"Listen to me!" I raged. "Thirdly, I owe you no obligation. No personal information will be divulged. Let's do well to avoid questions like Where are you? Where are you going? What are you doing? You shall touch no possession of mine, and I'd gladly do the same!" "You're being ridiculous!" He spat. "All these rules and for what? To calm your tantrum? This is the real world, Rosa; nobody ever does what they want! Everyone sacrifices something. What are you doing!?" "Setting boundaries," I breathed. *** Rosaline Rivera, daughter of a multibillionaire fashion empire, had always been living under the shadow of her perfect sister, Julie, until she died. To make matters worse, her sister's fiancé proposed to her three years after the death of her sister. What happens when Rosa finds out she was just a mere substitute in place of her deceased sister just to save the family's business? Will she be the perfect daughter her parents want her to be and be a submissive wife to Gerald, her late sister's fiancé, who seems not to have gotten over her late sister yet? Out of spite as she decides to make her rules in the marriage, what happens when Rosa finds out the person who had killed her sister in the first place, the person whom she least expected?
ROSALINE
The fleeting summer breeze settled on my face as I peered over the edge like a knock-off Rapunzel. Poorly created, wore shorter hair, and embodied a different kind of misery. Not to mention, that stifling pain that owned my chest because it was finally that day again.
My birthday.
I got a little lazier on days like this, carrying the ghost of past memories. The bathtub became my worst adversary, and my bed seemed to have claws that relentlessly pinched at me. The satin blankets turn into a pool of deadly, violent waters that selfishly suck my breath, so I cowardly run from them all and sit by the window like this, my eyes locked on the imposing silver gates down below.
At least Rapunzel's view wasn't a fleet of cars and an unusually wide terrace with men in black suits patrolling. As if to apologize for my unhappiness, the vast gates swung open, giving way to an army of cars that I instantly recognized.
My lips pulled into a smile, and I heaved a broken sigh, feeling a sense of relief wash over me as I raced downstairs, almost tripping over the porcelain-tiled staircase. They were back.
How long had it been? Eight months? I got to the main living room and found that they'd already made their way in. My parents. I walked to them with open arms and pulled them both into a big hug.
Having business moguls as parents had its ups and downs. The downside is I could go a year without setting eyes on either of them.
"My sweet little princess!" My mother cooed as she flung her Fendi baguette suede bag onto the nearest mahogany table and blessed me with a kiss on my forehead. "I've missed you so much!"
"Did you grow taller?" My father joked. I could only ever tell it was something to be of humor by the tone of his voice, never by the look on his face.
He owned a stoic expression he'd mastered for the business front lines. I didn't fault him for it, and the world never appreciated a smiling face.
I beamed like a fool, nothing short of happy to see them, again. Happy not to be alone on this day. The butlers slipped by us in fleets, moving their luggage from the trip to their respective rooms.
"You must be so exhausted from the journey. Would you like for a bath to be prepared for you?" I inquired, specifically my mother.
"No, silly, I'd get settled in with time." She dismissed with a wave, pulling closer to me, her warm hands cupping my cheeks. My mother stared intently at me before uttering the words. "Happy birthday, my love."
It stung. I couldn't believe it still stung that hard. Not because she said them but because her words mirrored the melancholic residue that we'd battled on this day every year.
"Happy birthday, Rosa," My father said, too, his tone low.
I gulped hard, tasting the bitter lump at the back of my throat that almost seized my voice. "Thank you," I muttered. "I love you."
They chorused a response, and a moment of awkward silence passed. My stomach jerked at intervals. My mother cut through the silence with an announcement I never would have expected.
"And there is a surprise!" She chimed, clapping elegantly. "By evening, my love, we'll be organizing a birthday dinner in your name!"
A dinner? Me? My brows pulled together, and I stuttered. "W-what?" My voice conveyed every iota of doubt I thought I could hold back.
She smiled at me, tucking my floating tendrils behind my ears. "So beautiful," She whispered as she did. "You're just perfect. Rose, you may return to your room. You should be well rested for the party, especially since it's with the Thorne family."
My mother had this habit of divulging information in bits. The way that makes one's heart skip beats like mine did upon hearing the name. "The Thornes? Gerald Thorne?"
She nodded in the affirmative. "Yes, my love."
I couldn't ask why, or say anything that would sour the atmosphere. I liked the happiness she wore, and I would do anything to retain it. Still, it begged the question, why were we having dinner with Julie's fiance's family?
Especially since she died three years ago, on this day. "Alright, mother," I agreed, unwilling to say anything about my demised sister. "Thank you so much!"
I guess it was really happening. Regardless, I was excited, thrilled even. It was my first birthday celebration in three years, so it made butterflies flutter in my stomach.
Whatever this was for, I trusted them. I returned to my room with mixed feelings. A strange sense of anxiety crawled up to me, but it was eventually alleviated by my optimism and happiness. My birthday could finally break its angsty string of awkward silences and internal mourning.
The mere thought of it alone pleased me more than I expected. After a while, my mother came into my room with a parcel.
The bed dipped with her weight as she settled next to me, and I sat up, listening to her body movements.
"I got you something," She announced as she set the parcel on her leg and gently tore it open, revealing a small jewelry box.
A present? Even better. My eyes lit up as I watched her bring forth the dainty necklace. She shuffled closer, and I turned, allowing her space to put it on me.
"Here..." She finalized with a satisfied edge to her voice. "It's beautiful, just like you."
I looked down at the necklace, my finger perusing the pendant with the initials 'J.R' etched on it. I didn't know what it meant, but it was beautiful, and I was ecstatic to have it.
"I love it, Mother," I relayed dearly, ogling the precious item. "Thank you."
"Shh," She placed her index finger on her lips. "Say less. It's going to be a big night for you, Rosa. You should be prepared for it."
For no reason at all did her response cause goosebumps to scrub up my arms. Something didn't feel right.
“You've been talking too much, Claudia,” he backs her up against the office wall, his nose brushing against hers. “Then kiss me to shut me up,” she breathes out, and his gaze darkens, a slight chuckle leaving his alluring lips. “I want to kiss you, but not on the lips, bunny.” *** After getting the worst heartbreak from her fiancé and best friend on her birthday, Claudia got herself tangled in the most sensual one-nightstand for the first time in her life. She had never felt so fulfilled with her sex life until she crossed paths with the mysterious man who later turned out to be the new Boss where she worked. He was the heir of RODRIG's empire, Rodriguez Alexander. Will Claudia try to keep things professional with her Boss or give in and satisfy her sexual urges with the man who just by his eyes ignites her body on fire? WARNING: This book is erotic and contains R-rated scenes.
Three men in her life... "Don't you have other things to do than follow every movement I make?" I flared at him as he trapped me against the wall, his breath fanning my face as his nose brushed slightly with mine. "Do you think I would make the mother of my son go around without protecting her? What if someth-" "Uncle Leo, do you want to kiss mummy? I'll close my eyes," Nathan's words made I and Leo snap our heads toward him. "No! We are not kissing," I say in shock. What could be worse than a betrayal from the people you love and trust the most? Layla's world crumbled before her very eyes when she caught her beloved best friend and husband in an affair in their matrimonial home and to top it all, her husband threw a divorce file at her with his signature on it already. Heartbroken, Layla found herself in a club ending up in a one-night stand with someone she knew nothing about. Layla left the country immediately to start her life afresh... A few years later, Layla is back with a cute little son and is determined to make all those that trample on her fall on their knees. She vows that she doesn't need anyone, but one thing is sure in her heart, 'REVENGE'. What happens when Layla is back to make her ex-husband and best friend regret what they did to her and also ends up meeting the real father of her son, who happens to be her ex-boyfriend? Will she give in to the desire of this handsome and powerful young man who happens to be her ex-boyfriend and is feared in the business world now and fulfill the wish of her son, who wants him as his daddy?
"It was a mistake! I apologized already," feeling so terrified as I moved backward. "You should have known me better than this, little sparrow," He chuckled deeply, his gaze fixed on me. "Lucas please!" I cried, now stopped by the wall as my heart beats faintly. "Don't worry it's just a little game, you and I will play, you'll love it, little sparrow," He smirked. I knew this was a trick, Ben lied when he said he wouldn't hurt me and I stupidly fell into the trap. Now, I was alone with him and in his room. I think this is the time for me to announce my funeral... "Strip!" His cold voice snapped me out,as he stared at me with a deadpan expression while I gazed at him in ultra shock. *********************************** Camilla Evans is a gentle nerd in her finals at Watermark Highschool. As a nerd, the stereotypical notion of her wearing thick rimmed glasses, out-of-vogue clothes and shoes which were eighty percent of the time, twice her size still stands. Having been at the bottom of the food chain in Watermark Highschool, Camilla was liable to predators and the most annoying one of them all went by the name, Lucas Liam. Camilla had no idea why the hottest guy in school would even spare her a glance not to mention actually spending the whole day bullying and teasing her to no end. Could there be something else to these false acts of bully and teases from Lucas? Find out what happens when the Cheerleader, Jenny Layton put Camilla's life at stake? Will she be able to handle all the torments she's passing through especially when her mum died and her sister left her behind? WARNING: CONTAINS MATURED CONTENT!!! IF YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T DEAL WITH THE EXPLICIT AND TRIGGERING SCENES WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK, THEN PLEASE, THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR YOU... DON'T READ IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE IT! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
Loraine was a dutiful wife to Marco since they got married three years ago. However, he treated her like trash. Nothing she did softened his heart. One day, Loraine got fed up with it all. She asked him for a divorce and left him to enjoy with his mistress. The elites looked at her like she was deranged. "Are you out of your mind? Why are you so willing to divorce him?" "It's because I need to return home to get a billion-dollar fortune. Besides, I don't love him anymore," Loraine replied with a smile. They all laughed at her. Some believed that the divorce affected her mentally. It wasn't until the next day that they realized she wasn't fibbing. A woman was suddenly declared the world's youngest female billionaire. It turned out to be Loraine! Marco was shocked to the bone. When he met his ex-wife again, she was a changed person. A group of handsome young men surrounded her. She was smiling at them all. The sight made Marco's heart ache severely. Putting his pride aside, he tried to win her back. "Hello, love. I see that you are a billionaire now. You shouldn't be with suckers who just want your money. How about you come back to me? I'm a billionaire too. Together, we can build a strong empire. What do you say?" Loraine squinted at her ex-husband with her lips curled in disgust.
COALESCENCE OF THE FIVE SERIES BOOK ONE: THE 5-TIME REJECTED GAMMA & THE LYCAN KING BOOK TWO: THE ROGUES WHO WENT ROGUE BOOK THREE: THE INDOMITABLE HUNTRESS & THE HARDENED DUKE *** BOOK ONE: After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate-bonds. To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. What’s worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself. She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner. King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldn’t thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him. He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesn’t seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that he’s different; and a chance to love her. But when not-so-subtle crushes, jealous suitors, self-entitled Queen-wannabes, an old flame, a silent protector and a past wedding engagement threaten to jeopardize their relationship, will Lucianne and Xandar still choose to be together? Is their love strong enough to overcome everything and everyone? Or will Lucianne resort to enduring a sixth rejection from the one person she thought she could entrust her heart with?
After three years of loveless marriage, Kira was slapped with divorce papers. She has shown him her unrequited love throughout her entire marriage with him, but he decided to turn blind eyes all because of his lover. Distraught and heartbroken, Kira choose to sign the divorce papers with bitter heart. But then and there, she promised herself that when she's back, he will come crawling to her, but she will make him pay for hurting her. Join Kira as she transform to a wealthy heiress and soared as the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar empire, a remarkable healer and make her ex-husband pay!
She was a diamond covered by ashes.... King Dakota was known as the most Powerful Alpha King of all times - more powerful than any other King that had ruled from his lineage. He was cold hearted, introverted and dangerous in anger. Cursed by the Moon goddess, King Dakota had to get married to three wives all in search of a male child that would become his heir, but it was impossible as the curse would only let his wives bear she -wolves. But on a different day, the King meets a lady who offends him and as a punishment, he took her home as his fourth wife. Her name was Shilah. Shilah was a powerless wolf and as a result, was disregarded and intimidated by all. But, when she begins to do things that the King had never felt for years, he began to wonder who she really was. Slowly, she crawled her way into his icy heart and turned out to be something nobody ever expected - a storm.
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"