All

On my 23rd birthday, my brother, Eric Welsh, becomes the richest man in the country. During the grand birthday party he throws for the housekeeper's daughter, Fiona Dobler, he announces that she will receive the sole attention of the Welsh family.
Meanwhile, I have only a month left to live because of my faulty artificial heart, and I can't find a matching donor. While I'm being tormented physically and mentally, I video call him.
When he hears me coughing, he berates me, "Back then, you left because you were worried that I'll be a burden to you. What now? Are you regretting it because I'm rich?"
My throat feels tight as I stare intently at his unchanged expression through the screen, smiling wryly. "Eric, think of 300,000 dollars as a small amount and lend it to me."
On the other end, Eric snorts and gently assures Fiona, "It's a scam call. Don't worry."
Of course he has nothing to worry about. The healthy heart in his chest is mine. 
18-year-old Grace Lawson opens her eyes and finds that she's been reborn to six years in the future.She's supposed to be the most prestigious lady in the city, yet she's become a brainless woman who has nothing but love on the brain.She gives up her position of Mrs. Donovan for a scumbag and causes so much trouble that her world collapses around her and her family is destroyed. Her family's company, Lawson Group, is handed over to others without a fight.Her husband, the prince of the city, has his heart broken because of her. Her son hates her, and her daughter begs for her love…Grace sucks in a breath. She has to reap what she's sown!She has to torment the scumbag, get rid of the trash in her life, and get her children back. Whoever has taken what is hers has to return it in tenfold—no, thousand-fold!After signing a divorce agreement, she starts pursuing her husband again.…"Hold me, honey."Kiss me, honey."It's cold, honey. Let's go to bed."Adrian Donovan loses his mind from Grace's seduction and pins her to the table while kissing her hard. "Are you sucking up to me because of him? What do you want this time? My life?"The two children cluck their tongues. "Daddy, if you keep acting like this, Mommy's gonna become our aunt!" 
Every girl at the age of eighteen, if left unmated, is volunteered for the Alphas Hunt. Hazel is no exception and also the only one who sees it not as a chance to find a strong Alpha to take care of her, but rather as a ceremony that strips you of your free will and sends you out into the woods to be hunted like a deer.If she is claimed she will be his. If she is not, she will return in shame and be shunned from her pack. Hazel knows the ways of the Alphas, being the daughter of a Beta, but what she doesn't count on is the presence of the Lycan King. The leader of all is participating in his first-ever hunt, and she is his prey.***Warning: This book contains a LOT of mature content such as strong language, explicit s*x scenes, physical and mental abuse, BDSM, etc.*** 


18+, strong mature, and sexual content.
Sneak peek:
"W-what are you doing?" I asked, my breathing getting heavier as his warm fingers inched towards my bikini bottom.
"You called me a coward earlier, remember?" He asked, his other hand wrapped around my throat and lips torturingly brushing over mine "So let's see how much you can handle if I break the boundaries."
"I haven't said anything wrong," I breathed out, the collision of the heat of our bodies made the wetness between my thighs build more
"Oh really?" He hooked my legs around his waist leaving me surprised
I opened my mouth to say something but before any sentence could leave my mouth, sliding past my bikini bottom his fingers were there on my bare clit and the next second they thrust inside the very tight hole of mine leaving me to scream.
But everything went silent as he pressed his hot lips upon mine just as I had been wanting since the first day I had ever seen him.
****
I always knew the things I felt for Jacob Adriano were wrong in so many ways. He was my dad's best friend, totally out of bounds but I couldn't stop wanting him. And once in the event of my dad's destination wedding, I came across him after years...I lost every one of the boundaries I had and surely I planned to make him lose his ones too.
After all Jacob Adriano, the sinfully attractive Italian was not unaware of my obsession with him.
But little did know that forbidden relationships always bring havoc and demolition..... 
"Meet my sons, Mia. Sons, meet Mia, your soon-to-be step-sister."Then three tall, sturdy, muscular men joined us at the table and I had no doubt that they were my step-brothers. They looked just like their father.I gasped, shrinking in fear as I remembered where I had met them. Quinn, Jack and John, the triplets of misery in my high school life.I would be a fool if I ended up liking the boys who had bullied me and treated me like I wasn't worth shit.They are different at this time from the wolves in my dream. They are playing the role of a gentle older brother.I heard that they were in the Navy and I must admit that was where fitted them. I hoped that they met with men who were stronger than they were who could give them a taste of their own medicine and bully them, just as they had bullied me.Later, they claimed that I was their mate."Keep it a secret from our parents, okay? We'll cherish you, Sis." 
"Katelyn, your love disgusts me." When Ethan forced her to apologize to that woman, completely ignoring whether she lived or died, Katelyn finally came to her senses that her marriage was a joke. Ethan had never cared about her, not even at her mother's funeral, when he cheated on her with her own sister. She filed for divorce and bid Ethan farewell.Katelyn soon returned to her career and steadily became a highly sought - after editor - in - chief.Fate smiled on her and she was discovered by her billionaire biological father, who made her the heir to all his fortune. As she danced passionately in the arms of her new boyfriend Cayden, Ethan watched with burning jealousy and regret. Unable to contain himself any longer, he dropped to his knees before her and begged, "Please, Katelyn… please come back to me." 

In her past life, she suffered at the hands of a heartless man and a shameless woman, leaving her to die with a vengeful heart. However, the universe gives her a second chance at life, and she emerges with a burning desire for revenge, vowing to make that jerk and his mistress pay for their sins. He, the seemingly idle pleasure-seeker, hides a sinister power, pulling the strings behind the scenes. When he comes across her on his path to success, she claims to be able to help him ruin the Thomas family. He sees her as nothing, but a "burden". Little does he know that the woman, who is useless in his eyes, holds the power to turn his life upside down. ...The man's eyes darken as he challenges her, "Ariana, do you realize there's a line of women who would do anything to bear my child? If you marry me, I won't accept any responsibility.""Rest assured, when the child is born, I will raise it myself!" 

Jolene Adkins grew up in the countryside. Her father has passed away, and her mother has remarried. When she's old enough, her heartless mother takes her to the city so she can marry someone on her stepsister's behalf.She's forced to marry Steven Welsh, the worthless second son of the Welsh family who's crippled. Steven looks at her the day after their wedding and says, "I'll give you two options—divorce or life like a divorcée."Jolene says, "I choose option three!"Later, she works her medical magic and cures Steven. He turns out to be a secret billionaire and even gets her pregnant!Countless rich and powerful people want Jolene to treat them, and the people who once mistreated her fall to their knees before her, begging her to forgive them.A rich woman even comes knocking on Jolene's door, her eyes red as she claims to be Jolene's mother.It turns out Jolene should've grown up like a princess. Everything was changed because someone stole her life.Steven is happy to see how things turn out. His wife is a treasure, and he knows it best! 




I was rejected, but soon, I will marry a wheelchair-bound Rogue."Is this your fiancé?""Yes, he is my husband, Raymond Black," I introduced."How shameful, you are marrying this... uh, rogue, who has no clan, no fixed pack, and can't even protect you if attacked by other werewolves?"I stood at the altar, with many people below, as if saying to me: you are such a fool!Raymond said beside me, "Caitlin, if you want to back out, you still have a chance now, you can choose to run away."I shook my head, "No... I won't run away, you will be my husband."I saw a hint of surprise in his emerald, green eyes.*******I was set up by my best friend to have sex with a strange man, my first MATE rejected me, an enemy weapon ran through my father's heart, pierced my mother's body. My best friend's family stripped me of my ALPHA status, and I became everyone's go-to OMEGA. Until that man came along, Rogue, and he saved me, but... I found that he seemed to hide a lot of secrets, wait, my second mate is alpha king?! 
Charlotte Simmons was not just betrayed by her fiancé, who cheated on her with a mistress. Her family business was also taken from her, and she was tricked into sleeping with a stranger on her wedding night. She eventually gave birth to a stranger's child! Her fiancé used her adultery as an excuse to dump her in public, making her the laughing stock of the city. That night, Charlotte Simmons drank herself to oblivion and vowed to seek revenge. However, when she woke up, she found herself lying in Zachary Connor’s bed! She was even more surprised when Zachary asked her to marry him! "Marry me and I’ll make you shine." Who was Zachary Connor? He was known as the emperor of darkness and he also happened to be filthy rich! There were rumors that he was gay. Well, who cared? He was a douchebag anyway, so she decided to go along just so she could punish him for his behavior! They signed and made their marriage official. From then on, Charlotte Simmons got ready and started her plan to torment Zachary Connor. After tormenting him, she knocked on his door that night and said, "Mr. Connor, I want a divorce." However, the next day, Charlotte Simmons walked out of the room with a pale face. "How dare you try to leave when you’re already mine?" 
In the quiet corners of life, Flora's journey reveals a flow of emotions—love, loss, and unyielding resilience. Estranged from her parents, step sisters and fiance who had horrible plans for her she finds comfort in the care of her grandmother, Melissa, and her guardian, Aunt Celia. Through trials and challenges, Flora carves her path, finding solace in the nurturing love of her grandmother. With gentle strength, she embraces the sudden and almost shameful motherhood and faces the future with unspoken fears leaving behind the town that held her worst nightmare to start anew. Over time, Flora's life takes a turn for the better. She becomes a top jewelry designer and gets a job as the main designer. She buys a nice house in a calm area. Her house becomes a lovely place for her twins, Kayden and Kendra, to play in the yard. However, despite her successes, there's something missing—Kayden and Kendra's father. Who is their farther and where has he gone? 

Since she could remember, Cassie Smith had been in love with Nathan Greg. When she left home to attend a university two states away, they transitioned from being best friends in school to friends with benefits. Their once-a-month weekends were the pinnacle of her life, when he would fly in to see her and she would have him all to herself for the whole, uninterrupted weekend.Then he announced his impending marriage to her.Cassie had to take action to restore order since her idealized world was in danger of collapsing. She wanted to be the woman Nathan married and had a happy life with because she needed him in her life. She thus devised a scheme to interrupt the wedding and kidnap the groom.She later met Brian.In order to make the groom envious and aid her in calling off the wedding, Brian Colleen, the reclusive aviation Billionaire, promised to pose as her lover. She began to doubt her allegiance to Nathan as a result of his stunning green eyes and the way he made her feel when he touched her. He's also Nathan's stepbrother, incidentally.She couldn't deny that she felt something for Brian, but what would it indicate for her relationship with Nathan going forward? Should she continue on her current path and work for the happily ever after she had always envisioned with Nathan, or take a risk on a new relationship with Brian?Please dear readers, I want to inform you all that this story is in series and I will be uploading all of them in the story, thank you all. 
Harper Vaughn has what most women can only dream of. She comes from nothing, but she has won the heart of Callum Colter, the younger son of the incredibly wealthy and powerful Colter family.Unfortunately, the Colter family is stuck in their old ways and refuses to approve the marriage. Callum pleads in the memorial hall, takes a brutal beating, and nearly dies for Harper. Still, he refuses to yield.He is willing to give up his name and everything tied to it for the sake of marrying her. The wedding is right around the corner when Quentin Colter, the Colter family's eldest son, dies in a car crash.With Quentin gone, Callum is dragged back into the fold as the only heir. People are saying he is getting hitched to someone from a family of equal status.When the rumors are flying about Callum possibly dumping Harper, he stuns everyone by publicly announcing their wedding under the Colter family's name.Strathaven goes wild. Their love story is on everyone's lips, and every woman wants to be Harper.Everyone believes the fairytale, but only Harper knows the truth. Callum, the very man talking about marrying her, is sleeping with Sienna Prescott, his late brother's wife. 



"Congratulations on passing the online interview, Mr. Bolton. We've already sent the offer letter to your inbox, and we'll need you to report to Linkton within two weeks. Do you have any issues with that?" This is an international call, and the man on the other end speaks fluent Invian.Neal Bolton doesn't hesitate to say, "No issues at all. I'll be there."The door opens right after he hangs up, and Joyce Slater enters the room. When she sees him, she hands him a bag. "I couldn't ring in the New Year with you yesterday because of an emergency at the law firm. Don't be mad."She sounds sincere, so Neal doesn't question it. He takes the bag and glances inside to see a sandalwood bracelet with nothing else. Joyce didn't even care enough to wrap it nicely.He knows these bracelets are expensive, but the truly pricey one is the agarwood bracelet, not this one. This one is just a free gift. The fact that the sandalwood bracelet is here means Joyce purchased the agarwood bracelet yet chose to give him the free gift.If not for the photos Corey Swank sent him yesterday showing off the agarwood bracelet, Neal never would have expected his girlfriend of five years to give the real gift to someone else and give her boyfriend a free gift. 



Christina dreamed of having a good marriage, being a faithful wife, loved and respected by her husband, and being an exemplary mother to her children, as well as being treated as if she were one more daughter of her mother-in-law.However, when she got married, at first everything was perfect, but as the months passed, she began to discover the cold and cruel reality of her husband and her mother-in-law towards her.One day, she runs away from her mother-in-law's house because she can't take her humiliation anymore, and she has an accident that sends her to the hospital, there she meets Ryan Reynolds, a very prestigious doctor in the place, immediately, the two meet. They fall in love, and they decide to start making their lives together without him imagining that Christina had such a painful past that she would take advantage of to get revenge. 
She was hurt. She was bullied and made fun of. And the only hope that kept her going was finding her mate. She has always been weak. Weak to the world. Why?Because she was a lantern. She didn't have a wolf. That's what everyone thought about her.When she found her mate, he wanted her to be his slut and not a wife.She might be an omega, but it doesn't mean she will take disloyalty and betrayal lightly. So she did something that no one in history ever did.She rejected an Alpha."I, Alexis Clark, reject Brandon Sterling, the alpha of Black mist pack, and consider myself a free soul until I decide so."; Were her last words before she left that torturous place and became a rogue.A rogue that everyone was fearing and finding.Why? Because she was the rogue that has become one of the biggest problems of almost all the packs in the country.She was Alexis Clark. A rogue that rejected an Alpha, stealth food, kill other rogues, and more than that was living with humans and studying with them.What will happen when her case is given to the world's most dangerous alpha, Sebastian Sinclair, who has taken it upon himself to punish this rogue.The one who hated rogues and omega to a level that was beyond understanding. Why? Because his mate was an omega, who betrayed him with a rogue before dying.How will Alexis tackle this alpha, in whose College she was studying and living under hiding for almost a year?What will Sebastian do when he finds out the new girl he had been talking to is none other than the rogue omega that he had decided to kill?"To love you with all my might was my only wish, but you were the only one who gave me endless suffering. So today, I promise myself to not fall for anyone."; A simple saying that both Alexis and Sebastian had vowed upon.Will they be able to find their love amidst all these problems? 




In the elite circles of Nasledo, everyone knows that Miranda Doyle has a saintly, devoted husband.
Yet during her postpartum period, she receives a message from a stranger.
It simply reads, "Dorian is cheating. I have proof."
Those few words hit her like a dagger to the heart, making her gasp.
She instinctively looks up, only to see Dorian Cannon standing by the sink, scrubbing the pair of pants she just changed out of, still stained with postpartum discharge.
The CEO of Cannon Group is an impressive and commanding presence in public.
Yet, he handles household chores with surprising skill—simply because he never trusts anyone else to manage Miranda's affairs.
Miranda shakes her head and smiles, deleting the message.
The man in the message is Dorian, the man who loves her with all his heart.
Even if every man in the world is unfaithful, Miranda never believes he could cheat.
But three days later, she receives another message. It reads, "Don't believe me? Check the inner pocket of Dorian's coat."
The sender seems utterly confident, and a creeping fear wraps around Miranda's chest. 



Three Stories in one. Read about the Warner sisters Sutton, Blair and Keira.
In Bed With Her Shithead Boss - Coming home to find her fiancé in bed with her cousin should have broken her, but Blair refuses to fall apart. She's strong, capable, and determined to move on. What she doesn't plan on is drowning her sorrows in too much of her bosses scotch... or ending up in bed with her ruthless, dangerously charming boss, Roman.
One night. That's all it was supposed to be.
But in the cold light of day, walking away isn't so easy. Roman isn't a man who lets go-especially not when he's decided he wants more. He doesn't just want Blair for a night. He wants her, period.
And he has no intention of letting her go.
CEO's Runaway Mistress - When model “Audrey” discovers she’s pregnant with billionaire Luca De Santis’s baby, she’s terrified to tell him. Their eleven-month affair has been passionate but uncommitted. Before she can find the right moment, Luca brutally ends their relationship, revealing he’s engaged to a teenage heiress and cruelly accusing Audrey of trying to trap him when she reveals her pregnancy.
Heartbroken and alone, Audrey vanishes, returning to her real identity as Sutton Warner. Months later, a twist of fate brings them face-to-face again when Luca acquires the tech company where Sutton works. He’s stunned to discover the truth: not only is she carrying his child, but “Audrey” never existed. She’s actually Sutton, a gifted programmer with a mind as beautiful as her face.
As corporate sabotage threatens to destroy everything they’ve built, Luca and Sutton must navigate their complicated past while fighting their still-burning attraction. But with his cruel rejection still haunting her and her fierce independence at stake, can Luca convince Sutton to give him and their family a second chance before it’s too late? 
"Give birth to my baby, and I'll give you everything you want."
In order to raise enough money for her mother's surgery bills, Amelia Warren spends a night with a stranger. At first, she thinks she won't see him ever again, but her accidental pregnancy intertwines her fate with his.
Amelia rejects that suggestion immediately. "This is my uterus. I have the right to decide whether or not I want to give birth to this baby."
The man stops her in a domineering fashion. "You have no say in this matter!"
Michael Sutton, the famous business mogul in Southport, is a noble and prestigious man equipped with extremely brutal methods. No one dares to defy him at all.
Rumors have it that he's cold, distant, and isn't interested in the fairer sex at all. Some even whisper of his inability to sire children of his own. That is, until the paparazzi snap photos of him accompanying a woman to a prenatal check-up.
"Darling, you must be tired from all the walking. I'll carry you into the room."
"Darling, you must be thirsty, right? I'll feed you some water."
The so-called cold and distant man transforms into a henpecked husband right in front of the cameras, leaving everyone shell-shocked.
…
Before Amelia meets Michael, she's stuck in a hopeless situation. Her dad is a gambling addict, and her mom is very ill. Before she can even graduate from university, she's already saddled with heavy debts. She envisions her life of despair to remain like this for as long as she draws breath.
That is, until she meets the ever-so domineering yet devoted Michael, who loves her with all his heart. That's when everything changes.
Some people mock her for her low status, saying that she's not fit to be a part of the upper crust. They even think that she has no right to stay by Michael's side and speculate that she must have seduced her way to this position.
Michael states, "The moment I laid my gaze on Amelia, I fell in love with her at first sight. I was the one who kept pestering her until she agreed to marry me."
A certain higher-up in the government also pipes up, "Please take good care of Amy, my dearest daughter-in-law." 

On our seventh wedding anniversary, my husband suddenly raises his glass and says, "I never realized how pathetic you are."I stand frozen, unable to comprehend why he would say something so cruel."I paid less for you than for a maid. You've belonged to me for seven years, and you'll remain mine for the rest of your life. So, tell me, am I really expected to repay you like this?"His voice drips with exhaustion and bitterness."Compared to Heather, you're utterly worthless."Something inside me breaks.All of a sudden, the building shakes violently, and the chandelier crashes down. Without hesitation, he throws himself over me, shielding me instinctively.Though covered in blood, he smiles faintly and says, "I've paid what I owed you. If there's a next life, don't stoop so low again."Once his funeral is over, I leap from a 30-story building.When I open my eyes, I find myself back on that very day.His mother stands before me. With a marriage contract in hand, her expression drips with arrogance."Would you like to be my daughter-in-law? You'll gain 100 billion dollars in assets, as well as all the love and pampering you could want."I freeze in disbelief. After a long pause, I whisper, "No. I'm already engaged." 
Natalie Shaw has been dating Lucas Moore for ten years. But she ultimately realizes that the one who has slept with her is actually another man.
To her shock, Lucas is the one who has orchestrated everything, just so he can make another woman smile in amusement.
So, Natalie decides to continue the mistake. She's gentle and caring toward Nelson Moore, the man who has been pretending to be Lucas the whole time. At the same time, she's cold and distant toward Lucas, who has been adopting another identity in order to accompany his lover, Zia Shaw.
Natalie toys around with Lucas' and Nelson's thoughts and intentions effortlessly. Then, she pretends to die in a plane crash so that she can shake them off once and for all.
As a result, Natalie's parents cry themselves to the point of collapse. As for Nelson, he loses his mind and destroys both the Shaw and the Moore families out of rage.
Her lips curl into a cold smile at the sight.
Since all of them are such brilliant actors, she might as well put on a grand show for them! 
Her marriage, which has lasted for three years, ends in a divorce. The whole city laughs at her and mocks her for being the abandoned wife of a wealthy family. Six years later, she returns to the country with a pair of twins. This time, she has taken a new lease on life and is now a world-renowned genius doctor. Countless men are now lining up to court her and marry her, until one day, her daughter tells her that “Daddy” has been on his knees for three days straight, begging to remarry her.Roxanne, a kind-hearted and innocent young woman, is married off to the wealthy and enigmatic businessman, Lucian. Roxanne’s life takes an unexpected turn as she finds herself in a loveless and suffocating marriage. Lucian is portrayed as a distant and cold husband, consumed by his own ambitions and scandals.Despite her efforts to be a dutiful wife, Roxanne's marriage becomes increasingly unbearable. She discovers that her husband is having an affair with a scheming socialite. Roxanne’s heartbreak and humiliation push her to the brink, leading her to make a daring decision: she leaves behind her luxurious life to find herself anew.Roxanne’s journey of self-discovery takes her to the bustling city of Paris. In the artistic and bohemian atmosphere, she begins to unravel the layers of her own identity. Through a series of chance encounters, she befriends the charismatic and free-spirited artist, Who in turn becomes Roxanne’s guide to a world of pa*sion, art, and liberation that she had never known before.As Roxanne navigates her new life, she gradually lets go of the constraints that had bound her in her former existence. The novel beautifully portrays her metamorphosis from a timid and abandoned wife to a confident and independent woman. Through mentorship, Roxanne discovers her own artistic talents and finds solace in painting, using the canvas as a means to express her emotions and aspirations. 




After Blair saved the injured and amnesic Mable, she pestered him with a thick face and repaid him with her body.However, throughout their two years of marriage, Blair always turned his nose up at her.“You don’t deserve to like me!”So, Mable came to her senses and decided to start life anew by returning to her original self.After the divorce, Blair found that his ex-wife, whom he cast aside like old shoes, had transformed into an impressive big shot.Wealthy families revered her as their queen, while mysterious hidden families respected her as their lady.Ace mercenaries worshipped her as their mistress, while medical leaders regarded her as a legend.Even the world’s richest man would confess to her in fancy ways on live stream every day…“Mr…. Mr. Fowler, Madam—”“Wants to see me?”“No, the prince of Fargen, the richest man in Tolfiend, and major-general of Sorolen are all on their way to propose to Madam!”Blair slammed the desk and stood up. He dialed the phone and said, “Mabes, let’s remarry…”“Remarry? You’re not worthy!” 


The day after Avery Sterling is falsely accused of running over Britney Walker, her husband, Calvin Grant, and their two sons suspend her younger brother above a giant vat of boiling oil, threatening to drop him in alive.Avery panics and rushes forward to save her brother, but the bodyguards block her path and hold her back."Do you admit what you did?" Calvin asks coldly, standing nearby in a sharp, tailored suit. "Will you ever dare hurt Britney again?""I didn't hit her!" Avery cries, struggling against the guards restraining her. "Calvin, please, let Henry go! He's only 18 years old! He just got into Westbridge University!" 

At death's door, Jennifer Jefferson finds herself back at the age of 27. She's married to Leonard Faron, the world's richest man, who magazines hail as the most desirable husband in the world. Together, they have two children.Everyone around her calls it a life of fortune, but the moment she is aware that she is back in the past, all Jennifer can think of is divorce.So, she takes a divorce agreement to meet Samantha Miller, Leonard's first love. "I'm done, Leonard is yours now, and so are the kids." 




Katherine Wright has a two-faced boyfriend. During the day, he is thoughtful, sweet, and a complete gentleman. However, once the sun sets, he turns into a completely different man. At night, he behaves like a feral beast, pursuing his desires in ever-changing ways.
Everyone calls her a lucky woman. She is deaf, but her boyfriend has never shunned her because of her disability. On top of that, he's even trying to help her find a cure.
Katherine thinks she is lucky to have him too. But one day, a robber steals the specially made medicine her boyfriend had given her to treat her deafness. Because of this, she stops taking the medicine.
Just as she is about to break the news to her boyfriend, she overhears his friend say, "You and your brother sure know how to have fun! One of you plays with her heart during the day, while the other toys with her body at night. It's been three years—I can't believe that deaf woman is still completely unaware of this!"
Hearing this, Katherine's blood runs cold.