/0/66227/coverbig.jpg?v=b38588d89ba090ab176aaa5ffcb5f2e8)
Astrid Bennett, a brilliant scientist, was once lost but now returns to her biological family the powerful Bennetts after 18 years. As she reenters their lavish world, she uncovers dark secrets and treachery, especially from her adopted "sister," Iona, who had orchestrated an attack on her. Astrid must navigate a toxic family dynamic filled with manipulation, jealousy, and violence while holding onto her principles and desire for justice. With tensions rising, Astrid faces a battle for her rightful place in the Bennett household and against those who wish to see her fall.
Some-thing down-stairs startled As-trid a-wake. Her sleep had al-ways been light, wak-ing up at the first sound.
She blinked, and observed that she was no longer in the small suburban home she had bought. but rather, in the house of the Bennett's.
The Bennett's, she thought to herself.
Astrid's heart skipped for a beat pondering on this word, and a soft warm light blinked in her eyes. "This is my home. I'm not alone anymore." She whispered to herself, "I'm a human with mommy and daddy."
Thinking that she got up, opened the door and went downstairs.
A plush carpet covered the spiral staircase. Astrid walked on it, making no noise.
The sound downstairs grew more and more audible as she descended.
She could see the spoiled brat in the midst of the vast vaulted room being gently shifted by a sleek middle- aged man, a beautiful woman and a tall teenage boy.
"Iona please stop crying. It is not really serious. Don't cry because it will make your eyes all big and ugly.
It's not that serious. We are a family. You didn't mean to hurt her, and she won't do anything to you.
That is it Iona stop crying! Is Astrid not okay? She's still breathing!
Astrid heard that and understood exactly what was going on.
There was a slight hardness in her eyes where before had been all gentle and soft expectancy.
She had a accident and she couldn't return to the Bennett house.
Astrid was a scientific researcher, so she often worked late. She'd usually get takeout since she didn't have time to cook when she got home from the lab in the middle of the night.
Pasta from a small, local mom-and-pop restaurant was one of her favorite things to eat. The thing that would warm her up best in the middle of a lonesome night was a bowl of hot spaghetti.
Her doorbell rang. It was time to open the door so she could order some spaghetti. But this time, instead of seeing the husband and wife owners who always delivered the food, a strange man stood before her with her spaghetti.
With a pout, Astrid reached over for the spaghetti, but the strange man pushed her in and went in himself.
After he locked the door and threw out the spaghetti, he took off his clothes and jumped on top of Astrid.
He'd really meant to rape Astrid!
Thankfully, Astrid was nimble and worked out regularly. Once she ducked the blow and spun around, she snatched the baseball bat off of the door and swung it into the back of his neck.
After she had tied him up and knocked him unconscious, she decided to ask him some questions whilst lighting a scented candle, as he needed to be put at ease.
She was horrified when the man revealed that Iona Bennett, who was the same age as her and a member of the Bennett family, had sent him to rape her and take photographs.
Astrid had no idea how she had offended Iona when she met her, how Iona new her for that matter until her grand father introduced her. Astrid was the daughter of the Bennett family who'd been missing 18 years! Iona was only daughter of the Bennetts really!
Astrid went back to bennett house but mooned the man's confession at Iona moving car.
Since Casper and Ginevra, her parents, weren't home at the moment,Tien Lung had suggested to drop this for now and wait for them to return so they could all attend to it.'
Astrid remembered thinking, 'Now that they are back, this is how they are solving the problem.'
Astrid was lost in her thoughts when she was suddenly hit with a glass of cold water.
Astrid had been preoccupied, but it didn't take long for her reflexes to kick in. Without thinking she jumped to the side and crouched down.
Only a dampening on her shoulders from the drops of water, not upon her face.
Alaric Bennett, in blind rage at his failure, snatched up the glass and flung it straightly at Astrid.
This time, he wasn't holding anything back. The glass was aimed directly at Astrid herself. He was doing his best to try to blind her. That's what an angry adult male does, and they were so close that if it did hit . . .
Astrid threw herself backwards in perfect time; she could feel the stair behind her knees.
When Alaric saw that, at last he was content.
"It wasn't so bad, what i did, she fell-though I didn't hit her," he said to himself.
Alaric looked down on Astrid and his eyes were filled with the contempt.
"Are you Astrid?" he requested.
Astrid gazed at the large, thickset boy who was in front of her. She knew this person. She had seen family pictures of the Bennetts. This was Alaric Bennett, the youngest Bennett son.
He was, at the same time, Astrid's little brother.
Astrid felt her eyes grow redder. She blinked fiercely, annihilating any compunction she had about her family and the Bennett family.
Stupid why didnt you just say anything? He came closer to her, grabbed her hair in the hand that was raised and forced her to look at.him not liking how silent she was being.
She was off the floor when a voice from up stairs yelled. Cease!
Peregrine was the speaker.
Alaric had panicked, dropped what he was doing right there, taken a couple of quick unconscious steps backward, and put his hands up at his sides like a good little baby.
"You're not allowed to hit your sister!" Peregrine barked, slamming his crutches onto the floorboards.
Casper and Ginevra stepped away from Alaric hurriedly when they saw how furious the old man was.
"Alaric is still young, Dad." He didn't mean to, Casper relayed.
Ginevra then cautiously approached Alaric. "Alaric just felt sorry for Iona," she explained. "He rarely ever gets mad-never on purpose."
Casper and Ginevra couldn't do a thing, but stand by and watch silently as Alaric pummeled Astrid Carlier. All of his wrath he unleashed.
When Peregrine had finished speaking both Casper and Ginevra were too terrified to speak on behalf of Alaric.
Astrid sat on the steps of the stairwell and looked upon the calm landscape before her. It was hard to tell whether her legs or heart hurt more.
Peregrine cast Ginevra a meaningful glance and then chose to speak of Iona rather than Alaric, as Astrid had hoped he would.
"Daddy. . ." Casper was the first to speak because he was afraid that Peregrine might scare Iona. ". . .is Astrid not okay? Astrid is okay. Let's be a family now and everything is okay.
"Yes," Ginevra said. Iona was crying and scared. She never wanted to hurt Astrid. All she wanted was to scare Astrid. The evil man had decided to rape Astrid on his own.
"Astrid, scare me?" Peregrine laughed. He spoke coldly, with not a shred of sympathy. "You will be arrested even if you try to kill the person."
This meant that Iona must be disciplined.
Ginevra was very anxious about Iona after this. She glanced at Astrid, for she did not dare to argue with Peregrine.
She spoke to Astrid first with this statement. Astrid, don't worry, you're OK. Is it really worth the trouble? Iona is really afraid.
Astrid looked up, glancing across Ginevra's face before lowering her eyes in thought. So this is what it's like to have a mother.
But this feeling is so uncomfortable, she thought.
"Astrid you are going to be part of the Bennett family one day," Casper said. "You don't want to upset everyone do you? Just excuse Iona if you are a nice girl."
What does this mean? Is he endangering me? Astrid thought. "I will be stupid and reckless if I don't forgive Iona."
She looked up, stood abruptly, and walked over to Iona.
"Iona." Iona gave Astrid a quick glance and blinked her large, teary eyes, looking both cute and pitiful. "I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"
"I will forgive you for sure!" Astrid thought to herself.
Iona winced and turned her head to look at Kyla, who had a mischievous twinkle in her eye. A little grin formed at the corners of her mouth. Then she
She raised her hand, concentrated her power and slapped Iona hard.
All right, I'll let you off this time!"
Mara has always trusted her husband Caleb, but that trust is shattered when she catches him on a live TikTok video with another woman while claiming to be away on business. Struggling with doubt, she begins to notice more red flags-late-night texts, secretive behavior, and lies that no longer add up. When a message saying, "Did she find out?" appears on Caleb's phone, Mara's worst fears are confirmed. Determined to uncover the truth, Mara starts digging into Caleb's life, only to find that another woman is pretending to be his wife in his professional circles. As the betrayal deepens, Mara also begins to question the loyalty of her best friend, Tessa, and Caleb's sister, Lena, who seem entangled in his web of lies. Battling between protecting her daughter and confronting Caleb's deception, Mara must decide whether to fight for her family or walk away from the life she thought she knew. **Hidden Scars** reveals the emotional unraveling of a marriage built on lies, and one woman's fight to reclaim her life.
A young werewolf, Lena, bent on revenge due to her brother's betrayal allies with the Alpha of the rival Blackfang pack, Logan. United, they stand against a powerful creature threatening their world. With Lena growing in power from the Moonstone, darkness comes forth, and she must discover her own strength. A dangerous and perilous journey lies ahead for Lena and her pack as they fight to save their world from some unknown evil lurking in the shadows.
In a world of claws and teeth, love is the greatest risk. However, Bonnie seems to have taken the most risk with a pitiful past that fuels her revenge against her one true love but she's in a dilemma when faced with too many suitors that she has complicated feelings for Will she be able to manavur all this and get her sweet revenge or will she go back to her vomit?
When Shelby Henderson gets rejected by her mate, she makes a choice that leads to her second chance mate-Derek Hemsworth. Derek Alpha of the greatest Lycan Pack seeks to unravel the mystery that would cost him a lot of sacrifices. Given another chance to love her, Derek realizes there's nothing worth having more than the love he once lost.
In the Lakeside region, Seraphina, the daughter of a crime boss and Mafia Lord, Don Carlo, is forced to choose between duty and desire when she falls in love with the deputy of the Sebastian Mafia, the Mafia which she is married into. To add to the already escalated tension which is simmering on the surface, her brother who vows to avenge her father's death is on a killing spree, silently plotting his revenge. In this compelling thriller and story of romance, Seraphina finds herself at crossroads as she has to choose between her new found family, and the love for her biological brother. "The Don's Daughter" is a story that tells the struggle of Seraphina as she navigates the world of crime, love, duty and desire.
In a world where love is a weapon and technology can twist the mind, Emily Williams fights a battle on two fronts: against a ruthless cancer devouring her from within, and against her husband, Daniel Smith, a tech mogul whose heart has been corrupted by a thirst for revenge. As Emily races to save her father from a mysterious illness, she uncovers a web of deceit that stretches from her own womb to the disappearance of Daniel's sister. With her body failing and her world crumbling, Emily must navigate a labyrinth of high-tech horrors and face the ultimate question: How far will she go to protect those she loves, and at what cost to her own humanity? "Dangerous Husband Material" is a gripping techno-thriller that explores the darkest corners of love, loyalty, and the future of human connection.
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
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?"
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."
"Ahh!" She was in a moaning mess. She did not want to feel anything for this man. She hated him. His hands began to move all over her body. She gasped when he pulled down the back chain of her dress. The chain stopped at her lower waist, so when he zipped it off, her upper back and waist were exposed. "D-Don't touch m-ummm!" His fingers rolled around her bare back, and she pressed her head against the pillow. His touches were giving her goosebumps all over her body. With a deep angry voice, he whispered in her ear, "I am going to make you forget his touches, kisses, and everything. Every time you touch another man, you will only think of me." - - - Ava Adler was a nerdy omega. People bullied her because they thought she was ugly and unattractive. But Ava secretly loved the bad boy, Ian Dawson. He was the future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack. However, he doesn't give a damn about rules and laws, as he only likes to play around with girls. Ava was unaware of Ian's arrogance until her fate intertwined with his. He neglected her and hurt her deeply. What would happen when Ava turned out to be a beautiful girl who could win over any boy, and Ian looked back and regretted his decisions? What if she had a secret identity that she had yet to discover? What if the tables turned and Ian begged her not to leave him?
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"