the eminence in the shadow

“What’s your name?” His deep voice resonates in her ears and he eyes her with interest. “H-Halsey S-Scott!” She manages to say. “Is that girl looking at us?” He tilts his head to indicate his ex-girlfriend who’s glaring at them. “Yeah…” “Good.” Without another word, he kisses her on the lips. A kiss which sealed their fates. One kiss from the school’s bad boy and it was over for her. Ever since her parents died, Halsey Scott prefers to live a quiet life. Shy and quiet, Halsey is only free around her best friend, Lincoln Wright, the school's rising basketball player. But what happens when she catches the eye of the notorious bad boy? Nathan Jacobs doesn't believe in love. He only cares about his popularity and is a bully. Harboring an intense hatred towards Lincoln, Nathan will do anything to hurt his rival. And the only way to hurt Lincoln, is to crush Halsey's heart. Initially scared of Nathan, Halsey soon finds herself torn between her loyalty to her best friend and her dangerous attraction for the bad boy. What will happen when Nathan's plans are revealed? Will he succeed in breaking Halsey's heart? Or will the bad boy finally fall in love?

It's my husband, Niall Luther's birthday. I take my son to the hospital to visit Niall since he's working late; I want to surprise him. However, we get into an accident on the way there. When I rush to the hospital with my bloodied son in my arms, I see Niall holding his first love's daughter. He coos at her and says, "This might be a small wound, but there's a risk of infection if it isn't handled well!" His first love, Chelsea Blanc, gives him a chiding look. "You treat Lulu so well that I'm getting jealous." Niall wraps an arm around her. "It's only because I love you. You're the one I love the most." I pull out my phone and call him. He keeps his arm around Lulu White and rejects my call. So, I text him, telling him our son is injured and has been taken to the hospital where he works. I tell him he needs to attend to our son. However, he berates me for lying. I have no choice but to take my son elsewhere for treatment. Before leaving, I see Niall kiss Chelsea tenderly and tell her he wants to take her to an amusement park. That's when I know he and I are over.

Kendra found out her boyfriend cheated on her while in a long distance relationship after visiting him. Kendra just loses her grandmother who raised her and needed someone to cheer her up that's why she decided to visit her boyfriend. But she did not expect to hear this: "Harder James! Harder!" A soft growl came from inside his apartment. "Oh yeah baby!" James replied. Kendra was stunned as she knelt outside the door of James' apartment..

Miley's life fell apart on the night of her 19th Birthday. The celebration was tainted by the business of betrayal. At the party, Miley's drink was spiked, and when she felt ill, she staggered out of the room, only to stumble upon a conspiracy between her boyfriend and her sister. She had always known that her sister didn't love her. but what she hadn't expected was that her boyfriend, whom she had always trusted, was also in cahoots with her. Realization stung sharper than the cold air outside as she discovered their cruel intentions to humiliate her. Overwhelmed and betrayed, she found refuge in an unfamiliar room. But fate, it seemed, had a cocktail of sorrows lined up for her. In the room she sought refuge in was Logan Pierce. This man, a dominant and arrogant person, and her boyfriend's uncle were known to be a living nightmare for those who would cross his path. Under the influence of drugs, they slipped into a night, and he took her for the first time in ways she wished she could forget. Waking up to a world where accusations were hurled at her from all corners, her family turned their backs on her. Placating Logan seemed to have ranked higher than standing up for Miley, their own blood. Disowned and discarded, Miley found herself abandoned on the relentless, heartless streets. Years later, she had blossomed into the U.S. manager of Hales company. During a business meeting, she stumbled upon Logan once again. But the passing years had erased Miley's face from Logan's memory, arousing within him a curiosity and fascination for this elusive lady director. unable to recall the tragic past, Logan felt unwarranted anger towards Miley as he continuously evaded her- thus beginning their forbidden dance of desire yet again.

In the glimmering city of New York, where dreams are born and fortunes are made, an unexpected twist of fate brings together two individuals from vastly different worlds. Leah Knight, a spirited and resilient young woman, finds herself on the verge of despair as her financial struggles intensify. Despite her unwavering determination to make ends meet, circumstances force her into an unimaginable situation. Through a series of extraordinary events, she crosses paths with an enigmatic and formidable billionaire with a reputation as cold and ruthless as the city itself. Xavier Kings, haunted by a troubled past, lives his life behind a facade of unyielding control and detachment. His heart guarded by walls of steel. When Leah unexpectedly enters his world, he sees an opportunity to further his own ambitions while satisfying his primal desires. Driven by his inscrutable motives, Xavier presents Leah with a proposition that could change her life forever. In exchange for a marriage of convenience, one that would grant her financial security, she must agree to never fall in love with him. With her back against the wall and no other choice, Leah reluctantly accepts the deal, unaware of the tumultuous journey that awaits her. Will she meet the end of the deal or will she fall into his trap of being used and discarded?

After I became pregnant, my figure changed, and my face grew puffy. My fiancé began to treat me with a subtle, almost imperceptible sense of disdain. When the baby was five months along, it happened to be Valentine's Day. That day, he finally agreed to take our wedding photos, something I'd been hoping for. But just as we arrived at the bridal studio, his phone rang. "Mike, I just got back to the country. My friends are hosting a gathering, and everyone's bringing their boyfriends. Could you come and pretend to be mine?" It was a few short sentences, yet it completely altered the expression on his face. He turned abruptly, stepping out of the studio with a look of urgency. "Lucy's back. I have to go see her," he said. Hearing those words, a fire of rage ignited inside me, one I couldn't suppress. "For her? You're going to leave me here alone?" I demanded. "Do you even know how long I've been looking forward to today? It's Valentine's Day, and instead of staying with me, you're going to be with her?" His impatience flared visibly as I stood my ground. Without a word, his hand pushed me aside, and he strode out of the shop. "We can take wedding photos any day. I'm the only one Lucy has in this country. I have to go see her," he said. Then, gripping my wrist with alarming force, he shoved me, sending me sprawling to the floor. Without a backward glance, he got into his car and drove off. I felt a sudden, wet heat flowing from my lower abdomen. Pain surged through my stomach, sharp and unbearable, as my consciousness started to fade. A wave of despair and terror consumed me. Someone. Anyone. Please save my baby.

To cheer up his pretty assistant, my boyfriend brought her to attend a party. I had to bail him out after he was arrested by the police. The charge? Public indecency after consuming illegal substances. When I arrived at the police station to pick him up, he was still trying to comfort his assistant, paying no heed to the possibility that I might have seen the lipstick marks on his neck. After seeing that I wasn’t saying anything, my boyfriend assumed I was upset and explained impatiently, “Winnie was in a terrible mood that day, and I was just there to keep her company. We didn’t take part in any public indecency! It was the other guests who were messing about!” What a terrible excuse. If it was any other day, I wouldn’t be this calm. This time was different. I will no longer press him for answers like a mad woman. As I walked past the police station entrance, an officer looked at my boyfriend and his assistant, who were still all over each other. With eyes full of sympathy, he asked me, “Your partner?” I glanced at my boyfriend, whose focus was entirely fixated on Winnie, and shook my head. “No, just an acquaintance.” At that moment, Winnie was leaning against him, seeking his comfort. I pulled out my phone and texted my dad silently. “I agree to marry President Lee. I’ll leave the wedding preparation to you guys.” “I’ll be back in five days.”

When a reluctant event planner Aurora Thompson is forced into marrying the ruthless billionaire mafia Alessandro De Luca to serve as a pawn in her father's game of power, she's thrown into a deadly underworld. As she navigates Alessandro's empire, she begins to unravel dark truths and hidden agendas that forces her to confront her feelings towards the captivating yet ruthless Alessandro. As she falls deeper for him, Aurora must find a way to survive the deadly games of the mafia elite without being pulled into the darkness.

My husband has azoospermia. After trying all the options available, I finally conceived. However, my husband is worried my child will hurt his first love's feelings—she had a miscarriage. He tricks me into going for a prenatal checkup. In truth, he conspires with a doctor to induce labor when I'm only five months along. He says, "You must be the one with the problem. Why else is it so hard for us to have children? The baby won't be healthy even if it's born! We can have more children when you're healthier. Julie has just had a miscarriage; I don't want to aggravate her." He doesn't know he has azoospermia. I only managed to conceive this child after trying out IVF countless times and taking countless folk remedies. He will never have a child of his own in this lifetime, and I discover his true colors. I ask for a divorce, and that's when he loses his mind.

Enzo Corretti is a monster. He runs the most powerful crime family in the world. Being ruthless and unfeeling is in the job description but nowhere in the handbook did it ever say how to deal with someone like Dylan. She may look like a saint but underneath her pretty doe eyes there's a monster in waiting. Dylan Monroe is a Saint. That's what everyone always said about her. Growing up in violence and tragedy, she managed to live a normal life despite it. Well, that was until eight men showed up in her house with seven guns aimed at her head and the most vicious of them all, Enzo Coretti claiming she had something that belonged to him. Maybe she did. But Dylan knew if she gave it to him, it wouldn't end well for her.