"Guy why you dey look me like that?" His voice was steady, but the flicker of confusion and heat in his eyes made my chest tighten. "I'm not," I lied, though my gaze refused to move from the water sliding down his neck, tracing the hard lines of his chest before disappearing beneath the towel. " Huh! Really?" he asked, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Because you're looking at me like I'm some kind of forbidden fruit." I swallowed hard, cursing the way my breath hitched. He wasn't wrong. Something about him-his presence, his confidence, the way he stood there dripping wet like he didn't have a care in the world-had me unraveling. "You're the one standing half-naked," I shot back, though the words lacked bite. "What do you expect?" He laughed, the sound deep and rich, like the rumble of a storm. "I didn't expect you to be so easy to distract." "Distract? I'm not distracted." My words came out too quick, too defensive. He stepped closer, his damp hair falling across his forehead, and for a moment, the space between us felt electric. "Then wati dey make you dey blush?" I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Because he was right-I was blushing, my pulse racing, my thoughts a mess. And then, just as suddenly as he'd appeared, he was gone, leaving nothing but the memory of his smirk and the ache in my chest that told me this wasn't over. --- Can you survive the pull of gravity when it's not just the black hole that's consuming you-but him? Dive into ETHEREAL BLUE, a tale of cursed ghosts, forbidden connections, and the kind of chemistry that stops time itself.
NOTE- "Welcome to ETHEREAL BLUE, a tale of love and self-discovery set against the rich cultural backdrop of Korea and Nigeria. As you immerse yourself in this story, please note that the dialogue and narrative will blend elements of both Korean and Nigerian accents, dialects, and language patterns.
To fully appreciate the emotional depth and cultural nuances of this story, we invite you to use your imagination and 'hear' the words in your mind's ear. Envision the rhythmic cadence of Korean and Nigerian speech, and allow the emotions and intentions behind the words to shine through.
In this way, we hope you'll experience the beauty of cultural fusion and the universality of love, as our characters navigate the complexities of identity, family, and devotion. Thank you for joining us on this journey!"
PROLOGUE
BUCHI POV
The locker room hummed quietly, the soft sound of water dripping mixing with the steady rhythm of my breath. I leaned back against the cold tiles, feeling the chill seep into my skin after a punishing 5,000-meter run. Sweat beaded on my skin, tracing its path down my chest, sparkling beneath the dim lights. My reflection in the metal lockers caught my eye for a moment-dark skin glowing, muscles tense, shoulders heaving with each breath. I wiped my face with a towel, letting the solitude of the room soak into my bones.
Then I turned.
And froze.
Time seemed to slow, the sound of the dripping water fading into an eerie quiet. A figure stood a few feet away, someone I didn't recognize. His presence was like a shock to my senses-out of place, yet as if he owned the space. He didn't even need to try.
He was tall, posture perfect yet relaxed, his figure dressed in the most unusual outfit I'd ever seen. Layers of silk and intricate embroidery cascaded down his body like something from another time, the rich colors catching the faint glow of the fluorescent lights. His hair, long and neatly tied back, framed his face like a work of art. High cheekbones, sharp jawline, lips too perfect for any man. And his eyes-deep, dark, almost impossible to look away from-seemed to see through me, not just look at me, but into me.
But it wasn't just his face. No, his gaze didn't meet mine at first. His eyes followed the trail of a single drop of sweat that slid down my neck, down my chest, and stopped just above my navel. His expression was hard to place-somewhere between awe and confusion. He didn't move, and the stillness around him felt like the world itself had stopped.
I swallowed, suddenly aware of every inch of my body. My fingers clenched around the towel, but my voice came out steady, even though my chest felt tight with something I couldn't name.
"Abeg... you dey lost or something?" I asked, my tone sharper than I meant. "Wetin be this one? You dey shoot historical drama or something?"
His eyes flicked up, finally locking with mine, and for a heartbeat, I forgot how to breathe. There was a sadness in those eyes, something that went deeper than time itself, like a soul worn by years of longing. He didn't say anything. He just stood there, staring at me with an intensity that made my pulse race.
I blinked.
And just like that, he was gone.
Vanished like smoke in the wind. One second, he was there, the next, the air where he stood was empty. As if he never existed.
My heart raced in my chest, the towel slipping from my hands. The silence in the locker room pressed in on me now, thick and heavy. Was I imagining things? Maybe the exhaustion was playing tricks on my mind. But no. I couldn't shake the image of his face, those eyes that seemed to stop time.
Whoever he was-or whatever just happened-something told me this wasn't the last time I'd see him.
MIN SOO POV
I wasn't supposed to be here. Not like this.
The bathroom was humid, filled with the faint echo of dripping water, and the world around me seemed to blur, hazy from the steam. I was struggling, battling the black hole that threatened to drag me into oblivion. My chest heaved, my legs weak as I leaned against the cold tile wall, fighting to remain tethered to this plane.
And then, just as I was about to give up, he appeared.
It wasn't subtle. It wasn't quiet. One moment, I was alone in my torment, and the next, he was there, stepping out from behind the lockers like he belonged here. My entire body froze, my struggle momentarily forgotten.
I'd never seen anyone like him before.
His skin was dark, smooth like polished bronze, glistening under the fluorescent light. Beads of water clung to his chest, tracing the ridges of muscle that rippled with every breath he took. His chest was broad, tapering down to a narrow waist, his six-pack defined and flawless. Fine hairs trailed from the center of his chest down past his navel, disappearing beneath the towel wrapped loosely around his hips.
And the water... My gaze followed a single droplet as it dripped from his damp hair, traveling down his neck, gliding over his collarbone, and sliding down his chest, carving a slow, torturous path toward his belly button.
Why can't I stop looking?
I blinked, forcing myself to tear my eyes away, but it was no use. My gaze was drawn back like a magnet, as though he was pulling me in without even trying. He moved with an effortless confidence, unaware of the effect he had, the way the air seemed to shift around him.
What is this feeling? Why does he look... beautiful?
I shouldn't be thinking this. I shouldn't be staring. And yet, I couldn't stop myself. Something about him was different, magnetic, and for the first time in over a century, I felt alive.
Then he turned, and our eyes met.
His expression shifted, surprise flashing in his dark eyes as he stumbled back slightly, his towel clutched in one hand. "Whoa, dude! Where did you even come from? And what's with the outfit? Is this some kind of joke?"
His voice was low, warm, with a lilt I couldn't place. It sent a shiver down my spine, even as his words snapped me back to reality. I tried to answer, but my throat tightened. My tongue refused to work.
Why can't I speak? Why am I acting like a fool?
He frowned, tilting his head, and I noticed the faint scar just above his left brow, the way his lips parted slightly as if waiting for me to explain myself. "Hello? Are you going to say something, or...?"
Say something. Anything. Stop staring.
But I couldn't.
Instead, I took one last look at him, memorizing every detail-the way the light hit his skin, the beads of water on his chest, the faint hitch in his breath. And then I disappeared.
Vanished into the thin air between us, leaving him standing there alone, towel in hand, confusion etched across his perfect face.
As I materialized somewhere far from him, my chest ached with something I couldn't name.
What just happened? Why did I feel like... I was meant to meet him again?
"Why do you hate me so much?" Amara asked, her voice shaking. "I've never done anything to you." Where power, passion, and painful memories collide, Amara Denz never imagined the same man who made her life a living hell at Lyons College would be her ruthless, charismatic boss. Now CEO of a thriving tech empire, CEO Leo reigns with cool efficiency-but beneath his shining exterior blazes an undeniable, forbidden desire for the very woman he once tormented. Amara Denz is desperate. Desperate to find employment to pay for the mounting bills, desperate to bury the pain of her abused past, and desperate to preserve her shattered pride in a company where every glance from Leo sends unspoken tension her way. Torn between old wounds and an incendiary attraction that she cannot deny or manage, Amara must navigate a landscape of office politics and personal demons. "Work hard, be loyal, and maybe you'll earn my respect," Leo declares with a provocative smile during their first meeting. But as the day unfolds, every accidental brush, every lingering look, transforms the mundane into a battlefield of raw emotion and sensual challenge. Set against the high-stakes halls of Baze, this scorching dual-perspective story of redemption and revenge tracks two individuals whose entwined destinies compel them to confront a past defined by brutality-and a present filled with desire. Can Leo demonstrate that he's reformed, or will the wounds of their past continue to keep them apart? And will Amara's need to transcend her past enable her to gamble everything on a second chance at love?
"Is this your idea of a blind date, Ms. Alejandro? Crashing your boss's table with that fiery temper of yours?" Luciana froze, her cheeks flushed as she stared at the one man she swore to avoid: Finlay Maverick, her enigmatic and infuriating CEO. Single mother Luciana Alejandro's move from Mexico City to Dublin was supposed to be a fresh start-a chance to provide her young son a better life. Struggling to rebuild her life after years of disappointment, she lands a job at Maverick's Corp, thanks to her best friend, Maddison. But life takes a chaotic turn when a blind date gone wrong entangles her in the orbit of the magnetic yet aloof billionaire, Finlay Maverick. Known for his icy demeanor and aversion to commitment, Finlay finds his world turned upside down when Luciana's fiery wit and quiet resilience ignite a passion he can't ignore. But Luciana has secrets-secrets that could shatter the fragile connection growing between them. As Finlay battles his own fears of love and fatherhood, Luciana must confront the betrayals of her past, the meddling schemes of jealous friends, and the resurfacing of the man who abandoned her and her child. When scandal erupts, threatening to destroy everything they've built, will their love be strong enough to weather the storm?
"You're marrying well, Vera. Ivan's family is influential. Don't embarrass us." - Vera's Mother "But Mother, I don't love him. I don't even know him!" - Vera "Love is a luxury we can't afford. Your duty is to secure our family's future." - Vera's Mother But fate had other plans. "Who are you?" Vera whispered, her voice trembling as a stranger's hands explored her body. "I'm the one who'll change your life forever," he replied, his eyes burning with desire. Little did Vera know, that stranger was Ivan, her future husband. Vera is a young, beautiful and talented girl. Raised by her family she grew to be hardworking and loved by everyone around her. Bored with a kind heart, she treat her Olivia with love despite all the hate she receives from her. Seen as a tool to climb the social ladder, her parents decided to arrange a marriage between her and a young master, Ivan, without her wishes. Luck seemed to deviate from her as she loses her virginity to a stranger a night before her in-laws come to get her. Only to discover later, that her husband was the same man who took away her virginity. Will she be accepted by Ivan? Will she succeed in winning over his heart? This novel embraces the struggles, Vera will encounter, the way she handles and goes through each situation with the blooming romance between her and Ivan.
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
"Mr. Evans, please maintain some dignity. Don't forget I'm your brother's wife!" Having caught her husband and best friend together in the bed, Elena wanted nothing more than to exact revenge on the people she once called family. She refused to be a pitiful divorcee and vowed to make everyone who had once looked down on her beg for forgiveness. And to start with her newfound freedom, Elena indulges in a one-night stand with a stranger. However, what was meant to be a fleeting escape turns into a nightmare when she learns that the stranger is none other than her husband's older brother! Would Elena be free from the shackles of her marriage? Or would the mysterious stranger make her life a living hell since he seemed to have a personal vendetta against his family? [The story is 18+ and involves mature content.]
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
"Is it considered betrayal to develop feelings for your best friend's boyfriend? What about when fate intervenes, and he turns out to be your destined mate? You might think it's luck and thank the moon goddess for such a twist of fate. That's what I believed until the love of my life uttered those dreaded words: 'I want a divorce!' As I stared at the pregnancy test in my hands, I realized it was better to keep my secret to myself. My name is Violet, and this is my story."
Chloe Miler, a naïve young woman, waits shyly to spend Valentine's Day with her boyfriend, but is betrayed on that day when she witnesses him entangled in bed with her own sister. Chloe's heart is broken when her heartfelt love for him is trampled on in an instant. *** Lionel Williams, the mysterious billionaire, the top of the pyramid, is handsome as hell. His eyes are set high, but he is drugged, has a one-night stand with a strange woman, and is humiliated by that unknowing woman with her money! His instincts tell him it's not that simple, and he's going to find her out!
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?"