Which Novels Depict Hedonism And Moral Decay Like 'The Picture Of Dorian Gray'?

Set up by her husband’s muse, Sylvia Ross received the divorce papers while she was pregnant. She did not try to salvage the marriage because not only did he have her slapped sixty times but he even tried to take her child away!“Odell Carter, have you never loved me at all throughout these years?” she asked.His reply was uncaring and cruel. ”I’ve only ever felt nothing but hatred for you.”Three years later, Sylvia Ross was born anew after the baptism by fire. She returned to Westchester City with the daughter whose existence she kept secret all this time.Upon encountering her again, Odell tried to force himself into her life. “Let’s get married.”Sylvia could only chuckle. “Sorry, that ship has sailed.”

(Completed) My panic grows and I begin to struggle with him, "Stop! William gets off me, you don't know what you are doing." He pushes me harder against the bed, "Would you feel better if it was your British boy doing this to you?" He slurs as his hands come to touch my face. I throw my face away from his touch and I see him clench his teeth from the corner of my eyes. "You don't want me anymore?" I glare at him, "Not like this I don't. Get off me!" I say, pushing him off but he traps my hands and holds them above my head. "Stop fighting me!" He snaps, "this, this is what you want!" "No, it's not!" I exclaim, kicking my legs which are slowly growing numb from his weight against him. He raises a brow, "You love me right?" I grit my teeth at his tricky question; if I say yes, then he'll want me to want this and if I say no, that would be a lie. "Yes, but not like this!" I answer in frustration. He moves to settle properly, on my legs, "Well I think you should get to know every side of me; including this side." He sneers into my ears left ear, licking my face. His hand unfastens his belt and unzips his trousers and shoves it down. ***Karen thought telling William how she felt about him would make things better between then, little did she know it would be the exact opposite.

She was not his first choice.But he is her Alpha.***Rose Williams presented as an Omega and has been hated by everyone around her for that. She's also reminded that she's worthless, a toy for Alphas every single day. Her only hope was to turn twenty-one and settle down with Zain, an Alpha who promised to love and cherish her. Aiden Russo is a Pack Alpha-the cruellest one the Moonlight Pack has ever seen. If rumours were to believe he's ruthless, cold and doesn't care for omegas. To complete his ownership, he needs a Luna. By some unfortunate turn of events, Rose is married to the Alpha Aiden, who doesn't show any interest in her. Will she be able to win over his heart? Or forever be loathed by the Alpha?***

Emma's life was not different than Cinderella's, she was punished by her stepmother and sister. And only a prince charming could change her life. For five years, Emma lived in Charlotte Miller’s shadow—forced to play her double, smile for her photos, write her speeches, and disappear the moment the spotlight hit. She was paid to be silent, obedient, and forgettable. Until the night everything shattered. Her heart. Her pride. And her place as Charlotte’s puppet. They forced her into a marriage with Xeros Martinez—a dangerous billionaire heir of the Martinez empire and a man who makes danger feel like desire. She was a substitute bride for him, and the only thing she expected from him was coldness and rejection. But what she didn't expect was his intervention when Charlotte's mother was about to whip her. "How dare you touch my vanilla?" He growled like thunder. "Try it again—and I'll remind you why people fear my name." Their marriage may have begun as a business arrangement, but the heat between them refuses to be ignored. Because later, when she tried to avoid the heat burning between them, he dropped his towel with a smirk, “Scrub my body, wife.” She hesitated. “W-Will I…?” He stepped closer, water dripping down his chiseled chest. “Isn’t that what a wife does?” And when her fingers brushed against his skin, he leaned in, voice low and wicked: “Tell me… do you think I’m sexy?” She mumbled a breathless yes. “What was that?” he asked, teasing. She shook her head, flustered. So he grabbed her waist and smashed his lips onto hers, stealing the truth straight from her mouth.

**SOLD. BETRAYED. CURSED.** Lyra Anderson’s uncle didn’t just betray her, he sold her to HELL. Orphaned, broken, and stripped of hope, she’s now a prized breeder in the Devil’s underworld… until her first client walks in. **Vincenzo Van Doren.** The most ruthless Mafia king in history. A monster bound by a blood curse, desperate for an heir. But the moment he sees Lyra, his world shatters. She’s not just a breeder—she’s his fated mate. And he’ll burn empires to claim her. Fate has other plans. Lyra’s first shift unleashes an unthinkable truth—she’s no ordinary Omega. She’s a Dominant, a creature of myth, and now the most hunted woman alive. For Vincenzo’s rival, Marcello, she’s the ultimate weapon. For Vincenzo, she’s the key to his salvation But when Lyra uncovers a devastating lie—that Vincenzo’s love might be nothing but a cold-blooded ruse—her trust evaporates in blood and betrayal. Will she break his curse… or become it?

Clara's world crumbles when she finds out that she has been offered to the ruthless Lycan king as compensation by her pack. All her life, she has been preparing to be the Luna of the Shadows falls pack, since she was mated to the alpha. But things change when she finds out that her little sister is already pregnant with her mate's child, and now, in place of her step-sister, she is being forced to marry the ruthless Lycan king while pretending to be her step-sister. Will she survive being the Lycan king Asher Blackwood's substitute mate, or will her secret be leaked? What will happen when the Lycan king finds out about her secret?