IN WICH: Kennesey Jordan is new to Chicago. She spends her first few days there helping her brother pull off his annual Christmas event. But then she met Justice Bennett - the venue owner with the kind of calm that made noise feel safe. He didn't talk much, didn't smile often, and definitely didn't plan on catching feelings for his homeboy's little sister. Between long nights setting up lights, missed calls, and moments that lingered too long - they both started feeling something neither of them were ready for. The city's cold, the holidays are loud, and love's the last thing either of them was looking for. But sometimes, the quietest things hit the hardest.

Alyssa Monroe built her life around giving - warm coats, hot meals, and second chances. Her non-profit, The Monroe Foundation, is the city's holiday heartbeat. To raise more funds, she announces a playful challenge at her annual gala: 𝙒𝙝𝙤𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝘿𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚, 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙. She never expected Christopher Green to win. He's the city's coldest businessman, feared in the streets, and the last person she wants tied to her name. But when he drops six figures and shows up ready to play the part, Alyssa realizes there's more to him than rumors. He's chaos where she craves calm, temptation where she promised control-and somehow, the one person who makes her heart feel like home again. Because underneath the lights, the charity, and the snow, she learns one thing for sure 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜.

She sold her time for money; until desire demanded her heart. Broke and desperate, twenty-two year old Sage, takes a job that pays thousands for her time and beauty-no strings attached. But when she meets Cortez Banks, a powerful man with tattoos, secrets, and temptation written all over him, rules shatter. He's off-limits. He's dangerous. And falling for him could cost her everything. Sage swore she wouldn't break the rules. Cortez swore he didn't need love. But rules were made to be broken. What begins as desire spirals into something far more dangerous. When secrets unravel; secrets that tie Cortez to her family, to her best friend, to a world of blood and betrayal-Sage will learn the truth: Luxury isn't free. And love might cost her 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠.

Kaylani Rivera moves to Las Vegas for a fresh start. New career, new city, new life. No drama. Just peace, cooking, and staying out of trouble. But trouble finds her in the form of Jasai Carter. The man everyone respects. The man everyone fears. The man she didn't know ran half the city. When she gets hired to cook at his best friend's bachelor party, everything changes. Jasai isn't what she expected. He is loud with affection. Bold with jealousy. Dangerous with silence. And very clear about what he wants. Her. Kaylani is used to loving quietly. Jasai loves loudly. And Vegas has never seen a pair like them. He is the risk she should avoid. She is the peace he never knew he needed. But in a city built on bets, secrets, and survival, sometimes the most dangerous move is the one that feels right.

IN WHICH A woman is threatened with eviction from her apartment unless she can come up with $25,000. In a desperate attempt to quickly raise the money, she turns to Alessandro Ramallo, with plans to drug and rob him, just as she has done to multiple others. However, she soon finds herself drawn into a dark and sinister scenario when she discovers the true nature of the man she intends to betray. STARTED; 02/12/'24 ENDED; ONGOING..

It's called retrograde amnesia. Sometimes it happens to people with head injuries. Sometimes the memories come back, but sometimes they do not.

Guess whose it is? Yours.

se·rene /səˈrēn/ adjective 1. calm, peaceful, and untroubled; tranquil. 09/13/2021-09/22/2021 *old. don't read*

(still editing idk)

She has everything the world says she should want-money, freedom, a "healthy" relationship- but inside, she feels hollow. Somewhere between punches and pain, she wonders if she can ever find herself again.