One mansion on the coast. One man. One woman. And something she thought could have never been. And it all started with what some might say was an ill-fated kidnapping. Every villain has a story; and his? Well, it captured her heart.
HIS LITTLE toes curled under the impact of the fall, and tears sprung to his eyes the moment his knees connected with the rocky terrace of the sea cliff. He wailed in pain as little droplets of blood stained the gray stone, and not a single soul stopped to help him.
Little Raphael's eyes watered even more as he watched camper after camper waddle passed him, no one even acknowledging his presence.
He knew he wasn't the most likable kid at camp, and he was merely forced to go by his dad. Still, he wished someone would show him a little compassion...a little attention, at least once in his life.
Giving up, he tried to wobble to his feet with his knees still burning, but he was surprised to feel little cold hands holding onto his left arm.
His eyes widened in shock and gratitude as he turned to meet the eyes of the human who acknowledged that he indeed existed. When he did, the immense beauty was more than his little nine year old mind could process. The life and light that they held completely contrasted to how he felt.
She smiled warmly at him, encouraging him to stand straight. He blinked a few times, never once breaking his gaze from her admirable brown pools. Her eyes flickered to his knee for a quick second, as her smile immediately transformed into a frown. Raphael's heart sunk at the absence of her beautiful smile. But it was short lived when he heard her voice instead.
"Are you okay? How did you fall?" She asked, her voice soft and sweet like any eight year old, but it did something to him. It took a while before he answered after recovering from the shock of hearing her speak.
"I'm-I'm okay" His voice sounded small, but she heard him clearly. She quickly perked up at his accent, realising that he wasn't a local at all.
"Where are you from?" She questioned as she bent before him, slightly pushing up his shorts so that she could get a better look at his knee.
"I'm from Puerto Rico" He replied, slightly wincing when she ran her index finger over the base of the wound.
She paused abruptly, taking him by surprise and scaring him half to death when he thought he had just scared her off. However, his doubts were soothed when she smiled at him even wider.
"Say that again" She instructed.
"What?"
"Say that again" She repeated, this time with her eyes glistening even more. For the first time in forever, Raphael felt his lips pulling up in a smile.
"Puerto Rico" He obliged, loving the way how she squealed at it. He didn't understand her excitement, but he wanted to keep it alive.
He didn't even realise when she grabbed her water bottle from her bag pack to wash the dirt from his knee, he was just too invested in her.
"I know we're not allowed to say things like this..." She subconsciously looked around her as if checking to see if anyone was around, as her voice fell into as loud whisper, "But that was kinda sexy"
They both burnt red at her statement, before they erupted into childish giggles. She knew her mama would've given her a proper scolding if she heard what she had just said, but Tami had waited so long to use the word after somewhat learning what it really meant, and this stranger's accent really described the word in her head.
"There you go" She beamed proudly as she rose from her stooping position, and his eyes flickered to his knee, where he saw that she had wrapped her large ribbon that was holding up on of her curly pigtails around the wound as a substitute bandage.
His smiled grew larger, feeling much better. He didn't believe it had to do with the wound being managed, but the wonderful feeling of being cared for.
"That should control the bleeding until we get back to camp to a proper care giver. Can you walk?"
He nodded frantically with a bright smile on his face."I can manage. Th-thank you ...uh?"
"Tami" She finished for him, introducing herself in the process. "Tami Knowles" She outstretched her hand while he took it, immediately loving how small and soft they felt against his.
"Raphael De León"
"Say that again" She teased, causing them both to laugh. He fell in line with her strides after their laughter died down, and he suddenly felt anxious now that he had finally made a friend-- and a beautiful, kind one at that.
"So Raphael" She started, and he loved the way she said his name. "What brings you to The Bahamas? And at camp too?"
He suddenly forgot everything about his life when he realised that this was her way of starting conversation. She wasn't running off to be with her friends, nor was she simply being kind. She wanted to be his friend. He got exited at the thought.
"My dad has lived here for as long as I can remember. My mom sends me here in the summers. He sent me to camp because he had to leave for a meeting. But it's not like he cares if I starved at home alone or not. He just wanted me gone for the whole summer, even after he gets back from his meeting"
Tami felt slightly uncomfortable at his now gloomy state after mentioning his dad, and she felt guilty for asking in the first place, so she tried to get rid of the dull aura.
"So I won't see you around after summer then?" She asked, but the attempts to make him feel better went downwards when his face fell even more, as if he was just realising the fact too.
His frown grew deeper as he looked up to look at her, already missing her when he should go back to his huge, empty, lonely house back home. "I guess so. Will you be here every camp? Maybe we can see each other at camps?" A little hope sparked in him as he thought of the possibility, but her frown told him that she had no good answer to that.
"Actually, my family and I are moving to Nassau in two months. My dad suffered a great accident and my mom wants him to get special care there. So I wont go be back at camp next year or after that" She sighed as she thought about how she'll miss camp.
She has been going since she was five, and she always enjoyed being there with the wonderful kids and great hospitality and fun.
"So this will be goodbye?" Raphael's lower lip quivered at the thought of losing the only friend he have ever gained. But before he could fall deeper in his grief, Tami laced her thin fingers through his, shooting him an encouraging smile which totally did its best on his mood.
"Come on" She beamed."Let's not focus on what will happen after camp. Let's just enjoy the few weeks we have together"
Raphael loved this idea, so he frantically nodded as she spun to walk backwards with an exited look on her face.
"We can make a list and have the best time at camp ever! Oh and you can teach me Spanish! Wait you speak Spanish right? Oh my gosh is it rude of me to just assume to speak Spanish because you're Puerto Rican? I'm sorry if I offended you." She rambled nervously.
Raphael suddenly felt on cloud nine as he thought about spending everyday with the nicest and most beautiful girl at camp. His smile told her all the answers to her questions without even having to say a word. He quickly stabled her when she almost fell over from walking backwards, sending them both in another fit of laughter.
"I think we will be the bestest of friends Raphael De León" She laughed at how weird she sounded trying to say his name like how he said it, but he thought she said it perfectly.
"I agree, Tami Knowles"
The Most Powerful Man In The Russian Mafia Died Eight Years Ago, And Everything Has Been Chaos Since. Valentin Dominik Was The Very Cause Of This, With His Cruel, Heartless Uprising Of Schemes And Crimes. With No One Brave Enough To Challenge Him, He Thought He Was The Only King. What He Doesn't Expect, Is For The 'Alleged' Heir Of The Former Mafia King To Do Just That, With Her Claims Of Having A Right Way Of Running A Mafia. And When Their Paths Cross, Everything Changes.
Take it off slowly, inch closer, tease and make 'em believe you're all theirs--Make it perfectly estatic. Abigail's code was as simple as they come, and had worked impeccably for years with her one and only rule: No touching. But when she pisses off a snob who didn't like it very much, it was up to a certain billionaire to save her from his covetous hands. Except, he isn't quite ready to let her go just yet.
Does life have to be so complicated? Zoey didn't think so, that is, until she receives a certain letter. When Zoey initiated her first shift on her 18th birthday, her life took a bizarre turn for what seemed like the better and the worst. She learnt something about herself that had been dangling over her head all her life, but she never understood until that moment. She vowed to learn the whole truth but she couldn't do it all alone, which left her at a dead end once again. Coincidentally not long after, she learns that her mate was the Alpha of the Truemoon Pack who automatically took a promiscuous adoration towards her. Niall helps his lost mate through all possible challenges and mountains, just so she could find those missing fragments about herself and be happy. But when she finds out the truth, will she be?
Four years ago, a 13 year old blackmailed me into friendship by holding my doughnut captive. We've been close ever since. But then, I noticed that I wanted to be more than just friends. I was in love with my best friend. Sadly, he didn't feel the same way. I thought my world was over. I was crushed. But to my utmost yet most delighted surprise, I just happened to fall into the arms of a certain bad-boy. Literally. He didn't just save me from what could've been a hell of a concussion that night. He saved my heart too. But hey, let's not get in over our heads now. It wasn't that easy. Not even close. After all, when two opposing worlds clash for the very first time, we cant just expect it to be all rainbows and sunshine. Now do we?
My name is Roxy Gilbert and I'm apart of The Silent Moon Pack. When I was two years old, we were attacked by a stronger and more powerful pack. They took our home, our people, our land and our dignity... And I'm getting it back. *** Roxy and her twin brother, Aiden, have been training their whole lives to go undercover as spies in the pack that overthrew them. Their aim is to figure out the pack's weak spots, get enough information as possible about them, and attack when they least expect it. What Roxy doesn't know is that her mate was the new Alpha of that very pack, which leaves her torn between betraying her pack or her mate. Who will she choose? Let the tests of trust, love and loyalty begin....
Luka was the best Alpha the Brightwater Pack ever had. That is, until he loses his mate and everything comes crashing down. Having lost everything he loved and his one real reason for living, he attempts suicide on a human territory, when Victoria intervenes and ruin his plans. She makes it her duty to help the man that 'couldn't be saved' after he constantly refuses her help. What happens when she uncovers his secrets one by one? Will Victoria give up on him, or will she surprise them both? Who would've thought that she could save him just in the nick of time? Or does she...
Marrying her best friend was a dream come true for Kelly, but everything truly has a limitation. Pierce is Kelly’s first love, but as his best friend, she knew well there was always another woman deep in his heart. Lexi Gilbert. The woman Pierce could never forget even if he had already been arranged to marry Kelly. *** Kelly finally realized their happy marriage of the last three years was just a beautiful dream when Pierce asked for a divorce just because Lexi returned. She could only be his best friend even if she was carrying his baby. *** Since their friendship had become a cage, Kelly chose to set him free, as well as the miserable herself. But why then, it was Pierce who became the one who refused to move on? To make matters worse, her devil stepbrother also domineeringly stepped in at the same time, asking her to be his. *** Her Prince Charming vs. Her Devil Stepbrother? How could Kelly save her heart in this battle of love and hate?
Traversing back to the ancient Prime Martial World from modern age, Austin finds himself in a younger body as he wakes up. Yet, the young man he possesses was a miserable dimwit, what a bummer! But it doesn’t matter as his mind is sound and clear. Possessing this younger and stronger body, he will fight his way to become the God of martial arts, and rule the whole Martial World!
I ran after I died. The moon goddess gave me another chance to live. Married to a ruthless Lycan that was rumored to be cursed by the moon goddess herself. But I was killed by his minion... behind the bars of her torment... A new story began and he battled with his demons, in a world where truth was far fetched. I was his pawn, his toy, his game...until I discovered one night, when I was soaked in blood that I regretted the day I met him. I'd given up the Lycan beast, to marry a monster. I fled from the Alpha of Bloodmoon Park, the gruesome Lycan that every person feared, to be with this man that seemed soft at first glance. It made me wonder, what if I had stayed? The gruesome Lycan might be fearsome but I never heard him pierce a woman's heart with his claw. In a world where wolves howled at the moon and the lines between man and beast are blurred, danger lurked through the shadows, after the day I married the beast that visited my bed every night. Caught in a web of betrayal and deceit, the man I had fallen in love with had become the monster I wished I could flee from. A deadly threat to my life especially when I realized he was getting married to my step sister, the same girl that made my life hell when I was an omega. I wished I could get my revenge, but how could I, when I was lying in a pool of my own blood, dead? Will the goddess grant me another chance?
He has all the traits that you wished for your dream man to have. Power, money, perfection, handsomeness and a body like a Greek God. But he's inlove. He's inlove with her. For him, she was the completion of his dream, a perfect wife and a mother to be with his children. He would give her everything including his own life. He would sacrifice his world for her. But she left him. She betrayed him. She broke his heart into pieces. And he turned into a cold, heartless, rude and an arrogant billionaire, who would do everything to show her that she's no longer important into his life. Even though the truth is the opposite of what he is doing. His heart still aching for her. And that's when he met me. I applied as his Personal Assistant to fulfill my bucket list of dreams. To explore my life and experience everything. He offered me a deal. He asked me to marry him just to show his ex that he already moved on. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "She's pregnant." He blurted out and i almost stumbled on where i am standing. I just gripped the backrest of the couch to support my weight. The pain creeping in my heart is unbearable but i managed to stay calm. "Wow! Congratulations!" I said faking my excitement as i remembered him saying... -cheating would not be the reason to break our marriage- of course i couldn't accuse him of this as 'cheating' because she was the real reason why we are pretending as a couple. He still love her. He's still inlove with her. And that's when i made the biggest decision in my life. Taking all my strength and a piece of my heart that still hanging on a thin rope... I left him. Taking also my biggest secret in me... that i've already fallen inlove with him. And somehow i learned a lesson; 'Loving someone who doesn't love you back isn't as hard as loving someone who still inlove with his ex and who only uses you to get her back again into his life..'
It took only a second for a person's world to come crashing down. This was what happened in Hannah's case. For four years, she gave her husband her all, but one day, he said emotionlessly, "Let's get divorced." Hannah's heart broke into a million pieces as she signed the divorce papers, marking the end of her role as a devoted wife. Within Hannah, a strong woman awakened, vowing never to be beholden to any man again. Embracing her new life, she embarked on a journey to find herself and command her own destiny. By the time she returned, she had experienced so much growth and was now completely different from the docile wife everyone once knew. "Is this your latest trick to get my attention?" Hannah's ever-so-arrogant husband asked. Before she could retort, a handsome and domineering CEO pulled her into his embrace. He smiled down at her and said boldly to her ex, "Just a little heads-up, mister. This is my beloved wife. Keep off!"
Allison fell in love with Ethan Iversen, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonlight Crown pack. She always wanted him to notice her. Meanwhile, Ethan was an arrogant Alpha who thought a weak Omega could not be his companion. Ethan's cousin, Ryan Iversen, who came back from abroad and was the actual heir of the pack, never tried to get the position nor did he show any interest in it. He was a popular playboy Alpha but when he came back to the pack, one thing captured his eyes and that was Allison.