Novel-novel oleh Raven

Rowan didn’t say anything for a long time after I read the last line. His gaze was locked on the journal, but his expression was unreadable — cold, deep in thought, maybe even a bit haunted. The relaxed confidence he usually had seemed to slip away, replaced by a heavier weight.I could almost hear the wheels turning in his mind. The air felt thick, as if the room’s temperature had dipped."Rowan?" I finally asked quietly, setting the book on my lap. "Do you... think she was having an affair with this L.S. guy?"He took a moment to answer. His jaw clenched, fingers drumming on his knee. When he finally looked up, his green eyes were unreadable. "I don’t think," he said flatly. "I know."The bluntness of his words caught me off guard. "What? How can you possibly know that? Did you see something?""No," Rowan leaned back, elbows resting casually on his knees, but I could see the tension in his clenched fists. "But it happens," he replied, his voice low, edged with something that wasn’t

Rowan’s home gym had a hint of cedar and that clean sweat smell, the kind that sticks around even after a workout. I settled cross-legged on the padded bench against the wall, an old leather journal from Carla in my lap, its yellowed pages soft from being flipped through so many times.Across from me, Rowan was doing his usual thing — trying to act like he wasn’t aware I was in the room while he worked out shirtless.The steady clank of weights filled the quiet as he lifted the barbell again, muscles in his arms flexing under the light. His focus was locked in, not drifting even a little, and honestly, it was kind of frustrating how effortlessly good he looked while doing something as basic as breathing.I sighed, pretending to be engrossed in the journal to keep my eyes from wandering. "Do you ever train with a shirt on?" I asked, flipping to another page and trying to sound casual.He didn’t even look up. "Why? Am I making you uncomfortable?"Yes.I shot him a glare. "No, it’s just

For some reason, it felt like something... or someone... was missing from this picture. The cafeteria was buzzing away its usual rhythm-chatter bouncing off the walls, clinking trays, laughter ringing from across tables-when Ainsley’s sharp, sugary voice cut through the noise like a knife."So, ladies," she said loud enough for half the cafeteria to hear, her shiny red hair catching the light as she leaned toward her cheerleader friends. "It’s official. Rowan’s taking me to the Winter Ball."I didn’t even need to look up to know the smirk she was wearing-the one that said, ’I win.’ Her table erupted in squeals and cheers, voices going so high they could probably have reached the parking lot.Tori rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. "Here we go again."But before anyone could say anything, silence swept through the tables around us. Rowan was walking by, tall and broad-shouldered, his usual bored expression in place as he carried his tray toward the trash can. Ainsl

Lunch time always had its own crazy vibe, trays clattering, voices overlapping, and that unmistakable hum of laughter from teenagers filling the cafeteria. The air was filled with the scent of coffee and greasy fries, mixed with the distant sound of music leaking from someone’s earbuds.I had just stepped inside when I heard a familiar, loud squeal."Atlas Loren!"Before I could even turn around, a pink blur with curls rushed into me, almost knocking my tray out of my hands."Millie-!" I gasped, stumbling back as she hugged me tightly. "Oh my god, I can’t breathe-"She pulled back just enough to give me a dramatic once-over. "You look alive. Barely, but alive. Two weeks in isolation with Rowan Harrigan and you still have a soul? That’s a miracle. Maybe I should book you a spiritual cleansing or even an exorcism."I laughed so hard it hurt. "It wasn’t that bad."Tori rolled her eyes as she appeared beside Millie. "You say that like he didn’t torture you mentally every day in sophomore

I did not.I turned away before he could see how my face heated up, focusing on the classroom doors ahead of us. Maybe he was right, maybe people were just bored and needed something new to gossip about.But as Rowan’s shoulder brushed mine in the crowded hallway, I felt like something had shifted between us.. something small, quiet, and terrifyingly real.Walking beside Rowan felt oddly... normal. Well, as normal as it could be when half the school looked at you like you’d just committed some kind of scandal. We reached our first class—history and I exhaled, clutching my essay like it was a lifeline.As soon as we stepped in, the usual low chatter faded. Heads turned. Whispers followed us like a wave, and I could practically feel the heat of their stares boring into my back. I forced myself to ignore it and walked straight to Mr. Daniel’s desk, sliding my paper onto the neat stack of assignments before he could even greet me."Good morning, Mr Loren," he said with a warm smile."Morn

Even though Rowan claimed he didn’t mind if people discovered we were step-siblings, I couldn’t shake the anxiety churning in my stomach. The closer we got to school, the more my nerves unraveled.When the school gates finally appeared, I quickly turned to him and said, "You can stop here. I’ll walk the rest of the way."Rowan raised an eyebrow, slowing down but not stopping. "Why?""Because," I said, vaguely pointing toward the front of the school, "I don’t want everyone to see me getting out of your car. Do you know how quickly rumors spread in this place? One moment it’s ’oh, Atlas got a ride,’ and the next it’s ’Atlas Loren has sold his soul to Rowan Harrigan, like his idiotic friends already have.’"He looked entirely unfazed. "You’re being dramatic.""I’m being careful," I shot back, crossing my arms. "And besides, I can manage walking a few blocks just fine."Rowan gave me a long look, then a smirk crept onto his face. "Sure. You can walk—if you’re okay with showing up late. Ag

Tori immersed herself in her work, hoping it would help numb the pain slowly consuming her heart. As night descended, no one reached out to her or even sent a mindlink, leaving her feeling utterly isolated, as if she had been cut off from everyone.But she pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the tasks at hand, continuing her work in the office with quiet determination.Tori didn't return to her sleeping quarters on the fourth floor until the dead of night, as it was her usual routine.But tonight, she hesitated outside the door, a nervous flutter in her chest. This room was no longer just hers, it was also shared with the Alpha. She had no idea how to interact with him now, especially since this would be the first time that they'd be sharing a space.Tori stood in the hallway for nearly half an hour, wrestling with her uncertainty. When her resolve finally peaked, she pushed open the door, only to be met with the sight of their grand, empty room.It was silent, cold, and devoid

It was as though they were making no effort to hide their actions, openly flaunting their connection in front of everyone, intentionally deepening Tori's hurt.The mockery in their voices was unmistakable, and it stung sharply in the silence that followed.Carlisle's subordinates seemed to take pleasure in the way he doted on the woman, and the woman herself eagerly fed Carlisle, her gestures almost too eager, as if they were both trying to show off for everyone to see.Every word and action felt like a deliberate jab at Tori, making the truth painfully clear.The woman's voice, soft yet filled with playful reproach, rang out, "Carlisle, you should eat. You've been carrying me all the way from the frontlines to your pack, and I know you're exhausted.""You even gave up more than half of your rations to make sure I and the pup were well-fed." Her words, laced with a subtle yet unmistakable meaning, hung in the air. Every syllable seemed to speak volumes, unsaid thoughts making it clear

Hearing it straight from his mouth, Tori felt her world crash down, but she couldn't even let out a whimper as pain consumed her body.After being away from each other for a long time, their mate bond was weaker, but even then, she could still feel the pain in her heart as a lone tear fell from her eyes.However, no one was paying her any attention; even her mate had already turned around in his wolf form as he made his way up.To make matters worse, the former Luna, who hated her as much as Alpha Carlisle did, strutted toward the pregnant woman with open arms and a welcoming, gentle smile plastered on her face."Hello, are you my son's fated mate? Come in! Let Mom escort you inside," the former Luna said excitedly as she gently pulled the woman toward the banquet hall. Everyone surrounded her, and the woman kept gently stroking her belly while smiling beautifully at everyone.Her golden locks matched her honey-brown eyes, which seemed to glow in the sun, and everyone adored her even

"Luna! Luna Victoria! We've just received a report from the frontlines—the war is over!!!"Gamma Sylas's heavy footsteps rang through the hallway as he hurried toward the Luna's office, where Tori was buried in the grain production report from their farm. Her Gamma's excited voice echoed from down the hall, even before he reached the door.Her hand trembled, and her heart seemed to stop in an instant as the news sank in.'The war is over?'At that moment, a face flashed across her mind, causing her heart to skip a beat as a wave of happiness and disbelief washed over her. She sprang up from her chair, the heavy wooden seat crashing to the floor with a resounding thud behind her. Yet all she could hear was a ringing in her ears, her Gamma's words echoing in her thoughts.A wide, unguarded smile spread across her face—one that hadn't appeared in months, revealing a youthful gleam beneath her tired, gaunt face. Though still in her early twenties, the trials of war had aged her beyond her

“Rowan, don’t you think that this band is so good?” Francesca asked as she clung to his arm to pull him closer. I quickly turned on my heels and walked away without saying another word.Without anywhere to go and no one to spend my time with, it felt only natural for me to return to the sanctuary of my bedroom in the suite. It was already quite late in the evening by the time I returned. I felt quite relieved to get away from my role as a third wheel in Rowan’s and Francesca’s relationship. I closed my eyes and let out a sigh while I wondered why I had to get swept up and caught in a situation like this. I quickly took a shower before lying on the bed as I waited for sleep to overtake me. After such a physically and emotionally exhausting day, I truly expected to fall asleep without any problems. To my distressing surprise, sleep evaded me, and I found myself feeling extremely restless as I lay on the bed with only the soft light leaking in from the window."Stop t

"What time is the party starting this evening?" Rowan asked out of the blue. The surprise on Francesca’s face must have mirrored mine at Rowan’s unexpected question. For a moment, it truly sounded like he was interested in attending the party, even though I had not said anything about it."It starts at 8:00 p.m., but I was thinking that we could have dinner before attending. There’s no reason for us to appear right on time," Francesca quickly replied, and I could tell that she was extremely happy that Rowan was finally coming around."Sounds good," Rowan replied in agreement. My eyes widened even further, and it took all my effort not to gasp in surprise at Rowan’s agreeable attitude. I wondered what had happened to bring about such a change, but I had to admit that it did make things easier for me. Francesca quickly went on to advertise how great the party was going to be and just how much we were going to enjoy ourselves while Rowan listened to her patiently, mak

When I met his gaze, I felt my stomach take an uncomfortable turn. I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly I had walked into and what kind of business he was busy dealing with his friends.“So, what kind of business were you...” I asked but couldn’t bring myself to finish my question when Rowan narrowed his eyes suspiciously at me. It felt like I had wandered into uncharted waters and it seemed extremely likely that I was about to drown.“Do you seriously want to know?” he asked after a moment of thought. Rowan’s lips curved into a beautiful smile that seemed so innocent yet filled with mystery and dark secrets.There was a part of me that wanted desperately to know, but there was also a part of me that felt scared of the truth. What if what Rowan was about to tell me was something that I dreaded to hear?“You said that I am now fully a part of the family. What does that mean?” I asked in a shaky voice as I tried to remind myself to remain calm.

Quite surprisingly, it wasn’t hard for me to find the group of men that the maids had been chatting about. I slowly peered in through the door that opened into quite a large open space where a group of tall men dressed in suits seemed to be engaged in serious conversation. It didn’t take me long to spot Rowan among the group; however, when I was about to call out to him, I found myself halting because I could feel the tenseness in the atmosphere. Whatever was happening didn’t seem to be a friendly gathering among friends. I managed to slip in silently, but as I made my way closer to Rowan, one of the men spotted me.“What are you doing here, young lady? Did you perhaps get lost?” one of the men asked as he suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards him. I could tell from the look on his face that he didn’t like the fact that I had walked in on their event uninvited, and that he wasn’t at all worried about my well-being. The man’s loud, booming voice caught the attentio

“I’m sure that he’ll turn up. You’re the one who invited him, after all,” I replied as reassuringly as I could.“I’m not so sure about that. Rowan doesn’t really like to come along with me to parties, and he’s never accompanied me so easily. That’s why I need your help,” Francesca said as she leaned slightly towards me from the opposite side of the table.It occurred to me that perhaps Francesca had the misconception that Rowan and I were close because we were step-siblings due to our parents’ relationship and marriage. However, the truth was very far from that. Regardless of my intentions, I wasn’t at all confident that I could talk Rowan into attending the party, even if I tried my absolute best.“Listen, it’s not like I don’t want to help you. It’s just, Rowan and I aren’t that close. I mean, I only just got to know him not so long ago before our parents got married, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to convince him to come to the party,” I told her hones

I had never been on a cruise before, and under normal circumstances, I was certain that I would feel excited about the opportunity to experience something new and potentially fun. However, standing behind the two of them as we waited to board the cruise only gave me a twisted feeling in the pit of my stomach. There was a big part of me that wished I could just turn and run away, but regardless of what I thought, my legs were rooted to the spot."Let’s go to our room first, and then we can go sightseeing on the dock. Are you hungry? Let me know if you’re hungry because the restaurant here serves awesome seafood," Francesca said before flashing me a warm smile."That sounds like a plan," I replied, returning her smile.Ever since stepping out of the car, I noticed that Rowan had not said a word, and it seemed like his mind was elsewhere."Rowan, is everything all right?" Francesca asked him, echoing what was on my mind."It’s nothing," Rowa

Eli never went back to the office.He called his partners at 5:03 a.m., told them to reassign every case on his docket, and by the time the sun rose over the lilacs the estate library had been transformed.The long mahogany table was buried under colour-coded folders.Three whiteboards on wheels formed a semicircle, covered in timelines and arrows in Eli’s terrifyingly neat handwriting.Jayden’s laptops glowed like a NASA control room.Mason’s guitar case leaned against a bookshelf he’d walked straight off a fourteen-hour flight, hugged me until my ribs creaked, and declared, “Point me at the bastards.”Eli stood at the head of the table in rolled shirtsleeves, hair still perfect, eyes blazing with the same protective fury I remembered from when we were kids and someone tried to cut me in the lunch line.“My sister’s divorce,” he announced to the room, “is now my only client. Everything else can burn.”A copy of Victoria’s divorce papers was projected on the far wall, twenty feet tall

The Rolls hadn’t even come to a full stop before Genny was out of the car, heels clicking like gunfire on the gravel.I followed, legs numb, heart hammering so hard I could taste it.She didn’t head for the drawing room. She marched straight to the library, flung the double doors open, and snapped, “Everyone, now.”Within five minutes the entire household was there.Eli strode in still in his suit from the city, tie loosened.Jayden jogged down the stairs barefoot, laptop under his arm.Uncle Sebastian and Aunt Clara appeared from the kitchen, flour still on Clara’s hands.The twins skidded in wearing matching guilty expressions (probably had been eavesdropping anyway).Mrs. Aldridge hovered at the doorway, twisting her apron.Jayden already had his phone out. “Mason’s on in ten seconds.”Genny didn’t wait. She pointed at the biggest sofa. “Bella, sit.I sat.The screen on the coffee table lit up. Mason’s face appeared: hotel room somewhere in Asia, hair freshly dyed violet, eyes bloo

Aunt Genevieve arrived like a hurricane in haute couture.The dove-gray Rolls purred up the drive at exactly ten. She stepped out in sunglasses big enough to have their own postcode, a cream silk jumpsuit, and heels that could double as weapons. One look at my borrowed hoodie and leggings and she clapped manicured hands.“Darling, we’re burning those. Today you’re being reintroduced to the world as a Hartford, and Hartfords do not hide in tour merch.”I opened my mouth to protest and she was already steering me toward the car, diamonds flashing, perfume trailing like a royal decree.Genevieve Hartford-Blackwood (Genny to exactly four people on earth) was Dad’s baby sister, the family legend who’d run off to London at nineteen, married a duke, divorced him with style, kept the title, and built a lifestyle empire that had Vogue on speed-dial. Every year on my birthday she’d written a card anyway, addressed “To my niece, wherever you are,” and stored them in a lacquered box in her London

I woke up in my old bedroom and forgot, for three full seconds, that I wasn’t four years old.The ceiling above me was the same pale butter-yellow it had always been, the one Mom and Dad let me help paint the summer before everything shattered. Sunlight poured through the lace curtains like warm honey, catching on dust motes that drifted and spun like tiny, careless fairies. My stuffed giraffe, Mr. Longneck, sat propped against the pillows exactly where I’d abandoned him the morning I vanished, his stitched smile faded but still patient. The wallpaper still carried that faint lilac stripe, the one Mom swore would “grow with me.” My crayon drawings (lopsided horses, a sun with a smiley face, a family of stick figures holding hands) were still taped above the little white desk, edges curled now, colors softened by twenty years of quiet light. Even the nightlight shaped like a crescent moon still glowed faintly in the outlet, its plastic worn cloudy from thousands of nights it had waite

The car turned off the main road and the gates appeared, tall, black iron, the Hartford crest still gleaming in the dusk. I forgot how to breathe. Jayden slowed the Bentley, rolled the window down, and the scent hit me first: lilacs. Hundreds of them, thousands, spilling over the stone walls exactly the way they used to when I was small. The smell slammed into me like a memory I didn’t know I still owned. “Almost there, Bells,” he said softly, reaching over to squeeze my knee. I couldn’t answer. My throat had closed. The drive curved through the trees and then the house was just… there. Same gray stone, same ivy, same wide front steps. Every window glowed gold. Someone had strung fairy lights along the porch like it was Christmas instead of late summer. The front doors flew open before Jayden even cut the engine. Eli was first, moving so fast his tie flapped over his shoulder. He yanked my door open and pulled me out and into his arms like I weighed nothing. I heard his breath

For some moments the room felt still. Isabella’s words hung in the air, trembling between disbelief and revelation. “I—I remember.” Jayden didn’t speak right away. He just watched her, watched the way her shoulders shook, the way her fingers pressed into the couch as though she needed something solid to anchor her to the present. He stepped closer, his voice barely above a whisper. “It’s okay, Bella. You don’t have to rush it.” She nodded faintly, though her gaze stayed fixed on nothing in particular. “It’s like… someone just ripped open a curtain inside my head. Everything’s blurry, but it’s there.” Her voice cracked at the end. Jayden lowered himself into the chair across from her. “Then don’t force it. Let it come, slowly.” And for the next few minutes, neither of them spoke. They just sat there, across from each other as the noon sunlight slanted across the suite, bathing it in a soft golden haze. After sometime, Jayden stood up and walked toward the sideboard. “You need fo