Novels by Rolando

GREY’S POVAnna Blake had been talking for eleven minutes without stopping. "... and the floral arrangement on the east aisle follows the same ivory and gold palette, which I think you'll agree with and then of course the centrepieces and then…" She turned and spread both arms wide with the energy of someone revealing a magic trick. "The doves." I looked at the cages. There were twelve of them stacked in pairs. And the sight of white birds cooing against the afternoon light made my brows furrow. "I didn't ask for doves," I pointed out, turning to her. "You said…" She pulled out her tablet, scrolled, turned it to face me. "And I'm quoting directly… 'Anna, I don't care, just make it look like a wedding.'" I stared at her and she stared back, unflinching. The woman had been in this industry for twenty years and she had clearly stopped being intimidated by anyone. "The doves have to stay," she said, and moved on before I could respond. I followed her through the venue with

POPPY’S POVThe mansion swallowed us the moment we stepped through the doors. Grey's hand clamped around my wrist, his fingers digging into my flesh. He didn't let go, not when the butler murmured a greeting or even when a female servant rushed in behind us, asking if there was anything she could do. He carried me down the hallway, past the grand foyer and into my room. The moment we were inside, he locked the door and turned to me, crossing his arms against his chest. "Strip," he commanded in that low voice that made my knees weak and my stomach clench. He was already unbuttoning his cuffs, rolling the crisp white fabric up his forearms as the muscles in his arms flexed. I couldn't look away. “Grey.” "I said strip, Poppy." He gave me a stern look. My hands moved before my brain caught up and soon, the dress pooled around my feet. My bra followed, then my panties, until I stood naked before him, my skin prickling with goosebumps despite the warmth of the room. "Goo

POPPY’S POVThe spa was beautiful with pale stone and the kind of ambient music that made me instantly feel welcome. The woman at the front recognized Penelope immediately and greeted us with genuine warmth, taking my hands and saying she had been looking forward to this appointment. I relaxed, even started to enjoy it. Penelope was talking. She had opinions about the menu, treatment rooms and the type of towel being warmer than the ones at the last place she tried. The staff were used to her, smiling and responding with patient grace. Penelope cleared her throat and turned to me. “Well, I'm glad that's out of the way now. We can get—” “Is our future Luna?” A very familiar voice cooed and my entire body stiffened as Elder Marsh walked toward us. Even Penelope had a frown on her face and stepped forward to block her but the old woman was faster. She took my hands and squeezed. “My dearest, I am so glad to see you back. I prayed every single night, we all did, and I just

POPPY'S POVWhen I woke up, Grey was still there and I nearly jerked in surprise. I wasn't expecting that. I had half-convinced myself during the night that he would slip out the moment I was properly asleep, leaving me with just a dent in the mattress and his usual brand of emotional whiplash. But no. He was there, sleeping on his back with one arm still hooked around me like he had forgotten to let go.I didn't move. I just looked at him. It wasn't something I got to do often. I couldn't study his face without that sharp gaze cutting back at me. He looked younger asleep and the line of his jaw was still ridiculous, obviously, because the universe was unfair like that.And his lashes were so dark and long and full. Even his mouth was…Okay. I needed to stop.The problem was that somewhere between not moving and definitely not staring, my body had apparently made a series of decisions without consulting me. My heart was doing something stupid and my skin felt too warm. There was

POPPY’S POV“No. No. No!”The word kept leaving my lips as I raced through the forest, my heart thrashing in my chest. I couldn't afford to look back, already knowing what would happen. But the sound of a piercing howl caught my attention and I turned back. My leg twisted immediately and a pained grunt left my throat. I could hear paws thudding on the dirt and the white wolf barreled towards me. The sight of those haunting red eyes made me freeze and a scream tore from my throat. I jerked awake, my chest drumming too fast for me. My eyes flew over the dimly lit room and I realized that I was back in Grey's mansion. “You're safe.” I whispered even as I trembled. “I'm safe. No one can touch me.”I repeated it until my heartbeat believed me, which took longer than I wanted to admit.It was becoming a routine. This same dream over and over again, I had no idea what it meant. The time read 2:45, which made sense since the sky through the window was still dark. I was sweating, my tan

POPPY’S POVHe was standing with his arms folded and an angry expression on his face. The driver from the car was beside him and there was a bandage around the ear where I had bitten him. Good."You," Olly growled once he spotted me. "Do you have any idea what you fucking cost us?" He stepped forward and I staggered back but the maids kept their hands on my arm. “You're lucky we aren't supposed to touch you.” He hissed as he wrapped his fingers around my throat. I tipped my chin. “I should have done worse.” “You bitch—” "That's enough!” Eleanor snapped. "Kiara will be back by four. I want all of you out of here before then." She didn't even spare me a look and I was filled with so much anger that I shook from it. "Fine," Olly grumbled, and snatched my arm. “Let's go, princess.” He pushed me towards the door and I stumbled after him. The driver was grumbling something underneath his breath and I felt the urge to cry again. When I looked back, Eleanor was instructi

Tyler's POV Panic filled my chest the moment the gunshot echoed. My heart was racing so hard I thought it might jump out of my chest. People were screaming, running, stumbling over each other, and I could barely make sense of anything.“What the…what the fuck is going on?” I muttered under my breath, my eyes scanning for Emily and Aurora.“I have no idea,” Ethan said beside me, voice laced with worry.But I didn’t have time for confusion. My mind was only on my wife and my daughter. Emily and Aurora had gone into the market just a few minutes ago, and now it was a warzone. People were tripping, goods were flying everywhere, and I saw someone rushing into his car.I pushed through the crowd, trying to make my way forward. “Excuse me! What’s happening?!” I shouted to a man nearby.The man glanced at me with wide eyes. “It’s unsafe here! Two store owners owe some thugs about $10k each. The thugs came looking for them, couldn’t find them, and now they’re… going into a rampage. You don’t

Emily's POV It was our last day on the mini vacation, and I decided I wanted to get a few things we could take back home. It was just me, Tyler, Ethan, and Aurora out. The others were off somewhere else.I turned to Tyler. “I’ll go with Aurora into the market, okay?”Tyler looked at me. “The market?”“Yes. We want to check out some of the stores and get, you know, some nice souvenirs before we go back.”“Yes, Daddy! Let Mommy and I go!” Aurora said happily.Tyler looked at me again. “Okay… I’ll come with.”“No, hang out with Ethan. We’ll be back shortly. We just want to buy stuff, Tyler.”Tyler sighed. “Fine. Tell me how it goes, and be careful. Try not to trip—”“Or lose my balance, bump into someone, hurt myself. I get it.” I completed with a soft chuckle.Tyler smiled. I looked down at Aurora. “Come on, honey, let’s go.”Aurora smiled excitedly as I held her hands, and we began walking into the market.The market was bigger than I expected, bright and bustling, with colours and sm

Emily's POV Later that evening, we were out at the beach, and it felt so wonderful and breezy. The kind of breeze that brushed against your skin gently. The sky was slowly dimming, painted in soft shades of orange and lavender, and the sound of the waves rolling in was calming.Skylar and Ethan had gone off to get some food for us, while Wendy stayed beside me, our shoulders almost touching as we sat on the blanket. Honestly, it was just so fun watching Aurora and Isla giggle and play happily around. They chased each other near the water, tiny feet sinking into the sand, laughter ringing out every time a wave rushed close enough to scare them back.I smiled softly, my eyes following Aurora as she pulled to drag Isla by the hand.“You know,” I said, turning to Wendy, “this was really a good idea.”Wendy smiled proudly, her eyes still on the girls. “I know.”I chuckled softly, hugging my knees closer to my chest. “Mm.”Wendy leaned forward and smiled at the girls. “Oh, look at them,”

Tyler's POV “Does Aurora really have to share a room with us?” I asked again as I pulled Emily closer, feeling her soft skin.Emily chuckled softly, brushing her fingers through my hair. “Yes, Tyler. She’s too little to book her own room.”I sighed, letting my forehead rest against hers. I had been looking forward to this trip to Hawaii since Emily and Wendy mentioned it. We were at a five-star hotel, and finally some time alone with Emily but with Aurora bouncing around.Sharing our room, the idea of intimacy felt almost impossible. “Come on, Emily,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to her neck. “I’m starving.”Emily’s cheeks flushed. “Starving, huh? We literally did it last night.”“Not enough,” I added, teasing, leaning closer. Emily, do you think I could ever get enough of you?”I smirked, leaning down toward her lips, just as the moment was about to tip into something more, a tiny, familiar voice broke through the doorway.“Mommy? Daddy? Are you in there?”I groaned, rolling my eyes,

Emily's POV Aurora was still sound asleep in her room when I stood in front of the mirror, getting ready to go to the boutique. The house was quiet in the early-morning. I could picture her curled up in her bed, probably clutching one of her stuffed animals. Moments like this always made my heart ache in the best way.I adjusted my dress and tied my hair back, staring at my reflection for a moment longer. Yes, I had a store now—E Little Ones. A children’s boutique and daycare. Tyler had opened it for me three years ago after I told him I wanted something of my own. I hadn’t expected it to grow the way it did. We had expanded to another city already, and now we were preparing to launch yet another branch. I had staff, managers, and structure. Some of the people who once worked in the mansion now worked there too.Still, as proud as I was, exhaustion weighed heavily on me.I blinked, suddenly lightheaded, gripping the edge of the dresser for balance. I honestly wanted nothing more tha

Author's POV*FOUR YEARS LATER*Emily and Tyler lay asleep in bed, their bodies relaxed but visibly exhausted. There was a quiet peace in the room, the kind that only existed before the day truly began. Tyler had spent most of the previous night awake, playing pretend tea parties, answering endless questions, and negotiating “just one more story” with little Aurora.Aurora was the liveliest child anyone could ever meet. She was full of energy, full of opinions, and dramatic in the most adorable way possible. One moment she was laughing loudly, the next she was pouting over something only she understood. Fun followed her everywhere, and sleep… well, sleep rarely did.Emily and Tyler loved her more than anything. Aurora was not just their daughter, she was the heart of their home, the center of their world. Everything seemed to orbit around her laughter.The peace didn’t last long. A small thud echoed from the hallway, followed by hurried footsteps.“Mooommyyy,” Aurora’s voice rang out