> "She joined the most dangerous crime family in the country to find her parents' killers. She never expected to fall for one of them." Selena Vale lost everything the night her parents were murdered in their home - their deaths ruled a mystery, the case buried in silence. But when a secret investigator reveals they were killed by order of The Raze Family - a brutal syndicate with bloodstained power - Selena does the unthinkable: she joins them. Under a new identity, she rises through the ranks with one mission-find out who gave the order... and end them. But when she's assigned to a high-risk job with Max Callahan, a veteran enforcer known for his unwavering loyalty and deadly skill, everything changes. He's cold. Controlled. Lethal. And she needs his trust to get closer to the truth. What she doesn't know is that Max holds the darkest piece of her past-the one secret that could destroy them both. And when blood, love, and vengeance collide... Only one thing is certain: someone's heart won't make it out alive. ---

This story is a love letter to C-dramas-sharp, seductive, and just a little unhinged. When Lin Yueqin signs heartthrob actor Xu Zhihao, it's more than just a power play- it sparks a collision of fantasy and reality, where obsession simmers and love threatens to undo everything. === "You rewrote the confession," Lin Yueqin finally broke the silence. He turned, unsurprised. "I did." Her tone was cool, but not icy. "You changed it's entire tone." "You said it felt unearned." "I didn't ask for you to start crying." He studied her for a moment. "Would you prefer I stayed untouchable?" She met his gaze, unreadable. "I'd prefer you stay on script." There was a flicker of something behind his eyes-something sharp. "The original script wasn't working. If the audience doesn't believe it, they won't care." "You changed the tone of the entire confession because I made one comment?" she asked, bewildered. "How do you know the audience won't believe it?" He blinked. Just once. And then- "Maybe you're the audience that matters." === Lin Yueqin is a ruthless business tycoon with a heart of ice-or so the world believes. Known as the Ice Empress of Linhua, she dominates boardrooms with cold precision. But behind closed doors, she secretly binges romance dramas and obsesses over Xu Zhihao-the brooding heartthrob who plays emotionally wounded men just a little too well. Xu Zhihao has made a career selling the illusion of love. On screen, he's perfect: cool, distant, devoted. Off screen, he sees love as a trap-shaped by the wreckage of his parents' relationship. He's never been in love-and he intends to keep it that way. When Yueqin signs him to a creative deal, the script changes. She thought it was business. He turns it into something else. Now, every moment feels like a scene. And when the roles blur, neither of them can tell who's really in control. She's not the type to fall. He's not the type to let go. And some illusions are harder to walk away from.

Good morning, I'm Kalliope Aoidós (yes, spelled like this: Καλλιόπη Ἀοιδός... pretty impressive, right?), Technical Account Manager at a company in... well, I'm sure you don't really need my CV for this. Let's try again. Hey, I'm Kalliope Aoidós, and I've got a little problem. Okay, more like an incurable, family-heritage problem. Technically, it's genetic-something my family has been conveniently passing down for centuries. One of my great-great-great-great-grandparents thought it was totally appropriate to insult his muse, calling her a "good-for-nothing" and a "sellout." How charming, right? Too bad that muse was THE Muse after whom I'm named. Apparently, she's not exactly the warm and fuzzy type. So why on earth do I have the honor of carrying the name of the one who cursed my entire family tree? Oh, that was my grandmother's brilliant idea. In a way, they "sacrificed" me to her by giving me her name, hoping it would change her mind about the curse. Spoiler alert: It didn't. So here I am, just like hundreds of my ancestors, stuck in the same lovely swamp. I'm a Book-Jumper or, as my grandmother (who has a flair for dramatic epithets) likes to call me, a βιβλιοποδητής, which basically means "walker of books." And these are my stories. Or, more accurately, my delightful misadventures. Copyright 2025 AnemoneMarino. All Rights Reserved. Note: All the pictures I've used in this story are not mine; they belong to their respective owners. The cover and banners are made by me.

Laurel should have never been born, and yet she exists. A tragic event led her to a path of darkness, revenge, blood, and death. Allies turned into foes, and hell soon consumed her. Friends became family and helped her heal and live. She left a past full of tragedies behind to live a normal life. Destiny, though, has her own agenda, and Laurel will come face to face with her mate. A battle will start between her heart and her mind, reminding her that everything can change in the nick of time. An enemy long thought defeated rises again, bringing with him secrets and truths about her past. What truly happened to her family? Will she throw away a happy future for the sake of fear and an ancient curse? A world of vampires, werewolves, and witches is welcoming you on a journey of love, revenge, impossible decisions, and a fight between souls. Death is coming, and not everyone will survive. Best ranking: #1 tribrid 24/10/20 #1 in Paranormal in The Ecarlate Awards #1 in Paranormal/Horror in The Winter Wonderland Awards 2020 #1 in Vampire/Werewolf in Fall Hearts Awards #2 in Horror/Paranormal/Werewolf in The Aureate Awards #2 in Vampire/Werewolf/Paranormal in The Fairytale Awards 2020 #2 in Vampire/Werewolf in The Peerless Intovert Awards #3 in Fantasy in Snowdust Awards 2020 #3 in Fantasy in The Carnival Awards 2020 #1 Best Blurb in The Galaxy Awards 2020 #2 Best Blurb in The 2020 Blackrose Awards

🏆 Chosen as Sci-Fi Story of the Month by Wattpad's @ScienceFiction. 🏆 Featured on Wattpad's @ScienceFiction and @ShortStory. 🏆X3 Awarded Best Science Fiction 🏆 Awarded Best Action 🏆 Awarded Best Novel 🏆 Chosen as Book of the Month by @CroodsGirl Shadow and Steel: A Sci-Fi Short Story Series. In a time when mankind has reached the stars, the light of progress does not shine upon all. On the fringes of known space, survival is a brutal dance of skill, cunning, and ruthlessness. Meet a hustler chasing the next score; a doctor trying to mend a broken world; an enforcer wrestling his demons; and a pilot who bends the rules of the sky. Each fights their own battles, until their lives become entangled in a web of dangerous alliances, shifting loyalties, and interstellar power struggles. Caught between blaster shoot-outs, high-speed starship chases and an unforgiving universe that devours the weak, the line between good and evil is as blurred as the stars themselves. In the silence of space, you either bleed out in Shadow or carve your path on Steel. Content Warning: This series contains violence, gore, death, harassment, strong language, drug use, psychological trauma, and mature situations. Reader discretion is advised.