Under The Oak Tree Characters 소설 & 이야기

The new project was short on staff. Over everyone's objections, I pulled three former colleagues out of an overlooked department where they'd been warming the bench for years. The four of us became the project's core team. The bonus was generous, the workload light. They all said I was their lucky charm. Three months later, with delivery just around the corner, I passed the break room and overheard them talking. "The biggest credit for this project belongs to the three of us. Why should Chloe get an equal share of the bonus just because she recommended us? She barely did any real work." "Exactly. Let's talk to the director. We'll say all the core work was done by us, that she's not up to the task. We'll apply to have her removed from the contributors list." "Just thinking about not having to split those tens of thousands with her—it feels amazing." I pushed the door open. They stared at me, stunned. I smiled. They wanted to kick me out? Too bad. I was the director who parachuted in to evaluate them.

“Hold her mouth open, she’s too polite to ask for it.” A firm hand grips my jaw, keeping it wide, as another man groans above me, thick and pulsing, his cock sliding against my tongue with punishing rhythm. She was supposed to be a transaction. One night. A girl forced to sell herself for money, and three men who could offer more than she’d ever dreamed, for a price. But Harper isn’t like the others. When she steps into that hotel suite, fragile and brave all at once, she isn’t just agreeing to pleasure. She’s agreeing to surrender. And something about her, about the way she flinches, the way she obeys, the way she doesn’t ask for more, makes them all pause. They own a club built on power, discipline, and unshakable rules. But she doesn’t know any of that yet. All she knows is what it feels like to be touched like she matters, just once. When they ask if she wants more, she says the wrong thing. “I’d have to ask Mark.” What should’ve been a second arrangement turns into a revelation. Because they know what Mark is. And now they know what he’s been doing to her. Two days later, they offer her another night. Same price. Only this time… they don’t plan on letting her go back. “Good girls take it. All of it. Even when it hurts.” I scream into the pillow as one thrusts deeper, harder, while the other presses his weight against my back, whispering filth into my ear and slapping my thigh until I shake.

Everything changed on my twelfth birthday. The brakes failed, the tragic crash, and the death of our parents. My brother blamed it all on me. He ruled as the mafia boss, yet all he showed me was hatred. The only love he had left was for our younger sister. He never believed how sick I became. He accused me of faking my sickness to get attention. He would turn to our sister with a gentleness I never received, he promised to save her, and he promised she would never die on his watch. My heart ended up beating inside her chest even after I died. He finally saw what was left of my damaged body after I was gone. The truth my brother never bothered to face would shatter his world.

On my birthday, I go out to eat with my family. I make a wish, hoping that we will always stay happily together. When I open my eyes, I see my son, Luigi Marino, holding up his tablet. On the screen, a line of text reads, "Dad, Maria says she's pregnant with your baby. Am I going to get a new mom?" Giovanni Marino is busy taking pictures of me with a Polaroid. He glances at the screen casually before writing a reply on the back of the photo. "No. I made a promise with your mom. If either of us betrays the other, we will have to disappear from the other's life forever. I can't live without your mom. So, you have to help me keep this from her. Even if Maria's baby is born, they will never appear in front of your mom." After writing that, he looks at me and asks in a gentle voice, "What's wrong, my love? Why are your eyes red? Did the smoke from the candles irritate them?" My tears are about to fall, but I force a smile and reply, "I'm fine. The birthday gift you all prepared for me is wonderful. I'm so touched that I can't help but cry." He doesn't know that my dyslexia was cured a week ago. It seems I no longer have to hesitate about the job offer from a well-known international nonprofit that teaches children with dyslexia how to read. The paperwork will be done in seven days. When that time comes, I will disappear from their world completely.

Extreme beauty, intelligence, and unique set of skills. Zea was only seventeen back then and everything in her life was perfect. But not until they killed her father and took away the man that she loves. Driven, she set out overseas and train to be the best special agent. And after nine long years, she's given an assignment. A dangerous, highly classified mission, as an undercover high school student. In a well-known university that is secretly run by a viciously organized underground syndicate, that is strongly linked to her father's death. Determined to seek justice. Everything is right in place. But not until she found him—again.

Selene’s life was ordinary—until the night it wasn’t. A promising young woman with dreams and a quiet life, she never imagined that one moment of trust could shatter her world. Kidnapped by unknown assailants, she awakens in a secluded house with two strangers—Lucien, calm and commanding, and Asher Night, the enigmatic barista she thought she knew. As Selene begins to recover, she discovers that her body, her senses, and her very instincts are awakening in ways she never expected. The people who saved her are not what they seem—they are werewolves, part of a hidden world of packs, power struggles, and rivalries, and Selene herself is caught in the crossfire. Between dangerous attacks, forbidden truths, and the mysterious pull she feels toward Asher, Selene must navigate a life where danger lurks in the familiar, loyalty is tested, and love is as perilous as it is inevitable. Every step toward understanding her past brings her closer to the shocking secrets of her family, the rival pack that hunts her, and the powers that have been dormant inside her all along. In a world where trust is a risk and survival depends on knowing who—and what—you really are, Selene must decide who to fear, who to follow, and how far she’s willing to go to protect herself… and the people she’s only just begun to care for.

"Tell me how much you want this, Piccolo mio.” .... Assigned to protect, consumed by desire he couldn't control. When a rugged bodyguard is tasked with keeping a captivating client safe, he finds himself torn between duty and his forbidden attraction. Can he shield his heart and his charge, or will their explosive connection put them both in harm's way?

Zannicus Zer Zor-ester~Omega (Prime) A young wolf who's background was unknown, a young wolf who's the only one in his pack that has striking orange eyes (almost red) He shifted earlier than the other wolves but kept it a secret and pretended to be a human. Only two of his best friends knew his true identity. He was left as a baby in the borders of the pack. Ronan Ver Solas Soon-to-be-alpha of the Mist moon pack. He and his friends along with the the rest of the pack torments Zannicus because they thought he was a human or his wolf didn't come out. They beat him for every single thing he does wrong, but he still stays strong. He doesn't get easily intimidated by them though. Whenever he talks back or fights back, they find themselves backing down or somehow submitting, even the alpha himself, and they don't know why. Zannicus thought his parents didn't want him. But he's not just any normal werewolf or a mere omega.There's more. But.......What happens if they push him too far? Why does one of the councilmen members always visit their pack? What if there's more to Zannicus' history than they thought? What happens if Ronan and Zannicus happens to be mates? What happens if the young man they knew suddenly became one of the most feared ranks of wolves? What happens if Ronan finds himself falling for Zannicus? Will Zannicus accept? or reject? Will he forgive him and the pack? Their pack seems to be a magnet for rogues, but one day, what happens if they were outnumbered? Will he save them? He was belittled. He was abused. Never judge a book by its cover. You never know what they are capable of.

“Agent Mia, If you could meet up with this task of bringing Kraven Astor down within the space of 6 months, then consider yourself a Special Senior Agent.” All Mia requested was her due promotion, but it came with a condition just to prove how less a female was seen in the security agency. She is supposed to go undercover to bring down the ruthless don of New York’s most feared mafia clan, who seemed untouchable and undefeated, which a wrong move could cost her everything. You know, infiltrating his empire was the plan, but falling for him was never part of it. Now, as their worlds collide, more secrets unravel, and a forbidden passion ignites between them, and she is stuck choosing between vengeance and the man who could be her downfall. Indeed, she was sent to bring down the Mafia, but what if that's where she actually belongs? Will love be her greatest weapon... or her ultimate betrayal? Find out now!!!

I'm the human shield Daniela Falcone—the underworld queen—personally chose to protect her first love, Luca Bianchi. We're three years into our marriage, and this is already the eighth time her rivals have kidnapped me. Daniela arrives with her men to rescue me, but we're not even five minutes into negotiations when Luca calls. "Dani, I lost at Truth or Dare. I'm supposed to kiss some woman here, but I want to save my first kiss for you. Can you come over?" The second Daniela turns and walks away without a single backward glance, a knife plunges deep into my stomach, and blood splatters everywhere. Just like the last seven times, her right-hand man, Carlo Marino, tosses some cash around to clean up the mess. Then, he has me sent to the hospital. In the ambulance, I hear Daniela's men guessing whether I'll live long enough to see Luca stand on his own two feet. They roar with laughter. I'm the only one crying. The mission to save the underworld queen has failed, which means the System will wipe me out soon. I think to myself, "Daniela, I won't live to see that day."