Why Does Self-Deception Hinder Leadership In The Book?

Maria Walker has spent her entire life under the weight of expectations in a world where reputation trumps happiness. As the daughter of the respected Walker family, every choice—including her relationship with kind, loyal Noah Bennett—is judged by high society, who see him as far beneath her standing. Daniel Rothfield faces a different pressure. The powerful, emotionally guarded CEO of Rothfield Holdings has avoided relationships since a devastating breakup left him unwilling to risk love again. Yet his parents and business partners insist a man of his status needs to project stability—and a serious relationship is the perfect image. When Maria and Daniel unexpectedly arrive together at a prestigious charity auction, a fleeting moment ignites rampant speculation. Within hours, social media explodes with rumors that the billionaire CEO and the Walker heiress are secretly dating. Rather than deny it, Daniel proposes a solution: pretend the rumors are true. A fake relationship solves both dilemmas. Maria’s parents would stop pressuring her about Noah, while Daniel’s family and associates would see him finally settling down. It’s meant to be simple, temporary, and strictly controlled. Rules are set: No real feelings. No crossing boundaries. No forgetting it’s just an act. But pretending to be in love proves far more complicated than planned. As they appear together at events, family gatherings, and public functions, undeniable chemistry emerges—shifting from performance to something dangerously authentic. Meanwhile, Noah grapples with quiet jealousy fueled by headlines and photos, Daniel’s past resurfaces to threaten the facade, and their carefully built lie begins to crumble. In a society that measures love by status and appearances, Maria and Daniel face an undeniable truth: the relationship they pretended to have may be the most real thing either of them has ever felt.

Alaric Royale, a ruthless and cunning CEO, believes Elona Carter, the woman he once loved, deceived him. Consumed by anger and a thirst for revenge, he sets out to destroy her. But fate has other plans. Alaric's world is turned upside down when he's left fighting for his life after a tragic accident. The woman he despised, Elona, becomes his unlikely savior, using her exceptional knowledge of acupuncture and herbal remedies to bring him back from the brink of death. As Alaric awakens from his coma, he's met with a shocking revelation: the woman he trusted, Harley, had drugged him, leading to his near-fatal accident. The truth about Elona's innocence and his own culpability hits him hard. Desperate to make amends, Alaric pleads for Elona's forgiveness: "Elona, please... forgive me. I was blind, deceived by Harley's lies. I swear to make it right, to give you and our children the life they deserve. I want to marry you, to give you the status and respect you've always deserved." But Elona's response is icy: "Mr. Royale, don't read much into it. It's a doctor's duty to save patients. Now that you are healed, I will disappear from Emerald Hill as per your initial command." Alaric's heart feels like it's being squeezed in a vice as Elona throws his own ruthless words back at him. He's forced to confront the consequences of his past actions and the depth of Elona's pain. Will Alaric be able to overcome his past mistakes and prove himself worthy of a second chance, or will his regrets forever define him?

To fulfill his young girlfriend Wendy Baker's dream of becoming vice president, my husband faked amnesia after a car accident and used it as an excuse to strip me of my position. One afternoon, I happened to overhear a conversation between them. Wendy sounded hesitant as she asked, "Aren't you worried Elaine will never speak to you again if you do this?" My husband did not seem concerned in the slightest. "I'm only letting you have some fun for seven days," he said casually. "After that, I'll just tell her my memory came back. What's she going to do, hold a grudge against someone who was supposedly sick?" My footsteps slowed. I heard every word. However, instead of exposing his lie, I quietly walked away. The next day, during a company meeting, my husband slammed his hand on the conference table and publicly declared that Wendy was his wife. He demanded that I leave the company and hand over every project under my management. The entire room fell silent. Every employee turned to look at me, waiting for me to stop his absurd behavior, just as I always had before. However, this time, I did not argue. I did not defend myself. I simply picked up the resignation agreement and signed it. What he did not know was that the deadline for the company's most important project was only seven days away. More importantly, the client recognized only one person as the project's lead and sole point of contact—me. Seven days later, things would not go the way he had imagined. Instead of getting everything he wanted, he would find himself facing crushing financial penalties, lawsuits, and possibly even jail time.

Valentina Moretti has survived by her wits, her beauty, and her lies. A conwoman with no family and no loyalties, she trusts only herself—until a scheme gone wrong puts her in the hands of Dante Romano, heir to one of the most feared crime families in New York. Dante should have ended her. Instead, he gives her a choice: work for him… or be destroyed. What begins as a dangerous game of control and defiance soon twists into something neither of them can resist. Dante is ruthless, magnetic, impossible to escape—and Valentina discovers that the closer she gets to him, the more she craves the very danger he embodies. But the city is a kingdom of liars, and Valentina is about to uncover a secret buried in blood and shadows—one that will shatter everything she thought she knew about herself. Love and betrayal collide as Dante and Valentina are drawn into a war that could destroy them both. And in a world ruled by wolves, crowns are forged not in gold… but in lies.

It all began in Del Mar, a chance meeting with a single rule—one week only. Or did it? Lennox ‘Nox’ Demetri and Alexandria ‘Charli’ Collins had every intention of following their agreement but rules are made to be broken. In CUNNING they are reunited with Nox setting down new rules for the game and Charli having no choice but to follow them. Now, once again, the game has changed. Nox and Charli’s hot sensual encounter has grown into something more but it is threatened with secrets and regrets. Is it their love and intense sexual chemistry that’s pushing them together or something darker, a puppetmaster behind the scenes pulling the strings on their love affair? Shadowy villains lurk around each corner and everyone is suspect as Nox’s and Charli's pasts collide with the present and threaten to compel them back to their predestined fates. Can deals brokered in the past be negated by something as pure as love and as steamy as the attraction shared by Nox and Charli? Or was it all a deception—starting with that very first meeting? From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a sexy, new dominant hero who knows what he wants and a strong-willed heroine who has plans of her own. With classic Aleatha Romig twists and turns, the depth of this epic romantic suspense continues to reach new levels as past and present intertwine. The Infidelity series will have readers swooning one minute and screaming the next. Have you been Aleatha'd?

Jordan is a new adult, although he has always been a good wolf, a calm one, he's showing more dominant-alpha traits, and he's becoming more aggressive. Kicked out on a training trip to another pack land, he's stunned to find his mate, his alpha mate, but two dominant wolves can't be mates, and one of them got to submit. Let the games begin. Contains cgl and fluff. Apologies for any misspellings and grammar mistakes.