Linger On

“I never meant to fall for him… especially not him.” — Mellisa Brown. Xavier Kesh has it all—England’s hockey golden boy, heir to a billionaire empire, and the face every brand wants. Fast on the ice and lethal with a smirk, he’s built a career on speed, charm, and winning. He was supposed to stay focused on the game… and loyal to his girlfriend, Katrina Brown. But everything changes when Melissa Brown—Katrina’s younger sister, fierce runway model, and rising hockey star—enters into a fake relationship with Xavier to skyrocket her modeling career. It was meant to be all for show. Just business. Just pretend. Until the cameras stopped rolling… and the chemistry became undeniable. Melissa has one goal—win the Miss England crown and prove she’s more than the second Brown sister living in Katrina’s shadow. But faking it with Xavier turns into late-night calls, lingering touches, and a connection that feels too real to ignore. And when Katrina discovers the truth? The sister who once protected Melissa becomes her worst enemy—hellbent on revenge, betrayal burning hotter than any spotlight. Now, lines blur and loyalties crack. Three hearts. One crown. And a love that was never supposed to happen. The game was fake. The feelings weren’t. And someone’s about to lose it all.

Alex, get up!”
A sharp slap to the leg.
“You think we’re running a daycare down here?”
Fifteen-year-old Alex scrambled out of her pile of thin blankets on the basement floor, eyes wide, limbs sore. Another day, another list of chores. Cooking. Cleaning. Smiles for those who kicked her. Silence for those who didn’t see her at all.
Upstairs…laughter, Alpha Cole’s family was having breakfast. She could smell the cinnamon.
Down here? Mold. Dust. And the quiet ache of a girl who didn’t know she was born to change the world.

Our seventh wedding anniversary. I sat at the dining table—alone. My phone buzzed, lighting up with two messages. First, from Tom: [Working late at the office tonight.] Second, anonymous: [Tom is incredible. Can you even keep up?] Attached was a picture of him, lips locked with a woman I didn't recognize. I blew out the candles on the anniversary cake. Eyes shut, I typed back: [Let's divorce.]

A contract. A night. A mistake that turned into something more. Naia Isadora Lastra never believed in second chances—especially not after catching her boyfriend red-handed and breaking down in the arms of a dangerously charming stranger at a bar. One night. One decision. One unforgettable mistake. She never expected to wake up sore, breathless, and tangled in the sheets with a man who disappears before dawn… only to reappear days later in a designer suit, announcing: "You're going to be my bride... on paper." Ammir Alejandro Silvestri is a cold, calculating CEO, forced to fake a perfect marriage for the sake of his dying grandmother—and the woman he shared a bed with becomes his only option. Now, all eyes are on them. The press, their families, and the ticking clock of a six-month contract. But the longer they pretend, the harder it gets to remember what's fake and what’s not. And when secrets surface, hearts aren't the only things at risk—because falling in love was never part of the deal.

Julian Fontaine came to Boston University with one goal: win the annual skating championship. He is a focused and disciplined figure skater with no time for distractions. Asher Beckett on the other hand is a loud golden-boy hockey jock, and the last person Julian wants anywhere near his ice. But when sharing a rink turns into stolen glances and unexpected late-night practices, Julian starts to wonder if falling for Asher might be the one risk worth taking. Because love, like skating, is best when you finally let yourself fall.

In my seventh year of trying to win the favor of mafia Don Ethan Larsen, the system declared my mission a failure. I was set to be erased in one month. I did not cry or make a scene. I accepted the death countdown with calm detachment and started a livestream called "My Last Wishes Before I Die." The first thing I did was throw the multimillion-dollar wedding ring into the drain, right in front of Ethan and his first love, just to hear it clatter out of sight. Ethan's expression hardened. "Nina, what kind of trick are you trying to pull this time? You begged me in order to wear that ring and stood there for three days." I smiled, lifted my middle finger, and replied, "Pfft… As if you deserve it."

[Aviation Series #2] Despite being married, Lionel still vowed to never love Charlotte Katherine. He convinced himself that she only brought chaos to his life and that this marriage is the reason why he couldn't have the girl of his dreams. He thought that Charlotte was so in love with him and used his family's failing company as an opportunity to push the marriage. However, after so many ups and downs, he realized a lot of things. He realized that he was wrong all along. He realized that she wasn't in love with him. And he realized that the moment he married her, his love for another woman wasn't called love anymore... It was called cheating.

There's about half a month to our wedding when Daniel Bradshaw and I get into a horrible fight. The reason? He wants to have a child with his mentor's daughter. "We're only going to do IVF—it's not like we're doing anything else! My mentor is gravely ill now, and his only wish is to see Phoebe have someone she can rely on!" Daniel sounds indifferent, but my blood runs cold. "It's half a month to our wedding, yet you're going to have a child with another woman. Don't you find that ridiculous?" I watch as he storms off and slams the door shut behind him. Then, I update my social media. "I'm getting married in half a month, but I need a new groom. Is anyone up for it?"

I've finally gotten my wish after loving Christopher Lausten for four years. However, that's when his true love returns…

A handprint on the glass window in the bathroom leads to me discovering my husband's betrayal. I want to find that woman and make her and my husband pay.