Karma

The company holds a management meeting. My wife's secretary, Lisa Carter, is checking IDs at the conference room entrance. She greets everyone who enters with a warm smile. But when it is my turn, she lets out a scornful laugh. I frown and pull out my Cybersecurity Department Manager's ID, but she doesn't even glance at it. "Mr. Torres, Ms. Shaw took pity on you and made you a manager. Do you really think you're somebody important?" I ignore her and dial the CEO's direct line instead. "Someone's saying my position is just charity from you. Is it true?"

An dem Tag, an dem ich unsere Gefährtenregistrierung beantragen wollte, ließ mein Freund Ogg mich vor dem Büro für Wolfsangelegenheiten hinauswerfen. Dann betrat er es an der Seite seiner Kindheitsliebe Hailey. Er sah mich fassungslos am Boden sitzen, ohne mit der Wimper zu zucken. „Haileys Kind braucht den Status im A-Rudel. Sobald wir die Gefährtenregistrierung aufgelöst haben, werde ich dich heiraten.“ Alle dachten, ich als treue Törin würde noch einen weiteren Monat willenlos auf ihn warten. Schließlich hatte ich bereits sieben Jahre auf ihn gewartet. Doch in jener Nacht tat ich etwas Unerwartetes: Ich willigte in die von meinen Eltern arrangierte Ehe ein und reiste stillschweigend zum L-Rudel ab. Ich verschwand vollständig aus seiner Welt. Drei Jahre später kehrte ich in mein altes Territorium zurück, um meine Familie zu besuchen. Mein Gefährte, inzwischen der Lykan-Vorsitzende, hatte eine dringende Ratssitzung. Daher schickte er einen Untergebenen, um mich vom Flughafen abzuholen. Ich hätte nie gedacht, dass ich dort Ogg wiedersehen würde. Sein Blick fiel sofort auf das Armband an meinem Handgelenk. „Ist das nicht diese billige Fälschung des Armbands, für das der Lykan-Vorsitzende Raven zwei Millionen Dollar für seine Gefährtin ersteigert hat? Dass du nach all den Jahren so oberflächlich geworden bist…“ „Jetzt ist aber genug mit dem Theater. Komm zurück. Haileys Kind ist jetzt im Schulalter, also kümmerst du dich um den Schulweg.“ Ich strich mit den Fingern über das Armband an meinem Handgelenk. Er hatte keine Ahnung, dass es das billigste unter all den Armbändern war, die Raven mir geschenkt hatte.

As the flames engulfed my body in the underground warehouse, I used the last of my strength to call my brother, the new Don of the Moretti family. Just as I was about to draw my last breath, Lorenzo finally answered, his voice as cold as the Sicilian winter wind. "Isabella, what the hell are you up to now?" "Brother, save me…" My voice was barely a whisper, but he cut me off without a hint of mercy. "Can't you go one day without causing trouble?" "Liliana's debutante dinner is next week. If you don't show up, I'll drag you back here myself." He hung up without a second thought, completely oblivious to the desperation in my voice. Despair mingled with the searing agony that wracked my body as the flames danced higher, and I couldn't hold on any longer. As I closed my eyes, tears still trickled from their corners. You won't have to drag me back, my brother. I'm never coming back.

I die in the corridor of the private hospital my husband established after being forced to give my heart to his true love. Before my death, my six-year-old son tearfully begs him to save me thrice. The first time, he holds my husband's hand and says I'm coughing up blood. My husband sneers. "Looks like she's learned tricks—she knows how to teach children to lie now." Then, he has his bodyguards kick my son out of the ward. The second time, my son grabs his sleeve and says I'm in so much pain that I'm incoherent. My husband frowns. "It's just a heart transplant. The doctor said she won't die." The bodyguards step forward and drag my son out of the ward again. The third time, my son grovels at my husband's feet and grabs his pants, sobbing and saying that I'm already unconscious. My husband is infuriated. He grabs my son by the neck and throws him out of the ward. "I told you Nadia won't die! I'll throw her and you out of the hospital if you come here and disturb Ruby's rest again!" My son gives his most previous item—a guardian angel pendant—to a nurse to save me. The nurse accepts it and arranges for me to be admitted to the last available ward in the hospital. However, Ruby Sharpe has someone stand before it with her pet dog. She says, "Sorry, kiddo. Your father's worried I'll be bored without my dog, so this ward has been set aside for my dog to stay in."

Je suis Isabelle, la fille du premier parrain de Sicile. Depuis mon enfance, j'étais toujours rebelle. Mon père, craignant que je me marie impulsivement avec un homme de moindre qualité, a pris une décision radicale. Il a ordonné que je sois fiancée au nouvel héritier de la famille Marino, Lucas. Bien que ce soit un mariage politique, je voulais au moins choisir une bague de fiançailles qui me satisfasse. C'était ainsi que je me suis rendue à l'enchère organisée par la mafia. Lorsque la bague précieuse a été présentée, j'ai levé ma plaquette d'enchères. Avant que le marteau du commissaire-priseur ne tombe, une voix hautaine venant de derrière a interrompu le moment. « Une gamine de la campagne ose me concurrencer ? Je mets deux millions d'euros ! Tu ferais bien de dégager. » Un silence s'est installé dans la salle, seulement interrompu par le bruit des appareils photo qui cliquetaient. Je me suis retournée pour voir une femme vêtue d'une robe dorée haute couture. Un sourire indifférent flottait sur ses lèvres, comme si toute la salle des enchères était son terrain de jeu privé. Avant même que je puisse répondre, le commissaire-priseur a précipité l'enchère. « Vendu ! Félicitations à Mlle Sofia, qui remporte la bague L'Étoile Éternelle ! » J'ai froncé les sourcils, une colère grandissant dans mon cœur. « On peut clore les enchères avant même qu'elles ne soient terminées ? C'est n'importe quoi ! » Sofia s'est tournée vers moi, ses yeux perçant comme des couteaux, me scrutant de la tête aux pieds. « Les règles ? » Elle a ri froidement. « Chérie, je suis Sofia, la sœur préférée de Lucas, l'héritier de la famille Marino. Ici, c'est moi qui fais les règles. » Je ne pouvais pas m'empêcher de rire. Quelle coïncidence ! Lucas, c'était le prénom de mon fiancé. J'ai sorti immédiatement mon téléphone et j'ai composé un numéro. « Lucas, ta sœur vient de me voler la bague de fiançailles que j'aime. Comment on règle ça ? »

Ketika sahabatku mulai mengalami masalah rambut rontok parah, dia mendengar kabar bahwa mencuci rambut dengan ASI bisa mengaktifkan folikel rambut. Oleh karena itu, dia memintaku untuk meminjamkan ASI. Aku merasa hal itu sangat menjijikkan dan dengan alasan bahwa ASI-ku hanya cukup untuk anak perempuanku, aku menolaknya. Temanku tidak menyerah, dia akhirnya membeli ASI dari internet dengan harga tinggi. Sayangnya, ASI yang dia dapatkan mengandung virus dan dia terinfeksi sifilis. Alih-alih menerima akibat dari tindakannya sendiri, dia malah menyalahkan anak perempuanku. Pada suatu malam, dia diam-diam masuk ke rumahku dan menggunakan rambutnya sendiri untuk mencekik anakku hingga tewas. Setelah mengetahui kebenarannya, aku benar-benar kehilangan kendali. Aku mencabut semua rambut di kepalanya dan kemudian membunuhnya dengan sebilah pisau dapur. Namun, saat aku membuka mata, aku mendapati diriku kembali ke hari ketika dia pertama kali meminta meminjam ASI dariku.

Five years ago, when my boyfriend's small company was on the brink of bankruptcy I stepped in to save him, quietly supporting him from the shadows. Without revealing my identity, I became the company’s largest shareholder. Five years later, the night before his company was set to go public, he held me in his arms and said, "Emma, after the company goes public tomorrow, don’t leave. I have a surprise for you." At that moment, I was swept away by the idea of his "surprise," my mind racing with the hopeful thought that he might propose. I didn’t notice the cold glint of malice lurking in his eyes. The next day, as his company went public, he slapped me across the face and sneered, "Do you even see what kind of person you are? Did you really think someone like you could marry me?" He grabbed me by the hair and dragged both me and my best friend in front of a crowd of thugs and beggars he’d gathered. “These worthless cast-offs aren’t good enough for me anymore. Consider them my gift to you. Do whatever you like with them!”

My husband sponsored a poor female college student. While I was being dragged into an alley by a criminal, he was helping her pick out lingerie. While I was hospitalized with serious injuries, he used the money my mother left me to buy her a limited-edition handbag. I confronted him in a heated argument, but he accused me of being unreasonable. "I thought your injuries were so serious, but look—you didn’t even die! Besides, your money is my money. I’ll spend it however I want!"

The day my boyfriend got back together with his first love was the day I boarded the flight to Imperia. "Queenie was just a fling," said my boyfriend. "I'll never see her again. We'll be together forever." His friends were worried about my ruining his heartfelt confession, but I would not. Not this time. Before I went to Imperia, I promised my mentor I would join medical research, and I was half a month away from total communication cutoff. I would have to stay around for ten years for the research. I would not be allowed to contact anyone in the meantime. And thus, my ties to my soon-to-be ex were broken.

No one knew that I was the Thorn pack’s head Alpha’s soulmate. He and Carol, who had been best friends since they were kids, were very close. Everyone in the pack thought they were soulmates while I was just a mistress threatening their bond. To protect Carol’s reputation, Barnett lied to the pack, claiming Carol was carrying his pup. This made our child illegitimate. When I confronted him in pain, demanding why, he explained, “Carol is known for her gentle and quiet nature. If our packmates knew she was pregnant without a mate, they would shame her. She's too fragile to go through all this.” For the first time, I looked at the man I thought was my mate and questioned if the Moon Goddess had made a mistake. Later on, while Barnett was away gathering herbs for Carol, the elders forced me to terminate my pregnancy, branding our pup as a disgrace to the Thorn pack. By the time Barnett returned, our pup was gone, and so was I.