Novels by North Dame

He just stared at me. Silence hung in the air for a moment until he let out a harsh sigh.“Fine,” he said in surrender, then turned his back on me and started walking away. I felt my anger flare up at what he did.“Where the hell are you going?” I yelled, my patience almost snapping.He looked back at me with a frown.“I thought you wanted me gone. You don’t want to see my face, right?”“You just got here and you’re already leaving?” I said, my voice filled with warning.I then heard the four of them laughing, so I turned to look at them.“What’s so funny?” I asked irritably.Asher looked at Ethan while shaking his head.“You’re going to deal with that for a few months, bro. Good luck,” he said meaningfully to his friend before glancing at me.When I looked back at Ethan, he scratched his head and walked back to me, then quickly kissed me on the lips.“Don’t be mad at me, please. Let’s just eat. I bought something for you,” he coaxed, guiding me toward the dining area.I let out a tir

I woke up the next morning feeling weak and unwell. I felt like my stomach was going to explode and that I could throw up at any moment even though I had not eaten anything. I could also feel my head throbbing from the intense pain, but I did not let Ethan notice it.I immediately went to Slater’s room after Mary told me he was just studying there. I found him alone, sitting on the carpet on the floor while reading. Right after he saw me, he immediately put down his book and gave me a kiss.“How’s my baby?” I asked him as I sat down on his bed.He gave a small smile and showed me his notebook. I smiled when I saw what he was pointing at.“I got a perfect score yesterday, Mommy,” he told me proudly.“You’re so good. I’m so proud of you, Slater. You’re growing too fast, huh?” I said as I hugged him tightly.“Yes, Mom. I’m ready to be a big brother,” he said, and my smile grew even wider.My heart leaped at what he said. When I told him about my pregnancy, he paused for a moment and then

His mouth closed over my breast while his hand caressed me through the thin fabric. I gripped his hair tightly, urging him closer, wanting him to touch me more. I arched my back at the unfamiliar yet intoxicating sensation that only he had ever been able to awaken in me.He stopped and looked up at me. His eyes burned with passion and desire. My vision blurred. I wanted him so badly I felt like I might faint.“In all those years you were with Yuan, did he ever touch you?” he asked in a hoarse voice as his hand slowly traveled over my body.I could barely speak because of what he was doing to me, so I just shook my head, breathless and weak. My throat felt dry. I saw his eyes darken further, a faint smirk forming on his lips.“What are the tickets about?

When night came, Ethan only visited me briefly in the bedroom before leaving again. I checked where he went, but when I saw that he was lying beside Slater, I decided to let him be. Ever since we came back from the stream earlier, he had been quiet and emotionless, yet I could still feel that he was taking twice as much care of me.He cooked and prepared our dinner. He did the things I usually did for Slater before bedtime. He did not let me leave the room after I told him my pregnancy was delicate. He reminded me about my medicine and vitamins every hour because he knew I was forgetful.His presence is here. I know it. I can see it. But I do not know why I cannot feel him.He was not like this when he found out about the child we lost. He was expressive then. I saw how miserable he became before everything happened

I squeezed my eyes shut and turned back to him in frustration. I could feel the corners of my eyes growing warm as tears threatened to fall.“I’m sorry. I just helped her and—”“I don’t need your sorry, Ethan. Just leave me alone for now until I understand why you did that for her. I don’t want to be unreasonable with you. I don’t want to—”“No, please. I’m sorry. I was just shocked. It was all instinct. I knew I had to help her, and I did it without thinking about your feelings… and I’m sorry. I really am. Please…” he pleaded as he quickly took my hand again.I let him hold it tightly. I simply watched him while he did. I looked straight into his eyes. They were still fille

I automatically frowned when I heard that voice. Before I could even turn in her direction, she suddenly appeared beside Ethan, making me roll my eyes.“This is our day, Eleanor. Don’t—”“Let her be, Ethan. It’s not a problem for me,” I cut him off when he tried to stop her.They all looked at me, including Eleanor, so I just gave her a faint smile. When no one said anything else, we continued walking. I could still hear Eleanor occasionally talking to Ethan about something, which he quickly ended each time.When we reached the stream, I immediately smiled at the sight of the waterfall again. Alyanna and I were so happy that we headed straight to the raft resting in the shade and sat down together, letting our feet dip into the water.“Be careful, love,” I heard Ethan say, and I simply smiled at him. I even caught Eleanor rolling her eyes behind him.“It’s really not easy to get rid of that woman, huh? She even came along. She should have brought Noah too—”“He wouldn’t come here. I h

Griffin’s words sent a chill straight down Luci Pearl’s spine.She knew better than anyone that Griffin’s mother, Victoria Monreal, was the most formidable presence in the entire Monreal family. Victoria’s affection for Solenn even surpassed Griffin’s own.For years, Luci Pearl had done everything she could to marry into the Monreal family, going to great lengths to win Victoria’s approval.Unfortunately, the proud and commanding matriarch barely acknowledged her existence.Trying to please Victoria had been like pouring water into a basket—utterly pointless.Victoria had once said bluntly, “Solenn carries Monreal blood, and we recognize that. But the days when a woman could sec

However, until Silas could confirm that Solenn was truly their long-lost sister, the “identity swap” between Lilith and Solenn had to remain strictly confidential.Suddenly, an idea struck him. He quickly opened his laptop and messaged Lilith—who was currently at the Monreal estate—through a chat app.At that moment, Lilith was sitting on the floor with Solenn’s basic tablet, trying to play a game. She had downloaded it, but the tablet didn’t have enough storage to run it.“What kind of rich family is this?” she muttered under her breath. “The Monreals are supposed to be loaded, and they give Solenn this cheap tablet that can’t even run a game. So lame.”Just as she was complaining, Silas’s message p

“Griffin, let’s go. We’ll find another doctor for Solenn.”“With her on the team, their so-called expertise is already questionable,” Luci Pearl added coldly. “And this Dr. Morgan? She’s probably just overhyped.”With that, Luci Pearl grabbed Griffin’s arm, trying to pull him toward the door.She was certain that given Althea’s position—and with her own insistence—Griffin would leave with her.But someone who had stolen another woman’s child could never truly understand how real parents love their children.Griffin firmly shook off Luci Pearl’s hand and said resolutely, “For Solenn’s sake, I’m not willing to give up any

Althea asked Wade for Griffin’s background information, and that alone gave him a flicker of hope. He immediately forwarded every file he had on Griffin.When Althea opened the document and saw the handsome face in the profile photo, she froze. It was the same man who had confronted her at the Greene villa the day before.At the time, she had already suspected there was something unusual about his relationship with Luci Pearl, especially given how quickly he had stepped in to defend her.Now she learned he was Luci Pearl’s fiancé—and that they even had a daughter together.Althea couldn’t understand it. If Griffin and Luci Pearl had a child, why hadn’t they gotten married? Questions piled up in her mind.

Luci Pearl immediately stepped in to steady Griffin, shooting Althea a sharp, poisonous look over her shoulder.Griffin was baffled. A tiny silver needle had completely immobilized him, striking his nervous system with remarkable precision. That kind of accuracy required an in-depth understanding of human anatomy. Was this woman a doctor?“Griffin, are you okay?” Luci Pearl asked, her voice suddenly soft and tender—nothing like the hostility she’d shown Althea just moments earlier.“Mr. Monreal, I’m so sorry you had to witness something like this. You barely ever visit, and then this happens,” Valentine rushed over, clearly eager to speak ill of Althea. “My stepdaughter has always been difficult to manage. Her mother passed away when she was young, and it’s been

Althea’s sharp words and defiant stance made Griffin, standing next to Luci Pearl, scowl with obvious displeasure. Just as Luci Pearl had warned, Althea was indeed a law unto herself.“You expect me to apologize to them? On what grounds?” Althea’s eyebrow arched, her annoyance clear. “Who are you to demand that from me? Perhaps I should remind you how your family treated me in the past?”“Althea, that’s ancient history! What’s done is done—why dig it up again?” Luci Pearl’s voice wavered as Althea began to bring up old wounds.“I’m just asking you to apologize after arguing with our parents like that today. Is that too much?” Althea’s patience had run out. Her expression hardened, her piercing gaze locking onto Luci Pearl.Feeling the intensity of Althea’s stare, Luci Pearl instinctively leaned closer to Griffin for protection.“Luci Pearl, watch your words. Before you speak of me, consider whether I might slap you,” Althea warned, her voice ice-cold.Luci Pearl pressed her lips toget