Why Does Koopa Jr. Wear A Bib In Mario Games?

“He looked at Chloe and saw nothing. She is the perfect camouflage. She is safe because she is... undesirable.” Lorenzo Moretti, the King of Sicily's underworld, trusts no one. A deep, unresolved betrayal has poisoned his heart, leaving him obsessed with control and viewing women as a liability. He met Chloe Rossi: a clumsy, unfiltered cook drowning in debt. She stumbles into his life and is hired for her invisibility. She is too messy, too chaotic, and too chubby to attract the attention of assassins or rivals. But Chloe is an accident in motion. Her nervous, unfiltered honesty cuts through Lorenzo's defenses. When a moment of rage forces him to lock them both in his office, she becomes a witness to his deepest weakness. He told her she was undesirable. He hired her for utility. Now, trapped and holding his most dangerous secret, she watches the King’s paranoia turn into an obsession he can’t fight. She is the only one who sees the broken man beneath the monster.

Being assigned to become the personal guard of a mafia boss is already a difficult task. Becoming his guard and carrying his child at the same time? Near impossible. “The baby isn’t yours.” Luciano smirked, a deadly glint flashing in his eyes. “Oh, really?” he asked, one of his eyebrows raised. He walked closer to me, each of his steps resonating in the dark room. I couldn’t help but gulp at the sight of him. It has been three long years since I’ve last seen him, but why has he even gotten hotter than before? “I’m going to ask you once more,” he said, leaning closer to my face. I held my head up high, determined not to succumb to his charm. “Is she mine?” I shook my head. “Definitely not yours.” His jaw ticked, and he looked to the side before leaning his face even closer to mine, his hot breath hovering over my lips. I held in my breath and watched the alluring movement of his lips. “Then, which scoundrel does that child belong to?” I placed both of my hands on his chest and gently pushed him back. “Why? What are you going to do about it if you know?” He tilted his head to the side and smirked. “I’m going to kill that bastard.”

"Kane stays unmoving, and I realize he’s barely breathing. I don’t think he needs oxygen to stay alive, so that’s not too surprising, but I can’t’ figure out why he is so still. His hand at my waist is so very close to my breastbone, the longing for him to slide it up only a few inches, to touch me in places no one ever has before, has a gasp leaving my lips. I have to bite down again to keep from moaning, and he hasn’t even kissed me yet." Emory I was born to be the Alpha of my pack. But now... I am here, in the castle of our greatest enemy, the Vampire King. I should hate Kane, but the more time I spend with him, the more I long for him. I am not here to be his lover, though. I am here to be his feeder. But even before his lips graze my skin the first time, I know I would give myself to him in every way imaginable if only he should ask. Kane I long to taste the wolf shifter, but not her blood, her body. But I'm already betrothed to marry another vampire, and if I call that off, I have resigned my kingdom to yet another war. There has to be a way to keep Emory as my feeder but not claim her in my bed. I just haven't figured it out yet. But I have enemies, and every moment she spends here in my home, Castle Graystone, she's in danger. I can protect her, but at what cost? Am I willing to risk everything to make her mine? Or should I put my duty to my kingdom first?

Sometimes, getting over pain and betrayal means Getting Up, Getting Even and Getting a Better Man! Astrid has planned out her perfect wedding. That is before she found out that her fiance, Bryan, is cheating on her with her cousin-slash-best-friend-slash-maid-of-honor, Geena. Worse, Bryan got Geena pregnant. Just when Astrid thought it couldn't get any worse, she received an invitation telling her that her Fairy Tale wedding will happen exactly the way she planned it. Except that she is no longer going to be the bride! So when her parents urged her to attend the wedding "as family", she planned the perfect revenge. She hired Ryder, the smoking hot bartender she met, to pretend to be the perfect Prince Charming--rich, smart and totally in love with her. Ryder pulled off the role quite well. And soon, everybody thought Astrid was really with a smoking hot guy who wears expensive suits on a daily basis, drives a luxurious sports car, and is totally in love with her. Astrid invented the perfect guy every girl would kill to date, and every ex-boyfriend would hate to be compared with. Or did she really just invent him? What if she really did kiss a frog and tamed a beast? And her quest for revenge was really the start of her happily ever after?

After I discovered that my husband, Leonardo Marchetti, could not let go of his first love, I started teaching our daughter Sofia to call him "Uncle Leonardo." Sofia sprained her ankle at school. In the middle of the night, Leonardo got a phone call. Valentina was crying on the other end. Her daughter Lily had a nightmare and would not stop screaming for a father. Leonardo left without saying a word. I pressed an ice pack against Sofia's swollen ankle and whispered, "Say 'goodbye, Uncle Leonardo.'" Leonardo promised to come to Sofia's school sports day. Then Valentina called, sobbing that Lily had no father to run the three legged race with him. Leonardo walked out without a second thought. I just handed the phone to Sofia and told her to tell her teacher, "Uncle Leonardo says he cannot make it." Every time, Sofia hesitated. Sofia did not understand why I was making her do this. Until one day, Leonardo finally realized how much he had failed us. He put down all his mob business for Sofia's piano recital and swore he would not miss it. Sofia was backstage with the other children. Then Leonardo's phone buzzed. Valentina. I could not hear what she said, but I could guess. Lily was crying. Lily needed him. Lily did not have a father. Leonardo came back. But before Leonardo could begin his excuse, Sofia's voice came from the stage. "It is okay, Uncle Leonardo. You go take care of your other kid. Mom staying here to watch me is enough."

My girlfriend Chloe Bennett's childhood buddy, Daniel Miller, binds himself to a transfer system. Everything he eats gets sent straight into my stomach. He creates a live stream channel and eats nonstop for 12 hours a day to rake in money. Meanwhile, I end up in the ER with acute pancreatitis. I try to explain everything to Chloe, but she just looks at me like I've lost my mind. "How could something that ridiculous exist? If food could magically transfer, nobody would starve in the world. You're just jealous he's making money from streaming." Afterward, Daniel's every live stream triggers another pancreatitis episode, sending me back to the ER until I'm barely holding on. I get tested, but the doctors can't figure out what's wrong. They even want to admit me to psych. Later, in a desperate bid to outdo another streamer, Daniel downs ten pounds of mashed potatoes at once. The overload destroys my spleen and stomach, causing massive internal bleeding that kills me. When I open my eyes again, I'm back on the day of Daniel's very first live stream. This time, I rush out and order 20 takeout dishes before him. "This time, I'm eating first."