down to you julia stiles

Attending the ten-year high school reunion for the cheerleading squad and football team, I arrived in an old domestic Ford, while the parking lot was filled with Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Maybachs, and even a gold Bugatti. It was as if I were the only relic from another era. The moment I stepped out of my car, a former classmate, whose name I could no longer remember, looked at me with a sneer. “Well, if it isn’t the coach’s pet. How is it that after all these years, you’re still driving this beat-up old Ford?” “This thing looks like it belongs in a scrapyard from the last century!” During dinner, everyone gathered around the Bugatti owner, raising their glasses in celebration, while I was left ignored at the side. Only the cheerleading assistant sat next to me, raising a glass in my direction with a comforting smile. “Don’t let it get to you. Your car may be old, but I believe you’ll be driving a luxury car one day.” I let a small smirk curl at the corner of my lips and lowered my voice. “This car may look unimpressive, but it’s been fully upgraded with a carbon fiber body. It’s already worth over half a million dollars. Too bad, none of you even recognized its true value.”

Before my boyfriend, August Cadwell, marked me, we went to register our mate bond at the Pack Affairs Department. Without a word of explanation, he unexpectedly had someone throw me out of the office. Then he walked in with his childhood sweetheart. He didn’t even blink when he saw me sitting there on the ground, shaking with disbelief. "Hailey's pup needs to be part of the Aurelis pack. The best and quickest method is for her to register a mate bond with a werewolf from the Aurelis pack. As soon as we sever the mate bond, I'll form a mate bond with you." Everyone assumed the lovesick version of me would wait just one more month for him. After all, I'd already waited seven long years. But that night, I did something unexpected too. I accepted my parents' arranged mate bond and quietly left for the Lymerian pack, disappearing from his life entirely. Three years later, I returned to my original pack to visit my family. My mate, Ryder Weyland, was now the lycan chairman. Because of an urgent council meeting, he arranged for someone to collect me from the airport. I never imagined that “someone” would be August. The moment he spotted me, his eyes immediately landed on the sparkling bracelet on my wrist. "Isn't this a knockoff of the bracelet Ryder Weyland, the lycan chairman, spent two million dollars on for his mate? Didn't expect you to turn this vain after just a few years. "You've caused enough chaos, haven't you? It's time to return. Hailey's pup is now of school age. You can take on the responsibility of pick-ups and drop-offs." I gently ran my fingers over the bracelet on my wrist. Little did he know that this was the cheapest one Ryder had ever given me.

"Underage?" "No. I'm 19." "You know what you're doing here?" "Yes. I'll do it well." Cindy Jake, forced to leave school, went to apply for a part-time job, only to find herself in the role of a call girl, and she unexpectedly became pregnant with triplets in one night! "I don't dislike her being close." It was said that Chase Jorge, a ruthless tycoon who hated women the most, faced the possibility of being childless. Yet, he found himself inexplicably drawn to Cindy. Initially, his plan was to bring Cindy home to have the children, but he was becoming increasingly entangled. His wife's outrageous family dared to bully her? Teach them a harsh lesson! Colleagues at the factory dared to hurt her? Fire them all!

I was slowly dying from Silverthorn Wolfsbane, and there was only one cure—the Miracle Elixir. But my mate, Leo Ashford, bought it and gave it to my adoptive sister, Jane Smith. He did it because he thought I was faking my illness. I gave up on the treatment and swallowed a potent painkiller instead. It would kill me in three days by shutting down my organs. In those three days, I gave up everything. I handed over the fur manufacturing business I built from the ground up to Jane, and my parents praised me for caring about my sister. I offered to sever our mate bond, and Leo praised me for finally being sensible. When I told my son he could call Jane "mommy", he happily said that his new mommy was the best! I transferred all my savings to Jane, and no one seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary. They were just pleased with my "better behavior". "Viola is finally not so bad." I wondered—would they regret it after I was gone?

My brother-in-law, Timmy Lynch, racks up 50 million dollars of illegal gambling debt but leaves my contact information behind. By the time the interest snowballs to 100 million dollars, the debt collectors show up at my doorstep. After I persuade them to leave, my wife, Celia Lynch, and my mother-in-law, Meryl Unwin, finally come out of the room. Celia's face is pale as she says, "Let's get divorced. I'd rather leave with nothing. Your gambling debts are your own problem, so don't even think about dragging me into this." No matter how many times I explain that it was Timmy who bet on an underdog team and lost, she refuses to believe me. Meryl even slaps me across the face and roars, "Not only are you trying to trick my daughter into paying your debt, but you're also slandering my son? Listen to me, Celia—divorce him immediately!" Then, she turns to me and says, "I might as well tell you the truth now. Celia is pregnant, and the baby's father is your buddy. Just give up already and sign the divorce papers." Wait, what? I literally just won a 100-million-dollar prize from winning a World Soccer Tournament bet last night. I was going to ask if they need help covering Timmy's debt. How did this suddenly turn into a full-on divorce? Fine, then. They can pay back his massive debt themselves.

I'm lying here, my body burning from within as the wolfsbane spreads through my veins. Meanwhile, my Alpha mate, Ryan, is giving the antidote I discovered to his childhood sweetheart, Vivian. With what little strength remains, I beg him to spare just a portion of the cure—enough to keep me alive for a few more days while I search for another remedy. Ryan doesn't even glance my way. He snarls, "I can't believe you're faking illness when Vivian is fighting for her life! Control your jealousy before I lose all respect for you!" Under his command, I'm confined to my quarters to "contemplate my sins." In the end, the wolfsbane consumes me completely. When Ryan discovers what he's done, he digs my grave with his own hands, howling with regret that comes too late.

In my previous life, my parents doted on my frail, sickly younger sister.For her sake, they chose a hawk beastman willing to settle in a human city as her husband.Me? They cast me into the deep sea,marrying me off to a giant shark beastman.When the apocalypse came and torrential rains drowned every human city, my parents and sister were left clinging to a rotting plank, adrift on the endless ocean.I couldn't bear to watch them die. With my giant shark husband, I dragged them down into the deep sea to safety.But resentment festered. Seeing me live comfortably while my shark beastman hunted day after day, my parents grew furious that my sister's life paled in comparison to mine. In their jealousy, they laced the fish we ate with poison and killed me.Now, given another chance at life,they've decided my sister should marry the giant shark beastman instead.My biased parents believe she will finally enjoy the blessings they once denied her.But what they don't know is this: after the cataclysm, fish become scarce. And a giant shark… does not survive on scraps. He needs flesh.

After Hector brands her barren and shameful, Natalie dials a number that changes everything and becomes the wife of the city's real ruler. When Hector begs at her wedding, she moves away from him and into Ethan's embrace. Ethan announces, ice-cold, "Just so you know, she's my wife."

In my previous life, I gave everything for Kane — only to be locked in a dungeon by him, forced to watch our child be crushed to death, and die filled with endless hatred. Reborn on the day of my adulthood ceremony, with the entire Silver Moon Blood Clan watching, the Blood Prince gives me the right to choose one of his two sons to form an Eternal Blood Pact. Everyone expects me to choose Kane. Instead, I point to the man feared by all — the mad prince who returned from the Dark Ancient Forest. **"I choose Cass Nightshade."** The moment Kane’s face turns deathly pale, I know — this life, it’s finally my turn to take revenge. The bloodthirsty monster everyone calls a madman slowly reveals his obsessive tenderness only to me. "You chose me, Eve… Now you can never escape." Under the Blood Moon, the Eternal Blood Pact is sealed. This time, I marry the monster — just to crush my scumbag ex completely.

Vertical superstars Tess Dinerstein and Lottie Guidi test their unbreakable friendship and discuss everything being a girlboss in the entertainment industry entails. From Shakespearean origins to modern day mantras (plus a surprise special guest), you won’t want to miss the insight these titans of vertical entertainment have to offer!

After my fiance’s childhood friend found out I was born with a heart condition, she secretly poured a high-dose energy drink into my champagne. The moment I drank it, my heart started racing, and stabbing pain spread through my chest. In a panic, I tore open my only emergency medication, but the water I used to take it had been swapped with strong lemon water. As soon as I drank it, my face went pale. I lost all strength and collapsed to the ground. “Lemon water’s full of vitamin C. It helps with hangovers and keeps you healthy.” Charlotte Whitmore laughed so hard she nearly doubled over. With her arms crossed, she looked at my fiance, Ethan Cross, the boss of the Rolling Stones. “Ethan, your fiancee’s acting is incredible! “I’ve been a doctor for years, and I’ve never seen anyone react like this to a little champagne and lemon water.” I bit my lip until I tasted blood. The pain made my eyes sting, and I clutched Ethan’s leg. “Honey, please, call an ambulance! I can’t take it anymore…” For a moment, his expression wavered, but the guests quickly cut in. “Come on, stop pretending! Nobody dies from a bit of champagne and lemon water.” “Yeah, you’re just jealous Charlotte got promoted and didn’t want to toast to her.” Ethan’s face turned cold again. He yanked my hand off and stepped away. “Charlotte’s a doctor. You’ll be fine with her here.” I stopped begging and texted my father asking for help

I was the eldest daughter of the Shadow Wolves pack. Anyone who married me would gain the full support of Shadow Wolves. Every wolf in the pack knew that Ryan Trivett and I had grown up together, practically destined for each other. I'd been infatuated with him for as long as I could remember. In this life, though, I didn't choose Ryan. Instead, I ended up with his uncle, Lucas Trivett. Why? Because in my previous life, I had been married to Ryan for five years, and he had never touched me. I used to think he had his reasons—some secret burden he couldn't share. But one day, I accidentally stumbled into the hidden chamber behind our bedroom. There, I saw him pleasuring himself to a photo of my cousin. That was the moment I realized the truth. He never loved me. He had only ever used me. Now, with this second chance at life, I had decided to let them have each other. But when I walked down the aisle in my wedding dress toward Lucas, Ryan completely lost it.

After Hector brands her barren and shameful, Natalie dials a number that changes everything and becomes the wife of the city's real ruler.When Hector begs at her wedding, she moves away from him and into Ethan's embrace. Ethan announces, ice-cold, "Just so you know, she's my wife."

Helen Carter is the daughter of the Cockfighting Sage, the man who mastered cockfighting not to profit from it but to fight gambling itself into submission. He raised her with one absolute rule: never touch the roosters. Then, he was murdered by his own disciple Sean Holt, a man who chose greed over everything he was taught, and ten-year-old Helen barely escaped with her life on the breath her dying father bought her.Years later, her husband's gambling debts drag her back to the one world she swore never to enter. Helen steps back into the ring quietly and dismantles every opponent in her path, one bout at a time, until she is standing across from Sean himself. The final fight isn't just about the debt. It is about her father, about justice, and about burying the man who buried him. She wins, exposes everything, and walks her husband out of the gambling halls with the only wisdom her father ever needed anyone to hear: the longer you play, the more you lose. Not getting into it at all is the only way to win.

Dylan, a revered figure of Mount Colon, fails in meditation and awakens in the body of a ridiculed "simp." When forced into a marriage of convenience, he demands dowry upfront. Criticized for his temper, he retorts, "You're so nice—why not just tolerate it?" A live-in husband? In his world, no one can stop him from being arrogant!

Traveled into an interstellar shifter novel as the hated villainess! Bound to a dating system, Queena has to romance 6 hostile commanders to survive. She just wants to earn points to peace out and live the high life, but all 6 guys fall hard. Now they're blocking her door, yelling: "You romanced us and dipped? What about us?!"

For his dad's surgery, Leo tried every means to collect $20 thousand. But his wife, Ruby, took it to pay her brother's debt. Desperate as Leo was, the Whoever You Help Gets Screwed System was activated for him. Leo could take the fortune of the person he helped. Having no choice, Leo decided to use the system to teach Ruby and her family a lesson...

The night of my first shift at eighteen, my two older brothers brought home a twelve-year-old orphaned Omega. My alpha brother seized the rare healing herb I'd spent all my savings on—herbs meant to ease my first transformation—and gave them to her instead. "You're strong enough," he growled. "You don't need such precious herbs." My beta brother snarled with fury, pointing toward the door. "Get out! Don't come back!" I said nothing more, just grabbed my packed bag and left. They assumed I was merely throwing a tantrum, that I'd return in a few days. My brothers, finally free of my presence, took the orphan girl on an international vacation to the Caribbean islands I'd always dreamed of visiting. Many days later, when they returned to the pack, they were shocked to discover I'd accepted an offer from the neighboring pack's Head Healer. The position required fifteen years of isolated herbal research. I could never return home. That night, they fell apart.