How To Pick Locks Novels & Stories

Amelia was a secret from birth because she was illegal; she was not included in the family book and was home-schooled all her life. When it was time to get married, her father wanted her to remain a secret from the world. She had promised herself that she was going to take charge of one thing in her life – her marriage. Regardless of how her life had been controlled so far by her father and stepmother, they won’t pick her husband for her. So, when her father had arranged a marriage for her with her friend’s son – one they have never seen, he lived abroad all his life. Again, they wanted a secret marriage. Amelia swore to run away before the marriage. Would she succeed? Mike cared nothing about marriage. But, when it was time to inherit his family business, his father made marriage to his friend’s daughter compulsory. He was ready to obey, so he could disobey later. He would get married to her, inherit his legal property, and divorce the wife – finally gaining his freedom back. But when he saw Amelia, all his plans changed.

2nd book in 'The Alpha's Hated Mate series' Anastasia Miracle is a new student at Rogue Community College. She has simple rules: study hard and stay away from trouble. But her plan crumbles when she locks eyes with Zeus Matthieu Valerious. One heated glance from the cold, enigmatic professor stirs something deep within her. However, the moment he opens his mouth, Anastasia realizes he is someone she should never cross paths with. As enemies turn up, and deadly secrets unveil, Anastasia is pulled into a world she only knew existed in fiction. Now Zeus has to decide whether to keep hating his little mate or let her into his realm of darkness. But, one thing is clear. There's no escaping fate.

I'm playing hide-and-seek with my son when he locks me on the balcony. It's freezing outside, and my face turns blue from the cold. However, all he does is laugh at me while I call for help. He makes ugly faces at me through the glass. "You look like the stray dog downstairs, Mom! You're so ugly!" I die a frosty and terrible death. Before breathing my last breath, I see my son excitedly give my husband a video call. "Mom has frozen to death, Dad. Can you take Ms. Cole home to be my new mom now?" When I open my eyes again, I'm taken back to the moment my son wants me to play hide-and-seek with him.

I woke up, and I was 28 again. I had twin heirs, and my husband was Santino, Veridia's most feared Mafia Don. He sat at the head of the Commission of the Five Families. His sharp profile was a fixture on the cover of the underworld's most exclusive magazine for several consecutive issues. Even the oldest Valerian families were lining up to offer him their daughters. All the women in Altoria envied my good fortune. But the first thing I did after waking up was pick up the divorce papers, the ink still fresh, and handed them to his childhood sweetheart, Jessy. "My lawyer will handle the divorce. The properties and assets are yours. Santino is yours. The children are yours, too." Sitting across from me, Jessy couldn't believe it, her eyes wide with shock. "Are you crazy, Alessia? Is this some kind of trick?" "How could the woman who has been Donna for six years give it all up so easily?" I lowered my gaze, my tone calm. "Since they all prefer you, I figured it was time to step aside." "Just have Santino sign it and press his signet ring into the wax seal." "Once the divorce is final, I'll leave Veridia for good." This time, I would not make the same mistake. I would never again be a Donna in name only.

On my twentieth birthday, my father asked me to draw from a box of straws. It was to pick a husband between William Smith and Austin Smith to inherit North Town. The short straw represented Austin, while the long straw represented William. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get the long straw. However, I was certain that I did not want to marry Austin. I drew straws for three years, but it was to no avail. I had no choice but to tamper with the straws to marry William as I wished. However, ten years into our marriage, he was no longer gentle and kind. He had turned into a really cold person. He neither returned home nor touched me. Even when I threatened him with a knife, he refused to talk to me. Despite feeling hurt, I was unwilling to let him go. That was until I watched him kick away the only medicine I had for my asthma while I was writhing on the floor. “I was the one who switched out the straws. There was no long straw, yet you forced me to marry you. Mandy died from a broken heart, so you should pay with your life.” When I opened my eyes again, I was holding a short straw. I calmly said, “Since it’s the short one, I choose Austin.”

For over thirty years, my wife Janet faked being broke—for her flimsy ex. When our son Asher landed in the hospital, I begged and borrowed from everyone I knew. Still came up fifty bucks short. Janet? Said she was tapped out. So my mom sold off her own meds to cover the bill—never told me. She died without treatment. I handled my mom's funeral alone. When I went to pick up Asher from the hospital, I found a stash of Janet's old shopping receipts. Custom suits. Million-dollar watches. A damn private jet. I grabbed them and stormed off to confront her. Asher cut me off. "Dad, Mr. Sackett's sick. Mom's just helping him out. Why are you freaking out?" I stared at the kid who only lived because my mom died. It felt like something cracked inside me. Janet barely looked up. "Connor's educated. He deserves the finer things. Unlike you—crying over fifty bucks like some househusband. See? I didn't give you the money, and Asher's fine." Fine. If that's how they see it, I'm done with this family.

Xena Cross spent three years married to a man who treated her like a problem he hadn't figured out how to solve yet. Then Adrian solved it publicly, calling her a criminal in front of everyone who mattered in Chicago, with her own sister standing beside him and smiling. She had nowhere to go and no one willing to pick up her calls. Then Dante Yale showed up, got her out, and offered her a deal. Marry him. Take his name. Let him handle the rest. She said yes. She needed a way out and he was offering one. What she didn't know was that Dante had been watching her for three years, that he had the evidence to stop that night before it happened and chose not to, and that every move he has made since was planned long before she had any say in it. The revenge is going exactly as planned, and the world is finally at Xena's feet. But as she falls for the man who saved her, she's about to learn that Dante Yale didn't just find her in the wreckage—he's the one who ensured she crashed.

"Betrayal cuts deep, but for Jane, it's the spark that ignites a transformation. Discarded by her billionaire husband, Jason, for failing to produce an heir, she's left to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart. But when Jason brings his new love home, Jane refuses to break. Instead, she rises from the ashes, reborn as Gianna - a force to be reckoned with, and Jason's worst nightmare. Get ready for a thrilling tale of revenge, empowerment, and the unbreakable spirit of a woman scorned."

It’s amusing what two drops of aphrodisiac can do to a man. Just two cups into the stillest mead, and he’s done for. Sexually raged, like a curse, and willing to empty his pocket for pleasure. ****** As an orphaned omega who spent her time working herself off at the age of 18, life wasn’t much to write home about for Maya. That is, until she’s set up by her boss who drugs and locks her up to please a Lycan Alpha who’s under the influence of aphrodisiac. “If you’re in this room,” Leo says huskily, his breath fanning Maya. “It can only mean one thing.” “And what can that be?” Maya’s heart skips a beat. “To pleasure me,” Leo responds, bringing his lips lower to Maya and says against her lips, “And it’s not a request.”

Jace Thorne—my childhood crush—crashed a car with me. I walked away fine. He "lost his memory." Plot twist: my dead grandma's soul moved in. "Jace is faking amnesia again to mess with my sweet granddaughter. If I were alive, I'd break his legs myself!" I blinked. Hard. Grandma's voice wouldn't shut up. "In her past life, Demi was miserable. Jace left her to rot while he partied with that Stafford girl. Had a heart attack, and he was lighting birthday candles. Trash!" Then came the kicker: "Your grandpa's letting you pick your fiancé. Don't even think about Jace. Pick Leroy. That boy's actually decent." Right on cue, Grandpa strolled into the hospital with the elder squad, slapped down pics of four legacy heirs, and told me to choose. I didn't even blink. Picked Leroy Leighton—my childhood nemesis turned fiancé. Because yeah, I'm a grandma's girl to the core. If she said Jace Thorne didn't love me, then I was so done.