In the imperial palace, nothing is ever what it seems. Behind silk curtains and painted smiles, the rear palace thrives on secrets-where concubines are watched as closely as they are admired, and every pregnancy could shift the balance of power within the empire. But Shuyin is not one of them. She is not a true concubine. Chosen by the emperor for her intelligence and discretion, she is placed inside the rear palace under a false identity-tasked with uncovering loyalty, deception, and the truth behind the women who carry the empire's future. Cold, observant, and controlled, she blends in just enough to remain unseen... while quietly watching everything. Yet beneath her composed exterior lies something softer-something that surfaces only in the presence of the very women she is meant to study. And then there is Jinshi. A man she was never meant to draw attention from... and yet he seems to recognize her in ways she cannot understand. As past and present begin to blur, Shuyin realizes the most dangerous thing in the palace is not deception. It is being remembered by the wrong person.

Forced into a marriage neither of them wanted, a fierce Greek mafia princess and a ruthless Sicilian underboss must navigate a storm of power, passion, and betrayal - only to discover that their greatest battle might be against their own hearts. *** They hated each other from the moment they met, but little did they know, they were destined to be together. Millicent Rhea Darmos: Princess of the Greek Mafia. At 25 years old she's running her own publishing company. But now it's time she fulfils her duty to her family's organisation. It's time she gets married. Costantino Salvatore Accardi: Underboss and Heir to the Sicilian Mafia. At 28 years old, he has no interest in settling down-he already has it all. He believes in family above all, so why bring in an outsider? Yet, after a strange string of events, the two of them find themselves thrust into married life. It's full of chaos, drama and all kinds of tension. The question is, how do they survive their marriage and the storm that follows? *** "I've never kissed anyone." My voice trembled with a tinge of vulnerability - something I hated. But Costa didn't seem to mind that I was nervous or anxious. "Good. You're mine." He spoke so seriously, without a flicker of doubt as he took my hand in his. "So you want it be special, principessa?" "Every girl's first kiss is special." I whispered, watching as he brought my hand up to his lips. "I only care about yours."

When Isabella Kensington-Rossi's brilliant, old-money niece with a freshly minted law degree-arrives in Virginia weeks earlier than planned, a casual BAU game night turns into the moment Aaron Hotchner never saw coming. One unexpected summer, one undeniable spark, and two people who were never looking for anything suddenly find everything.

Behind every mask a person may wear there is a person you know nothing about. Shingami is one of those people, the ones that hide behind a facade to protect them selves and others around them. Maybe someone can help her get out of her mask. or they make her put another on.

She took his hand then and placed it-not ceremoniously, not dramatically-against her abdomen. Still flat beneath fabric. Still unchanged to the eye. His breath caught. "There," she said. "You're officially present." He didn't move. Barely breathed. "I don't feel anything." "It's early." "So it's ignoring me." She smirked. "Much like its parents." He snorted despite himself. "Rude." She leaned back, head resting against the stone wall. "You can talk, if you like." He stared at her. "To the child." "Yes." "What would I say." "Whatever you'd say to anyone you intend to terrify and protect simultaneously." He considered that, then leaned closer, lowering his voice as if the sea itself might overhear. "You will not be weak," he murmured. "You will not be small. And no one will ever touch you without consequence." Ariella hummed. "Subtle." "It's honest." She turned her head to look at him. "Try again. Less threat. More... reassurance." He grimaced. "I don't reassure." "You're doing fine." He sighed and tried again, awkwardly sincere. "You're... wanted." Her expression softened fully now. "And," he added, "your mother is very irritating but extremely competent." She laughed quietly. "Careful. I'll tell it you said that." He glanced down at her stomach, then back at her face. "It doesn't move." "Not yet." He frowned. "I expected something more dramatic." "Patience," she said. "Even dragons take time." They sat like that for a while, firelight flickering, the sea marking time beyond the walls. Eventually, Ariella shifted and yawned, the fatigue of the day finally asserting itself. Daemon noticed immediately. "You should sleep." "I will." "Now." "In a moment." Dragonstone stood watch-men loyal, banners snapping, a dragon coiled in the heights. Inside, two formidable people sat quietly with the smallest, strangest certainty either had ever known.

Crystal Archer was an average woman in her opinion. She was bold, smart, and incredibly charming but she wasn't girly. Oh no, for from that. She grew up being the only girl in her family and her brothers treated her no different then one of the guys. She was witty with her comments and just as wise with her advice. Crystal was no push over, but she was kind with a sense of humor. Join her on her adventure with the BAU and catching criminals and maybe finding that being "girly" was an okay thing. - - "You seem stressed" "Gee, almost sounded like a profiler there big boss" "You do understand that I can fire you, correct?" - *I DO NOT OWN CRIMINAL MINDS OR THE CHARACTERS EXCEPT FOR THE ONE I MADE UP* *IMAGES FOUND ON GOOGLE, CREDIT TO THE ORIGINAL OWNER* HIGHEST RANKINGS: #1 in ROMANCEFANFICTION #1 in CRIMINALMINDS #1 in BAU #2 in BAU #2 in AARONHOTCHNERXOC #3 in ROMANCEFANFICTION #3 in AARONHOTCHNER #4 in AARONHOTCHNER #4 in BAU #4 in MYSTERY-THRILLER #4 in ROMANCEFANFICTION #5 in AARONHOTCHNER #5 in BAU #6 in AARONHOTCHNER #6 in DAVIDROSSI #6 in MYSTERY-THRILLER #7 in BAU #7 in MYSTERY-THRILLER #8 in BAU #8 in DAVIDROSSI #8 in MYSTERY-THRILLER #8 in ROMANCEFANFICTION

Hotch agreed to not fight Strauss when she added an eighth agent to the team. He did not agree to like said agent. For SSA Victoria "Tor" Beauregard, having everyone like her is the key to her survival. If they like her, they won't look closely enough to see the shadow looming over her past. So, whatever it takes to get her grumpy boss to like her, she will do it. Even if it means staying late every night to help him with his paperwork. This story is completed at 65 chapters (plus the author's note) with 1 bonus chapter!

When Evadine Blackwell died she had no choice in where her soul would go next, if she did she never would have picked Panem. (Finnick Odair x Fem!OC) (Pre-Hunger Games- Post Catching Fire)

"Dahlia Blossom. Don't let the name fool you. She's better known as the Black Dahlia. And she didn't earn that nickname by smiling and looking pretty." "She sure knows how to perform for the camera." "Because she knows how to play the game. She always has. Right from the very beginning. And for that reason alone, she may just be one of the deadliest Victors you come across. You need her on your side, Katniss... Or neither of you will be going home." *.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.* 𝐎𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟔𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐃𝐚𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐣𝐚𝐲. finnick odair x fem!OC pre-hunger games ⇢ mockingjay @madebyrach , 2023

𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐄𝐋 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 ──── ❝what doesn't kill me makes me want you more!❞ 𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 she was the 'i hate you' type of girl, and he was the 'you know you love me' type of boy. ❝ i hate you because you made me fall for you ❞ 【 love island season 10 】 【 scott fanfic 】