...one man with a a drowning past... In the heat of a family saga clouded in betrayal, power struggles, and the pursuit of vengeance, Save Me follows the story of Aaron Hades, a third-generation billionaire, shaped by his trauma and ambition, as he navigates the dangerous waters of familial duty and a risky love. Born into a family of wealth and affluence, Aaron found himself on the run with his mother who wanted freedom. With his mother's tragic end, Aaron finds himself in a fierce battle-not just for control of his family's conglomerate, but for revenge. Aaron Hades is a man loved by many and hated by more, stemming from his good looks, his success in business, his wealthy background to the negative side, his indifference about people and icy personality. He was both the admiration and envy of people. Aaron is a man who has grown to live the life of a loner, feared and respected by most. But what laid beneath his perfect person that no one knows is a sad past that haunts him to the deepest of his soul, a young boy that had lost it all over and over again, a little boy who has lost the meaning of love or life, a child whose past still scars his heart in a fresh wound, a past that has created a man whose sole aim is it do as was done to him, a promise to hurt them just like they'd hurt him, a promise to be the angel until the horns peak out. And no one would know that beneath his perfect appearance, something sinister was brewing, an opportunity to pay back to those who had taken from him in a thousand folds. There is however one more step to finally having it all, a woman. If he is not engaged in a short time, he runs at a risk of losing every thing to Sara, his opponent. ...one heart, broken in a thousand jarred pieces... Growing up with divorced parents was a whole new journey for Merida at a tender age of ten, and when she refuses to go with her mother, she is abandoned and left to live with her father. What started as a father-daughter relationship soon turns into something violent and abusive and her once innocent father dives into the world of gambling, a move that cost him his daughter and his life. After her father's death, Merida slips into depression, living her life like a passing ghoul, and when her father's debts pass to her, she has even more misery to face. Finally with her unwelcoming mother and a sister she was no longer familiar with, Merida's life seemed like it had just had about enough, more than she could take. Merida, a strong-willed and bright child had now become nothing, withering with every gust of wind. ...are thrust together in an unwanted fate... Aaron's fate, once intertwined with hers, draws the back together. Once his best friend, she has changed into an embodiment of bitterness and vulnerability, caused by her father's abuse and get mother's neglect. The two were torn apart by circumstances and choices, but fate has a way of bringing people back in unexpected ways. A freak encounter at a bridge ignites a flame of hatred between Aaron and Merida. Each harbors grudges against the other; for Aaron, he hated that she was so ready to let go. For Merida, Aaron's abandonment ten years ago is a reminder of all she lost from that moment on, the final crack in her make-believe reality.. Their worlds collide under the light of night, setting off a series of events neither could foresee. In the depths of their turmoil, Aaron presents a proposition to the woman he once held dear: a fake engagement to secure his grandfather's approval and finally claim the company. Reluctantly, Merida agrees, needing to pay her father's debts and leave her mother. The plan is simple-pretend to be the perfect couple in public, while remaining indifferent in private. The pair start on their grand plan to fool the world about their engagement, featuring in everything that carries news about them. And in less than a month, the world is fooled. Ellie is able to save her father and Matthew is well on his way to getting his contract. Living together is no bliss as they both agree to not be involved in the other's life once they go behind closed doors. Behind the scene, the only thing that continues between them is the awkwardness. Only that this is in close proximity and it is causing a little thump here and there deep in their hearts. ...until the line starts to fade...
Merida stared as the coffin was lowered slowly into the hollow, muddy earth. It was finally the end, for him and for her.
Merida had hoped the sun would shine the brightest on his funeral, that her eyes would be dry and her lips would crack in a smile, but it was not. The showers of the rain trickled with the saltiness of her tears and her lips were clamped shut in a tight line.
She had no reason to cry even though it was her father's death but she could not stop the tears flowing down her face as sand was poured into the pit. When he was alive, she had cursed him all the time. She had wished he'd died in a freak accident, drank himself to his death, and fallen from the top of a building to a bed of nails and glass. She had wished his sins caught up with him and that it tore his heart out of his chest but none of that happened. Now that he was actually gone, after his breath had stopped from a mere heart disease, she wasn't sure if her tears were for him or for her.
People say your life flashes before your eyes on your last breaths. She was sure her father had felt every pain, heard every word and seen every tear he'd made her shed, but his last words were still mean. Some people just never learn and her father was one of them
The silence in the field amplified the sound of the raindrops on the ground and she tried to distract herself with the sounds but all she could hear was the beat of her heart and her father's last words.
"I've always hated you. You, your mother and your sister. You made living miserable."
He'd spat out the words in a shaky voice even though she was the only one sitting by his death bed, even though she was the one who had lived with him, even after all the things he had put her through.
Merida realized her tears were for him and for herself. For the times he had pushed her to the edge of nothingness, for the times he had dragged her by the hair to misery, because she was free of it. But she also cried because he was her father and even though he was the worst, he did not abandon her. Now, life was like it was years ago and she was lonely. She had thought with age, one would get less lonelier but the silence that enveloped her reminded her of what her reality was. She was a twenty-three-year-old woman who had no dreams, no peace, no love, a woman who had lost in all ways.
After the hole had been filled up, Merida sighed and trudged off the field to a bench underneath a shade, watching as the rain pelted down on the stone placed above his grave. He might have been the worst person, but he at least knew to plan his funeral before his death. Merida was grateful she didn't have to pay for all this from her pocket.
She was still brooding when she felt a presence behind her. Her gaze immediately left the scene before her to the men who stood behind her. There were three of them but only one had sadness drawn on his face as hers.
"The rest of us send our condolences Miss Merida." The biggest one amongst them, Mr John, said. She recognized him more than the rest. He was one of her father's closest drinking friends, the same man who would bring her dead-drunk father to the door and ring the bell.
"Thank you," She bowed her head slowly before glancing at the other men. "He just got laid, you can go to pay your last respects," She stuttered.
"We came here for you actually," The bigger man answered, offering her a seat on the bench.
"M-me? Why?" She asked, slowly settling into the bench.
"I'll spare you the shenanigans and cut straight to the chase. Your father owed our boss money," He stared at her intently, raising his brows slightly to emphasize the money, "A lot of money actually."
"My-"
"And we've been asked to retrieve it. Since he is dead and cannot pay, the debt falls on you, his next of kin."
"You're here for money?" She blurted out the question. "Go to him then, dig out his body and do whatever you wish with it. Why do I have to fear that burden?" Her voice raised in anger.
He looked at her softly before speaking again. Her lips and hands were trembling and he was being a big jerk doing this at her father's funeral but what needed to be done must be done.
"Listen dear, I could forget the money if it was mine, but it's not. It is for my boss and that man is wicked. I'm sorry to do this to you now but I must carry out whatever order he gives." He answered her
Merida looked at the man speechlessly, a stray tear slipping down her eyes. She hated how vulnerable she was at this moment but that was all she ever was, vulnerable, weak and timid.
"How much d-did he owe?" She asked,
"Over a hundred thousand dollars." He whispered knowing what her reaction would be. Almost immediately, her eyes shot open, twice wider than it was as her mouth began incomprehensible words.
"W-why? What did he use the money for? Gamble?"
She saw the small nod of his head before he kept it down. Anger coursed through her body like light zaps starting from her head to her fingertips.
You mess with me even from the grave, she thought to herself, her body trembling from the cold and hatred seeping through her body.
"Take it all," She cried out, crumpling to her knees, "Take his clothes, his shoes, you can sell his body to get the money. Take everything that he has and leave me alone." Her tears came rushing down like...
"We'll come back, let's leave you here for now."
"Don't come back, j-just take it all. The house, take it away." She cried and sobs raked through her.
John faced the men standing studiously behind him, waving at them to give him a minute alone with the girl. Turned away in obedience and John faced her once more.
"Merida, I have a daughter your age at home and I would want nothing to happen to her," He crouched next to her and she raised her face to meet his. "But the person we work with has no care for that. If he comes for you himself, there's no assurance you'll have anything left, your money or your life."
He sighed softly as fresh tears streamed down her face again, "We'll sell the house and there'll be nothing left there. It won't be enough to pay his debt but go to your mother tonight, and stay there for as long as you can make money to pay his debt. You're still too young to face Martin's wrath, you're too innocent for the life he'll force you into if you cannot pay back. I really hope for the love of God that you stay safe and far from him." He said, patting her gently on her shoulders before leaving.
****
"I'm leaving you and taking my daughters with me, you animal!" Anne screamed, dragging a big suitcase down the steps of their front porch.
Her hair tied in a messy bun was ruffled by the breeze and her fingers were pink from the cold.
"You don't deserve us! You deserve to be locked up behind bars for everything you've done to us!" She yelled, holding Clara and Merida in both arms. Clara was sixteen then and Merida had just turned thirteen but above their age, they could understand what their mother was doing and why he was doing it.
"You can take Clara but not Merida," Her father's voice boomed from the doorway. No one could see it but Merida noticed the stray tear that slipped down his face. He noticed that she saw it and turned away from her, wiping it before turning back to the leaving trio. "You cannot take my daughter away from me, Anne. You cannot take away what's mine!"
"Mum," Merida whispered. When Anne did not hear her, Merida tugged at her dress softly, earning a look from her mother. "I want to stay with Dad." She said.
Anne's face turned from anger to sadness, "Merida, you don't know what you are saying. Dear, he cannot be your dad anymore." She said softly, tears wetting her eyes.
"Let the girl be," Merida could hear the tears in his voice. "Don't let the child grow without a father. Don't be that wicked to your own child." He begged.
"I want to stay with Dad," Merida repeated before releasing herself from her mother's hands and into her father's arms
"Merida!" Her mother screamed, trying to reach out to her daughter but the young, foolish girl hid behind her father.
"You have a choice, stay with your daughter or abandon her for your own peace," Mark said, holding Merida firmly behind his back. "Be a mother, Anne." He begged when he saw the defiance brewing in her eyes.
"Merida," Anne started, holding on to Clara firmly, "You chose your parent, I won't be a mother to you anymore. You and your father can go to hell for all I care. I would never have had you if I hadn't met him. He's all yours." She said before stomping away with a box of clothes and her elder sister.
Mark crouched to her height and gave her a hug but Merida's gaze lingered on her mother's back.
"I love you Merida and I'll protect you with my life." He whispered in her ear.
But he had not. He had not loved her as he promised, and neither had he protected her as he promised.
Merida watched in tears as her mother walked away without turning back. "Mum," She whispered in tears.
That was the first of many times that someone had abandoned her. *
Merida gazed out at the soft glow spilling in from the open window of the house. From where she stood, she could hear the sound of laughter, one she could have been a part of if she'd left with her mother that day.
All that was on her mind was to turn back and live a life of homelessness and aimless wandering, but John had specifically instructed her to go to her mother.
Summoning the courage, she rapped on the door once, then fell into a tense silence, secretly wishing no one would hear her. Her wish was short-lived as the door swung open to reveal a smiling face. Anne, her mother, met her gaze, but her smile quickly faded, replaced by a disapproving frown.
"I never thought I'd see you like this, scared at my front porch. Come in," She said indifferently, noticing the bag of clothes Merida had on her. If she felt anything, she did the best job hiding it behind the scowl that had now formed on her face. Merida took the ride invitation and walked into the small space.
She had not expected them to be warm and homely but she wasn't expecting to see hatred line the grades of their faces.
Merida's hope shattered into a myriad of jagged pieces as Clara eyed her before stalking into her room.
"Clara be nice. She'll be sharing the room with you." Anne called after her without sparing a glance at Merida.
"She can sleep in the kitchen for all I care," Clara screamed in reply behind her closed door.
"We don't have a room for you here," Anne busied herself with a chore, leaving Merida standing in the same spot. After a moment of silence, she raised her head to look at Merida who was standing still with tears in her eyes. "Did your father not teach you manners before he died? Go away." She chided, throwing the rag in her hands in the sink before leaving for her room.
When Emily Jackson strikes a deal with Javier Black and accepts a lucrative offer, she never expects to fall for him irrespective of his rudeness. But as they work together, their old fire ignites once more which births dirty pasts, secrets with a long string of revengeful exes. Can they set aside their differences and let love lead?
"In a world where werewolves are hunted, Emilia Grey discovers she's the last heir of the ancient Silvermist bloodline. As she uncovers her true identity, she's thrust into a treacherous landscape of ancient secrets and deadly rivalries. With Lycaon, the Lunar Guard's enigmatic leader and forbidden love, by her side, Emilia must confront the darkness within herself, unleash her hidden powers, and claim her destiny to defy the ruthless Order that seeks to destroy her kind."
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.”
The day Lilah found out that she was pregnant, she caught her fiancé cheating on her. Her remorseless fiancé and his mistress almost killed her. Lilah fled for her dear life. When she returned to her hometown five years later, she happened to save a little boy's life. The boy's father turned out to be the world's richest man. Everything changed for Lilah from that moment. The man didn't let her experience any inconvenience. When her ex-fiancé bullied her, he crushed the scumbag's family and also rented out an entire island just to give Lilah a break from all the drama. He also taught Lilah's hateful father a lesson. He crushed all her enemies before she even asked. When Lilah's vile sister threw herself at him, he showed her a marriage certificate and said, "I'm happily married and my wife is much more beautiful than you are!" Lilah was shocked. "When did we ever get married? Last I checked, I was still single." With a wicked smile, he said, "Honey, we've been married for five years. Isn't it about time we had another child together?" Lilah's jaw dropped to the floor. What the hell was he talking about?
"You're a creepy bastard." His eyes smolder me and his answering grin is nothing short of beautiful. Deadly. "Yet you hunger for me. Tell me, this appetite of yours, does it always tend toward 'creepy bastards'?" **** Widower and ex-boss to the Mafia, Zefiro Della Rocca, has an unhealthy fixation on the woman nextdoor. It began as a coincidence, growing into mere curiosity, and soon, it was an itch he couldn't ignore, like a quick fix of crack for an addict. He didn't know her name, but he knew every inch of her skin, how it flushed when she climaxed, her favourite novel and that every night she contemplated suicide. He didn't want to care, despising his rapt fascination of the woman. She was in love with her abusive husband. She was married, bound by a contract to the Bratva's hitman. She was off-limits. But when Zefiro wanted something, it was with an intensity that bordered on madness. He obsessed, possessed, owned. There'd be bloodshed if he touched her, but the sight of blood always did fascinate him. * When Susanna flees from her husband, she stumbles right into the arms of her devilishly handsome neighbour with a brooding glare. He couldn't stand her, but she needed him, if she was ever going to escape her husband who now wanted her dead. Better the devil you know than the angel you don't. She should have recalled that before hopping into Zefiro's car and letting him whisk her away to Italy. Maybe then, she wouldn't have started an affair with him. He was the only man who touched her right, and the crazy man took no small pains in ensuring he would be the last.
COALESCENCE OF THE FIVE SERIES BOOK ONE: THE 5-TIME REJECTED GAMMA & THE LYCAN KING BOOK TWO: THE ROGUES WHO WENT ROGUE BOOK THREE: THE INDOMITABLE HUNTRESS & THE HARDENED DUKE *** BOOK ONE: After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate-bonds. To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. What’s worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself. She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner. King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldn’t thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him. He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesn’t seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that he’s different; and a chance to love her. But when not-so-subtle crushes, jealous suitors, self-entitled Queen-wannabes, an old flame, a silent protector and a past wedding engagement threaten to jeopardize their relationship, will Lucianne and Xandar still choose to be together? Is their love strong enough to overcome everything and everyone? Or will Lucianne resort to enduring a sixth rejection from the one person she thought she could entrust her heart with?
“Drive this woman out!” "Throw this woman into the sea!” When he doesn’t know Debbie Nelson’s true identity, Carlos Hilton cold-shoulders her. “Mr. Hilton, she is your wife,” Carlos’ secretary reminded him. Hearing that, Carlos gives him a cold stare and complained, “why didn’t you tell me earlier?” From then on, Carlos spoils her rotten. Little did everyone expect that they would get a divorce.
6 years ago, Lydia suffered a brutal betrayal orchestrated by her own husband and step-sister, who drugged her and framed her. In a twist of fate, she ended up having a one-night stand with a stranger. Don't even remember what he looked like. Later, in the throes of death, she discovered the truth about her mother's death all those years ago. In the blink of an eye, she lost everything. 6 years later, Lydia returned with her genius son, vowing to exact revenge on all her enemies! Little did she know, she encountered an incredibly familiar man at the airport! *** The man was briskly pushing open the door to the restroom, heading to the urinal. Even with such a mundane action, he did it with unparalleled elegance and grace. Lydia, following him in a daze, saw his fierce lower body and suddenly snapped back to reality. She let out a high-pitched scream, instinctively covering her eyes with her hands, her cheeks flushed, and stood there stiffly, unsure of what to do. Lambert furrowed his brows slightly but remained calm as he continued to relieve himself. The sound of water hitting the urinal made Lydia's face even redder. She angrily shouted, "You pervert!" Little did Lydia know that Lambert, seeing her in this state, had a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Memories from many years ago flashed through his mind, and his heart couldn't help but stir. It was her!