Sienna has known Jason for years but falling in love with your childhood best friend isn't easy, not when you're in an elite boarding school and all you want is to go unnoticed and he's the very opposite of that, not when you need to win valedictorian to get a scholarship to your dream college and he's your strongest competition. Join Sienna and Jason as they figure out how to transition from best friends to lovers without breaking each other's hearts.
Sienna did not like the way the boy moving into the house next to hers looked. She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the way he stood, slightly hunched as if he carried something heavy on his shoulders, or how he barely spoke to the movers bustling around him. Maybe it was the way his dark hair fell over his forehead, hiding most of his face, or how his hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his jacket, like he was trying to make himself smaller. Either way, Sienna didn't like it.
Still, she found herself watching him from her bedroom window, peering out through the gap in her curtains as he helped carry boxes inside. The sky was beginning to darken, the golden hues of late afternoon melting into dusky purples, casting long shadows across the street. He looked tall-too tall for someone who couldn't be much older than she was. And his eyes, when she finally caught a glimpse of them, were striking. A deep, stormy grey, like the sky before a thunderstorm. They were... pretty. It annoyed her.
At eleven years old, Sienna was painfully aware of her own awkwardness. Her braces felt too big for her mouth, her face was constantly breaking out, and her strawberry-blonde hair refused to cooperate no matter how much she brushed it. She hated that this boy, whoever he was, had a smooth, unblemished face. His skin was clear, his dark lashes long, and puberty seemed to have favored him in a way it clearly had not favored her. It was unfair. Completely, utterly unfair.
As she watched, the boy suddenly turned in her direction.
Sienna's breath caught in her throat. For a split second, their eyes met, locking across the short distance between their houses. Her stomach twisted, a sharp jolt of panic shooting through her as she realized she'd been caught staring. Before she could stop herself, she ducked down below the windowsill, heart pounding in her chest. But it was too late. He had seen her.
Great. Now he probably thought she was some kind of creep.
Lying flat on the floor, Sienna squeezed her eyes shut and groaned. What if he told his parents? What if they thought she was spying on them? She could already hear her mother scolding her, reminding her about "respecting other people's privacy." Or worse, what if he said something to her at school?
The thought made her cringe.
Slowly, she peeked back up over the edge of the windowsill. The boy was still standing there, but he wasn't looking at her window anymore. Instead, he was staring down at the ground, his shoulders slightly slumped. There was something in his posture that she hadn't noticed before. Something... sad.
She frowned, tilting her head.
What was his story?
People didn't usually move into their neighborhood in the middle of the school year. And the way he carried himself, the way he barely interacted with the movers or his parents, made her wonder if he even wanted to be here.
A part of her-small, but insistent-wanted to know more.
But another part of her, the part that was still embarrassed about being caught, told her to forget about it.
With a sigh, Sienna flopped onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling.
Maybe she'd see him at school on Monday. Maybe she wouldn't. Maybe he'd pretend he hadn't seen her spying on him, and they'd go on living next door to each other without ever really speaking.
That was probably for the best.
After all, she didn't like the way he looked.
At least, that's what she told herself.
"Sign the divorce papers and get out!" Leanna got married to pay a debt, but she was betrayed by her husband and shunned by her in-laws. Seeing that her efforts were in vain, she agreed to divorce and claimed her half of the properties. With her purse plump from the settlement, Leanna enjoyed her newfound freedom. The constant harassment from her ex's mistress never fazed her. She took back her identities as top hacker, champion racer, medical professor, and renowned jewelry designer. Then someone discovered her secret. Matthew smiled. "Will you have me as your next husband?"
For three years, Shane and Yvonne were wed, sharing heated nights, while his devotion clung to his ex. Yvonne strove to be a dutiful wife, yet their marriage felt hollow, built on desire rather than real warmth. All changed when she became pregnant, only for Shane to thrust her onto the operating table, warning, “Either you or the baby survives!” Broken by his cruelty, she vanished in grief and later returned, radiantly accomplished, leaving everyone awestruck. Haunted by remorse, Shane begged for another chance, but Yvonne only smiled and replied, “I’m sorry, men no longer interest me.”
Iris grew from an orphaned child to the adopted daughter of the Stewart family at age ten, finding warmth in her nominal uncle Vincent's kindness. Seven years later, she became his secret lover. When Vincent's engagement was announced, gossip spread about the notorious playboy CEO finally settling down. But only Iris knew the extent of his cold, two-faced nature. Iris fell for Vincent and, through tears, begged, "Marry me," only to be met with his frosty refusal. Defeated, she accepted a lawyer's proposal, sparking public excitement. Then, on her wedding day, Vincent pleaded desperately, "Don't marry him…"
My name is Katia, and I am just trying to survive until my fated mate arrives. Which may be easier said than done. Rejectection is the last straw. Whispering my acceptance of his rejection. I run through the pack house, out across the manicured lawn into the forest. "I'm sorry, my sweet girl," I say to my wolf. I'm sorry you have been stuck with me and have had to suffer everything I have. She whispers," it's not your fault, Katia. We came to a cliff with a waterfall. The hurt keeps pounding at me. I need it to stop. My sweet girl, and I just want peace, I keep running and leap off the cliff. Spreading my arms wide, with tears streaming down my face, I fall, not making a sound, waiting for sweet oblivion where we feel nothing ever again. "I love you, my sweet girl! Until we meet again, "My wolf replied just before we hit the water, "I love you too, Katia. I have never regretted a moment with you." The Snow Moon pack is having their last barbecue of the summer next to the waterfall on their land. The adults are laughing and joking while watching the pups play. The alpha, beta, and gamma are swimming with some of the older children and playing a game of Marco Polo. Someone yells, "Oh my goddess, someone just jumped over the waterfall!" Everyone is frozen as they watch what looks to be a child falling arms spread wide, no one makes a sound. The small body hits the water like a plane crashing into the side of a mountain. The alpha, beta, and gamma, spring into action, swimming towards the area the person went under. The alpha is screaming his wolf is going crazy repeating, "Find her. Find her...find her!" They dive and the beta surfaces with a small person in his arms. Alpha takes the girl from his beta, laying her on the ground. The men are shocked by what they see. She is covered in scars and injuries. Her body is twisted and broken. The Beta asks, "Who could have done this to someone so defenseless?" Alpha drops to his knees, repeating, "MATE...MATE...MATE!"
Eliana was framed by her best friend and her fiance into sleeping with a boy toy in the club and getting impregnated by him. Five years after she had given birth to twins, she returned home and worked under the Moran Group, where she met the CEO-- Maurice. Maurice was a brilliant businessman who did his job well. But in order to stay under the radar, he lived a double life. One as Maurice, and one as Preston. Fate brought the two together again, roping them in on an exciting love story. It all became more complicated when Eliana faced Preston, the man she had slept with before, once again. Now that she was being pursued by two men, how could she ever choose? When would Eliana uncover the secret of Maurice's identity? When was Maurice going to know that he already had two children of his own? How would Eliana face this man when the truth came to light one day? Come and find out.
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!