After finishing high school, Isabella finds herself at crossroads in her life. Her parents and Scott, a gorgeous and rich stranger who is secretly in love with her gave her an ultimatum, forcing her to choose between a career that promises her a chance to become all that she can be, or Michael, the guy she's in love with. Hearts are broken as Isabella's boundaries and courage are tested in this epic love story.
I finish drying my blades and cover them before shoving my figure skates into my bag. The change room is deserted now because it's taken me this long just to get ready to leave. Minutes before the Ice resurfacing machine took to the ice, I fell on my umpteenth attempt at a triple axel. I've been working on that jump for over a year now, and I still can't get it.
Competitors two years younger than myself can land it, and they even make it look easy, so why can't I do it? My parents are getting frustrated watching my multiple attempts, they don't even come to the rink anymore. As I get up from the bench, I feel this new pulling sensation in my hamstrings. I hobble out of the change room towards the front doors. Beams of sunlight stream through the lobby, I know if I didn't hurry I'm going to be late for school.
My mom's white Avalon is parked by itself at the far end of the parking lot. I curse myself for not foreseeing the possibility of injury and choosing a spot closer to the front doors. I hobble through the parking lot with my skating bag slung over my shoulder, each step is more painful than the last. I reflect bitterly on my skating career and wonder if it is time to pack it in for a more normal life.
My friend Anna has been encouraging me since freshman year of high school to start spending more time with her. She wants to go out, do things, meet more boys. I always give her excuses, hardly able to spare free time for her. Her patience with me is wearing thin, and her dedication to our friendship is sorely being tested frequently. As my butt clumsily hits the car seat, a slight pain sears down my calf, I swear to myself things are going to be different. I never want to set foot in another ice arena for as long as I live. I stare out the windshield to what appears to be a promising day and insert the key into the ignition. The car comes to life and I'm off to school.
I make it to class ambulating in the hallways like a ninety years old arthritic man with just under two minutes to spare. I carefully lower myself onto my assigned chair. Devotion is only ten minutes long, so I know I will have to get up from my chair immediately after making myself comfortable. There's absolutely no reprieve for me today.
The principal comes across the Platform speaker saying, "Will everyone please stand for the playing of National Anthem and our morning prayer?" Using my desk and my chair for support I slowly rise as the static plays with bits of the anthem in the background. The School Board really needs to invest in new equipment. There is a pause and then the principal comes back on to give us his usual lengthy morning prayer. Today the focus is on a cure for Corona.
Michael, a guy who has no idea I exist whispers to me, "Are you okay? You are moving around like you are debilitated or something. What happened to you?" He's, the cutest guy in second year class, I only see him for ten minutes each day and the only time he notices me is when I'm lame. He stands at least six feet tall making him the shortest guy on our school's basketball team. His shaggy dirty blond hair hangs over the most gorgeous set of puppy-dog brown eyes I've ever seen. His facial features look like they are drawn with a ruler, and his beefy body is littered with muscles. He's far from tall and lanky which is what all the other guys look like who are his age and on the basketball team.
Mrs. Bridget our teacher lowers her glasses and glares directly at Michael sending him this nasty look for talking during her attendance. He ignores her just nodding back when his name is called. This buys me a second of time to admire him without the fear of him catching me drooling.
"Skating injury," I whisper back. The loud bell rings signaling for us to proceed to our first period. I ease myself out of my chair and swing my bag over my shoulder not realizing he's watching me. It's too late to disguise my agony.
"You better get that looked at," he comments.
"Thanks," I grimace stepping forward with my sore leg, a sharp pain shoots down into my knee. Taken by surprise, my knee buckles and I almost collapse, but Michael is there, and he catches me. Oh my God! I'm breathless as I find myself in his arms, the most gorgeous guy in the tenth grade. I so can't wait to tell Anna. He helps me up and lets me lean on him for support. I coach myself to breath, as I immediately try to regain my composure, "You shouldn't be walking on it if you are in that much pain," he wisely comments.
I try massaging my leg, "It wasn't this bad before." "Can I help you go anywhere?"
"Uh, sure, I have my mother's car," I stammer.
"Will you be able to drive?" He asks, his cute face contorting.
"Sure, I think once I get in the car I'll be fine." That's all the encouragement he seems to need. He takes my bag and places it over his shoulder and then hoists me up into his arms. Suddenly my day is getting a whole lot better. I wrap my arms around his neck touching his soft hair in the process and then I sniff quietly trying to pick up the subtle scent of his perfume. He looks at me startled, "Did you just smell me?"
Embarrassed at being caught, I turn red with mortification and start chuckling. Clearly amused, our eyes lock and I feel a flash of nervousness. For a second it is like in the movies just before the guy kisses the girl, he looks at her lips and then into her eyes before looking back down at her lips again. I swear if we would have been anywhere but here, in the corridor of the school he probably would have kissed me. The mood is instantaneously lost as friends start bumping into us with curious expressions on their faces. Everyone parts ways for us as he continues carrying me. If not for the pain searing down my leg, the ride in his arms would have been way more enjoyable.
"I'm taking you to the hospital," he insists, "in my car."
"You'll miss school," I argue.
"All the more reason," he beams. He carries me to his new looking black Mercedes that is parked only a couple of cars away from mine. He carefully lowers me down onto the ground, so he can get his keys from his pocket.
"I'll drop you off at the emergency department," he suggests.
"The emergency department? You think it's that serious?" I question.
"You can't walk," he points out.
"It's going to take hours," I complain.
He shrugs, "I can afford to miss a day of school."
"I better text my mother," I say pulling out my phone from the side pocket of my purse.
ISABELLA: Mom are you there?
MOM: Yes
ISABELLA: I had to leave school & go to the hospital.
MOM: What happened? Are you Okay?
ISABELLA: It's my right leg. I Fell hard.
MOM: Triple Axel?
ISABELLA: Yes, Michael (classmate) is taking me there now.
MOM: Why didn't you go sooner?
ISABELLA: It got worse after I got off the ice.
MOM: I'll meet you there.
MOM: you don't need 2. I'll text you when I'm done. Michael 's with me, I'll be fine.
ISABELLA: I want to hear what the doctor says.
ISABELLA: I'll get them to call U
"Is she meeting us there?" asks Michael.
"No, I told her she doesn't have to, I'll call or text her when I know more."
He drives stick and every time he changes gears I'm forced back into my seat.
"I like your car," I compliment.
His lip curls in response. I gently toss my phone back into my bag and try not to look over in his direction until we arrive at the hospital.
Rejected by her kind, marked as a witch and sold into slavery, Kristen's life took a turn for the worse. Fortunately, a Lycan named Arthur buys Kristen's sister to be his nanny, and he was persuaded to purchase Kristen as well. Kristen and Arthur's attraction to each other is undeniable. But she fears the worst if he learns who and what she truly is. If her own kind reject her for her powers, how could Arthur accept her?
"I've warned you from the beginning. Don't marry him, but you won't listen." She stood close to me and smiled with concern. "You are not a woman worthy of a man as handsome, rich, smart, and virile as Blaze." My whole body trembled at her words. "Have you no shame?" I asked in a quivering voice. "Take a good look at yourself, Heather." She looked at me in the mirror. "You can't even look at your ugly face. Do you think Blaze can endure a lifetime of looking at that face?" Heather Bailey had a surprise from her husband that night: a divorce agreement. After a year of marriage and facing ups and downs, she couldn't believe Blaze intended to divorce her. But she was devastated when she saw him gazing lovingly at another woman because that person was closest to her. Shortly after she put her signature on their divorce papers, shock waves caught her up. Her flower shop was severely burnt, beyond repair. Her father's company collapsed, and her parents blamed her. She struggled to rebuild her life from the ground up and became more successful than ever. Having many customers who came from influential families, she started her action against Blaze. She won the very thing he wanted. But that was just the beginning.
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
"Sign the divorce papers and get out!" Leanna got married to pay a debt, but she was betrayed by her husband and shunned by her in-laws. Seeing that her efforts were in vain, she agreed to divorce and claimed her half of the properties. With her purse plump from the settlement, Leanna enjoyed her newfound freedom. The constant harassment from her ex's mistress never fazed her. She took back her identities as top hacker, champion racer, medical professor, and renowned jewelry designer. Then someone discovered her secret. Matthew smiled. "Will you have me as your next husband?"
After three years of loveless marriage, Kira was slapped with divorce papers. She has shown him her unrequited love throughout her entire marriage with him, but he decided to turn blind eyes all because of his lover. Distraught and heartbroken, Kira choose to sign the divorce papers with bitter heart. But then and there, she promised herself that when she's back, he will come crawling to her, but she will make him pay for hurting her. Join Kira as she transform to a wealthy heiress and soared as the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar empire, a remarkable healer and make her ex-husband pay!
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.