272 Book(s) Related to black butler chapter 190

Alert! He's Back!

Alert! He's Back!

283 Views · Ongoing · Donald
Damien Shaw survived three years in the frozen hell of Antarctica, until he received a phone call.

"Is that you, Daddy..."

His daughter was strapped to a cold operating table, waiting to have her organs harvested.

His wife Sophia was stripped naked and put up for sale at an auction.

Enraged, Damien descended upon San Francisco with countless elite assassins.

He vowed to make everyone who had humiliated his wife and daughter regret ever being born into this world!
Get You Back

Get You Back

129 Views · Ongoing · Juniper Bell
Rye: I'm out for revenge. I just saw Lauren Blakewell on national TV. Twelve years after she and her con woman mother scammed my father and ruined our lives, there she was. Looking like a goddess. Engaged to the son of a U.S. senator. She and her evil mother never paid for what they did. But I’ve never forgotten. Now I’m going to DC and I’m out for justice. I’m Rye McAllister, heir to the former McAllister fortune, and I’m going to stand up for my family. Lauren will pay. One way or another, I’ll get her back. Lauren: I’m so close to freedom. So close. One more job, and Bliss will let me go. That’s why the sight of Rye McAllister is such a shock. Not because he was the subject of all my childhood fantasies. Not because he looks like a tough and sexy cowboy now. But because he can ruin everything for me. I have to stop him. Whatever it takes. I have to make him an offer he can’t refuse. A proposition he can’t resist. If I enjoy it too…that’ll be my secret. And I have more secrets than Rye can ever imagine.
I Took A Bullet, He Took A Mistress

I Took A Bullet, He Took A Mistress

5.8k Views · Ongoing · Piper Hayes
Everyone in this city knows that the king of the underworld, my husband Vincent, is crazy about me.

Three years ago, when that bullet tore through my abdomen, it took away my chance of ever being a mother. He held my blood-soaked body and swore to God he'd make the shooter's entire family pay. A month later, that family was wiped off the map in this city. No one dares speak their name anymore.

He sat by my hospital bed, holding my hand. "I don't need kids. I only need you."

I believed him.

Until six months ago, when his brother died in an accident, leaving behind his wife Serena. The family pressure came like a tidal wave. An heir. A bloodline. That's all they cared about. And that woman became everyone's golden ticket to keeping the Caruso name alive.

That's when my husband stopped coming home at night. Every night, I hear them through the wall. Sounds that used to be mine.

But today, the doctor told me my body is healing. The chances are slim, but there's hope.

I clutch the medical report and rush home, imagining Vincent's face when he sees the results. Maybe everything can go back to how it was. Maybe he'll realize he doesn't need her.

Until I stand outside our mansion and hear laughter pouring out.

"Serena's pregnant! Can you believe it? The family finally has an heir!"

"Finally. The family's saved."
VELVET HEAT:100 FORBIDDEN FANTASIES

VELVET HEAT:100 FORBIDDEN FANTASIES

7.5k Views · Ongoing · Chieri Knight
There is a place where names are forgotten, faces are hidden, and only the body speaks.
It doesn’t whisper. It moans. It obeys. It disobeys. It begs.

You were warned not to touch.
But you will.

Welcome to Velvet Heat, a collection of 100 dangerously intimate stories that whisper in the dark and bite when you’re not looking. These are not tales of sweet love and gentle kisses. These are fantasies that unravel you..slowly, slickly, and without apology.

Behind every silk sheet is a secret.
Beneath every command, a dare.
And under every moan, a threat.

From faceless strangers in candlelit rooms to monsters who taste like sin, this is a world where desire bleeds, power shifts, and no one escapes untouched.
Some stories will make you beg.
Some will make you scream.
And some… will make you wish you never opened the book.

Velvet Heat is where you come to lose yourself.
But you’ll never leave the same.

Only sinners.
No safe words. Only consequences.
And no promises of love..just obsession, power, hunger… and release.
100 Days, You Are Mine!

100 Days, You Are Mine!

402 Views · Ongoing · TheBlues
Warning: Mature Contents!


A deal with the devil, the only way she could save her ill sister.

Putting aside her feelings and dignity, Blue Rivers was forced to marry a stranger who was full of danger and secrets.

Nicholas Sanford, a rebellious mafia heir, who would go against every will of his father.

Gradually, the hate she feels towards her manipulative husband turned into love, leading to something deeper and complicated.

Love is timeless, but she only has 100 days to make him fall in love with her as part of the deal.

Would she succeed? Or would it only bring her to the hell of lust?
100 Nights Of Forbidden Fire

100 Nights Of Forbidden Fire

1.2k Views · Ongoing · Sheilla
Warning: This collection features intense age-gap romances, powerful chemistry, and relationships that challenge expectations. Read at your own discretion.
One hundred nights. One hundred temptations. One hundred unforgettable sparks.
In this bold and emotionally charged collection, desire defies convention and passion refuses to be ignored. Age differences heighten the tension, forbidden attractions test self-control, and undeniable chemistry pushes boundaries in ways neither heart can resist.
From commanding men who should know better to strong, curious women drawn to what they cannot have, 100 Nights of Forbidden Fire explores relationships that blur the line between restraint and surrender. Whether it’s the magnetic pull of the older neighbor, the dangerous allure of a powerful boss, or a connection society might question but the heart cannot deny, each story delivers high-stakes romance and smoldering intensity.
These are stories of longing, temptation, and emotional risk, where every glance lingers, every touch matters, and every night changes everything.
Are you ready to step into a world where passion challenges the rules?
Deserted Wife Strikes Back

Deserted Wife Strikes Back

80.4k Views · Ongoing · Freya Brooks
After ten years of marriage, Hollis Meyer believed she had found an extraordinary husband. Little did she know, he would lead her on a destructive path! Disguised as a marriage, he manipulated her emotions, plotted for her wealth, and even wiped out the entire Meyer family, all for a fleeting moment of true love.

But fate intervened with a meticulously planned murder, sending her back ten years in time! In this new life, she pledged to utterly destroy him, reduce his bloodline to ashes, and curse his lover with endless misfortune.

She vowed to exact a hundredfold revenge on all those who had caused her harm!
And so, her first act after rebirth was to reject the advances of that jerk and resolutely marry her archenemy from her previous life—a prominent tycoon she must not have provoked this time!

She expected their union to be driven by desire rather than affection, but to her surprise, the tycoon showered her with boundless love and devotion after they tied the knot.
Can't Win Her Back

Can't Win Her Back

746 Views · Ongoing · Olivia
I thought our secret marriage was perfect, until I discovered my husband spent hundreds of thousands to buy another woman the jewelry I had longed for. In that moment, my heart shattered.
To help my husband's company go public, we chose to keep our marriage secret. I thought this was a perfect partnership—until that video appeared.
In the video, a familiar pair of hands placed the jewelry I had yearned for on a woman, and the owner of those hands was my husband, Zhou Chen.
When I tested him, he lied. When I pressed further, he said it was for publicity. But when I saw him tenderly caring for another woman, when I saw her sitting in the passenger seat that should have been mine, I began to wonder if I had been deceiving myself all along.
Perhaps the person my husband truly loves was never me. Perhaps he chose this secret marriage with me only because it would be more convenient when he wanted to get rid of me...
When the truth was completely revealed on that snowy night, when I heard that woman confess to my husband, I finally understood—I had been the most ridiculous clown in this game all along.
What's even more ironic is that I'm carrying my husband's child in my womb, and this secret is one I never want to tell him anymore.
Once some lies are exposed, there's no going back.
Let it all end...
Rejected Luna Strike Back

Rejected Luna Strike Back

50 Views · Ongoing · Jessica Molly
After a false accusation, Emily was expelled from the Crimson pack and rejected by her mate, the Alpha. Pregnant and desperate, she found refuge in the hands of the Lycan Alpha.
Years passed, and the Lycan Alpha passed away, leaving Emily as the new Alpha of the Lycan pack. Now, she returns seeking revenge against the Crimson Alpha for the pain he caused her.
Winning Back The Heiress

Winning Back The Heiress

8.2k Views · Ongoing · Yvonne
Losing the memory of who you were growing up sucks. Trying to find a job after graduating college in a bad economy sucks even more.
For Esmeralda Griffin, being offered a job as a secretary to the CEO of the biggest company in the continent is a once in a lifetime opportunity she's going to grab with both hands even if she has never heard nothing good about him.
When the CEO turns out to be a man she has been previously seeing a younger version of in her dreams, she is confused. When he starts to claim that she's his lost fiance, things get crazy.
For the heir to the stone empire, life has no meaning since he failed in protecting his one and only love. Work, one night stands and alcohol define his very existence but when his new assistant Esmeralda comes into the picture, a new hope sets in.
Could she be the one he has been searching for for years?
I Left Him, and My Life Got Better

I Left Him, and My Life Got Better

631 Views · Ongoing · Joy Brown
My biggest regret? Trusting my husband with my mother's life.

The day the mudslide hit, I was on my knees. Begging him to send a helicopter.

He told me to wait. Twenty minutes. But when the helicopter came, it went for his adoptive sister Vivian instead.

I held my mother in the ruins. Her body was shutting down. I waited. Waited until she went cold in my arms.

When he finally showed up at the hospital, the first thing he said? Accused me of faking it. Said I just wanted attention.

In that moment, my heart died too.

Later, I found out Vivian wasn't even sick.

She said "I don't feel well"—that's all it took. And he left my mother and me to die.

Called me a lunatic. In front of everyone. All for her.

I was ready to leave. For good. Then someone shattered my mother's ashes.
Can't Win Her Back

Can't Win Her Back

12.4k Views · Ongoing · Charis
Amelia Davis was married to Frederick Hastings for three years, but that period paled in comparison to the decade he had spent enamored with his first love, Amber Roberts. On the day she found out she was pregnant, Frederick asked for a divorce. Without a word, she simply took the divorce papers and left. However, Frederick was taken aback upon discovering her pregnancy after her departure. In a rare display of emotion, the typically composed Frederick panicked, desperately pleading for Amelia's return as if he were in a state of frenzy...
Winning Back Mrs. York

Winning Back Mrs. York

67.1k Views · Ongoing · Eve Frost
"Noah, we can't..."

"Can't what?"
"Someone will come."
"No one can access this elevator now."
"Are you going to help me 'cool down,' Emma?"

I never imagined a three-year contract marriage would destroy and rebuild my entire world.

My name is Emma Wells, and I sold myself into marriage to save my father. Noah York—cold, brilliant, untouchable—needed a wife to protect his "white moonlight" Lucy Manning's public image. I knew the rules: play the loving wife in public, stay invisible in private, walk away when the contract expired.

But what happens when you fall for a man who can't—or won't—love you back?

When Lucy returned from Europe, everything changed. She wanted Noah. She wanted me gone. And she was willing to poison me to get what she wanted.

Then I discovered I was pregnant. With Noah's child. The one complication our contract never anticipated.

Should I tell him the truth and risk losing everything? Or disappear before he could reject me and our baby?

But Noah wasn't who I thought he was. Neither was I.

My "rescue" thirteen years ago? A lie. My parents? Not my real family. The mysterious savior I called "Z"? Closer than I ever imagined.

My name is Emma Wells York. And this is how I learned that sometimes, the most dangerous deal you make is with your own heart.
Please Take Me Back

Please Take Me Back

1k Views · Ongoing · Ruthie
Joana Henshaw believed she had found true love, but when her husband, Clinton Gates, suddenly became cold, her entire world fell apart. Clinton, who had once shown her affection, now viewed her as merely a business deal and blamed her for his twin sister's untimely death. Joana put up with his hatred for three years in the hopes of rekindling their love. Clinton's thoughtless delivery of her divorce papers, however, was the last straw. Joana chose to leave the Gates family's wealth and prestige behind when all of her requests were ignored. She was carrying a small secret in her womb, but no one knew. She reappeared as a well-known designer years later. Everyone wanted it, and Clinton was no different. Clinton Gates, however, never anticipated missing Joana, but his suspicions increased as her absence became intolerable. Why did he think about her all the time? Why did she appear unaffected by their split? And why did he feel that he had made a grave error in spite of everything?
Can't win me back

Can't win me back

140k Views · Ongoing · Sarah
Aurelia Semona and Nathaniel Heilbronn had been secretly married for three years. One day, he threw a divorce agreement in front of her, stating that his first love had come back and he wanted to marry her instead. Aurelia signed it with a heavy heart.
On the day he married his first love, Aurelia was involved in a car accident, and the twins in her womb ceased to have heartbeats.
From that moment on, she changed all her contact information and completely left his world.
Later, Nathaniel abandoned his new wife and searched the world for a woman named Aurelia.
The day they reunited, he cornered her in her car and begged, "Aurelia, please give me another chance!"
(I highly recommend a captivating book that I couldn't put down for three days and nights. It's incredibly engaging and a must-read. The title of the book is "Forbidden Love," and the author's name is Olivia. You can find it by searching in the search bar.)
Chasing Back What's Mine

Chasing Back What's Mine

11.3k Views · Ongoing · Grace
Then his voice broke through my line of thought. "To buttress what is on the contract, there will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits.

We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word.

I watch his mouth move, with arrogance evident in the way he talks. I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached.

"Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose.


Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?”
Divorced Heiress Strikes Back

Divorced Heiress Strikes Back

1.2k Views · Ongoing · Uitwaaien
After three years of marriage, Evelyn finally got pregnant.
She thought it would be the happiest day of her life until her own husband’s hands pushed into hell her.
Evelyn went to the company to inform Alain about her pregnancy, only to be met with the sight of him having sex with his secretary. Alain had betrayed her.
"Let’s get a divorce," he said, the three years of affection crushed
like worthless paper.
He showed no shame as he continued his affair right in front of her,under the guise of nakedness.
"Fine,"Evelyn agreed. She looked proud and aloof. She swallowed the news of her pregnancy, holding it tight in her throat without uttering a word. But as she turned away, she burst into tears.
She returned home, prepared the divorce papers, signed them, packed her belongings, and left. But on the way, Evelyn fainted because of her foetal derangement. A kind man took her to the hospital and left her with a beautiful wish. Other than that, she knew nothing about him.
Five years later, Evelyn had a successful career and a peaceful life
with her young son - Dennis. But one day, her son brought a strange
man home, none other than Alain!
Evelyn was stunned. Her ex-husband had returned, shamelessly begging her for forgiveness, wanting to regain her and Dennis. He wanted her to come back to him.
But Evelyn didn’t agree. Despite Alain’s coercion, she refused. And at
that moment, “he” suddenly appeared, unexpectedly and silently as he
did five years ago. He pulled her up from the depths and slapped her ex-husband directly in the face with one sentence: "You’re not worthy
of her."
Desperate Housewife Strikes Back

Desperate Housewife Strikes Back

554 Views · Ongoing · Agatha Christie
Twenty-five years I cooked, cleaned, and worshipped my husband David.

Then I found the Hawaii tickets on his phone. For him and his secretary Lily.

"You're just a free maid, Helen," David laughed when I confronted him. "Lily's young, smart, useful. You? You're nothing."

My son Luke not only covered for his affair but high-fived him in celebration. "Finally, Dad! Mom's so embarrassing. Lily's way cooler, and she bought me those limited edition Jordans!"

They wanted me gone? Done. I signed the divorce papers, walked away with nothing.

Sitting in my crappy Honda, broke and homeless at fifty, I checked my phone.

Lottery notification: "Winner! $150 million!"

I stared at those zeros and started laughing like a maniac.

Time to destroy them both.
100 Nights With My Vampire CEO

100 Nights With My Vampire CEO

57.3k Views · Ongoing · Leigh Frankie
Be my slave for 100 nights, and I'll turn you into a lycan so you can be with your lycan lover for as long as you both shall live.


Matilda “Tilly” Parker’s life falls apart when her lycan boyfriend, Xavier Graves, leaves her with nothing but a vague “trust me.”
Human, heartbroken, and fueled by cheap wine and spite, she crosses paths with Cillian Ravenscroft, the vampire CEO of Valmont International. A century-old predator with ice-blue eyes and a smile that could tempt a saint.
Cillian is too smooth, too handsome, too everything—all sharp jaw, piercing gaze, and a smug charm that makes Tilly’s skin crawl and her heart race in ways she refuses to admit.
Cillian offers her a wild solution: become a lycan herself.
And he’s willing to make it happen—for a price. One hundred nights as his personal “slave.”
But she’s no helpless damsel. Scrappy, impulsive, and armed with a mouth that won’t quit, Tilly’s ready to claw her way through this twisted agreement. Yet as the nights slip by, the line between survival and seduction blurs—and the price of becoming a lycan might be far greater than just her heart.
Will Tilly fight her way back to Xavier—or surrender to the vampire who owns her nights?
One hundred nights. One impossible choice. And a hunger neither of them expected.
Guarding the Gate 100 Meters Underground

Guarding the Gate 100 Meters Underground

1.1k Views · Ongoing · Hades
I’ve been guarding a door in the Nevada underground for a hundred years. The system marks this place "Abandoned," and the official records claim I don't exist.
When the investigation team arrived, the leader was my old signal corpsman. He pretended not to know me and ordered his guards to drag me out like a piece of dead weight.
They shoved a young lad from the Rex family into the breach as bait, and while everyone screamed in horror, no one dared to move.
So, I jumped down to fish the kid out, using a bottle of beer to force back the tentacles reaching from the dark.
Then, I pulled on that dusty old uniform and pressed my palm against the master console—all thirty-two security protocols verified instantly.
The lead technician collapsed in shock: "This clearance level is restricted to the Chief Architect only."
He was right. I am.
The thing I’ve kept locked behind that door for a century woke up, whispering: "What do you want?"
I said: "Dinner."
10 times yours

10 times yours

19.2k Views · Ongoing · Ysaris Areinamo
"I have no sexual experience, I'm a virgin."
"Virgin?"
"Yeah," I said,"remember how I mentioned that to you in the hospital when I got naked?"
"If you're a virgin," he said again, fixing his gaze on mine,"what are you doing here?"
"I want you to be my first time."

Engineering student Nube Queen mistakenly entered the office of Hades Parker, a millionaire, attractive, and prestigious doctor. She thought he was the gynecologist. As she nervously undressed, she experienced the worst embarrassment of her life. He told her that he was, in fact, the pediatrician.

She escaped the office, hoping to never encounter him again. However, a twist of fate occurred when a new professor joined the university, and this new professor happened to be the charming doctor Hades Parker.

The attraction that Dr. Parker exerted on Nube became tormenting, and she agreed to embark on a forbidden relationship with sensuality, passion, and lust. As their forbidden relationship deepened, Nube grew increasingly eager to unveil the true identity of Hades Parker. However, he hesitated to open his heart to her, fearing that things could spiral out of control. He was concerned that their illicit relationship might be revealed, leading to a scandalous at the university.

Will love conquer all when their relationship was exposed?
Chasing His Kickass Luna Back

Chasing His Kickass Luna Back

143.6k Views · Ongoing · Jane Above Story
Abby divorced and her Alpha EX thought she was buried in tears. But actually, she is dating different hot guys every day.
Him (interrupting Abby's date, fierce): How dare you!
Abby: Exm sir? Who are you?
Getting Back My Secret Luna

Getting Back My Secret Luna

14.4k Views · Ongoing · Krystal
Allison lost the baby.
She had loved Alpha Lucian for nine long years. To marry him,she fast-tracked her graduation,and for two years,she endured  his  coldness,his absences,and his indifference in silence.
The day she miscarried,all she wanted was a sliver of comfort.
Instead,he hung up on her.
The next second she saw him,he was on national television—holding a funeral for his ex-girlfriend's dog.
That was the moment Allison realized she had never been a wife in his eyes—only a pawn in their twisted game. Her heart shattered. She asked for a divorce.
After walking away from her loveless marriage,Allison buried herself in work. Once mocked and looked down on,she rose like a phoenix—building an empire worth billions.
But the divorce papers never came.
And the man who had once treated her like a stranger? He started showing up everywhere—refusing to let go.
After the charity gala,Allison was heading to her car when the once cold and untouchable Alpha suddenly cornered her against the wall,his eyes burning with desperation. 
"Baby,come home with me... please."
Allison only smiled. "Alpha Lucian ,don't call me that. We're already divorced. I'm single now."
ALPHA'S DEAD MATE IS BACK

ALPHA'S DEAD MATE IS BACK

269 Views · Ongoing · Folayele Femi22
On the day Mila Blackthorn was to be crowned Luna, betrayal struck. Her stepsister Rosa was named Luna instead, and Mila was falsely accused of murder and stoned to death by her own pack.
But death couldn’t hold her. Reborn as Lyra, Mila returns with beauty, power, and a single purpose and vengeance. One by one, she exposes the lies that stole her life, drives her enemies to madness, and brings Stormfang Pack to its knees.
Even Alpha Jax, her fated mate who let her die, cannot resist her. As passion reignites between them, Lyra forces him to face the truth , and make those who betrayed her pay in blood.
When justice is finally served, Lyra vanishes, leaving a cleansed kingdom and a broken Alpha who will never forget the mate he wronged.
Chasing His Substitute Lover Back

Chasing His Substitute Lover Back

1.6k Views · Ongoing · Riley Above Story
For five years, Celia was nothing more than Alpha king’s secret lover, wearing her disliked dress and perfume, just because he like it on her.
—until She overheard the truth: “She’s just a replacement. A gold digger.”
"I chose her, just becuase she seems like you. She's your Substitute. Never deserved be a luna."
Shattered, she walks away, vowing never to look back.
But then—her instincts sharpen, her senses heighten, and Soren’s scent clings to her skin.
...Mate.
Impossible. A wolfless girl like her could never be the Alpha King’s fated mate… right?
*
On the first day she left, he wasn’t worried. “She’ll come back.”
“Don’t bother with it. She was just a substitute lover. A worthless gold digger.”
But after a week… a month… three months… his panic set in.
“Lock down the entire pack—find her at all costs…
—Find my Luna!”
Captain Don't Look Back (BXB)

Captain Don't Look Back (BXB)

1.9k Views · Ongoing · Mercy Charles
Noah Carter doesn’t lose control.

Captain of Ridgeway University’s team.
Disciplined. Admired. Untouchable.

Until Elias Moore.

Soft skirts. Sharp eyes. Unapologetically visible.

What starts as a glance turns into a secret.
What should have been one mistake becomes an addiction.

Noah tells himself it’s temporary.
Elias knows better.

Because desire doesn’t disappear just because you refuse to name it.

And when reputation collides with need, someone will have to choose what matters more — the life they built, or the truth they can’t outrun.

Some mistakes burn.

Some demand to be claimed.
Chasing Back My Rejected Luna

Chasing Back My Rejected Luna

860 Views · Ongoing · Best Pen
I spent three years acting as a servant for the Alpha who secretly married me, only to find out he was marrying his mistress because she was "dying."

“This marriage is her last wish, and I am fulfilling it,” Ace told me coldly.
“And me? What do I become?” I asked, my heart shattering.
“You remain my hidden wife. When she is gone, we will go back to normal.”

Normal? Being humiliated, abused by his sister, and watching him sleep in another woman's bed?

The final straw was the alliance party. His mistress intentionally tripped, and his sister slapped me so hard I fell onto shattered glass. The sharp shards pierced my flesh, but Ace just stood there and told me to get out.

He didn't know I had just received my medical results. I was pregnant. With triplets.

That night, while he was playing the devoted lover in the hospital, I packed my bags. I left the signed divorce papers on our bed, threw our only framed photo into the trash, and vanished into the human world.

When Ace finally returned to the empty mansion, the silence suffocated him. He found the divorce papers. He smelled the fading scent of my jasmine perfume. And then, his beta brought him the medical records.

“Congratulations Alpha, your Luna was pregnant before she left.”

Ace dropped to his knees, a guttural roar tearing from his throat. He turned the world upside down to find me, only to discover I was living in the castle of Alpha Klaus—his deadliest enemy. And Klaus had just publicly claimed me as his own.
Mafia Don Begs Me Back

Mafia Don Begs Me Back

1.2k Views · Ongoing · Claire
Everyone knew Mrs. Montgomery was hopelessly in love with the mafia don.
For five years, Elara locked away her glory as a top jewelry appraiser and became the perfect wife. She managed his empire's gray-zone ledgers, cooked his black coffee at 5 AM.
She believed even ice could melt if you held it long enough.
Until she found the cardiac compatibility report in his study.
He didn't marry her for love.
He spoiled her only to protect the heart in her chest.
The locked drawer didn't hold business secrets—it held her death sentence.
"Next month's surgery. Don't make a scene." He crushed his cigar, negotiating like it was a shipment deal. "Your mother's medical bills, your brother's tuition—I'll handle everything. Be good."
She smiled. Nodded. Then booked a one-way flight to New York.
The divorce papers were delivered by his secretary. The resignation letter was hidden in a stack of documents he signed without reading. The wedding ring was left in the closet where he'd once shielded her from a thunderstorm.
He waited for her to beg. To crawl back. She never did.
Instead, he saw photos of her dazzling the international auction circuit. Saw another man block wine for her with gentle eyes. Saw her standing in a crowd, not sparing him a single glance.
Later, the king of LA's underworld lost his mind.
He pinned his first love against the wall, demanding Elara's location. He knelt in a hospital corridor, clutching her blood-stained ring, eyes red-rimmed. "Elara, I'll cut out my own heart if you just come back."
She pulled her hand free the way she withdrew five years of wasted love—
"You kept me for five years to harvest my heart. I don't want yours. I want my freedom."
[High-angst · Grovel-to-ashes · Same ML]
Life on the Back Roads

Life on the Back Roads

258 Views · Ongoing · Dawn Marie
A young woman trying to make it in a small town. She was born and raised here, everyone knew her and she knew everyone. That does not make life easy. The lies, manipulation, cover ups. Everyone knows the secrets, they see the scandals but no one is brave enough to say anything. To stand up for her. They will help when it seems like the time is right but they also use and abuse her when the time is right. How will she ever break free and become her own person. Abuse can come in many different ways. Mental and physical are the most common. She nees to get away from her home and everyone in this town. But at what means. What all will she lose?
Cause to Hide (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 3)

Cause to Hide (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 3)

199 Views · Ongoing · Blake Pierce
“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.” --Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone) From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense: CAUSE TO HIDE (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 3).Bodies are being found in the outskirts of Boston, their corpses burned beyond recognition, as the police realize a new serial killer is roaming the streets. As the media converges and the pressure is upped, the Boston Police Department must turn to its most brilliant—and controversial—homicide detective: Avery Black.Avery, still trying to pick up the pieces of her own life—her budding relationship with Ramirez, her reconciliation with Rose—suddenly finds herself thrown into the most challenging case of her career. With scant evidence to follow, she must enter the mind of a psychotic killer, try to understand his obsession with fire, and what clues that offers into his personality. Her trail leads her deep into Boston’s worst neighborhoods, to confrontations with its worst psychopaths—and finally, to a twist she could never possibly imagine.In a game of psychological cat and mouse, a frantic race against time, Avery is led too deep into the maze of a killer’s mind, and to places darker than she’d ever wish to see.A psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, CAUSE TO HIDE is book #3 of a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #4 in the Avery Black series will be available soon. “A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side, so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)
Cause to Run (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 2)

Cause to Run (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 2)

388 Views · Ongoing · Blake Pierce
“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.” --Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone) From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense. In CAUSE TO RUN (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 2), a new serial killer is stalking Boston, killing his victims in bizarre ways, taunting the police with mysterious puzzles that reference the stars. As the stakes are upped and the pressure is on, the Boston Police Department is forced to call in its most brilliant—and most controversial—homicide detective: Avery Black.Avery, still reeling from her last case, finds herself up against a rival precinct and a brilliant, cunning killer who is always one step ahead of her. She is forced to enter his dark, twisted mind as he lays clues for his next killing, and forced to look into places in her own mind she would rather not go. She finds herself compelled to seek the counsel of Howard Randall, the twisted serial killer she’d put behind bars years ago, all while her new burgeoning life with Rose and Ramirez is falling apart.And just as things cannot get any worse, she finds out something else: she herself may be the target.In a game of psychological cat and mouse, a frantic race against time leads Avery through a series of shocking and unexpected twists—culminating in climax that even Avery could not imagine. A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, CAUSE TO RUN is book #2 of a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #3 in the Avery Black series will be available soon. “A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side, so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)
Cause to Save (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 5)

Cause to Save (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 5)

113 Views · Ongoing · Blake Pierce
“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.” --Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone) From #1 bestselling author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense: CAUSE TO SAVE (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 5)—the final installment in the Avery Black series.In the epic finale of the Avery Black series, serial killer Howard Randall has escaped, and the entire city of Boston is on edge. Women are turning up gruesomely murdered, and everyone suspects Howard is at it again. When Boston’s most brilliant and controversial homicide detective—Avery Black—is herself stalked—and when people close to her are brutally killed, one by one—it seems the city’s worst fears are confirmed.But Avery is not so sure. The murders remind her of something she once saw in her past. They remind her of something too close to her heart—something that had to do with a secret she thought she had buried long ago….The most riveting and shocking book of the series, a psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, CAUSE TO SAVE is the finale that will leave you turning pages late into the night. “A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side, so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)
Please Come Back, My Love

Please Come Back, My Love

47.4k Views · Ongoing · Daisy
Three years into our loveless marriage:

"Julian... what would you do if I got pregnant?" I asked, clinging to a foolish hope.

He thrust hard, his release hot between my thighs.

"You? Bear my heir?" His laugh was ice-cold. "A maid's daughter could never be worthy of Sterling blood."


I'm Elena—the maid's daughter who dared to love Julian Sterling.

He's the ruthless heir who married me for revenge.

"You're nothing but a gold-digging whore,"* he whispered. *"Did you really think I'd ever love someone like you?”

He used me. Broke me. Made me beg for scraps while he paraded his first love through our home.

That night, I stood on the bridge, staring at the dark water below.

I'd lost everything. My mother. My dignity. My will to fight.


Five years later, in a crowded shopping mall:

My daughter tugs at a stranger's sleeve.

"Mister, will you help me find my mommy? I got lost."

The man freezes, staring down at her.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" His voice sounds broken.

"Lila! What's yours, uncle?"

"Julian."

Minutes later, he's walking toward me with my daughter's hand in his, his face drained of all color.

"Elena."

My name on his lips sounds like agony.

Before I can respond, he's crossed the distance between us. His arms wrap around me with desperate strength.

"God, you're alive. I thought—" His voice cracks. "I'm so sorry—"

He leans down, his lips seeking mine.

My hand moves on instinct.

The slap echoes through the mall.

"Excuse me?" I step back, ice-cold, pulling Lila behind me. "Please control yourself, sir. Do we even know each other?"
The Stray Heiress Strikes Back

The Stray Heiress Strikes Back

19.7k Views · Ongoing · PageProfit Studio
Ten years ago, Elizabeth Kaiser was abandoned by her biological father, cast out of her home like a stray dog. A decade later, she returned as a decorated general of Nation A, wielding immense power and wealth beyond measure.

The onlookers waited eagerly for her downfall, only to watch in shock as the elite families of Capitol City bowed before her in reverence.

Elizabeth smirked coldly. "Want to chase me? Better ask my fists for permission first!"
Winning Back His Ex-Wife

Winning Back His Ex-Wife

1.4k Views · Ongoing · joy precious
Eilidh always knew Callum didn’t love her, but she still held on, hoping he would change. For three years, she endured a marriage filled with cold glances and distant affection, only to have her hopes shattered when the woman Callum truly loved returned. Without hesitation, he handed her divorce papers and demanded she abort their unborn child. Broken but not defeated, Eilidh signed the papers and walked away, vowing to return stronger.
Years later, Eilidh re-emerges, no longer the naïve woman who once begged for love. She’s independent, successful, and the mother of a child Callum never wanted. When their paths cross again,Callum realizes too late what he has lost. The ruthless billionaire who discarded her is now the man desperate to win her back. But Eilidh has changed—she’s no longer willing to settle for less than she deserves.
Callum is determined to make amends, proving his love through grand gestures and relentless pursuit. But can love ever bloom from betrayal? Eilidh heart is no longer so easily swayed, and forgiveness is not a prize to be won. Will Caleb’s regret be enough, or has Eilidh moved on for good?
Seducing my ex-husband back

Seducing my ex-husband back

510 Views · Ongoing · peaceisaac546
Claire's love for Richard was legendary—three years of devotion that everyone envied. Until the day she found her best friend Monica on top of her husband in their living room, and her world shattered.

"Sign it, Claire," Richard said, tossing divorce papers at her hospital bed, his once-warm blue eyes now ice cold. "You disgust me. You're clingy, obsessed, and suffocating."

One year later, Claire Winfred returns to town—transformed, powerful, and engaged to billionaire Alexander Hayes. But she hasn't come back for a new beginning. She's come back for revenge.

Now she's the one calling the shots, trapping Richard behind his desk, her hand gripping his tie. "Tell me, Richard," she purrs, "do you still find me disgusting?"

"Yes," he lies, even as his body betrays him.

"Then explain why you're so hard right now."

The seduction has begun. But in a game this dangerous, who will be the hunter and who will be the prey?
The Mafia Queen Comes Back

The Mafia Queen Comes Back

70.4k Views · Ongoing · C.M Curtis
I gasped for breath, clutching my chest, the bloody scene of my former husband's mistress, Kelly, slitting my throat still vivid in my memory. Now, I had been reborn.
The man I once deeply loved, the man with whom I built a business empire, and his mistress, Kelly, were staring at me defiantly.
"Evelyn, this is Kelly. She... she's pregnant. She needs our help. I think we can take her in."
But the weeping Evelyn of the past was dead. The woman standing before them now was a queen returned from hell, ready to burn their kingdom to the ground.
"Of course, darling," I said in a sweet yet venomous voice. "Let her stay. I'm happy to keep my enemies close."
Gray breathed a sigh of relief, but he didn't know that this time, I wouldn't just divorce him; I would take his gang, his money, his dignity, and leave him with nothing but regret.
Begging the Rejecting Luna Back

Begging the Rejecting Luna Back

458 Views · Ongoing · Amazingwriter
After 18 years of wandering alone, Sydney finally returned to her pack, reuniting with her family. But her dreams and aspirations shattered when her sister, Bella, fled on her wedding day with her fated mate, leaving Sydney to take her place in a political alliance with Alexander Torres, the powerful Alpha of the Nightscar Pack. Handsome, wealthy, and commanding, Alexander was everything a Luna could want—except for one thing: his heart belonged to Bella.
On their mating ceremony day, Alexander whispered to Sydney, "The only thing you can get is the title of Luna." For three years, their marriage was a cold, distant arrangement, devoid of passion or connection.
Until one night, when Sydney received a video from Bella—a video that revealed Alexander in bed with her sister.Betrayed and heartbroken, Sydney decided to break the mating bond and reclaim her freedom.
However, Alexander became relentless,refused to let her go. He destroyed the rejection papers and demanded a $5 million compensation fee, determined to keep her tied to him.
With Alexander’s grandmother’s help, Sydney finally succeeds in breaking free from the bond.As Sydney walked away, Alexander’s feeling to Bella wavered, his obsession with Sydney only grew.
Alexander corners Sydney, pinning her against the wall with his powerful frame. His breath is hot against her ear as he growls, “You can try to run, Sydney, but you’ll always be mine,I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth.”
Alpha's Regret: Chasing Her Back

Alpha's Regret: Chasing Her Back

694 Views · Ongoing · abbymicah
"Don't ask me too many questions." His expression became sharp. "Would you rather stay here and get punished or come with me?" He asked, training a hard look on me.
After weighing my options, I knew that I had no choice but to leave with him.
"I don't want to stay here, but I can't leave without getting answers." 
Sean sighed, dragging a hand through his blonde hair. "Fine." He responded reluctantly.
"What do you want to know?"  I had a lot of questions. 
Zoey's life is turned upside down when she's falsely accused of murder and abandoned by her mate.  Saved by a handsome Lycan king, she's drawn into a world of secrets and lies. 
But as she falls for him, she discovers a shocking truth that changes everything.
Alpha King Wants Me Back

Alpha King Wants Me Back

939 Views · Ongoing · Oke Precious
They betrayed her, framed her, and left her with nothing.
Penelope Odel was never the favored daughter—only the forgotten one. Forced into a political marriage with Alpha King Killian Steelclaw, she expected cruelty from a man the world feared.
Instead, she found safety… and love.
That became her downfall.
A deadly conspiracy destroyed everything, turning Penelope into a murderer overnight. Hunted and broken, she disappeared into the human world carrying a secret.
His child.
Two years later, she has built a new life under a new identity.
Until Killian finds her.
She is alive.
She has his heir.
And he wants them back.
But some betrayals cut too deep to forgive.
The Water Took Me First but It Likes Him Better

The Water Took Me First but It Likes Him Better

1.2k Views · Ongoing · Piper Hayes
Beau and I have been together for three years. I paid for the entire yacht charter out of my own pocket, and he shows up with his childhood best friend Sadie in tow, then goes around telling everyone it was his idea, his grand gesture.

Out on the water, Sadie spots a small octopus drifting near the surface and decides she has to have it. The thing pulses with glowing blue rings.

I'm a certified expert diver. I know exactly what it is the second I see it. I try to stop her.

She bursts into tears and tells Beau I'm going after her.

So Beau, ever the hero where Sadie's concerned, jumps in himself and fishes the thing out.

Sadie plays with it. It bites her. She's on the deck before she even knows what hit her.

Beau grabs me, screaming at me to suck out the venom. I refuse. He calls me a cold, heartless bitch, and in the chaos, shoves me overboard into shark-infested water.

I die out there. Nothing left of me.

They use my phone to fake a suicide note. Depression, they say. Jumped on her own. Then they take my company, my assets, everything.

They post online hinting I tried to push Sadie in and slipped.

My parents, worn down by the online harassment and the grief of losing me, both die of heart attacks.

Then I open my eyes. And I'm back. The morning of the trip.
His Perfect Wife Strikes Back

His Perfect Wife Strikes Back

13.8k Views · Ongoing · FancyZ
What happens to a perfect housewife?
After seven years of marriage, I am known as the perfect wife. I love my husband Ron, and I've always thought our marriage was perfect except for the lack of an heir. However, on our seventh anniversary, my husband told me that my little sister, Gina, was pregnant with his child. At this moment, I feel my world collapse! I frantically went to Gina's apartment to ask her why she was trying to break up my marriage, only to see her clutching her stomach as she lay on the floor in pain, and I was arrested as a murderer. “Let me out! I want to see my husband!” In prison, I found out that I was pregnant. I was anxious to tell my husband the news, but Gina's dagger came instead. At the moment of death, I shouted from the bottom of my heart: I am willing to pay any price to revenge. When I opened my eyes again, Ron was urging me to go to the funeral. What's going on? I'm back in my house? I grabbed my phone and looked at the date. It was seven days before our 7th anniversary. Yes, I was reborn, and this time I won't let it happen again. All those who betray me must be punished. But why is there a dangerous man following me?
Get Back The Abandoned Luna

Get Back The Abandoned Luna

33.7k Views · Ongoing · PENRELIEVER
I caught his scent before I saw them, my husband's scent, saturating another woman's skin.
Three years. I gave Alexander three years, my father's territory, my people's loyalty, and a slow poison quietly destroying my body from the inside.
I made him — pulled a fallen, abandoned Alpha from the dirt, merged our packs, convinced every dissenting elder, and stepped aside so he could wear the crown I built.
I called it love. He called it convenient.
The night I walked into that ballroom uninvited, his mistress was already on his arm.
By the end of the night, she was on her knees — telling the entire pack she was carrying his heir.
That was the moment I understood: I was never his wife. I was his ladder.
I walked out without trembling. And I started planning.
There was only one move left — to go to the man I had once rejected.
The most powerful Alpha in the word.
The one who never forgot.
The Abandoned Daughter Strikes Back

The Abandoned Daughter Strikes Back

1.3k Views · Ongoing · Anna Shannel Lin
Allison was framed, and they said she tried to kill her half-sister, so they sent her to an asylum. For three years, she suffered all kinds of torture, and no one even bothered to check on her. Her own family called her mentally ill, but the truth was her mother betrayed her just to push her illegitimate daughter into the Rogers family and steal Allison’s identity.

She had nothing left except an injured body. But a sudden encounter with the notorious mad dog of the Lopez family became her one advantage. She saved the crippled Jareth Taylor during an underground fight.

Allison slowly walked toward the confused Jareth, who was sitting on the couch with his cane in his right hand. “Elite society calls you a mad dog, but Master Jareth is far more than that. You’re the craziest dog I’ve ever met. Still, I’m willing to become your bait in exchange for power.”

Jareth chuckled, and a mocking smile appeared at the corner of his lips. “I take both body and soul as collateral. Would you be willing to crawl into my bed and warm my lonely nights?”
Please, take It back wife

Please, take It back wife

84 Views · Ongoing · Lola Oliveira
Because he is forced to marry a woman of his grandfather's choice, he makes his wife's life a living hell. After the death of the family patriarch, he has the chance to be with the woman he loves. However, in his path is the wife he despises so much. He ends up killing her to be with his mistress, and is betrayed by her, who only wants the empire left by his family. Waking up in a second life on his wedding day, after all the evil he has done in the past, will he be able to obtain forgiveness from his wife? Warning: Contains sensitive content.
Chasing His Silent Luna Back

Chasing His Silent Luna Back

839 Views · Ongoing · Caroline Above Story
Tessa was the fallen Alpha heiress, deaf but still bound to protect her late father’s legacy. Evander was the rising young Alpha, the perfect presidential candidate.
A marriage contract tied them together, but with one condition: once Evander found his true fated mate, their contracted marriage would be over.
Five years later, when Evander finally promised that he would attend the last mating ceremony and give up finding his fated mate, Tessa got pregnant. Tessa believed it’s all meant to be, but Evander returned with another woman, claiming that she was his fated mate...
Now Tessa must decide: reveal her pregnancy and risk losing everything, or walk away to protect the future growing inside her.
Betrayed Agent: Back for Blood

Betrayed Agent: Back for Blood

1.1k Views · Ongoing · Cole
I used to be the Federation's top agent, codename Frostblade. Until my fiancée and my partner stabbed me in the back and threw me into Blackrock Fortress—a black site hellhole that doesn't exist on any map. Against all odds, I broke out and made it back home, only to find my family's graves dug up, my mother murdered in the bathtub, and a shell casing stamped with a cartel insignia. My sister is missing, my father has been framed, and six of my informants were butchered—all signs point to the exact same name. Nobody believes a man who was supposed to rot in a cell can flip the board, but I'm back.
Cause to Fear (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 4)

Cause to Fear (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 4)

181 Views · Ongoing · Blake Pierce
“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.” --Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone) From #1 bestselling author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense: CAUSE TO FEAR (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 4).When a body turns up floating beneath the frozen Charles River, the Boston Police summons its most brilliant and controversial homicide detective—Avery Black—to close the case. It doesn’t take Avery long, however, to realize that this is no isolated murder: it is the work of a serial killer.Other bodies begin to turn up, all of them sharing one thing in common: all are trapped in ice. Is it all a coincidence—or the signature of a particularly deranged killer?As the media converges and Avery suffers pressure from her bosses, she struggles to crack the inexplicable case, too bizarre even for her brilliant mind. At the same time she tries to keep her own depression at bay, as her personal life spirals to a new low. And she does it all while trying to enter the mind of a psychotic and elusive killer.What she will find will shock even her, and make her realizes that nothing is what it seems—and that the worst darkness may sometimes be closest to us.A psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, CAUSE TO FEAR is book #4 in a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #5 in the Avery Black series will be available soon. “A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side, so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)
Cause to Kill (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 1)

Cause to Kill (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 1)

1.3k Views · Ongoing · Blake Pierce
“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.” --Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone) From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense.Homicide Detective Avery Black has been through hell. Once a top criminal defense attorney, she fell from grace when she managed to get a brilliant Harvard professor off—only to watch him kill again. She lost her husband and her daughter, and her life fell apart around her.Trying to redeem herself, Avery has turned to the other side of the law. Working her way up the ranks, she has reached Homicide Detective, to the scorn of her fellow officers, who still remember what she did, and who will always hate her.Yet even they cannot deny Avery’s brilliant mind, and when a disturbing serial killer strikes fear into the heart of Boston, killing girls from elite colleges, it is Avery that they turn to. It is Avery’s chance to prove herself, to finally find the redemption she craves. And yet, as she is soon to find out, Avery has come up against a killer as brilliant and daring as she.In this game of psychological cat and mouse, women are dying with mysterious clues, and the stakes could not be higher. A frantic race against time leads Avery through a series of shocking and unexpected twists—culminating in climax that even Avery could not imagine. A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, CAUSE TO KILL marks the debut of a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #2 in the Avery Black series will be available soon.“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side, so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)
Cause to Dread (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 6)

Cause to Dread (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 6)

61 Views · Ongoing · Blake Pierce
“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.” --Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone) From #1 bestselling author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense—the AVERY BLACK SERIES—which continues here with CAUSE TO DREAD (Book #6), also a standalone novel. The series begins with CAUSE TO KILL (Book #1)—a free download with over 200 five star reviews!A woman turns up dead in her own apartment, locked in her closet, her body crawling with poisonous spiders, and the Boston police are stumped. As all of their leads collapse, they are dreading the killer will strike again. Desperate, the police have no choice but to turn to Boston’s most brilliant and controversial homicide detective—Avery Black. Now retired, Avery, in a low point in her own life, reluctantly agrees to help with the case. But when other bodies start turning up, murdered in grotesque and unusual ways, Avery can’t help but wonder: is there a serial killer on the loose?With the intense media pressure and the stress of having a new, inexperienced partner, Avery is pushed to her limit as she struggles to crack the bizarre cases—and to keep herself from falling into the abyss. Avery finds herself falling deeper and deeper into the twisted mind of the killer, who holds more secrets than Avery could imagine.The most riveting and shocking book of the series, a psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, CAUSE TO DREAD will leave you turning pages late into the night. “A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side, so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)