Lovey Rylan, a good secret agent, finds her once thrilling career now a tiresome routine. But her world is turned upside down when a powerful enemy from her past resurfaces, threatening everything she holds dear. Forced to confront buried traumas and navigate a web of deceit, Lovey must rely on her skills and trusted allies to survive. Will she outwit her enemies and protect her friends? Will the shadows of her past finally consume her?
"What are you going to do after the meeting today?" Lovette asked.
I pushed the hidden button on the side of the pillar, revealing a panel. Placing my hand on the scanner, I replied, "I have a ton of work that needs to get done."
"Of course you do," Aaron said, rolling his hazel eyes.
I gave him a droll stare and motioned for him to enter the newly revealed passageway. He chuckled and stepped past me. Lovette hid a laugh and followed, with Zara right behind her. I walked in after them, and the door slid shut.
"Come on, Rylan! You're a twenty-two-year-old dark-haired beauty! You should be going out with friends and having a good time, not working every single night," Lovette exclaimed.
After the retinal scan the next panel, the door opened, and we walked through. I snorted, "As much fun as that sounds, I have to work."
"Good morning, Agent Rylan. Lovette, Zara, Aaron; it's good to see you," Logan said, scanning us to confirm our identities. The next door slid open.
"Hey Logan!" Lovette said cheerfully. "What kind of pie do we have today?" An x-ray checked for unauthorized tracers.
"I believe Miss Aria baked an apple pie today, Lovette," Logan replied, ever the polite super-computer. We reached the end of the passageway and stopped in front of a large steel door. Logan opened it, and we stepped through.
We entered a large room with metallic silver walls, cubicles on one side, and a kitchen counter on the other. A long table in the center was surrounded by chairs, some already occupied by agents. Victoria and her boyfriend, Austin, were laughing loudly. Josh and Anna were quietly chatting. An apple pie sat in the middle of the table, as promised.
Lovette, Aaron, and Zara joined the others at the table while I walked to the far side of the room toward the bathrooms and back exit. I stopped at a cage next to a door, where a bulldog was waiting.
"Hey Owen! How's it going, boy?" I asked, opening the cage. Owen ran out and jumped on me, his front paws resting on my legs. He licked my hand and sniffed my leather jacket pocket. I chuckled, pulling out a dog biscuit. "Looking for this?" He looked at me pleadingly, and I gave him the treat, patting his back while he ate.
"I just don't get it!" Josh exclaimed from the table.
I looked over to see everyone staring at me. "Get what?" I asked, confused.
"How he lets you get so close to him. If any of us try, he'll bite our fingers off!" Josh explained. To prove his point, Owen growled at him.
I shrugged, "He likes me better."
"It's more than that. It has to be," Zara stated.
I looked down at Owen, my mind racing through past memories. My voice sounded distant as I said, "It's just how we trained him."
"Who is 'we'?" Lovette asked, sensing they were missing something important.
Just then, the door to the only actual office among the cubicles opened. An older woman, around 50, walked out, wearing long flowing clothes and a braid dyed blondish-brown hanging over her shoulder. "Well, I best be off!" she said in a sing-song voice. I put Owen back in his cage and stood up. Aria walked over and hugged me. "I know how you get this time of year. Just take it easy and remember we are here for you." I nodded in response to her whispered comment. "Don't work too hard, dear," she said louder.
I gave her a half-smile. "Me? Never!"
She chuckled as she walked out through the back exit, calling out one last goodbye.
The office door opened again, and another older woman, about the same age, walked out. She wore a business suit, and her hair was short and completely gray.
I walked over and sat on the counter closest to the table. "And what were you two doing behind closed doors?" I asked sarcastically. Ezra and Aria had been together for four years and were still in the "honeymoon" phase. I liked to tease Ezra about their relationship. I was the only one allowed to.
"If I didn't need you so badly to close cases..." Ezra trailed off, shaking her head. I smirked. She sat at the head of the table, right next to me. I threw my feet up on the counter and leaned back on my hands. My combat boots made a loud thump.
"So, what tragically boring news do we have to discuss today?" I asked, looking at Victoria, who usually ran the meetings. She glared at me like I was dirt under her expensive shoes.
I cocked an eyebrow at her. She shook her head slightly before saying, "Well, we busted a large drug deal yesterday at the south corner of the campus." I clenched my fist at how accomplished she sounded. If only she knew how trivial these cases were compared to what we used to do before the suits took over.
"Very good. Anything else?" Ezra asked.
"We have a new tip that seems legitimate so far."
"Okay, put the information on my desk after the meeting," Ezra said, sounding strange.
I pondered what could have caused Ezra to act like that, so I missed everyone going around the table saying what they contributed this week. I also missed Victoria asking me what I had done. However, the clearing of a throat caught my attention, and I looked up to see everyone staring at me for the second time today.
"And what did you do to contribute to our VERY IMPORTANT cause, Rylan?" Victoria asked.
I scoffed, "Important cause? All we do is keep college students from getting the high they so desperately want."
"What we do changes things for the better!" Victoria screeched.
Something in her voice pushed me over the edge.
"No! No, it doesn't! It doesn't change a damn thing!" I yelled. At this point, I had jumped up from my lounging position on the counter. I was standing with one fist clenched tight and the other pointing an accusatory finger at Victoria. Everyone was shocked at my outburst. It was so different from my usual laid-back attitude. I was shocked too. Aria's warning about this time of year affecting me was perfectly timed.
"Rylan, are you okay?" Lovette asked, concerned.
"I'm sorry, but I can't be here right now," I said gruffly.
I dropped my arm and turned on my heel, marching toward the door next to Owen's cage. My body was stiff with tension as I threw open the door and marched through, slamming it behind me. To my left were the bathrooms, and in front of me was the back exit leading to a small parking lot. On my right was a blank wall. I marched over to it and ran my hand down it in a specific pattern. The rock work swung out to reveal a door. I punched in the code on the panel, and the door swung inward.
I stalked through the doorway and into the elevator. The door and wall slid back into place, and the elevator took me down.
Sophia tried to save her family's bankrupted company by agreeing to an old man. When Sophia escapes her arranged marriage to a wealthy stranger, she finds herself in the arms of a handsome and mysterious man. But when their wild night together results in an unexpected pregnancy, Sophia's world is turned upside down. She discovered that her baby's father is none other than her powerful CEO, Alexander. Will their love prevail? Will the secrets and lies tear them apart?
In modern-day Seattle, a group of outcasts discovers they are werewolves, descendants of an ancient tribe thought to be extinct. As they navigate their newfound identities, they must band together to uncover the truth behind a series of supernatural murders and face a powerful enemy threatening to expose their secret to the world.
Sisters; Ainsley and Ashton live blissfully unaware of the war until their father, a covert Union soldier, brutally murders their mother. Forced to flee, the sisters become outcasts, abandoned and alone. Their lives take a drastic turn when Alfie, a soldier, rescues them. Under his guidance, Ainsley and Ashton undergo rigorous training, transforming into skilled fighters ready to take on the Unions. Will they forgive their father? How will they fight their enemies?
Private Casey, abandoned and captured by enemy forces, finds herself questioning everything she once believed in. As she uncovers the truth behind the war and the atrocities committed by her own side, Casey is offered a chance to join the enemy's ranks and fight for a just cause. Torn between vengeance and redemption, she becomes a double agent, using her insider knowledge to help the Resistance bring an end to the conflict. In a high-stakes battle against corruption and betrayal, Casey must navigate a dangerous path to forge a new future for a war-torn world.
Five years after a devastating divorce, Sierra returns to her hometown, not just as a successful entrepreneur, but also as the mother of twin boys who are the spitting image of her ex-husband, Derek. Their relationship crumbled when Derek left Sierra for his high school sweetheart, Claudia. Heartbroken, Sierra moved to Texas, where she rebuilt her life and her shattered heart. Upon her return, Derek's carefully controlled world is thrown into disarray. Seeing Sierra again, successful and with children who unmistakably share his features, reignites feelings he thought were long buried. Determined to win her back, Derek realizes he must confront not just his past mistakes but also the secrets and lies that tore them apart. Sierra, on the other hand, is conflicted. Her life in Texas has made her stronger and more independent, and currently Matt is trying to win her over. Trusting him again isn't easy, especially when Claudia, the woman Derek left her for, is still very much in the picture and unwilling to let go without a fight. Derek attempts to mend his relationship with Sierra and become a part of his children's lives. In a heart-wrenching journey of redemption, forgiveness, and love, Derek and Sierra must face the ultimate question: Can love truly conquer all, or are some wounds too deep to heal?
Charlotte Andrew thought she had escaped her nightmare. Fleeing from the abusive husband her parents sold her to, she yearned for a new life free from torment. But the tragic death of her drug-addict parents drags her back to the very place she swore never to return. Now, she must confront the man she's been running from, caught between two brothers who both vie for her heart. In a desperate bid to rid themselves of her powerful and ruthless ex-husband, the brothers must set aside their rivalry and work together. But as the mission reaches its climax, old tensions resurface. Who will betray whom first? And in the end, who will Charlotte choose?
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?"
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!
After spending a night with a strange man on the day before her wedding, Arianna left the country to start her life afresh. The 22-year-old Arianna Jason lived her life pleasing those she loved the most, without knowing that she was simply a prey being nurtured for the day of her ruin. Her life has tasted the butter pill of betrayal. She wants to give back to the world what she's got but how can she change her good, innocent personality to fit into a cruel society and world? Can her sweet nature be contaminated, or will she make it through, paddling on the right path?
"Never let anyone treat you like shit!" I learned that the hard way. For three years, I lived with my in-laws. They didn't treat me as their son-in-law but as a slave. I put up with everything because of my wife, Yolanda Lambert. She was the light of my life. Unfortunately, my whole world came crashing down the day I caught my wife cheating on me. I have never been so heartbroken. To have my revenge, I revealed my true identity. I was none other than Liam Hoffman—the heir of a family with trillions of dollars in assets! The Lamberts were utterly shocked after the big reveal. They realized what fools they had been for treating me like trash. My wife even knelt down and begged for my forgiveness. What do you think I did? Did I take her back or made her suffer? Find out!
Warning! Mature Contents! ***Excerpt*** "You belong to me, Sheila. I alone am capable of making you feel this way. Your moans and body belong to me. Your soul and your body are all mine!" *** Alpha Killian Reid, the most dreaded Alpha in all of the North, wealthy, powerful and widely feared in the supernatural world, was the envy of all other packs. He was thought to have it all... power, fame, wealth and favour from the moon goddess, little was it known to his rivals that he has been under a curse, which has been kept a secret for so many years, and only the one with the gift of the moon goddess can lift the curse. Sheila, the daughter of Alpha Lucius who was an arch enemy to Killian, had grown up with so much hatred, detest and maltreatment from her father. She was the fated mate to Alpha Killian. He refused to reject her, yet he loathed her and treated her poorly, because he was in love with another woman, Thea. But one of these two women was the cure to his curse, while the other was an enemy within. How would he find out? Let's find out in this heart racing piece, filled with suspense, steamy romance and betrayal.
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"