Under the Velvet Contract

When Gabriel Hawthorne returns claiming to be the long-lost son of the powerful Hawthorne family, Evelyn Hawthorne clings to hope - her half-brother is finally home. But Gabriel's silence about his past and the shadows lurking in his eyes conceal a dangerous secret. Meanwhile, Evelyn's adoptive brother Julian's obsession with her grows darker with every passing day. At the heart of their tangled fates is Lady Beatrice Hawthorne, a merciless matriarch who wields cruelty like a weapon, and a family secret more devastating than anyone could imagine. As the truth about Gabriel's identity and Evelyn's own mother's survival unravel, loyalty fractures and vengeance ignites a perilous game where love and betrayal burn side by side. In the Hawthorne estate, no one is truly safe - and nothing is as it seems.

"Ink and Embers" is a captivating romance about Eliana Cross, a 20-year-old university student with a mysterious past, and Dr. Adrian Voss, a 32-year-old professor haunted by his secrets. As they navigate their forbidden attraction, they must confront their demons, power dynamics, and the truth about their intertwined pasts. Can their love survive the weight of secrets, guilt, and redemption, or will it become a casualty of their complicated histories?

When emotionally guarded tech engineer Elara Quinn stumbles upon a hidden artifact in her grandmother's attic, she's thrust backward into Victorian England-straight into the arms of Elias Blackwood, a rogue historian chasing rumors of a time traveler. As sparks fly and timelines twist, the two must unravel a mystery buried across centuries before time itself collapses. But every heartbeat threatens a paradox, and their love might be the greatest anomaly of all.

When down-on-his-luck comic book writer Felix Wade returns to Duskhaven for a friend's wedding, he doesn't expect to be dragged into a bizarre disappearance. His childhood crush, Veronica Vale, vanishes during a live stage performance - in front of hundreds of witnesses. With help from a conspiracy-obsessed barista, a disgraced psychic, and his emotionally stunted pet cat, Felix must unravel a mystery decades in the making, confronting local legends, family secrets, and his own trust issues to find Veronica before he becomes the next illusion.

Scarlett was left betrayed and broken beyond repair when her best friend Megan set her up with the male escort who stole her virginity...Or at least, that's what she thought he was. There was something odd about the strong and strikingly beautiful man that she spent a night with. Despite the pure hatred she felt for him, the deals he ended up offering wasn't one she could refuse. Scarlett always thought she'd marry her soulmate but turns out, that won't be the case for her. But could her mysterious husband make his way through her broken heart and fix it? It's hard to imagine but love has funny ways to manifest in places where it's least expected....

Blinded in a crash, Cary was rejected by every socialite—except Evelina, who married him without hesitation. Three years later, he regained his sight and ended their marriage. "We’ve already lost so many years. I won’t let her waste another one on me." Evelina signed the divorce papers without a word. Everyone mocked her fall—until they discovered that the miracle doctor, jewelry mogul, stock genius, top hacker, and the President's true daughter… were all her. When Cary came crawling back, a ruthless tycoon had him kicked out. "She's my wife now. Get lost."

Elliana, the unfavored "ugly duckling" of her family, was humiliated by her stepsister, Paige, who everyone admired. Paige, engaged to the CEO Cole, was the perfect woman-until Cole married Elliana on the day of the wedding. Shocked, everyone wondered why he chose the "ugly" woman. As they waited for her to be cast aside, Elliana stunned everyone by revealing her true identity: a miracle healer, financial mogul, appraisal prodigy, and AI genius. When her mistreatment became known, Cole revealed Elliana's stunning, makeup-free photo, sending shockwaves through the media. "My wife doesn't need anyone's approval."

My world revolved around Jax Harding, my older brother's captivating rockstar friend. From sixteen, I adored him; at eighteen, I clung to his casual promise: "When you're 22, maybe I'll settle down." That offhand comment became my life's beacon, guiding every choice, meticulously planning my twenty-second birthday as our destiny. But on that pivotal day in a Lower East Side bar, clutching my gift, my dream exploded. I overheard Jax' s cold voice: "Can't believe Savvy's showing up. She' s still hung up on that stupid thing I said." Then the crushing plot: "We' re gonna tell Savvy I' m engaged to Chloe, maybe even hint she' s pregnant. That should scare her off." My gift, my future, slipped from my numb fingers. I fled into the cold New York rain, devastated by betrayal. Later, Jax introduced Chloe as his "fiancée" while his bandmates mocked my "adorable crush"-he did nothing. As an art installation fell, he saved Chloe, abandoning me to severe injury. In the hospital, he came for "damage control," then shockingly shoved me into a fountain, leaving me to bleed, calling me a "jealous psycho." How could the man I loved, who once saved me, become this cruel and publicly humiliate me? Why was my devotion seen as an annoyance to be brutally extinguished with lies and assault? Was I just a problem, my loyalty met with hatred? I would not be his victim. Injured and betrayed, I made an unshakeable vow: I was done. I blocked his number and everyone connected to him, severing ties. This was not an escape; this was my rebirth. Florence awaited, a new life on my terms, unburdened by broken promises.

Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.

Betrayed by her mate and sister on the eve of her wedding, Makenna was handed to the ruthless Lycan Princes as a lover, her indifferent father ignoring her plight. Determined to escape and seek revenge, she captured the interest of the three Lycan princes, who desired her exclusively amid many admirers. This complicated her plans, trapping her and making her a rival to the future Lycan queen. Entwined in jealousy and vindictiveness, could Makenna achieve her vengeance in the intricate dance with the three princes?