Nearly 10 years-that's how long Cecelia has been alone. Abandoned. Exiled from the only family she's ever known for a crime she doesn't even remember committing. Sent away to a cold, unfamiliar boarding school in London, she learned to survive on her own, her past slipping away piece by piece after a tragic accident stole her memories. Now, her family exists only in the ink-stained pages of her diary-names without faces, stories without warmth. But when a sudden summons drags her back into their world, Cecelia is forced to confront the ghosts of her past. Her family still blames her. Their eyes hold nothing but resentment. And worst of all, she has no idea what she did to deserve their hatred. Thrown into a brutal world of crime, power, and secrets, Cecelia finds herself entangled in a dangerous game-one where trust is scarce, loyalty is tested, and betrayal lurks in every shadow. As she fights to reclaim the life that was stolen from her, she must face the ultimate question: Can she ever truly go home, or was she never meant to belong in the first place?

Reign and Rose twins who were separate at the age of 7 because of reign being accused of trying to kill Rose and was sent to a private school for trouble kids. Unknown to her family (besides her mother) she was abused since the day she got there. Imagine her surprise when she is asked to return for her mother funeral. Reign will have face her 5 brothers her twin who doesn't even remember her or what happened and a new baby sibling? All while trying to trust her family and hide her vulnerability Disclaimer: I don't own any images in this story *This story is not edited* *updates every Sunday*

🌄 "Things Kilimanjaro Saw" is a soul-stirring collection of sonnets that gazes through the ancient eyes of Africa's tallest sentinel. From the snow-capped silence of Kilimanjaro's peak to the sun-scorched plains below, these poems bear witness to love, loss, resilience, and the quiet revolutions of spirit and soil. Ndubuisi Onyeacholam crafts verses that echo like wind through acacia trees-sometimes gentle, sometimes fierce, always unforgettable. Each poem is a footprint in the dust of history, a whisper from the mountain that has watched generations rise, fall, and rise again. 🖤 Whether you are drawn to the rhythm of ancestral memory, the ache of longing, or the fire of identity, this collection invites you to stand still and listen-to what Kilimanjaro saw, and what it still sees. OnukaoguOkechi83 is a winner in Shortys 2025. ANNOUNCEMENT: Update will start on the 11th of October 2025 at 8 pm, and thenceforth every Saturday at the same time

Shakespeare's *Macbeth* was in my syllabus when I was in secondary school. But *Macbeth* was just an appetiser, for I went on to get the complete works of his. It was as I was reading his sonnets that I tried to mimic his 14-line poems-and the rest is history. I did not simply read Shakespeare; I encountered him. In my "mimicking" of his sonnets, I learnt that a word could be stretched from its primary meaning to other "shades" of meaning. Poetry to me is like a pilgrimage, a path of mystery, a ritual that can transport the poet from where he is to where the subject of his writing is, where he achieves a lived experience. I deliberately chose a rhyming scheme of **AABB CDCD EEFF GG**, with which I wish to import an African voice into the sacred art of sonnet writing. ✨ *OnukaoguOkechi83 is a winner of the Shortys 2025. ANNOUNCEMENT: I update my ongoing collection, Things Kilimanjaro Saw, every Friday by 8 pm. ---

The sequel to the story "Only Just Begun". After tasting the bitter sting of heartbreak in London, Jeremy Whittaker tries to rebuild his life in New York. Taking on a new challenge as a Computer Science teacher, he unexpectedly crosses paths with Carol Lieberman, the woman with whom he once shared a brief, yet unforgettable, whirlwind romance in London. What should have been a simple, harmless reunion quickly spirals into a storm of emotions. Between old wounds, unresolved pain, and a love that refuses to stay buried, Jeremy and Carol fight against the shadows of their past before they tear them apart once more. But when betrayal shatters the fragile bond between them, what will be left to hold on to? This second book in the trilogy dives deep into the aches and passions of a love filled with highs and lows-where every choice, every sacrifice can change everything.

𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 | 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒙 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒎 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒑𝒆𝒓 18+ 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐦 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫. Misfortune has followed Vivienne since the moment she was born. Living quietly with her grandmother, she has long accepted that her future holds nothing bright. That belief is proven true the night she meets a strange man in the cemetery and offers him a beer, unaware of the fatal mistake she has made. The Grim Reaper turns his attention to Vivienne, his fascination twisting into something dangerous and inescapable. Caught in a web of secrets, lies, and forbidden feelings, Vivienne must make a choice that will change her life forever. But with the devil breathing down her neck, knowing what's right and what's wrong is no longer so clear. ♰ "𝐖-𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮?" "𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐊𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐲. 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞." 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄. 𝐓𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈'𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍. 𝐈 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒, 𝐎𝐑 𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒.

Once upon a time, she wanted something soft. Something safe. But softness doesn't survive in the boroughs, and safety doesn't pay bills. So, she traded fairy tales for champagne rooms, heartbreak for hundred-dollar bills, and love for leverage. No man. No distractions. Just money stacked high enough to make the pain quiet. Then he walks in. Dark skin. Nice beard . Ice on his watch. The kind of presence that hushes a room without saying a word. He doesn't look at her like the others do. He studies her. She gives him the usual slow grind, whispered fantasy, fingertips teasing just enough to make him ache. It's business. It's always business. Until he doesn't slide the usual cash and let her go. He wants a day. Not an hour. Not a private room. A day. And the way he says it makes it sound less like a question... and more like a decision. Rumor has it he's the biggest kingpin in New York. Noemie built her empire on control. On never needing a man. On never letting one see past the body, past the performance. But this one? He sees the hunger. The ambition. The girl she used to be. Noemie has to decide: Is he her biggest payday yet... Or the beginning of the kind of love that costs everything?

She's desperate. Targeted by a rival mafia family, every shadow feels like a threat and every step could be her last. With nowhere else to turn, she seeks protection from the one man she knows she shouldn't: the brother of the man she's running from. He's loyal. Ruthless. Dangerous. And everything about him makes her heart race in ways she shouldn't let happen. Drawn together by necessity, their forbidden attraction ignites a fire neither can control. But in a world ruled by blood and loyalty, love can't just be hidden, it can be deadly. Trusting him could save her life... or destroy them both.

It took the Beasts mere weeks to overthrow the human government and eliminate most of the population. Those who survived were put into slavery, forced to spend their lives serving the royal families and wealthier Beasts. Adeline has been a servant for the royals for as long as she can remember. It's hard work, but she feels lucky to be born and raised in King Richard's kingdom. He's a kind ruler, and his humans are often treated well. King Heloix, on the other hand, is known for his ruthlessness. He has little tolerance for his fellow Beasts, and even less for humans. Rumors are that his servants are often killed as punishment for even the smallest mishaps, and to survive even a year while working for him is an accomplishment. When Adeline is transferred to King Heloix's castle, it takes him only seconds to recognize who she is to him. Will he accept her as his mate or reject her existence? ⚠️THIS BOOK CONTAINS MATURE AND TRIGGERING THEMES⚠️

*Warning - Contains 18+ Content* +Completed+ He holds my face firmly between two hands. "Sienna, I'm not going to have you for the first time one of Maren's guest rooms when you're intoxicated." "You're not?" "No. It will be in my bed, and I'm going to take my time with you." His gaze falls to my lips. "Fuck Sienna, I'm going to take all night." *** Sienna has been in love with her Alpha since she could remember. He's rough, dangerous and the epitome of raw sex appeal. The problem is, he is her best friend, and strictly off limits. Tradition mandates he marry a woman of noble birth, and that is not her. She knows this is for the best, until she becomes his mistress, and things start to change. As she falls for her best friend, she must reconcile a deadly secret she has been keeping from him for years, that could change everything. Onyx has sacrificed everything to become Alpha. So, not marrying for love shouldn't be such an issue. His entire life he has denied his feelings for his best friend, until he is forced to take her as his mistress to grant her protection. With threats growing against them, and when his prospective wife candidates start showing up murdered, he make some difficult decisions. **Dual POV, friends-to-lovers, Alpha, mates, 18+**