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Amanda's life fell apart on her daughter Kendall's second birthday when her husband, James, disappeared. Worried and scared, Amanda got a mysterious message that revealed a shocking truth - James was living a secret life, partying at a club instead of being there for their daughter's special day. But that wasn't all. Amanda discovered a dark secret about her family involving James's family that put her life in danger. Afraid and alone, she made the hard choice to leave James and ask for a divorce. Three months later, just as Amanda was trying to move on, James came back, demanding custody of Kendall. He was angry that Amanda had left him after a terrible accident that left him in a coma - the real reason he never showed up on their daughter's birthday. Amanda refused, determined to protect Kendall from the family that had hurt her so badly. Their fight for Kendall led them to court, where James won, leaving Amanda devastated. Desperate to keep her daughter safe, Amanda planned to go into hiding with Kendall. But then, tragedy struck. Amanda woke up from an accident to find Kendall missing. With no clues or leads, Amanda had to put her anger aside and work with James to find their little girl. Now, Amanda and James must race against time to find Kendall and uncover the truth behind her disappearance. As they dig deeper into the mystery, they'll have to face the painful secrets that tore their family apart. Can Amanda and James set aside their differences and save their daughter before it's too late? As they come face to face with the reasons behind their separation, will they find a way to heal their broken family and start anew?
"James, pick up the phone," Amanda muttered under her breath, pressing redial for what felt like the hundredth time.
Her thumb hovered over the screen as the call failed again. A familiar automated voice declared, "The number you are trying to reach is not available."
She sighed heavily, pacing the living room. The balloons and streamers swayed gently in the breeze from the open window.
Kendall's birthday party was long over, or, more accurately, it had never truly begun.
The cake sat untouched on the dining table, the candles burned out hours ago. Amanda glanced at the clock. It was past midnight, and James still hadn't shown up.
"Mama, where's Daddy?" Kendall's sleepy voice broke through Amanda's thoughts. The little girl clung to her favorite stuffed bunny, her eyelids drooping from exhaustion. Amanda knelt beside her, brushing a strand of hair away from her daughter's forehead.
"He'll be home soon, sweetheart. Daddy promised, remember?" she said softly, though her voice faltered. She kissed Kendall on the cheek and stood, lifting her into her arms. "Let's get you to bed, okay? You've had a long day."
Kendall nodded drowsily, resting her head on Amanda's shoulder as they climbed the stairs to her room. Laying her down, Amanda whispered, "Goodnight, my love. Daddy will be here when you wake up." But even as she said it, she wasn't sure she believed it.
Back downstairs, Amanda picked up her phone again. She debated calling James' mother, Agnes, but stopped herself. "If something's wrong, I don't want to worry her unnecessarily." Instead, she scrolled to Jerry's number, James' best friend and he picked up almost immediately.
"Hey, Amanda," Jerry answered groggily. "Everything okay?"
"Jerry, have you heard from James today?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.
"Yeah, I spoke to him this afternoon. He told me he'd be home early tonight for Kendall's birthday. Wait, he's not there?"
"No," Amanda said, trying to steady her breathing. "I haven't heard from him all day, and his phone's off."
Jerry paused. "That's strange. He seemed fine when we talked. Maybe he went to see his mom? She hasn't been feeling well."
Amanda felt really irritated. "His mother's sick? No one told me." She thought to herself. She kept her tone neutral. "I'll try calling her. Thanks, Jerry."
"Don't worry too much," Jerry said. "I'm sure it's just a mix-up. Keep me posted."
Amanda ended the call and dialed Agnes' number. It rang and rang, but there was no answer. She tried two more times before giving up and sending a text;
"Hi Mom, have you seen James today? He hasn't come home, and I'm worried."
Setting the phone down, she rubbed her temples. Her mind racing really fast wondering if anything had happened.
A soft chime startled her. A message. She grabbed her phone, expecting a reply from Agnes, but the sender was an unknown number. The text read; "Watch this."
Attached was a video file.
Amanda froze. Her heart pounded as she stared at the screen. Memories flooded back, months ago, an unknown number sent her a chilling message about her parents' deaths, urging her to investigate.
James had assured her it was a cruel prank, dismissing it after finding no evidence. Now, another anonymous message. Slowly, she clicked on the video.
The footage was grainy, taken in a club. The camera panned over a man laughing and chatting with a group of women. His face wasn't visible, but his physique, his voice..... James?
Amanda's breath hitched. She watched in disbelief as the man leaned in close to one of the women, his arm draped casually over her shoulder.
"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "This... this isn't real." She deleted the video in a panic, refusing to let the image take root in her mind. James wasn't like that. He couldn't be. He'd never miss Kendall's birthday for something so... so meaningless.
Before she could calm herself, another message came through. Then another. Her phone buzzed incessantly. She opened the texts, her hands trembling. She didn't know what to expect but she knew it wasn't anything good.
It's him, the first message said.
"You don't believe it, but it's your husband. He's hiding things from you. Check the secret closet in his home office. You'll find the truth about your parents' deaths."
Amanda stared at the screen, her blood running cold. The accusations were absurd, weren't they? But the mention of her parents... the same parents she had lost in what was declared an accident... It was too specific, too deliberate. Her mind swirled with doubt. "What if it's true?"
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, she tried her possible best not to imagine things, she was still in doubts that James could leave their daughter's birthday for the club. He missed her one year birthday and had promised to meet up this one. James was someone who kept his word.
Kendall's peaceful face flashed in her mind. Whatever was happening, she needed to know. For her daughter's sake, if nothing else. Amanda kissed Kendall's forehead, whispering a prayer that none of this was real.
Downstairs, she retrieved James' access card and made her way to his home office. The door creaked as she unlocked it. The room was immaculate, as always, James was meticulous about his space. She began searching, opening drawers, sifting through files. An hour passed, and she found nothing.
Frustrated, Amanda was about to leave when something caught her eye; a stack of papers protruding from a panel in the wall near James' chair. She approached it cautiously, her pulse quickening. Tugging at the panel, she discovered a hidden closet.
Inside, an old brown envelope lay atop a pile of documents. Amanda's fingers trembled as she opened it. The first thing she saw was a photograph. A picture of her as a child, standing between her parents. Her knees buckled as she clutched the photo to her chest, a cold dread settling over her.
"What have you done, James? How... How did you get this?" she whispered into the silence.
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Due to the plight of her family, Phoebe had no choice but to embark on the path of selling herself. In an accident, she had a tangled night with Alexander. Everything began to derail, and even if she fled to the ends of the earth, she would still be found by him and entangled... *** Phoebe screamed in frustration, "What do you want from me?" What was this supposed to be? He raised an eyebrow wickedly. "What do I want? You'll find out soon enough." With that, he hoisted her up and carried her back into the office. The door slammed shut with a kick, and he cleared the desk with a sweep of his arm before laying her down on it, his body pinning hers in place, completely trapping her in his grasp. Every cell in his body was telling him he wanted her. He wanted to claim her again. This time, there would be no escape for her-he wouldn't let her slip away. Never again. If he had suffered for five years, then this woman wouldn't get off easily either!
For as long as Emily can remember, she has wanted to overcome her shyness and explore her sexuality. Still, everything changes when she receives an invitation to visit one of the town's most prestigious BDSM clubs, DESIRE'S DEN. On the day she chose to peruse the club, she noticed three men, all dressed in suits, standing on the upper level, near the railing. Despite her limited vision, she persisted in fixating on them. Their towering statues belied the toned bodies concealed by their sharply tailored suits-or so she could tell. The hair of two of them was short and dark, and the third had light brown-possibly blond-hair that reached the shoulders. The dark, crimson background incised their figures, exuding an air of mystery and strength. They stood in stark contrast to the unfiltered, primal energy that pulsed through the club. Shocked by the desires these men aroused in her, she was disappointed to learn that they were masters seeking a slave to divide and conquer. She couldn't afford the fee, and she also realized that they were outside her league. Emily hurriedly left the club, feeling disappointed and depressed, unaware that she had also caught the group's attention. A world of wicked pleasure, three handsome men. Over the years, they have lived a life of decadence, their lavish lair serving as a stage for their most sinister desires. But despite the unending parade of willing subjects, one woman sticks out. A mysterious stranger with white porcelain skin and a killer body, a slave, a name with no address, the first lady to attract their eye and they will go to any length to obtain her no matter the consequences.
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!
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."
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
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."