

My boyfriend, Tom, promised a grand mating ceremony for my twentieth birthday. But at my banquet, he publicly requested a mate link with my stepsister, Lily. While the whole pack roared and cheered, I just stood there like a fool. The betrayal hit hard. Before I could even breathe, Sam—the Obsidian Pack's Alpha heir—said he'd secretly loved me all along and asked to claim me. I said yes. For five years, he spoiled me. Memorized my favorite runs, my wolf's quirks. Then I overheard him with his Beta: "Sam, Lily's Luna of White Rose Pack now, just like she wanted. You still gonna fake it with Any?" "I can't have Lily. Doesn't even matter who my mate is anymore. As long as I'm with Any, Lily's safe and happy." Later that night, I found his safe in the study. Inside? Every single thing she ever gave him. Handmade wolf fang pendants. Letters sealed with her paw print. His prized chest armor, every single scale etched with her name: [Lily, my dearest love. I'd shred through every thorn for your smile.] [Lily, rip out my wolf heart if you needed it. ] [Lily! Hell, I'd steal the whole damn world if you asked.] Five years. Five years of lies, shattered in seconds. I filed my request to leave the pack. In two days, I'd be out of Sam's life for good.

Bruce Litt, the head of Axio Builders, hides his identity to let his son Sam Litt gain real-world experience, working as a humble melon seller at a construction site. Arrogant Owen Zeller, son of Bruce's subordinate Frank Zeller, steals Sam's girlfriend and bullies him. Bruce reveals his true identity, but Owen still defies him—until his father arrives.
![[ENG DUB] Water in the Whiskey Glass](https://acfs3.goodshort.com/dist/src/assets/images/pc/common/f901131c-default-book-cover.png)
On the eve of closing a billion-dollar funding round, Damon Jones is betrayed by the two people closest to him. His girlfriend Alicia Watkins and his best friend Lewis Baird orchestrate a setup. They get him drunk, trick him into driving, frame him for drunk driving, seize control of his company, and ultimately take his life. When fate gives Damon a second chance, he remembers every detail of the scheme.

On the eve of closing a billion-dollar funding round, Damon Jones is betrayed by the two people closest to him. His girlfriend Alicia Watkins and his best friend Lewis Baird orchestrate a setup. They get him drunk, trick him into driving, frame him for drunk driving, seize control of his company, and ultimately take his life. When fate gives Damon a second chance, he remembers every detail of the scheme.

When I went to reissue my mate certificate, the Werewolf Affairs Division told me, "Your mate certificate is a forgery. We have no record of your registration." I stared at the clerk, unable to believe what I was hearing. "But Sam and I registered five years ago. That's impossible. Could you please check again?" The clerk gave me a look before double-checking the files. "We found Alpha Sam's record. But the registered mate… isn't you." My voice trembled. "Then who is Sam's legal mate?" The clerk didn't hesitate. "Lily." I gripped the back of the chair, white-knuckled, just to keep myself upright. Until the clerk had spoken that name, I'd still held on to hope. Maybe it was a clerical error. A mix-up. But of all people, it had to be Lily, Sam's childhood friend. And suddenly, everything started to make sense. In five years of being Sam's mate, he had never marked me. We'd only held a mating ceremony—no certificate, no legal bond. I had given up everything for that ceremony, poured all my hope and love into it, believing I was his, only to find the certificate was fake. The five years I'd thought were mine—our happiness—had all been a lie, crafted and upheld by appearances. If none of it was truly mine, then there's only one thing left for me to do. Leave.

Fresh off her divorce, Ava travels to Hawaii for a getaway with her brother-in-law Jack, and the pair cross moral boundaries through a series of lingering temptations. When their secret comes to light, a marriage crumbles and the two sisters suffer a bitter falling-out. Burdened by guilt, both women grow and heal separately over their long estrangement. Ultimately, they bridge the rift between them, rebuild their sisterly bond despite the scars, and find true redemption.

Three months into her marriage with Xavier Hudson, the heir to a notorious gang family, Quinn Shelton is hit by tragedy when Xavier dies in a fatal car accident. At Xavier's funeral, factions within the Hudson family demand Quinn give up control of the family legacy. The unexpected return of Samuel, the second son, after years abroad, creates further discord, as some see him as a mere puppet fit to assume leadership. Surprisingly, Samuel mirrors Xavier in appearance but chooses to ally with Quinn, throwing his support behind her as she fights to retain authority.

I dropped my car off for maintenance at the service center. When it was finished, I told the staff to put it on the tab of my cousin, who ran the shop. The staff member nodded and started to process it, but then the female manager stepped in. "We don't do tabs here. You've got to pay up now," she said, slapping the bill down right in front of me. Premium Diagnostic Scan: $80,000 Exhaust System Sound Enhancement: $100,000 Engine Harmony Calibration: $100,000 Total: $280,000. I laughed at the absurdity. Since when did my cousin start running a rip-off operation? The manager crossed her arms and gave me a snooty once-over. "Always trying to mooch off Chad. I've seen plenty of broke relatives like you. If you can't swing it, don't act like you can." Unwilling to argue with her, I pulled out my phone and called my cousin. "You have ten minutes to fire the manager, or your shop is finished."

Honoring her late mother's wish, Alex Clemens, the Dark Queen of Riverdon, entered a flash marriage with her senior, Sylvan Johnson. Shortly after, Sylvan was injured in a car crash and went missing with no memory of their life together. Years later, Alex returned with their daughter and ran into him at the airport.When she learned the truth behind his disappearance, she fought fiercely to protect him. During a setup against her, Sylvan regained his memory and stepped in just in time. Together, they uncovered the conspiracy and finally reunited as a family.

Camille Sloane discovers while reapplying for her marriage certificate that she's still legally unmarried—her husband Malcolm Rourke's actual registered wife is his assistant Sierra Lowell. Shocked and heartbroken, Camille learns everything was orchestrated by Malcolm and witnesses him flirting with Sierra at the office.She decides to apply for immigration to leave him forever. Though Camille wants to leave peacefully, Sierra refuses to let her go, provoking her at Camille's birthday banquet and even self-harming to frame her. Camille fights back, but Malcolm wavers and repeatedly hurts her for Sierra's sake.Completely heartbroken, after receiving immigration approval, Camille prepares to leave but is kidnapped by Sierra's scheme and subjected to ninety-nine lashes by Malcolm, who doesn't know the truth. In her fading consciousness, Camille discovers her parents' deaths hide deeper secrets, and she vows to make Malcolm and Sierra pay the price.