betrayal

This is a modernised version of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. I am writing this because I think the story is still very much valid today. However, the class of people indulged or able to indulge in sins has changed and expanded. It is a very important story about conscience, love, influence and beauty and has a hell of a plot. Hope you enjoy this slightly more relevant to today and understandable version of Oscar Wilde's work.

In a world where magic is forbidden and witches are hunted, Ashlynn Blackwell has hidden her mark of the witch since birth. The night of her wedding she's betrayed and her secret is exposed. Attacked by her husband and his knights, Ashlynn was abandoned and left for dead in the wilderness. Rescued by the vampire lady Nyrielle, Ashlynn is offered a choice: die as a human or embrace her power as a witch. Bound by a mystical blood pact, Ashlynn is plunged into a world of ancient magic, immortal vampires, and deadly political intrigue for the chance to find eternal love. [Bronze Winner: Weekly Love Tales - Vampire] [Book of the Month: September/October 2024]

"Luca, please…" she cried. "You need to see who the devil really is. And decide if you want me that way," he said. "Because this is who I am. You either accept it or reject it." Luca's hand reached for a knife from the array of tools spread meticulously on the desk. "I wanted to prolong his suffering…" he murmured. "Luca…" she whispered. "But since this is a show and tell…" Without a pause, he cut the rope holding Inferi's wrists, letting the man drop heavily to the floor with a thud that made the room shudder. Inferi's eyes, wide with terror, flicked to Vee as his body twisted weakly under the weight of his injuries. "This isn't one of those times when you ask me to let someone go, I am going to kill him right here." "You have two choices," he continued. "Walk away right now, and I will accept that you will never accept who I am. Or stay and watch me kill him, to prove to me that you accept all of me, that you want all of me." "God, please, Luca, don't do this." Behind Luca, Inferi struggled weakly on the floor. Luca looked only at her. "It's simple, Vee. I am giving you a choice. I don't have a gun to your head, now, do I? Are you ashamed of who I am, or do you accept who I am?" "It's not so simple!" Vee yelled. "You're asking me to stand here while you take a life." "I will count to ten." He gestured with the knife toward the steel door behind her. "There is the door. Here is me." "Jesus!" Vee bit down on her lower lip. She squeezed her eyes shut. "Jesus Christ!" "One…" "Two…" She stepped toward him. "Three…" "I'm not running." She moved closer. "I will not run. I will stay." "Four…" Vee drew in a shaky breath, steadying herself against the tidal wave inside her. "I meant what I said last night. I said I love you. I meant it. But don't subject me to this. It will not change how I feel about you. It won't." She stepped even closer, until the knife hovered inches from her hip. "But it will most definitely change me." She swallowed hard. "If you make me stand here and watch this, you are not testing my love. You are reshaping me into something I may never recognize again." Her hands came up slowly and pressed against his chest. "I love the man who protects. The man who terrifies everyone else but holds me like I matter." Her eyes glistened, but she did not look away. "I know what you are. I accept what you are. But do not ask me to become it." "Five…" Luca moved behind Inferi now, the knife hovering at his throat. Vee's feet rooted to the floor, the edge of Luca's jacket gripped tightly in her fists. Her eyes, brimming with tears locked onto his, daring him to see, really see, what she was becoming in his presence. "Six…" he continued. He held the knife steady against Inferi's skin, a cold, absolute line of judgment, waiting. And in that pause, Luca realized a part of him wanted her to run, desperately. He wanted her to bolt, to retreat from this room of blood and fear, because maybe, just maybe, if she ran, he would see the futility of the obsession clawing at him from the inside. "Seven…" he murmured. "Eight…" "Nine…" Synopsis: She insulted the devil. He decided to own her. Veronica Scalese walks into New York’s elite club, ‘Commissioned’ by accident—and mouths off to the wrong man; Luciano Genovese popularly known as ‘The Devil’. He grants favours but gets your soul in return. When Luca comes to collect a debt from her father, the payment demanded is flesh. Veronica becomes both Luca’s weakness and his obsession. He burns his empire to the ground to keep her. Undressed by the Mafia God is a mafia romance story where power is foreplay, love is a liability, and the most terrifying thing a god can do… is fall.

Four teens from different parts of the world live double lives as a superhero team that protects the world from evil at any time and in any location. Working together and utilizing state-of-the-art crime-fighting technology, their superpowers, and martial arts skills, they believe they can overcome any evil force or challenge that comes their way. They also use their smarts to figure out how to stop their bad guys before they get away with whatever they're after. And if they see or hear any trouble, they immediately try to stop it, with or without their teammates.

It was prophesied that Queen Qara would give birth to a prince destined to be the next ruler of the kingdom of Hmagol, replacing the crippled crown prince. Fate twisted, and Queen Qara gave birth to Princess Chinua, giving the eldest son of the king's concubine a chance to inherit the throne. As the legs of the crippled crown prince of the Kingdom of Hmagol, Chinua and eight of her most trusted subordinates traveled across the Kingdom of  Hmagol to restore peace and stability to the citizens of Hmagol. The invasion by Zasra Kingdom compelled Chinua and her loyal companions into battle, and forever altering the course of her life.

When her family’s empire collapses overnight, Caro Beri is left with nothing but a desperate choice: lose everything… or sell her freedom to the most dangerous man in the city. Peter Shey is not just a billionaire, he is ruthless, controlling, and feared by everyone who knows him. His world runs on power, precision, and absolute loyalty. Love has no place in it. So when he offers Caro a contract marriage, it comes with one condition: no feelings, no mistakes, no betrayal. But Caro is already hiding a secret that could destroy him. Forced into his cold, luxurious world, she becomes both his greatest asset and his most dangerous weakness. As Peter begins to trust her, protect her, and need her, Caro finds herself falling for the one man she was never supposed to love. Because behind her obedience lies a truth she cannot escape: she is being controlled… and Peter Shey is the target. Every stolen glance, every touch, every moment of closeness becomes a lie wrapped in something dangerously real. And when the truth finally comes out, it won’t just break a contract, it will destroy a man who never believed in love… and a woman who was never meant to keep his heart.

“Doing the wrong thing for the right reason… never ends well for anyone.” Seven great races ruled the continent of Eldarion. Humans weren’t among them. To the world, mankind was nothing more than background noise, as insignificant as a breath of air, as laughable as a failed joke of creation. A race with no promise. No power. No future. Tyler was born into that world—a world where every “hero of humanity” was fated to fall before they could rise. So he abandoned the path of heroes entirely. He chose the road stained in shadows. He chose the power no sane soul would touch. He chose to become a demon— not for glory, but for survival. His purpose was simple: Ascend to become the strongest of the demons. Stand as a monstrous shield when the true invaders finally tear into their continent. And he succeeded. He rose higher, darker, and stronger than any being before him. But power has a price. A price he only understood when it was far too late. For in climbing toward salvation, He became the very abomination he once swore to destroy— The Desecrator. And the world whispered: “There is no lesser or greater evil. There is only evil.” Yet a more profound truth lingered in the dark: “Because sometimes, only one Evil can devour another.” *** Discord - https://discord.gg/nQEBsk3ZGX *** #Yandere_MC #Complex_Characters #No_Harem #Dark #Rare_Bloodline #Magic #Slowburn #Fated_Love #Demons #Dragons #Otherworlders #Runic_Sorcery #Evil_FL

'Do I even want to do this all again? I could just never use it. It could end now. I could just let it end...' At the brink of death, Kaius Seraphall’s seemingly useless Artifact finally activates, sending him back fifteen years in time to his home planet of Zenin. A world plagued by Demons and interspersed with other supernatural beings. Now, able to start again in an attempt to change his fate, Kai begins to manipulate the threads, desperate to avoid his demise and the betrayal that drove him to the doomed planet to begin with. But what was he going to do now with no power and only the knowledge of what was to come? And why was his closest friend, the man who had betrayed him in the past, acting so strangely towards him? He hated him…right? Spotify Playlists - Twisted Artifacts I Twisted Artifacts II Loulou

Lena Schneider, a relentless 19-year-old judoka, earns her place at the World Championships in Japan, where she must face her fiercest rival, Ava Morales. Training abroad for a month, Lena pushes herself to the limit—until she meets a Japanese fighter who begins to challenge more than just her strength.

How far would you go to protect the love in your life? Would you face ferocious beasts, demons, and all the authority of heaven? Would you forsake all that you once knew just to hold on to it? Would you push every part of your being to your uttermost limit in a brutal struggle to prove that your love is real and you won't let any aithority say otherwise? Our main characters, Zemyna and Elijah, may have to do all of that and more. They are about to find out how far they're willing and able to go to be together. After all, a goddess falling in love with a mortal, is both unprecedented an unwelcome. All of heaven is against them and the only support they have is each other. This romance story is about to hit different.

An unstoppable plague wiped out a majority of humanity, only a third of them remained. However, surviving came at a cost, as the living beings such as animals, humans, and even bugs mutated in their own specific ways. After more time passed, governments began to establish worldwide. Though, with authority and power comes conflict and war.

Feroz Khan, a 17-year-old orphan, discovers that he is the target of a secretive organization known as the "Illuminati", who are after a hidden power he inherited from his father, Qadir Khan. His father, once blessed with extraordinary abilities, left Feroz at an orphanage to protect him from his power-hungry brother and the "Free Masons". As Feroz’s abilities begin to awaken, he embarks on a dangerous journey to uncover the truth about his family’s past and his father’s fate, while evading the relentless pursuit of those who want to control him.

Li Yao wakes up in the world of Naruto, in the village of Konoha during the era of the future Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. His goal is clear: to change the destiny of the ninja world and save Minato. But everything changes on his very first day, when Minato reports him to the Anbu, suspecting him as a spy. From saving Konoha to destroying the Hidden Leaf, Li Yao’s journey has just begun. A Naruto fanfic full of transmigration, reincarnation, Ninja Academy life, dark secrets, and epic battles. Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon. Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Kira1997

Excerpt... Henry’s hand shot out, closing around her arm, firmly enough that her breath caught. “Stay…” He stood beside her, close enough that she could feel him without touching him. “I…” Livia’s voice broke before it found strength. “I didn’t flee.” She still would not fully look at him. Her eyes remained on Bella. “This is not my fault,” she whispered. “No,” Henry said at once. “It isn’t.” He looked away, then back at her. “Do you love him, Livia?” “Please,” she cried. “Stop calling me that.” “Do you love him?” he asked. “Yes,” she said. “So soon after me?” he asked. “I thought we…” He stopped. “I assumed you…” “That I what?” Livia asked, her voice trembling. “That I loved you? Henry…” she began then she caught herself. “Your Highness. I did seek solace in your arms... Yes. I will not lie about that. I wanted you. I trusted you. In a sea of sharks and wolves, you were the safest thing I could find.” Her eyes filled again. “You made me feel as though I could breathe. Turns out, you are no better.” “Why?” Henry asked quietly. “Because I am the king?” “Because you lied to me. You let me trust a man who did not exist.” “I existed.” “Henry the merchant existed because you created him.” “For good reasons, I had to keep my identity hidden,” Henry said. “The king moving around London without security,” he continued, “what do you think would happen?” “You speak as though I was asking you to announce yourself in the middle of Cheapside with trumpets and a crown. It doesn’t matter anymore,” Livia said, looking away from him. “I am getting married.” “Yes,” Henry said, the word leaving him like a blade drawn from flesh. “To my best friend. Did you tell him?” Henry asked. Livia’s brows drew together. “Tell him what?” “That I fucked you. Did you tell him I was your first? Did you tell him you once trusted me? That you once promised yourself to me because you thought I was the safest thing in your miserable world?” “That is not fair.” “Then tell me is it fair that Richard gets to call you his intended while I stand here pretending I do not know the sound of your moan? Is it fair that he holds your hand while I cannot even say your name without ruining you?” “Please stop.” “Did you tell him,” Henry pressed, unable to stop himself now, “that you were mine before you were ever his?” “How could I?” she asked, the words breaking. “I did not even know who you were.” “Then let me ask you this,” he said, leaning down just a little, his lips a hair’s breath from hers. “Has he fucked you? Has he touched what is mine?” ..... Sold into slavery and trapped in the brutal underworld of London, Livia Valenti is placed on the auction block. She makes a desperate choice and places her fate in the hands of the mysterious man who once caught her stealing. She does not know he is the King of England. Then comes Richard, Duke of Kingsmere willing to offer Livia the one thing Henry cannot easily give her— a future outside the shadows. Caught between the king who awakened her heart and the duke who may be her safest escape, Livia is pulled into a dangerous court. Livia becomes Diana Bellamy, the woman another man intends to wed, King Henry must decide how far a king can go before love becomes scandal, obsession, and war. From the author who brought you: 1. Undressed by the mafia God 2. Undressed by his arrogance 3. The Vampire's Luna

When Orion, the leader of the Nightshade Pack, finds an injured woman near his territory, he makes an impulsive decision to bring her into his pack for treatment. Doubts linger, as she may be a spy sent by the Enclave, led by the ruthless Luna, Victoria. What was supposed to be a straightforward case of recovery quickly becomes complicated. When Sophia awakens, she is plagued by amnesia, remembering only her name. Orion faces a dilemma: should he send her away or allow her to stay? Ultimately, he decides to keep her until her memories return. As Sophia adjusts to life in the Nightshade Pack, a deep connection forms between her and Orion. They begin to realize they belong together, but what will happen when Sophia’s memories start returning in fragments? Will those memories destroy not only their bond but also the safety of the entire pack? NB: Luna in this novel is a different concept, it doesn't just mean the wife of the Alpha. And also this book is rated 18.

Everyone in class received a divine gift. Kazuya, the guy who stole my childhood friend and made my life hell, was crowned SSS-rank Hero by the gods themselves. Me? They branded me F-rank trash and abandoned me in the world's strongest dungeon to die. No hidden power awakened. No goddess took pity. No system glitch turned me into a secret overlord. Just a discarded weakling. and the monster I'm prepared to become to drag that "Hero" down from his throne. [Can a tail of rot, turn to steel?]

Seventeen-year-old Kael Rykaen was never supposed to be born. His power is sealed, his clan erased, and the world he walks into was shaped by two villains who never expected him to exist. As the last heir of the Rykaen — the Sealed Flame That Burns Eternal — Kael carries an inner second soul and eyes that will one day see every hidden truth. Guided by a simple wish to find his parents, he gathers rejected outcasts and slowly unveils the masked face of Vaelryn. But the deeper he goes, the more he realizes the greatest secret of all: the world itself was created by its most ancient enemy… and now that enemy wants to unmake it. In a story of becoming known, sealed emotions, ideological villains, and long-buried truths, one warm-hearted boy must answer the question no one else could: Was this flawed, painful, beautiful world worth creating?

Vael Dusk arrived in Kuala Lumpur with forty-three dollars, a duffel bag, and two years worth of running behind him. He wasn't looking for a fight. He was looking for enough money to disappear — somewhere cold, somewhere quiet, somewhere the dead couldn't find him. He'd left the Army with a discharge paper that said *cleared* and a head that said otherwise. Four men were buried because of a call he made. He'd been paying for it ever since in the only currency he had left — movement. Never stop. Never sit still. Never let the quiet catch up. The quiet caught up anyway. It always does. One night in The Pit — Kuala Lumpur's most brutal underground fight ring — changed everything. Vael won. Not cleanly. Not carefully. He won the way a man wins when he has nothing left to protect, which is the most dangerous way there is. Victor Shen was watching from the shadows. Victor Shen is always watching. What follows is a descent. Through the underground circuit of Southeast Asia — Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, back to KL — where fighters are assets, loyalty is a leash, and the only way out is through. Vael will rise through ranks built on blood and debt and silence. He will find Raza, who sees what he is and trains him anyway. He will find Danny, who looks up to him with the specific trust of someone too young to know better. He will find Mei Lin — Victor's own niece, dismantling the empire from inside it, the one person in this world who looks at Vael and sees past the veil to whatever lives underneath. He will lose them. Not all of them. But enough. Enough to break something in him that was already cracked. Enough to turn the hidden thing loose. This is not a story about a fighter who becomes a champion. It's a story about a man who carries a demon he can barely control, in a world that will do everything it can to make him stop trying. *Some men enter the circuit looking for money.* *Some enter looking for glory.* *Vael Dusk entered looking for nothing.* *That made him the most dangerous man in the room.*

SOLD TO THE DEVIL Daniella Montenegro has spent her entire life paying for sins that were never hers. Her mother’s death. Her father’s failures. Her brother’s reckless choices. At twenty, she dances under neon lights each night just to keep food on the table for a family that has never protected her in return. When the man she was meant to marry disappears on their wedding day, Daniella believes humiliation is the worst fate waiting for her. She is wrong. By nightfall, her father’s gambling debts come due, and desperate men make desperate bargains. To settle what he owes, he offers the only thing he has left of value. His daughter. Blindfolded and delivered like payment, Daniella is taken to the secluded estate of Santiago Torres Mendoza, a man whispered about in business circles and feared everywhere else. Powerful, controlled, and mercilessly private, Santiago is not a man who explains his decisions, only enforces them. Daniella arrives with nothing: no freedom, no allies, and no way to escape. And she carries a secret of her own. Two months pregnant with a child whose father she cannot name, she is forced to sign a contract that claims her body, her future, and her unborn child. Survival becomes her only goal as she is pulled into Santiago’s dangerous world of luxury negotiations, shadowed alliances, and corruption powerful enough to erase lives without consequence. But everything changes the moment Santiago truly looks at her. Because Daniella Montenegro has her mother’s face, the face of the woman he lost twenty-three years ago. A woman whose disappearance left wounds that time never healed and secrets buried deep enough to destroy empires. What begins as a transaction becomes a fragile and dangerous alliance. As enemies close in and the truth about Daniella’s past begins to surface, Santiago finds himself protecting the one person he was never meant to care about, while Daniella discovers that the most terrifying prison is not the contract that binds her, but the man whose darkness may be the only thing keeping her alive. In a world ruled by power, loyalty, and betrayal, the greatest threat is not the devil who bought her… But the woman who refuses to belong to anyone.