Jesse and her brother Sam survive a terrifying ordeal in a cursed house, believing they've destroyed the evil entity that haunted them. They move to a new apartment, trying to escape their traumatic past. However, weeks later, a mysterious woman arrives, revealing that the creature they thought they killed is still alive. It wasn't the house, but the fear it fed on that gave the creature its power. The woman, who was once part of the curse, explains that one of them must face their deepest fear to weaken the creature enough to destroy it once and for all. Sam, haunted by his own fears, volunteers to be the bait, despite Jesse's protests. He enters a hidden, cursed room in their apartment, where the creature emerges, feeding on his fear. As Sam faces the darkness, Jesse joins him, and together they confront the creature. By confronting their fears, they manage to weaken and destroy the entity. With the curse finally broken, Jesse and Sam emerge victorious. The trauma of the past lingers, but they've overcome the terror. The two siblings leave the apartment behind, ready to start fresh, knowing that true strength comes from facing the darkness within.
It was late September when Jesse and her, brother Sam, first saw the house beneath the hill. The cool evening air bit at their skin as they made their way down the old, dusty road, their footsteps crunching over the dry leaves that littered the path. The town of Oakridge had always been quiet, the kind of place where everyone knew everyone else's business. But this house-this house was different.
Nestled at the bottom of a steep hill, its silhouette loomed ominously against the dimming sky. The windows, dark and lifeless, gave off the impression that the house had been abandoned for years, if not decades. The walls were covered in ivy and the roof was caved in at strange angles, as though the house itself was slowly sinking into the earth.
"I don't like it," Sam muttered, his hands shoving deeper into his jacket pockets. He was younger than Jesse, but there was an undeniable edge of maturity to him that made her second-guess her own unease. She turned to him with a half-hearted smile, trying to shake off the growing tension in her chest.
"It's just an old house, Sam. There's nothing to be afraid of," she said, trying to sound convincing. But the words felt hollow as they left her mouth. There was something in the air tonight, something that made the wind feel colder, sharper than usual.
Jesse's gaze lingered on the house, and for a brief moment, she thought she saw movement-just a flicker at one of the windows. She blinked, but when she looked again, the window was empty. She frowned, feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.
"Let's go," she said quickly, pulling her brother's arm. But Sam, always the curious one, refused to move. His gaze was fixed on the house, a strange expression twisting his features.
"Jesse, look," he whispered. She turned toward him, following his gaze to the front porch of the house. There, standing perfectly still, was a figure. It was a man, his face obscured by the darkness, but Jesse could make out his broad shoulders and the faint outline of his posture.
For a moment, Jesse's heart skipped a beat. "Who is that?" she asked, her voice shaky.
But before Sam could respond, the figure turned sharply and vanished into the darkness of the house. The door creaked as it slowly swung shut behind him.
"Maybe it's just someone who lives here," Sam said, though his voice wavered slightly. "Let's go check it out."
Jesse grabbed his arm with more force than she intended. "No, we're not going up there. I don't care what it is. I don't like it."
But Sam, as stubborn as ever, wrenched himself free and started walking toward the house. Jesse hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly followed him. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were being drawn into something they didn't understand, something that had been waiting for them for much longer than they knew.
The closer they got to the house, the more oppressive the air became. The oppressive silence weighed on them, the only sound being the rustling of the wind in the trees. When they reached the front porch, Sam's foot hovered just above the first step.
"Are you sure about this?" Jesse asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Sam didn't answer. He simply pushed the door open with a creak that echoed into the empty house, and they both stepped inside.
The air inside was thick with dust and decay. The floorboards groaned beneath their feet as they cautiously stepped deeper into the darkness. The only light came from the dying glow of the evening sky, seeping through cracks in the walls and the broken windows.
Jesse's heart raced. She wanted to turn back, but something in her-something primal-kept her moving forward. She followed Sam, who seemed to know exactly where he was going, as though the house had some magnetic pull on him.
They reached a narrow hallway, and Sam paused in front of a door. Jesse felt a cold chill crawl up her spine, her instincts screaming at her to leave.
"This is it," Sam muttered, his hand hovering just above the doorknob. "This is the room I saw."
Jesse's stomach churned. "What room?"
Sam pushed the door open, and they both stepped inside.
The room was small, with rotting wallpaper peeling off the walls and a large, broken mirror hanging crookedly above a faded dresser. There was an old rocking chair in the center of the room, its wood warped and splintered.
But what caught Jesse's eye was the painting. It was a portrait of a family-two adults and two children. They looked strangely lifelike, as though they could jump out of the canvas at any moment. The eyes of the family members were cold, distant, yet they seemed to follow Jesse's every move.
"That's... that's the same man," Sam whispered, his finger pointing shakily at the father in the painting.
Jesse felt a shiver run through her. The man in the portrait looked eerily familiar, but she couldn't place where she had seen him before. Her mind raced, trying to connect the dots. Then it hit her-the figure they had seen outside the house.
"This is wrong," Jesse said, her voice trembling. "We need to leave. Now."
But before she could turn, the door slammed shut behind them with a deafening bang, plunging them into darkness.
Jesse and her brother Sam survive a terrifying ordeal in a cursed house, believing they've destroyed the evil entity that haunted them. They move to a new apartment, trying to escape their traumatic past. However, weeks later, a mysterious woman arrives, revealing that the creature they thought they killed is still alive. It wasn't the house, but the fear it fed on that gave the creature its power. The woman, who was once part of the curse, explains that one of them must face their deepest fear to weaken the creature enough to destroy it once and for all. Sam, haunted by his own fears, volunteers to be the bait, despite Jesse's protests. He enters a hidden, cursed room in their apartment, where the creature emerges, feeding on his fear. As Sam faces the darkness, Jesse joins him, and together they confront the creature. By confronting their fears, they manage to weaken and destroy the entity. With the curse finally broken, Jesse and Sam emerge victorious. The trauma of the past lingers, but they've overcome the terror. The two siblings leave the apartment behind, ready to start fresh, knowing that true strength comes from facing the darkness within.
After hiding her true identity throughout her three-year marriage to Colton, Allison had committed wholeheartedly, only to find herself neglected and pushed toward divorce. Disheartened, she set out to rediscover her true self-a talented perfumer, the mastermind of a famous intelligence agency, and the heir to a secret hacker network. Realizing his mistakes, Colton expressed his regret. "I know I messed up. Please, give me another chance." Yet, Kellan, a once-disabled tycoon, stood up from his wheelchair, took Allison's hand, and scoffed dismissively, "You think she'll take you back? Dream on."
Trigger warning!!! Intended for mature readers who enjoy morally complex, slow-burn, poseesive, forbidden, dark romance that pushes boundaries. ***EXCERPT*** Blood everywhere. Trembling hands. "No!" My eyes blurred. His lifeless eyes stared back at me, his blood pooling at my feet. The man I loved-dead. Killed by the one person I could never escape - my stepbrother. *** Kasmine's life was never hers to begin with. Kester, her stepbrother, controlled and monitored her every move. At first, it was all sweet and brotherly until it began to turn into an obsession. Kester was the Alpha, and his word was law. No close friends. No boyfriends. No freedom. The only consolation Kasmine had was her twenty-first birthday, which was supposed to change everything. She dreamt of finding her mate, escaping the sickening control of Kester, and finally claiming her own life. But fate had other plans for her. On the night of her birthday, not only was she disappointed that she wasn't mated to the love of her life, but she found out that her mate was none other than him - Her tormentor. Her stepbrother. She'd rather die than be mated to a man whom she had known as her big brother all her life. A man who would do just anything to make sure she was his. But when love turns to obsession, and obsession turns to blood, how far can one girl run before she realizes there is nowhere else to run to?
Sawyer, the world's top arms dealer, stunned everyone by falling for Maren—the worthless girl no one respected. People scoffed. Why chase a useless pretty face? But when powerful elites began gathering around her, jaws dropped. "She's not even married to him yet—already cashing in on his power?" they assumed. Curious eyes dug into Maren's past... only to find she was a scientific genius, a world-renowned medical expert, and heiress to a mafia empire. Later, Sawyer posted online. "My wife treats me like the enemy. Any advice?"
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
Rachel used to think that her devotion would win Brian over one day, but she was proven wrong when his true love returned. Rachel had endured it all—from standing alone at the altar to dragging herself to the hospital for an emergency treatment. Everyone thought she was crazy to give up so much of herself for someone who didn’t return her feelings. But when Brian received news of Rachel’s terminal illness and realized she didn’t have long to live, he completely broke down. "I forbid you to die!" Rachel just smiled. She no longer needed him. "I will finally be free."
Three years of marriage couldn't melt Theo's frozen heart. When an art gallery collapsed on Lena, he was off romancing another woman—lavishing her with a private jet. Three steel pins held Lena's shoulder together, but her heart remained broken. She filed for divorce and told everyone that he was impotent. Rising from the rubble, Lena blazed onto the design world's A‑list. She expected him to sail off with his true love—until Theo reappeared at her runway, pressing her against the wall. "Impotent, huh? Care to give it a try?"