Scorched
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His Unwanted Wife Is A Genius Director
For ten years, Kinsley played the perfect, invisible wife to billionaire Christian Decker. She lived on a meager allowance, secretly pouring her heart into earning first place for a prestigious Hollywood directing fellowship. But on the day her gold-stamped acceptance letter arrived, she stood outside his study and heard him give her hard-earned spot to Blair, his live-in mistress. Christian casually dismissed Kinsley's months of grueling work, claiming a mere housewife didn't need industry resources. He threw an unlimited black credit card on the desk, telling her to go buy some jewelry and stop throwing a tantrum. That same night, he paraded Blair at a Wall Street gala wearing the Decker family's heirloom sapphire, letting Manhattan's elite look at Kinsley with pity and mockery. When Blair boldly moved into their master bedroom, Christian fiercely defended the mistress, warning Kinsley not to cause a scene over nothing. Ten years of quiet devotion were trampled for a fake heiress's vanity. Kinsley looked at the man she had loved, her heart turning completely to ash. She finally understood that in this massive estate, there was never any room for her. She took off her platinum wedding ring, left all his luxury gifts behind, and walked out of the mansion empty-handed. Then, she calmly dialed a private number to her production team. "Scrap the fellowship transition. I'm taking the director's chair directly." She was going to make Blair audition for her on a global live stream, and let Christian watch his precious investment burn.
Chapter 1
"Cross out Kinsley's name. Give the Barnett fellowship to Blair."
The deep voice was smooth, flat, and unwavering. It cut through the quiet second-floor hallway of the Manhattan penthouse.
Kinsley Carney stood frozen outside the mahogany double doors. In her right hand, she gripped a carefully wrapped velvet box containing a vintage tie clip she had spent half a year tracking down for his birthday. In her left, her knuckles turned white around the thick parchment envelope from the Eric Barnett Studio, the gold-foil seal biting painfully into her palm.
Inside the study, paper rustled. Armani Sims, her husband's executive assistant, cleared his throat with obvious hesitation.
"But Mr. Decker," Armani said carefully. "Mrs. Decker earned first place in the blind evaluation. She prepared for three months, staying up consecutive nights until she was hospitalized for a bleeding ulcer. If we strip her of her own achievement now..."
"Her achievement?" Christian Decker interrupted. His tone dripped with aristocratic disdain. "She's a married woman. What is she going to do? Run off to Hollywood and make a fool of herself on a film set? She belongs at home. She can't even manage a dinner party without complaining of exhaustion, let alone direct a film. Blair, on the other hand, actually has a future in this industry. She needs this pedigree."
The words felt like physical blows. Kinsley's breath hitched, her chest tearing with a suffocating agony.
She hadn't just "prepared." She had bled herself dry for this evaluation. For three years, she had been the secret ghost-director behind his media empire's most profitable projects, sacrificing her own name and spotlight to quietly build his throne. She had almost killed herself for this open evaluation, desperate to finally step into the light and hoping—just once—to win her husband's respect.
But to Christian, her agonizing labor wasn't just worthless; it was an embarrassment. He didn't just refuse to support her career—he was casually robbing her of her hard-earned fruits, handing her life's work to Blair as if it were a cheap trinket. In his arrogant eyes, she was nothing but an incompetent, useless housewife who couldn't do anything right.
"Christian, please don't be so harsh on Kinsley," Blair Johnson's soft, fragile voice drifted through the door. "She tried so hard. Even if the evaluators only passed her because they knew she was your wife... if she finds out you gave her spot to me, she'll hate me."
Blair was the Decker family's adopted ward. Kinsley had always treated her with genuine warmth, yet Blair's innocent reliance had morphed into something subtly provocative, a secret intimacy that Christian indulged with exclusive favoritism.
"Let her be mad," Christian replied with that terrifyingly gentle patience he reserved only for Blair. "Giving a masterclass slot to a housewife who has zero talent is just throwing resources into the garbage. Our marriage was a three-year business arrangement to save her family's bankrupt company. I pay for her luxurious life; her only job is to stay out of the public eye and not embarrass the Decker name. If she throws a tantrum, I'll just buy her another limited-edition Birkin. She'll quiet down."
Kinsley did not turn away. She did not cry. The burning hope in her chest simply turned to ash.
She placed her palm against the heavy mahogany door and pushed it open.
The door hit the wall with a dull thud.
The three people inside stopped instantly.
Blair was perched on the armrest of Christian's leather chair. Seeing Kinsley, Blair immediately shrank behind Christian's broad shoulders, her hands twisting the hem of her cashmere cardigan. But Kinsley caught it—the fleeting, triumphant smirk dancing in Blair's teary eyes, a silent, mocking declaration of victory.
Christian sat behind the massive walnut desk. His icy blue eyes lifted, scanning Kinsley's pale face. There was not a trace of guilt on his face, only a flick of annoyance.
"You don't knock anymore?" Christian demanded, his voice sharp and condescending.
Kinsley walked across the room, her leather heels clicking against the polished oak floor. She tossed the thick envelope and the velvet birthday box onto the desk. They slid across the surface and stopped right against his platinum cufflinks.
"Since you heard, Armani doesn't need to brief you," Christian said, loosening his silk tie with a slow tug.
Blair peeked out from behind his shoulder, stepping slightly closer to Christian so their arms brushed.
"Kinsley, I'm so sorry!" Blair's voice shook with practiced innocence. "I just mentioned to Christian that I really wanted to study under Eric Barnett, and he... he just insisted. Please don't be mad at him. If you want, I can let you be my assistant when I go to LA?"
The sheer audacity of the provocation hung heavily in the air.
Kinsley looked at her. Her gaze was as flat and cold as a sheet of winter ice.
"Save the performance, Blair. There are no cameras in this room."
Blair flinched and grabbed Christian's sleeve, burying her face in his arm. "Christian, she's glaring at me..."
Christian stood up. At six-foot-two, he towered over the desk, casting a broad shadow that swallowed the warm lamp light. He reached into his breast pocket, pulled out an all-black titanium credit card, and tossed it toward her. It landed on the carpet directly at Kinsley's feet.
"That is enough, Kinsley," Christian snapped. His tone was laced with disgust. "The slot goes to Blair. You have no business playing pretend career-woman anyway. You'd fail in a week and drag my company's reputation down with you. Pick up the card. Go to Fifth Avenue tomorrow and buy whatever shiny things you want. Be a good Mrs. Decker and stop embarrassing yourself."
Kinsley stared at the black card on the floor. It was the ultimate insult—a bone thrown to a beggar whose lifeblood had just been drained.
A bitter, beautiful smile touched the corner of her lips, clean and devoid of warmth. She knew she didn't have the leverage to fight him openly yet. But she didn't need to. It simply wasn't the right time.
She took a step back, putting clear space between them.
"No need," she said, her voice even. "If she wants my spot, I hope she can actually survive it."
Christian froze. A flicker of startled irritation crossed his face as if he was unequipped for her silence.
His thumb moved to his left hand, tracing the platinum band on his ring finger.
"Watch your tone," he warned, his jaw tightening. "Don't mistake my patience for an excuse to throw tantrums."
Kinsley didn't blink. She turned around and walked out of the study, her back straight and her steps measured.
She crossed the corridor and entered the master bedroom, shutting the door behind her with a soft click. Leaning against the dark wood paneling, she let out a long, slow breath. The tiny thread of hope that had tied her to this house snapped cleanly in the dark.
Walking over to the king-sized bed, she picked up her private phone and dialed Julian Foster.
Julian, one of the most powerful producers in independent cinema, answered on the second ring.
"Kinsley? Did Barnett's office send the confirmation?"
"Forget the fellowship, Julian," Kinsley said, her voice dropping into the cold, surgical cadence of a director in pre-production. "Activate the backup plan. I'm taking the director's chair on Crossing River directly."
Julian drew a sharp breath over the line.
"Are you sure? Taking total creative control means putting yourself right in front of the firing line."
"I've stayed in the shadows long enough," she said. "Draft the contracts tonight. It's time to take back what belongs to me."
She hung up, tossed the phone onto the velvet duvet, and turned toward the bathroom vanity to remove her earrings.
Before her fingers touched the diamond studs, the bedroom door flew open.
Christian stepped across the threshold, his eyes burning with controlled fury.
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The Alpha King's Hated Slave
Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms once at peace. The kingdom of Salem and the kingdom of Mombana... Until the day, the king of Mombana passed away and a new monarch took over, Prince Cone. Prince Cone, has always been hungry for more power and more and more. After his coronation, he attacked Salem. The attack was so unexpected, Salem never prepared for it. They were caught off guard. The king and Queen was killed, the prince was taken into slavery. The people of Salem that survived the war was enslaved, their land taken from them. Their women were made sex slaves. They lost everything, including their land. Evil befall the land of Salem in form of Prince Cone, and the prince of Salem in his slavery was filled with so much rage. The prince of Salem, Prince Lucien swore revenge. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 Ten years later, thirty-years old Lucien and his people raided a coup and escaped slavery. They went into hiding and recuperated. They trained day and night under the leadership of the fearless and cold Lucien who was driven with everything in him to get back their land, and take Mombana land too. It took them five years before they ambushed and attacked Mombana. They killed Prince Cone and reclaimed everything. As they screamed out their victory, Lucien's eyes found and pinned the proud princess of Mombana. Princess Danika. The daughter of Prince Cone. As Lucien stared at her with the coldest eyes anyone can ever possess, he felt victory for the first time. He walked to the princess with the slave collar he'd won for ten years rattling in his hand as he walked. He reached close to her and with a swift movement, he collared her neck. Then, he tilted her chin up, staring into the bluest eyes and the most beautiful face ever created, he gave her a cold smile. "You are my acquisition. My slave. My sex slave. My property. I will pay you in spades, everything you and your father ever did to me and my people." He stated curtly. Pure hatred, coldness and victory was the only emotion on his face. .
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My First One Night Stand with My Boss
Tessa Jones just graduated college. She was excited to get an interview with a top tech company. On a night of celebration of her new job, she was almost r***d by a creep in an alley. An unknown man saved her just before her life would have been changed forever. Tessa ended up having her first one night stand with this man. The next morning she started her new job as a third assistant to the CEO. When she met her new boss she was shocked......
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The Rejected Luna: Daddy, Where is Mommy?
Calvin Logan Haysbert became a father over a night when someone dropped a newborn pup at his pack entrance stating the pup was the result of his casanova nature. His life turned upside down because of the pup's arrival, his daughter, to be exact. He got so busy raising his daughter alone as a single father that he didn’t get time to look for the mother of his daughter until she started questioning it. “Daddy, Where is Mommy?” * Book 3: The Rejected Luna: Daddy, Where is Mommy? Book 1: Billionaire’s Ex-Wife & His Hidden Babies (Completed) Book 2: My Mate is a Witch (Completed) *** Follow me on social media. Search ‘sprachi12’
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Alpha's Beloved Virgin Wife
She was a diamond covered by ashes.... King Dakota was known as the most Powerful Alpha King of all times - more powerful than any other King that had ruled from his lineage. He was cold hearted, introverted and dangerous in anger. Cursed by the Moon goddess, King Dakota had to get married to three wives all in search of a male child that would become his heir, but it was impossible as the curse would only let his wives bear she -wolves. But on a different day, the King meets a lady who offends him and as a punishment, he took her home as his fourth wife. Her name was Shilah. Shilah was a powerless wolf and as a result, was disregarded and intimidated by all. But, when she begins to do things that the King had never felt for years, he began to wonder who she really was. Slowly, she crawled her way into his icy heart and turned out to be something nobody ever expected - a storm.
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Her Redemption: Traitor's Daughter
Olivia Wilson was living a perfect life till the age of 12. Her life was fulfilled with happiness and the people who used to increase her happiness more were The Alpha's Sons who are non-identical triplets. They promised to protect her and prayed to the Moon Goddess to make them her mates. Everything in her life seemed to go perfect until one day, her father Oliver Wilson was falsely accused by the Gamma, of killing the Luna and paralyzing the Alpha. Her life took an opposite turn, everyone who used to love her started hating her. The Triplets who promised to protect her turned into the ones she needs to be protected from. She started facing thousands of brutal torture and the Gamma who was involved in those dirty games made her life a living hell. All those hurtful words and torture couldn't tame her, she was determined to prove her father's innocent but one thing that broke her completely was when her acceptance of the prayer she made in childhood turned into her worst nightmare. And what made it worse was they have other plans than rejecting her. Join Olivia's journey to see how she removes the tags and where her fate takes her. Warning/trigger warning: This story contains mature scenes, scenes depicting violence that can be triggering to some readers. Read at your own risk.
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His Reluctant Luna
18+ mature content. Alice has her life all sorted, she has a good job, a wonderful fiancee. Apart from a little secret, she was a werewolf, her life was in her control. After losing her parents in a rough attack she had been sent away to live with her aunt, a keeper.Alice was what one would call an urban werewolf who had no intention of finding her mate.But things didn't turn out as expected when the most handsome, powerful and dangerous Alpha of US claimed her as his mate. With her wolf in the heat but her mind warning her against the union. How will she resist being his Luna?
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The Lycan King
'He was her saviour and she was his redemption.' Avalyn has been a slave of her fathers’ murderer for eight years before he sold her off in an auction. Nikolai didn't plan on finding his mate, but now that he did, he was going to keep her, even if he had to be her mate, her master or her lover. He'll take her as she will have him. Follow Nikolai and Avalyn on their journey from being the Alpha and Luna of The Rogue Pack to becoming the Lycan King and Queen. Trigger warning: sexual acts of violence. The contents of this book are graphic.
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A Mother's Scorched Earth
My seven-year-old, Ethan, was my whole world, a sensitive boy whose eyes held the wonder of distant galaxies and whose laughter filled our lives. But beneath that joy lay a constant fear: his severe, life-threatening peanut allergy. Weekend handovers at his father Mark' s perfectly manicured, magazi
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The Mafia Heiress's Scorched Earth Revenge
I spent a year scrubbing floors in my fiancé’s club, hiding my identity as the daughter of the Capo dei Capi. I needed to know if Connor Bishop was a King worth merging empires with, or just a puppet. The answer came walking in wearing a neon pink dress. Jaden Juarez, a civilian he was infatuated
