Love is like a game. A lot of interesting challenges and sometimes it will confuse you before you win. Still, it won't change. Xyler and Louisa have had a perfect friendship since college but Xyler keeps his hidden feelings to Louisa as he was waiting for a perfect time as he knew his life is a mess that could be a barrier to their relationship. He must fix himself first. However, waiting for something to happen without taking a risk will lead to unexpected changes. After years of absence, Louisa met Xyler's brother, Xymon. Their sibling relationship is incomparable because they genuinely loved each other but how could he have been upset seeing his brother and the woman he was waiting happily with each other? Will he find the guts to express his real feelings towards Louisa? Or will he just stay as a good brother for Xymon, keeping his own emotions to the end?
It was almost dawn. I'm trying my best not to get drunk while I'm holding the bottle of liquor. My attention is on the band performing in front of the stage. The vocalist sang my favorite song that caught up my attention.
I'm at the Lacoona Bar where I can find peace and where pain can be soothed even just for seconds.
"Xyler?! Where the fuck are you?"
My phone kept on ringing as I grabbed it from my pocket. Cassandra speaks on the phone, obviously mad at me again. I'm used to it. It's good that I can't hear her voice clearly as the loud music coming from the stage's speakers, drums, and microphone filled every corner of the bar.
"What? I can't hear you. Is there something urgent?" I answered, yelling on the phone as the loud music invaded my ear. She is still talking madly so I automatically hang up the call.
Despite my dizziness, I managed to message Louisa, my close friend from college, whom I always contact whenever I'm good or lost. I feel like I need to talk to her. I just want someone to listen to my rants tonight, not a lady who would just nag me for not coming home.
"Join with me" I texted. After a few minutes of waiting for a reply, I received nothing. Maybe she's already sleeping at this moment. It's not a good idea to wake her up this late at night.
While waiting for something to happen, I didn't notice that people were gradually exiting the bar. I and the rest of the performers were still inside. They are about to leave so I decided to head now to the parking lot.
I don't intend to return home at this time. My vision is spinning and I can't drive myself alone. I guess it would be better to stay here inside the car while waiting for the sun to rise. It is approximately 4 am in the morning.
I'm sure Cassandra would kill me because she is demanding as she carries our baby in her womb. The pregnant lady is kind of manipulating me and to be honest, I don't like it. I had no choice but to spend the night inside my car. Alone. And random thoughts lingered inside my head. I'm still sane and I know it. But I would prefer to waste my time alone. At least I had time to reminisce and talk to myself.
The sun has risen. Still, my eyes are wide open due to a lot of uncontrollable thoughts that kept on bugging me off. I was staring at the street lights through the car window. Some fast-food restaurants, coffee shops, and gyms are starting to open. People at this early morning have their job while I have no plans to move in my position. It was as if I wanted to stick myself here inside. My days keep on repeating and only the morning wakes me up in reality. That's why I prefer the moon over the sun. Unfortunately, I have no chance to escape from the responsibilities and agreement with Cassandra's family. To be a father soon of my child while my life is completely a mess.
"Hey! Xy?" The young lady called my name from afar. However, I couldn't recognize her. Maybe it was the effect of being drunk and not getting enough sleep.
She came close to my car window and handed me a cup of coffee and bread. I noticed that she was wearing gym clothes, probably for a workout.
"How did you find out I was here?" I asked in confusion.
"Your car?" Louisa answered in uncertainty. Her lips curved a smile, laughing at my situation right now like she always does.
I grinned. There's no way to ask her as she always knows my destination regardless of where I am located myself.
"Is that for me?" I looked at the coffee she brought. I admitted I'm craving some breakfast this morning.
"Nope. Only if you refused not to take these." She offered. I took the coffee and bread from her hand.
"I read your text last night. My bad, I had seen it just in the morning." She gave me an apologetic remark like it was a big deal for me. "Maybe next time?"
"It wasn't a big deal anyway besides I enjoyed hanging out alone," I assured her not to feel guilty.
We had a lot of conversation while I was sipping the coffee, which she had bought for me. She saved me from starving. She also asked me why I was at the Lacoona Bar again. I explained that I was bored at home.
Although she wasn't convinced, she didn't ask for anything else. I'm sure she figured it out.
"Are you going somewhere, Lou?" I asked. I had thought of going home.
"Yup. Uh... See you around?" she said in delight. I nodded and shut the car window.
I drove myself back to my apartment, My home. I slid the key to the door to open and straightly headed to the sofa to fall asleep and had no time to pick up the bottles, clothes, and instruments that were scattered on the floor. I was too drowsy, tired, and dizzy. I slept for too long and hadn't noticed the time ticking at 3 in the afternoon. I get up to cook myself lunch. I then picked up my pieces of stuff that were cluttered on the floor before I went for a cold shower. Later on, I will visit Cassandra with her family.
I was about to put my clothes on when I heard someone knocking on the door. I didn't order something, who's here? I immediately covered the towel off my half body, hurrying to walk close to the door. As I opened it, Xymon in his business attire showed up in front of me. My twin. I asked him to come inside while I'm lazy drying my wet hair on the towel.
"What are you up to, Mon?" I asked him straight forward.
"Don't you tell....you forgot? there's something to celebrate on Wednesday." He asked back, leaning his arm on the sofa. I was trying to remember what's important for tomorrow but I failed.
"You seem like a newborn." He teased me.
"Come on, Dude. I'll be going out. What's that?" I impatiently asked him because he was consuming my time.
"If I tell you it's Mom's birthday, would you come home on her day? She'll throw a simple party. " I shifted my reaction in surprise. I'm not sure if she wants my presence, after all, knowing that we're not good and Xymon was the most favorable among the two of us.
"I'll try," I answered, definitely uncertain.
"It should be a yes." He insisted. "Anyway, you can bring your friends" He added, about to leave.
After Xymon decided to leave, The thought of attending Mom's birthday is kind of ironic to me. Xymon never gets tired of making a way for mom and me to be compatible with each other as if he wasn't aware mom dislikes me since then. A simple dislike became hatred when my father died and accused me that it was my fault all along. That was why I chose to leave our home and get my apartment using Dad's savings that he put aside for me. It's better to rely upon myself.
I abruptly went back to what I was doing. Then I fixed myself reluctantly and walked to where I had parked my car. I received a message from Cassandra so I immediately brought out my phone and read it.
God! What happened to her. To my anxious, I drove quickly, faster as I could. I didn't notice an old lady was passing by on the street. I instantly turned left in my direction and unexpectedly got collided with the car.
"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?"
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."
The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?
When they were kids, Derek saved Norah's life. Years later, after Derek ended up in a vegetative state from a car crash, Norah married him without a second thought and even used her medical knowledge to heal him. For two years, Norah was devoted, seeking his affection and looking to settle her life-saving debt. But when Derek's first love returned, Norah, faced with divorce, didn't hesitate to sign. Despite being labeled as forsaken, few knew of her true talents. She was a race car driver, a famed designer, a genius hacker, and a renowned doctor. Regretting his decision, Derek begged for her forgiveness. Just then, a charming CEO intervened, embracing Norah and declaring, "Back off! She's my wife!" Taken aback, Norah blurted out, "What did you say?"
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!