Novels by Michael King

Lucy’s POVThe restaurant glowed like a dream that had stepped into reality. Candlelight flickered across the table, casting gold and amber glows on crystal glasses and half-melted wax. The chandeliers reflected gold light on the silver plates arranged perfectly on the table. The soft hum of violins played somewhere in the corner, blending with low laughter and the faint clinking of cutlery.It felt like the kind of night that shouldn’t end.It felt like I’d walked into one of my teenage dreams.I was walking side by side with Alex, and I could feel my heart flutter. Everything felt unreal — a dream too sweet to touch. I couldn’t even look Alex in the eye; I suddenly became so shy. When I turned back, I saw Ella glowing like a child. Her smile melted my heart. The way she and Ethan clung to each other made me long for love — the kind I hadn’t felt in so long.At the table, Ethan pulled out a chair for Ella, and she sat while Alex did the same for me. Ella sat across from me, her hand

Ella’s POVI was fast asleep, but I kept hearing voices. I was too lazy to even open my eyes until I heard Ethan's voice—and immediately, I rushed down the stairs. My heart was already in my throat, pounding so loudly I could barely hear the sound of the rain outside. One part of me felt so happy, while the other part trembled with fear. I just hoped silently that he hadn’t gotten into any trouble.The air downstairs felt thick with tension, mixed with the faint scent of rain seeping in through the open doorway. Ethan stood in the middle of the living room, drenched from the downpour, his hair still dripping water, his white shirt clinging to his chest.“Ethan,” I whispered, running toward him—but he lifted a hand slightly, not in warning this time, but hesitation.“I told you someone was following you,” I said, my voice trembling. “But you didn’t respond to me! I’ve been worried sick about you. Did something happen? Are you hurt?”He looked at me, water dripping from his hair, and fo

Lucy’s POVThe house had been far too quiet since Ethan drove off. Immediately Ella came inside, she had withdrawn to her room after pacing the living room endlessly, and Grandma had gone upstairs to take a nap. I was left alone in the dining room downstairs, scrolling on my phone and pretending to do something quite reasonable, but mostly staring at the screen for half the time.The silence in the house made everywhere seem unsettling. There was no noise, except for the one coming from the moor. But what felt more unsettling to me was the look on Ella’s face when she walked into the dining room and told me someone had been following Ethan’s car, trailing behind him as he left. She looked lost in thoughts; she looked at my face and pointed upstairs.“Yeah, you need to get some rest,” I said as I stood up and hugged her. “Don’t worry about Ethan, El. He will be fine. Just call him and distract yourself, okay?”That was when the bell above the café door chimed, and Alex walked in.“Sket

Ella's pov. Ethan whispered into my ears, his lips grazing the delicate skin just behind my earlobe, his hands warm and firm against my body. His voice, though low, carried a dangerous edge.“I’ll teach James a lesson. I’ll send him a warning he’ll never forget.”My heart reeled. The intimacy of the moment seemed to shatter under the sharpness of his words. I cupped his face with both hands and forced myself to look deep into his eyes. In them, I saw the fierceness of a man trying to protect the woman he loves.“No, Ethan. Please… let him be. He’s not worth it.”His eyes burned into mine. For a moment, I thought he would argue, that his fury would spill over again and undo everything I was trying to hold together. But he didn’t. He only tightened his hold on me. His silence spoke louder than his words.I pressed my forehead against his chest, seeking the rhythm of his heartbeat to steady my own.“I honestly don’t want more chaos,” I whispered, voice trembling. “I just want peace… and

Ethan’s POV.I slammed the door so hard the frame rattled. The echo followed me into the room, but it wasn’t enough to drown the pounding in my chest. Rage coiled through me like poison, sharp and hot, clawing for release. My ego was hurt. I just couldn’t believe another tried to steal a kiss from my woman. Yeah, she’s mine and I’ll do anything to make sure nothing takes that away.I went to the mirror. The man staring back at me barely looked like me. My cheeks looked reddish and quite swollen as a result of the punches, blood smeared across my mouth and jaw, my nose bruised. My chest heaved as I leaned forward, gripping the dresser so hard. I punched the wall like it did any wrong to me.I dragged the back of my hand across my face, more blood smeared into my skin, and I smirked bitterly at my reflection. I felt the urge to go after him for doing this to my face and for touching my lover with his filthy hands. I wanted so badly to slit his throat. All I saw in my reflection was weak

Ella’s POV.Seeing Ethan's text, my breath caught. I felt like calling him to explain how I had only come to the café and how James had walked in, pestering me, reminding me of old times, and trying to corner me into wanting him back.But a part of me wanted to shield Ethan from this—at least for now. I had never mentioned my ex to him, and it felt unnecessary to do so. Ethan loves me now, and I know what rage mixed with anger can do. If he finds out James keeps coming back, he'd be in trouble.My heart skipped a beat as I typed back:I’m at the café. With Lucy.I looked outside and saw that James was already walking away from the café. Seeing him made me feel like I was lying to Ethan, like I was keeping secrets from him. But for now, it felt like the best thing to do.It wasn’t a lie. Not exactly. But at least I had nothing entangling me with James. He was just being delusional, thinking I would ever consider going back to him.I turned to Lucy, who had been watching me carefully. H