224 Book(s) Related to 5 second rule summary

Riya and Kayish were madly in love, so deeply that everyone believed that they would end up in a happy married life. That's how he loved her. He was very possessive of his property, especially when it comes to his girl.

On the other hand, Riya was blindly in love with him. She left her parents because of him, she found her happiness within him and was ready to start a new life but an unexpected tragedy happened in their life that no one could have predicted.



She had good news for him. She was so happy. After all those things that she has been through, finally, their family will be complete. She already waited a whole day and she now she just couldn't wait to share her happiness with him. But just as she was about to tell him, he broke her fragile heart into a million pieces and left her saying it was all just a drama he played with her all along; the marriage which she preached was just another key to win her trust and to fulfill his vengeance. He dumped her that day without knowing that he left a piece of him growing inside her.


Does he get the chance to know about his child? What will happen when these two cross their paths in the future? Will they let go of their revenge and ego and hatred to get back their love? Or will it be too late for him to realize his mistake?


Read to find out what happens. : )

Blurb:

“Did the condom really break all those years back or did you just want to baby trap me, Varian?”

He looked at me, eyes freezing over, “I just did what time you would make sure you would never leave my side,”

•••••••••••••

Varian and Thalia had been childhood sweethearts ever since they were little. He was the alpha son and she came from the Beta line, there's seemed like a perfect love story just waiting for its happy ending. That was until Thalia got a scholarship to go to Crescent University and pursue her dream of becoming a professional healer, it was supposed to mark the end of their relationship until another curveball was thrown at them–Thalia’s pregnancy.

Her dream was eventually flushed down the toilet, exchanged for being an underappreciated glorified housewife with the title of Luna slapped across it. Varian had become distant over the years then the straw that broke the camel's back was when she found out that he had been cheating with her best friend, devastation claimed her. She demanded for a divorce and as if to punish her he made sure she was left with nothing more than the clothes on her back.

One night she disappeared with her twins, and years passed. Varian came face-to-face with her again. The only woman who could cure a plague unlike any seen in a hundred years. He tried to win her back but now saw that their twins was calling another man ‘Daddy’

Day one: My fiancé betrayed me with my best friend and threw me off a cliff to die.
Day two: I woke up, alive, the morning before our wedding, with a second chance to fight back.
This time, I’m done being the perfect bride. I shredded my wedding dress and stormed to the doorstep of my fiancé’s rival, a ruthless mafia kingpin with a dangerous grin. “Help me destroy him,” I demanded, “and I’ll give you his empire.” He leaned closer, eyes gleaming. “Deal,” he said, “but I want your loyalty—body and soul.” As I dive into Crestfall’s criminal underworld, dodging bullets and double-crosses, I’m torn between my charming ally and his loyal enforcer, whose quiet strength steals my breath. But secrets from my past could unravel everything. Will I rewrite my fate and find love, or fall again in a deadly betrayal?

"Fucking open your eyes" He presses my jaw hard, which forces me to open my eyes.

''I am- so-r-r-r-y" My whole body is quivering in fear as his eyes bore holes into my head.

''Fucking shut up" I seal my lips shut and try to calm myself so I can stop crying.

''Did you think it would work? Did you actually think you could get me arrested and you could run away? Are you that fucking dumb, Melina?"

Melina Davis was born with the face and body of a goddess. Her heart was as beautiful as her, but it never did her any good. Melina was the most unlucky woman in this world when it came to love. Her first love was an abusive con artist who made sure to exploit Melina's kindness. The second one who Melina felt was genuinely worthy of owing her heart was far more dangerous than her first. His name is Thomas Costanzo. He is the second in command of the Costanzo mafia. He was highly feared in the mafia world. Some even feared him more than the don of the Costanzo mafia. Melina didn't know she shouldn't cross him, and she did. She broke the heart of one of the most feared men on this earth, and now, he is out searching for her. Once he finds her, Melina will wish she never crossed paths with him.

The werewolf world has one brutal rule: whoever can first produce a powerful Alpha heir gets to claim the throne and become the new Alpha King.

My sister Bella and I are daughters of the Red Moon Pack Alpha, born with the rare ability to bear Alpha-level offspring. This made countless Packs fight tooth and nail to claim us.

In my past life, I was fooled by Rex's handsome appearance—the Steel Fang heir. I married him and successfully bore him an Alpha bloodline pup, helping him ascend to the throne.

But fate played a deadly joke on me. Bella, consumed by jealousy after her own marriage failed, pushed me off a cliff during my postpartum weakness and took everything that was mine.

Now I've opened my eyes again, back at the mate selection ceremony. What shocked me was that Bella had also been reborn, and she'd already seduced Rex before I could.

But that's fine. My naive sister has no idea what kind of devil she's chosen.

On my 18th Birthday, My twin sister married my mate, Alpha Jacob, in my name.

I was Alisa Clark, the she-wolf with the purest blood. The Alphas must feed on my blood.
They were blessed with great power while they were cursed. The greater their abilities, the shorter their lives. My blood protected them from their curse

Yet, my twin Jennifer took away my glory and had me tortured for 6 years! Worse still, My mate allowed it
**
"You've been like a pig for us. He can smell you down here. He's known this whole time."

She took out a mirror and held it up to my face. " You think he would ever accept such an ugly mate like this pig."

I hadn't seen myself since I was twelve, vibrant and healthy. I was a child then, and now I looked like a ghost. My face was hollow and pale like a sick person.

I saw the scar on my face, it burned and had inflamed my cheek so that it was swollen. My eyes were red from the tears.

My hair was dull and limp over my skull. My purple eyes were the only piece of me that still held some semblance of life.

I could see scars even on my neck, and I knew that my body was even more scarred, and even more pathetic...

"How dare you be so stupid." Jennifer said. "How dare you think the Alpha wants you for more than your blood. Imagine him mating with you, when he could have me."

The day I went to end my pregnancy, I found my husband cradling his ex. Her problem? A cramp. His solution? Whispering promises he never made to me.

He told me our marriage was a lie. That I was never the one. And that I was unworthy of being a mother.

So I walked out and never looked back.

Now, free from that life, I watch his new girlfriend flash her ring. She expects me to be jealous. But I just smile, pointing to the formidable man who just walked in—the rumored heir who once treated me.

"That man," I say, my voice full of a confidence I've earned. "He's mine."

And this second chance? I'm taking it all.

Mates were supposed to protect each other, but why do mine keep shredding my soul.


As Alpha Ronald's mate, I thought I'd hit the jackpot, but time proved that that was the worst thing to ever happen to me. Now I was left wondering if the goddess herself had forsaken me.

Just when I had given up on everything, something I thought impossible happened to an Omega like me. I found another mate, another Alpha. Will he be my salvation or my downfall?

Would this one treat me right or would he be just like my other mate? With my heart still fragile from all the abuse I'd endured, I was not certain I could afford to trust again. Yet, something about this stranger seemed to draw me in, making me wonder if I will finally get the love I deserve, or he is just a bigger monster in a suit.

【Billionaire】+【Spoiled Love】+【True vs. Fake Heiress】+【Witchcraft】+【Hidden Identity】+【Strong Female Lead】
They didn't just steal my life. They stole my luck.

For eighteen years, I believed I was cursed. Lightning strikes, freak illnesses, near-fatal accidents—my "parents" called it bad luck. I called it a living hell.

The truth finally came when my "sister" pushed me off a cliff. As I fell, I saw it in their eyes: not horror, but satisfaction.
I was never their daughter.
I was a carefully selected tool, stolen at birth to bear the misfortunes meant for their precious real heir. My suffering was by design. My pain, their gain.

But the cliff didn't kill me. It awakened me.
Now, I will find the powerful family that is rightfully mine. I will reclaim the life they stole. And I will make sure the curse returns to its rightful owners.

Their human shield is done. The real heiress is coming home.

I was in love with Ethan Black, a brilliant man with big dreams. I gave him my twenties, my body, my loyalty. I worked three jobs while he chased his startup dreams. And when he finally made it, he became a stranger.
Then I found out he got another woman pregnant, the same woman who dumped him in college when his family lost everything. That nearly destroyed me. But I stayed. I told myself love was worth it.
But nothing could prepare me for the day he left our four-year-old daughter home alone… to go see her. And our little girl died.
I buried my child and with her, the woman I used to be.
Now, I live for one thing only: Revenge.
He took everything from me. Now I’ll take everything from him.
He doesn’t know it yet… but I’m not the same woman he left behind. And by the time I’m done, he’ll wish he never met me.

In my youth, I was considered ugly, yet I unexpectedly found myself in bed with a handsome, wealthy young man, and we had a child together. Years later, having transformed into a stunning movie star, I crossed paths with that rich young man again. But to my dismay, he didn’t recognize me...

I am a wedding planner. On the day of the wedding ceremony, the bride ran away, and the groom blamed me for it, even forcing me to become his bride.
This was absolutely ridiculous!
What was even more ridiculous was that when I was two months pregnant, this heartless man threw me a divorce agreement—he wanted to divorce me!
He was the one who forced me to marry him, and he was also the one who wanted to divorce me!
What did he take me for? A sex toy? Desperately needed when convenient, then discarded like trash when no longer useful!
I left him in anger and gave birth to our child alone.
When we met again, I had become a shining movie star under the spotlight, with countless fans and admirers!
He looked at me in disbelief, utterly shocked...

“I want you.” I’m shocked by his words.

“What?” I was in disbelief. It was hard to believe that this hardened man could want me.

“I want all of you Anna,” he said as his eyes darkened.

“It’s all that I can think of. Fucking you on every surface of this room until neither of us can move.”

When the past and present are entwined, it isn’t just a coincidence.

From a young age, Xander and Anna have been destined by the goddess. They’ve crossed paths in the most unforgettable way, but somehow, they managed to forget each other.

Years later, when they cross paths again, they’re filled with nothing but hatred for each other. But their base instinct recognizes each other.

Drawn to each other by an unstoppable force, the two must fight obstacles that threaten to destroy them and their bond.

And in the end, they’ll come to know that all they have believed was just a lie.

"No! It can't be!" I let out an internal hiss. "He would not dare come here!"
"What the f*ck, Zara!" Levi bumped into me and growled behind me.
"Sorry," I mumbled, wide-eyed.
"Is that?" Levi mind-linked, and I nodded my head.
"Zara," my father uttered. "I understand that you are familiar with Alpha Noah."
I slowly nodded my head.
"Great," my father said. "Alpha Noah has also informed me that you are his fated mate."
I gave a nod in response.
"Superb, Alpha Noah has requested your hand."
"Is that so?" I found my voice.
Both my father and Alpha Noah nodded.
"Interesting," I said. "Were you told by Alpha Noah that he rejected me more than a year ago?"
My father's smile wavered as Alpha Noah's face turned to ash.
Did Alpha Noah really believe I would just blindly obey an order from my father without a fight?


Zara is a silver wolf descended from one of the most powerful packs on the continent.
A year after he rejects her, her fated mate comes knocking on her door to tell her he is back to claim her.
Zara turns down his proposal, and he goes behind her back and asks her father for her hand. The old Alpha agrees to the arrangement.
Zara is unhappy and decides to handle things on her own. She informs her father that she has taken a chosen mate, her Beta, and her best friend, Levi—only he has a secret.
What will happen when Zara's second chance mate attends her and Levi's mating ceremony?
Will he stop the proceedings and claim her as his mate?
A story about two broken hearts finding each other and getting sucked into a web of lies and prophecies.
Will Zara find the happiness she so deserves?

Sophie McDermott's life in fast-paced San Francisco was already complicated as a single mother balancing the demands of work and raising her son, Dawson. Just when she believed her life couldn't get any more hectic, fate intervenes. Being employed by Polo Enterprise should be a dream come true, but Sophie is about to come face to face with the last person she ever expected- Alex Hernandez, her first and only love whom she has spent years trying to forget.

What will happen when these two get to work closely? Will he get a chance to find out Dawson is his son and will they find a way to overcome the damages of the past and finally claim the happiness they have always yearned for? Or will shadows of deceit and jealousy tear them apart once more?

Hannah Sander's always treated as a slave in her park, faces rejection from her mate, Alpha Austin, and betrayal from her best friend, Sarah. However her life takes a dramatic turn when she met Alpha Liam who turns out to be her true mate but now Alpha Liam who turned out to be a sweet alpha suddenly changed to becoming cold and has a dark past which came back to hunt him.
What would happen now that she has found her true mate ?
Why the sudden change in Alpha Liam?
What exactly happened to Alpha Liam in the past ?

Five years. That's what I gave him. And what did I get? Another woman. And divorce papers he never believed I'd sign.

My husband, Zachary Francis, built his empire on my work—then handed my studio to his mistress and told me I wasn't good enough. On my birthday, he pushed me aside to rescue her from a fire she started herself. The day I finally signed? He laughed. He was sure I'd come crawling back.

But Jonathan Morris saw what my husband never did. He sees my talent. He sees me. A man who treats me like something precious, not a tool—he's offering me everything I once thought I'd lost forever.

Now Zachary watches me leave him behind. His company is falling apart. And the woman who replaced me? She's slowly turning into me.

And him?

He said I couldn't survive without him. Now he's the one begging. But I'm already gone.

"Mason, I want to cut all ties with you. No marriage and no bond. We're done,"

"You want a rejection?"

"I know that you have never loved me, Mason... It would be better that we were both free to pursue our own interests."

"Freedom? Willow, freedom is a privilege that only good and innocent people have the luxury of. You are neither of those things so what makes you think that I should let you go free?" He sneered.

"What do you mean?" I said as my brows creased in confusion.

"Isn't it fucking obvious?" Mason mocked as he cracked his knuckles in his hands, "Your parent's hands are stained with the blood of my parents, you don't deserve to be free whilst you atone for their sins?"


Throughout my year of marriage, I have constantly suffered from the pain of Mate Bond. My mate would sleep with various she-wolves but never spare me a glance. He would allow his lovers to mock and insult me, his wife, his Luna, and he did it all just to inflict pain on me.

I couldn't bear it any longer, so I asked to end the relationship, but he refused. Just when I felt pain and confusion, a powerful Lycan King appeared...

When 23-year-old Halo Quincy is adopted into the glamorous, icy world of the Wolfe family, he never expected to come face-to-face with Lucian Wolfe—the elusive billionaire widower and the man from a one-night stand he never forgot.
Lucian doesn’t remember him.
Lucian doesn’t want him.
Lucian certainly doesn’t love him.
But none of that stops Halo from breaking the one rule that should have kept him safe: Don’t fall for the billionaire.
What starts as an obsession turns into a messy mix of power, desire, and hidden truths. Then, Lucian’s younger brother,Joan, the famous model, comes into the picture with his own secret plan—he also wants Halo for himself. And everything Halo thought he wanted begins to fall apart.
Because love can be everything you dream of.
Or it can be the perfect trap.

Carla spent eight years surviving hell inside the Alpha's mansion. An unwanted Omega. A servant. A punching bag for the entire Smith family. Especially for Nessian and Sebastian Smith.
The ruthless Alpha twins made her life miserable.
They humiliated her, controlled her and tormented her for years.
And Carla swore that the moment she turned eighteen, she would escape them forever.
But fate had other plans.
On the night of her birthday, the Moon Goddess reveals the cruelest truth of all:
The two men she hates most are her fated mates.
Both of them.
Now Carla is trapped between the possessive Alpha twins who refuse to let her go.
According to pack law, she can only choose one brother.
One will become Alpha and claim her as his mate. The other will lose everything.
But the deeper the bond grows, the more dangerous the twins become.
Obsessive. Jealous. Territorial.
And when the Alpha King himself becomes interested in Carla, the rivalry turns deadly.
Because neither twin is willing to share.
And neither of them can survive losing her.

Elena was a cold-hearted Reaper, a soul-collector who followed the rules. But when she saves Liam, an ordinary boy who wasn’t meant to survive, she breaks everything.

Stripped of her powers, Elena is forced into a human life, tied to a secret love she’s forbidden to have.

Liam’s life is a mystery. His survival was a glitch in fate, and now, his very existence threatens the balance of life and death.

As he and Elena grow closer, sparks fly and so do the dangers. With a jealous rival and a deadly supernatural enforcer on their trail, every moment could be their last.

In a world where love was never meant to exist between them, they’ll risk everything to stay together, but is love worth defying fate?

A sizzling forbidden romance where love is the ultimate rebellion.

Synopsis: They say numbers never lie. But in the world of the Mafia, even the truth can be buried beneath bloodstained ledgers.

Lucia Alvarez is a forensic accountant with a mind as sharp as a blade—and a heart carved hollow by loss. Five years ago, her beloved brother Miguel was pulled from the East River, his hands bound and lungs full of concrete. The official story? He betrayed the Di Santi family and paid the price. The truth? Buried with him at the bottom of the river.

Now, Lucia is back—not as a grieving sister, but as a weapon of quiet vengeance.

Under the guise of auditing the Di Santi family’s "legitimate" businesses, she infiltrates their empire. Her assignment is simple: play the role of the loyal number-cruncher. But her mission is far more dangerous—uncover the truth behind Miguel’s murder and bring the empire crashing down from within.

But nothing is simple when it comes to Adrian Di Santi.

He’s the heir to the empire—ruthless, magnetic, and hiding secrets behind a smile as cold as steel. Lucia thought she could keep her distance. Thought her heart was armored. But every encounter with Adrian chips away at her defenses—and blurs the lines between vengeance and desire.

As the walls close in and the stakes rise, Lucia must decide: how far is she willing to go for justice? And what will she do when the truth turns out to be darker—and deadlier—than she ever imagined?

"Kiera Scott is a 21 years old single lady, she Lives alone since she graduated from high school. Sometimes her friends come around to visit her. Luckily enough for her, she's the only daughter of her family and very pampered. She's pretty... The perfect definition of beauty can be told alone by looking at her. She's loved by everyone in her neighborhood, works in a very good company and paying one loved by her colleagues. But! The only problem is her Boss.

He's Tibby Wilf. He is a sex freak, crazy, mean, extra arrogant. He hates being corrected. But Kiera keeps crushing on him.

He was a sex addict. He'd always scold her when she's wrong and not...till she got used to it.

Now she accidentally found him in the shower.

"you!!" he called as she turned back shocked to see her boss half naked.

"argh!" she screamed and shut her eyes closed

"what you doing here?"" she asked

"I should ask you that!" he fired back as she opened her eyes

'gosh...so hot' she gasped in her thoughts

"I'm hiding... please" she whispered as she walked closer to him

"hey... stay back" he hurriedly said as she staggered back

"argh!" she screamed as he pushed her back but unfortunately... his towels fell off his waist."

BOOK1: The 5-Time Rejected Gamma And The Lycan King

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.


BOOK2: The Rogues Who Went Rogue

One of King Alexandar and Queen Lucianne’s most trusted allies, Alpha Tate of the White Blood Pack, has been bonded to a red wolf named Margaret.
The problem? Margaret is a rogue. And she isn’t some small fry, but the leader of a rogue pack that survived rogue-eradicating expeditions. Despite her notoriety, Tate still wishes to give their bond a chance. But Margaret had suffered severe disappointment and betrayal in the mate-bond department once before.

Now, she refuses to give into her wolf’s naïve, primal instincts like she did in the past. It will only break her heart and ruin her life.
Even if Margaret does give in, can Tate really trust her? At the end of the day, she’s a rogue, and rogues pose a risk to the safety of the Kingdom and to his own pack.

As if Tate being bonded to a suspicious mate isn’t enough to deal with, Xandar and Lucianne are faced with new threats stemming from a species that lycans and werewolves had not heard from since the declaration of truce almost 204 years ago - vampires, whose villages are invaded by intruders that left lycan and werewolf scents. The dire situation makes them both conclude that they have to turn to someone for help, someone they locked up not long ago, and this someone kept secrets of his own.

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone) HOMECOMING (A Chloe Fine Mystery) is book #5 in a new psychological suspense series by bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose #1 bestseller Once Gone (Book #1) (a free download) has over 1,000 five-star reviews. When two husbands, best friends, turn up dead in a wealthy suburban town, FBI VICAP Special Agent Chloe Fine, 27, is called in to unmask the lies in this small town and to find the killer. Chloe will have to penetrate this town’s perfect façade, to get past its public appearances to understand the truth of who these men were, and who may have wanted them dead. And in a town that thrives on its exclusivity, that won’t be easy to do.What secrets were these husbands hiding?An emotionally wrought psychological suspense with layered characters, small-town ambiance and heart-pounding suspense, HOMECOMING is book #5 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #6 in the Chloe Fine series will also be available soon.

Drugged by her own father into sleeping with him, she found herself trapped in a forced and loveless marriage, marked by secrets and betrayals. He had another woman in mind and he went to Europe, abandoning her and their son. Four years later, he returns, but not by choice: the son Liam was born to is seriously ill. The only chance of saving his life is to give birth to a new child, a sacrifice that forces them to confront feelings they swore they would never revisit. Will he once again give in to intimacy with a wife who only exists on paper? What about the woman waiting for him abroad? But... what if forgotten feelings begin to surface, confusing their hearts and their choices?


Nathan wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him. My back was pressed to his chest. His thin lips began to stick to my hair and he began to speak.
“Your back was to me, do you want me to come in another way?”
Nathan lowered his head, he put the tip of his nose close to mine. Our lips almost touched, and breathing was somewhat unsteady.
“Don't you know that with you I'm kind of unable to control myself? I just wanted to sleep with you, to be with you incessantly...”

Betrayed by her husband and abandoned by her pack, Eliza Carter vows to rise from the ashes of her shattered life. Once a cherished Alpha’s daughter, she’s now determined to reclaim her pride and make those who wronged her regret it.
But fate has other plans. When Eliza severs her bond with the man who broke her, a magnetic Lycan prince steps forward—her fated mate. Bound by destiny yet scarred by betrayal, can Eliza embrace a future of strength, love, and vengeance?

"I don't understand," I tell Viktor, desperately.
"I don't know why the bond is still there. I accepted his rejection, I don't want him, I want you. Whatever yearnings you saw between us, is not by choice. You are my mate. I choose you."
"Then why is the bind still present?" he snaps as he turns from me.
"I don't know! And frankly, I don't care! I haven't cared or thought about Dominic in nearly a decade. How can I prove that you are the one I love?" I ask as I take hold of his hands, hoping that he sees my sincerity.
"Have the ceremony with me."
"What?!"
"The mating ceremony, where we bind ourselves to each other. Let's do it. That is the only way I can relax. Be mine. Truly, mine."


Rowan Blaze, abused and maltreated in her former pack and after being rejected and left to die by her Alpha finds a second chance as a rogue. Now known as the Winter Wolf, and leader of the largest rogue coalition, with a renowned dislike for packs, fate offers her another chance at love in the form of Alpha Viktor Thorn, a renowned man known for his wicked intelligence and stubborn persona. How do these two stubborn individuals react to this opportunity? Are they capable of letting their walls down and giving life one more chance? And what of Dominic Valor? Is he capable of letting go of his rejected mate or would he do anything to right the wrong he made years ago?

“We are divorced, Adams.” She sighed and wanted to walk away, but he held her.

“It doesn't matter.” He answered, his voice laced with determination.

“I don't love you anymore.”

“That doesn't matter either. What matters is that I want you, and there's nothing you or anyone can do about it.”


Alicia's life has been a series of ups and downs. She suffered abuse from her husband and his family because she couldn't give him a child. She thought she had seen it all, but not until the day she returned home only to receive the divorce papers from her husband's parents. She pleaded with them, but was met with deaf ears, and so she signed the documents and left.

Little did anyone know that she was pregnant.

She returned six years later with her baby girl only to find her Ex-husband craving her once more.

How will she take this, and what other surprises does fate have in stock for her?

“Why can’t I hit you?” Thomas yells, smacking the belt close to her feet.
“Why,” he smacks it on the door above her head.
“Why, why” to the right and left sides of her body.
Melina trembles against the door with her eyes closed and head tucked between her knees. She jumps, sniffing Thomas’ cologne, and tries to hide more.
He’s probably bending down. “I want to hurt you, Melina, but I can’t. Tell me why I can’t. Tell me why,”
She bites her lips to muffle her sobs as she fears they will exacerbate her situation. “Look at me when I am talking to you,” Thomas says, grabbing her hair and pulling her head up.
“I am- so-r-r-r-y,” she says as she turns to face him with her tear-stained face and bloodshot eyes.
******** Melina Davis was born with the face and body of a goddess. Her heart was as beautiful as hers, but it never did her any good. Melina was the unluckiest woman in this world when it came to love. Her first love was an abusive con artist who made sure to exploit Melina's kindness. The second one, who Melina felt was genuinely worthy of owing her heart, was far more dangerous than her first. His name is Thomas Costanzo. He is the second in command of the Costanzo mafia. He was highly feared in the mafia world. Some even feared him more than the don of the Costanzo mafia. Melina didn't know she shouldn't cross him, and she did. She broke the heart of one of the most feared men on this earth, and now, he is out searching for her. Once he finds her, Melina will wish she never crossed paths with him.

Ezra never expected anything good from the world.
The world made that clear the day they found him beside a well. No name. No people. No explanation for why his presence made grown men uneasy.
He expected to die in that village eventually.
He was almost right.
Now he's running. Carrying something the empire isn't ready for. Hunted by things that shouldn't exist this far from the wall. Awakened with abilities even the system refuses to explain.
The village always said there was something wrong with him.
They had no idea.
It's the Second Age of Monsters and maybe the real monsters were never just the ones with claws.

I watched my fiancé put a bullet through my parents' heads before he blew my brains out—so why am I staring at my own funeral on the car radio?

"Splash!" The icy water woke me up to a nightmare. I had been tied to a chair in a godforsaken warehouse for three days without food or water.

Standing before me was Kurt, the man I was supposed to marry, and clinging to his arm was Vera, my best friend of seven years. They didn't just kidnap me; they drained my billionaire empire dry.

"Let's just kill her and get it over with!" Vera pouted, playing with my fiancé's chest.

I refused to beg. I promised them the Vaughn family would skin them alive. But Kurt just laughed, snapping his fingers. Thugs dragged my parents in and threw them to the blood-soaked floor. Before I could even scream, Kurt pulled the trigger. Two bullets. Two dead bodies.

"NO!!!" I thrashed against the ropes, tearing my skin to the bone. Kurt just smiled, pointed the gun at my forehead, and whispered, "I never loved you."

Boom. A gaping red hole in my head. Darkness.

But then… I jerked awake.

I wasn't in hell. I was in the passenger seat of a moving car, looking into a rearview mirror at a face that wasn't mine. Black hair, striking green eyes.

"Have you gone deaf, you stupid country bumpkin?!" my new "step-sister" screeched from the driver's seat. "You're marrying into the Graves family today as a substitute! You're marrying the paralyzed vegetable, Lucian Graves!"

My heart stopped. Lucian Graves? My biggest, most ruthless rival in the business world?

The radio crackled: "Breaking News: Heiress Elara Vaughn and her parents found brutally murdered..."

I touched my new face as a vicious, bloodthirsty smile spread across my lips. Kurt. Vera. You thought you killed the Queen. But I've just been reborn.

And my new, comatose husband is going to help me destroy you.

"Marry me... or get out of my fucking office. And if you choose to get fired, I will make sure you never work in this city again. I mean every word of it."
Desperate to save her brother, Emma Carter agrees to a two-year contract marriage with billionaire Adrian Steele. No emotions, no intimacy, only business. For Adrian, she is a shield against his mother's schemes. For Emma, it is the only way to protect her family.
Living in his world of power, secrets, and lies, Emma begins to see the man behind the walls, a broken soul who has never been allowed to want. Betrayal and deceit force her to flee carrying a secret that could change everything.
Five years later, a chance reunion reveals what Adrian never knew, a daughter with his eyes and a woman who has learned to live without him. Can he reclaim the family he lost or is it too late?

"Part those legs for me, you little w***e," Miles whispered in Meredith's ear. He entered a finger into her throbbing member before adding a second one.

"You'll be the death of me, Miles," she moaned.

"No, Meredith, you'll be the death of me. I never wanted to own something so badly until I met you. Now, I want to own every inch of your beautiful body."

The story of a girl who lost all hope when her long-time boyfriend decided to end things. She is subjected to taking care of a billionaire who underwent a heart transplant. Their encounter started as a whirlwind of chaos and hate for each other. Slowly, they began to fall in love until they couldn't deny their feelings.

However, Meredith was in search of her missing brother she needed answers to his disappearance. Miles and Meredith's relationship is entwined. How can the billionaire find his second chance at love?

Is there anything you can do about it if your fated mate happens to be the son of the people who you believe killed your parents?

"I, Hades Alexios, the future Alpha of Silver Bow Pack, rejected you, Gloria Alvander as my mate," he stated while looking at me.

I didn't flinch and accept the rejection without hesitation, “Then thanks for your rejection, I, Gloria Lavender, the daughter of Shadow Mystic Pack’s Alpha King, accepted your rejection,”

Gloria was adopted by the Alpha and Luna of the Silver Bow Pack when she was young. And was trained to be a female soldier loyal to the Pack. Although she was regarded as a Beta, she had more power and speed than an Alpha.

The future Alpha of the Silver Bow Pack, Hades Alexios, a possessive and badman, turned out to be Gloria’s mate when she was going to be 18. However, Gloria was rejected by Hades because he prefer a noble mate, not just an adopted girl who was rumored to be someone else's bastard.

As soon as he found out that she was the daughter of the once powerful Pack, he regretted it. He knelt down to apologize and beg her to come back, but Gloria had already met her second chance mate, Apollo Harris. The Alpha of Crystal Blood Pack, the man who had loved at first sight with Gloria in their childhood.

SYNOPSIS

On her eighteenth birthday, Elena felt the electric pull of the mate bond—only to realize her destined mate was Alpha Jaxon Hale, the cold and feared leader of their pack. One night of passion. No words. No promises. And by morning, only rejection.

“This never happened,” he warned.

Humiliated and heartbroken, Elena disappeared under the cover of night. Weeks later, she found out she was pregnant. To protect her unborn child and escape the shame, she cut her hair, changed her name, and began living as a boy—hiding in plain sight.

Now, one year later, she’s not just a mother—she’s a trained killer. Assigned a mission to eliminate a dangerous Alpha, she returns under a false identity, only to get entangled with three powerful men: Rick, Jack, and the very Alpha who once broke her—Jaxon.

But things aren’t as simple as revenge. As truths unravel and bonds tighten, she must make a choice: give her mate a second chance… or choose the ones who loved her when she was no one.

And if she fails her mission, it won’t just be her heart at risk—her twin babies lives hangs in the balance.

I was pregnant for the third time, and yet again, I gave birth to a stillborn baby.
I stumbled to my feet, wanting to see my child for the last time, only to see my husband Qin Duchuan holding a baby and walking into my adoptive sister’s ward.
I followed him instinctively, and heard Qin Weiwei’s delicate voice:
"Brother Duchuan, thank you for being willing to give sister-in-law’s baby to me, giving me a chance to be a mother."
My child?
Wasn’t my child stillborn as soon as it was born?
A buzzing sound filled my ears, and the blood all over my body seemed to freeze instantly.
"This is all we owe you,"
Qin Duchuan’s voice was full of heartache:
"If it weren’t for Lingning being selfish and insisting on marrying you off back then, you wouldn’t have met such a terrible person and been tortured until your uterus was removed."
"Then sister-in-law... What if she finds out and tries to take the baby away?"
"She’ll never find out."

THE TEN RULES OF THE PERFECT WIFE

Valentina Arráez spent her entire life following the Ten Rules of the Perfect Wife.

Always smile.

Always obey.

Never complain.

And above all...

Never give your husband a reason to leave.

For five years, she did everything right.

She loved her husband, supported him, and sacrificed every piece of herself to become the perfect wife.

It still wasn't enough.

Because while Valentina was fighting to save her marriage, Rodrigo Montenegro was building a new life with another woman.

Then everything changes.

The day Rodrigo walks out of their home, Valentina discovers she's finally pregnant.

The child she prayed for.

The child she believed could save her marriage.

But before she can tell him the truth, she receives devastating news that forces her to make an impossible choice.

As her world begins to crumble, Valentina must decide whether to keep living by the rules that shaped her... or break every one of them to protect the life growing inside her.

Meanwhile, Rodrigo is convinced he's finally found happiness.

Until the wife he left behind starts disappearing from his life.

And he realizes that some mistakes don't come with second chances.

A heartbreaking story of betrayal, motherhood, sacrifice, redemption, and a love that may already be too late to save.

Some rules are meant to be broken.

"You lost, Beauty. And now, your body, your pleasure, your surrender… all of it belongs to me."
★★★
Beauty thought her graduation trip would end with a proposal. Instead, it ended with heartbreak. On the eve of their travel, she caught her boyfriend in bed with her cousin. Betrayed and humiliated, she refused to waste her money on the hotel reservation… so she went alone.

But fate had other plans.

What began as a reckless attempt to drown her pain spiraled into a night she would never forget. A stranger walked into her room, catching her in her most vulnerable moment. Tall, powerful, and devastatingly handsome, Marcello… And when a mix-up forced them to share the room, one game of poker turned into stripping away more than just cards.

He was temptation wrapped in a tailored suit, his smirk promising danger she couldn’t resist. She gave in for one night, leaving her number with trembling hope.

Until she walked into her new job interview… and found him sitting behind the desk. Her new boss.

Now trapped between lust and pride, Beauty must decide if she can resist the billionaire devil who already claimed her once… or if she’ll fall into his arms all over again.

“I, Layla Lecruest, reject you Alpha Sebastian of the Red Moon Pack as my mate.”
Alpha Sebastian lifted his head. His thick hair blew back as the door to the house opened and a wind swept in.
“I, Alpha Sebastian of the Red Moon Pack, accept your rejection.”
Yes, it hurt to be rejected. Your mate was the one person in the entire world that was meant for you and the stories I had heard were glorious. Like the only two pieces of a puzzle, you find each other and become whole. You will never love anyone as you love your mate. And you never got a second chance. It was very rare, and I had just rejected mine.
Layla Lecruest, is a fierce, brave, and strong-willed girl who never cared about fitting in but neither did she plan to stand out as much as she did. Believing to be a normal wolf, the daughter of a former Beta, she never thought herself to be special. Little did she know that she held a gene that many believed to have been gone for a long time.
When she finds out that her mate is the Alpha who spent his life tormenting her, they quickly reject each other on the spot. Unbeknownst to them, Alpha Kade was on his way and would turn everything upside down as her second chance mate. The notorious Alpha Kade was famous for his strength and his ability to lead his pack. He earned respect wherever he went and when he arrived at the Red Moon Pack, he swore he wouldn't leave without his mate.
What happens when Layla finds herself stuck between her former and current mate as well as a pack of wolves with superior powers who thought she belonged to them? And what happens when another, even bigger secret is revealed?

Dear readers! If you love this story, check out my other book: After Affair: I Took My Children and Remarried

A month before my wedding, I burned the dress I'd spent a year making with my own hands.
My fiancé stood there with his pregnant mistress wrapped in his arms, sneering at me. "Without me, you're nothing."
I turned around and knocked on the richest man in the city's door. "Mr. Locke, interested in a marriage alliance? I'm offering a hundred-billion-dollar stake—plus a future business empire, free of charge."

Tawny Matthews thought that Leonard Roberts married her, perhaps he would have some feelings for her.

But from the beginning to the end, he was cold and indifferent, and she could only endure that he always thought of someone else.

Three years passed, and she felt that she could not expect or hope for this marriage relationship, so she decided to leave, leave this place, and start a new life.

Five years later, they met again, standing opposite each other, but neither recognized the other. He did not recognize her because she had changed so much. Tawny seemed to have become a completely different person. She became colder and more decisive, and her eyes looked at him like those of a stranger. Why did she not recognize him? Was it because she was now his ex-wife?

I was rejected, but soon, I will marry a wheelchair-bound Rogue."Is this your fiancé?""Yes, he is my husband, Raymond Black," I introduced."How shameful, you are marrying this... uh, rogue, who has no clan, no fixed pack, and can't even protect you if attacked by other werewolves?"I stood at the altar, with many people below, as if saying to me: you are such a fool!Raymond said beside me, "Caitlin, if you want to back out, you still have a chance now, you can chooseto run away."I shook my head, "No... I won't run away, you will be my husband."I saw a hint of surprise in his emerald, green eyes.******I was set up by my best friend to have sx with a strange man, my first MATE rejected me, an enemy weapon ran through my father's heart, pierced my mother's body. My best friend's family stripped me of my ALPHA status, and I became everyone's go-to OMEGA. Until thatman came along, Rogue, and he saved me, but... I found that he seemed to hide a lot of secrets, wait, my second mate is alpha king?!

Let's divorce now and get this over with. We've both gotten what we wanted for this arrangement.”

A tear fell out of Zerah’s eye, unnoticed.
“Is that so?”
….
Two years before, Zerah saved his life and they'd fallen in love with a promise to return as he'd left. Now, a year after their reunion, he was no longer the man she knew.

Compelled to sign a contract marriage for the sake of her mother's health, she thought she could regain his love but only received humiliation and heartbreak in return. As he put the divorce papers in front of her, she'd resigned herself to let go of her love, leaving with the secret growing inside her.

Yet fate still brings them together? As the bond of her sons forces her back into his life, now engaged to the childhood friend he'd never failed to humiliate her for, secrets are revealed and she is forced to bear it.

What will happen when he recovers his memories and realizes that he'd chosen the wrong woman? Will he be able to win her heart? Will she accept him or choose a different path? Or will the forces against her take her before she can choose?

Estrella is betrayed by her husband and her closest friend, which leads to her death. She is given a second chance and a new life. This time, she chooses to marry the only man her husband fears: his silent CEO. And now, it is their turn to pay the price.

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.” --Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone) From #1 bestselling author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense: CAUSE TO SAVE (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 5)—the final installment in the Avery Black series.In the epic finale of the Avery Black series, serial killer Howard Randall has escaped, and the entire city of Boston is on edge. Women are turning up gruesomely murdered, and everyone suspects Howard is at it again. When Boston’s most brilliant and controversial homicide detective—Avery Black—is herself stalked—and when people close to her are brutally killed, one by one—it seems the city’s worst fears are confirmed.But Avery is not so sure. The murders remind her of something she once saw in her past. They remind her of something too close to her heart—something that had to do with a secret she thought she had buried long ago….The most riveting and shocking book of the series, a psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, CAUSE TO SAVE is the finale that will leave you turning pages late into the night. “A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side, so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)

Ariella Hayes was seventeen years old when she learned that grief had a taste.
It tasted like burnt sugar. Like the batch of croissants she’d left in the oven too long the morning after the funeral, too numb to hear the timer, too broken to care. Like the coffee, she drank black now because adding cream felt like a luxury she didn’t deserve. Grief tasted like everything and nothing.
Mostly nothing.
She was thinking about this at 4:47 a.m., lying in bed and staring at the water stain on her ceiling that resembled a reaching hand. She’d been awake since three. She was always awake from three, that gray hour when the world was silent enough to hear all the things she tried not to think about during the day.
Like how it was her fault.
How she should have been the one in the car.
How her mother hadn’t really looked at her in six months.
The timer screamed, and Ariella dragged herself out of bed, moving through the apartment like a ghost, past her mother’s bedroom door, down the narrow stairs to Hayes & Daughter Bakery. The name felt like a lie now. Her grandmother was gone. Ethan was gone. Soon the bakery would be gone too, and it would just be Ariella and her mother in an empty building, haunting the space where their family used to be.

She is about to embark on a life-altering journey as she enters a contract marriage with billionaire heir Aiden Frost, all in a bid to rescue her family’s struggling bakery. As they step into this pretend union, neither of them anticipates how their arrangement will evolve into a haven, where they might uncover feelings that challenge their initial intentions.