It doesn't matter how she ended up in this four-walled room. What matters is she gets out. ***** After a night out in New York City, Liliana Rossi wakes up in a windowless room with no recollection of how she got there. And she's not alone. The dark and tattooed Mateo Aguilar is also held captive. As the two struggle to survive and hatch an escape plan, they also struggle with growing attraction toward each other, facing Lili with the biggest question yet: is Mateo the reason she's here, or the one who's going to save her? ✨ Wattys 2018 Shortlist & Featured Story ✨ Content warning: this story references themes that readers might find triggering, including drug use and sexual assault. [[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]] Cover designed by Stefanie Saw

In 2045, Psychwatch treats the mentally ill or cages them. Margo wants to bring empathy to every patient but a killer pushes her, and the system, to the limits ***** In a dark future, more than a third of the United States population suffers from mental illness and violent crime is on the rise. In response, Psychwatch is formed - an organization intended to combine mental healthcare and law enforcement - creating monitored areas and neglected ones known as the Psycho Slums. Margo Sandoval is the latest recruit to Psychwatch, bringing a new level of empathy to the controversial agency known for its unforgiving methods. Margo spends her days as an Empath treating everyone possible, until the arrival of a new serial killer upends her life and forces her to confront the evils of the human mind and the system that claims to be the solution.

When you've been a victim all your life, falling in love with a serial killer doesn't seem all that bad. It had been two years since people in New Hale have started going missing. Yet without any bodies found, it's unclear whether this is pure coincidence or the work of a genius serial killer. Lucy Starling starts her life at university with hope. Hope that her awful time in high school would not be repeated here. Hope that her family would stay safe in these uncertain times. And hope that her missing best friend is still alive out there somewhere. But all that hope is crushed when the first body is found. And she is the prime suspect. As though her life couldn't get worse, Lucy manages to catch the attention of the real killer. Yet instead of giving in to despair, she surprises him by falling in love. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙢? *** 𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦 𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗟𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗗: Killer x Victim Serial Killer Yandere Stalker Bullying Innocent Girl x Murderous Guy Slow Burn Love Triangle Reverse Harem Stockholm She falls first but he falls harder

Madeline Winters. When people hear that name whispered in the halls of McGregor high school, they think one of two things: a quiet and somewhat awkward girl to pick on, or nothing at all. What no one realizes is that they're tearing her down with each hurtful remark. Cue Asher King moving into the school, acting as his surname immediately upon entering. With his tattoos, cigarettes and rough attitude, he's anyone but someone you would want to befriend. However, he also takes an interest in her that no one else ever has from the first glimpse into her empty eyes. What he doesn't realize is just how much of a shell she's become. *deals with eating disorders #1 on mental illness - 1/26/20, 7/8/20, 12/21/21 #1 on boy - 2/12/20, 1/4/23 #2 on bully - 4/1/20 #1 on high school - 7/6/20 #1 on sad - 8/16/20 #2 on sad - 11/5/21 #1 on funny - 8/18/20, 1/25/23 #1 on ed - 11/30/20, 12/19/20, 3/25/21 #2 on girl - 12/22/20, 11/30/22 #2 on acceptance - 1/7/21 #1 on abuse - 4/11/21 #2 on teen - 5/21/22 Completed November 1, 2021

"I could tutor you, but I don't think you'd be able to concentrate." • • • When Cassandra Berry gets offered a shitload of money and a place at any college of her choice, just to con a man and getting pregnant with a said man, the answer seems pretty straight forward; Yes. - But Harry Xavier Devon is no mere fool. With two millennium prizes on his back and renowned around the world as the next Newton within mathematics, Harry easily sees through his brother's ploy to have a woman seduce him and get her pregnant when he himself can't have children. His brother in desperate need of an heir for his business empire, but Harry has no intentions of playing the scapegoat. Flipping the play against his brother, he pays Cassandra double the money to continue lying to his brother that they *are* having sex. He thinks he's gotten his revenge when it suddenly appears he's gotten more than he bargained for. Cassandra is no shy woman, or as previously thought, just a money-grabbing whore. Stuck in the same house together for a whole summer could prove to teach the mathematician that some things can *never* be calculated... - Especially when dealing with a (horny) woman.

"The Hacker and the Mob Boss" ❦ Reyna Fields seems to be an ordinary girl with her thick-framed glasses, baggy clothes, hair always up in a ponytail, and her head tucked away behind a computer screen. However, no one knows she's armed with a genius IQ and a heart of gold. She hacks her way into virtual systems on a search for her mother. Unfortunately for her, she has hacked into the wrong database. She hacked into the database of the notorious mob boss, Santino "Saint" Venturi. Saint is the opposite of his name. He's known for his ruthlessness. As a mob boss to a mafia, he learned to eat or be eaten. When Reyna stumbles upon his database, a plan dispersed into his mind. He's going to take her. ❦ "I don't share, angel." "He's a friend," she found herself saying. Dante was too busy staring at her to notice the fiery glare in Saint's eyes. She was mentally praying that Dante would just look away. His fingers trailed up her leg before his hand latched onto her sex. He held her there while a small gasp left her lips. "I will fuck you on this table if he doesn't stop looking at what belongs to me." ❦ HIGHEST RANKING: #5 romance - 6/26/22 Dark Romance Cover by @-simplyhan

Oaklee is a loner; a hermit; a recluse; someone who takes being an introvert like an extreme sport. She enjoys living in solitude, with writing her third novel and taking her Cocker Spaniel, Loki, for walks along the canals and the field next to it, she's happy in her own world away from people. Alexander King is a workaholic, the CEO of King industries. He hates people and their stupidity and has people to do everything in his life. He is alone, forcing anyone close to him away because that's what CEOs do, right? They push people away. Dogs bring the hermit and the workaholic together, literally. But can the dogs keep them together?

An age gap love story. A brokenhearted billionaire. A college girl. ***** "Nevaeh," Aiden whispers, "can I rest my head on your shoulder?" I nod, letting him rest his head on my shoulder. He closes his eyes. "Thank you." He sighs in contentment. "Heaven." "Heaven?" "It's your name spelled backward, isn't it?" ***** The moment I first saw Aiden Klein, the first thing that came up in my head was how perfect he was. A good hard working man who loves his family more than anything else, Aiden Klein has been the subject of the desire of many women. His wealth and success as one of the most influential leaders in the business world are nothing compared to his golden heart. The world keeps asking the same questions over and over again, "How would he love his woman?" The sad thing is, we will never know. Because his heart has been frozen. Eyes are blind for any woman. Touch is forbidden for their skin. Aiden Klein cannot love a woman. Yet, I know that it's far from the truth. Aiden Klein can love a woman so fiercely, his love would break you. Because I've seen it once, accidentally. He's the broken hero. And I'm the villain in this story. ***** THE KLEINS SERIES BOOK #3 © Anya Jayvyn. All Rights Reserved. (Content warning: This book has descriptive sexual content and explicit language)

[Watty's 2018 shortlist] Adelyn's quick hands and knack for thievery had a bad habit of putting her in dangerous situations, but forcing her into the path of Nikolai Kors was the worst of them all. A pirate captain with years of death and destruction under his belt, Nikolai has spent ages searching for the one thing that could make every loss, gamble and lie worth it, and Adelyn is the one person who knows where it is. But when fate strikes, it's revealed that Adelyn is more than just a common thief that stole a watch: she's the second piece to the puzzle Nik has been desperate to solve. Together, Nikolai and Adelyn must venture the seven seas and battle monsters of every kind. Should they succeed, Adelyn would have enough money to buy herself out of the life of thievery she's been living for years, but Nikolai hasn't been entirely honest with her... because there's a whole lot more than just riches at the end of this game.

"Y-you," she stuttered, staring at the handsome man sitting on the sleek black throne, "you're..." He rolled his eyes, waving his hand impatiently and said, "Hades. Come on, say it with me. Ha-des." "Hades," Ariel breathed out, still not believing the sight before her. Every picture she had seen of the gods had not depicted Hades' beauty. The god sitting before her was not a crusty old man with a white beard; no, he was a Calvin Klein model. "Yes," Hades clasped his hands together and grimaced, "the God of Death and riches; that's me." Ariel nodded, still refusing to believe but knowing she had to and Hades' grimace turned even bitter, "And you, darling, will be staying with me for quite some time." ~*~ Cover: _nymphomaniac Published: 8/6/14