Miguel and Rosario Valiente make the decision to move back to their hometown in hopes of creating a positive atmosphere for their children and ultimately leading a happy and beautiful life. This is especially crucial for their daughter Marissa, who has been battling depression ever since her brother, Juan Valiente, moved away without her. The family believes that once Marissa sees Juan again, she will return to her normal, happy self. However, upon arriving in their hometown, Marissa meets Juan's girlfriend, Daniella Duran, who she inexplicably appears to despise her. Witnessing Marissa's negative behavior towards herself and Daniella, Juan takes matters into his own hands. But what's truly inside Marissa's heart? Find out in this suspenseful and romantic novel.
Marissa stood in their spacious garden, surrounded by flowers. A gentle breeze traced the fence line, causing her sleek black hair to spin and her long-sleeved shirt to tug out. Tugging back her shirt into her black jeans, she smoothed a stray lock from her face, bent down, and plucked a single flower from the ground, admiring its delicate petals in the bright light. It seemed like the final glimpse of this place.
"Marissa... Marissa. Let's go. Everyone is ready for us to leave," her mother, Rosario Valiente, called out.
Rosario's simple blue dress blew in the same breeze that had caught her daughter's hair, almost as if the land was pleading with them to stay and not leave. Walking down the lane toward the garden, she called out once more to Marissa, "Please, come and hop into the car. We'll be leaving soon."
Marissa nodded, her expression concealed.
Ignacio Valiente, the second sibling, leaned against a Hyundai Palisade, puffing on a cigar.
Meanwhile, Carlos, the youngest of the siblings, assisted the servants in loading the luggage into the car's boot.
Miguel drew attention when he came out of the house. Rosario walked over to her husband and rested her head on his shoulder, "I hope Marissa will find peace at the hacienda, like she used to before Juan left. Hopefully, she'll be less stressed there."
Miguel wrapped his arms around her waist. "Don't worry, my darling Rosa. She'll be alright, you'll see," he comforted her, planting a kiss on her head.
"Father, can we leave now so we won't be late?" Carlos inquired, closing the boot and placing his hands on his hips.
"Seems like he's eager to reunite with his childhood sweetheart," Ignacio teased, passing his cigar to a male servant.
Opening the back row door for their parents, Miguel and Rosario settled into the last row of seats in the car. Carlos plopped down next to Marissa, retorting, "So what? Atleast I can keep it in my pants."
Ignacio and the driver sat in the front seats of the car.
* * *
"I can't believe Juan will soon be married! What do you think, Miguel?" Rosario's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "I remember when he was just a child! And now, he's starting a family!" Her eyes sparkled, with excitement akin to a bottle of champagne.
Marissa leaned against the window, tears streaming from her eyes, despite her attempts to wipe them away upon hearing her parents' conversation.
"I genuinely don't understand why someone would commit their life to one person for a lifetime," Ignacio expressed with a tsk.
Carlos lifted his head from his phone. "When you fall in love, you'll discover how special it is to give your heart to someone."
"Who, Danna?" Ignacio guffawed. "What if she's already fucking someone?"
"Can you please keep your words to yourself, big brother?" Carlos pulled on his headphones.
"I really hope returning to the hacienda will change everything," Rosa whispered to her husband, leaning on his shoulder. "I want our children to live peacefully and understand each other."
"I hope so, my dear Rosa," Miguel murmured, his fingers smoothing along her dark hair, so reminiscent of their daughter's. "They need their big brother."
Rosario closed her eyes, feeling comforted by the thought of a brighter future for their family.
* * *
As they approached the hacienda, a parade of animals passed by the windows. The car slowly made its way along the winding path, arriving at the park before reaching the mansion's door. Carlos gently patted Marissa's sleeping shoulder.
Chuckling, he watched as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Sorry to wake you. We're here, and you can finally see your big brother."
For a fleeting moment, Marissa's face lit up with excitement like a scientist who had found a cure for polio. But her expression quickly fell as memories of her mother's words about Juan, his impending marriage, and his new family returned. She couldn't forget what her mother had said about Juan's upcoming marriage and the possibility of a new family, and these thoughts overshadowed her joy at seeing her big brother at the hacienda.
Ignacio opened the car door and walked straight towards the mansion with his hand in his trousers pocket.
Marissa and Carlos got out of the car, and Rosario took Miguel's hand and got out of the car with grace.
"I can't believe I dozed off," Rosario admitted, feeling Miguel's support as she stepped out of the vehicle.
An elderly woman stood at the entrance with a playful glint in her eye, followed by three maids as the driver opened the car's trunk.
"Welcome home, Mr. Miguel, Mrs. Rosa, and children," she greeted.
"Thank you, Margarita. How have you been?" Miguel inquired.
"Thank you, Margarita," Rosario added.
"I've been quite well," Margarita replied, her cheeks blushing red like a rose.
"Hello, Margarita. I hope you're taking good care of everyone in the mansion?" Carlos inquired, though his eyes were fixed on a girl among the maids.
"Of course, Sir Carlos," Margarita beamed in response.
The maid dipped her head shyly and then lifted it with a modest smile. Carlos's grin widened, eliciting a blush and a flutter of lashes before she lowered her head again.
"Danna, could you bring my luggage to my room, please?" Carlos tossed his hair and offered a coy smile to Danna. "It's the blue one."
Marissa headed towards the car's boot, intending to carry her own light pink luggage, but Danna swiftly intervened. "You don't need to worry, Miss Marissa. We'll take your bags to your room."
"Thank you," Marissa mumbled.
Marissa walked into the house, stepping past her family and the staff. The old walls of the hacienda spread wide, like the flower garden she had just left. With a grimace, she took out the flower she had picked earlier, lamenting its simple beauty against the thick velvet opulence of the chairs, couches, and curtains around her. The only thing that stood out was a painting of flowers and horses on the walls.
After examining the handcrafted rug in front of the fireplace, Marissa wandered into the entryway and ultimately came onto the well-known stone staircase and hallway that led to the dining room. From her last visit, everything appeared to be the same.
"I hope I'll find a second life here," Marissa confessed to her flower. "I just miss -"
"Marissa!"
She heard her name from the lips of the person she had longed to see most in the world. Tears streamed from her eyes as she slowly turned, catching sight of him standing at the entrance.
He appeared like a dream. His handsome, open face beamed with a deep-set smile as he repeated, "Marissa."
With a big smile on her face and tears still streaming down, she ran to hold him tightly. She seemed afraid that if she didn't cling hard enough, the dream would break and he would disappear. Shaken by the sudden outpouring of emotions, she whimpered, "Big brother, I missed you so much." After the years apart, she had felt so empty and yearning. At that moment, it became painfully clear how much she wanted him.
He wrapped his arms around her, planting a kiss on her silky smooth hair. "I missed my adorable little sister, too."
A lady walked in and stood beside Juan. "Hey, Marissa, right?"
Glancing up at the woman in front of her, Marissa saw that she had golden-brown hair pulled back into a taut ponytail, gorgeous brown eyes hidden beneath a vintage cowboy hat, and loose black trousers that were paired with a brown short-sleeve shirt. Marissa's mind immediately labelled the woman as the enemy.
Marissa brushed away her tears and pulled away from the hug. Narrowing her gaze, she studied the woman in front of her, feeling something strange about her.
"My name is Daniella Duran, and I'm Juan's girlfriend," Daniella said, smiling as she extended her arm for a handshake.
When Corynn mustered up the courage to tell Elliot about her pregnancy, she unexpectedly found him gallantly helping another woman from his car. Her heart sank as three years of effort to secure his love crumbled before her eyes, compelling her to leave him behind. Three years later, life had taken Corynn down a new path with someone else, while Elliot was left grappling with regret. Seizing a moment of vulnerability, he pleaded, "Corynn, let's get married." Shaking her head with a faint smile, Corynn gently replied, "Sorry, I'm already engaged."
"I, Riccardo Saviano, future Alpha of the Grey Shadow Moon Pack, reject you, Artemisia Guerrieri, Daughter of Alpha Franco of the Blood Moon Pack, as my mate and future Luna." One single sentence. One stupid single sentence was all it took to disintegrate my life. And the day of my birthday, on which this sentence was audaciously uttered to me, I lost the love of my life, my future mate, and my wolf, all at once. As I'm still assembling the pieces of my shattered heart years later, there they come. Like lightning out of a crystal blue sky. My Mates. But wait... If I am mated to triplets, how come I'm about to be mated to 5 gorgeous men? *** TW: explicit and foul language; spicy content; explicit sex scenes ***
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
Sandra Hill, the long-lost real heiress of the Hill family, was shunned by her own kin. Instead of embracing her, they bestowed their affection upon an impostor. They even arranged her to marry a vegetative man in place of her so-called “sister”. Sandra sneered, refusing to put up with this humiliation, cut off ties with the Hill family immediately and ran into the flash marriage with Wesley Cooper, her unconscious billionaire husband. With her incredible medical skills, she defied the odds and revived him. Little did she expect that her husband spoiled her with all his love... A medical genius, a computer prodigy, a national treasure in painting, and a racing legend... Her husband revealed her various identities, leaving the Hill family regretful. Her father came pleading, "It's Dad's fault. Please come back." Her mother wept, "Mom will protect you from now on. Please come back." Even her five brothers knelt before he, begging for forgiveness. Yet, Sandra's smile held a hint of mockery as she vowed, “Never!”
Charlee was left at the altar and became a laughingstock. She tried to keep her head high, but ultimately lost it when she received a sex tape of her fiance and her half-sister. Devastated, she ended up spending a wild night with a hot stranger. It was supposed to be one-time thing, but he kept popping up, helping her with projects and revenge, all while flirting with her constantly. Charlee soon realized that it was nice having him around, until her ex suddenly appeared at her door, begging for another chance. Her tycoon lover asked, “Who will you choose? Think carefully before you answer.”
Her fiance and her best friend worked together and set her up. She lost everything and died in the street. However, she was reborn. The moment she opened her eyes, her husband was trying to strangle her. Luckily, she survived that. She signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and was ready for her miserable life. To her surprise, her mother in this life left her a great deal of money. She turned the tables and avenged herself. Everything went well in her career and love when her ex-husband came to her.