Is HBR'S 10 Must Reads On High Performance Worth Reading?

One night of boldness leads to a marriage of convenience. Just a plain agreement. No commitment but a lot of sex. She is liking the setup until the 'right one' came back. Without a fuss, she left, bringing the memories and another heartbeat. ********** Dumped by her two-year relationship for the reason of her being prude and frigid, Alexzia Montes proves she was otherwise. With four glasses of wine in her system, she delved into a passionate night with a stranger she randomly picked. "Do I need to pay you? How much?" she outrightly asked. "Can you afford me?" he snickers. "Just tell me how much" she stubbornly retorted. She is getting pissed by his arrogance. "500 billion dollars" he briefly replies with raised challenging brows. "What?" she mumbles in disbelief. "My present net worth is more or less 500 billion dollars" he unconcernedly replied. Stunned, she becomes quiet. "That's why you look familiar..." she frustratedly whispers, facepalming herself. The man she often sees on tv and in newspapers but hasn't met in person. The only person in the country who has a five hundred billion net worth. "CEO Lucien Wright..." she whispers in despair, almost indistinct. Of all people, she had chosen the cold and ruthless CEO of Wright Group of Companies. How could she afford him? He could even buy her, body and soul. "I need a wife, a bait for my girlfriend to come back. Name your price" he casually announced, handing her the documents. "Once she is back, you will sign the divorce paper and peacefully leave. I will pay you, just name the amount" he added. The offer is tempting Alexzia. She needs ten million dollars and it's an impossible plight but she has an easy way out, being a Ten Million Dollar Wife to CEO Wright.

Warning: This collection contains explicit adult content, including intense power dynamics, dominance/submission, dubious consent themes in fantasy context, BDSM elements, age-gap scenarios, breeding kink, group play undertones, and graphic sexual situations. All stories feature consenting adults in fictional scenarios. In this scorching anthology, eight ruthless, ultra-wealthy billionaires each claim total ownership over the woman who enters their world—whether through debt, auction, obsession, or sheer predatory desire. Every novella stands alone, delivering a different flavor of erotic heat while threading the addictive "owned by the billionaire" fantasy throughout. Dive into whichever kink calls to you... or devour them all.

At the company's annual gala, the CEO announced that this year's top sales performer would receive a two-million-dollar year-end bonus. I was the top performer. However, my manager called me into his office the very next day and explained that the company was cutting costs and improving efficiency. As a result, my bonus had to be reduced. I initially assumed everyone's bonus was being cut. Then, I found out I was the only one getting shortchanged. Even worse, they handed my position to a useless coworker who could barely do the job. I understood everything immediately. 'So this is how it is. You're tossing me aside after you got what you wanted from me.' Fine. I stopped putting in any effort from that day forward. I clocked in, did the bare minimum, and watched the company slowly fall apart. Sales began to drop month after month. Even the major clients I had already secured began withdrawing their investments. That was when the CEO finally panicked. He showed up at my front door, begging me to fix things. I kicked the door open and looked down at him. "You think a garbage company like yours deserves my help?"

"Part OneTracie Hill thought she’d died and gone to heaven when she discovered the stranger who showed up at her office after hours and engaged her in a night of hot sex was none other than her new boss, J. P. ”Pete” Montgomery. Not only that, but he set some very specific rules for her office attire – skirts only and no underwear.Part TwoFor Zane the storm was a reflection of his emotions and the messy condition of his life. He relished the isolation until he had to rescue Zara from the stormy sea. Then the storm reached full level in the cabin.Part ThreeZana and Dara settle into the beginnings of a permanent relationship and she thinks she’s finally found happiness and security. Then her past comes back to smack her in the face. Part FourDealing with a messy and humiliating breakup with her Dom, Bree Donovan welcomed the invitation to leave Chicago for meeting with a potential client in Texas. An impulsive attendance at a private BDSM gathering wiped all other thoughts from her mind the moment Rafe Morales claimed her as his for the evening. The Pleasure Principle is created by Desiree Holt, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author."

At the company's celebration dinner, the new HR guy slapped a bill on the table—$860 for A/C and venue costs from our last all-nighter. I shot a look at Sherry—my girlfriend, my boss—thinking she'd have my back. Nope. She latched onto HR's arm and said, "Quentin, this isn't your daddy's company. Quit freeloading." And just like that, nine years of busting my ass for this company, and turns out—I was the discount item on the menu.

My father was a senior HR executive. He used KPIs to define my life. "Rank top ten in your grade, and I'll give you a B, with a bonus of 250 dollars. "Place in a state-level competition, and you'll get an A, with a bonus of 500. "If your SAT score hits Ivy-level, I'll give you an S+ and a 5,000-dollar year-end bonus." I studied as if my life depended on it, and in the end, I got the acceptance letter. My father slapped a contract down in front of me instead. "Congratulations on onboarding into the next phase. Starting today, your allowance will be structured as base salary plus performance plus attendance bonus. "Base pay is 250 dollars a month, enough to keep you from starving. "To prepare you for a high-pressure work environment, I’ll conduct random inspections. Fail, and your pay gets docked." When I ran a 104°F fever, he cut my attendance bonus, saying my physical resilience didn't meet standards. When I forgot to submit a weekly report because I was buried in schoolwork, he froze all my money. To stay alive, I went behind his back and sold blood at the hospital. At the end of the semester, I held my transcript and scholarship certificate, thinking I had finally earned the highest rating. But my father looked at me without a trace of warmth. "Your S+ bonus has been reallocated. The company decided to invest it in your brother, Harry. He has more potential." I looked at the 100-dollar "consolation prize" he handed me and laughed. So in his company, I didn't even qualify as an "outstanding employee."