Yua is the Lady many men want for her beauty, but what about what is inside? Will she be able to find someone who loves her for who she really is?
Story set during a time women were meant to just be pretty 'dolls' at home.

Sheen, a famous book author of romance and a victim of unrequited love, finds herself in need of true romance for a new novel. She stumbles upon young men while thirsty to create the novel she needs to write, she jumps from one romance to another to create the perfect romantic book she can ever write.

A collection of Ten Gay Romance Novels.

Volume One: Like Sugar.

Jared Abitol is ugly, past his prime and desperate for love. 

But when you look like Jared love isn't easy to find. Jared might not have the looks, but he has the money, so giving up on love and settling for the next best thing is all he can do.

With the help of a colleague, Jared Abitbol reaches an agreement with Darnell Miller. Jared pays his college fees and rent, while Darnell puts up with shitty sex with an older man.

Sounds simple enough, doesn't it?

It's not.

Volume Two: May-December

After filing his company for bankruptcy, Kyle's wife leaves him and his three-year-old son. Now a forty-two-year-old divorcee with no parenting skills or money, Kyle decides to move back to the small home town he grew up in. 

He should have lost all hope in love and romance, but there's something about Chaska, his son's preschool teacher, that just makes him feel like a college student in love again.

Upcoming Volumes:
- Acceptance.
- Why I Love Him
- Learning to Love
- Aristocrat
- Kissing Wounds

A collection of Ten Gay Romance Novels.

Volume One: Like Sugar.

Jared Abitol is ugly, past his prime and desperate for love. 

But when you look like Jared love isn't easy to find. Jared might not have the looks, but he has the money, so giving up on love and settling for the next best thing is all he can do.

With the help of a colleague, Jared Abitbol reaches an agreement with Darnell Miller. Jared pays his college fees and rent, while Darnell puts up with shitty sex with an older man.

Sounds simple enough, doesn't it?

It's not.

Volume Two: May-December

After filing his company for bankruptcy, Kyle's wife leaves him and his three-year-old son. Now a forty-two-year-old divorcee with no parenting skills or money, Kyle decides to move back to the small home town he grew up in. 

He should have lost all hope in love and romance, but there's something about Chaska, his son's preschool teacher, that just makes him feel like a college student in love again.

Volume Three:  Why I Love Him

Johnathan has always been helplessly in love with Wayne.
  
 Wayne, the top of his college's engineering class. Wayne, the student council president. Wayne, the best graduating student in their class. 

Wayne and Johnathan used to have something, something Johnathan thought was a relationship, but when Wayne cuts all contact with him after they graduate, and Johnathan starts hearing rumors about Wayne getting married, he realizes that wasn't the case.
  
Fast forward to the future were Wayne is asking for a second chance. Johnathan wants to hate him with every fiber of his body, but he can't just understand why in the world he was still in love with him.

Upcoming Volumes:
- Why I Love Him
- Learning to Love
- Acceptance.
- My Type Of Socializing
- Kissing Wounds
- Aristocrat

"Why isn't she a fan of office romance, by the way?"
Tohru James looked up from the sofa towards the speaker. He was a man in his late twenties with a playful demeanor. Alex Li, Hong Kong's business king grinned at him as he stood behind Kang Jinho with his cue stick, waiting for his turn.
"They're a natural phenomenon, aren't they?" he added with a wink.
"Well, not all are office playboys like you, you know?" their eldest, Park Yushin, a handsome man in his late thirties teased.  
"That's right big bro Alex. An ultimate playboy like you can't understand," Michael Chen, another hunk in his late twenties teased.
The others in their group, Liam Kang, Alvin So, Jason Tan, Peter Choi, Henry Song, and Jung Yunho, all dashing and successful young men joined in on the bullying. After all, among all of them, Alex was the Casanova with a reputation – but that was before he met and married his wife.
"Hey, stop ganging up on me and just answer the question," Alex countered as he pointed at Tohru. "We're trying to help you out here, Little Brother. But we can't do that if we don't know the history."
With that kind of reasoning, of course, nobody would try and tease him anymore. Tohru James, on the other hand, sighed heavily, and so the others' interest in knowing the story became stronger. All eyes were on their youngest, waiting for him to speak. They all knew that after Yanee Lee did her interview, Tohru immediately had someone investigate her background to know more about her. Why?
The lovesick fool couldn't ask the girl about herself in the entire week they spent time together during the interview…
"Well?" Peter prompted, and Tohru sighed again.
They were right anyway. He couldn't keep things from them since they'd literally crossed continents to help him out. Most of these men were abroad on their business trips when their wives called and asked them to give their youngest the "godly assist". Well, Tohru also knew they mostly got threatened by their wives too if they didn't cooperate, but nevertheless, he appreciated them.
All ten men were his big brothers – close friends he treated like family.
"Bad experience," Tohru James answered blandly.
When they talked about relationships during the interview, Yanee had immediately unknowingly shot his plans of normal courtship. The moment she said she's not interested in romance – most especially the ones at the workplace, Tohru got curious as to why. To understand her better, he had resorted to a security agency to check her background.
Lo and behold, the girl he had taken an interest in was highly allergic to romantic relations due to a jerk at her former office. She had been green in the field of work and romance then. She had started working at a small publishing company in Nagoya and was assigned to help out at an editor's office for her training.
"A former superior took advantage of her naivety in her former work. She fell in love but realized too late she was nothing but a game to him,"Tohru told his friends with a grim expression.
"What a jerk," Henry commented with a scowl.
"The guy flirted shamelessly but he was already engaged to be married," Tohru continued the story blandly.
"Death," Peter announced. "Do you want us to kill the jerk?"
"Why would you bother?" Jinho countered. "If the guy wasn't a jerk then Yanee would have been with him and our Little Brother's love life would be nonexistent."
Tohru sighed. He already thought about that. He initially wanted to hunt down the guy and punish him on Yanee's behalf, but didn't because if he was a nice guy then she wouldn't have transferred to Tokyo where they met.
And she would have been another man's girl right now.
Tohru read in the report that Yanee was obviously taken with the guy and worked really hard for his sake. He also read that she fell into depression when he got married.
"Anyway, what are we going to do again?" Alvin asked.
Among all the guys, he was the only one whose wife was not able to explain things well. He just knew that Tohru needed help, but as to why and how, he had no idea.
"Yunjae and the girls will be doing interviews with Yanee for the book anthology. It's called Office Diaries," Yushin explained.
"And the book is for?"
"It's to make Yanee realize that Office Romance can be real by sharing our stories," Jason quipped as he popped a cracker in his mouth and chewed. "We're going to be characters in a book."
Alvin was amazed as he looked at Tohru. "You really are publishing this book?"
Tohru snorted and nodded his head. "It's going to be a secret project, alright? Can you imagine my name having to do with anything romantic?"
All men in the room shook their heads. Tohru James was a celebrity editor, but he had never, ever made a project related to romance before. His cool image would be forever shattered.
"Poor girl. She'd be mad when she realizes what she's working hard for," Alvin commented.
Kang Jinho, however, had a different take on the situation. "She's working hard to realize that happiness can be found with her boss – the boss who's crazy in love with her."
"Not bad," Alvin remarked afterwards. "What else do you need Little Brother?"
With this Tohru smiled. "Your wives already arranged for everything. All I need is for that woman to notice me," he said sulkily, making everyone laugh.
"Well, good luck on that," Jason stated, just as Tohru's phone rang.
Tohru saw Yanee's name on the caller ID and he signaled for the guys to be quiet. "Yes?"
"Boss, is there some kind of a mistake here?"
Yanee's voice sounded confused, making Tohru smile. By now, she's already at the hotel, and she's probably wondering why she's being treated, first class.
"What mistake?" He kept his tone casual and cool, making his big brothers smile.
"The accommodations are over the top. I feel like Cinderella here," she confessed, making his smile bigger as he continued to listen to her story about the manager personally picking her up from the airport and so on.
"Don't worry. The accommodation's all from our sponsor. They're eager for this project so you have to work hard in return," he added as he gave a salute to Yushin, the sponsor who owned Grand Blue Hotels.
After that, Yanee seemed to calm down and said goodbye.
"She's freaking out?"Yushin asked with amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Big Sis Jisoo gave her the presidential suite. Who wouldn't freak out?"Tohru laughed as he reached for his drink and raised his glass.
The others followed suit. "To the greatest project of Tohru James," Kang Jinho announced, and they all clinked their glasses for the toast.  


Kindly go to instagram for status updates 
instagram: 
schreient_rui 


An Office Romance Anthology...

Yanee Lee was a budding lifestyle writer. She was always aiming to become the best in her chosen field. Sadly, a brutal take over in the publishing company happened just as she was about to get it big. 

Worse, she found her dream job snatched away from under her nose, and she was transferred to the novel department with an ultimatum handed out by the new cold-hearted Editor-in-Chief: Write an anthology of work-related romance that would sell or get out!

With the help of her friends and family, Yanee would go on an adventure to research about the best stories for her series: The Office Diaries. 

Join Yanee as she interviews many different people, and learn about different tales of love and life. 

Who knew, through this, she would also find her own love story in the form of her irritating boss, the Editor-in-Chief who gave her the ultimatum, Tohru James?




Join Office Diaries' discord here: https://discord.gg/Vv7uPrN

or get me coffee here for my effort?
https://ko-fi.com/schreient

(cont'd) ((AUTHOR's NOTE: Don't take Tayaw's opinions on women seriously.)
"Wow… That sure killed the room, huh…" Tayaw says to Aiden after looking around.
"Huh.. Sure did. HAHA!" Aiden tries to cheer himself up.
"Well. What do I know? Don't listen to me. I'm an idiot, AND a kid, who isn't even 20 yet. I know nothing." Tayaw shrugs while eyeing the same ladies who are giving him hostile gazes. He almost chuckles as he saw them get angered more.
"If that's how you think. Then you'd really have a hard time in the future once you finally decide to start a family." Aiden says.
"Maybe. And maybe, something will change my mind. But for now, I'm still young. I'd rather stay single than get together with the wrong person. I have a lot of fun things to do to be distracted by heartbreak." Tayaw says.
*applause* the men in the audience sympathize with Tayaw.  
"Then… how about just dating for the sake of being a musician and a director? Experiencing romance will give you inspiration in making romance films and romantic songs." Aiden says.
"Nah. Other people's experiences are enough for me for inspiration. Have you heard some of my songs, man? They're romantic. Even if you didn't, people who love country love them." Tayaw shrugs.
"Okay. How about making a romantic film?" Aiden asks.
"uh.. September Ninth?" Tayaw says.
"Nope… I remember clearly you saying that 'September Ninth' was not a romantic film." Aiden says, barely suppressing his smugness at trapping Tayaw in his own words.
"Well, whatever… I'm not planning on making a romantic film soon anyway. I'm just saying. I'm romantic enough by myself." Tayaw throws back a ridiculous reply.
*laughter* The audience find the double entendre amusing.
"I mean. I think that other men too are romantic enough by themselves." Tayaw adds *groan* *laughter* getting more reaction from the crowd, the ladies disgusted, the men are amused.
"Are you sure we're still talking about romance?" Aiden says, riding on Tayaw's joke.
"Psh. Yeah I'm talking about romance! Tell me, Aiden. Who do you think is more romantic? Men or women?" Tayaw asks.
Aiden's face freezes, familiar with the feeling of the path things will take once Tayaw starts asking questions back.
"Well. I think women." Aiden says, in caution.
"OBJECTION!" Tayaw slams the couch's arm, startling Aiden.
Then *groan* *ooohhh* the audience are caught off-guard by Tayaw's reaction.
"Jesus Christ. What was that?" Aiden says, catching his breath.
"I'm sorry. I just get so passionate sometimes." Tayaw says, playfully.
*laughter in the audience*
"Okay. How was I wrong then?" Aiden says.
"I'm not saying you're wrong. I just disagree, based on what I've seen. First of all, why do you think you're right?" Tayaw asks back.
Aiden rubs his eyebrows, preparing for another round of chaos.
"I don't know really. They're more caring? They consume romantic books and movies more." Aiden says, as rational as he can.
"Caring. True. Romance fiction consumption? True too. But I still disagree. I associate romance with love. And dare I say AS WELL, men love women more than women love men." Tayaw says.
*OOOHHH* *APPLAUSE* the crowd becomes divided at that.
"PUhah! W-what are you talking about?" Aiden's voice raises in laughter at Tayaw's ridiculous claim.  
"Let's talk about love songs. How do you know if a love song is written by a male or a female songwriter?" Tayaw asks.
"Hmm. I don't know?" Aiden says.
"Another question, and please answer honestly, do you prefer songs by male singers or female singers?" Tayaw asks again.
"I guess male singers' songs. I especially like 'I Only Want You' by Summer Alaska." Aiden says.  
"Hmm. Good song, right?" Tayaw says, approving of Aiden's taste in music.
"What does this have to do with your first question?" Aiden asks.
" 'hmm~ I'll be the mountain you can stand on, be the hand you can hold, when you get old…'" Tayaw sings a line of the song. 
"That is written by a man. A romantic man." Tayaw says.
"Man, of course. Summer Alaska is a rock band of guys." Aiden says.
"yeah. But the subject, the idea. Male songwriters write more about sacrifice for a woman. They sing stuff like 'I'll climb a mountain for you' 'I'll leave my job for you' 'I'll catch a bullet for you'. Right?" Tayaw says.
"Yeah… Yeah, that makes sense." Aiden nods.
"How about female songwriters? 'Put your arms around me' 'Take my breath away' 'Take a chance on me'… Familiar, man?" Tayaw says.
"Uhuh… I see it…" Aiden immediately realizes what Tayaw is saying.
"Yes! While men write songs on how to GIVE GIVE GIVE their love for a girl, women write songs that WANT WANT WANT. IT'S UNFAIR! I have to give you something before you give something back? THAT's not love! That's being a child!" Tayaw says with fake anger.
*laughter*
"Girl, why do I have to climb mountains to make me love you? Why not chase me, too? I'm tired! Why do I have to catch a bullet for you? I'll be dead! You selfish asshole!" Tayaw continues riffing.
*laughter* *applause*
"Oh! OH! Another thing! How about sad love songs? Men write songs on how it's their fault, that they should have worked harder to love, that they're sorry, over and over and over again. How about women's love songs? They just talk about how they feel!
"Ooh. 'I feel hurt'. Ooh. 'I wish you heart break'. They rarely apologize man! ARE YOU A QUEEN? ARE YOU A SAINT? ARE YOU JESUS? What about ME? What about MY FEELINGS?!" Tayaw continues his comparisons in exaggerated passion.
*LAUGHTER* *WHOOO* *APPLAUSE* At this point, Aiden and the audience are almost unanimously clamoring in laughter, not because the comparisons are outrageously funny, but because Tayaw's passionate delivery.  
"Alright. Calm down, Isaac. I hear you." Aiden says, knowing that Tayaw is joking, but his words are effective in calming down the room again.
"It's unfair, you know?" Tayaw says, wiping his fake tears under his huge sunglasses amusing the crowd more.
Aiden seeing this, can only give up leading the show and instead act as an assistant for Tayaw's jokes and an arbiter.  
"I know. I know buddy. But those are just songs." Aiden says in fake consolation.
"BUT NOT JUST SONGS! IT's everywhere in the movies! Why do I have to chase a girl in an airport? Why do I have to make a spectacle just to propose? No, dude. If a girl sees how I love her, then she shouldn't make me go through all that stuff that might break my wallet or send me to jail." Tayaw starts once again.
*OOHH* *LAUGHTER* the men audience are riled up once again.
"That's just in the movies, buddy. It's not like that in real life." Aiden says in fake assurance. *laughter*.
"I know. But in real life, I think men love women more than the other way around though." Tayaw says. *ooohhh* "What makes you say that? My wife and I love each other equally." Aiden says. *oohhh*
"Good for you… But… I mean…" Tayaw takes a deep breath.
"Look. Say, in a relationship, a SERIOUS one, what happens after a break-up? If I may ask, what happened when one of your past relationships ended?" Tayaw asks.
Aiden hesitates in answering but because he does not want to block Tayaw's flow, he obliges.
"20 or so years ago. I was in a relationship with a girl I met in college. We dated for three years but after graduation, it didn't work out." Aiden starts.
"A month after we broke up. I saw her with a new guy walking along ***** Boulevard and they were holding hands." Aiden says.
"I bet you were still dealing with the break-up?" Tayaw asks.
"Yes and it was miserable. BUT that's just me, and her. My thing doesn't apply to everybody." Aiden says.
"Yeah. Your story doesn't prove my point, of course. But, you're not the only man I know who had the same experience. According to what I've seen, and from the men I've made friends with, a man will take months, even years to recover. A lady will take what? Half? A fraction of the time a man does to move on. I therefore conclude that men love women more than the other way around." Tayaw says.
*WHOO* *BOOO* The crowd is now divided, *LAUGHTER* but find Tayaw's rambling amusing too as there is some truth to it.  
"Here's another thing I noticed. No, I really tried my best looking this up… In a young marriage, like a couple in their 30s or 40s… when a spouse dies, what happens?" Tayaw asks Aiden.
"… I don't even wanna know." Aiden says, dodging the question this time as the subject seems heavier.
"If the wife dies, the man would mourn, which is a given. After that, what happens?Half the time, they re-marry, half the time, they would never re-marry ever again. The stuff that belonged to their wife would bring back memories and the man would have a hard time throwing her stuff away. Right?" Tayaw asks.
"That kinda covers it, yes." Aiden says.
"What happens if the husband dies?" Tayaw asks again.
"The same, I guess?" Aiden says.
"Yes. But there's a small and important difference…" Tayaw says, pausing for three seconds to build up suspense which is effective as *murmur* the audience is brewing in anticipation.
"… there'd be … PUHAHA!" Before Tayaw can even conclude his comparisons, he bursts out laughter.
*Laughter* Aiden and the audience laugh with Tayaw too, but mixed with it, some nervousness.
"There'd be… Puhhhh.." Tayaw bursts out again.
"Man… I can't finish the joke. I'm sorry. *giggle* It's kinda messed up." Tayaw says.
*Laughter* The audience this time laugh in relief.
"Come on. You already set it up that long, what were you gonna say?" Aiden is curious.
"I was gonna say. If a young husband dies in a marriage, his widow will start a garage sale right after his funeral." Tayaw delivers finally. *OOOHHH* *GROAAANN* *giggles* The audience members are shocked but somehow cannot stop themselves from seeing the humor in the dark joke.
"Yeah. The guitar, his video game console, his signed baseball, his signed jersey. I wouldn't be surprised if she sold them for $20 each." Tayaw stretches his joke.
*LAUGHTER in the audience*
"PUHAHAhhaa. OHHH my GOD! Man, you're crazy!" Aiden loses it.
"I kinda am~! I told you I didn't want to say it. Now the pedestrians of Los Angeles are all shocked." Tayaw says.
"EUGHH..Jesus Christ. Let's cut this short to commercial break before you say something worse." Aiden shakes his head.
"That would be best." Tayw nods, feeling great at playing the room's emotions. The producers also sigh in relief, very unsure if they can even air the episode.  
~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~
"We're back with more of Isaac."
*APPLAUSE* The taping continues after a short break.
"We have a ten or so minutes left. Is there anything you want to talk about? I mean, when you're the guest, we really don't prepare, so we just have to go all the way in winging it." Aiden says.
"Hnn. I don't really know what else to talk about." Tayaw says, wanting Aiden to lead the interview this time.
"Well, is there anything else you're up to?" Aiden asks.
"Nothing really. I've spent a few months making a film and I think I need a break. Also, it's been a while since I released my first album, '18' and my country album 'On the Road' so I think it's time for me to write new songs again. I have to release an album called '19' while I'm still, you know, 19." Tayaw casually promotes his album and his future one.
"While I'd really LOVE to see more of your stuff, there's no rush for you. You're young with plenty of energy, but you also shouldn't work yourself so hard." Aiden says.
"Yeah. Maybe I should travel too. Is there a place you can recommend?" Tayaw asks.
"Ever been to Europe? Italy's a nice place." Aiden recommends having grown up with Italian-Americans.
"Ahh.. Ho passato un sacco di tempo in Italia gia." Tayaw says. (any Italian readers? SOrry. It's google translate.)
"…" This silences the studio.
"I don't know what you said, but I'm guessing you're skipping Italy?" Aiden says. "Yeah. Either way, I might decide to travel." Tayaw nods.  
"Mmm. By the way, you were so happy talking about singing in Grand Country Opera, but how come didn't play for us tonight?" Aiden asks.
*groan* The audience express their disappointment as they realize what they have missed out on.
"Well, I thought if I wanna play again for the show, I really wanna collaborate again with Da Bellum Burning folks, but because I only had yesterday as a heads up, I had no time to work something out with them." Tayaw tips his hat to the members of the house band.  
"Dude. We have a guitar and a drummer. You have all you need." Shaheed says with his mic, which he only uses for singing.
*applause* The audience love the idea followed by "SING! SING! SING!" an urging chanting.
"Alright." Tayaw, not wanting to disappoint the audience, stands up and walks towards the band with light steps.
*applause* the audience is pleased to see Tayaw happily oblige to their request.


A/N : Alt Title - Jack of Entertainment 

Title : Jack of Arts

Synopsis:
Tayaw is a talented musician who never got to fulfill his potential. After losing his purpose in an unfulfilled life full of regrets; he is given the chance to go back in time and do everything over again.Along with a mysterious gift and an unclear mission, Tayaw starts a new life, this time making his mark to the world.
"Tayaw is a once in a hundred years musical artist! I just wish he was born in my generation"
- Buddy Rich, two-time Gramophone Award winner
"I admit he's a good musician, but he's an author first and foremost. He is changing the world of literature for the better."
- Helena Paddington, Outcault Prize for Fiction winner, Sohlman Prize for Literature winner.
"Despite being a musician and an author, he is to me, the greatest blessing to the film industry. This is his era."
- Heo Dong-jun, two-time Academy Award winner for Best Director and three-time nominee.

"I don't like him. Why does he use actors who didn't train and grind on the stage? He says he doesn't like my acting? What the hell does the kid know about acting? I've won awards for f*cks sake!"
- Merrell Street, five-time Academy Award winner for Best Actor, three-time Toby Award winner for Best Actor.




---------------
A ground work for a novel idea in the future.
---------------
English is not my first language so excuse my limited vocabulary and bad grammar. thanks

Hi!  If you are only just starting to read this novel, I strongly recommend you start reading the official version of this novel on my webpage: BuyMeACoffee.com/PageTurner
For that version, I fixed all the plot holes and added new important plots that will be mentioned again and again.  Also, that's where you can read the ENTIRE book! **New chapters will not be updated here on Webnovel***
Please go to:  BuyMeACoffee.com/PageTurner  for the complete novel (which includes 17 missing chapters in-between and 10+ final chapters).
Oh!! By the way, I've started a new novel called "Damage Controllers."  It a male-lead modern thriller.  "Damage Controllers" is on Webnovel.  So feel free to take a look at that one, too!  :-)
For female readers who love romance, I'm also writing a contemporary romance novel "In Love With Three Men," so if you want even more love and romance, please search for that one as well!

Louis has become the most-hated man after being cursed. Hidden enemies start to appear and he is told things can get worse. 
He takes on a new journey to try to break the curse, but he finds himself falling in love with a woman who wants him dead. 
He also unexpectedly discovers a scheme and a mysterious past- this is not just about him anymore. 
Can he stop the enemies' evil plans?  Can he tell who are friends and who are foes?  Will the woman fall in love with him even though she tries to kill him? 
**All Rights Reserved. No part of this work can be transferred, copied, used in any way.
**My other Webnovels: Damage Controllers (male-lead, thriller);
In Love With Three Men (female-lead, steamy romance).
**To read the ENTIRE "Prince Charming Loses Charm," visit bio.link/PageTurner for the link to read (FREE!) It has all the missing chapters in between and the final chapters of this story.

"Oh? Hehe...really? Would you look at that! Three rich guys who just want some fun...haha" Flair smiled coyly at the man in the middle and pulled on his necktie towards her. He stumbled a bit, obviously drunk.

Time passed by fast. Drinks came to their table nonstop. As their laughter molded with the music, the three women eyed each other. One of them stood up and excused herself to go to the comfort room. 

When Flair saw the signal, she swept her hand over the newly ordered drinks. Three small pills fell on the glasses. When she saw that there were no more traces of the pills, she gave the glasses to the three men. "Drink more, we will be reserving rooms here tonight, would you stay with us?" A coy smile played on her lips. She even rubbed her chest into one of the men's arms. It made the man blush and laugh excitedly.

"That's a yes, I guess?" the other girl chuckled. She nodded slowly at Flair as she sipped on her margarita.

Tipsy and nauseous, the three men suggested going the rented rooms to 'rest' as they say.

Three women in sequin tube dresses sat on a sofa. The three men were individually sprawled in different rooms. The loud snores could be heard from the connecting room where the three women were.

"We took the snapshots and all," Teri, a blonde on Flair's side flashed a dozen atm cards in Flair's line of sight. "Can I? Can I?" She even blinked a few times making a cute face.

Flair giggled. "Go ahead. Just make sure you can't be traced."

Shrieks soon followed two pairs of clacking heels outside the rooms. When she was left alone, she dialed someone on her phone. "Hey, the three are literally knocked out and in Club A, rooms 1, 2, and 3. Ready for pick-up." After saying her line, she ended the call in a flash.

After a few minutes, a white van stopped in an alley near the club. Under the cover of the night, three unconscious men were shoved inside the van with their heads covered in black bags.

In a dark room

One lamp hangs loosely on the ceiling while a man was bound in a chair. It looked like the typical mafia setting for torture and interrogation. 

"Here is the plot twist, Mr. Ai." A chubby shadow of a woman flashed on the screen in front of the man. Only her brown eyes can be seen visible on the whole screen, everything else has been blurred by the shadow. "Instead of torturing you, we are going to actually expose someone's dirty business inside your company and propose a solution. Enjoy the show." 

The screen changed into a bodycam captured scene. Even if he was still a little groggy from the drug, he could still recognize the woman in that video. Her signature red dress, that alluring smile, and those documents she was signing as selling half of the company to an unknown buyer made his blood boil in anger. 

"Since she sold half of the company, you know very well Mr. Ai that she would not be held responsible for any untoward events that will happen within the company she established. You can't blame her for your plans to fail. Add the kidnappings and deaths of your own actors as Mr. and Mrs. Stone, then the only one left to be persecuted would be the next powerful man in the company...you." The woman in the video spoke indifferently.

"What do you want?" asked Mr. Ai.

"We want to buy the whole company at a low but still manageable price. The documents are in the table in front of you along with the pieces of evidence of the crimes your company committed. You can think about our proposal for a few hours...if you are still alive by then."
~~~~~~~~~~

"Let me clear this up, Mr. Stone." Maia leaned on the bar counter where Daemon placed the ice bag. She squinted her eyes at him.

"This is not a web novel story where the weak and stupid woman turns rich and falls in love with a big shot, i.e. you. Hell, this isn't even a romance filled with flowers and whatnots! Both of us are bloodshed people pretending to be normal ones. So, stop attempting to start something you're going to regret later on. Our show ended when I stepped down from the position. You can leave now." Arms crossed over her chest and her head tilted to the side of the door, she asked him as politely as she could. 

"I'm not expecting a whirlwind romance from you. And I'm not even asking for you to play your goddamn role as a wife, Wife." He was seething as he stepped forward towards her and hissed the words out of his mouth. Veins started to pop out from his neck. "My father made so many mistakes and I am trying to-"

"Trying to undo what has been done? As if you could erase the scars I have in me." 

"No, I just wanted to see the same smile you had as a child when I saw your picture," he calmed himself down and wore a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Well, I guess you don't need it...Wife." 

Heavy footsteps landed on the floor. And the banging of the kitchen door signaled that she was alone...again. She sighed and massaged her temples. 'That's right, Maia. This is not a romance novel. It could be a story about resurrecting the dead or even a gathering of powerful monsters in the forms of human, but definitely NOT a romance story.' She tried to convince herself. 

"Madame, all your other things are inside the house. I would request for my own place near here if that's ok." Farrah didn't look at Maia's eyes. She didn't even smile as she greeted her before she entered. 

"Then go." Maia felt herself getting cold with all the people around her. This was how it felt like years ago. 'Years ago in that lonely room.'

She turned her back and took the ice bag from the bar counter. "Remember Farrah, this was part of the plan."

"Understood." Farrah looked at her with empty eyes, the way they met for the first time.

Stones Inc. has never shown the real faces of its owners - Mr. and Mrs. Stone. Always showing actors who pose as the power couple, the world barely catches a glimpse of the couple and then another shows up due to unfortunate 'incidents'.

With the Stones Inc. shaking under the pressure of the business world, will the heirs really show up and save the falling empire? Or will everyone start to hunt down the couple just like what happens every time?

Note: Cover and story owned by BloodMoondust. 

Warning: Content would have scenes of psychological and physical abuse and bloody fights. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

But most of all... enjoy.

PART ONE: Quarterback Sneak
"All men are assholes."
Stacy Halligan slouched in a corner of her couch, feet propped up on the coffee table. A half-finished glass of wine—her third—rested on the side table by her hand. Somehow, the smooth flavor of the merlot hadn't eased the sharp edge of pain she rode. Instead, it tasted more like vinegar.
"I assume present company excepted?" Max Sullivan, stretched out in her big armchair, grinned at her, and took a swallow of beer.
"You're just a man in the generic meaning of the word," she grumped.
His smile disappeared. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Don't get your shorts in a twist." Stacy levered herself up and took a sip of the wine, making a face. "I mean, you have all the right equipment." She ran her gaze over his tall, muscular body. "At least, I assume you do, since I haven't seen it firsthand. But I never think of you as a man. Exactly."
He frowned. "And exactly how do you think of me?"
"You're my best friend. My bud. My comfort zone." She flopped a hand at him. "You know. We hang out together. Drink beer and eat pizza. Tell each other shit. I don't have to worry if my makeup's messed up or I'm wearing the right clothes."
"Yeah?" Max cocked his head. "I'm not sure if I should be flattered or insulted."
Stacy scowled. What bothered him tonight? Usually he sat there listening while she vented about her latest romantic disaster, making appropriate comments. At least, appropriate to her.
They'd been neighbors for three years, ever since she bought the condo next to his. When he came over to introduce himself and she learned he was a football player, backup quarterback for the city's NFL team, the Warriors, she blew him off. She had been ready to write him off as a muscle-bound jerk who used and discarded women and barely had room to fit himself and his ego in the same room.
Max, however, was persistent in his and actually turned out to be a nice guy with a great sense of humor. Since neither of them seemed to fit the other's dating profile, they didn't have to do the usual mating dance. Instead, they became very comfortable together, hanging out on weekends when they had no other plans, helping out when circumstances called for it.
Like now, when her latest so-called romance crashed and burned like a comet falling from the sky.
She liked Max. Really liked him. He made no demands on her except to take in his mail and keep an eye on his place when he traveled with the team. In return, he provided refreshments on nights like tonight when her life fragmented again and she needed someone to help her pick up the pieces.
How did she make such consistently poor choices where men were concerned? You'd think the feature writer for a woman's magazine would have a better grasp of what men were all about. Would have a stronger bullshit meter. But no, she simply kept going from one disaster to another. Maybe it came from being the gray dove to a peacock of an older sister. Or a hangover from college where her roommate barely passed her classes yet scored very high in hot men. So she'd concentrated on her writing, her career, secretly hoping some man would come along and coax her out of her bland environment.
Unfortunately, she chose men very unwisely.
Assholes.
Why couldn't she fall for someone like Max? And why suddenly think of Max and romance in the same breath?
She had to admit he was damn appealing, with his tall, muscular athlete's body. Mouthwatering, even in the ragged T-shirt and worn jeans he wore. His midnight black hair, the thick kind women loved to run their fingers through, and his ocean blue eyes, framed by equally dark eyebrows and lashes, were what romance novels would call mesmerizing. Lips that looked as if they knew their way around a woman's mouth.
Jeez, Stacy. Get over it. What's with you? This is Max. Solid, comfortable, dependable Max. My brain must be cooked because of my latest self-inflicted disaster.
"Stacy?"
She blinked, suddenly aware he spoke to her.
"Huh?" She blinked again. "What?"
"Where did you go in that pretty head of yours? You zoned right out on me."
Giving herself a mental shake, she reached for the wine again. One word stuck in her mind.
"You think I'm pretty?"
Max tilted his head, studying her. "Of course I do. You're a damn fine looking woman."
"Oh, great. Damn fine looking. You sound like you're describing my mother. Or worse, my grandmother." She lifted her wine glass then set it back down. It had truly lost its flavor for her tonight.
Max set his beer on the floor beside him and hitched forward in his chair.
"What's this really all about, Stace? Is it that jerk, Kurt? I told you he was a loser. You should have listened to me."
"You say that about every man I introduce you to," she pointed out.
"Maybe you take up with the wrong men," he suggested.
"What?" She gritted her teeth. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Don't get your panties in a twist. It's just that ever since I've known you, the men you hook up with have been asswipes."
"Asswipes? Good word. I like that better than assholes."
"Anyway, you've had breakups before. Plenty since I've known you. What's so bad about the latest one that it's got you all uptight?"
She chewed on her bottom lip. How could she explain it to him? She shared the blame. She obviously didn't put thought into the men she chose or the relationships that developed with them. She spent so much time on assignments for the magazine she just hadn't put the right kind of effort into her dating situation.
She already knew the other females at work thought her a dating loser. When they talked about hot weekends, she slugged down nonfat decaf lattes and wrapped herself in the misery of her latest breakup. She'd stopped contributing to their dating adventure stories since hers always had such pathetic endings. Why couldn't she hold onto a man?
Kurt was merely the latest mistake, but also the worst. She never should have dated someone on the staff, especially the hot marketing guy everyone lusted over. Her problem? Flattered he asked her out, she'd ignored the warnings from her colleagues that she was not his type and she'd just get hurt. Not his type? What the hell did that mean? Did they have such a low opinion of her because she didn't flaunt her body and make an ass of herself the way a lot of the other females did? Well, whatever. Now, not only had she been dumped but she'd also been exposed to a humiliation way too public for her satisfaction. She did her best to ignore the I-told-you-so looks even as she imagined all the whispered comments.





USA Today best-selling and award-winning author Desiree Holt
writes everything from romantic suspense and paranormal to erotic. and has been referred to by USA Today as the Nora Roberts of erotic romance, and is a winner of the EPIC E-Book Award, the Holt Medallion and a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice nominee. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA Today, The (London) Daily Mail, The New Delhi Times and numerous other national and international publications.

Quarterback Sneak

When Stacy Halligan is dumped by her boyfriend just before Valentine’s Day, she’s in desperate need of a date of the office party—where her ex will be front and center with his new hot babe. Max, the hot quarterback next door who secretly loves her and sees this as his chance. But he only has until Valentine’s Day to score a touchdown. 

Unnecessary Roughness

Ryan McCabe, sexy football star, is hiding from a media disaster, while Kaitlyn Ross is trying to resurrect her career as a magazine writer. Renting side by side cottages on the Gulf of Mexico, neither is prepared for the electricity that sparks between them…until Ryan discovers Kaitlyn’s profession, and, convinced she’s there to chase him for a story, cuts her out of his life. Getting past this will take the football play of the century. 


Sideline Infraction

Sarah York has tried her best to forget her hot one night stand with football star eau Perini. When she accepts the job as In House counsel for the Tampa Bay Sharks, the last person she expects to see is their newest hot star—none other than Beau. The spark is definitely still there but Beau has a personal life with a host of challenges. Is their love strong enough to overcome them all?


''Young master, I found out something about the little Miss today'' Butler James said as he placed a brown envelope on the table.
''Is she in some trouble?'' Jasper asked as he tore the envelope.
''I'm afraid so…'' Butler James said cautiously and noticed the movement of Jasper's hands come to a stop.
''What is it?''
''8 months ago, someone fell from the rooftop of the school. The young Miss pushed him down back then''
''What?'' Jasper frowned when heard that.
''But, that is only a rumour. She was framed by her best friend called Samantha. The school intended to expel her but, the Principal used to be a benefactor of her late grandfather hence, she only asked her to go for rehabilitation which she went''
''That explains why I didn't know anything about her since moving into the area. She seems more interesting the more I get to know her. She looks smart but stupid in reality. Who is this friend?'' Jasper smirked.
''Sir, here are pictures of them this morning. She is called Samantha Logan. The young Miss' cousin doesn't seem to really like this friend because she believes the young Miss to be innocent'' Butler James pointed at the envelope and Jasper opened it.
''At least she has someone trustworthy with her''
''Her grandfather is the man Old Mr. Miles mentioned before. That he owes his life to him''
''That old man probably owes half of the city for his life because of his behaviour'' Jasper shook his head, remembering his grandfather.
''Sir, are you still going to take the house away from the young Miss? If the old man finds out; he will be very angry with you''
''I don't need anyone who could be a possible weakness to me in the future. Before she finds out about the relationship between Old Miles and her grandfather, she has to relocate. Even Noah seems to like her. What exactly do they see in her?'' Jasper suddenly felt annoyed at the attention Inayah was getting.
''Then, should I go ahead with the plan?''
''Yes, do it today. I don't want to come back and meet her after I return from City M'' Jasper said and seemed to have thought about something so he stopped Butler James again. ''Wait, I would like to see how she would react. I will be around to watch a great show before I leave''
Butler James looked at Jasper suspiciously and nodded. ''Yes, young master'' this was the first time Jasper was showing so much interest in someone. In this world, there was only one person he gave his attention to all the time. Now, this little girl was second person.
Clara walked to the romance section and looked at the books on the shelves. She scanned through and her eyes settled on one. She smiled and pulled it out.
''It's you!''
''What book is that?'' Inayah who was behind her snatched the book to look at. ''Purple Romance 2?, what book is this?''
''This is my newest crush romance novel. I already bought the book 1 and today I am going to buy book 2 and 3. It is going to be adopted into a drama soon. I want Mikael Sun to act in it. It will be a hit if he does''
''Who is Mikael Sun?'' Inayah asked.
''Hello, how can you not know Mikael Sun? He is the sensation now in the movie industry and my crush''
''Oh, I see. if you are done, let's go''
''What books did you pick?'' Clara asked and took the two books from Inayah. ''Murder at the party', If tomorrow is apocalypse', Ayah, what books are these?''
''These are books on murder, games, system and… you won't understand'' Inayah took the books back and they turned towards the counter to pay for the books.
…..
When Inayah and Clara got to the house, they saw a few men standing at Inayah's entrance.
''Ayah, what are those men doing there?'' Clara asked as they got out of the taxi.
''I don't know. Who are they?'' Inayah got to them and asked, 'excuse me, but, this is my house. What are you people doing in my house?''
''We have been instructed to not let you enter this house again'' one of the men said and Inayah exchanged gaze with Clara before she chuckled.
''What? Wait. Who are you people and who the hell gave you those instructions?''
''We are from Miles Securities.
''Oh, so Mr. Miles sent you guys?'' Inayah laughed as she looked at the three men blocking her way.
''Jasper Miles? Ayah, let's go to my house'' Clara held Inayah's hand.
''No. I am not going anywhere. This is my house and I would be a pig if I left. I just knew it was too quiet. What the hell does he want? Who the hell does he think he is? Look, you bulky men. This is my house and I will call the cops on you if you don't leave right now''
''Inayah, come with me. It seems that man is really out to get you'' Clara became worried and started to pull Inayah away but the latter wouldn't have it.
''Then I won't let him win without a fight. I will let him understand he messed with the wrong person'' Inayah pushed Clara away and headed towards the mansio.
''Ayah, where are you going?''
Inside the mansion, Jasper Miles watched the scene from his CCTV recording that was currently recording what was going on outside.
Inayah pushed the men standing on guard in front of the mansion, trying to get past them into the mansion but their strengths were no much for her petite body.
''Let me in'' she hit one of the man who tried to manhandle her and screamed at him, ''leave me alone. Where is he? Where is Jasper Miles? Does he think this shows how powerful he is? No, it shows what a coward he is''
''Inayah, stop it''


The first time they met, he saw her in only her underwear from his glass mansion across her small apartment window. So he said to her, ‘leave’ or ‘sell’ your house to me.

The second time they met, he called her an ‘opportunist’ who tried to seduce him.

The third time they met, he tried to kiss her because she smelt good.

Wait! What is this new development in Jasper Miles? Wasn’t he rumoured to have hatred for women and couldn’t touch women?

Why is he always looking out of his window at the small apartment across him just to see the petite girl, then?

Why is he trying to covet her by tricking her?
The girl said to him one day, ‘‘wait! I am still in high school. I can’t have a boyfriend right now’’

He leaned closer to her and whispered into her ears, '‘is not that you can’t have a boyfriend. Rather, it’s I can only be the one boyfriend that you will have in this life. We are bound together’’

‘‘Shameless man!’’ the girl said and before she could turn her face away, he held her chin and looked into her eyes.

‘‘Inayah, you can only belong to me in this life and the life to come’’

After her tragic death, Inayah wakes up to find herself back to her 18-year-old self. Back to the beginning where everything started.

At 18, she was an ordinary girl living her best life until she met Jasper Miles. The man who made her best friend turn against her.

Jasper Miles was rumoured to be ruthless and someone who ‘couldn’t ‘touch’ women because he hated them and had suffered a bad breakup from the past.

Waking up to the year her life turned around, Inayah was given a choice. To meet the same man again or to have a new life without that man.

But, she decided, she wanted that man and was made to live that life again but with a catch. Now she could see the true colours of everyone. The one she once called her ‘best friend’ became her enemy. The one she once called her ‘enemy’ turned out to be her true friend.

Inayah said to herself. ‘‘Now, I must live right this now’’

NB: Cover doesn't belong to me. Credits goes to the owner. If the cover is yours and you would like me to take it off, kindly let me know in the comments section. Thanks!

Participating in Spirity 2021. Theme: First Love

 Meanwhile~


 The Men of the household were walking towards the designated place for the Sparring contest that was to be upheld, when a certain oblivious female lead was enjoying her awfully lengthy shower.


Aja was escorted by a team of scary looking bodyguards in the front, followed suit by Ari and later, Arit and Ivaan.


Ivaan: " Big brother... Does Ahi have any painful first love experience?" asked Ivaan, looking straight ahead, in a deep thought, his chin held with his fingers.


Arit: "..." 


Aja & Ari: The both Handsome legends slowed down their pace, trying to concentrate more on the conversation behind them.

(A/N: More like eavesdropping!)


Arit was taken aback by the question.


After a few seconds of silence, " What made you think that?" asked Arit, giving a side glance to Ivaan.


Ivaan: " Don't you feel, her reaction to the opposite gender is a bit abnormal?" he asked, now facing Arit.


"  More like her EQ levels regarding love/romance is on a negative scale." he continued, finally expressing his original thoughts.


Aja: "....."


Ari: ' Exactly!'


Arit raised his brows in wonder with Ivaan's sudden statement.


Arit: " You could say that." he said, shrugging his shoulder and kept walking looking straight ahead.


Ari: " What?!????"


Aja: ".....!!"


Ivaan: " Uhm....Who is it?"


Arit: " That's a taboo topic in our family, and especially to Ahi."


*Sigh


"Man!! Sure takes me back.... Even I felt, She was scary during those times."


" And listen to my advice when I say it is a taboo...You definitely won't want to face her wrath. 'coz even the slightest hint to the topic turns her into a devil himself!" he said in a warning tone, reminiscing the past with a scared look on his face, making others further curious about the topic/person.


Ivaan: " Err...."


Arit: " But you could say, it did a good thing to her.... She's still so pure and naive when it comes to men, though it's a bit worrying." he sighed.


Aja was baffled with the newly found information: '......!!!!! A painful first love experience? '


Ari: ' Damn! Now I have to face this first love guy too?? I already have a scariest opponent to begin with... Now, why should she have such an awful experience too???!!!' 


Arit loudly cleared his throat, snapping all the three men, out of their thoughts.


Arit: " But the problem we're facing now is that her brain circuit regarding love and romance subjects is completely non-existent, which we've  recently realised." he said, giving an awkward look to the Men who were eavesdropping.


" Simply put, she doesn't see Men as Men! You're all on the same level as me." he concluded, saying the words he wanted to say all along, in the conversation.


Ari: " A Brother?!?!?!?!?"


Ivaan: " ..!!!" Thought so!


Aja: "??"


Arit: " Atleast, I'm sure that's how she sees you." he said pointing to Ivaan.


" I'm not sure about those two. For now." he continued.


The said two's faces relaxed upon hearing that.


" As she hates one, and wants to get rid of the other one." he smirked, bursting the momentary happiness bubble of the two legends.


Aja suddenly picked up his pace, making others follow him accordingly.

Karma says:- What goes around, comes back around. And your actions or choices in your previous life, inflict on the present life. 

But, what if the choice was never made? What will happen if the history repeats itself, just because it couldn’t find the solution back then?

Here’s one such story, revolving around 3 people, who were tied by fate, forced to make a choice.

It is said that there are no such things as accidents, but a mere act of Fate. Such single act by fate, made the two world-renowned handsome bachelors get fixated on the happy-go-lucky girl, making her carefully constructed happy life, turn into a turmoil.

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