Smudged Eyeliner

"Are you quite sure you're alright? You look a little... flushed." His hands were still tangled in my hair, gripping the strands in his strong fingers. My lipstick on his lips, smudged. Heat emanated from his gaze, eyeing me like a predator did his prey. As usual, he didn't say much, but I knew he wanted me. To devour me. Claim me. Own me. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lily Robinson is young, fresh out of college, and will go to any length to secure the money needed for her father's chemotherapy. When she gets a strange job offer from a mysterious businessman to spy on his billionaire cousin for him, it seems all her problems have come to an end. However, this job immediately becomes far more complicated when the billionaire pays her double to work for him instead, and lie to her employer. Caught in a web of love, deceit and betrayal, Lily is unsure of what sort of game she is being played into, and will do just about anything to survive. Of course, there's also the not-very-negligible issue of her gorgeous billionaire employer. Will the sparks between them blossom? Or will the dangerous games she's playing lead to her destruction?

*Clang!* The mask split in half, revealing a face so extraordinary it seemed almost otherworldly. Skin as pale as if it would smudge with the slightest touch, a sharp and elegant nose, perfectly shaped lips. Every feature was as refined as if sculpted by a master artisan, untouched by the passage of time. Once jet-black like the night, the hair had turned as white as the snow-capped mountains of the northern lands. It was still beautiful, but a fragile, ethereal quality had been added, as if the figure might scatter and dissolve into the air at any moment. As the mask fell away, revealing eyes beneath fluttering, slow-blinking lashes, they shone like polished black onyx—noble and luminous. It was a visage so close to a work of art that it seemed a pity only Ye Kang-oh and the sun bore witness to it. However, in the presence of this breathtakingly handsome man, Ye Kang-oh’s expression began to crumble. There was no way he couldn’t recognize that face. Not because it was a beauty that could rival even Song-ok or Ban-ak, but because it belonged to someone who had once been Kang-oh’s protector. "Is it you?" Ye Kang-oh, the youngest disciple of the Black Sky Lord, stood before the man he had once revered and adored. Dan Woo-hyo, the Lord of White Virtue Palace, whom the martial world believed to be missing, was there. "Has it really been you all along?" ------------ I am NOT the author. I'm just translating this novel.

Isis walked slowly into the bathroom, her heart beating with unease. She heard muffled voices, followed by soft chuckles. Her steps faltered. The voices were familiar — a man’s deep tone mixed with a woman’s gentle laughter. A cold feeling crept through her chest. She recognized them, but she desperately hoped she was wrong. With trembling hands, she moved closer to the door, the sounds becoming clearer. Her breath caught as she gently pushed the door open. The sight before her made her freeze in shock. Barry, the man she loved and planned to propose to, stood in the small bathroom, holding Melisa — her friend. His lips, smudged with lipstick, confirmed what words couldn’t. Time seemed to stop as her gaze locked on them. A wave of pain shot through her, leaving her numb. The door creaked under her shaky hand, drawing their attention. Barry spun around, panic flashing in his eyes. “I… I can explain,” he stammered, wiping at the lipstick on his mouth with trembling fingers. Isis felt hot tears roll down her cheeks. Her vision blurred, her chest tightened, and without a word, she turned and ran.

Nora Raven, a young beautiful lady who had to drop out of college so that her younger brother could go to high school. She met Jason Anderson who was a CEO of one of the biggest companies in the country. Nora saw Jason walk up to her. He looked up at Nora's makeup-smudged face and line of tears on her cheeks. He was in a black tuxedo and looked as hot as ever. She rolled her eyes when she noticed he didn't stop staring at her. "Are you here to make fun of me? "He didn't reply to her question, instead he said "Let's get married" he said with complete seriousness in his tone. Wait what?" Nora asked. She would make the perfect wife for him since she understood him quite well. If he had chosen Tasha, he wouldn't be able to handle her for 6 months. He realized that she wasn't someone that would act clingy, so she was his best option. "Are you kidding me, sir?" she asked getting upset. "I just need you for 6 months" I hope you all will have a great time reading this novel. If you have any comments, questions or whatsoever-and you would love to do that privately, please you can contact me on my social media handle. Instagram: oyinolaspeaks ~Grace_Harley1

"Coming up the stair to escort them to the limo that waited, turning the corner I am awestruck. The Duchess looked just like any other human! She wore a lacy black t-shirt and a black long black skirt with a slit down the side that showed off her pale legs. Her red curls tried to escape the bandana she had tied them into and moon-shaped rings decorated her hands except for the gold band that Merrick had placed on her hand at their wedding. I could have sworn the Duchess had been switched with a hot goth chick with black doc martins and thick eyeliner. I feel her eyes on me as I stop in my tracks to admire her. Blushing I look away when Merrick came to the deck. Him having the same reaction as me, just awestruck. He didn't look too bad himself, with A dark blue button-up shirt that was left conveniently unbuttoned and some board shorts. I shook my head, get a grip I tell my wolf. Both of them smiled at me as if they had seen me just staring at them, lustfully. "

[Uh oh! You have wasted your 999nth life! Literally, you failed!] “Yeah, yeah, no need to smudge it in my face... wait, 999th?!” [Now transferring you to your 1000th life. Lives used: 1000 Remaining: 0 ] "Fuck" A normal girl suddenly finds herself in a R19 game that was banned just a few days ago. Of course, she was extremely angry for she was so close to finishing the game, something many people couldn't do. But then she finds herself as Relyian, someone who was never mentioned the game! She was given 1000 lives to take over a lost empire, just like in the real game, but can she do it? Because she's already failed 999 times and this is her last, and if she doesn't succeed in this life well then the results won't be pretty...

1 up/week (Sun); ---- Ezekiel Jiang has his hands full when a deadly conspiracy threatens to destroy the world - all because the Crown of Fire, an object with magical abilities, was stolen. At first, it was only about recovering the crown. But things start to get complicated when secrets that shouldn't have come out made him question the motives of everyone he thought he knew. The past was catching up quick and it was nothing less than a threat. Time was slipping away from his grasp and he had only cold leads. Enter Irene and Genevieve Pierce. Two sisters who could easily rule the world if they wanted to. With goddess-like looks and lethal intelligence, they suddenly offer their help to Ezekiel for locating the crown. But what was their personal motive behind all of it? Why were they so sure they could find the crown before something bad happens? Mostly, what was this past that tied them all together? Excerpt: The way she looked was bound to take any man's breath away. Dressed in an elegant rose-gold dress, she walked on her high heels like she owned the place. Golden eye makeup that looked like a belt of asteroids rested on the sharp, winged eyeliner that accentuated her brown eyes and a smirk on her nude painted lips dipped with the confidence of a huntress coming to hunt her prey. She had an aura of power that surrounded her, an aura that made her shine with radiance yet capable enough to burn anyone who dared to mess with her.

Tear-stained cheeks, my mascara was now an ugly smudge after being ruined with all the crying I had been doing for the past hour. I could not recognize myself as I looked through the mirror. The more I stared at myself the more the tears. I could hear them in the next room. Their moans enraged me and made me feel like throwing up. I retched but nothing came out.  Disgust is what I felt. My life had turned out to be a chaotic mess and I wondered what I had done to deserve all that. I was a good person or so I believed. I smiled through the pain and thought to myself that everything was going to be okay. I did not believe that myself but I had to tell myself to keep going or I would be stuck in a loop with my past trying to set myself free...

Not every monster you fear is unknown. Some are more familiar than everything you hold close. Meet Azalea Hazel, the complete opposite of a girl with whom you feel like something weird would happen. An ordinary high school student with a ordinary circle of acquaintances, see how the world seems to mutate around her incorporating anything and everything sinister. Who is the victim? The journey of an ordinary girl in the midst of an fantastic reality, and her struggle to get out of the clutches of surrealism that binds her. Excerpt: It has been two days and my hands are still shivering; blue veins racing through the papery white folds in the pink skin, blurred, of the cold seeping into the marrow and spreading out seismic waves through the whole of me. My vision is foggy, just the same that has been for years, maybe decades, who knows. And it might be this, or the cold- I wouldn't know- that everything seems blurred to my eyesight. Only one picture on the mantle piece is devoid of the haze that has settled on my lens, or it could be because my mind has memorised it so good that I no longer need to look at it. Or is it simply because the picture itself is of a foggy morning, the evening I remember so clearly that even the smudged lines of the lamp post and the invisible mold of the bus is easily discernible?

She looked at him and smiled "my dear lord, i am broken not fragile for this

Jrandreys, lives the last seven years in a cottage as punishment from his father, in the day he reached 15 he will leave and start his new life as solider because of his mark. english is not my first language so expect tones of grammar mistakes but i'll try to improve with time

Hong Ding pick up the baby from crib something fell down from baby clothes when he pick up the things he saw it was jade pendant and letter. when he open the letter he saw some of word was already smudge. so he just folded the letter back and pick up the baby girl with crib. Kaori who is living her normal life as usual.then something happened when she was returning from her work she got in accident and died. Then when Kaori thought everything was finished and her life is gone she transmigrate to this unknown era. as adopted daughter of Hong Ding and Chunhua.who was farmer and she got to transmigrate in drought times when it was hard fill up the people stomach. Then Kaori started her life as Yi Nuo she vow to treat her adopted family well and eat her fill always.

Welcome to Metamorphosis, a city whose name is less charming than the bloodsucking residents. Here, the nightlife is as neon-drenched as your nightmares, and the only predictable thing is the rhythmic grumbling of undead stomachs. Enter Callista, a young woman with emotional baggage exceeding lost luggage allowances and a past as dark as her eyeliner (but hey, who doesn't?). Thrust into a world of the supernatural with a past as murky as swamp water, Callista must navigate the treacherous landscape of the undead like an emo Barbie with a grumpy side-kick —resembling Mr. Darcy with a perpetual migraine (and a healthy dose of exasperated sighs). Their quest, however, takes a sharp turn when Callista discovers the line between hunter and hunted blurs faster than you can say "vampire academy." Think Hogwarts meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but with better fashion sense and an R-rated twist (think fangs instead of first kisses). Except, are the vampires truly the villains in this twisted fairytale? Is the world as black and white as it seems? And what does the enigmatic Queen desire besides, say, an apocalypse… right now?

This story is about, well me. It’s my story. And yes some parts will seem faked though they aren’t, others will be smudged for the protection of me, my family or others involved. This book, or story, or journal is not to slam anyone or target but to show one side of a hard to swallow story. Walking a mile in my shoes

Aku seorang wanita yang cuek dalam penampilanku. Aku suka memakai celana jeans, kemeja kebesaran dan sepatu sneakers. Aku membenci lipstick, eyeliner dan kawan-kawannya. Kalaupun memakai bedak aku hanya memakai bedak untuk bayi. Makanan favoritku semua yang berbau pedas. Diumurku yang ke 21 tahun ini aku masih suka membaca komik, novel, menonton manga dll. Urusan percintaan, aku masih belum memikirkannya. Aku hanya ingin menikmati masa mudaku. Banyak orang mengatakan kalau aku masih kekanak-kanakan, tapi aku tidak peduli. Hanya keluargaku yang mengerti aku dan juga sahabat-sahabatku. It's Me "QUEENA AMARA RASYID" Aku seoarang pria mapan. Diusiaku 25 tahun ini aku sudah menjadi dosen disalah satu universitas terkenal di Indonesia. Aku sudah memiliki rumah, walaupun aku masih tinggal di apartement. Aku menyukai kebersihan, warna putih dan masakan rumah. Saat ini aku sering menghindari ibuku karena ia akan selalu berkata "Kapan kau menikah KEANU ANDREAS ARSYAD"

New school, new me. School should be all about boys and parties and struggling to get good grades for a girl like Maya. In a whole different world to our own, but not too far away where people who find balance within themselves find power they had never imagined, Maya is about to find out that there's a lot more going on than just scandalous teenage antics. Teenagers are going missing without a trace. Literally. Only one person seems to know what's going on, but she's a mysterious, eccentric newcomer with a scary amount of eyeliner and a bad attitude, and she won't give out anything for free. On top of all that, Maya can't seem to understand why she herself doesn't have any powers. Will this be helpful or a hindrance? Follow Maya on her journey through school, life, and finding why the hell nobody is looking for these missing kids. This book contains strong language, drugs use, themes of a sexual and violent nature, reader discretion is advised and is not for 17 or under. Feedback is more than appreciated, and hopefully this will be the first of many instalments.

It felt like a nightmare. One moment you were lounging about on your couch, and the next you found yourself in an eternal game of cat and mouse, told to run through endless corridors, solve mindbending riddles, and face the morbid and abstruse head-on. You thought you could survive, reach the endless rewards promised to you. Well that was until you ran into him, a strange man smoking behind one of the infinite doors that lined the walls of this realm. Smiling he grabbed you with one hand and flourished a knife with the other. " Darling I love the eyeliner, but those highlights..... Were going to have to fix that before I kill you, " --------------------------  This story was deeply inspired by the popular web novel genera of Infinite Horror. For those that don't know Infinite horror is where the MC is constantly finding themselves facing different horrific scenarios, switching locations and mini-plots in-between arcs. Instead of being the "player" or person who has to deal with the horrific events/horror, our MC Alister will be the horror himself. Exploring the eldritch city of Alagara, running the games that fuel its existence, and slowly building his assets and himself up while uncovering dark secrets. Will you dive into the black sea ??? 

She trudged aimlessly, with bare feet and messy looks. Her blouse was unbuttoned, her hair was tousled, her face was totally smudged. The worst thing that could ever happen to every woman, happened to her. She just got raped. That leads her to the tallest and nearest building she could find. She stood alone at the edge of the building, yet she's not even thinking about ending her life, just drowning in her empty thoughts. "You should take your revenge", that's the last words she heard before someone pushed her, descended to earth. Out of a person's logical thinking, she lives back. What? Why? And how? The questions that even scientists can answer and prove. But one thing for sure, the world might never be the same after this. Once the past changes, the whole world will never be the same. A life that is full of revenge, danger, darkness and brutality. "You can run away with your lies, but I'll come back with a surprise" - Your sweet petty

The god started from nothing and I have destroyed everything. I am chaos. I am the fire that will burn everything. The end is the beginning and the beginning is the end. Life came and thrived and quickly died out. Hundreds of civilization lost as time goes on. Nothing is forgiven. Existence itself is a sin. A mistake. A smudge. A stain. ...So Why does it still exist? [Chaos fell asleep and reincarnated as a baby with no memories of his time as an immortal alien god. This story depicts his daily life growing up.] (this is a slow life type of story. No romance. I'm writing this with no plot as of now.)

Warning: This is the first book that I plan to try to fully write. So you can expect: - not uploading consistently - trillions of grammar mistakes - millions of plot problems - terrible character building - etc . . . so only read this if you're really REALLY bored. btw if you've read this early I've messed up the plot just a smudge so I'm updating things: do fa the chapters I've updated are: -ch.7 Anyway to the summary: Have you ever wanted to read a book about a world full of magic and success? Well, this book won't be like that, sorry . . . Anyways every 300,000,000 years the arcane amulet is created into the world we call earth. 600,000,000 years ago the shades were sealed away after a brutal war. However, under the influence of the late shade, queen one human filled with greed somehow survived until the next amulet spawned. Just when the amulet was captured the human stole it and wished for the resurrection of the shades. Now After a tragic accident happened in his hometown Winston and his dad moved to a different state. They found a small village called Greenville. His life was normal for a couple of weeks until one day he is attacked by monsters, yes you heard me. He soon learns about the malicious goals of these monsters. Will have the strength to subdue the amulet and defeat the army of demons?

When there’s scorching heat and the rain brings cool comfort, when your heart weighs heavy but then there comes a relief making it lighter and bringing your heart back to its place. And when you have too much going on your mind but then you lie in bed and feel nothingness at the end of the day it is what it is. That is what the feeling you have brought upon me. A beautiful sensation, a comfortable silence between two beings, how without words two people can communicate and just like an artist have an intimacy towards their own art and likewise nurture it bringing it to its fullest. It brought unintended consequences. Which was sometimes strenuous and painful too nevertheless I still desired to the core. Those words were lovely and written beautifully but he could feel the pain in his chest as if someone squeezed his little heart in the palm of the hand, the crisp writing and the smudged ink made those words blurry but he had yet to realize if it were his own weeping which made it that way. When the words seemed to dissolve gradually, he hurriedly tried to wipe it but it was to no avail. With his shaking hands he folded the piece of paper, the crease on the paper seemed it had been carefully tucked that way which was to be kept unraveled to someone.

Falling in love is not rational, it's pure madness. A beautiful, wonderful moment of magnificent insanity. "You coming ?" He asked without turning back. "Are we going to leave him there" I ventured. "Of course not, we gonna take him to your home and will arrange a grand dinner. That's what people do with a serial killer or whatever he is" He mocked as he pocketed his phone. "You know, it won't physically hurt you to be nice for once" I crossed my arms in front of my chest and groaned. "I don't want to take a chance" the corner of his lips lifted a little as he finished his sentence. Ugh !! This annoying handsome devil !! "You know what ? Never mind." I'm not even going to dignify that with a comeback...because I don't have one. He's a charismatic magnet, that pulls her crazily. He's a burning flame, making herself to threw her into it, into him. It isn't a secret anymore when she fell in love with him. Fast,hard and deep. The spark of that feeling felt frightening, it becomes a fire, then it becomes a craving taste. A forbidden fruit, leaving dark matte smudges in her soul.

Dex, the captain of exSeal members and the now shareholder of the ski resort with the same sworn brothers aka his ex-team members, always has the duty to teach young kids about self defence as the side hand business of their ski resort. While the parents would enjoy the ski resort their kids would be allowed to stay with the exSeal members and learn some self defence techniques. But on a certain winter day when Dex went out from the town to buy some fuel needed for a machine in the resort because their employee who would bring that fuel suddenly fell ill. It was really a huge task for Dex since he didn’t liked going out of the town because he didn’t like loud people from outside the town but this fuel trip proved to be very beneficial for him since he found something very interesting or rather peculiar for himself.  A woman or more like a drunk woman standing outside a university with the board “ save yourself” and yelling “don’t enter this shithole if you want a bright future and save yourself” Her appearance was completely distraught with messy hair, smudge makeup and a shoe missing. From the looks of everything she looked like she was too drunk to even know her own name. She was completely out of the definition of the “woman” in Dex’s dictionary but for some reasons he just couldn’t take his eyes off of her and soon he unconsciously walked towards her. Both had an eye contact and a little chat when the university’s authority came to chase her.  Although Dex had no link to the situation here but for some reasons he felt that it’s time he should help her escape and that’s exactly what he did. But halfway through the car journey back to the resort the girl had fallen asleep. Now the thing was, Dex couldn’t decide either to throw out that woman or take her back which he thought that the later option was better, but was it? On the other hand Hazel, who was going through the toughest time of her life found the love of her life, who helped her escape from being caught by the university’s authority. She felt a weird spark the second Dex held her hand to run away and for some reasons she even followed this complete stranger to his car and even fell asleep in it. Their first encounter was completely different from how their personalities actually were. At first Dex wasn’t so interested in falling in love with a woman who can drunk herself and get in trouble so much but what would happen if he fell in love with her in the end?.

**Title: Finding Each Other** Jade adjusted her black hoodie, pulling the hood over her head as she walked through the crowded halls of Conroe High School. Being a junior, she had grown used to the stares and whispers, but it never got easier. Her dark eyeliner and band tees marked her as different, and she embraced it. She was proud of who she was, even if it meant standing out. As she approached her locker, she noticed a girl with vibrant purple streaks in her hair struggling with the combination lock next to hers. Jade had seen her around before, a sophomore named Ashe. She was also part of the emo crowd, and Jade had always admired her style from afar. "Need some help?" Jade offered, her voice soft but kind. Ashe looked up, her eyes widening in surprise. "Oh, uh, yeah. Thanks. This lock is being a pain." Jade quickly twisted the lock and popped it open. "There you go." "Thanks, Jade," Ashe said, a shy smile forming on her lips. "I'm Ashe, by the way." "I know," Jade replied with a small smile of her own. "I've seen you around." Ashe's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "Yeah, same here." Just then, Willow bounded up to them, her furry ears and tail swishing with excitement. "Hey, Jade! Hey, Ashe! What's up?" Willow was a sophomore like Ashe, and her furry persona often made her the target of ridicule. But she never let it get to her, always wearing her ears and tail with pride. "Hey, Willow," Jade greeted. "Just helping Ashe with her locker." "Cool! So, are we still on for lunch?" Willow asked, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Definitely," Jade replied. "Let's go." The three of them made their way to the cafeteria, where they always sat together at a table in the corner. As they sat down, the usual taunts and jeers started from a group of students nearby. "Look, it's the freak show," one of them sneered. "Nice ears, Willow. Did you get them at a costume store?" another laughed. Willow's smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. "Ignore them," she said, her voice steady. "They're just jealous they can't be as awesome as us." Jade and Ashe exchanged a glance, both feeling a surge of admiration for their friend's resilience. They knew how hard it was to be different, but having each other made it a little easier. As the weeks went by, Jade and Ashe grew closer. They spent more time together, sharing their favorite music and talking about their dreams and fears. Jade found herself looking forward to their conversations, her heart fluttering whenever Ashe smiled at her. One afternoon, as they sat under a tree in the school courtyard, Ashe turned to Jade, her expression serious. "Jade, can I tell you something?" "Of course," Jade replied, her heart pounding in her chest. "I... I think I like you," Ashe confessed, her cheeks turning pink again. "Like, more than just a friend." Jade's eyes widened in surprise, but a smile quickly spread across her face. "I like you too, Ashe. I've liked you for a while now." Ashe's face lit up with joy, and she leaned in to kiss Jade softly on the lips. It was a moment of pure happiness, a moment where they felt truly seen and accepted. From that day on, Jade and Ashe were inseparable. They faced the taunts and jeers together, their bond growing stronger with each passing day. And with Willow by their side, they knew they could handle anything that came their way. In the end, it didn't matter what others thought. They had found each other, and that was all that mattered