Romance




To save her famiglia, Lucia Bellini is forced to marry the youngest Don of Iberby, Alessandro Rossi.
On the day of her wedding, she finds out that she is a substitute for his dead first love. From her clothes to the way she performs in the bedroom, she has to live as if she's a shadow of another woman.
He is cold and despotic, while she gives in and endures in silence. In their days and nights together, they fall for each other but never realize it.
When Alessandro is running a high fever, he calls out her name in his half-conscious state.
After they divorce, Lucia leaves without a backward glance.
One and a half years later, she rises to become the boss of her family with her iron fist. The once delicate rose becomes a rose full of thorns.
At long last, Alessandro realizes that he has fallen in love with Lucia for who she is, and not as a shadow of someone long gone.
He takes care of the woman who's been trying to pass herself off as his first love. Then, he chases after Lucia all the way to her private island.
There, he gets down on one knee and sincerely proposes to her.
"Lucia, I only want you." 

Caroline Fisher, the renowned socialite of St. Louis, became a laughingstock after a single word shattered her wedding. Six years of perseverance yielded only a feeble "sorry." With a knowing smile, Caroline declared, "I'm certain he'll return, but this time, I won't wait any longer." Amid her father's coma and vultures circling her inheritance, Caroline made a fateful decision—to wed the formidable and dreaded man of St. Louis. The world deemed him cold and ruthless, yet this fierce tiger proved unexpectedly affectionate, becoming her staunch protector. "What brings true happiness?" she pondered. "To be cherished as a treasure by someone, despite the world's vilification." 

"Tell me you don't want this, Vivianne..." Noah's breath warmed against my skin, his finger dragging against my aching clit, and his eyes locked on me. "I'll stop if you tell me to..." My waist arch, a soft moan slipping off my lips as he pushed two fingers inside me, a smirk curling at his lips.
I should push him away... I should curse him, but I couldn't. My body betrayed me. I wanted him, I hated to admit it. How could my body want the same man who ruined my life?
"No... Noah..." My breath stuttered, nails digging into the bed as desire washed over me.
"Do... don't... touch... argh! Right ther...e... Fuck! Please don't stop..."
"Where, V... Tell me where you want me to touch." He fingers moved inside me, teasing my inside.
"Ri...right there... Fuck!" My hips jerked up, pussy throbbing with pleasure, walls tightening on his fingers... right before my orgasm tore through me... 
Six years ago, she was framed by her wicked sister and was abandoned by her then husband while she was pregnant.Six years later, she started anew with a different identity. Oddly, the same man who abandoned her in the past had not stopped pestering her at her front door.“Miss Gibson, what’s your relationship with Mister Lynch?”She smiled and answered nonchalantly, “I don’t know him.”“But sources say that you were once married.”She answered as she tucked her hair, “Those are rumors. I’m not blind, you see.”That day, she was pinned on the wall the moment she stepped in her door.Her three babies cheered, “Daddy said mommy’s eyes are bad! Daddy says he’ll fix it for mommy!”She wailed, “Please let me go, darling!” 
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? 

Being set up by her father, Cynthia Miller replaced her sister and married a vegetable. On the wedding night, her husband came out of the coma. Alston Smith, a man of indifference, stubbornness, and decisiveness, left his only softness and gentleness to Cynthia. Cynthia thought Alston was deeply in love with her, but she then found herself merely a substitute. "You're my wife, so never try to leave me!" She wanted to escape from him but was forced to stay. "Alston, a wife should be someone all your friends know. Otherwise, it's called lover. You never regard me as your wife, but I will never be your lover..." 


Felicia Fuller is 18 when she's brought back to the Fuller residence. That's when she learns she's actually the family's heiress who got switched at birth.
Her parents' biasness, her fiancé's dislike, and the fake heiress' schemes to make her look bad trap Felicia in a life where she's troubled by family and love. Ultimately, she dies a sorrowful, horrible death…
Then, she's reborn and taken back to when she's 18. She kicks her fiancé to the curb and takes the fake heiress down!
Once, Felicia allowed everyone to step all over her. Now, it's like she's unlocked something within her, and she goes ever further on the path to world domination!
Her biased parents regret their actions, and her scumbag of a fiancé cries and begs for forgiveness. They seem to be sure that Felicia, who has never felt their love, desires it.
One day, everyone witnesses Felicia pinning the wealthiest and most powerful bigwig in the country to his car. They cuddle and snuggle with each other.
Only then do people realize that someone will be there just for her. He'll give her all his love and partiality; he'll show up for her. 
A sudden accident leaves Nicole Watson's kidneys fractured and her life in danger. She's desperately in need of a kidney transplant.
In order to look for a suitable kidney, her fiance, Maverick Pitt, uses all of his connections and wealth. He even goes as far as to put up a bounty of one billion dollars just to save Nicole's life.
During that period, the entire upper crust is swarmed with tales of Maverick's unwavering love toward Nicole. Everyone claims that he's an extremely loyal and devoted man, which is very rare to be found nowadays.
Finally, Maverick's efforts finally bear fruit, as he's able to locate a suitable kidney source.
After the transplant, Nicole wakes up from a long coma. The first thing she sees is a marriage certificate featuring the groom, Maverick, and the bride, Chloe Tucker. The thing is, Chloe is also the same woman who has pined for Maverick over the past decade.
"Nicky, I've scoured the entire city for a suitable kidney. Chloe's kidney is the only one that suits yours," Maverick says apologetically. "But she doesn't want money. Her only request is that… I take her hand in marriage. I don't have any other choice…" 
Hunted by a tormented dark past, she is rejected by her partner and hurt again. She was like a walking dead, living but never enjoying life. She was drowning in darkness and pain. Suffocated as usual, she saw the alpha of the next-door race come into her life and bring light into her life. Is he her savior? With so many things unclear, one thing she did know was that her life would be turned upside down when he called her "" mate. ""Rejected she-wolf gets another alpha mate? Is it a blessing or a curse?"Since marrying Tristan Flynn three years ago, Esther White had been a dutiful wife both in bed and in life. She bore the naïve thought that she could melt Tristan's heart with her tenderness. Later on, she realized that even melting glaciers was easier than moving Tristan. During the three-year marriage, Tristan believed that he could use two words to describe his wife Esther, dull and unimpressive. Nevertheless, she dared to humiliate him in public by throwing him the divorce papers on the anniversary of the Flynn Group. He stared at Esther, who looked composed and elegant in a red dress, and narrowed his eyes. Everyone thought that Tristan and Esther wouldn't have any contact after divorce, and even Esther was no exception. Later, Tristan was to present the best screenplay award to Esther at an award ceremony. After handing Esther the trophy, the graceful, icy Tristan suddenly begged submissively in front of the crowd, "Esther, it is my fault to fail to cherish you in the past. Can you give me a second chance to win your affections?" Esther looked at Tristan with a bright, aloof smile. "Sorry, Mr. Flynn. My career is the only thing I care about at the moment." Tristan pulled Esther's hand, his eyes filling with melancholy. "Esther, I can't live without you." Esther turned around coldly and thought, "Are you kidding? Why would I date a man instead of focusing on my career? Plus, you are my ex-husband." 
“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. 

"Gale Warm, what the Warm family owes me is for you to pay!" Shawn Wood threw Gale Warm into a mental hospital, tortured and humiliated. Two years later, he married her. "Don't be delusional, you are just here to atone for your family sins." He hated her, and only wanted to bully her.Gale Warm endured it while searching for the truth, and proved her family's innocence. Later, Gale Warm threw the evidence on Shawn Wood's face. "I never owed you." Later, Shawn Wood turned pale overnight. He whispered in her ear day and night. "Gale, don't leave me. Otherwise, I won’t be able to live..." "Shawn Wood, how dare you threaten me!" "How dare I? You wouldn’t want our children to have no father, would you?" 
I've loved Chris Gildon for a decade, but all he says is, "You're boring as hell. I couldn't be any less interested in you."He turns and spends his days and nights with another woman.We've known each other for ten years, but nothing comes from our relationship. I decide that I don't want to be his second choice anymore.Later, I get engaged to someone else. Chris knocks on my door in the middle of the night. "Maddie…""What can I do for you, Mr. Gildon?"As soon as the words are out of my mouth, a man's sexy voice rings out from the bedroom. "Babe, where did you put my underwear?"Chris staggers and spits a mouthful of blood before me. Sometime after that, I see that he's posted a story on his Instagram. It writes, "Once you miss out on someone, it stays that way for life. She might love you now, but that doesn't mean she'll love you forever. So, appreciate her while you have her." 



Six years ago, for reasons unknown, she carried three precious secrets in her womb – her children, belonging to a certain man.Now, six years later, she found herself surrounded by love and indulgence. She had a man doting on her, three extraordinary and talented children, and the protection of seven formidable brothers."Mommy, I've used my investment dividends to set up a research center just for you!""Mommy, I bought you an island with the prize money from being the MVP of my league tournament!""Mommy, I've created a perfume specifically tailored for you and Daddy."Her older brothers chimed in, "Little sister, we've even opened a transnational route just for you! Captain brother will take you soaring through the skies!"Meanwhile, a certain commander couldn't resist saying, "Honey, look at me..."Agatha Frost, a girl who had grown up in the countryside, was considered lucky to marry the Supreme Commander of the Alliance. However, as her true identities were gradually revealed, everyone was left dumbfounded.She was the Mysterious Legend Doctor, the Golden Trader, the Alliance God, the Top Racer, and even the Top Painter. 
When powers clash...
In the mafia world, women don’t reign.
I’m the exception of that rule.
I didn’t choose this life, it chose me.
I have a legacy to protect, a power to snatch, and no one will stop me.
If an arranged marriage is what it’ll take to lead, then so be it.
What I don’t count on is that my chosen husband is a ghost from my past.
Kyle Hunter.
He was once my guard, my protector. Now, he’s after my kingdom.
The road to the throne is paved with thorns, blood, and casualties.
To win, I’ll risk it all. My heart included.
Tropes:
Former Guard x Mafia princess
Arranged marriage
Power struggle
Second chance 
Rumors circulated about Mr. Steven, depicting him as ruthless and devoid of emotions, someone who distanced himself from women. Fate seemed to have played a cruel trick on him when he was compelled to marry a seemingly useless wife who was deaf and mute.But that fateful night, his captivating and alluring wife, who had always been submissive, took charge of the situation. With narrowed eyes, she asked, "I've heard that you dislike me?" There was a dangerous yet enchanting air about her.Remaining stoic and unaffected, the cold and disciplined Mr. Steven calmly began removing his clothes, stating, "Well, I despise you tremendously."From the moment he first laid eyes on her, he knew she was a seductress who could potentially be his downfall... 
"Carroll Brown is dead! But you have to marry him in your sister's name." My mother said to me in a cold tone. My sister was engaged to the hottest billionaire. It should have been a perfect marriage. Unexpectedly, Carroll was dead in an accident. My sister didn't want to become a widow, so she forced me to marry her dead fiance. And I had no right to refuse her.Actually, I was the biological daughter of the Smith family. My sister was an adoptive one. My sister and I had been swapped at the hospital when we were just born. My parents had already had a deep relationship with her. So they chose to sacrifice me. On the wedding day, I was taken to the mourning hall."Ma'am, please keep Master company and let him feel warm." The housekeeper said with a cold expression. I couldn't help but look up at the portrait above the coffin, and my heart skipped a beat at this glance. The man in the portrait was more handsome than the superstars in Hollywood.Carroll Brown? My dead husband? Wow, he was really handsome!I didn't know how long had passed when my stomach began to rebel. After one glance at the coffin, I swallowed my saliva and then begged with my fingers crossed. "Mr. Carroll, I'm starving! May I eat your pastries? You don't mind, do you?" "I do.""Ah!" Scared, I broke out in a cold sweat. My legs went limp, and I fell to the ground. I shouted, "Ghost!"Carroll curled his lips, leaned over, and touched the black coffin. "Mr. Carroll has risen from the dead. What do you think of this headline tomorrow?" 


When a ruthless heiress and a struggling actress wake up in each other’s bodies, their worlds turn upside down.
Olivia Smith, born into power and pride, suddenly finds herself trapped in a life of poverty and pain.
Emma Williams, quiet and selfless, opens her eyes to luxury, influence, and danger.
But as they fight to survive in lives that were never meant for them, secrets begin to unfold, hearts are stolen, and destiny starts to blur the line between who they were and who they’re meant to become.
Borrowed faces… stolen hearts.
A story of identity, redemption, and love found in the most unexpected mirrors. 

Sebastian Halston, the most powerful heir in the upper crust, is known for being a pain in the ass.
He has an obsession with cleanliness, but the thing is, it has reached extremely ridiculous standards.
He doesn't use anything that's already torn off its packaging. If someone has already touched something, he'll never touch it ever again.
Even his wife, Tracy Sullivan, whom he married in a marriage alliance, remains a virgin despite their two-year marriage.
It's not that Sebastian hasn't tried his best to overcome his germaphobia.
When Tracy sits on the side of his bed shyly while dressed in just a thin dress, he happens to be exiting the ensuite bathroom while toweling his hair dry. The sight of her makes him frown, leading him to give her two comments.
The first is, "You've dirtied my bed. I need to change the sheets later."
The second is, "I won't consummate our marriage with you. You're filthy." 





Five years ago, Esther Quill, who was six months pregnant, was sent to prison by her husband, Bradley Warner, himself.Five years later, Esther went to Bradley with a DNA paternity test paper in her hand and tearfully questioned, "Bradley Warner, how does it feel to kill your flesh and blood with your own hands!?"Ten years of secret love in exchange for five years of imprisonment; ten months of pregnancy in exchange for five years of separation from her flesh and blood.After Esther redeemed her sin with her life, Bradley turned white overnight and offered a sky-high reward, desperately searching for his wife and vowing to find her even if he had to overturn the world.The world thought that Bradley loved Esther to death... Only Esther knew that the man had no heart.It was until Esther appeared on the news with her two daughters and son one day.Bradley looked at the woman he had been yearning for and apologized, "Sweetheart, I was wrong!"The three little ones put themselves in front of Esther."Mr. Warner, our mommy is single, and there are too many people who want to be our daddy. Please go to the end of the line!” 

When Iris was a child, she discovered an earth-shattering secret. Ever since then, her relationship with Hugh had taken a turn.After a fire, the woman he pined for suffered severe burns and his identity was exposed. Overnight, the man who once adored his sister had made her his enemy and threw her into prison!After five gruesome years behind bars, the wounded girl who had fallen from grace no longer loved him.However, she ran into him yet again after her release from prison!The truth of the incident was then brought to light. With knees on the ground, he was beyond remorseful when he said, “Iris! Lock me up for five years too, would that be enough to win your heart again?”Her rejection was firm and vicious, “I will never love you again!”He had her locked up and begged her to give him one more chance but she had forsaken all affection for him. She only had escape on her mind.The turning point was when he saw her soaked in a bloody bathtub and that was when he finally let go.Victorious, she vanished shortly after. As for him, he went mad… 



The kiss grew more passionate as he felt her warm supple body pressing against his chest. He couldn’t believe how soft she was. He was gentler this time, making love to her with a slow, languorous pace, pausing now and then to check the expression on her face. Kira was… transported. She no longer felt the fabric of the sheets underneath her. One moment, she was floating in the air, cuddled by cotton candy clouds. The next, she’d become one with a dinghy, bobbing up and down with the undulating waves. His scent enveloped her. He was on top of her, using his arms to support his weight and avoid crushing her. She snuggled up closer to him, safe and snug, cocooned in his warmth. Kira had always marvelled at Austyn’s stamina, but he outdid himself tonight.In the midst of overwhelming rapture, Kira still had the presence of mind to broach the subject she’d been meaning to bring up. ‘My dad’s medical bills…’ Austyn paused. He frowned as he looked into those beseeching eyes. ‘It’ll be taken care of by the end of business day tomorrow,’ he said with a bit of an edge in his voice. Kira breathed out. ******She is a 21-year-old college student who dreams of becoming a journalist. He is the heir of the McCarthy family and president of a business empire. She is bright-eyed and vivacious, a glass-half-full kind of gal. When life throws her a curveball, she knocks it out of the park.He is the archetypal alpha male, aggressive and domineering. Endowed with both brains and brawn, he steamrolls over his enemies and rules his company with an iron fist. The two would never have crossed paths if not for a cruel twist of fate. Kira’s world was turned upside down when her father was hospitalised after a car accident. The medical bills were astronomical. Austyn McCarthy offered her a way out. The price: becoming his contract wife. At night, he consummated their marriage but called out another woman’s name. Who was she? Why did Austyn marry Kira if he was in love with someone else? Kira was his lawful wife, but she had no right to ask these questions. Then one day, the woman showed up in front of her… 
Warning Matured Scenes Rated +18"Because it has been two years since you and Mr. Leo separated, your admirers and fans are wondering whether you have moved on and if you are seeking another life partner." The interviewer asked."For the time being, I'm not searching for a new relationship considering Leo and I haven't officially divorced. I did not attempt an annulment of my marriage. I also have no intention of filing for divorce."I will not divorce him because I do not want him to be happy with his mistress. I won’t let them be happy. They will suffer in the same way that I did. No one is going to have a happy-ever-after ending.Leopold Fontaine, my billionaire husband, who had an affair with someone else. I'm quite informed that he didn't marry me because we were in love with each other, and that the marriage was solely for the sake of our respective businesses. Nevertheless, I agreed to the marriage because I adored him and because I was still his wife on paper—I am not going to allow anybody else to live in my home without my permission.He has done me wrong, and I am Blossom Belmont Fontaine, his wife, who will make way for him to suffer, and they will pay the price for what they have done. 

After eighteen years in the Tate family, Paige Tate suddenly found out that she wasn't her parents' daughter.Their biological daughter was back, and Paige was abandoned. They were about to send Paige back to her hometown, which was an allegedly poor county...However, the so-called poor county turned out to be the area where the most expensive villas in the country gathered!Overnight, she went from a fake daughter of a relatively rich family to a real daughter of a top family!Her biological parents doted on her unconditionally. They allowed her to have at least 1.6 million dollars as her pocket money, drive whichever luxury car in the garage she favored, buy whatever customized luxuries in the world she pleased, and choose any top school she preferred.If she didn't want to go to school, she could kill her time with the family business!What shocked Paige the most was that she had a fiancé...Her fiancé proposed to break off the engagement, and Paige didn't give a damn. However, she was confused by what happened afterward. He had proposed to break off the engagement, and then he clung onto her as if he was a completely different person!He became so clingy and handsy.Paige was annoyed. "Who are you, Sir?""Baby, I am your husband.""I don't have a husband. An ex-fiancé who wants to break off our engagement is all I have."Martin Stowe, the world's richest man, feared by everyone in the world, was speechless.He wanted to punch himself as he was so silly that he called off the marriage without even meeting Paige... 

In the Bennet family, Rue had long been jealous of her twin sister, Rachel. She concocted a plan to get Rachel drunk and send her into a stranger's bed at their birthday party, hoping that she would be expelled from the Bennet family with her ruined reputation. However, in the playful hands of fate, Rachel bedded Edward Bluemel, the richest man in the world, and became pregnant. Edward fell head over heels for Rachel, and actively searched for the woman with whom he only had the fortune to meet once. With Rue's manipulation, the couple’s reunion was prevented. Nine months later, Rachel gave birth to a pair of twin boys, which fueled Rue's flames of jealousy once more. In order to take over Rachel’s place as Edward’s wife, Rue took one of the twins and pretended to be her. With that, she managed to marry Edward, though she never had his favor since then. Five years passed, the other twin that was raised by Rachel had grown up to be a cute, kind prodigy. By chance, he entered an upper-class kindergarten where he met his twin brother for the first time… 

Margaret Henson found herself in a situation where her husband of three years didn't even recognize her. Their first encounter after the separation was unexpected - in bed.Relieved, Margaret willingly signed the divorce agreement, believing that their paths would never cross again. Little did she know, this was only the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.In the bustling city of Los Angeles, rumors began to circulate about Robert Frost, the president of Frost Group, a man known for his disinterest in women, developing an interest in a talented new designer. On multiple occasions, he extended his support to her, offering assistance in dealing with unsavory individuals and putting an end to her romantic pursuits.Curiosity piqued, someone inquired, "May I ask about your relationship with Mr. Frost?"Margaret Henson smiled and replied, "Besides being employer and employee, we are... ex-husband and ex-wife." 




"From today onwards, I will take every decision of your life. What you will eat, where will you go, when will you speak, what you will wear it will be all as I wish. And if you dare to defy me then till now it must have been crystal clear to you how far I can go to keep my words," his voice unsympathetic and cold, causing a shiver down her spine.
Out of fear she was not even able to raise her head and kept her eyes casted down.
He lifted her head up with his forefinger, underneath her chin and stared directly into her mesmerizing hazel eyes.
"Understood?"
Her throat was parched and her mouth was dry. Her tongue felt heavy in her mouth. The seam of her lips was cracked and pasted with each other and she couldn't find enough courage in herself to say anything using her tongue, so she just nodded and casted down her eyes again.
He raised her chin more now with his forefinger and thumb, indicating her to look in his eyes and she did so.
"Understood?" He asked again and raised both his eyebrows, warning her.
"Yy....ye..ss" she croaked out. Her eyes were widened with fear and hands were fisting the bedsheet. Her cheeks were imprinted with red finger marks.
"Good. Now take of your clothes and fulfill your duty" he ordered.
She only pleaded him with her eyes. Clearly, she didn't want her wedding night to turn out like this. 

Madeline Crawford has loved Jeremy Whitman for twelve years, but ultimately it was him who sent her to prison. In between her suffering and pain, she had to witness her man fall in love with another woman…Five years later, she has returned with renewed strength, no longer the same woman he belittled years ago!With this newfound strength, she will tear apart those who pretend to be pure and step on the scums of this earth. However, just as she is about to have her revenge with the man who wronged her… He suddenly turns from a cold, unfeeling psychopath, to a caring, warm and loving man!In fact, he even kisses her feet in front of a crowd, all while promising her, “Madeline, I was wrong to love another. From now on, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you.” To which Madeline replies, “I’ll only forgive you if you....die.”