All



DARK ROMANCE "Sir, I am in a dire need of loan. Its very important, my friends life is at stake. I assure you I'll try my best to return the loan asap." She breathlessly said it all. Her eyes were filled with hope and expectations. He was her last hope.
"Miss Sheharzaad," Shehryaar said, while standing up from his chair causing her to instantly stand up.
"Yes sir" she replied, her voice troublesome yet confident.
He walked towards the other side of the table and sat on the chair parallel to her.
"Keep sitting, please." He said, like a gentleman and she sat down. She tightly held her hands together. A life could be saved by his single yes.
"Sir please," she pleaded.
"I agree. You can have the loan, but I have a condition."
"I agree to your every condition sir" she replied with a little smile of victory on her face.
"Think before you speak, Miss Sheharzaad."
"I trust you."
"I want a one night stand with you." He dropped the bomb.
............
"Every women is nothing but a , a and you're also one of them." He said making her wriggling double against the ropes, which tied her.
"You're wrong." She replied with a sheer determination in her eyes.
He harshly gripped held her chin and bobbed her head up towards him.
"Oh, I'll prove it to you then." He spoke with an immense intensity and a promise in his eyes.
"You'll now serve me as my personal escort, Sheharzaad." He declared and threaded his fingers into her silky locks, pasting his lips on hers, her brutally.
He didn't trust womankind and she was a strong woman.
He wanted shatter and break her into pieces so he could satisfy himself. 

Three years ago, I, Zara Yaxley, gave birth to a stillborn baby.
My husband, Steve Griffin, set up a private chapel at home to grieve. From then on, he becomes a pious man and embraces a celibate lifestyle in memory of our dead child. As a result, we only sleep together once a month.
No matter how I flirt or seduce him, he remains unmoved.
One night, I stand outside the door and see him gazing at a photo of his first love. It turns out that Steve isn't an unfeeling man. He just feels nothing for me.
So, I trick him into signing the divorce agreement and disappear from his world completely.
Later on, I receive news about him going crazy trying to find me.
When we meet again, it is at his uncle's wedding. I am happy and radiant in an elegant wedding gown, while he is immensely upset. His eyes are reddened as he stubbornly refuses to call me "Aunt Zara". 




In Noelle Liddell's past life, she obeyed her brothers' every command. Yet they exploited her and stepped all over her pride so they could dote on Xenia Quigley, their fake sister. Noelle is their birth sister, yet she ultimately dies after being kicked out of her home.
After being reborn, Noelle follows one principle—she stops being such a Good Samaritan, and she's not going to forgive or make up with her brothers. They can go do whatever they want as long as they leave her alone.
Her eldest brother, Donovan Liddell, wonders why his health has deteriorated recently. It's because Noelle doesn't bring him his medication and supplements anymore.
Her second brother, Frank Liddell, wonders why his company's firewall keeps acting up. It's because Noelle doesn't maintain it anymore.
Her third brother, Carl Liddell, wonders why the development of the new drug is going so slowly. It's because Noelle isn't testing it anymore.
Her fourth brother, Blake Liddell, wonders why the scripts he's getting are so horrible. It's because Noelle isn't writing them anymore.
Her fifth brother, Wyatt Liddell, wonders why his prosthetic limb is so terrible. It's because Noelle isn't producing them anymore.
Her sixth brother, Lucas Liddell, wonders why his team lost. It's because Noelle quit.
The six men grovel at Noelle's feet and beg for her forgiveness. "Come home, Nelly. Blood is thicker than water—we're a family!"
Noelle sneers. "You only know that you're wrong after everything's gone to shit. Sorry, but I'm not going to forgive any of you!" 
After dating Isaac Slater for two years, Cassidy Sherman finds out that he has been pretending to be poor and has been toying with her feelings.
Cassidy thought Isaac was a college student who didn't even have enough money to buy food. But it turns out he can easily buy another woman a 300-thousand-dollar bag without batting an eye.
She hears Isaac say, "She's from a single-parent household, so she yearns for fatherly love. I'm just playing along with her so that she feels happy being in a relationship. Of course I won't marry her."
When Cassidy's mom is diagnosed with stomach cancer, she tries borrowing money from Isaac. However, he continues to insist that he's broke and doesn't have money.
Cassidy gives up on him and marries the cool and abstinent Stefan Archer, the promising heir of the Archer family.
Later on, Isaac drinks so much that his stomach bleeds. He calls Cassidy, hoping to get back together with her.
"She's asleep," Stefan says frostily over the phone. "If there's anything, just tell me."
…
Cassidy assumes what she and Stefan share is merely a marriage of convenience, where they each get what they need from each other.
But she finds out later that Stefan has been secretly in love with her for many years. 
“Do you know how many nights I’ve thought about those? How I imagined sliding your dress up and seeing you in them… in my room, or my office… gagged so you wouldn’t scream my name?”
“Say the word, Renata,” he whispered, voice rough. “And I’ll have you right here… where anyone could knock. Where you could get caught with your husband’s father’s cock inside you.”
She gasped.
But she didn’t say no.
********
One reckless night. A stranger’s touch. Her ruin.
The night before her wedding, Renata surrendered to a man whose name she didn’t know… A man who made her tremble, moan, and beg for more in the shadows.
The next morning, he was at the wedding hall too…Watching her walk down the aisle to his son.
Domingo Serrano.
Powerful. Predatory. Possessive.
And he’s not done with her.
He wants her again. And again.
Once a week. No excuses. No escape.
But Renata isn’t just drowning in lust and shame.
She’s chasing answers. Her parents were murdered under the guise of an auto accident. The killer is hiding behind the walls of the Hidalgo empire.
Santiago, her charming husband, has secrets.
Lady Constanza, his mother, wears lies like pearls.
And Domingo? He’s the darkest of them all.
Now Renata’s playing with fire, and carrying a secret that could burn everyone:
She’s pregnant.
And she doesn’t know if the father is her husband… or his father. 
Thaddeus Cromwell is about to marry his childhood sweetheart, Danica Watson. Louisa Graham, who has been by his side for seven years, neither cries nor makes a scene. Instead, she personally organizes a grand wedding for him.
On the day of Thaddeus' wedding, Louisa puts on a wedding dress as well.
Two bridal cars pass each other along a long, bustling street. As the brides exchange bridal bouquets, a customary gesture of goodwill in their country when wedding processions meet, Thaddeus hears Louisa say, "I wish you a happy marriage!"
Thaddeus runs after Louisa's bridal car for ten full miles before finally catching up. He grabs her arm and sobs tearfully, "Louisa, you're mine."
But a man steps out of the bridal car and gently pulls Louisa into his embrace. "If she's yours, then what about me?" 



Nicole’s life changed drastically when she was reunited with the Riddle family. “Nothing is more important than my sister,” said her eldest brother, the domineering CEO.“You are still a student with no income. Take my credit card and spend however you like,” said her second brother, the financial expert.“I will allow no one to bully you at school,” her third brother, a top student, said.“Why did I compose this song? Because it would put a sweet smile on your face when you hear it,” her fourth brother, a talented musician, said.“You're so delicate. Let me do the dirty work for you if you want to beat someone up,” said her athletic fifth brother.Just when Nicole was barely accustomed to the pampering of her five brothers, she found herself having a fiancé, a nemesis from whom she had hacked a hundred million dollars.She needed to cancel the engagement, no matter what. But he pressed her against the door and said, “How can you run away just like that after stealing my money, you brat?”“Even if I don’t run, I don’t have the money to pay you back,” Nicole acted tough.“Oh, yeah? Then I will take you instead of money.” He then carried her on his back and took her away. 
Being second best is practically in my DNA. My sister got the love, the attention, the spotlight. And now, even her damn fiancé.Technically, Rhys Granger was my fiancé now—billionaire, devastatingly hot, and a walking Wall Street wet dream. My parents shoved me into the engagement after Catherine disappeared, and honestly? I didn’t mind. I’d crushed on Rhys for years. This was my chance, right? My turn to be the chosen one?Wrong.One night, he slapped me. Over a mug. A stupid, chipped, ugly mug my sister gave him years ago. That’s when it hit me—he didn’t love me. He didn’t even see me. I was just a warm-bodied placeholder for the woman he actually wanted. And apparently, I wasn’t even worth as much as a glorified coffee cup.So I slapped him right back, dumped his ass, and prepared for disaster—my parents losing their minds, Rhys throwing a billionaire tantrum, his terrifying family plotting my untimely demise.Obviously, I needed alcohol. A lot of alcohol.Enter him.Tall, dangerous, unfairly hot. The kind of man who makes you want to sin just by existing. I’d met him only once before, and that night, he just happened to be at the same bar as my drunk, self-pitying self. So I did the only logical thing: I dragged him into a hotel room and ripped off his clothes.It was reckless. It was stupid. It was completely ill-advised.But it was also: Best. Sex. Of. My. Life.And, as it turned out, the best decision I’d ever made.Because my one-night stand isn’t just some random guy. He’s richer than Rhys, more powerful than my entire family, and definitely more dangerous than I should be playing with.And now, he’s not letting me go. 
Mercity's richest man, Adam Alvarez, has been comatose for three years. His wife, Celine Tate, cares for him throughout. But when he wakes up, she finds a flirty text in his phone. His first love is back in the country.
His friends, who have always looked down on Celine, laugh about the matter. "It's time for the ugly little duckling to get kicked to the curb now the swan is back."
Only then does Celine realize Adam has never loved her. She's nothing but a poor joke.
So, one night, Mr. Alvarez receives a divorce agreement from his wife. The reason for the divorce—there's something wrong with his health.
Adam goes after Celine, his expression dark. That's when he discovers her standing under gleaming lights, looking gorgeous in a long dress. She's suddenly become a medical expert.
When she sees him, she smiles. "Are you here to see an andrology specialist, Mr. Alvarez?" 
Five years into my relationship with Damien Rook, he tells me he's gone into bankruptcy.
We sleep on park benches and pick whatever we can eat from dumpsters during our lowest, most wretched times in our relationship.
I refuse to abandon Damien since I believe that he'll definitely make a comeback in his career.
On the 100th day of me sleeping at a park, I decide to sell my blood at the black market. That way, I'll be able to take the sick Damien to the hospital for treatment. There, I keep praying uneasily for him to get well soon.
That's when Damien's former first love sends me a video icon.
"Here's a surprise for you."
It's a streaming site, where the content mainly shows rich scions pranking commoners.
With a trembling finger, I tap into the icon.
In the livestream, I can be seen munching on rotten food that I've gathered while sitting in a corner of the park. The food can provide me with what little nutrients my weak body needs.
On the second screen, Damien sits on a couch while dining on exquisite food and wine in a five-star hotel.
"That woman really is something! Just because Mr. Rook has claimed that he's feeling unwell, she actually goes ahead to sell her blood in order to treat his illness!"
"During the 16th prank, she fell into the sea! During the 25th prank, she got hit by a car in order to save Mr. Rook! Just how tough is she to kill, huh?"
"Well, Mr. Rook did boast that if she were to last until the pranks were officially over, he'd marry her. That, and he wouldn't touch any other women for the rest of his life!"
"There's still one month left! Will that woman die from Mr. Rook's pranks, or will she be welcomed into the Rook family on a red carpet?"
"I bet 50 million dollars that she'll die an extremely gruesome death! Hahaha!" 







She was always the good girl. Until heartbreak made her reckless.
Elena Sinclair thought marriage meant forever.
But five years in, her “forever” has become a gilded cage of pain and betrayal.
She’s the wife who couldn’t give him a child. The barren disappointment. And for that, her husband offered her a cruel compromise… an open marriage. One that gave him the right to find someone who could carry his heir.
The next day, he brought a pregnant woman home. The same woman who was first introduced as his cousin.
The humiliation doesn’t end there, his mother lashes out… hurling insults and even fists, while her husband turns a blind eye. Not once has he defended her. Not once has he shown her love. She’s nothing more than a placeholder… a name on a marriage certificate.
The cruelest part? She loved him. She loved him long before the vows, long before the lies… so deeply it blinded her to who he really was.
Now, to make him jealous, she turns to the one man she should never touch: Jaxx Moretti, her husband’s younger brother. The dangerous one. The black sheep of the Sinclair family. The man who once made her high school years hell… and now has every reason to destroy her husband's legacy.
What starts as a twisted game soon ignites into something raw, addictive, and completely forbidden.
But Jaxx isn’t just her escape. He’s everything her husband isn’t. Because the deeper she sinks into Jaxx's bed… The harder it becomes to crawl back out.
Content Warning: This book contains mature themes intended for adult audiences (18+), including explicit sexual content, toxic relationships, manipulation, and emotional trauma. Reader discretion is strongly advised. 
Wynter Quinnell has never known that she's not related to the Yates family by blood. When her childhood sweetheart and the rest of the world turn on her, the Yates family kicks her out and tells her to search for her biological parents in the hole she'd crawled out from…Wynter laughs it off. She's about to stun everyone by revealing her secret identity, but it turns out the "hole" the Yates family had mentioned is actually the richest family in Kingbourne, the Quinnell family!Over the course of a single night, she goes from the Yates family's fake daughter, who's despised by everyone, to the actual daughter of the richest man in the country. She also has six brothers who absolutely adore her!Her eldest brother is a domineering president. "Let's pause the meeting right here. Get me a ticket back to the country—I wanna see who are the people who have the nerve to bully my sister!"Her second-eldest brother is a famous celebrity. "Cancel the function. I'm gonna take my sister home right now."Her third-eldest brother is a god in his industry. "Postpone the competition. Nothing's more important than my sister."This rocks the country!The Yates family regrets every wrong move they make, and Wynter's childhood sweetheart tries to win her back.But before she can reject him, Dalton Yarwood, the president of Yarwood Corporation and the son of the renowned Yarwood family, proposes to her. It makes her the talk of the town! 


At night, it was already midnight when Asher came home from dinner.He knew that Nora would come to The Howe family today. His grandpa Howard had asked Asher to meet Nora, but he refused on the grounds of work. He was not interested in this fiancee at all, and the engagement would be broken sooner or laterAfter returning to the room, Asher took a bath and went to sleep.Probably because he drank a little too much tonight, Asher didn't realize there were other women in the room until he lay down.He was slightly stunned. In the darkness, Asher could not see the woman's face. She turned over and hugged him. The girl murmured, "Good bear, don't make any noise. Just sleep."Asher was frozen.The woman had a very familiar smell, the same as that person...Probably because of the alcohol, Asher didn't move, lying down with Nora and falling asleep. 
Driven by love, Evolet, a weak Omega, joins the Luna's hunt to be with the Alpha who stole her first kiss. She does this against her mother's order, hoping her best friend, Fiona, would keep this a secret. But her trust is broken when Fiona reveals her devilish side, causing a rift between Evolet and her mother. She reveals her true desire to be the Alpha's Luna, mocking Evolet's inability to summon her wolf. Her words got to a desperate Evolet, who feels scared and ends up doing something she has never done before. She strikes a deal with the pack's enemy, a pervy rogue with a strange wolf ability, to become her wolf for the game.***"Do you know what you're saying? You want me to be your wolf?""Yes, I do. I... I want you. Please, be my wolf."**** Will Evolet succeed and defeat Fiona?* Is she doing the right thing by going against her mother's order and joining this hunt for the sake of a man?* What if she's wrong about the Alpha and the Royal Family?* What if the rogue isn't just her wolf... But more than that?Find out now. 

After three years of loveless and suffocating marriage. Alice finally realizes she can't warm Lucas's heart no matter what she does. Besides, the marriage between them was just a contract.The words that he had written on the contract were very clear: "Don't ever expect anything from me, in the future if I want, you must give me a divorce without any questions and you are not allowed to conceive my baby"Alice chose to marry him because she needed money for her father's surgery. She was the one who proposed the idea of marriage in the first place, and as a result, she was the one who suffered the most. As time passed, she discovered that he was having affairs with other women, she also discovered that his first love had returned. This broke her heart and she finally decided to divorce him.She had suffered enough and it was time for her to move on with her life. But fate had a different plan for her. She discovered that she was pregnant after leaving Lucas's house. However, even though she was carrying his child, she didn't want to stay with him because of his infidelity. When Lucas found out that Alice had left and was furious."You belong to me, I'll never let you go"He forcefully pushed her against a cold wall and punished her with a deep kiss as a way to assert his dominance over her. It was only after she left that Lucas began to comprehend the profound impact Alice had on his life. He found himself unable to imagine anyone else filling the void she had left. 



Three years ago, I had my positive cancer diagnosis in one hand as I consoled Anderson Graham, whose eyes were red and teary.
"It's just cancer. I can beat this."
However, he continued crying until he was almost out of breath. He hugged me so tightly that I thought my bones would crack.
"Yvonne, promise me that you'll beat this. I'll wait for you to return so I can marry you!"
In order to live, I had to remove most of my stomach.
Every single day, I was faced with handful after handful of pills and never-ending chemotherapy.
Three years later, I'm finally healed and can return to Anderson's side.
During my return party, his female best friend chuckles as she raises a glass.
"Andy was as celibate as a priest while you were overseas. I kept a close eye on him every single night and made sure nobody else was in his bed.
"I practically tattooed the words 'Do Not Touch' on him to make sure nobody else would go for him!"
The noisy room suddenly becomes so quiet that I can hear a pin drop.
I do my best to ignore the prickling ache coming from my chest.
With an equally bright smile, I raise my glass and reply, "Should I give you an award for keeping his bed occupied, then?" 

[Update 4 chapters daily] Nancy Moore grows up indulged and sheltered by the influential Moore family, only to discover one day that she is actually the daughter of the far less notable Liddell family.Her adoptive parents, fearing she will suffer if sent back, support the Liddells discreetly behind the scenes. Not wanting to add to their burden, Nancy quietly slips away to rejoin the Liddells.But the Liddells, arrogant about their noble status, greet her return with scorn. Her birth parents accuse her of lacking the grace of a "real" heiress, unlike their adoptive daughter, Raine Liddell—who's talented and accomplished.They claim, "An heiress needs to pick up all sorts of skills and knowledge. You need to learn from your sister."Later, the Liddells boast about Raine being qualified for the finals of a piano competition, only to spot Nancy on the judges' panel.They are proud of Raine's status as a designer prodigy, and that she dreams of studying under a national treasure, only to find that figure is none other than Nancy.When the Liddells warn Nancy to not fantasize about Raine's fiancé, who's also the heir of the Fuller family, the said heir declares his love for Nancy while holding her lovingly. "When are you going to acknowledge me as your partner, babe?" he asks.Having made discovery after discovery on Nancy's actual identities, the Liddells finally realize that Nancy is the key to their ascension through the elite's ranks. Regret floods them, tears tracing lines down their cheeks as they plead for her to return.But the elite Moore family snaps, "Get lost! From now on, Nancy is only a Moore!" 
Alden Crestfall remains cold and distant to his wife, Thalia Marquette, even after two years of being married to each other. Furthermore, they only have sex once a month as previously agreed.
Thalia smiles and accepts Alden's condition out of love for him. She trusts that one day, she'll make Alden love her in return.
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Thalia catches Alden and his sister-in-law, Kiera Hollindale, getting it on in his office. As Thalia watches them going at it like wild, lustful beasts, she realizes Alden isn't as sexually disinterested as he claims to be.
It's just that Thalia isn't the woman Alden loves.
Any hope that Thalia had dies in an instant, and she divorces Alden before taking control over her family business once again.
When Thalia's name is listed in Fortune Global 500 and becomes her country's first female billionaire, Alden shows up with a bouquet of 999 roses to beg her for forgiveness.
"I was wrong, Lia. Please give me another chance," he says.
In response, Thalia takes a step back.
Meanwhile, the famous and prestigious scion, Darius Backshaw, suddenly appears and pulls Thalia into his arms.
"Screw off, you piece of scum! Don't you dare taint my wife's eyes with your presence any longer!" Darius exclaims. 



The Locke family's long-lost daughter, Madison Locke, is reunited with her family. Then, she starts doing livestreams to make a living.
Everyone in Riverview's upper crust is waiting to see her make a fool of herself. However, all they get to see is how bigwigs from all over the country flood her livestream to ask her for help.
A rising star in the business world says, "Save me, Ms. Locke!"
An award-winning actor who's fresh out of the oven says, "Help me get rid of my unwanted admirers, Ms. Locke!"
A bigwig in the research world asks, "Could you help check on the geomancy in my area, Ms. Locke?"
A certain someone says, "Come closer to me, babe!"
Everyone wonders why this certain someone is so different from everyone else.
Madison says, "That's what I'd like to know, too." 



He's cold and reserved, while she's wild and free.Driven by revenge, Giselle Holt weaves her way into his life, teasing him without shame and manipulating him with cunning and deceit. She ruins his engagement party, drives away the woman he loves, and tramples on his boundaries again and again.One late night, he corners her against the wall. "Giselle, what other tricks do you have up your sleeve?"She smirks, sly and teasing.Just like that, she barges into his life and does as she pleases, dragging him down from his pedestal, piece by piece, until nothing remains. 
Having been married for one year, Genevieve Whitfield doesn't expect that she'll get divorced soon, even though the honeymoon phase isn't over yet.
Back then, she chose to conceal her identity and marry Zachary Lambert in order to repay him for his benevolence. Little does she know that her repayment is met with cruelty instead.
Zachary dotes on his pretentious childhood sweetheart, Regina Sloane, a lot. Genevieve's mother-in-law, Sylvia Jenkins, berates her for not being able to give birth. Even Zachary's younger sister, who's still a teenager, has the gall to push her around.
Fine. Whoever wants Zachary can have him. Genevieve doesn't hesitate to hand over the divorce agreement right away.
Wait, Zachary doesn't want a divorce? It's fine. Genevieve has an array of methods and brute strength on her side.
She can't get a cent out of this divorce? Heck no! She will make sure to obtain every single cent that's rightfully hers!
After dumping Zachary, Genevieve's alter egos are stripped one by one by the public. She's a medical genius, a genius artist, as well as a top-tier perfumer.
Zachary clutches his chest, clearly regretting his decision. He's willing to present everything he has on a silver platter to her just to beg her to remarry him.
But the bastard child, Tristan Hale, of the Lambert family has Genevieve all cornered. She tries to escape from him, only for him to kiss her.
With a small smile on his face, he declares, "You're mine." 
Bethany Porter has been in a clandestine relationship with her best friend's uncle, Noah Vazquez, for three years, only to hear her best friend, Holly Vasquez, say, "My uncle's seeing someone, Beth."
It hits her then that she has been nothing but a substitute for the last three years.
To reclaim her late father's inheritance, Bethany agrees to her mother, Diana Reeves', arrangement and goes on a blind date. Unbeknownst to her, she sits at the wrong table.
"Let's get married. We can go our separate ways in a year," Bethany suggests.
Silas Brennan arches his brow. "Sure. Since there's still time, why don't we go get our marriage license now?"
…
Regret twists in Noah's chest when he sees the ring on Bethany's finger. His eyes mist over as he seizes her wrist. "Can you give me another chance, Beth?"
Before the gentle woman can respond, the man behind her draws her in, his arms settling around her slender waist. "Whoa there, are you trying to be a homewrecker, Mr. Vazquez? Sorry, but that's my wife's hand you're holding. Lay a hand on her again, and I'll cut it off!"
Noah belatedly realizes that the man who stole his girlfriend is his archenemy. 
On the way to escape, a stranger took away her virginity. She didn’t expect that the stranger was Jasper Milton, who was rich and powerful, as well as ruthless and cold. It was said that he didn’t love woman. However, it was not true. She was suffering from a sore back after having sex with him every day, and finally she couldn’t stand it, “You don’t need to be responsible for me anymore, and you are free now.” He sat by her bed, pulled her into his arms, and said gently: “Stella, are you mistaken, shouldn’t it be you who is responsible? " Stella Grace:”…" 
At 18, to pay for her mother's treatment, Elizabeth Farley sells herself to a man ten years older.Only later does she find out he's the head of Cooper Corporation, a man feared in the business world for his ruthless tactics. But with her… he's impossibly gentle.He spoils her so much, she starts to believe it's love.One night, she casually mentions liking the cake from a dessert shop in the south end of the city. The next day, he buys the entire store—just so they'll make sweets for her and her alone.When she spikes a fever in the middle of the night, he drops out of an international meeting and takes the first flight back. He sits by her bedside, changing cold towels for her again and again.On her 20th birthday, he takes her to see the northern lights. Under the sky painted with dazzling color, he kisses her fingertips and whispers, "Little one, from now on, I'll spend every birthday with you."And she's silly enough to believe him. 




Lance has secretly been hoping to find his mate, he was an alpha who was cold and ruthless, on the outside, he never shows his emotions, so people think he was never bothered by the fact that he was mateless.But deep inside, he was bothered by that fact, and he needed to find his mate.A sudden visit to the human town brought him face to face with his mate, but then, he realized something.His mate was a human!Now things are bound to take a massive turn around, secrets will be unraveled, and these secrets will change their lives forever.