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Lyra's life seems perfect. She has stellar grades, a loving family, great friends, and the best boyfriend she could ever hope for. But when the dark, brooding Liam invades her seemingly idyllic world, he reveals a truth she's been blind to: her life is far from perfect. As Liam exposes the cracks in her flawless facade, Lyra is forced to confront hidden truths and uncomfortable realities. Yet, in the midst of the chaos, Liam offers her a chance to rebuild and redefine her life. Will LyraE embrace the shadows he brings, or will she cling to her crumbling perfection?
The best kind of music for school mornings played through my earbuds as I hummed along, arranging items on my reading table. Once everything was in place, I checked the room one last time to ensure I hadn't forgotten anything. Satisfied, I turned to the full-length mirror on my wall to inspect my outfit one more time. Perfect. I was rocking a soft, schoolgirl look today: plaid cardigan, short pleated skirt, and long socks. Liam loved this look, which was why he suggested it.
Liam was my boyfriend. He was friends with the popular crowd at school, making him one of them by default. His parents were wealthy and fancy, living on the upper-class side of town, and they were... nice to me. I felt incredibly lucky to have Liam as my boyfriend. He was always looking out for me and being so kind. Many girls would kill to be in my shoes, but he chose me.
Smiling at the thought, I hurried downstairs past my cat, Tilly. She meowed in protest when I didn't pet her, so I turned around. "Gosh, you're so demanding," I sighed playfully, reaching out to pet her. She nearly sliced my hand with her claws.
"Well, make up your mind!" I said, pulling my hand back. Then I noticed the Country Club pin on my sweater. Tilly hated it. Once I removed it, I could pet her to my heart's content-well, until my ringtone interrupted the music.
It was Liam, and my heart skipped a beat as I realized I was running late. "Hi, Liam!" I said, hurrying to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee.
"Babe, Lyra, tell me you're halfway here," Liam said. He was already at school with his friends.
"Sorry, I'm still making your coffee."
"Well, hurry up! I want to drink it before class begins," he snapped. I rolled my eyes. "Also, there's someone I want you to meet."
I frowned but didn't ask. "Okay, I'll see you in a few."
"Okay, love you."
I smiled, packed my things, and rushed out of the house. Dad was in the front yard, watering plants and talking to the neighbor over the low fence. "Running late?" he asked.
"Yeah, feed Tilly, please!" I replied, nearly sprinting past him. I dumped my stuff in the passenger seat and placed the coffee in the cup holder before getting into the driver's seat.
"Movie night?" Dad called after me.
"Sorry, Mom invited me to the estate. I'll be going there after school."
"She's back from Egypt? Cool, I want a souvenir!" he called. I smiled as I drove off.
I remembered Liam didn't have any first-period classes only when I got to the school parking lot. "Seriously?" I sighed, spotting him and his friends hanging around his big car. I parked next to them. Even though I was late, being Liam Frances's girlfriend had its perks.
"Finally, what took you so long?" Liam asked, taking my hand to help me out of the car.
"Traffic," I said, waving at his friends.
"Hey, Lyra!" they chorused with grins.
"I'll take that," Liam said, smirking as he took the cup from my hand. I folded my arms, frowning.
"What? What's with the funny face?" he asked.
"You made me hurry like you had a first-period class."
After a sip, he frowned and handed the cup back. "You didn't add enough cream. You know how I like my coffee."
"I was in a hurry because of you," I said. "Now you're not even going to drink it?"
Liam rolled his eyes. "It's just coffee, no need to be so sassy and uptight, Lyra. What's with the attitude?"
I blinked and calmed my expression. "It's not like I skipped breakfast or anything," I mumbled.
"Speak up. I hate when you do that," Liam said.
"It's nothing," I sighed, adjusting my bag. Liam was right; it was just coffee. I smiled at him, and his brown eyes brightened.
"If you're not having it, I will," one of the guys said, taking the cup before I could protest. I froze as I realized I didn't recognize him. Was he wearing eyeliner?
"Remember I said I wanted you to meet someone?" Liam said, patting the guy on the back. "This is my cousin, Owen, from New York. He'll be staying with us for the rest of the school year." Liam introduced him with a proud grin, and I waved at Owen, unable to find my voice. He was intimidating, staring at me while sipping my only hope for breakfast.
"Hello, Lyra. Liam talks a lot about you."
"All good things, I hope?" I muttered.
"I didn't catch that," Owen said.
"I have class!" I blurted, louder than intended, causing the other guys to pause their conversation.
"See you later, babe," Liam said, kissing my cheek. "Can you show my cousin to Mrs. Ellis's classroom on your way?"
I glanced at Owen and nodded. "Sure."
"Great, see you at lunch," Liam said, giving Owen a fist bump before letting him follow me.
The hallways were nearly empty since the warning bell had already rung. I kept glancing at the cup of coffee in Owen's hand, regretting not getting breakfast when he pulled out a bagel and took a big bite. The awkward silence was broken by my stomach growling loudly.
"Um... worms," I blurted the worst excuse ever, holding my stomach.
Owen, unfazed, handed me the coffee. "Take this, kiddo."
"Kiddo?" I shook my head. "No thanks, it's yours."
He deadpanned at me, and I gave in. "On second thought..." I took the cup and had a big gulp.
"Hey, don't finish it. It's still mine," Owen said, looking slightly offended.
"Sorry," I giggled, wiping my upper lip.
When he split his bagel and offered me the bigger half, I gratefully accepted. "Thanks," I said with my mouth full.
"So, girlfriend to Liam," Owen said lazily, "what's a girl like you doing with a guy like him?"
"What do you mean?" I frowned, remembering my long-time crush on Liam. He was the guy of my dreams.
"Clueless little thing, aren't you?" Owen hummed, offering no further explanation.
"Mrs. Ellis's class," I said, stopping at a classroom door. "Thanks for sharing."
His grey eyes fixed on me as he stepped closer, almost making me step back into a trashcan. "I don't like sharing my food. So for the love of God, kid, make sure you get your own breakfast every day. Clear?"
I nodded quickly, watching as he brushed golden locks from his face with his ring-covered hand. "All I said was thank you," I murmured.
He rolled his eyes. "You really need to speak up, Squeaky." Then he pushed the door open and stepped into the class.
"Squeaky?!" I exclaimed before spinning around and marching to my own class.
Diana Hartley, an ambitious and independent architect, has built her life with precision and focus. When she lands a dream contract to design a landmark for the McAlister Corporation-a global powerhouse owned by reclusive billionaire Colton McAlister-she's sure this is the project that will launch her into a new league of success. But working alongside Colton proves to be as challenging as it is exhilarating. Colton, known as a ruthless titan in business, is fiercely private and haunted by secrets he keeps buried. Driven by a painful past, he has little time or trust to spare, especially for someone outside his ironclad circle. But Diana's passion and vision intrigue him, sparking feelings he thought he'd buried long ago. As they clash and connect over late nights and city skylines, they find themselves tangled in more than blueprints and business. But when old rivals resurface and a corporate scandal threatens the empire Colton has fought to build, Diana is faced with a choice: protect her career, or risk it all for the enigmatic man who's captured her heart. Can love survive in a world where loyalty has a price and trust is the rarest currency of all?
After a near-death experience, 25-year-old Harper Riley awakens with an inexplicable connection to the moon and an unsettling hunger for the hunt. As the full moon rises, Harper discovers she's been reborn as a werewolf. Enter Maverick Jackson, a mysterious and captivating alpha who claims Harper's transformation is a sign of an ancient prophecy. Will Harper accept her new identity and Maverick's love, or will the dangers of the werewolf world tear them apart?
In 16th century Europe, where humans believe wolves are mere folklore, shape-shifters live secretly among them. Ryker Flynn, last surviving member of the Emberclaw Pack, seeks vengeance against the Shadowmoon Pack for massacring his family. But as war rages between wolves and vampires, Ryker must unite the fractured packs and confront the darkness within himself. Can he overcome his thirst for revenge and lead the wolves to victory, or will the shadows consume them all?
In a world where werewolves are hunted, 17-year-old Luna Reyes discovers she's the last living heir of the ancient Lunar bloodline. Forced to flee her home, Luna joins a secretive pack of rebels fighting against the oppressive government. As the full moon rises, Luna's transformation begins, and she must confront her destiny. Can she reclaim her family's legacy and lead the werewolves to freedom, or will the hunters silence her forever?
When ex-CIA operative Kalliope "Kae" Wilder uncovers the truth about Echelon, a mysterious surveillance program, she's drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse. Joining forces with enigmatic whistleblower Beckett "Beck" Vaughn and rogue hacker Sage Riley, Kae must confront her past and stop Echelon's mastermind, Magnus "The Archon" Blackwood, before global catastrophe strikes.
"Oh" Sicily grinned sheepishly. I could tell she seemed a bit disappointed that he had found out so I figured she was trying to stay away from him. At her petition, Drew let Sicily down and we helped her to her feet. "Are you OK sweetie?" I asked her "I'm fine" Sicily said, nodding profusely at Drew, hoping he'd get the hint and go back to the agency. "Alright, be careful Sicily" Drew said He leaned in to kiss her but she moved back, clearly annoyed, and ducked behind me. Drew threw up his hands in defense, "Alright I get it, I'm leaving". He sighed and sprinted off into the night Beep bop
"I heard you're going to marry Marcelo. Is this perhaps your revenge against me? It's very laughable, Renee. That man can barely function." Her foster family, her cheating ex, everyone thought Renee was going to live in pure hell after getting married to a disabled and cruel man. She didn't know if anything good would ever come out of it after all, she had always thought it would be hard for anyone to love her but this cruel man with dark secrets is never going to grant her a divorce because she makes him forget how to breathe.
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?
On their wedding night, Rogelio wrapped his fingers around Marian's neck and spat at her, "Congratulations! From now on, you live in hell!" The reason for his wrath was that he believed she was responsible for the death of his elder brother. So, he married her but refused to touch her, determined to make her suffer for the rest of her pitiful life! However, due to an unforeseen accident, Marian was forced to sleep with Rogelio in order to save him, and she ended up getting pregnant. Concealing her pregnancy, Marian lived cautiously under Rogelio's watchful eyes. He hated her and relentlessly humiliated her, yet he would never allow anyone else to lay a finger on her— "Mr. Bailey, your wife got into a fight with someone!" Rogelio secretly took action, eliminating that person completely. "Sir, your wife claimed that all of your family's wealth belongs to her!" Rogelio quietly transferred all the shares to her. Unaware of all this, Marian only wanted to escape, but Rogelio pulled her into his warm embrace, whispering, "Mrs. Bailey, where do you intend to go with our unborn child?"
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
For the whole 17 years of her existence, Alana did not know the word freedom and happiness having been confined in the basement of her family's house accused of killing her own mother. She's beaten, cursed at, and barely survived from crumbs of food thrown at her. She thought this is her final destiny and has accepted the bitter fate of her life not until the night of her 18th birthday, a mysterious alpha appeared at her door telling her that she is the long-lost daughter of the alpha king and claiming her as his mate he's been looking for several years now.
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."