After a passionate love affair with the dangerous leader of New York's most powerful crime syndicate, Olivia Parekh's world comes crashing down when Xavier Soto pushes her away just as she needs him most. Forced to start over without the man she loves, Olivia raises their daughter alone. Five years later, fate brings them together again, but nothing is the same. As their long-buried feelings resurface and threaten to reignite their volatile connection, darker forces seek to keep them apart. With Xavier's position in the syndicate on shaky ground and Olivia's family more disapproving than ever, they will have to fight for their love against all odds or risk losing each other for good. But can Olivia ever trust Xavier again after the way he left her, and will he be able to prove he has changed before it's too late? "Second Chances" is a gripping romantic thriller that explores the depth of love, the power of forgiveness, and the resilience of the human spirit.
Olivia's nerves grew as the limousine approached the charity gala. Smoothing the folds of her emerald gown, she gazed at familiar Manhattan landmarks fading in the tinted windows. Would he be here tonight, after five years?
The gala welcomed Olivia with a glimmering foyer dotted with laughter and chandeliers. Her designer accessories hinted at wealth, though her smile didn't reach her eyes which scanned anxiously. Socialites waved - all but one face she hoped not to find.
Slipping inside, music and champagne bubbled off marble. Floral displays breathed life between pillars and paintings. Olivia sighed. Perhaps the past could fade into this gathering, and she may relish her work without turmoil. But as guests milled between dining and dancing, by the opulent bar offering merriment, a figure made her breath catch across the room. It was unmistakably him, chatting with colleagues, commanding as she remembered. Her night, it seemed, was only beginning. Emeralds glinting under crystal light, Olivia scanned the ballroom slowly, hoping its elaborate touches might distract from her nerves. Floral displays breathed perfume between marble pillars and paintings, losing herself briefly in their beauty. But by the opulent bar where colleagues laughed, a face stole her respiration.
It was him, Xavier, chatting with an elegant smile. His suit hugged lean strength as ever, dark hair falling with careless charm over eyes that, even at this distance, seemed to see right through her. A familiar rhythm stirred in her blood at the sight of him, commanding as in memories she'd fight to forget. His laugh drifted to her ears, tingling her skin.
Her breath left her. Five years, but he remained untouched by time. Each line and plane of his form surfaced from some hidden depth of her being, dragging feelings raw as open wounds to her cheeks' surface. Her lungs burned for more air that refused to come. Across glittering years and regretted miles, his eyes found hers, and she knew he saw her too. Her limbs tensed to flee, but too late - across marble stretched his awareness, unerring as the tide. His eyes caught and held hers, recognition sparking within their depths.
A flicker passed over his features: astonishment, or longing rediscovered? Both, perhaps, as five years condensed within that suspended glance. Memories flooded between them vivid as scents - warm skin in tangled sheets; his smile lingering after passion's ebb; murmured secrets and promises graven deeper than bone.
Time collapsed. She was again that girl overflowing with hope, drowning in his ardent gaze. He the man whose heartbeat had drummed her world, who even now set her spirit and flesh aquiver as no other ever could.
Through twisted years and errors regretted, across the distance of their separate paths, the charge between them endured - that reckless, addictive pull that from their first meeting drew two disparate lives into the orbit of one another. Two hearts now rejoined across the shimmering room, as if they had never parted at all. , As through deep waters their eyes met and held, purpose shifted his features. Pleasant yet intent, he parted the crowd towards her, slick as a shark cutting silent swells.
Panic grasped her chest. Not ready - perhaps never, to stand within his presence and that awareness stripping her bare. Memories clawed her nerves to tender ribbons; feelings welled she dared not name.
She fled. Crimson silk swirling, Olivia turned from the magnetism in his approach. Past marble pillars and dignitaries' stares she fled, away from the man resurrecting a girl buried so deep. Through glittering foyers and into the veranda's perfumed night she fled, still feeling his eyes dragging her back against her will, even as cool dark soothed her racing pulse. But she knew, somehow, her flight had only begun. , Silk like arterial blood had flashed through marble veins, and his hunter's eyes had given chase. Bursting through gardens perfumed with night, Xavier spotted her figure fleeing swift as desperation.
"Olivia, wait!" Breath heaving from lungs and heart, he caught her arm. She turned, lips parted to refuse whatever plea he made - and found him struck speechless.
Even wan in the moon's grace, panic lending wildness to her eyes, still she breathed taking his breath away. Time had only refined the lines of chin and cheeks, the swell of breasts straining for breath; still darker did lashes frame eyes haunting his days, his nights, his every dream.
How long he stared, drinking the beauty that had only ripened, he knew not. All around dissolution whispered soft on curtains of fog. But before him, vivid and alive, stood the one his soul had never relinquished - as breathtaking now in flight, as then in surrender., , Silence gripped the veranda but for their quick breaths releasing fog. Between them the past stood vast as oceans, heavy as all things unsaid.
At last Xavier managed, "I never thought...to see you here." His eyes roved her as though relearning by heart. "It's...really good to see you."
Beneath that simple phrase stirred depths she dare not name, lest old tenderness weaken resolve. A feeling swelled his stare, aged yet ageless as their history - that selfsame yearning tempest born when first they met, and knew each face, each gesture as belonging more truly than any other's could.
Words hid behind lips, for none sufficed. Her knees threatened to buckle under the weight of memory, and that naked hope lighting his eyes. Around them night shielded gardens where past pleasures lingered as ghosts, and phantoms of what might have been but never came to pass. Between them silence spoke all that need be said, for now.,
In the heart of a bustling city stands a quaint bookshop, a sanctuary of stories and a beacon for two solitary souls. Lily, a gentle librarian with eyes full of dreams, spends her days amongst the whispering pages, seeking solace in tales of timeless romance. Ethan, a charismatic yet introspective writer, finds refuge in the written word, his life a tapestry of unwritten chapters. Their paths cross amidst the stacks of bound wonders, leading to a serendipitous bond over their shared love for literature. As they navigate the complexities of their emerging feelings, they must also contend with external forces threatening to pull apart the world they cherish. Together, they embark on a journey of self-discovery, healing, and creative endeavour, penning their love story while seeking to save the very place that brought them together. In "Whispers of the Heart," love is not just a feeling, but a driving force capable of overcoming life's challenges. It is a story of connection, resilience, and the enduring power of love to write its own story.
The Storm Within is a poetic memoir that delves into the tumultuous relationship between the narrator and her husband. Chronicling the dualities of love and hate, attraction and repulsion, the book explores the complexities of their bond. As the relationship deteriorates into episodes of explosive conflict, the narrator contemplates leaving, but feelings of love complicate the situation. A tragic accident becomes the catalyst for change, leading to forgiveness and acceptance. The narrator starts therapy to heal old wounds affecting the relationship, leading to a transformative journey of emotional breakthroughs. With compassion and openness, the relationship evolves, and the narrator finds peace with the past and hope for the future. The Storm Within is a lyrical tale that captures the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of love.
"Is it considered betrayal to develop feelings for your best friend's boyfriend? What about when fate intervenes, and he turns out to be your destined mate? You might think it's luck and thank the moon goddess for such a twist of fate. That's what I believed until the love of my life uttered those dreaded words: 'I want a divorce!' As I stared at the pregnancy test in my hands, I realized it was better to keep my secret to myself. My name is Violet, and this is my story."
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."
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..."Â But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
Drugged and deceived, she bore a child amidst tragedy-her son, falsely declared dead at birth. Fueled by the agony, she disappeared, only to return years later with both her daughter and an adopted son, driven by an unyielding desire for revenge against those who had wronged her and her late mother. The plot takes an unexpected twist when the haunting truth surfaces: her son is alive, and his father is a powerful CEO.