aesthetic clock

The once-glorious empire is in ruins, its capital buried beneath ash, following a bloody uprising. A competent scavenger who has been hardened by grief, Zara endures in the broken world, plagued by memories of the empire's devastation, particularly the ruthless purge that claimed her family's lives. She discovers a secret amid the rubble: a wounded man named Kael who says he is the final heir to the crumbling empire. Zara reluctantly consents to assist him, viewing his survival as a way to make amends. But Kael isn't interested in bringing back the empire he was born into. Rather, he is dangerously knowledgeable about a weapon that could upset the delicate balance of power in the world. An unforeseen attachment forms between Zara and Kael, complicating their objective as they create an uneasy alliance to traverse the lethal world of bounty hunters, imperial loyalists, and rebels. Zara is compelled to face her own troubled past—including the potential that her long-lost brother is still alive and fighting for one of the factions—as they delve deeper into the empire's hidden secrets. After the rebels kidnap Kael and torture him to find the weapon, Zara must decide whether to risk everything to save him or let him perish. Zara and Kael are pushed to the limit by their increasing love and the burden of their common past as they work against the clock to destroy the weapon and keep it out of the wrong hands. Will the fires of their decisions consume them or will they find salvation in a world of ashes?

Born chubby and Ugly, she was hated by all the people in her pack including her family. Cruelest fate, when she clock twenty two and she couldn't find her mate, her parents marry her off to the most ruthless man in the pack. He turned her to a punching bag and his Solence for pouring his anger whenever he is angry. One night, he was drunk to stupor and beat her up like he always do, this time she fell off the stairs and die.

Stella Rivers thought she had left her painful past behind—until she crossed paths with Jack Norman, her ruthless billionaire boss. Bound by a mutual agreement, their contract marriage is meant to be nothing more than a calculated move. But as passion ignites and old wounds resurface, their carefully constructed facade begins to crack. Jack, haunted by his own demons, finds himself drawn to Stella in ways he can’t explain. Stella, desperate to leave a legacy amidst the ticking clock of her secret illness, discovers a startling connection to the one person she swore to keep her distance from. But in a world of power and deceit, no secret stays buried forever. When shocking truths emerge, loyalties are tested, and dangerous enemies close in, Stella and Jack must confront their darkest fears to protect what matters most. Caught in a web of lies, love becomes the ultimate risk. Will they unravel the truth before it’s too late? Or will their pasts destroy their future? Love, Lies, and Legacy is a gripping tale of betrayal, redemption, and a love strong enough to defy all odds.

after Kimberly was dismissed from the army, she utilizes her military skills to work as a hit man for the Italian mafia in Atlanta city. She later began a romantic relationship with Bryan, a DEA agent for information and help to complete a job for the mafia, unbeknownst to him that he is actually in bed with the missing link to the drug ring he had been trying to bust. A heart broken Bryan later discovers the true identity of his girlfriend who confessed to him that even though she agreed to date him for her selfish interests at first, she later fell in love with him genuinely. They go through several hurdles trying to get a substantial evidence against Luis, but his connections in most of the city’s offices and criminal underworld makes Kimberly and Bryan hit several dead ends while racing down the clock to indict the mafia boss, after striking a deal with the district attorney for immunity and enrollment into the witness protection program where they’ll later start a new life. The couple’s love is put to the test when they must trust and support each other against a world of organized crime.

Title: Whispers of Frost and Fire Author: Seraphina Belladona Synopsis: Aurelia had always been certain about one thing: she and Jeremy Philings were meant to be. As the captain of the cheerleading squad, daughter of the Ravenclaw pack’s beta, and a beloved figure in her pack’s community, everything seemed to fall into place. With Jeremy, the captain of the football team and soon-to-be alpha, by her side, Aurelia was sure that their bond would be sealed on his 18th birthday. The moment they’d been waiting for—the moment when the goddess would confirm their mate bond—was just around the corner. But when midnight strikes on Jeremy’s birthday, everything changes.As the clock chimes, Jeremy’s wolf emerges, his eyes locking onto Aurelia with a chilling coldness that shatters her world. With a single, harsh command, “Move,” he pushes her aside and walks straight toward Shanika Mason, the graceful, confident captain of the soccer team—and the daughter of the first Gamma couple. The girl he has chosen as his mate. Devastated and humiliated, Aurelia flees the celebration, unable to comprehend how the life she’d imagined for years has evaporated in an instant. In her pain, Aurelia is forced to confront the cold truth: she is not the one Jeremy wants, and she must find a way to heal from the heartbreak of losing her mate. But Aurelia’s journey is far from over. Sent to her mother’s old pack in the frozen wilderness of Alaska to escape the painful memories, Aurelia begins to unravel the mysteries of her own past. The Foraker Mountain pack is everything her former home was not—rugged, cold, and steeped in ancient traditions—but it’s here, in the frozen lands of Chase, that Aurelia discovers the truth about her lineage.

Not every love story ends in happiness, and sometimes, the most painful twists come not from fate, but from our own choices. Yeonho loved Vaani—but he couldn’t save her. Zane loved Vanessa—but his own actions led to her death. Now, Zane has been granted a second chance—an opportunity few are ever given. Thrown into a time he never knew, with questions that have no answers, Zane must unravel the mystery of his survival and the purpose of his unexpected return. What is he meant to do in a world where he never existed? Can he right the wrongs of the past, and what sacrifices will he make to ensure his future? The clock is ticking, and Zane's journey to redemption is about to begin. Will he find the strength to rewrite his fate—or will history repeat itself?

WARNING: This book is unapologetically slutty. ••• “You can fuck me, but only with my mask on.” My boss doesn't know I'm his little wh*re sunshine. ••• Elissa can't remember the last time she got laid by a man. She is too caught up in meeting ends meet, and healing from the trauma caused by her stepmother. But her life changes when she goes to a masquerade ball and her eyes land on the gorgeous mysterious stranger, succumbing to his charm. They have a wild night together, their heated, lustful encounter leaving her breathless and wanting more. However, when dawn breaks, she flees the hotel room, and he is left with only her lingerie and an unrelenting obsession to find her. But when Elissa returns to her normal life, fate brings them together again in a shocking twist: Elissa’s new billionaire boss, Thane, is the mysterious man who has rocked her world. Now, he’s determined to claim her as his own, one sensual seduction at a time. But there’s a catch— he’s unaware that his secretary is the same woman he’s been p*unding at midnight, and Elissa must hide her arousal during work hours, waiting for the clock to strike 3 a.m. when she can transform into masked Cinderella once more. But for how long will it take for her identity to be revealed?

"I need you to smile, darling," Adrian whispers, his fingers digging into Isabella's waist as cameras flash. "Your father's business empire depends on it." The champagne in her glass trembles as Isabella forces herself to play the perfect mafia bride. She hasn't told him about the baby yet. Hasn't mentioned the way his eyes linger on the judge's daughter, Elena. Hasn't revealed that she knows about the poison they've planned for her "tragic accident." But Isabella Romano isn't going down without a fight. "Please," she whispers to Santa Muerte as poison burns through her veins. "Give me a chance to make them pay." Death has a price. Isabella awakens in the body of Valentina Salvatore—wife to Adrian's greatest rival and mother to twin girls who somehow see through her deception. She has 150 days to either claim vengeance or find true love. The clock is ticking, and Nicolas Salvatore, her new "husband," is proving dangerously easy to fall for. "You're not really her, are you?" Nicolas murmurs one night, his fingers tracing her jaw. "My Valentina never looked at me the way you do." But as Isabella navigates the deadly waters of rival crime families, she discovers Valentina had secrets of her own—secrets worth dying for. Now, with her father plotting a takeover, Adrian suspicious of her resurrection, and her borrowed body slowly rejecting her soul, Isabella must choose: the revenge she died for, or the love she never expected to find. In this dangerous game of second chances, some fates are worse than death. And some loves are worth dying for twice.

Imagine being forced to choose between four powerful and gorgeous men who all claim to be your perfect match. That's Aria's impossible dilemma. After her world is turned upside down, Aria discovers she's the key to breaking a centuries-old curse, and all she had to do to make this happen, is choose her true mate out of the four. Sounds simple but practically difficult. As she spends time with each of the four Alphas, she realizes they're not what they seem. Are they truly interested in her, or just what she can do for them? Running from her destiny is not a choice either. The clock is ticking- Aria must find a way to break the curse. Will she be able to break it before it's too late, or will she become another victim of the curse's wrath?

Elena Carter finds herself ensnared in an arranged marriage with the charming yet infamous billionaire, Julian Blackwood. To him, she’s just a trophy, the punchline to a cruel joke, while he parades his glamorous flings before her. But beneath her poised exterior, Elena harbors a fierce resolve. When one humiliating encounter pushes her over the edge, she makes a daring escape to a serene coastal town, leaving behind the glittering shackles of her past—and a precious secret that could change everything. Meanwhile, Julian, lost in a whirlwind of excess, begins to realize the true cost of his reckless lifestyle as a gnawing emptiness takes hold. Will they embrace a future together, or will the shadows of their past keep them apart? The clock is ticking, and the answer lies just beyond the horizon.