1596 Book(s) Related to Closer to Living

Chosen by the Commander

Chosen by the Commander

25.9k Views · Ongoing · Amy T
All I wanted was a quiet life on a farm far away from Earth, where I would work on my project. That dream vanishes the moment I am caught stealing a carburetor and taken to prison. After spending a long time there, I join the Intergalactic Bride Program.
You better believe your ass I take the first chance to gain back my freedom, even if I have to warm some alien balls in the process. It’s all about perspective.
A few months later, I am matched with my dream alien. Or so the program says.
Despite not trusting men because of my ex, it doesn’t take long for me to get close to Yaell. He seems to be everything I’ve ever wanted.
The day we are supposed to be bound forever, Yaell never appears before the Everlasting Tree.
Whatever.
See if I care, looser.
I’m going to show him what he lost by getting into the first alien bed I stumble upon.
I am toxic and petty as fuck.
Welcome to my shit show!
The Don's Chosen Wife

The Don's Chosen Wife

1.2k Views · Ongoing · lalalandecember
"She's not the bride. She's my chosen wife."

Zeno Alaister Leander Valentini

Lyla was only his substitute bride until she took his time, attention, and life.
Once Lost, Now Chosen

Once Lost, Now Chosen

835 Views · Ongoing · Mia Art
I’m running. Not just from the past, but from the man who made it a living hell. My father—human, cruel, a monster in his own right. He hated what I was, what my mother was, and he made me pay for it every day. Silver chains. Bruises. Screams. But I’m done being his punching bag.

But then the wolves find me and my little brother.

Their Alpha, Lucian, is cold and ruthless—and my mate. He rejects me without hesitation. Weak. Broken. Not fit to stand by his side.

Fine. Let him underestimate me. I’ll survive, for Henry and for myself.

Years later, I return, no longer the girl he cast aside. There’s a new threat, one that could destroy his pack—and I’m the only one who can stop it.

Lucian looks at me differently now—like he sees what he lost. The mate he pushed away. And there are times I can't resist...
Alpha Logan's Chosen Luna

Alpha Logan's Chosen Luna

1.3k Views · Ongoing · Cassandra Dawn
My birth brought death to my mother, and my father grew to hate me for it, leaving me vulnerable to the abuse of my stepmother and stepsister.

My mere appearance served as a constant reminder to my stepmother of the woman my father once loved the most - my mother. Consumed by jealousy, she relentlessly sought to destroy my life, but will she succeed?

"Sign this contract, become my Luna, and after the contract term ends, you will receive generous rewards and freedom."

"What do I need to do during the contract? Sleep with you?"

"You just need to play the role of my Luna. We will only pretend to be a couple in public, and there's no need for marking each other,"

"It seems arrogance is indeed a common trait among every Alpha,"

"What?"

"Alpha Logan, what makes you think I would readily accept your proposal?" I continued, my voice now laced with a mix of anger and defiance. "Just because I'm a wolf-less unwanted daughter? Or do you think you're so noble and handsome that I should be grateful and accept your offer for a large sum of money?"

"I didn't mean it like that," he stumbled.

I once thought the man who saved me was just an insignificant nobody, but little did I know he was the most ruthless Alpha on the entire continent, responsible for killing his own Mate.

What stunned me was that he wanted me to become his Luna?!
My Bodyguard Vow: Loving My Enemy’s Daughter

My Bodyguard Vow: Loving My Enemy’s Daughter

1.2k Views · Ongoing · Fatimatu Yussif Ahmed Ibrahim
Damian Cole lives in the shadows... a phantom, a name whispered in boardrooms and corners of the country as the Ghost CEO. No one knows his face, but every empire fears his name.

And there is one man he wants to destroy more than anyone else: Victor Lancaster, the ruthless tycoon responsible for shattering his family... Raped his sister, leading to her death, and killed his father in front of his eyes.

At the age of sixteen, the horrible event that day will forever haunt Damian. Thus... he made a vow. A vow to destroy Victor Lancaster and everything he cherishes.

To execute his plan, Damian must infiltrate Victor’s world more closely than ever before... by becoming the bodyguard of the one person Victor cherishes most: his daughter, Elena Lancaster.

Elena sees only a stoic bodyguard, a man who keeps his distance while saving her life. What she doesn’t know is that every step he takes, every breath he takes in, is part of a cold, merciless plan to bring her father to his knees.

But the closer Damian gets, the more dangerous the game becomes. Elena is smart, suspicious, and far more fragile than she pretends. And though Damian’s heart is hardened by hatred, there are cracks in his armor he never planned for.

In a world of betrayal, power, and secrets, one truth is certain:
Vengeance has a price. And Damian Cole is willing to pay it in blood.

When hatred guards his heart, will she be able to slip in?
They Started Loving Me After I Died

They Started Loving Me After I Died

3.9k Views · Ongoing · Fuzzy Melissa
Three torturous years hauling bodies on the mortuary night shift, and I'd finally scraped together the cash for my brother Charles's heart transplant.
He just waved it off.
"My heart is fine. Mom and Dad didn't die in that gang war, either. I orchestrated the hit. You were the only casualty."
Nearby, my husband, Gerald, casually lit a cigar to deliver his own confession. "I never went bankrupt. 'Laying low' was just my excuse to avoid squeezing into that dingy funeral home dorm with you. I've been at the Long Island estate."
"I was going to punish you for another three years," Charles added, "but the stench of formaldehyde on you is nauseating. We couldn't take it anymore."
I froze, still clutching the credit card. Charles plucked the plastic from my numb fingers and shoved his phone screen in my face. A banking app stared back at me.
Balance: exactly zero.
"My name is still on the joint account," he sneered, tossing the card into the trash. "I drained it this morning. That blood money you made bagging stiffs is being handed out to street junkies as we speak. We'd never touch that filth."
Before the sheer absurdity of it could suffocate me, my parents walked in. Flanked by bodyguards, they kept their distance, eyeing me like a plague rat.
"You thought being the biological daughter gave you the right to ruthlessly bully Violet. We simply wanted to put you in your place."
"Swear you'll never cross Violet again, and you can remain a Falcone," my mother added coolly. "Otherwise, you're dead to us."
In the stifling silence that followed, my phone buzzed. A text from my oncologist.
[Mrs. Castello, the results are back. It's terminal. Do you consent to initiating the hospice and DNR protocols we discussed?]
Behind Closed Doors,The Betrayed Wife's Revenge

Behind Closed Doors,The Betrayed Wife's Revenge

563 Views · Ongoing · Ladys
Here is the translation, adapted into the explosive, high-stakes style of a bestselling American domestic thriller. The pacing is sharp, and the emotional transition from shock to cold vengeance is deeply amplified:

For five years, I honestly believed I was the happiest woman alive.

Until today. The day I came home early and stood frozen just outside the balcony, listening to his phone call.

"What? Shuying, you're pregnant?" Tingshen's voice was laced with a raw, unbridled euphoria I had never once heard before. "I knew getting rid of Jiang Wan's baby back then was the right move."

My knuckles turned stark white as I death-gripped the ultrasound report in my hand.

Qin Shuying. My absolute worst rival. They had been sleeping together.

"Tingshen, are you sure she won't find out?" Shuying's sickeningly sweet voice drifted through the phone's speaker, piercing my eardrums. "If Jiang Wan ever realizes you were the one who killed her baby, she's going to raise hell."

"Relax." Tingshen laughed, his tone dripping with the kind of casual contempt reserved for swatting a fly. "She's so clueless. She honestly believes it was her own failing body. The stupid bitch even cried and apologized to me. She'd never in a million years suspect I drugged her."

My nails drove so brutally into my palms that they broke the skin.

"Besides, I finally got my hands on her core design drafts. Consider them a welcome gift for our baby. As for her shares in the company..." He paused, savoring his own smugness. "She's about to sign them all over to me anyway. So what if her old man built an empire? It's all dropping right into my lap."

The world tilted violently on its axis.

I was carrying his child again.

Just five minutes ago, before I overheard this monstrous phone call, I had been acting like a giddy fool, planning the perfect way to surprise him with the news.

My trembling hand drifted down to my lower stomach. My chest cracked open, a visceral, violent tearing of my own heart. The baby I had desperately longed for and mourned... chemically aborted by their own father, all to keep his mistress happy.

My sweet babies, I thought, the devastating sorrow rapidly freezing into sheer, icy rage. Mommy is going to make them pay for every drop of blood.
I Just Stopped Loving You,Why the Tears?

I Just Stopped Loving You,Why the Tears?

941 Views · Ongoing · Monica
Elroy has severe OCD. In the ten years we've been together, he's never allowed me to eat in his car.
On our tenth anniversary, we made plans to watch the stars together.
But just as I reached the mountaintop, my phone rang—it was him.
"Something came up at work. I can't make it tonight. You go ahead and enjoy the view."
The moment he hung up, I saw his female classmate's post about returning to the country.
Catalina was sitting in his passenger seat, holding a half-eaten piece of cake in her hands.
【Someone was afraid I'd get hungry coming back so late, so he specially brought me this little cake~】
Another picture showed Catalina's shoes—still on—planted firmly on the passenger seat.
【He says I'm the only exception to his OCD~ I can do whatever I want in his car, hehe.】
I looked up at the twinkling stars above me, a bitter smile tugging at my lips.
This was the tenth time he'd abandoned me.
Every single anniversary without fail, this "female classmate" of his would show up.
I once tried to gently tell him: "I don't want to be interrupted like this every time."
Elroy looked at me with displeasure. "Interrupted? Catalina is my friend. Can you not be so petty?"
The cold wind howled across the mountaintop. Catalina's words stuck in my heart like a thorn, stinging until my eyes grew wet.
After ten years, I'm done with this relationship.
To Live Is To Fight

To Live Is To Fight

184 Views · Ongoing · Michelle Julianto
Second book of 'The Nerd Can Fight' Series

You'll need to read the first book to understand this one

After Adam's memory loss, Cassandra struggled to keep her distance in an attempt to protect the person she loves.

This time, she doesn't have a choice in fighting the dangerous battle anymore. For the sake of the people she loves, she's forced to endanger her own life, fighting her way to the top.

Cassandra survived high school but who was to say that her story ends there. Trouble was piling up and she's determined to start sweeping.

This is the story of a girl who was fighting through life with everything she's got when everyone else tried to hold her down.

Warning: Heavy flow of profanities ahead. Read at your own risk
To Have and To Kill

To Have and To Kill

438 Views · Ongoing · Lily
On our wedding night, my husband proposed a game.
Absolute honesty. Trading secrets lethal enough to destroy us both.
He went first.
"I fucked Chloe today," he stated, tossing out his hours-old infidelity like it was nothing.
My turn.
"I killed a man." I swirled the dark red wine in my glass, keeping my voice dead flat. "I butchered my own father."
He threw his head back and laughed out loud. He was so sure it was a pathetic joke. So sure I was still his perfect, helpless prey.
He laughed too soon.
And he definitely shouldn't have swallowed the wine I just poured him.
Blood Moon's Chosen: Believed Dead, the Alpha King Awakens Only to Her Touch

Blood Moon's Chosen: Believed Dead, the Alpha King Awakens Only to Her Touch

319 Views · Ongoing · elenadeon1978
BLURB
"You're the only one who can wake me. Now you'll carry my curse, and my crown."
When Aria Silverthorn's fiancé and stepsister publicly accused her of being Omega-born fraud, stripping her rank and dignity, she lost everything. Cast into the Forsaken Lands to die, she survived three months of hell—and desperation drove her to the forbidden Moonfall Crypt, where Alpha King Kael Nightfang has been entombed for five years.
The Council claims he died heroically. The truth? They poisoned him with wolfsbane silver, trapping him in death-sleep when he discovered their corruption.
When Aria touches his tomb seeking shelter, the impossible happens. He wakes—but only she can anchor him to life. Only her touch keeps him from slipping back into the void. Their bond is immediate, undeniable, and dangerous.
Kael should be dead. The Council made sure of it. For five years, his consciousness has been trapped between life and death, aware of every agonizing moment.
Until Aria.
She's his anchor. His prison. His salvation. And he's not letting her go, not when she's the key to his revenge and reclaiming his throne.
But their bond goes deeper than magic. They're true mates,a connection so rare it hasn't occurred in centuries. A bond the Council will kill to prevent, because true mates can challenge their entire corrupt system.
To Guard and To Love

To Guard and To Love

894 Views · Ongoing · Nicole Williams
L“Secure me. Protect me. Save my life.”
That was all Sophie Langford asked for but fate twisted her plea into something far more dangerous. “Take my heart, save it and let it be yours .”

Sophie Langford has always lived behind walls of privilege, the only daughter and heiress of a billion-dollar fashion empire. But privilege breeds enemies. When an attempt on her life leaves her broken and bleeding at the edge of a cliff, she is saved by an unlikely hero Talia Cross, a disciplined boxer with a haunted past who steps in when no one else dares.

Bound by necessity, Sophie and Talia sign an agreement as bodyguard and client. But fate has other plans.....

What begins as a rescue soon spirals into something darker. As Sophie recovers, betrayal festers in her family’s boardroom uncles scheming for her inheritance, allies turning into foes, and assassins sent to finish the job.

The deeper the danger, the closer Sophie and Talia become. For Sophie, it’s the first time she feels truly safe and seen. For Talia, protecting Sophie means risking more than her life…
If protecting Sophie will cost her her life she is ready to lay it down she doesn’t just guard Sophie’s body she begins to guard her heart too .

But every kiss they steal is shadowed by the knowledge that one wrong move could destroy them both. In a world where power is a weapon and love between them is forbidden, can they survive the game of betrayal or will their love itself become the trap to bring Sophie down ?
My Loving Husband, Don’t Let Me Love Alone

My Loving Husband, Don’t Let Me Love Alone

666 Views · Ongoing ·
"I want a child, not the child's mother."
These chilling words come from Toop Pasutha, the renowned actor who reluctantly married Anshan Akirah solely to meet his family’s demands rather than out of love.

Anshan does his utmost to fulfill his role as a wife, yet their physical intimacy is confined strictly to the pursuit of an heir.

The hope of earning any affection from Toop slowly fades as his actions reinforce that Anshan is nothing more than a stranger to Toop

Amid this fragile and painful union, can true love ever truly blossom?
He Chose First Love, I Chose the Alpha King

He Chose First Love, I Chose the Alpha King

57.6k Views · Ongoing · Aurora
I gave him three years of silent devotion behind a mask I never wanted to wear. I made a wager for our bond—he paid me off like a mistress.
"Chloe's back," Zane said coldly. "It's over."
I laughed, poured wine on his face, and walked away from the only love I'd ever known.
"What now?" my best friend asked.
I smiled. "The real me returns."
But fate wasn't finished yet.
That same night, Caesar Conrad—the Alpha every wolf feared—opened his car door and whispered, "Get in."
Our gazes collided. The bond awakened. No games. No pretending. Just raw, unstoppable power.
"Don't regret this," he warned, lips brushing mine.
But I didn't.
Because the mate I'd been chasing never saw me.
And the one who did?
He's ready to burn the world for me.
He Chose My Sister, So I Chose His Enemy

He Chose My Sister, So I Chose His Enemy

996 Views · Ongoing · furqan khan
I thought telling Alpha Kane I was pregnant would be the hardest part of my day.

That was before I found my step-sister naked on his mahogany desk.
I remained committed to my role of Luna for three years while I suffered through his distant behavior because I viewed our mate bond as a holy connection. The moment he wiped her lipstick from his mouth, the bond that connected us to each other shattered in my heart because he had treated me as someone who lacked excitement.

He wanted me to weep while I accepted my lower-status position. I used my mother’s billion-dollar tech patents to lock him out, then I denied him on the pack intercom, before I entered the advanced security facilities of his most dangerous competitor.

Alpha Kaelen, the Lycan King, doesn't function as an uncontrollable animal. He possesses dangerous charisma which combines with his exceptional intelligence. I didn't request his protection; I established the terms for it. I presented him with the blueprints which would lead to our shared enemy's financial ruin. We are currently dismantling Kane's business empire together. Our formal agreement starts to dissolve into an irresistible attraction which develops during our nighttime strategy meetings and our executive boardroom business takeovers.

Kaelen discovers my hidden pregnancy secret, but he does not exile me from his presence. He displays a wicked grin while making his intention to take ownership of his opponent's offspring permanent. Kane will initiate a violent conflict to reclaim me as his possessions disappear and his remorse transforms into a primal fixation.

Will my charming, deadly protector permit me to handle my own conflicts or will we destroy everything my ex left behind?
He Chose Her Bed, I Chose Their Ruin

He Chose Her Bed, I Chose Their Ruin

1.7k Views · Ongoing · Ladys
For three years, I genuinely believed I was the luckiest woman in the world.

Until I hit play on that video.

The moment the screen lit up, my perfect reality shattered into a million jagged pieces.

The woman writhing on the bed was Amanda—the sweet, innocent girl we had both grown up with.

And the hand tracing the curve of her bare skin? It wore the platinum wedding band I had personally slipped onto Louis’s finger.

"I missed you so much..."

"You drive me fucking crazy, baby..."

Hearing my own husband's signature sweet nothings whispered to my childhood best friend gutted me completely.

Our entire social circle constantly praised us as the golden couple. But beneath the glossy surface, who could have guessed this flawless marriage was built on a mountain of sick lies?

Well, if Louis was such a brilliant actor, I figured it was time to give him a show of my own.

I was going to rip off his mask and show the entire world exactly what kind of monster my "perfect husband" truly was.
She Shines After Leaving Him

She Shines After Leaving Him

252 Views · Ongoing · Chloe
For five years, I was his stand-in bride—a wife who looked like the one he truly wanted. I held his hand through blindness. Rebuilt his world. Buried my dreams to be what he needed.

The day his real love came back? He slid a check across the table. "We're done."

I walked out with a shattered heart. Five years by his side, and it meant nothing the moment she showed up.

But when you hit rock bottom, there's only one way to go.

I'm done being anyone's shadow. I'm taking back my life. My light.

And when he comes crawling back, begging for another chance?

Too late.
Chosen By The  Lycan Prince

Chosen By The Lycan Prince

24.3k Views · Ongoing · Cassandra K
A lycan prince in search of his mate. An abused omega desperate to escape her past demons. A prince who does not know how to love. An omega whose only hope at redemption is finding true love.
Prince Draven, first out of the three lycan princes and next in line to the throne, is a ruthless, blood-thirsty, and arrogant man. He was exposed to the brutality of the world at a tender age. To claim his inheritance and become king, he must find his mate, a mission that appears almost impossible.
When he captures an omega girl who tries to take his life, he must punish her for attempted murder, and maybe use her to get what he wants.
In an attempt to escape an abusive mate and pack, Esmeray finds herself in bigger trouble! She had tried to kill a man in her desperation. When she finds out he's the almighty Lycan Prince, the same man she had heard stories of his ruthlessness as a child, she is sure she will be put to death. But why is the fearless Prince asking her to pretend to be his mate?
When the truth finally unfolds and the prince discovers Esme's deception and background, will he send her back to a life of misery? Or will he find his mate in the last place he was looking?
Chosen By The Moon Goddess

Chosen By The Moon Goddess

108.8k Views · Ongoing · Michele Dixon
Book 1 - The Rise of Alpha Ryder
Alpha Ryder is not your typical alpha. He was adopted into the Dark Moon Guardians Pack by the former alpha and luna who were unable to have children. Most pack members resisted him becoming alpha because he had no blood ties to the pack. Ryder was tramatized as a pup by his birth parents. Due to his past he's shy and uncomfortable around new people, especially women.
When he meets his mate Zoe he finds a strength he never thought he had. His pack troubles are only the beginning. When his past threatens to ruin him and his mate he becomes ruthless in a way he never thought possible.

Book 2 - Jessi: The First Female Warrior
Jessi has lived her entire life wanting to be a royal warrior. When she finally makes her dream come true, she meets her mate. Together they make an mighty team that no one wants to go up against.
When something happens to her mate, and he can no longer lead the warriors in the impending battle, everyone looks to Jessi to take over.
Will Jessi be victorious against the attack on the palace, or will she fail like many are hoping for?
A female among men.
A wolf among lycans.
A woman not to be messed with when it comes to keeping her word to those she loves.
The Cursed Alpha’s Chosen Mate

The Cursed Alpha’s Chosen Mate

17k Views · Ongoing · Lori D Lee
“She is my Luna. My only. Touch her, and you answer to me.”


Derek Livingston was the Nightfang Pack’s golden boy—until betrayal in a sacred hunt shattered everything. His wolf bound, his power stolen, he went from revered heir to the pack’s biggest joke. A broken Alpha, with nothing left but anger and disdain.

“Leftovers? That’s what they gave me for a mate?” Derek scoffed, staring at the quiet girl sent to him in a political trade. Amanda Kingswell, the Emberfang Pack’s most invisible daughter—overlooked, unassuming, and completely beneath him. Or so he thought.

Amanda had spent her life hiding in her “perfect” sister’s shadow—quiet, sharp, and desperate to break free. She thought her fate was to be a pawn in a loveless marriage… until she discovered her secret: she’s the only one who can shatter Derek’s curse.

First meeting? Pure hostility. He mocked her weakness, she hated his cruelty—neither wanted anything to do with the other. But when Amanda’s untamed blood gift awakens, and Derek’s bound wolf stirs, they’re forced together. And soon, they realize: this “absurd” marriage was never an accident—it was fate.

Family secrets unravel, and the betrayal that destroyed Derek is darker than either could have imagined. But with Amanda’s power, the broken Alpha rises—stronger, deadlier, and ready to claim his throne. And when he roars to the pack, his voice shakes the ground: “She is my Luna, my only Luna!”
Close-Combat King Returns: Blood for Blood

Close-Combat King Returns: Blood for Blood

742 Views · Ongoing · Cole
Introduction: I spent 20 years cultivating alone in the forest. Returning home, I discovered my brother, who had cared for me since childhood, was missing. They said he died under the terms of the contract, an "accident." The Magic Guild made me wait in line for two months. I waited three days, only to be greeted by a wagon delivering potion ingredients to a murderer. Since your laws don't protect me—then I will be my own law. I will show you with my fists what a melee mage truly is.
The Alpha Chose Me

The Alpha Chose Me

122.3k Views · Ongoing · Julian Wilson
"I'm not one of your political assets to be managed."

"I never thought you were. But you've already decided I'm the villain, haven't you?"

Burned by a boyfriend who made her a bet and a system that crushes the vulnerable, social worker Nora Hayes has learned her lesson: trust no one, especially not powerful wolves. Then Julian Sterling—decorated war hero, federal inspector, and pure-blooded Alpha—keeps appearing exactly when she needs saving. His protection feels too good to be true. His attention, too focused to be innocent.

Julian knows Nora is his fated mate the moment her scent hits him. But she only sees another manipulator in expensive suits. When her ex's family weaponizes hidden debts and threatens her loved ones, Nora faces an impossible choice: become her ex's mistress, or accept help from another dangerous Alpha—the only one who's ever fought for her without asking for anything in return?
One to love one to abuse

One to love one to abuse

238.5k Views · Ongoing · Claira rose 🥀
RATED 18+ * trigger warning*BDSM

That's when I see it. A huge solid black wolf, standing over top of me with his face inch's from mine, I feel his hot breath on me with his teeth barren as I struggle to breath. His hot tongue licks up the side of my neck making my body shiver and fear wash’s over me and my heart pounds in my chest. I flinch making him growl loudly slamming my body down with his big paws, he dives down to my vagina, his hot flat tongue flicks across my warmth making me squirm.

The more I move the harder he holds me digging his claws in to my stomach. I moan and arch my back as I feel his tongue once again swoop inside of me. I hear Emily scream again, catching me off guard but I can’t be broken from my trance as the beautiful wolf continues his dance. I squirm against him and he licks and nips at my swollen bud, I open my eyes to see a gorgeous man with dark grey hair standing above me looking at me with a devilish smile. The legends were right, I think to myself feeling nothing but bliss. This is exactly the release I needed.

Two young ladies decide one night to offer themselves up to the wolves.
They both wake up in two different packs.
Alison gets a good alpha who makes her his mate, and Emily gets a bad alpha who abuses her, allowing his pack to abuse her.
Alison looks for Emily with no idea as to if she is alive or not, while Emily is held captive, planing her escape.
Does Emily escape? Or does she end up dead? Are the girls ever reunited?
He Chose My Sister, I Chose His Billionaire Uncle

He Chose My Sister, I Chose His Billionaire Uncle

2k Views · Ongoing · Lumi Lite
"And now, he's certain your life is over because he kicked you out. They're probably already placing bets on how long it will take for you to bow and beg at their feet to take you back. But..." He said coldly.

"But..." I breathed.

"Imagine suddenly returning with a husband so wealthy he makes them look like paupers. Not only is he filthy rich, but he's hopelessly in love with you, spoiling you rotten. Imagine their shock, their anger, and your satisfaction that you have exceeded their expectations. Won't that be fulfilling?"

"And... who would that husband be?" I whispered.

"Me." He grinned as he caressed my cheek. "Let's get married, my dear Iris."

••~•

After being humiliated and disowned on her wedding day, Iris is suddenly approached by Gordon Graff, the enigmatic and highly controversial billionaire and also her ex's uncle, who asks for her hand in marriage.

His goal: make her family and ex pay for everything they've done to her.

But what happens when the line between pretence and true love begins to blur, and dangerous secrets begin to unfold?

Will the man who has promised to protect her be her doom? And will she be a casualty in his dangerous game of revenge?
Hired to Kill, Forced to love

Hired to Kill, Forced to love

1.3k Views · Ongoing · Ghost Ryder
I never knew my parents. Never knew what it means to be loved. All I have ever known was pain, and death. The death of every man I was trained to put in the ground.

I was an orphan nobody came back for. And that made me easy to mold into an assassin that hunts and kill criminals.

My agency buried me inside a life that wasn't mine — a foster family who never knew what was living under their roof.

I cooked during the day, moved around like a servant, and at night, I killed. Everything was smooth, until my foster family's greed pulled them into business with the most dangerous criminal organization on earth, and they took me with them.

There was no walking away from that world. And there was no hiding in it either.

My path collided with one of the most feared Don alive — Xavier Carlos— a man who has never lost anything he decided to keep. And the moment he saw me, he decided to keep me.

He had no idea I was sent to destroy criminals like him. But I had a problem, he wasn't like the other criminals I had killed. He was a criminal with a heart only I could see, and the more I spent time with him, the more I wanted him alive.

But that is not even my biggest problem anymore. His stepbrother, who was also his second in command became obsessed with me in a way that scares me more than Xavier ever could.

Xavier wanted everything, Lucas wanted me. And he will burn everything down, including Xavier, to have me.

So that leave the biggest question, will I kill Xavier? or would the two brothers end up destroying themselves over me.
Too Late for Regret Once I Stopped Loving

Too Late for Regret Once I Stopped Loving

1.5k Views · Ongoing · Ladys
On my daughter’s 100-day celebration, I found explicit messages between my husband and his secretary.
During our fight, he “accidentally” pushed me off the second floor, trapping me in a wheelchair forever.
He fired the secretary and cared for me personally, winning everyone’s praise and pity.
Only I knew he took secret late-night calls, his eyes full of disgust when he looked at me.
Until his mistress moved in, and my daughter screamed at me: “Just die.”
I smiled and pulled out a hidden voice recorder from my wheelchair.
Three years of silence, all for this moment.
James, your karma has come.
Husband betrayed me with my best friend — I chose to leave at once.

Husband betrayed me with my best friend — I chose to leave at once.

1k Views · Ongoing ·
"Evelyn Drake, are you truly set on joining the FBI as an undercover agent?"
The senior officer Garrett stared intently at the elegantly dressed woman before him, his gaze laced with inquiry and faint doubt.
It was his occupational habit, even a special knack, to categorize everyone he met into distinct social ranks—and he was exceptionally good at it, never once misjudging anyone.
In his eyes, Evelyn Drake, with her flawless makeup and platinum-blonde hair all the way down to the roots, was far from cut out to be an agent.
He had seen countless such pampered wealthy wives throwing petty tantrums. Most would make a scene at the front desk, only to be coaxed home meekly by their rich husbands soon after.
If such a delicate lady were admitted into the FBI, he suspected even the Kevlar bulletproof vest alone would chafe her soft skin raw.
Lost in these thoughts, Garrett let out a disdainful chuckle, his tone brimming with scorn. "Are you really sure? You'd give up your lavish lifestyle to become an FBI agent?"
Sensing his contempt, Evelyn took off her expensive wristwatch and slipped it into her handbag, then nodded firmly at him. "I am absolutely certain."
Daddy, Oh No! Mommy's Leaving!

Daddy, Oh No! Mommy's Leaving!

1.3k Views · Ongoing · Eve
After being murdered in an arson attack, I was reborn to the moment right after marrying Charles.
This time, all I want is to fight for my daughter's future and my career.
But just when the divorce papers are ready, the always cold and distant Charles suddenly begs me to stay.
——
I hesitated...
The Dragon King's Chosen Bride

The Dragon King's Chosen Bride

743.6k Views · Ongoing · AT_Imagination
What exactly does it mean to be his bride?


Every year, in each of the seven villages that made up the great Kingdom of Ignas, a Choosing Ritual was conducted. During this Chosing Ritual, one of the ladies in the village would be chosen to be the dreaded Dragon King's Bride.

No one knew exactly why the ritual was being performed every year or what happened to the brides that had been chosen in the past.

Was he turning them into slaves?

Feeding them to his dragon?

Or was he... feeding on them?

That couldn't be ruled out. After all, there were rumours that the king wasn't like them, that he wasn't human.

Yet the question relentlessly troubled the people's heart.

What was he using them for?!

But they dared not question the King, afraid of what fate daring to go against him would be.

Anyways, none of these was Belladonna's business. Although it was her village's turn to produce a bride this year, she was certain she wouldn't get chosen.

Why?

Well, because she had a plan and she was absolutely certain it wouldn't fail her... or would it?
Lucifer's Chosen Bride Is Human

Lucifer's Chosen Bride Is Human

4.4k Views · Ongoing · Oyizamarvellous
When the devil gets attracted to one particular woman he will do anything to make her his, he won't stop until he's claimed her. The devil always gets what he wants even if it means killing everyone on his path.
What happens when Lucifer leaves his throne to earth just for a particular woman named Skylar Green?
What will happen when Skyler meets Lucas thinking he's human?
What will happen when she finds out that Lucas is actually the real Lucifer from hell in disguise? Will she accept him or be scared of him?
How would Lucifer make her fall for him, and convince her to go with him?
Chosen By The Dragon Kings

Chosen By The Dragon Kings

192.9k Views · Ongoing · Jessica Hall
When I was a child, my grandma used to tell me stories. At the time, I never gave them much thought. Thinking they were just that. Growing up I soon realized that they weren’t lofty fantasies and fairy tales, but memories of her past. Memories of our ancestors before our world turned to shit. You see, what comes from legend, no matter how exaggerated the story becomes, there is always a sliver of truth. You just need to weed out the fiction from fact.
She would tell me stories of the Chosen One—the one who would save us all. I used to believe that what she said was true. That eventually, someone would be born, just as the Oracle predicted. Someone who'd save our souls and bind us back to our magic. Once I grew up and saw the world, I no longer believed in salvation. The chosen one seemed to be more of a prayer than reality. Some dream we wanted desperately to come true. Something for which we all prayed and prayed. Something in which we needed to find hope when there wasn’t any left.
When our ancestors turned their backs on us, how were we expected to believe in this so-called salvation? Especially when all we witnessed was death and carnage ever since the great war. Nothing except pain and poverty. I used to believe the stories, and used to pray for the mysterious chosen one that would rid our world of its evil. Now, I see it for what it really is: just a dream of hope. Some out of reach fairy-tale. A story to create hope. Hope is dangerous; it makes you believe things will get better. I stopped hanging on to hope when I witnessed firsthand that it caused nothing but heartache.
Chosen By The Enemy Alpha

Chosen By The Enemy Alpha

908 Views · Ongoing · Faleti Racheal
Annie always believed that finding her mate would bring her happiness. But fate had other plans. The night she was supposed to be claimed by her destined mate, he rejected her—for her own sister. The betrayal shattered her, leaving her wolf weakened and her spirit broken. With no strength left to fight, Annie was cast aside, forced to leave behind everything she once knew.

Alone and struggling without her wolf, Annie has no choice but to seek help from a neighboring pack—one that has always been at odds with her own. There, she meets Riley, the powerful and enigmatic Alpha, who takes an unexpected interest in her. From the moment he lays eyes on Annie, he feels an undeniable pull toward her, a connection so strong it shakes him to his core.

But Annie has lost all faith in mates and love. Every kind word, every lingering touch, and every stolen glance from Riley makes her heart ache with memories of the past. She refuses to be seen as a tool or a prize ever again.

Riley, however, sees beyond her pain. He doesn’t just want her because of the bond—they haven’t even confirmed it yet. He wants her for who she is, for the fire she tries so hard to hide. He wants to show her that not all mates bring pain, that love doesn’t have to be a weakness.
Chosen for My Alpha's Mate

Chosen for My Alpha's Mate

230 Views · Ongoing · owolabipamilerin17
All her life, Luceila had only known control and hatred. 

As if living under the iron hands of her mother was not enough, she ends up with three stepbrothers who already hated her before they knew her name. So all she does is stay hidden until she's needed.

Not until the boys begin to sense something stronger than hatred. Her scent. It drives mad with lust that each of them wants to claim despite hating her. Now every touch, every heat takes them one step closer to tearing her apart.

And Luceila, she's fighting hard to stay sane while still wanting the very men she shouldn't want, her stepbrothers. So when a curse threatens to destroy Luceila, each man suppresses their need for her own, just to save her life.

Will Luceila be able to fight off her need to let them claim her or will she give in to the thirst that could save her in the end?
The Luna Who Wasn't Chosen

The Luna Who Wasn't Chosen

948 Views · Ongoing · Oladejo Khadijat Oyindamola
They called her unworthy. Unmarked. Ordinary.

In a world where fated mates are bound by blood, status, and prophecy, Thalia Ryker was nothing more than a nameless she-wolf in the shadows of the Moonridge Pack. No title. No lineage. No future. Until the night of the Blood Moon. One accidental mark from the Alpha changed everything—igniting a bond that should have made her Luna.

But instead of love, Thalia was met with betrayal, erased from her pack, framed for treason, and hunted by the very wolves she once called family.

But Thalia isn’t the girl they buried in the woods.She’s the secret daughter of a feared bloodline. The rightful heir to a power older than the packs themselves. And she’s done playing by their rules.

As war brews between the Syndicate and the Council, and a forbidden second bond begins to awaken within her, Thalia must decide: return to the wolf who rejected her... or rise alone and burn the world that tried to break her.

She wasn’t the Luna they chose. But she’s the one fate won’t let them forget.
Chosen by the Vampire Twins

Chosen by the Vampire Twins

48.1k Views · Ongoing · Amarachi Gabriel
“This is so wrong, I shouldn’t be doing this but I can’t resist you, not anymore!” He groaned, pulling me into his arms immediately.

Lucien’s touch was cold, yet I burned hot with desire, wanton and needy.
His lips were so soft and he kissed me with the same need that made my panties drenched.
Suddenly the door opened and his twin walked in, his red eyes taking in the scene as I gasped in shock and pleasure because Lucien plunged his fingers into my wet pussy.


Violet was used to her mate's maltreatment and cheating. Its not like she could go anywhere, he was the Beta and all her escape attempts had been met with violence.
But then he goes overboard by selling her off the infamous Vampire Twins.
Reed and Liam Knight, the immortal, cursed vampire Princes who had sworn to never accept a soulmate, won a gambling game against Violet’s mate and in order to punish him, they demand the one thing a werewolf is supposed to prize above everything else, his mate.
But instead of resisting, he willingly delivers her to them.
When they set her eyes on her, they both fall for her at first sight.
They conclude it must be witchcraft considering there was a mysterious air around her. They even suspect that her mate must have sent her with a mission to destroy them.
So they make her their maid but destiny and fate has a different plan in mind and the Twin Princes will have their will tested deeply.
Read more to find out how this reverse harem story ends.
Chosen By The Lycan King

Chosen By The Lycan King

4.6k Views · Ongoing · IdeaInk Six Cats
“I want you, Tessa,” He whispered against my neck. Subconsciously, I arched my back into him. He groaned, his hands grabbing my ass. “No, scratch that, I need you,” He mumbled. “I’m not sure…” I trailed off. “I’m broken. I'm not the right person for you, Zane,” A soft moan escaped my lips as he bit down on my neck. “I-I’m not the best for you,” I whispered. “I don't care. You are mine,”***Tessa Griffin has always lived her life as the broken Omega. Even her own father hated her and when she realized her mate was the Alpha of her pack, Tessa was devastated because he despised her. When the Dark Lord attacked their pack and Tessa was given as a substitute and sacrifice to him, she never thought her life would take a amazing turn. Zane Pierce was rumoured to be the ruthless and cruel Dark Lord. He was known to use women for his pleasure and he knew nothing than be the cruel person he was until he met her. Darkness looked over Zane but she was his light and now that he found this woman…Zane wasn’t ready to let her go.
Lucifer's Chosen Bride Is Human

Lucifer's Chosen Bride Is Human

146 Views · Ongoing · OyizaMarvellous
This book contains, extreme mature scenes, curse words, gore's, blood, if not comfortable please skip.

When the devil gets attracted to one particular Woman he would do anything to make her his, he won't stop until he's claimed her.

The devil always gets what he wants even if it means killing everyone on his path.

What happens when Lucifer leaves his throne to earth just for a particular Woman named Skylar Green?

What will happen when Skyler meets Lucas thinking he's human?

What will happen when she finds out that Lucas was actually the real Lucifer from hell in disguise ?

Will she accept him or be scared of him ?

How would Lucifer make her fall for him, and convince her to go to hell with him ?

What happens when she becomes pregnant?
The Alien Warrior’s Chosen Bride

The Alien Warrior’s Chosen Bride

8.3k Views · Ongoing · Sylvia Writes
“Please,” I gasp, my voice ragged as he pins me down roughly against the cold stone, his hardness pressing into me, “Please Zerakhis, I'm begging you... I want you to fuck me like an animal...”

He laughs softly, sending a wave of shivers down my spine. “Not yet,” he murmurs, his breath cold against my ear. “Not until you’re begging for me properly.” His hand moves, cruel razor-sharp talons brushing against the aching wetness between my thighs...


In a future ravaged by an alien invasion, 17-year-old Alina is one of the few remaining survivors of humanity. Six years ago, the Nyxarans - a cold, ruthless alien species - descended upon Earth, wiping out over 90% of the population. Now, humanity’s remnants live in small, nomadic groups, constantly on the run from the invaders who view humans as mere pests to be hunted.

When Alina and her companions are captured by the Nyxarans, she is forced to watch in horror as the unnervingly beautiful, towering warriors with their cold, reptilian eyes mercilessly slaughter her friends.

Alina fights for her life, expecting a swift end at the hands of a merciless Nyxaran soldier - but in a shocking twist, he spares her. His icy touch stirs something inside her, a confusing mix of fear and forbidden desire. Forced into a tense alliance as they flee into the wilderness, the line between hatred and attraction blurs.

But with enemies closing in, Alina knows that giving in to these feelings could cost them both their lives. Can they trust each other enough to survive a world that wants them dead - or will their fiery connection be their undoing?
After My Tendon Was Severed, I Stopped Loving Her

After My Tendon Was Severed, I Stopped Loving Her

724 Views · Ongoing · Hades
To fulfill a dying comrade's final request, I spent twelve years living in the shadows to protect his daughter. I took bullets for her, laundered her black-market assets, and eventually handed over my entire stake in the security empire. In her eyes, I am her father’s murderer; in mine, she is a mission—the only flicker of light left in my life. Until that fateful banquet, when she personally shoved me into the sights of mercenaries. Watching my blood bloom across her dress, she hooked her arm around my nemesis and ordered coldly, "Clean it up." In that moment, twelve years of devotion collapsed, and a heart that beat only for her finally learned to freeze. This time, I’ve decided to personally destroy the monster I raised.
Losing Control : His Madness, His Cure

Losing Control : His Madness, His Cure

622.6k Views · Ongoing · Ida
His breath comes out sharp. “You’re so fucking full of yourself it's ridiculous.”
“You haven’t told me to stop,” I murmur.
His fingers twitch like he wants to hit me or grab me, maybe both.
He turns his head away like he’s trying to find oxygen, but I can see it, the flush in his neck, the pulse beating fast under my thumb, the way his body gives him away even while his mouth keeps lying.
I press my body into his, chest to chest, heat to heat.
“You want to hate me. Fine. Hate me all you want. But don’t fucking lie to yourself. Don’t pretend your cock doesn’t get hard every time I say your name.”
He groans, a sound caught between frustration and need.

Xander never meant to get involved. Two years ago he stumbled into an alley and locked eyes with a stranger beating someone bloody.
That stranger was Jax.
Since then, he's found himself thinking of the guy an unhealthy amount. He was a fantasy for two whole years...until he wasn't. Now they circle each other like fire and gasoline...sparking, burning, never quite touching without leaving marks. Xander isn’t used to being overpowered. But Jax dominates like he was born to, and Xander hates how much he craves it.
It’s push and pull. Bite and bleed. Want and denial.....
Jax hides behind silence and shadows. A violent past, darker urges, walls built out of barbed wire. But Xander keeps digging, keeps fucking showing up, and that scares Jax more than anything. Because Xander isn’t just scratching the surface.
He’s reaching in and pulling Jax apart. And the deeper they fall, the more dangerous it gets.
✨He was supposed to be a pastime. Not a craving. But some obsessions don’t burn out. They burn through.✨
Alpha's Regret: Losing His True Mate

Alpha's Regret: Losing His True Mate

25k Views · Ongoing · Only_Shila
For years, I belonged to him. Not his mate. Not his love.
But his bedmate. His Gamma. His shadow in the night.
Alpha Calhoun made sure no man dared touch me, no wolf dared look at me. I was his possession, his secret, his sin wrapped in skin. And I endured it all—his rough hands, his dark devotion, his kisses that tasted like fire and chains because at least, for a while, he was mine.
Until she returned. His destined mate. His so-called true love.
And suddenly, I was nothing. Cast aside, silenced, left to wither in the shadows of a love that had never been mine to claim.
But the thing about being claimed by a man like Calhoun… is that he never truly lets you go.
"Try to leave me, Elodie," his voice had been a snarl against my throat, his grip bruising my waist. "I'll burn down every border, tear apart every wolf that stands in my way, until you crawl back to me. You're mine, even if the Moon Goddess herself wants to rip you away."
He didn’t know then that I already had one foot out the door.
And when I finally left his pack…
I took more than just my broken heart with me.
The Untouchable Heiress He Regrets Losing

The Untouchable Heiress He Regrets Losing

1.3k Views · Ongoing · Penper
He drained my blood to save his mistress; now, I'm back to drain his empire dry.
"How can you do this to me, Zane?!" I ask in a heartbroken and devastated tone as tears roll down my cheeks in torrents.
"I stood by your side when everyone else left you! Hell, I donated my skin to you!" I say in a frantic tone as I try desperately to understand the reasons behind his actions.
"Stop being pathetic, Zara. You have lost the one thing that made you useful: your beauty, and in turn, your modelling career. The only woman who can secure my inheritance is Elora. You were only good while you lasted." Zane says with a sneer on his lips.
"It's over between us," Zane says with a tone of finality.


Zara Smith, blinded by love, abandons her heiress legacy and hides her identity to marry an illegitimate billionaire heir, Zane Wesley.
After getting into an accident staged by his step-siblings, he urgently needs saving. Despite being informed of all she had to lose, she donates parts of her skin to heal him.
When Zane no longer sees a need for her, he divorces her and marries another heiress to secure his inheritance. Three years later, she returns and is determined to bring Zane down.
To do this, she reclaims her legacy and... forms an alliance with her all-along silent investor and billionaire heir, Leo Armstrong. Watch them ruin the cheating couple—piece by piece!
Losing Ryker: The Billionaire's Second Chance

Losing Ryker: The Billionaire's Second Chance

310 Views · Ongoing · Rose D'Arc
Let's divorce now and get this over with. We've both gotten what we wanted for this arrangement.”

A tear fell out of Zerah’s eye, unnoticed.
“Is that so?”
….
Two years before, Zerah saved his life and they'd fallen in love with a promise to return as he'd left. Now, a year after their reunion, he was no longer the man she knew.

Compelled to sign a contract marriage for the sake of her mother's health, she thought she could regain his love but only received humiliation and heartbreak in return. As he put the divorce papers in front of her, she'd resigned herself to let go of her love, leaving with the secret growing inside her.

Yet fate still brings them together? As the bond of her sons forces her back into his life, now engaged to the childhood friend he'd never failed to humiliate her for, secrets are revealed and she is forced to bear it.

What will happen when he recovers his memories and realizes that he'd chosen the wrong woman? Will he be able to win her heart? Will she accept him or choose a different path? Or will the forces against her take her before she can choose?
The Alpha Chose His Savior, I Chose His Mad Wolf Brother

The Alpha Chose His Savior, I Chose His Mad Wolf Brother

1.2k Views · Ongoing · Hannah Air
I was the heir of Sliver Claw Pack, born with a crippled wolf spirit.
From the day I could walk, everyone said the same thing—
Only Harvey, the future Alpha of Black Moon Pack, would ever be willing to take me as his mate.
So when he publicly canceled our mate bond, I still believed every word he said.
He told me the woman had saved his life. He told me their bond was only temporary—three years. He promised that when those three years ended, he would marry me.
So I willingly became the lover who could never stand in the light.
Until the three-year deadline approached. To negotiate with a rival Alpha, he pushed me— a woman born with a crippled wolf spirit, a woman who could not even shift— into a brutal forest trial filled with beasts.
He said it was the last time. He said that when it was over, he would marry me.
But when the leopard tore open my chest, I finally understood— The wolf placed last in the pack…was the one abandoned to die.
Yet the Moon Goddess gave me a second life.
When I returned to the age of twenty-two and saw him holding that woman’s hand again, I finally realized something.
This time, I would never be his shadow mate again.
And his insane younger brother—looked at me beneath the moonlight and blood and said, “Emma, I can be your mate.”
Secret baby: Pregnant by Mr. Cooper

Secret baby: Pregnant by Mr. Cooper

900 Views · Ongoing · Gloria Fox
Who would believe it? After getting drunk, I ended up having a one-night stand with my boss—the untouchable, iceberg-cold Neville Hale!
When I woke up, all I wanted was to pretend nothing ever happened.
But Melina, the girl I'd treated like my own little sister and protected since childhood, stole my identity and became Neville's fiancée, moving into the Hale family estate.
She mocked me as a washed-up woman no man would ever want. When she found out I was pregnant, she thoughtfully sent over "imported prenatal vitamins." I swallowed them with a smile, never realizing they were actually lethal abortion pills...
Continuously updating, with 1 chapters added daily.
MARKED BY SHAME, CHOSEN BY FATE

MARKED BY SHAME, CHOSEN BY FATE

1k Views · Ongoing · Lilidre
Aria had a rough background. She was the product of Alpha
Damien’s affair with a human, her mother died young, and at eighteen
she still hadn’t awakened her wolf form. Although she was taken back
to the Pack, it was only to maintain the Alpha’s dignity. In Luna’s eyes, she was a symbol of shame, subjected to years of cold stares and
neglect. The only person who truly cared about her was her
half-brother, Max. Max was about to leave for the border camp to attend a year-long
patrol training, after which he would officially inherit the Alpha
position. Before his departure, the one he worried about most was
Aria. So, he entrusted her to his most trusted friend his future Beta, and the most popular young warrior in the Pack, Leo. Leo had always
been flamboyant and unruly, adored by the she-wolves, and was
extremely reluctant to take care of someone like Aria, whom he saw as
a “burden.” However, just before Max left, the Pack’s Doctor held an
apprentice selection. Aria, despite everyone’s ridicule, insisted on
participating and, relying on her exceptional memory and calm
judgment, passed the test to become the Doctor’s apprentice. Because
of the human blood in her veins, she was especially sensitive to human
medicine. She took the initiative to study, combining herbalism with
human medical knowledge, not only gaining the Doctor’s recognition
but also gradually showcasing her talent within the Pack. From a
disregarded “shame,” her presence slowly transformed into an
indispensable medical pillar. During an herb-gathering trip for the Doctor’s apprentice trial, Aria unexpectedly encountered a rogue wolf attack.
That Stranger Lying Beside Me

That Stranger Lying Beside Me

127.1k Views · Ongoing · cici
"How much did Ashley pay you for that night?"
"Who's Ashley?" William asked.
"I... I mean... the woman who paid you and asked you to sleep with me that night."
William turned his head and looked at Valeria emotionless, "I don't get it. What the hell are you thinking about?"
William was speechless. How could there be such a handsome and rich pimp like him in the world?


"Valeria Brown was the only daughter of the Brown family, which was rather rich.
But her bestie Ashley and Ashley's mom planned to take everything from her.
Also, Mason, who had been dated with Valeria for four years, cheated on her.
Valeria caught Mason making out with Ashley in the car!
But Ashley never felt ashamed, instead, she drugged Valeria and asked a pimp to take her virginity.
A stranger saw through all of this and chased the pimp away.
Valeria woke up and found this hot stranger lying next to her.
She was annoyed when Ashley told her that man was the pimp.
But actually, this stranger who got rid of the pimp and slept with Valeria was the richest CEO..."
Hero to Strangers. Executioner to His Family.

Hero to Strangers. Executioner to His Family.

984 Views · Ongoing · Fuzzy Melissa
When I accepted the Global War Photography Award at the ceremony, a reality TV crew crashed through the velvet ropes, their cameras flashing like strobes at a crime scene.
"Ms. Evelyn Vance!"
The host shoved a microphone in my face. "After twenty years of silence, are you still holding a grudge against your father? Just because he saved the neighbor's orphaned child first and left you in that burning building?"
I looked up, past the blinding lights, toward the figure at the edge of the crowd. Robert Bennett.
He pushed through and stepped forward, his calloused hands trembling as they closed around my cold fingers.
"Nora, Kayla's parents didn't make it out. Under those circumstances, I had to get that newly orphaned child to safety first."
His eyes pleaded with me. "You're my daughter. You understand, don't you?"
I stared at those hands imprisoning mine, then pulled my lips into a cold smile and wrenched free.
"You've got the wrong person," my voice was ice. "There's no Nora here. My name is Evelyn Vance."
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