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Alfred J. Church was a 19th century historian best known for his comprehensive histories on different periods of the Roman Empire, including this one.

I was a former diamond prodigy, now hiding in the city's grimy underbelly as a cheap club waitress. I thought I had hit rock bottom, until the night I took a shortcut home. I accidentally witnessed Broderick Lancaster—the ruthless heir to a criminal empire—dumping a twitching body into an acid vat. I made a sound, and his men hunted me down, putting a bullet in my shoulder before I barely escaped into a freezing sewer. Forced back to work by my abusive boss, I covered my bullet wound with a garish butterfly tattoo and painted my face like a tragic, ugly clown to hide in plain sight. But fate is cruel. Broderick booked the VIP suite that very night. While serving him, I watched him casually slice a man's ear off. In my absolute terror, I dropped a heavy crystal bowl. The room went dead silent. Broderick walked over, a bloody knife in hand, and sliced the strap of my dress, exposing my tattooed shoulder—the exact spot his men had shot. My blood turned to ice. I was inches away from the monster hunting me. I sobbed and babbled like a brainless, terrified idiot, praying he wouldn't recognize the ghost who outran his killers. He bought the act and walked away in disgust. I thought I had survived, until I heard his cold voice declare his next move. "My team takes over security for this entire establishment. Effective immediately." My sanctuary had just become his hunting ground.

Clara Vaughan, Volume 1 (of 3) by R. D. Blackmore

"Tsk." "See what your disobedience did." He rasped in a mocking tone. His head tilted to the left as he peered down at her with a smirk so malicious that one would immediately know that he was the cause of the disaster around her. Sasha scooted back in horror and turned around. She stood up on her trembling legs, and just as she took a few steps to get away from the monster behind her, she ended up facing him. He was pale, he had red eyes, and he was everything but a gentleman. Only if that one unfortunate day, she didn't help him, hell wouldn't have cocooned her in its embrace. ********* Sasha Walton, known as the kindest princess among the kingdoms, was a twenty-two-year-old sunshine of her kingdom that once bloomed in glory. Every other person admired her because of her kind and friendly nature. With her kindness came her bravery...but with her kindness, she ended up falling into the claws of a merciless beast who wasn't even a human to begin with. Ragnar was a king no one had ever seen, but he was feared by the whole world. He lurked in the shadows of the night and feasted on his enemies. He was known as the cruelest king, and on one fortunate night, he came across someone so opposite to his world. He was intrigued and obsessed with her. He yearns to possess her, claim her, and captivate her in every possible way he can because little Sasha belongs to him.

Lauren Brienne Lewis was caught up on the catastrophe of her classmates' dreadful past. All of them are being killed one after another. Will she find the significant fragments of the conundrum before it's too late? A tormented soul's vengeance scorches more than a pyre. The wind will ripple in cold despair, the moon will bath in blood. The restraints of secrets long burried in oblivion will shatter. Her awakening will kindle noxious flames of mystery How will they be able to escape the scythes of death?

Carter Richardson promised himself he'd never date again after he was left hanging on the altar by Charlotte Patterson. Charlotte Patterson was always on the move, scamming people to get by. But when she found herself owing a lot of money to a dangerous drug gang in Mexico, she went back to Miami to ask for help from an old friend , or rather, the friend she'd left at the altar two years ago. What will be the reaction of Carter upon seeing the woman that left him at the altar? Will the love he still has for her supersede his thirst for vengeance Read to find out the story of The Billionaire CEO and the Con woman (Rated 18) (contains sex scenes)

Due to her disappointment in her ex boyfriend , After being betrayed by a Bastard and her elder sister, she accidentally flirted with a legendary powerhouse and She swore to become the shameless couple’s aunt! By marry her ex boyfriend’s uncle, but Little did she realize that the handsome guy she met was not her ex boyfriend’s uncle but he was wealthier and more handsome .Although the man would give her the cold shoulder, she did not mind as long as she was able to retain her identity as her ex-boyfriend’s aunt.One day, Dessy suddenly realized that she was flirting with the wrong person!The man who she had been going all out to flirt with/the man she got married with wasn’t even the scumbag’s uncle! Dessy went mad. “I’m so done. I want to get a divorce!” Daniel was at a loss for words.What an irresponsible woman she was!If she wanted to get a divorce, then she could just dream on!

* When Olivia becomes the unlikely babysitter to the Anderson's bad boy son, Marcus, she must navigate his charming yet troublesome ways, all while trying to keep her own life in order. * The battle of wills between Marcus and Olivia begins as they clash over who's in charge, but Olivia's determination and Marcus's frustration set the stage for a fiery confrontation. * Marcus's facade begins to crack as he's forced to confront his feelings about Olivia, while Kelvin's charming presence only adds to the tension, leaving Olivia vulnerable and Marcus conflicted. * Marcus's volatile temper lands him in trouble, but Olivia's unexpected kindness and care might just be the start of a fragile truce between them, as they navigate their complicated relationship. * Marcus's antics push Olivia to her limits, but when he's in a bind, she must decide whether to help him or let him face the consequences. As Kelvin's feelings for Olivia become clearer, the dynamics between the three become increasingly complicated. * Olivia's world is turned upside down as Marcus's cruel words and Kelvin's kind gestures leave her questioning her own worth and relationships. Can she find a way to move forward and assert her independence, or will the drama and heartache consume her? * As Olivia navigates her relationships with Marcus and Kelvin, a shocking kiss from Marcus leaves her reeling. Can she untangle her emotions and figure out what she truly wants, or will the drama and uncertainty consume her? * Marcus's world is turned upside down as he's forced to confront his feelings for Olivia after a shocking kiss and a dramatic rescue. Can he navigate his emotions and figure out what he truly wants, or will his pride and fear get in the way? * Olivia and Marcus's fragile truce is put to the test as they both struggle to understand their feelings for each other. Can they find a way to move forward, or will their pride and fear tear them apart? * Olivia's world is turned upside down as she tries to navigate her relationships with Marcus and Kelvin. Can she find a way to move forward and assert her independence, or will the drama and uncertainty consume her?

My husband Collin and I were Chicago' s culinary power couple, but our perfect life was a lie. To win the coveted Golden Spoon award, he brought in a protégée, Casey-a woman who looked just like me, twenty years younger. Then I overheard his sickening plan. He would use my talent to win the award, securing our empire. After that, he' d set Casey up as his adoring mistress in Europe. "I get to have both," he bragged. "The respectable chef wife, the passionate, adoring mistress. It's perfect." He publicly humiliated me, abandoned me after a kitchen fire left my arm scarred, and painted me as a jealous, unstable woman when I caught them together. He thought I was too devoted to our restaurant, too blinded by love to ever see his betrayal. He was wrong. The final straw wasn't his affair, but his cruelty. After he left me bleeding on the street to rush Casey to the hospital for a minor scratch, I finally saw the truth. I would not just leave him. I would vanish, erasing myself from his life so completely that he'd be left with nothing but the ashes of the empire I built.

My ex-boyfriend, Gabriel, the man who once promised me forever, looked at me as if I were a stain on his expensive suit. He was here to finish the job of destroying my life. To save my brother from jail, he demanded an impossible six-figure settlement and a humiliating, live-streamed public apology. Three years ago, his now-fiancée, my rival Aspen Watkins, framed me for cyberbullying. Gabriel believed her lies, publicly denounced me, and shattered my world. The scandal led to my expulsion, my parents' fatal car crash, and the loss of our family fortune. He was ready to humiliate me all over again for a crime I never committed, his eyes cold and unyielding. The punishment wasn't just for my brother; it was for me. But as I prepared for my public execution, a mysterious billionaire made me an offer. He knew the truth and gave me the means to fight back. Aspen wanted a spectacle. I decided to give her one.

I am Mia, the dark PRINCESS. I was the beginning and I am also the ending. I am the light that brights the dark path..........

Anthony Trent, Master Criminal by Wyndham Martyn

She is the product of a broken agreement, a curse and he is her owner. To him, to beg mercy is a call for death and not salvation. What happens if you were born to be owned by a vampire? ☆ "Let me bite you," he asked in a dark guttural tone, as his cold breath brushed to my cheek. "Does that mean I'm going to be a vampire? " I look at him with my misty eyes, begging the heavens to save me. "You'll just be my queen," and our world unite.

The wedding planner' s voice on the phone was professional, confirming the groom had been changed to Noah Reed. My fiancée, Chloe, thought it was a surprise party. A surprise it was. I had found a marriage certificate in her drawer: Chloe Davis and Noah Reed, married for three months. Tucked behind it was an ultrasound report: twins. Not mine. For years, Chloe was my everything, my light. She saved me from darkness, taught me to trust, to love. But now, she and her family, whom I trusted implicitly, had orchestrated a grand deception, making a mockery of my love and devotion. I was the fool in a play where everyone else knew the script. They even knew about the babies, pretending they were mine. I felt nothing. A vast, empty space had opened up inside me where my heart used to be. The pain was so deep it had turned into a strange, detached calm. They couldn't hurt me anymore. I was already dead inside. I walked away from the past, leaving everything behind, never looking back. But not before orchestrating a wedding day reveal that would expose their betrayal and shatter Chloe's carefully constructed world.

One forced night made Saira ignore her 'brother' Felix. With flashy memories Felix thought it was a dream only to find out that his long suppressed desires already broke free. Saira hears Felix call her 'Ira' that affectionate call is hypnotising her. Leaving the Sergis family, Saira made a big comeback with her real identity hidden for so long by her foster parents. Will this change everything? The polite young miss became a mysterious person what will be the reaction?

Just one night was all it took for Xiomara’s life to be torn into pieces, everything she had, her family gone and her friends, everyone turned their back on her and it was as if she never existed She was left with just one thing, a baby, as young as she was about to have a child she couldn't even tell who the father was. And then, Upon giving birth, her baby was taken away from her and was given up for adoption, she wasn't even given the slightest opportunity to see her baby. Using the last energy to fight, she was caught up in a fire outbreak which almost ended her life. Twenty-five years later, Xiomara resurfaced again, within the past few years she had worked on herself, making herself stronger and more powerful and now she was ready. Ready to take everything she lost. Ready to have her own pound of flesh. Ready to find her lost child and make everyone that hurt her in the past pay dearly for it. But finding an unidentified child won't be easy neither will finding an unknown enemy be easy, she was in a battle where she has no idea who her enemy or enemies were. What could possibly go wrong in her revenge Plan? And Love does it really conquers all?

Love was never in Claire Mitchell's plans. A disciplined and reclusive Harvard scholarship student, she has spent her entire life chasing excellence, not romance. To her, love is about being the perfect match-an ideal fit. But her carefully built walls begin to crumble when she crosses paths with Christopher Miller, the enigmatic billionaire professor who seems to challenge everything she believes. Christopher never knew love-only power, wealth, and influence. To him, love is sacrifice. When he first meets Claire, she sees him as nothing more than an arrogant professor and a persistent nuisance. She has no idea he's the anonymous benefactor behind her scholarship. Amused by her defiance and drawn to her in ways he can't explain, Christopher finds himself breaking his own rules, making her life both a challenge and an irresistible pull. Their attraction ignites like wildfire, but Claire refuses to give in. She's determined to graduate without distractions, while Christopher is determined to prove she belongs with him. Their constant clashes-both on and off campus-fuel an undeniable chemistry. But as Christopher presses her for answers about love and what it means to her, he realizes he may never fit her definition. Just when their slow-burning connection deepens, misunderstandings and betrayal threaten to tear them apart. Christopher misreads Claire's intentions, pushing her away at the worst possible moment. The fallout is catastrophic-an argument that changes everything, leaving Claire with a devastating memory loss and Christopher questioning if he's lost her forever. Now, Christopher must risk it all to undo his mistakes, while Claire struggles to find the truth buried in the fragments of her past. As they battle regrets, heartbreak, and the weight of their own fears, one question remains: Can love survive when everything they believe in threatens to keep them apart?

Ava Monroe is one rent payment away from homelessness and one heartbreak away from giving up-until her cold, impossibly handsome boss makes her an unthinkable offer: marry him. Julian Blackwell needs a wife. Not for love, but for legacy. A clause in his late father's will threatens to strip him of his empire unless he's married-and soon. When he discovers his quiet, struggling assistant has no place to go, he proposes a solution that shocks them both: a contract marriage. One year. No strings. But living together in his penthouse, pretending in public, and keeping feelings out of the equation? That proves impossible. As sparks ignite between them, Ava starts to uncover the real Julian behind the icy mask. And he, in turn, begins to see her not as a pawn, but as the only person who's ever truly challenged him. But Ava's hiding something too-a dangerous past that could tear their fragile connection apart. In a marriage built on lies, can love be the one truth that saves them?

~“Hello, Daniel.” The man growled as his lips contorted into a twisted grin. Daniel’s eyes widened as he backed up a bit. There was something eerie about this man which gave him the creeps. “ Who are you and how do you know me?” He said fearfully. The man chuckled darkly and Daniel noticed a sudden change in the atmosphere. For some reason the air around him began to feel chilly. “How do I know you?” The man smiled. “Lets just say I’ve known you since you were born. And as for who I am?....” The man walked slowly and stealthily towards Daniel. He removed his hood to reveal an angular face with a permed hairstyle. His nose was pointed and his eyes were sharp with red glowing irises. “Let’s just say I’m your debt collector. You have something I want, Boy. And I have come to take it!” ~ Daniel Johnson is a university student hunted by an ancient powerful vampire,Luke, who isn't after his blood, but after something something Daniel was born with. Along the way, Daniel meets a mysterious female,Annabelle who is around his age but also affliated with the vampire after him. What is that thing within Daniel that Luke wants? Who is Annabelle? Is she a friend...or a foe?

My husband, Mark Reynolds, was dead. The news hit me like a physical blow, but the real shock came when the funeral home director handed me a notice. Mark owed five million dollars. Five million. We were always struggling, barely making rent. Now, he was gone, leaving me and our five-year-old son, Leo, with an impossible debt. My best friend, Jessica Miller, put her arm around my shoulder, her voice dripping with concern. "Liv, you can' t do this. You have to renounce the inheritance. Think about Leo." I knew this moment. The exact moment it all went wrong before. In my past life, I listened. I signed away everything, desperate to escape the debt. But the debt collectors came anyway. They didn't care about the law. They took Leo. They sent me a small, bloody box. A single, tiny finger bone. My son was murdered. I was trafficked, sold into a hellhole in Myanmar. Years later, I saw a news report. Mark wasn't the broke man I knew. He was the founder of a multi-billion-dollar global conglomerate. His estate, tens of billions, was going to his sole heir. A young boy, standing next to his mother. The mother was Jessica Miller. The boy was her son, Ethan. My best friend, my husband, their son. My life, my poverty, my son' s death-it was all a lie. A sick game they played to ensure her child got everything. The rage burned me alive. I found a way to end my life, seething with impotent hatred. And then, I opened my eyes. The sterile scent of the funeral home. Leo, alive, his small, warm hand in mine. Jessica, standing right in front of me, her face a mask of perfect concern. "Liv, you can' t do this," she said. "You have to renounce the inheritance. Think about Leo." It was the same day. The same moment. This time, I would not make the same mistake. This time, I would claim what was mine. I would burn her world to the ground.