Isabelle (Bells) Hann thought she had her life perfectly mapped out: a prestigious job at tech consultancy Larssens Ltd, an engagement to wealthy Theodore Watson, and a future built on safety and respectability. But her carefully constructed world begins to unravel around her enigmatic boss, Jude Larssen - a man whose brilliant mind and dangerous charm have kept her orbiting him like a moth to flame for three years. When Jude manipulates a high-stakes dinner with Japanese conglomerate Yamamoto Industries by claiming he and Bells are engaged, their simmering professional tension explodes into something far more volatile. As Bells becomes entangled in Jude's web of corporate machinations, late-night phone calls, and psychological games, she discovers that the line between manipulation and desire is thinner than she ever imagined. But Jude harbours dark secrets from his Cambridge past, and Theodore isn't the passive fiancé he appears to be. When corporate espionage, blackmail, and a mysterious mathematician named Bielawski converge, Bells must navigate a treacherous landscape where loyalty is currency, power is seductive, and everyone is playing a game whose rules she's only beginning to understand. Set against the glass towers of Canary Wharf and the polished veneer of London's elite, this is a story about the intoxicating pull of brilliant, damaged men - and the women who risk everything to save or destroy them. As Bells travels from boardrooms to Tokyo, she'll discover that some hungers can't be reasoned with, and that choosing between safety and passion might cost her more than she ever anticipated. A tale of corporate intrigue, sexual tension, and psychological warfare that asks: How far would you go for someone who might be your salvation - or your ruin?

In the snowbound streets of 18th-century Paris, destiny stirs in secret. Born beneath omens and raised in silence, Valeriano De La Wien is no ordinary boy. Strange forces bend to his will. Whispers of magic trail in his wake. And now, despite his parents' desperate efforts to shield him, he's ready to discover the truth about the world beyond his gilded prison. But the moment he escapes the manor walls, something ancient takes notice-something dark, relentless, and watching. As old secrets rise and hidden powers awaken, Valeriano must learn who he truly is before the shadows claim him forever. A Remnant stirs. And adventure has only just begun.

When menopause and man-o-pause collide.... He's cute with his new curly red hair, I thought, as one of the guys who worked in the building next door passed me. I was standing outside Vinyl Tap, the business my friend and I owned. Would the Louisiana weather today be as hot as Hades or as cold as my ex? It didn't really matter if the guy was cute. I was in full-blown man-o-pause with a shot of menopause. After an epic series of unfortunate events with relationships, I had declared a ceasefire with any member of the opposite sex that may want to form an alliance. I was cranky from a lack of sleep, the ten pounds I had gained that wouldn't come off, and the random hot flashes that only added more fuel to the menopausal fire. There needed to be a word for where I was, I thought. Menopause? Man-o-Pause? Mean-O-Pause. Maybe that would help me with that pesky problem I had with the hot new neighbor that just moved in... I'm in Mean-O-Pause.