(18+. book contains mature scenes) In Joana's life, a complicated love story unfolds. Joana, a young woman scarred by a painful past, simply longs for love and affection. However, she finds herself stuck in a challenging situation, married to Fred Malcolm, a man with a girlfriend. Fred is determined to maintain his relationship with his girlfriend, and he resists any connection with Joana. But Joana's charm gradually draws him in, making their bond hard to ignore. The big question is: Can their growing love and attraction overcome the obstacles they face, or is this just another sad love story? This family realism drama explores the complexities of their hearts and the challenges they must confront in their unconventional love triangle.
JOANA'S POV
"Joana!" my elder sister, Becky, shouted from downstairs. I was up in my bedroom reading some magazine I had found on the couch downstairs.
I didn't have the power to answer because it was obviously one of her tantrums. It was always the torture Joana game in this house.
"Joana Emily Arnold!" she shouted. She was probably trudging upstairs now. My family members calling me by my full name meant fire. I had asked for it anyway but was it really necessary to answer a scolding call?
In two minutes my door burst open revealing Becky. She glared at me with her you-have-not-seen-the-last-of-me eye.
"I've been calling you for ages yet you've been here all along pretending you couldn't hear me, Joana and what on earth are you doing with my magazine. I thought I warned you not to touch my things without my permission," she hissed snatching the magazine away from me leaving marks on my hand with her long expensive nails.
As if the drama wasn't enough, my mother, Isabelle Arnold, made her entry with her other son aka Becky's twin brother, Tony, right behind her. Save me, Lord.
"Can we ever get peace in this house? What's the ruckus about now?" Mom asked.
I remained silent looking at them. I didn't want any trouble.
"I think it's high time you got rid of Joana, Mother. I just can't stand her anymore. You have to take action," Becky flared folding her arms.
"Joana, what have you done this time?" Mom asked shooting me daggers.
Of course, in terms of picking sides, my mom always favored her eldest two.
"Does it always have to be my fault or something I did Mom?" I said softly looking straight into her eyes.
If someone was to come up with a theory that she wasn't my biological mother and they weren't my biological siblings I'd believe them without a second thought.
"Show some respect to your mother, Joana," Tony warned typing something on his phone. He was just like the rest.
"Does she ever respect me? It's like she has two children and I'm just a nobody in this house."
"Yes, that's what you are! You thought you were some princess? You disgust me. You resemble nothing Arnold worthy. You are a disgrace to our family," Becky spat at me venomously.
It hurt. It hurt a lot. Yes, I knew that was the case but they didn't have to rub it in my face. My eyes had already welled up tears threatening to spill.
"Why? What did I do wrong? What did I do to deserve all this hatred from you?"
My eyes were filled to the brim with tears but it didn't faze them even one bit.
"Dad died because of you, Joana. It was purely your fault. I just wish it had been you who died in that accident not him. We will never forgive you for snatching away the best man from this planet," Tony spat at me.
If I had been close to him he'd have slapped me hard.
"How was I supposed to know we'd crash that day?" I defended myself.
"You were stubborn to go out, Joana. Your childish tantrums cost me my husband, Joana."
"But..."
"Has anyone ever told you how irritating your voice is? Your voice is so low and scratching. Maybe you should try and speak less because I'm sure no one would be interested in hearing your voice," Becky advised and walked out without waiting for my reply.
Mom and Tony followed suit banging the door.
I felt an inexplicable lump lodge in my throat. I fell into a disheveled heap on the floor and my tears involuntarily spilled down my cheeks.
I was bleeding inwardly. Maybe they were right. Maybe it was my fault but I'd never hurt my best friend and superman on this entire planet.
Victor Arnold was my everything. I remembered his death every day as if it were yesterday. Everything had happened so fast that I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye or try to save him.
He saved me but couldn't save himself. The guilt I felt was intense.
Before his death everything was perfect. We were the perfect family. I was a daddy's girl and everyone's favorite. I used to smile too, laugh, and be the life of the party.
His death was a wind of change. I lost everything that day. I lost my family, my inner self, hope itself, and my voice too.
I couldn't raise my voice anymore because when the car burst into flames I screamed so loud that I damaged myself. I didn't have the confidence to do so anyway.
Sometimes I wished I had died in his place. We couldn't live without each other. I was dying from the inside.
It had already been five years now and I still missed him every day.
I wiped away my tears and hugged my trembling knees reminiscing on all the memories.
If only I could turn back time.
Becky and Tony were twenty-six-year-olds, Lisa being a top model with beauty and brains. She had everything a lady needed. She was currently the top paid model in the state.
Tony had taken over the company. He was the new CEO. He was very popular, successful, and drop-dead gorgeous. He was popular among ladies especially models of the same class and businesswomen.
Isabella Arnold, my mom, was a board member at the company and she ran a successful boutique in town. She was filthy rich and it was all purely from hard work. She had the typical Arnold looks and appeared younger than her age.
Then me. Joana Emily Arnold. Call me the black sheep. The unpopular one. At the age of twenty-five, I had nothing and sadly no one. I was educated but had to find myself a job. I never went out in public to avoid embarrassing my picture-perfect family.
I took a deep breath and got up. For five years I had been waiting for that light at the end of the tunnel. Where was it?
When two villains collide, love becomes their deadliest weapon. Pamela Williams, an assassin forged by pain, and Brian Scott, a crime lord driven by vengeance, share a common enemy-the mafia empire that destroyed their lives. Forced into an uneasy alliance, their partnership ignites into a fiery romance, fueled by their shared darkness. But betrayal and mistrust threaten to tear them apart as their enemy strikes back. Bound by revenge and an unexpected love, Pamela and Brian must decide if they can trust each other enough to destroy their pasts-or if their passion will burn everything to the ground.
(Sex scenes. Rated 18+) Ava thought rekindling her love with Raymond would heal her heart, but his dark and dangerous world pulls her into something far bigger than she imagined. Determined to prove her worth, she steps into his empire, only to face betrayal, deadly enemies, and secrets that threaten everything. As trust shatters and love is tested, Ava decides to be reborn and learn the ropes of the Mafia world as she has always wanted to be a Mafia Queen. Love isn't always safe, and in Raymond's world, it could be fatal. Ava is about to blow our minds with her decision to get involved in the Mafia. Click on chapter 1 to see how Ava's story unfolds.
In the dazzling world of wealth, Troy Williams, the playboy billionaire, discovers life's true meaning with Bella King. She's not the usual glamorous type, but she's got a rare gift – the ability to bring laughter even in tough times. For Troy, Bella is perfection, but there are shadows in their story. One, her looming fiancé; two, Bella's unwavering commitment to their friendship, despite her engagement. As she enigmatically puts it, "The line between a friend and a lover is not that thick." Bella's dedication to their connection, despite being engaged, adds suspense to their tale. Will destiny untangle their fates, or will the thin line between friendship and something more snap under the weight of unspoken desires? Join them in a story where love, friendship, and destiny collide in a captivating dance of passion and uncertainty.
Olivia Mason had everything perfectly in place for her summer vacation alongside her college boyfriend, Marcus. Her bags were meticulously packed, her passport was within reach, and her anticipation for a Hawaiian adventure was obvious. However, all her well-laid plans crumbled when Marcus abruptly ended their relationship just a day after their graduation. A heartbroken Olivia found herself unable to resist an invitation to spend the summer at her best friend Amelia's family beach house. Amelia, however, had one strict rule in place: absolutely no dating any of her brothers. Without hesitation, Olivia agreed to abide by the rule, as she had no intention of getting involved with another man anytime soon. That was until she crossed paths with Alex. Among Amelia's brothers, Alex had a reputation as a charming womanizer who could win over anyone. When his focus shifted towards Olivia, it ignited an unexpected and passionate connection between them. Caught up in a passionate affair filled with secret rendezvous and stolen kisses, Olivia found herself torn between two powerful emotions: the irresistible longing for Alex's touch and the fear of betraying her dearest friend. The question that lingers is, just how far will they be willing to go?
Brenna lived with her adoptive parents for twenty years, enduring their exploitation. When their real daughter appeared, they sent Brenna back to her true parents, thinking they were broke. In reality, her birth parents belonged to a top circle that her adoptive family could never reach. Hoping Brenna would fail, they gasped at her status: a global finance expert, a gifted engineer, the fastest racer... Was there any end to the identities she kept hidden? After her fiancé ended their engagement, Brenna met his twin brother. Unexpectedly, her ex-fiancé showed up, confessing his love...
Natalie used to think she could melt Connor’s icy heart, but she was sorely mistaken. When at last she decided to leave, she discovered that she was pregnant. Even so, she chose to quietly leave his world, prompting Connor to mobilize all of his resources and expand his business to a global scale—all in a bid to find her. But there was no trace of Natalie. Connor slowly spiraled into madness, turning the city upside down and leaving chaos in his wake. Natalie finally surfaced years later, with wealth and power of her own, only to find herself entangled with Connor once again.
"Ahh!" She was in a moaning mess. She did not want to feel anything for this man. She hated him. His hands began to move all over her body. She gasped when he pulled down the back chain of her dress. The chain stopped at her lower waist, so when he zipped it off, her upper back and waist were exposed. "D-Don't touch m-ummm!" His fingers rolled around her bare back, and she pressed her head against the pillow. His touches were giving her goosebumps all over her body. With a deep angry voice, he whispered in her ear, "I am going to make you forget his touches, kisses, and everything. Every time you touch another man, you will only think of me." - - - Ava Adler was a nerdy omega. People bullied her because they thought she was ugly and unattractive. But Ava secretly loved the bad boy, Ian Dawson. He was the future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack. However, he doesn't give a damn about rules and laws, as he only likes to play around with girls. Ava was unaware of Ian's arrogance until her fate intertwined with his. He neglected her and hurt her deeply. What would happen when Ava turned out to be a beautiful girl who could win over any boy, and Ian looked back and regretted his decisions? What if she had a secret identity that she had yet to discover? What if the tables turned and Ian begged her not to leave him?
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”
Rachel used to think that her devotion would win Brian over one day, but she was proven wrong when his true love returned. Rachel had endured it all—from standing alone at the altar to dragging herself to the hospital for an emergency treatment. Everyone thought she was crazy to give up so much of herself for someone who didn’t return her feelings. But when Brian received news of Rachel’s terminal illness and realized she didn’t have long to live, he completely broke down. "I forbid you to die!" Rachel just smiled. She no longer needed him. "I will finally be free."