Deep Water

Artis Hardy felt a sharp, searing pain on his cheek as his wife slapped him hard. Sophia, his loving wife, screamed at him in fury. "You beggar! I don't know I had mercy on you and married a scum like you! A man who can't even pay for his daughter's hospital is good for nothing, just like a worm of a gutter." At this moment, their three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Eva, was lying on the hospital bed, suffering from a rare illness that ravaged her tiny body. They had spent all their savings and gone into debt, investing in her medical care while doctors tried and failed to find a cure for her. Artis walked out of the hospital and smiled bitterly. He had once dreamed of supporting his family and his love, but life had slapped him hard in the face. He lifted his head and took two deep breaths as if he had made up his mind. He took out his phone and scrolled down to a certain contact. After hesitating for a while, he tapped the call button and said, “Lend me some money.” “Sure, no problem. Just sign the papers, and I’ll send you everything you need.”

Gibson sat across from his mother-in-law, his heart racing as he tried to process her shocking demand. “Divorce?” he repeated, his voice trembling. “Yes, divorce,” the woman replied with an arrogant sneer. “I don’t think you’re good enough for my daughter.” Gibson took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions. He knew his mother-in-law had never approved of him, but he had never expected her to demand a divorce. “May I ask who wants the divorce?” he asked calmly. “It doesn’t matter,” Helen, his mother-in-law replied dismissively. “All that matters is that I want it.” “With all due respect, I don’t think it’s that simple,” Gibson said firmly. “My wife and I have built a life together. We’ve been through a lot, and we love each other.” The mother-in-law scoffed. “Love? Don’t make me laugh. You and my daughter were struggling to make ends meet when you got married. But now, thanks to her hard work, she’s become the CEO of a top 10 company in the city. She can do much better than you.”

Ryker Hartley, a young man embroiled with a crime boss to claim a hidden treasure. Would fleeing be his only option in this uncertain journey? Or would he challenge his destiny against all odds? ********** A once easy-going boy turned the beastly version of himself, feared by all. With a past that has left a scar on his mind, the most cherished of all his memories has turned out to be an unfairly large grieving package for him. With an unchecked bitterness, and oblivious of an inescapable fate trapped in times, awaiting the moment to descend, he roamed, but with animosity and undue misanthropy. Ryker has closed himself off to the world, he's not one to forgive the most trivial atrocities against him, but when a frenemy manages to break through his defenses, Ryker's integrity is put to the test in ways he never thought possible. As secrets are exposed and alliances are formed, Ryker's life takes a dramatic turn as he becomes a celebrity. Will he rise to the challenge or crumble under the weight of his past? . . . . Find out in this action-packed and thrilling novel that takes a deep dive into the complexities of human nature. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PS: The image is not mine, I got it from Pinterest and then, do the editing. Owner >> Cody Garrett Hatcher

Ethan Ashford was a man quietly drowning. Brilliant, educated, yet perpetually underestimated, he married into the Whitmore family, one of London's most pretentious households, only to become the butt of every dinner-table joke and the family's unofficial errand boy. When his wife, Celine, shatters the last thread of his dignity by choosing her wealthy colleague over their marriage, Ethan walks away with nothing but the clothes on his back. Then an unexpected visitor arrives: Edmund Graves, the lifelong steward of the Sterling family, carrying word that Ethan's estranged father, Lord Aldric Sterling, is dying and wishes to see him. Ethan, still raw from a childhood trauma he has never forgiven, reluctantly agrees. What follows changes everything. Thrust into the helm of a crumbling hotel empire worth billions, Ethan must outsmart his scheming half-brother Dorian, reclaim his dignity, and open his heart to Josephine Laurent, a brilliant French chef who refuses to be impressed by wealth or title. But old wounds run deep, and enemies lurk in every polished corridor. Can a man who was abandoned by everyone he loved learn to trust again, or will the darkness inside the Sterling name consume him before he can rise?

For six years, Ethan Cole has been the joke of every room his wife walks into — the kept husband with no job, no past, and no use beyond the patience to be looked down on. What none of them know is that the three-hundred-million-dollar miracle that saved Sophia's company came from a single account hidden four shells deep, under a name even billionaires lower their voices to say: Atlas. The most feared fortune in the country has a face, and for six years it has been sleeping in her bed. When her returning ex-lover, Damien Hale, moves to take Sophia, her company, and everything Ethan quietly built to protect her, Ethan is left with a choice, keep playing the man they all wrote off, or let the world finally meet the one he buried. But power has a cost, and the moment his name surfaces, something older and colder comes looking: the dynasty he walked away from the night three people died, and the mother who has hunted him for eleven years. To keep the woman who once stopped seeing him, Ethan must decide what he is willing to become and whether his past will ever let him stay hidden at all.

They called him the empty vessel, a useless stain on a lineage of gods. While his cousins fractured the heavens with their golden qi, Chen Mo could not even light his first meridian, his body rejecting the very essence of modern cultivation. But when Chen Mo bleeds, the earth does not drink his blood, it cowers. Hidden deep within his chest is the Primordial Bloodline, an ancient, volatile power that his clan has not seen in ten thousand years, and one that requires the brutal, forbidden trials of the Forbidden Mountain to wake. To survive the hunts of rival sects and the deep-seated jealousy of his own kin, Chen Mo must plunge into a crucible of violence, hunting demonic beasts and tearing power from their carcasses. But as the dragon-tiger roar begins to echo from his soul, a terrifying truth emerges: his own family does not want a savior, they want a sacrifice. Caught between a grandfather who wants to harvest his heart and a demonic sect that fears him as the harbinger of the end times, Chen Mo races toward the final Heaven and Earth Tribulation. He is left with a devastating choice: succumb to the primordial rage and watch the world burn, or sacrifice his humanity to save the very people who broke him.

You called me a beggar today. Tomorrow, I will buy the air you breathe." ​Emeka Osei was the definition of brilliance trapped in poverty. A first-class Economics graduate from UNN, he was destined for greatness—until his own uncle, Chief Boniface, framed him for fraud to seize the family’s legacy. Betrayed by his fiancée, Adaeze, for a wealthier rival, Emeka was left to rot in an abandoned warehouse in Apapa, Lagos. ​Just as he reached the depths of despair, a cold, blue interface flickered before his eyes. ​[DING! Deep Ambition Detected: 120/100] [System Activated: INFINITE WEALTH SOVEREIGN] [Mission: Attend the Zenith Capital board meeting in 18 hours. Reward: ₦50,000,000.] ​Equipped with the Business Insight Eye, Emeka no longer sees a world of struggle; he sees a world of hidden assets, corporate secrets, and raw profit. From the high-stakes casinos of Victoria Island to the oil-rich creeks of Port Harcourt, Emeka begins a ruthless climb to the top. ​He isn't just seeking revenge; he’s staging a hostile takeover of the entire continent. Those who spat on him while he was down will soon find themselves begging for a seat at his table. ​Tags: #Independent #InstantBillionaire #Face-Slapping #System #Revenge

A lifelong feud between two mafia families is heightened when the two mafia bosses kill eachother in a tussle. Bianca Rizzo, a free spirited college student becomes hardened when she learns about her father's death, returns from Los Angeles to her hometown and begins training to take over the mafia business. She vows in her heart to destroy the family responsible for death of her father. Lorenzo Sforza, a CEO of a jewelry company far away from home, returns home to take after his late father's mafiadom and also makes plans to deal with the perpetrators of his dad's death. Four years before Bianca and Lorenzo father's deaths, they both meet each other online and form a deep connection, sharing eachother's burdens. Bianca is excited to finally meet the guy she's been chatting with online, who is returning to his hometown, which is her's also. What will happen to them as they unviel secrets surrounding their families that succeed in tearing them. Will a four year old, well nurtured love turn into hate as their families continue feuding? Read Less kisses, more kills to find out...

The whole kingdoms of O-E have lived together in harmony, but everything changed— why? Centuries ago the whole kingdom all formed an alliance to battle the gods (Aliens)from the sky. Even with the gods powerful weapons they won the battle, defeating the gods and driving them out of their world. Many lives were lost and sacrificed, after the demise of the gods they left behind 6 crystals: Red, Blue, Gold, Purple, green, and the last Black crystal. Which is known to be the most powerful weapon to be possessed by any creature, it is known to be able to corrupt the mind of things around. So it was buried deep into the earth and the remaining crystals were shared and given to the biggest kingdoms ever. After countless of year's, an assassin is appointed to steal all the crystals. But he faces challenges from strong fighter and warriors, Prince Altair and princess Alita and a young apprentice Mage tries to stop him. After spilled upon the ground the black crystal is buried, the crystal storms a wave across the kingdom manipulating everyone's mind. Unleashing hunger for power, domination and war!. This led to to the war between Kingdoms, and Legendary creatures all emerged from a dimensional portal created by the surge from the black crystal. Every kingdom battle for power, but not all will remain. All kingdom will fall, only one will remain..... Grab your swords, armour...its the Age of WAR!

Danzel Harrington was furious. His older sister, Helen, was discarded after being humiliated by Bash Merrick and his friends at the prom. She came home in a deep state of depression and closed herself off, only to tragically take her own life not long after when the photos of her being r*ped were spread on the internet. While the evening before, Helen had just received a letter of acceptance from her dream university with a scholarship program, and it all fell apart overnight! After that, he saw Lyra, his girlfriend, cheating on him with none other than Bash Merrick, the same man who r*ped his sister. When Danzel confronted them, he lost control and attacked Bash and his friends. As a result, he was sentenced to a 10-year prison term. His parents, who worked as gardeners and cleaners at Bash's house, were also fired from their jobs. The suffering didn't end there. Danzel had to endure the loss of his entire family due to the malicious deeds of the Merrick Family, the wealthiest and most influential people in his town. The relentless suffering drove Danzel to make a vow for revenge. With the assistance of The Ultimate Revenge System, he was determined to rise to power and become the most influential figure in Dustown.