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Zara, a studious scholarship student from a poor family, begins her first year at the renowned Bexley University. Noah is an affluent, carefree senior and great athlete who relies on family connections to get by in life. When a fortuitous meeting brings them together, sparks fly as their widely different personalities and perspectives clash. As they are compelled to collaborate on a class assignment, their heated discussions quickly blossom into seductive banter. Despite their opposing viewpoints, they create a strong connection, prompting them to reconsider all they thought they desired. However, social expectations, familial commitments, and their own deep fears threaten to split them apart. They must overcome status, reputation, and self-doubt to make a once-in-a-lifetime relationship.
Zara's POV
The sight of ivy growing up those ancient brick walls turned my stomach once again. I took a deep breath while gripping the strap of my duffel bag. Bexley Academy loomed before of me, with its massive stone buildings, manicured gardens, and students who likely had relatives on the Mayflower.
What was I, a Bronx scholarship student who had never left the city, doing in a luxury boarding school for wealthy children in New Hampshire? As I climbed the stone stairs to the administration building, I realized that I didn't belong here.
Back home, I shared a modest apartment with my mother and younger brother. We survived paycheck to paycheck. But here? These children had trust monies and vacation properties. They'd consider me trash.
As I entered the historic building, I reminded myself of why I was there. The hardwood flooring seemed expensive-shiny and unscuffed. I strolled down the corridor, looking for the office number indicated in my orientation package. Bexley has the greatest pre-med program in the northeast, at least for undergraduate students. If I kept up my grades, I'd be an excellent medical school candidate in a few years. Then, instead of barely making ends meet, I may be able to aid my family.
The office door was ajar. A pleasant-looking lady with gray hair sat typing behind a huge oak desk. Diplomas and images of happy pupils adorned the walls.
"Um, excuse me?" My voice came out really squeaky.
The lady looked up and smiled. You must be Zara! I am Mrs. Howard, one of the administrative deans.
Mrs. Howard moved to the front of the desk. She donned a neat pant suit and a strand of genuine pearls. I tried not to look as she slid my hand into her smooth, manicured one.
"Dear, welcome to Bexley! Have you already found your dormitory and room?
"No. Not yet. "I've just arrived." I bit my lip and held out my orientation packet. Mrs. Howard didn't seem to care that I obviously didn't belong here. Perhaps I was overthinking it?
"Wonderful! Why don't I accompany you over to your dorm and help you get settled?"
Mrs. Howard kept up a pleasant small conversation as we walked down a cobblestone path to the dormitory. The campus looked like a picture, with ivy and beautiful flowers. We ascended a few stone stairs to a beautiful brick structure with white columns framing the entryway.
"Here we are!" "This is our freshman honors dormitory." Mrs. Howard smiled kindly over her shoulder at me. "You scored remarkably well on our entrance exams."
My cheeks became flushed at the unexpected compliment. I'd studied hard for the last year, aiming to ace the exam. Hard effort was the only way for a youngster like me to get into a school like this.
We entered the hostel, our footsteps booming over the gleaming flooring. Mrs. Howard brought me upstairs to Room 214. "This is going to be your room for the year. "Your roommate has not arrived yet." She motioned to one side, which was barren save for minimal furnishings. "Why don't you go ahead and settle in while I grab your orientation schedule?"
"Thank you," I said as she took off down the corridor. I laid my stuff on the bare mattress, my heart thumping. This was really occurring. I am now a Bexley Academy student.
I ran my palm over the smooth wooden desk, picturing myself studying here every night to keep my grades up. No more street noise or sirens to disrupt my concentration. I could make this work. I had to do this for my family.
Voices reverberated along the hallway. I looked out the window with anxiety. Mrs. Howard went alongside a tall girl with beautiful, golden waves in her hair. Her flowered sundress and jeweled sandals shouted cash. She laughed heartily at something the dean said. Was this Glamazon my new roommate? My hands became clammy. What will she think of me?
When the girl saw me standing uncomfortably at the entrance, her jaw dropped wide. Her gorgeous face hardened as she glanced me over, from my thrift shop trousers to my worn-out shoes. I tried not to cringe.
"Um, you must be my roommate?" I finally succeeded.
"Unfortunately," she said bitterly, moving past me.
One moment Brittney stands tall at the royal ceremony, the next she's on the floor, blood staining her beautiful gown, her pregnant belly in danger. Everyone gasps as they see her most trusted friend Maryann holding what looks like poison. But looks can fool you in this royal court, nothing is what it seems. Just six months ago, Brittney was just a backup plan, forced to marry after her sister's death. Now she's caught in the middle of an ancient prophecy she never asked for. The people she thought were her friends are acting strange, doing things that make her doubt them. And as her baby grows inside her, Brittney starts feeling weird powers awakening powers that no werewolf should have. Time is running out. Her baby's life is at stake, and Brittney must figure out secrets that have been buried for hundreds of years. Everyone around her seems to be playing a dangerous game. Some who act like enemies might be friends, and those who smile might hide daggers behind their backs. In this deadly game of secrets and lies, how can Brittney know who's really on her side?
Vivacious marketing professional Suzan Turner’s life shatters after a serious car accident leaves her scarred and insecure. Enter Dr. Dave Harrison, a talented plastic surgeon determined to help her reclaim her confidence. Their journey unfolds amid personal conflicts, ethical dilemmas, and unexpected emotions, challenging both to confront their pasts and embrace healing.
One fateful evening, two souls come together unexpectedly in a dizzying dance of destiny and decadence. She is a free-spirited artist with a wild heart and an unwavering zest for life, while he is a mystery Billionaire wrapped in secrets and loneliness. As their worlds collide, the flames of attraction turn into a blazing inferno of need. They start on a stormy relationship, their hearts and minds entwined in a web of deep emotions and unsaid realities. She challenges his carefully crafted defenses, challenging him to walk out of the shadows and into the light. He, in turn, ignites a depth of emotion she never knew existed, causing her to reconsider all she thought she understood about love and life. Together, they traverse the perilous seas of their own fears and anxieties, resisting the same forces that threaten to pull them apart.
"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?
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...
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
Three years of marriage couldn't melt Theo's frozen heart. When an art gallery collapsed on Lena, he was off romancing another woman—lavishing her with a private jet. Three steel pins held Lena's shoulder together, but her heart remained broken. She filed for divorce and told everyone that he was impotent. Rising from the rubble, Lena blazed onto the design world's A‑list. She expected him to sail off with his true love—until Theo reappeared at her runway, pressing her against the wall. "Impotent, huh? Care to give it a try?"
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
"Mr. Evans, please maintain some dignity. Don't forget I'm your brother's wife!" Having caught her husband and best friend together in the bed, Elena wanted nothing more than to exact revenge on the people she once called family. She refused to be a pitiful divorcee and vowed to make everyone who had once looked down on her beg for forgiveness. And to start with her newfound freedom, Elena indulges in a one-night stand with a stranger. However, what was meant to be a fleeting escape turns into a nightmare when she learns that the stranger is none other than her husband's older brother! Would Elena be free from the shackles of her marriage? Or would the mysterious stranger make her life a living hell since he seemed to have a personal vendetta against his family? [The story is 18+ and involves mature content.]