never serious. That was until I met Alice Riley. Alice was gorgeous, no doubt, but it wasn’t just her beauty that intrigued me. Her sharp wit and unyielding attitude set her apart. She wasn’t like the women I’d known before. Unfortunately for her, she thought that throwing up walls and flaunting her defiance would keep me at bay. What’s more thrilling than conquering the impossible? I was determined to bring her to my track! __________ Cover Image Credit: Image by Freepik

Billionaire Isaac Lloyd viewed his impoverished wife Emily merely as a tool to appease his family's incessant pressure for his marriage. He consistently neglected Emily's feelings, often leaving her alone in their mansion while he would be out all night. It wasn't until Emily had had enough and sought a divorce, moving out, that Isaac realized he had grown accustomed to her company. He regretted his actions deeply, resorting to every possible means to bring Emily back to his side. Despite his efforts with roses, luxurious dates, and jewels, nothing could win back Emily's heart. She had already found her own world where she transformed and grew into a movie star, adored by all of Hollywood. Holding the Oscar’s best actress trophy, Emily said, ‘I would like to thank my ex-husband. Had it not been for his neglect and abandonment during our brief marriage, I would never have had the opportunity to build my acting career.’ Emily's fans exclaimed, ‘Divorce was the best decision Emily ever made!’ The Best Actor winner smiled, ‘I believe no one dares to ignore Emily now!’ Meanwhile, Isaac was hidden in the audience, watching as the spotlight illuminated Emily's path forward. He incessantly searched on his phone: 'How to win back my ex-wife who has become the Best Actress?' 'What to do if my ex-wife doesn't love me anymore?' 'Why didn't I cherish the love of my life when I had the chance?'

“In those two years, you will do everything I ask of you, no questions asked,” he stated, his tone firm. I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off. “I’m not done. During those years, you are not allowed to be with any man, young or old. No dates, no clients, no flirting. If you so much as smile at a man, the contract is broken” "And if you break any part of the contract, you’ll pay me the full amount, plus 200% interest. And I always collect my debts, Elizabeth, one way or another." His voice deepened into a threat. I swallowed hard and stared at the table in front of me, my heart racing. If I didn’t sign it, my sister could die. --- When the broken meets the unlucky, sparks ignite. Elizabeth James has always considered herself unlucky, but nothing tests her resolve more than her sister’s life-threatening illness. Desperate to save her, she accepts help from Richard—a powerful billionaire with his own demons. His help comes at a price: two years bound by his rules, doing whatever he says, no questions asked. Haunted by the betrayal of his ex-wife, Richard lives by a single regret: ‘I wish I made her pay.’ When Elizabeth—a young orphan who bears an uncanny resemblance with his ex—enters his life, a misunderstanding convinces him she’s just another gold digger. Manipulating her into an impossible deal, Richard plans to humiliate her and make her break. But what begins as a calculated act of revenge spirals into something unexpected. Richard finds himself drawn to Elizabeth in ways he never imagined could ever happen again.

The story begins on how Sophia was reflecting on their previous journey at the college, Sophia and Liam's life were seemingly perfect, their deep bond and shared ambitions were proof they really love each other. Their journey from college to friendship leads them to a blissful marriage after years of being a couple they never had any issues until a specific day when she discovers a text message on Liam's phone from a woman named Ava, who claimed Liam to be the father of her child. Sophia secretly took Ava’s number from her husband's phone and they started conversing. Sophia requested for them to physically meet to discuss. She wanted to hear the truth from Ava if Liam really impregranated her before she confronts him. She planned on leaving him and going to stay with her parents or her friend’s house and start processing her divorce. Her friend, Clara,in a bid to be of help to her dear friend at her darkest time,took her on dates. On one of these dates,she happened to meet a new man who treated her well. James, Liam’s best friend,investigated the main cause of the divorce of his friend and his dear wife and discovered a secret. What did James discover? Will the couple come back together? Will they be able to move on?

She was never meant to survive their world. Now she’s the only one who can burn it down. Lyra thought she was just a girl with strange dreams and a birthmark that shimmered beneath moonlight. But when a celestial event rips her from Earth and drops her into the brutal halls of the Academy of the Ascendant, she discovers a deadly truth: she’s the lost heir of a realm that erased her bloodline—and she’s carrying the forbidden magic that could unravel it all. The Academy is ruled by power and hierarchy. The weak are crushed. The strong ascend. And the Triad—three elite heirs born of elemental fire, storm, and air—will do anything to break her. Until they realize she’s more powerful than all of them. Mocked. Hunted. Desired. As Lyra unlocks the four elemental affinities no student should possess, she becomes the center of a prophecy that the Council has killed to keep buried. But it’s the fifth element—the forbidden Void—that marks her for something more. Survival means mastering her magic. Love could cost her everything. And rebellion might just start with a kiss. Perfect for fans of Zodiac Academy, Throne of Glass, and The Cruel Prince, Marked by Starlight is the explosive first book in a dark fantasy romance series filled with elemental magic, enemies-to-lovers heat, and a heroine who refuses to bow.

One night. One kiss. One unforgettable love that time couldn’t erase. Phillian Zodiac has spent ten years searching for the woman who slipped through his fingers after a single night of passion. A free-spirited fisherman bound to the tides of Alcaraz, he never expected her to return — and certainly not like this. Therese Cataley "Calley" El Mundo vanished a decade ago, running from a deadly diagnosis and a broken past. Now a successful pediatrician, she returns home only to find herself trapped once again — this time by a family desperate to claim her fortune at any cost. When fate throws her back into Phillian’s world, old sparks ignite and secrets rise with the tide. But danger is closing in. As betrayal, abduction, and long-buried lies surface, Phillian and Calley must fight for their lives — and the second chance neither thought they’d get. Love lost them once. This time, it will save them both.