"Don't look at me like that..." Vanessa Hart has always been the good girl-quiet, studious, achingly innocent. At eighteen, her world is small and safe, defined by library books and the gentle, fading memory of her father. She's a untouched flower, never been plucked, never been kissed. But when her fragile, grieving mother brings home Carter Anderson, that small, safe world shatters. Carter is everything Vanessa shouldn't want. Older. Forbidden. Powerful. Soon to be her stepfather. A wealthy titan of industry with a gaze that feels like a physical touch, he moves through their modest home like a panther in a cage of glass. He is twice her age, all sharp suits, cold authority, and a dominance that makes the air crackle. And the way he watches her-dark, hungry, utterly possessive-sends shivers of something terrifying and thrilling down her spine. He is a man who takes what he wants, and he wants *her*. One sweltering night, trapped together in the oppressive silence of the study, he corners her. The scent of his expensive cologne and aged whiskey is an intoxicating fog. His finger, calloused and warm, tilts her chin up, forcing her to meet his burning gaze. "You have no idea," he whispers, his voice a low, gravelly rumble that vibrates deep within her, "how hard it is not to touch you. Not to claim what has been mine from the moment I saw you." His mouth crashes down on hers, not asking, but *taking*. It's not a gentle first kiss; it's a conquest. It's a devouring of her innocence, a branding of his ownership. A weak protest dies in her throat, morphing into a gasp that he swallows whole. His hands are everywhere, mapping the territory of her body she's never shown to anyone, burning through the thin cotton of her dress. "This is wrong," she breathes against his lips, even as her body arches into his. "Wrong has never felt so right, little one," he growls, sweeping her into his arms and carrying her to the leather sofa.

Eboni Ames grew up in The Quarters-a tiny, but historic, Black settlement just outside Whitman, Arizona. Her classmate, Ahn Ji-Yeong, grew up in the only Asian family in Whitman and harbored a secret crush on Eboni. Eventually, they both left their hometown to follow their dreams. Eboni's vision of a being a celebrity chef faded in California, where the foodie scene was flooded with thousands of other wannabes, and her family soul food recipes weren't enough to catch the eye of foodies seeking flashier fare. Meanwhile, AJ became a K-pop and K-drama megastar, sitting at the top of the Billboard charts and the Netflix top ten. When Eboni is forced to return home and take a day job while trying to get her soul food catering business off the ground, she finds that AJ has come home too. The bright spotlights of the K-pop industry cast a very dark shadow, and AJ needs a break. Still carrying a torch for his childhood love, AJ offers his Korean fried chicken recipe to help draw attention to Eboni's business. As their lives become more and more intertwined, the heat turns up outside of the kitchen as well. But when their pasts come back to haunt them, Eboni and AJ will have to make tough choices about what they are and want to be to each other. Season 1 of My Seoul Man WARNING: This story contains depictions of racism and mental health crises and references to suicide that may not be suitable for some readers.

~Three families. One cul-de-sac. A world gone dark.~ On a quiet, tree-lined street, three multicultural families share everything-barbecues, holidays, and a fiercely protected bond. To the outside world, seventeen year-old a Sophia Johnson is the crown jewel of the neighborhood: a wealthy, straight-A cheerleader and talented violinist. But Sophia is secretly harboring an ultimate mistake that will ruin her family's reputation the moment she confesses. She is bracing for a domestic war, but the universe strikes first. An unprecedented global event hits without warning, instantly shattering modern civilization. Humanity is left to face it's own desperation. Over night, the rules of the old world vanish. Sophia's personal crisis is eclipsed by a fight for survival. Within the cul-de-sac might be just as dangerous as the threats knocking at the gate. CONTENT WARNING This story contains themes of survival, intense family conflict, health and violence. Intended for mature audiences. (Ages 17+)