Sold for $1 To The Hawthorne Brothers
Three women, three brothers, a single, crumpled dollar bill.
Alina's world shatters the moment she's auctioned off-and claimed by the powerful Hawthorne brothers.
Thrown into Adrian Hawthorne's cold, dangerous world, she becomes his to control... his to protect... and, terrifyingly, his to desire. He's ruthless, possessive, and hiding secrets that could destroy them both. But the deeper she falls into his world, the harder it becomes to tell if she's his prisoner-or something far more dangerous.
Because the Hawthorne brothers don't just take.
They keep.
Viviane has spent her life surviving, so when Julian Hawthorne "buys" her freedom, she knows better than to trust it. Men like him don't save people-they collect them. But Julian isn't as simple as he pretends to be, and the deeper she's pulled into his world, the more dangerous it becomes to walk away.
Especially when she realizes she might be the only thing he's ever been willing to fight for.
Lena doesn't belong to anyone-and she intends to keep it that way. Brilliant, guarded, and hiding more than anyone suspects, she enters Lucien Hawthorne's world on her own terms. But Lucien doesn't play fair, and he doesn't let go.
When her past comes crashing back, Lena is forced to face the one thing she's been running from: trusting someone who could destroy her... or save her.
Three women. Three choices.Stay. Fight.
Or burn it all down.
Because being sold was only the beginning.
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Chapter 11
The wedding incident?
I stare at Adrian as my thoughts race, partially distracted by how close he's standing and how good he smells.
So good-there's a hint of-
Wait. My brain comes to a grinding halt. My jaw slacks.
"You're not talking about..."
He nods. "Yes."
I shake my head and the laughter that leaves my lips is doubting. "Nah. It's impossible for you to know about that. It was years ago. I was a freshman. There's no way..." I trail off, when it dawns on me that he's serious.
"How?" I question, still baffled. My head is spinning with theories. Has he been stalking me? That's impossible. Adrian Hawthorne couldn't care less about my less-than-average life.
Even when my father happened to lose the company to Hawthorne Industries, we never crossed paths.
I only showed on his radar at the auction.
Funny enough...I bite my bottom lip hard, tilting my head as my train of thought derails. I never thought to ask him what he was doing there. Was he expecting to buy someone else?
Hell, I wasn't paying attention to what was being auctioned while I stood in the dark, hidden from the main stage.
I was thinking about how gullible I'd been to believe my stepfather that things were about to change-that he was finally putting in effort to get sober and pick up his duties as a father. And the only family I had left.
My brows squint as I search Adrian's face for answers. "How would you know about something that happened years ago?"
His brow arches, ever so lightly. He takes a step closer and I instinctively suck in a breath, holding it somewhere between my throat and my lungs.
He brings his lips close to my ear. "What did you think...I was going to bring you into my home without doing due diligence?" His voice rumbles through my ear, carrying a hint of mockery I don't miss. "I don't trust anyone, Miss Wilson."
Adrian pulls away, his gaze pinned on my face. "Much like someone who comes from a greedy, dishonest family."
Greedy?
Greedy???
"I-"
I start to argue, but he's already stepping to the side, speaking to the bartender. "She'll have a mocktail. Keep the alcohol away for the rest of the evening."
"Yes, sir."
I whirl around, a scoff slipping out at the bartender's response. "You're going to listen to me over him? You think a man should control what a woman drinks?" I thrust my hands on my hips and his gaze slides down to my cleavage for a split second.
Typical.
"I'm going to get something strong," I insist. "That's what I want. Unless you're willing to admit that you're sexist."
The bartender's face turns red as he glances away, scratching his head awkwardly. "I-I'm sorry, miss," he mutters, "but Mr. Hawthorne is the host of the party. He hired me. I'm afraid I have to do as he asks."
Wait.
What?
I glance at Adrian-at his expressionless face and those impossibly arrogant eyes. And then it clicks. Julian had mentioned that he had bars and clubs, so it was easy for the host to ask for his services."
I'd assumed it was someone in his social circles. Another wealthy New York socialite who wanted to impress.
But I should've known.
After all, Adrian didn't want me here. He had every right to refuse, since it was his party.
I roll my eyes, planting my hands higher. "Right," I drawl dryly. "I see. You know what?" I shake my head. "I'm suddenly no longer in the mood for a drink. I think-" I raise a finger, "-I'm going to find a handsome stranger to talk to and maybe dance with him, if possible."
"Then if he offers me a drink, I'm going to say yes." My chin jutted out defiantly as my eyes narrow, my gaze moving from Adrian to the bartender and back. "And if he asks me to leave the party with him, I won't turn him down, because the host doesn't want me here in the first place."
He says nothing.
I expected it.
I blow out an exasperated breath as I turn, ready to go mingle by all means. Julian said to have fun and not let his brother ruin my night. I plan to do exactly that.
I've gone three steps, maybe four, when I feel strong fingers clamp around my wrist. Adrian pulls me back and I find myself pressed to his chest.
His hard, muscled, warm chest.
My stomach dips without warning. A shiver runs down my spine, gathering just between my thighs. I breathe a little unsteadily.
"What do you want from me?" I hiss. "You revoked my invite to a party that I didn't know about until your brother informed me. Now you've banned me from the bar. What else?" I lift my head, staring into his eyes. "You're going to send me home? Ground me? Since you own me and I'm expected to live by your rules, walking on eggshells and saying "yes, sir," to every command?"
The last words scrape out of me, breathless and burning.
Then silence.
Just the sound of my breathing-too loud, too uneven-and the way my chest rises against his with every inhale.
Adrian doesn't let go. He doesn't tell me to go home, like I expect. He leans in, closer. His voice drops into a rasp, brushing far too close to my ear.
"If you're going to flirt with a man in this room," he says, "then I suggest you choose wisely, Miss Wilson. Don't forget...you belong to me."
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9.7
For three years, I hid my identity as the sole heiress of a multi-billion dollar tech empire to live in a cramped apartment and support my boyfriend, Ben.
But the day before our engagement, I stood outside a meeting room and overheard him talking to his wealthy boss, Haylie.
"She's just a stepping stone," Ben laughed, his voice full of contempt. "A poor, ambitionless distraction while I work my way up to where I really belong."
He mocked the cheap silver ring he gave me, calling it a necessary prop to keep a naive fool happy.
He bragged about the multi-million dollar merger proposal he was presenting, planning to use it to secure his promotion and build a future with her.
He had no idea that I had secretly negotiated that entire deal using my real connections just to give him his big break.
I had sacrificed my family's comfort, my true identity, and my own career just to watch him rise.
I poured my heart and soul into our humble beginnings, only to realize he saw my love as a pathetic joke and me as disposable trash.
I calmly picked up a pen and voided the merger agreement, tearing my hard work into tiny pieces.
I went home, slid the cheap ring off my finger, and dropped it into his mug of cold coffee.
"Soon, you'll find out exactly who is nothing."
Walking out the door, I pulled out my phone and texted my billionaire father.
"I'm in. Announce the merger."
8.6
In my past life, the Cerberus strain leaked, turning the world into a blood-soaked hell of rotting flesh and mutated monsters.
I thought my boyfriend Declan and my best friend Hailee would have my back as we fled the quarantine zone.
Instead, when the surging crowd of the infected cornered us, they didn't hesitate.
They shoved me backward into the horde just to buy themselves three seconds to run.
As I fell into the mud, I saw them fleeing without a single backward glance.
"She's dead weight anyway!" Hailee screamed.
"Just keep running, she'll distract them!" Declan yelled back.
I was torn apart, feeling the agonizing tear of rotting teeth sinking into my neck and the hot spray of my own blood.
Before the apocalypse, my greedy uncle had locked away my ten-million-dollar trust fund, leaving me with nothing but a fake boyfriend who only wanted me for my money.
Until my last breath, I couldn't understand how the people I loved most could trade my life for a head start.
Why did I blindly trust them? Why didn't I see through their perfectly choreographed lies?
Opening my eyes again, the stench of decaying flesh vanished, replaced by the sterile smell of my college dorm room.
Hailee and Declan were standing over my bed, faking tears of concern over my meningitis fever.
I was back exactly seven days before the world ended, and my spatial vault ability had come back with me.
This time, I'm extorting my uncle for every cent, hoarding the city's supplies, and leaving them all to rot.
7.9
After her twin brother's unexplained death at Alpha Academy, Alexandria Hyde takes his place and his name to uncover the truth. Now living as "Alex," she's thrown into a world of hot, testosterone-fueled Alphas who fight to the brink of death... and she has to survive it while hiding who she really is.
But staying hidden isn't easy–
Not when the Alphas start noticing her.
Not when the truth she's chasing might destroy her first.
And definitely not when they start fighting for her instead.
8.3
Half a month into our cold war, I, Claire Parker, found an abortion procedure slip tucked inside Daniel Carter's suit pocket.
The patient's name belonged to the fragile little childhood sweetheart he had always protected so fiercely-Sophie Bennett.
I folded the paper calmly and slipped it back where I had found it.
Daniel noticed the movement immediately. His eyes flicked toward me through the rearview mirror, resignation coloring his voice.
"What are you overthinking now? Sophie was just keeping a friend company at the hospital. She accidentally left it there."
I turned toward the window and said nothing.
This was Sophie declaring war on me, yet the man who could crush competitors without mercy in the business world believed her completely.
The silence inside the car grew suffocating until Daniel finally stopped outside an upscale jewelry boutique.
He reached over and ruffled my hair with easy familiarity, his tone indulgent and affectionate.
"Come on. Pick out a ring. Your birthday's next month anyway, so we might as well register our marriage too."
I bit down hard on my lip as tears fell soundlessly onto the back of my hand.
What he still didn't know was that I wouldn't live long enough to see next month.
9.5
He was born from the void between stars - a being of immense power, forged from cosmic origins.
For thousands of years, he walked among humanity, protecting them and keeping his true strength hidden. After losing the only family he had, grief led him to seek his own end... only to wake up in a world entirely unlike his own.
Here, cultivation is the main path to power. Those who master spirit qi gain superhuman strength, speed, and abilities that place them far above ordinary people. Four great sects rule the land, competing for resources, secrets, and dominance over each other.
Icaros joined the Li Sect, where he found companions he came to trust and care for: the capable and easygoing Li Han, the sharp and composed Su Yan, and the spirited Nelly. For a time, he felt he had found a place to belong, even as he kept his true nature hidden and wondered whether he could ever learn to cultivate like those around him.
Everything changed when their voyage was suddenly attacked. A powerful figure floating in the sky cut their ship apart with sharp, devastating energy strikes, leaving only destruction in his wake. Believing his friends had been lost in the disaster, Icaros chose to stop holding back any longer.
> "I am done hiding!"
He unleashed his full power: golden light blazed from his eyes, he flew at incredible speed, and he broke through every barrier and enemy in his way. On the shores ahead, he tore through hordes of powerful jade monsters, destroying them completely before flying deep into the interior of the island.
Meanwhile, survivors washed up scattered and alone. One young cultivator found himself on the shores of Jade Island - a place most cultivators avoid, as it holds no treasures or useful materials, only danger and endless deposits of ordinary jade. Yet despite the risks, ordinary people have built settlements here, finding safety from the conflicts and power struggles of the outside world.
This island works by different rules. Spirit qi is scarce and unstable, making cultivation far less effective than elsewhere. Instead, the people here rely on advanced technology - weapons and explosives that can injure or even defeat those with great physical strength. Here, skill and preparation can be just as powerful as raw strength, and even the strongest cultivators must move with caution.
Now, Icaros has vanished deep into the island. His companions are lost somewhere across this dangerous land. And the mysterious swordsman who destroyed their ship has already arrived here, searching for an ancient map said to lead to the legacy of a being from another world.
Will they find each other again? And can anyone survive in a place where the usual rules of power no longer hold true?
✅ Chapters 1–19: FREE
🔒 Chapters 20 onwards: PAID
(Continue the journey of power, friendship, and discovery!)
8.2
In our beast world, females are treated as nothing more than precious breeding stock to keep the pack strong. As the pack's best Mender, I spent all my time focusing on my healing herbs, completely ignoring my maturity ritual.
But tonight, the blind pack elder grabbed my wrist and delivered a chilling ultimatum.
If I don't choose my mates by the next Full Moon, the Council of Elders will force a match and assign them to me.
The threat is already suffocating. Arrogant, elite warriors like Caleb Quinn are pacing outside my door like starving wolves, stalking my porch and using pack business to corner me. At home, the reality of multiple mates is even worse. My mother has two mates—my father, the strongest Alpha, and my cold, intellectual step-father. Their toxic, murderous jealousy turns our house into a daily war zone. They literally unleash suffocating killing intent on innocent cubs just for hugging my mother.
I am disgusted by this sick, possessive obsession. I refuse to let my life become a battlefield of jealous males fighting over who gets to guard my door, and I absolutely refuse to be forced into a harem by the Elders.
So, I made a declaration that shocked my entire family and broke every pack tradition.
"I will only ever take one mate."
And to make sure none of those predatory warriors can touch me, I set an impossible trap.
"Whoever wants me must defeat my father first."