Katha was only 25 when she chose her daughter over her husband. Vedant wanted a son. When Vedika was born, he withdrew-never holding her, never celebrating her, never seeing her as more than a burden. So Katha did what generations of women were told not to- she divorced him. She left. She walked away from silence, from a loveless marriage, and from a house that never saw her daughter. She returned home to Kashi, hoping to rebuild something soft, safe, and loving for Vedika. What she didn't expect... was Rudraksh Thakur. Her first love. Her ex boyfriend. The boy who broke her. Now a man who won't stop fighting to earn her back. Where Vedant failed, Rudraksh rises. As a father to Vedika. As a lover to Katha. Because no matter what time took from him-she was always his. But after everything.. he did to her in the past... Will Katha be able to give him a second chance? Will Katha let herself be loved again-by the man who once shattered her? **** "Rudraksh... I have a daughter..." Katha whispered against his lips. His hand slid to her bare waist beneath the saree, pulling her closer, his lips brushing against her neck. Slowly, he began to kiss her there. She gasped, but he didn't stop. "No, Katha..." he murmured, voice low and certain. "Vedika is our daughter." Tropes: • Single Mother x First love • Second Chances • Obsessive but Soft Hero • Small Town / Kashi Romance • Old school Romance

Brie Sheridan has had her heart broken way too many times. Rhett Price is usually the culprit, but, this time, he might be the solution. ***** Brooke 'Brie' Sheridan wouldn't necessarily call herself a hopeless romantic; after all, love is everywhere if you choose to look for it, and there's nothing wrong with wanting to see the beauty and the good in the world. However, her rose-colored lenses are shattered when her boyfriend dumps her right at the start of her final year of college, ruining all her plans for her senior project, and here lie Brie's hopes, dreams, and pieces of her broken heart. Enter Rhett Price--known commitment-phobe, the bane of Brie's existence, and the reason behind many of her late-night crying sessions during the harshest days of high school. Down on his luck and struggling with improving his reputation, he turns to Brie in a time of need--he'll help her out with her project, and she'll help him look better and more responsible in the eyes of his family. Old feelings resurface, and it quickly becomes obvious there are certain things you don't always get over. Your first love might as well be one of them. ***** BENNINGTON COLLEGE SERIES #1 2025 WATTY AWARD WINNER [[THE AMBYS 2025 AMBASSADOR'S PICK IN ROMANCE]] [[5X WATTPAD FEATURED STORY]] © 2023 caterina george // all rights reserved

❝ 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐄, 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄. ❞ Saskia Vrana knows what to do when the Nights of Smoke come: Close the windows and doors. Don't look out into the darkness. Sacrifice and pray. And never dare to leave the convent. These are the sacred rules to follow if you want to survive the creatures lurking outside - and the Order of Wolves, which ensures the village's safety with watchful eyes. So, what to do when you accidentally violate one of them on the very first night and receive a divination you shouldn't outlive? However, it's not Saskia they hold responsible, but her fellow sister Katinka. When coldblooded Prince Silvan von Winterthal and his order take her, Saskia is eager to break all those rules at once and more to get her back. And if she must risk her own life making a deal with a devil while the Wild Hunt ravages the lands, she will. ______________ ONC 2024 ENTRY: Prompts 25, 28, 95

Cupid never had a chance in their messy, parental-restricted love story Karishma Jha, a twenty-one-year-old recent graduate with the world at her feet if only she chose to face it. Plagued with the worries of the future and yet healing from the scars of her past, she was yet to pay any heed to the present. She was the queen of the world of What-ifs What if I never get a job? What if I never do anything worthwhile? What if I am not here tomorrow? What if someone new moves next door? Still struggling to live one day at a time, she is hit with yet another surprise: a new neighbor, Rishabh Mehta. His arrival gives her the opportunity to take a step out of her cocooned world, to do something daring for once in her sheltered life. What if a girl with perpetually cold feet chooses to befriend a boy who lives like there is no tomorrow? When Rishabh Mehta moved to his aunt's place in Bangalore, the last thing he expected was to deal with the girl next door. Shrew, grump, ornery, he knew the many nicknames of her, except her real name. She proved true to her description when, one night, she cuts off the wire of his music system in the middle of a raging party. That was his first impression of hers. He also never expected her unrelenting efforts to befriend him. When he finally gives in, the possibility of tomorrow increases with every shared laughter and stolen glance. Will their love survive self-imposed obstacles, helicopter parents, and the two-foot gap between their balconies? Or, will it remain a fond memory to smile upon when a day gets a bit more difficult than the rest? TRIGGER WARNING: Though this story could be considered a feel-good rom-com from its cover and description, it does address certain heavy topics like illness, suicide attempts, and domestic violence. For further details please don't miss the content warning preceding the story.

A glamorous celebrity actress and model is trapped in a loveless, deceit-filled marriage with a successful businessman who only married her for her status. On her wedding day, she discovers he's cheating on her with her best friend-but she goes through with the wedding anyway to protect her family's reputation and hers. As her marriage grows colder, danger knocks at her door. Enter her new bodyguard-a mysterious, brooding ex-military man who saves her life. What begins as protection turns into desire, and soon she's caught between a life built on lies and a love that feels all too real.

| | Ambys 2025 Favorite | | All Ivetta wants is a steady paycheck and consistent hours. Her mother's health is failing fast, and she has to earn enough money to keep paying the mounting doctor's bills. Getting a job as a palace maid seems like the answer she needs, even if she has a long commute. Prince Chevalier, the Second Prince of Rhodolite, has a reputation for being a cruel, heartless monster. If it weren't for her circumstances, Ivetta would have quit after the first day. She never expects him to come to her rescue when disaster strikes. Suddenly, he's the only person with whom she truly feels safe, allowing the roots of an unlikely and impossible romance to take hold. Threats force them closer together, and the mysteries of the past come to bear. A glimmer of hope for a brighter future blossoms in the darkness. Maybe, on the other side of pain and heartbreak, is the fairytale ending Ivetta never dreamed was possible. ***** Estimated reading times: Act 1: The Maid (14 hours, 44 minutes) Act 2: The Intermission (4 hours, 53 minutes) Act 3: The Princess (11 hours, 57 minutes) Act 4: The Queen (7 hours, 29 minutes)