"How do you think he survived the fall?" she wondered aloud, looking up at the hole above. "If he did survive the fall, someone must have caught him. Or he fell on a softer ground-or someone looking up at the hole like you are doing now," Meredith, her chaperone and lady companion absently answered. Cressida rolled her eyes. "You're not even taking this matter seriously." "I'm not." "Why ever not?" "Because you're trying to waste our time talking about a myth." "No, I'm not," Cressida answered, closing her eyes and reveling at the heat of the sun above them. If there was anything she hated, it was the gloomy feel of the Town behind her. "We will be late. Your father will be looking for us." "Let them wait a little while longer," she murmured. "Your mother will have a faint if you do something strange today," Meredith said beside her. Cressida finally opened her eyes and turned to her companion, her heavy dress rustling as she shifted on the bench. "I am not planning to do something strange." Meredith merely looked at her as if she knew better. "I've known you all my life, Cressy. You don't have to say anything for me to realize you are planning something." When she didn't say a word, Meredith added, "Marrying the Lord of Easton is-" "-the worst idea of the lifetime, I know," Cressida cut in. Meredith shook her head with a faint smile. "If the Lord of Easton is an old man and ten times your size, yes it is. But he is not. He's merely a few years older than you and you've known each other-" "-and never liked each other all our lives. I know, this marriage will be horrifying."
I. The Town
In a land not so far away, there lived a place that lived in the past.
The people there simply called it the Town because its founders never came up with a proper name. They were too much consumed with haste to build it and set the rules in motion. In every convention, in every meeting, they simply referred to it as The Town and it stuck up to this day.
Their rules were their law. And the people of The Town took their law quite seriously. If one would inspect them, they weren't even complicated at all. They were basic laws against crime one could easily find in any other towns.
But what sets The Town aside from the rest?
They refuse the use of anything more advanced than electricity in any way whatsoever and the children of the Town grew up knowing what other towns would call ancient or basic.
Oh, yes, they know about the other towns. They had heard stories. They believed the other towns owned carriages that didn't require a horse at all. They could talk and see one another even when the other person was not in the same vicinity as them. They could do things with the 'tip of their fingers' as what the teachers in the schools of the Town would say. The children thought it was magic.
The adults, on the other hand, saw it as threat. The leaders battled against each other whether or not to form alliances with the other towns, but they would always go back to what the founders believed: the Town was indestructible. In a sense, it was true.
The Town was not really a town. The other towns outside considered it a country, and a very strong one at that. And it spanned almost half of the entire continent in the west. The very few people who knew of the Town's existence would not dare distract the Town. No one dared think of invading it either. Its very presence was a threat to almost all other towns outside because they stood on it.
The Town was their very foundation, built deep underground with its own cities and streets and buildings. They destroy the Town, they fall with it. And everyone left them alone untouched, peaceful as ever, forever living the history that had long been forgotten by the other towns, unknown to the commoners aboveground and alien to the very few powerful who had knowledge of their existence.
The streets of the Town were made of stones, fitted perfectly for carriages to drive by and people to walk on. The houses, though with enough electricity to give light, were always on the side of dim. Businesses thrived. Livestock were kept on the other side of town as well as the farms with their own holes to provide sun to their crops. As a matter of fact, everything from irrigation to waste disposals had been thoroughly planned from the start by the founders themselves. The Town could stand on its own without help from the outside.
The people of the Town were generally content and happy with their lives. It was, after all, the only life they had known. But if there was one thing they would have liked to experience more, it was the sun. Yes, they knew of the sun. They could experience it from time to time and bask in its goodness in the many parks their founders had built. Such parks were built with perfect holes hundreds of feet above the ground, giving them natural light and ventilation. These holes were the only access to the other towns and they were surrounded by tall walls shaped like a funnel so no one from the outside could climb on them and see the Town below. And if ever one could manage to climb to the top, sliding down would be easy though the fall might lead to a sudden death. Climbing out, on the other hand, was impossible. Or everyone believed that to be so.
There were hundreds of such walls and only once had it been trespassed. That was almost a century ago and it never happened again. What became of the trespasser was never disclosed to the public though ideas that ranged from possible to insane circulated that the story soon became a myth and the trespasser was named Mr. Jones. Some stories said that Mr. Jones survived and married a woman from a higher class. Others said he was taken prisoner until he died. There was one that said Mr. Jones was amongst the first founders of the Town.
The story of Mr. Jones had never been taught in any subjects in the different schools in the Town, but it didn't stop the children, even those in adulthood, to speak of him as if he was part of history. The very same topic was being discussed by Lady Cressida and her companion.
"How do you think he survived the fall?" she wondered aloud, looking up at the hole above.
"If he did survive the fall, someone must have caught him. Or he fell on a softer ground-or someone looking up at the hole like you are doing now," Meredith, her chaperone and lady companion absently answered.
Cressida rolled her eyes. "You're not even taking this matter seriously."
"I'm not."
"Why ever not?"
"Because you're trying to waste our time talking about a myth."
"No, I'm not," Cressida answered, closing her eyes and reveling at the heat of the sun above them. If there was anything she hated, it was the gloomy feel of the Town behind her.
"We will be late. Your father will be looking for us."
"Let them wait a little while longer," she murmured.
"Your mother will have a faint if you do something strange today," Meredith said beside her.
Cressida finally opened her eyes and turned to her companion, her heavy dress rustling as she shifted on the bench. "I am not planning to do something strange."
Meredith merely looked at her as if she knew better. "I've known you all my life, Cressy. You don't have to say anything for me to realize you are planning something." When she didn't say a word, Meredith added, "Marrying the Lord of Easton is-"
"-the worst idea of the lifetime, I know," Cressida cut in.
Meredith shook her head with a faint smile. "If the Lord of Easton is an old man and ten times your size, yes it is. But he is not. He's merely a few years older than you and you've known each other-"
"-and never liked each other all our lives. I know, this marriage will be horrifying."
Her companion sighed and slowly stood up. "It's time to go, Cressy."
But Cressida did not move. She turned away from Meredith and looked up at the giant hole above her. She thought she saw something fly by, maybe a bird of some sort. Then her brows slowly moved to form a small frown above her eyes as an idea started to build inside her.
"Meredith, have you ever been to the parks near the woods?" she asked.
"No. Cressy, we have to go. It's about time."
"You don't even have a watch. How do you know it's time?" she asked with irritation but stood up all the same.
Meredith waited until she started walking and followed her toward the waiting carriage. As she took the careful steps away from the park, Cressida formulated the most stunning plan ever thought of anyone in the Town.
No wedding was going to happen in a month's time because Lady Cressida was going to disappear.
She'd fly her way out of the Town or die trying.
A while ago, Juniel couldn't get enough of the gaze of a man sitting on the High Chairs near the Bar. Ever since he was hit by the man's gaze, he hasn't looked away even once. Meanwhile, he spent time with the man in front of him that he was talking to earlier. but no matter what the man said, it didn't seem to enter his ears. She was distracted, she admitted. No matter how he pretends, Tyron still has the same effect on him. Yes Tyron was the guy who was staring at her. when she and Tyron first met she couldn't sleep that night. Surely Tyron doesn't remember her. But what other reason why Tyron should remember him? He shook his head. Tyron should never know or remember him. he often sees Tyron because he is a stylist for the models of Tyron's company. It's like that's where the young man's feelings grew. When she tried to see where Tyron was, she felt dismay when she couldn't find the young man. maybe she feels strange when he stares at her but it's Tyron after all. He still prefers to see the young man up close He was very surprised to see Tyron on the dance floor still staring at him. She knew it! Tyron will approach him again! He quickly said goodbye to his companion and hurried away. But Tyrone's chasing her. He didn't want to talk to or get close to the young man. But Tyron quickly grabbed her by the arm. He was staring at her intently. it followed Tyron as he pulled him out of the bar and into the parking lot. "What!?" The young man yelled at him. Tyron's gaze stayed on Juniel. He felt as if some cold was rising in his system and his legs were shaking "You really don't want?" Tyron frowned. Juniel gasped. One night at Tyron's company party, the young man unexpectedly spoke to him. The conversation goes well at first until Tyron offers to have sex with her. That night Juniel couldn't sleep well. his whole body argued with Tyron's words. Well a part of her wants Tyron. Who is he to say no to someone like Tyron. But... Juniel has a pure feelings towards Tyron. she doesn't want to be like Tyron's girls that when they finish doing 'that' Tyron will just throw her away like one of his girls "I don't want to. That will never happen." The young man stepped closer to him. His heart felt like it was about to break out of his heart because it was beating so fast. "Are you sure? Why don't you?" "I'm not like your girls Tyron. So don't tease me anymore. My answer will never change. I don't want to!" Tyron smiled and put his finger to his lips. Gosh! he can no longer deny that the simple trail of your fingers on his lips attracted him. Especially with his baritone voice. Damn him! "Don't make me chase you Juniel. We both know that in this battle. I'm the winner. I will win. I will always win. I get what I want. Juniel will be yours."
"Your Highness!" "The Lord is here!" I heard shouts of someone in the palace of Paine.I saw mila outside the raging servants go to that noise. I went straight inside until I saw people gathering. "Intruder!" Shouted a soldier on the side and I was about to rush when I removed the cloak on my head. "W-Who are you?" A leader, maybe a servant, stammered. I said that because it was neat and classy. "I am the Lord bride.Princess RoseĆ© Merald Stone from the Stone Palace." I said and got off the horse. All the servants who were blocking my path stepped aside when I saw who was the center of attention earlier. It looks like it's boiling ā No! I don't think it's but my blood is really boiling in that lalaling. I slowly approached him and threatened him.
I donāt trust vampires, but if heās the one that needs protection. I will gladly protect young master from danger.ā āMaple Quinn Tempest."What?" I almost choked because I heard a suggestion from my friend. āMe? Be a bodyguard to a vampire? āWe are now in a cafĆ© near our school. Iām Maple Quinn Tempest, 18 years old and currently looking for a job for personal reasons."Escort that." I rolled my eyes when she corrected me, art can only be a bodyguard. Even calling a bodyguard needs to be social, vampires are.Is he kidding? Me? Serving a vampire? āThey are strong ah? Do we need a bodyguard? āāHe is different, you know that? Heā¦ needs protection from someone- AH BASTA! It's up to them to explain. ā Annoyed he says, psh. āApple, you also need money for your brother. You know martial arts or defense, this job is perfect for you. āI was frustrated, I shouldn't have said I knew how to kill. I've been looking for a job before, it's a difficult case because I'm still a student. I need money for my little sister, I have no choice.āFine. Iāll guard este- escort this vampireā¦ whatsoever. ā Phee's face suddenly lit up. Why does the fun he? what's up with that vampire?āYesss! He will meet you today! He is coming! ā I was surprised by his answer. TODAY ?! IMMEDIATELY?āHeās hereeee ~āHe immediately pulled me upright, I saw a black haired guy arriving in front of the cafĆ©, I just couldn't see the color of his eyes. Ok, is he really that rich or something ?! Wait, is the limousine he rode in ?! WAIT BUSHET I'M NOT READY YET! I'M UGLY-"Wait, I'm not ready yet-"I could hardly breathe when he started approaching us, he had companions. His bodyguards are supposed to be in a suit and tie, confirmed. Rich old vampire.
Lucky is twenty-eight years old, NBSB but successful in her career as an erotic writer. Came from a rich family, but grew up independent and expected nothing but himself. She was happy and satisfied with her twenty-eight year career. but, suddenly came to the point where she wanted to have a child. Lucky is at the right age, she has saved a lot and has her own house, this is also what her parents have been asking for over and over again. Lucky has only one problem. she has genophobia, a mental health disorder characterized by a fear of sexual intimacy. No one else knows about Lucky's condition apart from her best friend slush Genesis. even to his own family, Lucky did not tell this for fear that her relatives would laugh at her or make fun of her condition, so adoption was not the answer to her desire to have a child. She only thought of one way, to conceive using the IUI procedure; a medical procedure in which a male donor's sperm is implanted directly into a woman's uterus. She told Genesis his plan, and her best friend supported him, but when she said she wanted to be a sperm donor, the man did not agree. He said he doesn't want to be responsible for any woman. Lucky has a way, but she didn't really think that she would have a hard time finding a sperm donor, she didn't want to be a Pontio Pilato donor, that's why he committed a crime one night after Genesis had sex with his flavor of the month. well, she just stole his friend's sperm. Will Lucky's pregnancy be successful? How will Genesis react when he finds out what his best friend did?
Tony Green, an A-list celebrity got into a serious car accident. The culprit? Ash Myers, an infamous singer, who was drunk driving. Due to this fateful event, Tony got into a coma and woke up with a condition called Savant Syndrome--a rare disease that he became a genius in music and math but at the same time, became an idiot in some activities of daily living. A favorable arrangement was offered to Ash. Will accepting it lead to her one true love or will it end in tragedy due to some twists and turns of life?
I was inside my car, driving as usual.But of course,Some enemies were following me.I'm not scared of anything,Even if it's death.What I'm afraid of,Is leaving something behind, Something.. Special. *Car crashed*" Sh*t! Sh*t!!! "" Call an ambulance immediately!!! "" Okay! Okay! Help!! "" I said call the ambulance!!! "I wasn't afraid of getting killed,What I was afraid of,Leaving someone behind, My precious mother." Hey, are you okay? "" Are you still alive? "" She's still breathing!! "" Where are the ambulance!!? "" We need to get her to hospital or she'll die! "I didn't know,That today is the end of me,I bet my enemies are happy,Of course they are, but who cares?I'm leaving my mother behind,Her daughter is gonna die,Not like she cares anyway,She has someone besides her even I'm gone,So that's okay,I have no regrets when I'm going to die, Even if it's for eternity." Here comes the ambulance! " I'm Meilippe Xiao, A daughter of a billionaire woman, Who is known for being a gangster, A woman who knows how to fight and defend herself on her own, Without relying to anyone, Independent, strong woman, That is me,All I know that before I was even brought to the hospital,I was dead on arrival,But how on earth,. . . Did I live again?
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?
6 years ago, Lydia suffered a brutal betrayal orchestrated by her own husband and step-sister, who drugged her and framed her. In a twist of fate, she ended up having a one-night stand with a stranger. Don't even remember what he looked like. Later, in the throes of death, she discovered the truth about her mother's death all those years ago. In the blink of an eye, she lost everything. 6 years later, Lydia returned with her genius son, vowing to exact revenge on all her enemies! Little did she know, she encountered an incredibly familiar man at the airport! *** The man was briskly pushing open the door to the restroom, heading to the urinal. Even with such a mundane action, he did it with unparalleled elegance and grace. Lydia, following him in a daze, saw his fierce lower body and suddenly snapped back to reality. She let out a high-pitched scream, instinctively covering her eyes with her hands, her cheeks flushed, and stood there stiffly, unsure of what to do. Lambert furrowed his brows slightly but remained calm as he continued to relieve himself. The sound of water hitting the urinal made Lydia's face even redder. She angrily shouted, "You pervert!" Little did Lydia know that Lambert, seeing her in this state, had a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Memories from many years ago flashed through his mind, and his heart couldn't help but stir. It was her!
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 allāfrom 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 didnāt return her feelings. But when Brian received news of Rachelās terminal illness and realized she didnāt 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."
22-year-old Evelyn Carter is attempting to start over in California while avoiding her past. She will be embarking on a new career path as a private school teacher. She is smart, attractive, and doesn't put up with nonsense. Who wouldn't notice her? However, what happens when she attracts the attention of someone unwilling to let her go? Who wants her and nothing else after falling in love at first sight? A 25-year-old billionaire CEO and single father, Lucian Carrington. He takes what he wants and he is also a very dangerous man. All it needed was one look at a stunning woman to realize she was HIS, even though he doesn't believe in relationships because they always end. Preview: Miss Carter, you will be mine. I say firmly. "Release my arm, Mr. Carrington, before I force you to." She says, seeming to smile at me. I give her a sly smile. Squeezing my wrist with her other hand, she twists it uncomfortably. I gave a painful hiss. "Don't underestimate me, Mr. Carrington." "This is the only time I will allow you to walk away from me, Miss Carter." She glared at me as she turned. "Mr. Carrington, I am no possession of yours." I was left standing there when she opened the classroom door and left.
Madison had always believed that she would marry Colten. She spent her youth admiring him from afar, dreaming of their future life together. But Colten was always indifferent to her, and when he abandoned her at a time when she needed him most, she finally realized that he never loved her. With renewed resolve and a thirst for revenge, Madison left. Endless possibilities lay ahead, but Colten was no longer part of her plans. Colten rushed to her place in a panic. "Madison, please come back to me. Iāll give you everything!" It was his powerful uncle who answered the door. "She's my woman now."
COALESCENCE OF THE FIVE SERIES BOOK ONE: THE 5-TIME REJECTED GAMMA & THE LYCAN KING BOOK TWO: THE ROGUES WHO WENT ROGUE BOOK THREE: THE INDOMITABLE HUNTRESS & THE HARDENED DUKE *** BOOK ONE: After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate-bonds. To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. Whatās worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself. She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner. King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldnāt thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him. He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesnāt seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that heās different; and a chance to love her. But when not-so-subtle crushes, jealous suitors, self-entitled Queen-wannabes, an old flame, a silent protector and a past wedding engagement threaten to jeopardize their relationship, will Lucianne and Xandar still choose to be together? Is their love strong enough to overcome everything and everyone? Or will Lucianne resort to enduring a sixth rejection from the one person she thought she could entrust her heart with?