29 Book(s) Related to catty noir

Lyra Grace was never what one would call a normal little girl, in fact, as an Eton witch, she and her kind have been hunted for centuries for their rare bloodline. Orphaned at the age of ten and left alone and on the streets to fend for herself she has an encounter with a mysterious man with unusual amber eyes, an encounter that changes everything as she becomes a hunter of all things evil.

Nightfall Investigations Series: Origins-Book One

Sponsor Echo wasn’t looking for destiny…
She walked into Nightfall Investigations looking for a job.
She found a vampire instead, and now the most dangerous man in Seattle refuses to let her die.

The city doesn’t know what lives beneath it.
Sponsor Echo certainly didn’t.
Sleeping in an alley, hungry, broke, and one bad decision away from disappearing entirely, she walked into Nightfall Investigations looking for a job. Instead, she found Cyne Nightfall. Quiet, controlled…dangerous in ways she can’t explain, and not human.
Cyne has spent centuries keeping the monsters in Seattle under control. Vampires, cults, things that crawl through corridors most people will never see. He has rules. Boundaries. Distance. Then Sponsor walks through his door and the world starts shifting around her. Literally.
Wards fail when she enters a room. Containment sites destabilize, and ancient factions that have been silent for decades suddenly start hunting again. But they aren’t hunting Cyne. They’re hunting her.
Now a missing journalist has uncovered something buried beneath the city…something tied to Sponsor’s blood, Cyne’s past, and a power neither of them fully understands.
As cults close in and the supernatural world begins to fracture, Cyne realizes something far more dangerous than the enemies surrounding them: he’s starting to care. And if anyone tries to take Sponsor from him…Seattle won’t survive what he becomes.

Perfect for readers who love:
• dark paranormal romance
• protective vampire heroes
• strong female leads discovering their power
• supernatural mysteries and cult conspiracies
• slow-burn tension with dangerous stakes

In her previous life, after her parents died in a car accident, her eldest brother took in the daughter of the driver who caused the crash just to save face. To keep up the pretense of fairness, her brothers drained Lily Roberts of all her resources, trampled on her dignity, and poured everything into supporting the driver’s daughter. Lily gave her all to her brothers, only to be kicked out of the house and die a miserable death.
Reborn, Lily Roberts cast aside all her tendencies to help others. No forgiveness, no reconciliation—let them cling together; she’d thrive alone.
Her brothers all thought she was just throwing a tantrum and would slink back within three days.
But three days turned into another three, and then another. Her brothers couldn’t sit still anymore.
Eldest brother: “Why has my health been so poor lately? Because Lily stopped sending me tonics.”
Second brother: “Why does the company’s firewall keep failing? Because Lily isn’t here to maintain it anymore.”
Third brother: “Why is the drug research and development progressing so slowly? Because Lily no longer volunteers as a test subject for the drugs.”
Fourth brother: “Why are these scripts so terrible? Because Lily stopped writing them.”
Fifth brother: “Why is this prosthetic limb so useless? Because Lily isn’t the one who custom-made it anymore.”
Sixth brother: “Why does the eSports team keep losing? Because Lily quit.”
Her brothers knelt on the ground, begging for forgiveness. “Lils, come back! We’re family—blood is thicker than water!”
Lily Roberts slammed the severance of kinship agreement in front of them, scoffing coldly. “Cars hit the wall and you finally know to swerve? Stocks soar and you rush to buy? Get sentenced for your mistakes and you suddenly regret it? Sorry, I don’t forgive.”

That reckless yet unforgettable night saw Lena Voss flee overseas—unaware she carried not just his child, but quadruplets. But her quiet life shattered completely when she returned home, and she collided with Killian Thorne. His icy yet burning gaze locked firmly on her. “The kids… mine?” “They take my last name,” Lena shot back, struggling to mask the turmoil in her heart. “Change it. Now,” he purred, his tone laced with danger. “I never planned to let you go after you slipped away that night.” He declared firmly: “The kids are mine. So are you.” “You were just a mistake,” Lena snapped. “A mistake?” He closed in, his voice a velveted threat. “To me? It was fate.” A gifted single mom versus an iron-willed tycoon. The four little ones play Cupid in secret; as secrets unravel and passion ignites—Killian is resolute: No one will take her from him. Never.

Six years ago, Evelyn White caught her husband Arthur Collins cheating, then left his mansion—pregnant and unseen. Now she’s back as Eve, a top artist, with two genius twins. At her exhibition, the kids yell “Mommy”… and Arthur’s world breaks. He’s obsessed with dragging her (and the kids he never knew) back. She just wants to paint and protect her family. But as their past’s lies unravel, escaping him means fighting for more than just freedom.

Five years ago, Elena overheard the ambiguous whispers between her husband Arthur and his first love. In that split second, all her love for him crumbled to dust. She left the country with her pregnant belly, vowing never to have any connection with this man again.​
Five years later, Elena returns to her home country with her twins Liam and Luna—now a world-renowned top doctor. Unexpectedly, she finds herself entangled with Arthur once more. His eyes reddening with emotion, he grabs her abruptly and pleads, "Elena, I was truly wrong. This time, I will never let you get hurt again."

He was Steven York, the second master of the York family—wealthy enough to rival nations, cold-blooded, and ruthlessly cruel.
She was Nora Adams, a poor girl driven out of her home by her vampire-like parents.
By a twist of fate, he concealed his identity and had a whirlwind marriage with her.
Nora was a virtuous wife,
yet in his eyes, she was just a money-hungry woman. He looked down on her, speaking to her with sarcasm and disdain.
Unable to endure any longer, Nora exclaimed, "Divorce! We must get a divorce!"
The man sneered coldly, "Don’t regret it!"
During the divorce cooling-off period, one handsome and wealthy man after another appeared beside her.
Suddenly, Steven lost control, pinning her against the wall and kissing her fiercely. "We can’t get divorced! Absolutely not!"
From then on, the young couple’s life was filled with overwhelming sweetness.
Later, when their baby was born, the cold and brutal Steven transformed into a super dad—every day, he was either coaxing the baby and doting on his wife, or on his way to do so.
However, Nora intended to leave after fulfilling the agreement of having the child.
Steven’s eyes turned red as he begged her, "Nora, I was wrong. Don’t leave me!"
In the end, Steven used every means at his disposal, humbling himself to the dust, just to beg her to glance at him again.

When the Whites went bankrupt, Katherine was "sold" by her ex to tycoon Alexander for $1M. He trapped her, took her nightly but ignored her, clung to his childhood sweetheart, and spied on her — until a study diary revealed his 12-year unspoken love behind the cold control.

After returning to her hometown, Lila plunges into despair: her grandmother is critically ill, and her father has gambled away the entire family fortune. To save her grandmother, she is forced to strike a cold deal with Killian, a tycoon feared by the powerful elite — trading her compliance for life-saving funds.
A night of accident leads her to become pregnant with Killian’s child, which completely shatters the balance of their deal. Killian originally intended to use her as a pawn to deal with his family, yet he is gradually drawn to her resilience and resistance. What’s more, Lila hides a past as a top-tier agent.

After five years of a secret marriage, her husband never showed any affection in public. Sophia Johnson had always chalked it up to his personality—until he took their twin sons and his first love out for a candlelit dinner, earning rave reviews online as the "most stunning family." That’s when her heart finally shattered completely.
Hearing her own sons call the woman "Auntie" repeatedly, Sophia came to her senses. A husband who didn’t love her, sons who were estranged from her—she didn’t want any of it. From that moment on, she would only love herself.
After the divorce, she returned to her hometown village to pick up her old profession: growing medicinal herbs, treating rare illnesses, and developing skincare miracles. Luxury cars often arrived late at night in the remote village, drawn by her skills.
When word got out that she was looking for a father for her daughter, elite scientists, financial tycoons, A-list idols, award-winning actors... All kinds of tycoons emerged, volunteering themselves, hoping to catch her eye.
Later, her ex-husband knelt on a bed of durians, his face filled with remorse. "Soph, I love you. Will we remarry?"
She scoffed. "William Smith, isn’t the forbidden fruit sweet enough?"
Her twin sons knelt on computer keyboards side by side. "Mommy, we only want you!"
Sophia waved them off. "No, I can’t afford you."

On a rainy evening, Ophelia Taylor caught her husband Benjamin White cheating, shattering their marriage and her happy illusions completely. Plunged into despair, she found solace in Benjamin’s younger brother, William. Gentle and steady, William silently guarded her—bringing warm milk on sleepless nights, defending her from Benjamin’s coldness—slowly melting her broken heart. Unknowingly, both fell for each other, a forbidden affection blooming amid betrayal. Torn between her unfaithful husband and her off-limits brother-in-law, Ophelia stood at an emotional crossroads. Her reason screamed it was wrong, but her heart clung to William’s warmth. This tangled struggle of love and guilt had just begun.

The Getty family went bankrupt, and her fiancé's family stood by coldly, offering no help. Rebecca Getty signed a contract and had a whirlwind marriage with her fiancé's uncle—Frederick Windsor.
After the wedding, Rebecca's only thought was to pay back the 100 million yuan with interest, set Frederick free, and let him be with his first love.
When she repaid 5 million yuan, Frederick's face darkened.
When she repaid 50 million yuan, Frederick left home for three days.
Finally, when she paid off the entire 100 million yuan, Rebecca was pinned against the wall by the man. "Divorce? Fine!!! I'll give you all my property, and I'll give myself to you too— the kind that follows you wherever you go!"
Rebecca: ……

Elara Voss is a prodigy in ancient art restoration. When her father is framed for destroying a priceless artifact, she is desperate with no other options but to turn to Kieran Blackwood—who controls the city’s art empire. Kieran initially sees her as nothing more than a tool, offering her a contract: her freedom in exchange for her father’s, confining her to his mansion as his exclusive restorer. But as he watches her focused dedication while restoring art and her unyielding defiance to stand up to him, he gradually begins to soften. He makes exceptions to keep her for dinner and silently brings her warm drinks when she stays up late. The contract that was once meant to bind her gradually becomes his excuse to keep her, and before he knows it, he has already fallen in love with this girl who shines even in his shadow.

In a city where vampires are Billionaires and werewolves are the Mafia, a new predator is about to break the rules."
​Noctaria, 2026. A neon-drenched metropolis ruled by the elite Draven Billionaire Dynasty. To save his dying father, Eric Vance makes a lethal deal, selling his freedom to the most dangerous woman in the city: Catherine Draven, the icy vampire heiress.
​But a single night of blood changes everything.
​After a double-bite from a Royal Vampire and a Mafia Alpha, Eric awakens a forbidden power: the Progenitor Bloodline. Guided by Eunice, a sentient artifact with a leveling system, Eric becomes the world’s first Hybrid. Now, he must play a deadly game of infiltration.
​By day, he is Catherine’s obedient servant, caught in a toxic, soul-burning attraction. By night, he is the Shadow King, uniting the werewolf gangs to dismantle the empire from within.
​With the strength of a god and a hunger for vengeance, Eric will realize that in a world of monsters, the only way to protect his own is to become the greatest monster of them all.
​He was their prey. Now, he is their extinction.

At first, Catherine says no.

The man across from her, Eric Wood, CEO of Wood & Sons Legacies (WSL), is as powerful as he is insufferable. Cold, controlling, dangerously magnetic… an Alpha in every cruel sense of the word. His terms are simple: total exclusivity. He doesn’t just want her work. He wants to control everything — her time, her choices, her freedom. Catherine isn’t a possession. She says no.

But reality hits hard. Her world collapses. No paycheck. Her alcoholic, irresponsible father burns through the emergency funds. And her fourteen-year-old brother, Liam, will have to drop out of school if she doesn’t find money fast. Catherine is alone, cornered by the impossible.

Pride doesn’t feed anyone. And dignity doesn’t pay the debts.

Broken but out of options, she has no choice. She goes back to Eric and accepts his terms. She signs.

From that moment on, she belongs to him. He clears every debt… but in exchange, she’s at his disposal. Completely.

In this world, humans know nothing about werewolves. But Catherine starts noticing things she can’t explain away. Looks, instincts, behavior… Eric isn’t normal. A quiet, crawling fear takes root in her and grows every day.

Cornered, Eric finally tells her the truth: he isn’t just a man. He’s a werewolf. An Alpha.

Catherine realizes the horror of what she’s done: she just sold her freedom to a creature she never thought could exist.

Now she has to survive two terrifying truths: she sacrificed her independence to save her brother… and the man who owns her isn’t human.

"Father, I don't remember asking for a maid," he said coldly.
"Name?"
"Dorothy. Dorothy Reyes."
"You start tomorrow."
From the moment they met, Dorothy hated him—Xavier Wort, the arrogant billionaire heir with a stare sharp enough to cut through bone. But she needed the job. She needed the money. And she needed to survive.
At twenty-two, Dorothy has already lost everything. Orphaned by a mysterious car crash and drowning in debt, she thinks working for Australia's most powerful family might finally give her a chance to breathe again.
But living under the same roof as Xavier makes breathing impossible.
Cold. Commanding. Married. Untouchable.
Yet he keeps looking at her like she's the only thing he's ever wanted.
Their chemistry is undeniable. Their attraction is forbidden.
And his wife? She has secrets—dark, dangerous secrets she'll kill to protect.
When a fake pregnancy, an unhinged stalker, and a sinister family conspiracy collide, Dorothy realizes the crash that killed her parents wasn't an accident. And the closer she gets to the truth, the deadlier it becomes.
Just when she thinks she's escaped the nightmare… someone strikes again.
Betrayals. Lies. Obsession. Passion that could burn worlds down.
Will Dorothy and Xavier survive the truth—or will their love end the same way her childhood did?

"So, you just use me for your safety and leave when you want?" His voice was dangerously low, making everyone shiver.
Everyone but Lucia.
She looked him square in the eyes, no hint of fear in her clear hazel gaze.
"Mr. Sinclair, from the bottom of my heart, I'm truly grateful for your help and for being there for me—but I have nothing to offer you."
Adrian chuckled to himself, hands in his pockets. Lucia was back. The fire in her eyes said it all....
From the moment billionaire heir Adrian Sinclair stepped into the Ember Lounge, Lucia Gregory knew trouble had found her. Orphaned, overworked, and fiercely guarded, Lucia had no time for entitled men with too much money and too little depth.
But Adrian wasn't like the others. When she challenged him to prove he was more than a name and a bank account, he made a bet:
"Give me a week. No money. No status. Just me."
What began as a distraction spiraled into something deeper.
But Lucia's past isn't just painful—it's dangerous. And when a secret links Adrian's powerful family to everything she's tried to escape, she's forced to ask herself:
Can she trust the man who could destroy her world—or is he the only one who can save it?

After her mother's death, 17-year-old Celine moves in with her last living relative, her stepbrother Damian - the cold-hearted leader of a dangerous gang.

But everything changes when she meets Jax, the charismatic rival who also leads a gang and exerts a sinister attraction on her. As the feud between Damian and Jax escalates, Damian battles not only his enemy, but also the forbidden feelings that Celine has ignited within him.

Torn between loyalty to Damian and passion for Jax, Celine becomes a pawn in a deadly game of power, desire and secrets.

Emeli Catrine is trapped in a massive debt left behind by her father. To survive, she accepts an offer to become a “contract woman” for a mysterious billionaire, not knowing that the decision will drag her into a far more complicated web of relationships.

He is Alexa Ken—cold, powerful, and full of control. He saves Emeli from debt collectors, but demands complete obedience in return. In front of him, Emeli feels like a possession that can be controlled at any time.

However, her life does not stop there.

By chance, Emeli meets her first love again, he is Aric Anderson—warm and full of care. Unlike Alexa Ken, Aric makes Emeli feel valued. He becomes an escape… as well as a new weakness she cannot avoid.

Then comes a secret admirer from her college days, he is Victor Valdes. He always appears at the wrong time. He knows more about Emeli than he should.

Unbeknownst to her, the three men are connected through a dark past. Yet none of them realize that they desire the same woman.

Emeli is trapped between three different worlds. Every choice means losing the others. Every lie she keeps brings her closer to destruction.

What will happen next?

Broke, homeless, and addicted to chocolate, will Sheryl chase her dream or remain tied to her mother's purse strings? Sheryl, on the wrong side of thirty-five, has seen better days. She lost her job, her home, and the ability to say no to her mother: a woman with as much sensitivity as a comedian. Sheryl, a soft touch, is wilting into a sea of whiskey and American Wrestling. She spends her nights rooting for Johnstone, a wrestler as believable as Die Hard. Until Sheryl discovers belly dancing.  Sheryl is a natural at belly dancing and dreams of performing in the sort of costume that would have her mother choking on her “you’re too fat” comments. So when the wrestlers come to town, Sheryl grabs her chance. She wins tickets to the wrestling event and the opportunity to not only meet Johnstone, but belly dance. Sheryl feels hopeful, until her mother finds out. Will Sheryl grab her chance or toss her coin belt, along with her dreams, to the wind? Sheryl’s Last Stand is the first in the Bellydancing and Beyond series. If you like fast-paced books that make you laugh, then you will love Kerrie Noor’s wonderfully funny Bellydancing series. Buy Sheryl’s Last Stand today to watch Sheryl shimmy towards a life worth getting out of bed for. ★★★★★"The voice is Scottish urban girl snark." ★★★★★ “Good read, funny, fast-paced, zany characters." ★★★★★ “A poignant romantic comedy”

Warning : 21+

Eli was raised by her abusive family who treated her like a slave, instead of a child who deserved love.

Provoked by the constant physical and mental torture she received, Eli attacked her father and almost killing him.

Realizing that she had made a fatal mistake, Eli, who was trying to escape from her house which she considered hell, was hit by a car carrying James Huntington, a young doctor who was the last heir to 'The Huntington' business empire.

As a form of responsibility, James paid all of Eli's medical costs until she recovered. However, Eli, who experienced severe trauma and was unable to communicate properly, forced James to take her back to his mansion.

James' kindness and gentleness were the trigger that for the first time made Eli feel truly loved. But that actually became the beginning of Eli's crazy obsession.

I was the second child in my family who had an elder sister, perfect in every aspect. However, I had always craved for a brother.
My excitement was above the ninth cloud when Claire, my elder sister, ran up to me and announced, “Steffy, we have a big brother now.”
However, I ruined everything when the pure love for my brother took a different place in my heart. Now, I wanted Taylor, not as my brother but my lover.


“Were you ever going to tell me the truth?” He asked, staring at my fragile body in the hospital bed.
“Do you care at all?” I replied before turning my face away from him.

I was once known as "The Divine Hand," the youngest Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery in history.

I didn't just perform surgeries, I invented them. However, after a high-profile operation on my own mentor went tragically wrong, leaving him in a vegetative state, my mother made me swear a blood oath.

“Your hands bring both life and ruin. Never touch a scalpel again, or the guilt will consume you forever.”

I traded my surgical scrubs for a floral apron. I married Lucian, a famous business tycoon my mother had selected.

For five years, I spent my days in the kitchen, meticulously preparing meals that were precisely calibrated medicinal formulas that cured his heart murmur and made him the top-performing executive in the city.

However, on our fifth anniversary, Lucian didn't bring flowers or gifts. Instead, he threw the divorce papers on my face with Leslie, the glamorous "Star Surgeon" of the year, by his side, her hands wrapped around his arms like she owned him.

Lucian sneered, "Lesley operates on kings and CEOs. You? You can't even look at a drop of blood without fainting. You’re a liability to my social standing."

“Sign the papers and I'll give you two hundred dollars every month as your monthly allowance. Considering your lifestyle, that's more than you ever need.” He mocked.

I stared at the divorce papers in my hands. This was what he was paying me for being a submissive wife.

"I’ll sign," I said, "and I’ll let you keep the house and the stocks. But only if Lesley can correctly identify the three hidden toxins I’ve neutralized in your body over the last five years using only the meals you mocked me for cooking.”

“If she’s the 'genius' you claim, surely she can diagnose the man she's sleeping with.”

Eighteen years ago, my mother traded her newborn for a gold-plated life, leaving me in a rust-stained trash can like a piece of discarded waste just to marry her rich boyfriend.

Now, she was back, weeping about "maternal regret" and "postpartum shadows”, saying she had regretted her decision every second of her life.

Overjoyed that my mother wanted me back, I packed my belongings and rushed to meet her.

However, the moment I stepped foot at her doorstep, I overheard her conversation with her darling daughter with her new husband.

“Of course, sweetheart! You will always be my one and only darling. I’m only adopting Vanessa back to wed her to Mr. Blackwood to save your Dad's bankrupt company.”

“You are not lying to me, Mom, are you?” Ramona, my step sister, tugged to my mother’s arms. “You won't share my love with sister Vanessa, will you?”

“Never.” My mother replied, her voice contained no warmth when mentioning me. “How can a village’s trash can compare to our princess?”

“If we wouldn't have to please that old hag of Blackwood company, we would never have brought your sister back.”

“An old master of Blackwood company and a village girl with no literacy, I think that's a match made in heaven.” Ramona smirked, followed by the sound of their laughter.

My legs at the doorstep froze, the momentary joy I felt shattered. The cold heart that had melted seeing my mother shed tears, became ice.

I watched the duo of mother and daughter, laughing and making fun of me, completely unaware that the company they were trying to please by offering me, was actually owned by me.

I was the CEO of Blackwood Groups.

Aelric Vaelthorn was an ordinary boy in the real world, until a deadly accident thrust him into another realm. He wakes as the heir to the Vaelthorn Empire, a prince born into a family of healers, but with the dangerous gift of dark magic. Confused and overwhelmed, Aelric must navigate palace politics, master his powers, and survive the hidden threats of a magical world he barely understands.

Surrounded by powerful princes, Solian, the heir of Light; Lyren, the water prince; Eryndor, the ice prince, Aelric finds himself drawn into a delicate web of friendship, rivalry, and unexpected romance. Each of them holds a piece of his heart, but trust is fragile, and enemies lurk in shadows.

Will Aelric embrace his destiny as a dark magic prince, or will the weight of his powers and newfound responsibilities destroy him before he learns who to trust, or love?

Thirty Shades Of ComedyThree books, three romances with all your favorite characters.Belly Dancing and Beyond series- laugh out loud stories about a group of women who have at one time or another danced with the great Nefertiti. Each book is a stand-alone tale jam-packed with familiar characters you will grow to love, maybe hate but will definitely want to read about again. Book 1- Sheryl's Last Stand"A poignant romantic comedy." ★★★★★“The voice is Scottish urban girl snark." ★★★★★"Good read, funny, fast-paced, zany characters." ★★★★★ Book 2-The Downfall Of A Bellydancer"Funny, witty, and rapid-paced." ★★★★★"Funny, Poignant, and charming!" ★★★★★"Laugh out loud funny." ★★★★★ Book 3-Four Takeaways And A Funeral"A fun and captivating comedy." ★★★★★"Great British rom-com." ★★★★★"An adorable comedy about sibling rivalry and Indian food." ★★★★★

“Be careful with that, Emma," my boss at the high-end courier service warned, handing me the velvet-lined case. "That bottle is worth more than your life. It’s for the penthouse gala at the Sterling Heights. If it breaks, don't bother coming back.”

I clutched the case to my chest like it was a newborn child.

The soles of my shoes were so thin I could feel every jagged pebble on the pavement. My feet ached, a dull, throbbing reminder of the sixteen-hour shifts I’d been pulling for the last three months.

But every time I felt like collapsing, I thought of Liam. He met with an accident five years ago and could not work.

So, I became the bread-earner in our family.

Today was our wedding anniversary. And this last expensive delivery could earn me a decent gift for him.

"The host is on the terrace," a waiter whispered as I reached the penthouse, eyeing my worn-out sneakers with disdain. "Hurry up. He doesn't like to be kept waiting.”

I walked toward the terrace, my heart hammering. I just wanted to drop this off, get my signature, and run to Liam. I pushed through the crowd, dodging silk gowns and tailored tuxedos.

Then, I stopped.

The man standing at the edge of the terrace looked familiar.

He was wearing a bespoke midnight-blue tuxedo that cost more than our three years of rent. His hair was slicked back, his posture commanding and regal. He was way too rich to cross paths with me in my entire life.

But, my heart skipped a beat as he turned back to look at his friends.

It was Liam. My Liam. With other woman, offering the world to her.

George ousted from the drama club is desperate to direct again. The drama club would rather have their nails ripped out-----one by one. Will George get another chance? Lockdown has begun, George's caravan park is empty, his pension shares halved, and Catrina his on/off lover is definitely off. George is at a loss what to do until Catrina's Aunt is whisked off to a nursing home with the visiting rights of a security prison. George sees a chance. He decides to raise money for a covid friendly visiting room with ‘Panto on zoom’; not only will he woe his Catrina but restore his reputation as a director. But when the video turns viral for all the wrong reasons, George has more than a mutiny on his hands. Will he restore his reputation or fall flat on his face? Buy Lockdown today a story that will have you chuckling in your shoes.

On our fifth Anniversary party, Harris got admitted to the City's Hospital.

Cancer. Stage IV.

I struggled to find words to whisper some comforting words to Harris .

Instead, he held my hands, and said,"It's alright, Darcy."

"Don't be afraid of anything that may happen. Even if I am about to die, I will always be with you."

Even when he was dying, he made sure to comfort me, which bled my heart.

I spent my days researching treatments, draining my savings for "miracle" consultations.

Then came the afternoon I went to his office early to surprise him with the appointment letter with Dr. Wilson, a world famous surgeon.

Harris had been trying to contact him for weeks now. But, everytime he declined him bluntly, only this time when I tried to contact him personally, his assistant reached out to me.

Finally, he had a chance to be saved. I cried tears of joy. I wanted to share this good news with Harris as soon as possible.

But, My hands, almost pushed open the door, , a Lively and joyous laughter echoed through my ears.
"Is the paperwork ready?"

I slightly opened it ajar and peered inside.
I froze on the spot.

Clara was sitting on Harris's lap, clutching to his shoulder like she owned him.

"Everything," Harris' voice sounded, confident and excited.

"By the time 'cancer' takes me, Harris Hudson will be dead, life insurance will be processed, and you and I will be halfway across the world with a clean slate."

Clara. Harris' first love. The one he told me was a 'closed chapter' years ago.

Something broke into my heart.
I froze at my place.

The cancer, the treatment, it was all a lie orchestrated by Harris to elope with Clara?