Casse-tête

At twenty-five, Esteban Rodriguez is dying from an undiagnosed illness—slowly, painfully, and without answers. What he doesn’t expect is for his wife to grow tired of waiting. Miranda once promised to stay by his side through sickness and health. Now she’s counting the cost. When the medical bills drain their savings and Esteban loses the ability to work, Miranda finally snaps—telling him, for the first time, that his life is a burden she can no longer carry. But the breaking point comes on a crowded city bus, when Esteban spots a woman who looks exactly like his wife walking into a luxury hotel. During work hours. Dressed to impress. Laughing with someone who isn’t him. Desperate for answers, he follows her inside… and what he discovers behind those hotel doors shatters more than just his heart. Sometimes, the worst part of dying isn’t the illness. It’s realizing the person you love has already buried you. A raw, emotional story of betrayal, heartbreak, and the impossible choice between fighting for life—and letting go of love.

Mr. Wesley burst into Bryan's office, causing Bryan to quickly rise from his chair. "Aren't you done with your work? What use are you here for in this office? My wife warned me, but I didn't listen. I told her you aren't a good husband material," Mr. Wesley stated bluntly. "I am very sorry, father..." Bryan attempted to speak, but before he could finish his sentence, a sudden slap landed on his face, causing him to clutch his cheek in pain. "I hate hearing sorry. I need to see action," his father-in-law asserted, his anger evident. Bryan clenched his fist in frustration, aware that arguing back would not be of any benefit. Thinking everything is over could be the most saddest experienced one could encounter in life. But taking a new turn around could be overwhelming. Bryan was about to lose hope when his lost hope was redeemed, as his life take a total turn around bringing his in-law to shame as he a claimed his newfound power.

To Sophia, Michael was nothing but a placeholder husband. To Victoria, he was a stray dog they kept around for pity. But when Henry – his father-in-law, the only one who ever showed him kindness, lay dying, everything changed. Little did Michael know that the Donovan empire was about to be willed to him. “Would you want to become the head of the Donovan family?” Henry asked. The question hit Michael like a wave— unbelievable, impossible. He wasn’t born to power, was he? Yet, Henry saw something in him that no one else ever did: strength, loyalty, heart. Unfortunately, this only brought more hate to Michael from the patriarch’s daughters. “You’ll never see a single cent of this family’s money,” Victoria spat. After Henry died, they manipulated the will and threw him out. But the truth about Michael’s past is bigger than anyone can imagine. He isn’t just some helpless man with a forgotten name. He’s the heir to a legacy, the storm standing quietly at the door. He’s the lost heir to the mighty Ainsley family. A mighty storm they didn’t see coming.

All of a sudden portals started showing up and spilling out two different kinds of creatures. Djinns and Prodigies. They didn't really care about humans, and looked at them like bugs. The achievements and technology that the humans made were taken apart by the Prodigy King. After that, humanity got to see a new world emerge from the ruins. It was eerie, this new place where the sun cast a red glow and rain fell as blood. Humans couldn’t figure out where the Prodigy King went. But they knew he had the power to bring back order. Under the rule of Djinns, human life meant nothing anymore — only strength did now.

Jinhoo spent his whole life being bullied. He is the only child of his parents and he never told them about his condition in school because he never wanted to get them worried. Even after leaving school and becoming an adult, he never achieved his dreams. He was still at the bottom of the food chain. But even with his life being as hard as it was, jinhoo never thought of suicide. He always finds the light in his dark world. His optimistic attitude towards life didn't go unnoticed by the lords of the universe. So, when he was forty he saved a child from being run over by a speeding car, that was seen as an act of heroism and it earned him a reward. As a reward, Jinhoo was sent back to start his life again from when he was fifteen years old. That wasn't the only reward, he was also given a system that turns his accomplishments into points, and those points could be used to make him stronger if he chooses. When Jinhoo got his second chance, he vowed to make his life better, and the only way to do that is become a gangster or be corrupt. Jinhoo didn't want the two options so he made a third option and that is to become stronger than the gangsters. Jinhoo decided to become strong, strong enough to go against the gangsters and corrupt officials, he knew it was possible with the system Along the line, Jinhoo discovered he wasn't the only one with such a special ability and most people with the ability want to rule the world with an iron fist...

“ Let me introduce; This is Benedict Edward, my boyfriend and baby...” she introduced the guy before pointing at Griffin “ and this is Griffin Wright, well... I don’t know how to introduce him to you because he was always a fool and a nobody.” She explained and laughed shyly while the guy nodded his head. “ What?” Griffin exclaimed. He couldn’t believe his ears! Benedict Edward cleared his throat and sized Griffin up, secretly mocking his cheap clothes “ Oh! This is that loser guy you always tell me about, right?” He asked and Charlotte nodded. He also nodded with a smile before taking a step forward and he stretched his hands forward as if he wanted to shake hands with Griffin but he immediately withdrew the hand and cleaned it with his napkin ~ “ I can’t afford to dirty my hand by touching you, sorry. “ He said sarcastically and turned to face Charlotte. “ When did all these start? We’ve been together for 6 years and all we showed each other was love. Why this?” Griffin questioned with his eyes red and sad.

"Pardon?" Keegan pinched the bridge of his nose. "We were supposed to do this subtly, Eva. You don't just drop this kind of news like a bombshell." Eva didn't look remorseful. "He needs to know the truth." "Truth? What are you talking about?" Travis asked. Realizing Eva's hand was still in his, he withdrew it. Keegan shifted his gaze to Travis. He sighed and took out his phone. He said as he typed. "This is the DNA test result we carried out with your sample." He handed him the phone. With a frown, Travis's eyes scanned the screen. His eyes widened. The results stated that their DNA samples matched. How could he be a child of the Novaks? *** Travis's life was pretty much ordinary and average until one fateful night took the life of his adoptive father. He woke up in a mansion and they told him his biological father was the head of the Novaks, one the most influential family in the country. But it isn't a dream come true. Is he ready for the dangerous game of wealth, betrayal and secrets that comes with this new heritage?

“Love? If you truly loved me, why did you do it? 12 years is a long time to repent for your sin. But what? You wanted to get married to someone else? With my daughter? Does she know who you are? Does she know that her father took the fall for her mother because she killed someone? Don't even dream of it. You can't get married to anyone because we are still married.” Jake Moss is a 29 year old man who realizes that his entire world had been a lie after he had gone to prison at the age at 17 for something he didn't do. He had done it out of love. Yet the woman he had done it for had moved on fast and abandoned him in the hot fiery pits of hell to burn alone. He is now back. The Fisher family is not like other families. Lies, deceit and wickedness runs through their veins and he was ready to stop them and have his revenge. His goal was to become the indispensable son-in-law. Without them even realizing it, he was going to get back everything they took from him.

Nathaniel "Nate" Aldric was once the rightful heir to the Aldric empire, a business conglomerate worth billions. But he was too naïve, too trusting. His so-called friends drained his accounts, his business partners plotted against him, and worst of all, his beloved wife, Serena, conspired with her lover, his cousin, to kill him. As he took his last breath, drowning in his own blood, rage consumed him. But fate was not done with him yet. When Nate wakes up, he finds himself twelve months in the past, just before his downfall. The weak, clueless fool he once was is gone. This time, he's ready. He won’t let them deceive him again. He won’t be pushed aside. And he sure as hell won’t let Serena and her lover get away with their betrayal. Now filled with knowledge of the future, he plays his enemies like chess pieces. Those who stole from him will fall. Those who laughed at him will kneel. And those who took his life? He will make them suffer.

SHADOW OPS: BLOOD DEBT By Lilitha Ntlebi Synopsis: Elite black-ops soldier Knox Alverez thought he buried his past in the Middle East—until a massacre on American soil drags him back into a war he didn’t know he was still fighting. When an off-the-books mission unravels a hidden network of sleeper agents, biochemical warfare, and shadow governments, Knox finds himself marked not just as a target—but as a weapon. Haunted by flashes of memory and a neural implant he didn’t know existed, Knox must team up with intel analyst Jessa Vale to expose a conspiracy buried deep within SIGMA, the very agency that trained him. As they race across continents to stop a new phase of covert warfare, each step uncovers a deeper betrayal—and a chilling truth: the enemy isn’t coming. He’s already inside. From decimated war zones to high-tech bunkers beneath the sea, SHADOW OPS: BLOOD DEBT is a razor-edged modern action thriller packed with pulse-pounding combat, gritty realism, and a hero forced to confront the most dangerous battlefield of all: his own mind. Trust is dead. Memory is weaponized. And blood is never clean.