It takes Xantiel Vouganville a lot of logic and lies to hide who he is--until he has to protect Feuille. She's not running away from danger; she's after it. *** Xantiel Vouganville lives three lives--an engineer by day, a vigilante hacker by night, and a street vendor of genius inventions in between. But when his friend, Xildius, asks him to protect a girl named Feuille Guivellnova, Xantiel finds himself tangled in a mission more dangerous than any system he's ever cracked. Feuille isn't just a damsel in hiding. She's the co-founder of a secret website that exposes and hunts down predators. The more Xantiel watches her, the deeper he falls for her brilliance and secrets. But with every discovery, he realizes Feuille isn't running from danger. She's chasing it to save others. And when the hunters become the hunted, will Xantiel keep his promise to protect Feuille or follow her into the dark where love and death share the same code? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish.

In the midst of solving mysteries and exploring their undeniable chemistry, Fifteen Salustiana is determined to help Xildius Vouganville confront his dark past and embrace the light once more. As they uncover the truth behind every crime, she must also seek the truth behind Xildius's fears. *** Desperate for money, Fifteen Salustiana takes a job as the personal assistant to the enigmatic Xildius Vouganville, or XV, a genius professor living in the eerie mansion of Villa Vouganville. XV, a master of anatomy and psychology, solves crimes from the shadows, haunted by a dark past that keeps him from stepping into the sunlight. Fifteen becomes XV's eyes and ears in the outside world, venturing out to gather clues and solve crimes. As they work together, she finds herself drawn to XV's brilliance and vulnerability. The more time they spend together, the more she realizes her feelings for him are growing stronger. Will Fifteen be able to help XV step out of the shadows and into the light, or will their love be consumed by the darkness? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish.

To earn the freedom to write her headlines in the newspaper, Fiorisce has to expose the rot buried deep beneath Dr. Xalvien's pristine reputation. *** Fiorisce Lavandula is a rising journalist with one dream: to make it to the front page. Her assignment? Uncover the truth behind Xalvien Vouganville, the beloved psychiatrist with a reputation too spotless to be true. The search for scandal becomes a journey through Xalvien's damaged mind. Xalvenge, the volatile, haunted, and mysterious attorney, is hidden behind Xalvien's calm façade--the secret locked away by years of trauma from a shadowed asylum stay. As they solve mysteries, Fiorisce's ambition is tested by forces bigger than fame. When secrets threaten Xalvien's reputation, she must decide whether to expose the story or protect the person who trusted her enough to let her in. DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish.

A collection of mystery-thriller and horror short stories, written from 2019 and beyond. DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this story are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. ⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING: This compilation of stories contain elements that some readers may find unsettling. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. © Russ Ibasco

𝐈𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. . . . . . . . . . . We've all heard the tales of good and bad, the tales of innocent deceit and her hero, the tales that despite their nature, show us the beauty in contrast. But it's the tales of pure evil that get swept under the rug. The tales of deception, where cruelty is rewarded. The tales that have you questioning who the real villain of the story is. There's a simple philosophy to most thing in life; two wrongs 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 make a right. So what ensues when you put two of the worst kinds of people together? Loyalties transfer, lines blur, and hatred ignites complete chaos. She's cunning. 𝘏𝘦'𝘴 𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴. She's dangerous. 𝘏𝘦'𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴. She's evil. 𝘏𝘦'𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦. Or so that's what we're told. The devil is always worse. But maybe, just maybe, she's the devil in disguise, playing his advocate... . . . . . . . . . . - 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 - 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 - 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. - 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧. - 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞.

Forced into a marriage neither of them wanted, a fierce Greek mafia princess and a ruthless Sicilian underboss must navigate a storm of power, passion, and betrayal-only to discover that their greatest battle might be against their own hearts. *** They hated each other from the moment they met, but little did they know, they were destined to be together. Millicent Rhea Darmos: Princess of the Greek Mafia. At 25 years old, she's established herself as a self proclaimed boss bitch, running her own publishing company. But now it's time she fulfils her duty to her family's organisation. It's time she gets married. Costantino Salvatore Accardi: Underboss and Heir to the Sicilian Mafia. At 28 years old, he has no interest in settling down-he already has it all. He believes in family above all, so why bring in an outsider? Yet, after a strange string of events, the two of them find themselves thrust into married life. It's full of chaos, drama and all kinds of tension. The question is, how do they survive their marriage and the storm that follows? *** "I've never kissed anyone." My voice trembled with a tinge of vulnerability - something I hated. But Costa didn't seem to mind that I was nervous or anxious. "Good. You're mine." He spoke so seriously, without a flicker of doubt as he took my hand in his. "So you want it be special, principessa?" "Every girl's first kiss is special." I whispered, watching as he brought my hand up to his lips. "I only care about yours."

After an unexpected ceiling collapse sends her apartment into chaos, Madelaine Grayson ends up living with her brother - and dangerously close to his tattooed, way-too-charming roommate. He's off-limits... but resisting him might be impossible. *** When Madelaine Grayson's bathroom ceiling caves in, it's not just drywall that crumbles. It's her entire world. Forced to move in with her brother, she finds herself swept up in the chaos of his new protective attitude - especially when it comes to his tattooed roommate, Noah Laurier. Noah is the epitome of perfection: sweet, hot, and embedded into every thought Madelaine has. But he's forbidden, and the closer she gets, the harder he is to resist. Well... what her brother doesn't know can't hurt him, right? *** "Matt's sister, I presume?" He walks towards the couch and my eyes widen. He's tall. I thought I was tall but this man could tower me, and when he reaches a hand towards me, there's an intricate clock tattooed on the back of his hand and his fingers have bones tattooed over them. This man is not human. He's tall and angular and dripping with sex appeal. This man is hot. Capital H, capital O, capital T. I don't think I've ever seen a human being so attractive. All I can think about as I force myself to keep my eyes on the screen is the feel of his jaw beneath my hand, and it takes everything in me not to look back at him.

❝She was meant to be shared by the Alpha Brothers.❞ When Myra is granted a wish from the moon goddess, she gives the moon goddess a long list of qualities she'd like in her mate. The moon goddess knows only one way to fulfil Myra's long list of wishes- by pairing her with the Alpha brothers. The same Alpha brothers who have been hunting for her for years. Hunter and Mateo King. The Alpha brothers are said to be ruthless Alphas. Their name strikes fear in other Alphas. No one who has ever gotten on their bad side has survived to tell the tale except a notorious hacker- Myra Woods. But what happens when they find out the notorious hacker is their fated mate? ~ 18 + only This is a dark romance book with very intense scenes. Please read with caution.

You can read this as a standalone story! WARNING: If your humor doesn't match with the characters' humor in this story, please quit reading immediately! Darkkon is not the typical cold male lead! Thank you! ... Sartori #4 "Darkkon. . . got aroused for me." Darkkon, the eldest of them four. Protective. Manipulative. Addictive. Aggressive. Possessive. Obsessive. His beast got aroused and became a psychotic stalker the moment he saw her, touched her skin, heard her voice, smell her scent, and even tasted her. Everything about her got him desperate to make her his even if it means his downfall. . . . Mature Content Warning: R18+