Novels by Lihuoma

Bella's POV:I turned down the elderly woman's "thank you" gift.The shiny, unusual jewels, old wooden carvings, gold bars, and that striking car key all made me uneasy.I'd only done what was right. I couldn't take something so extravagant.The matriarch didn't seem surprised at all by my refusal. If anything, her eyes showed even more approval. She didn't push me to accept, but as I walked away, she gave me a look that stuck with me.The next morning, I got a call from a number I didn't recognize."Ms. Shane, it's me." The voice was warm but carried clear authority."Hello. Is something wrong?" I was caught off guard."Since you wouldn't accept my gift, I'll thank you in another way. Are you interested?""In what way?" A strange feeling stirred in my chest. This old lady felt far from ordinary."I've arranged for you to meet a fine gentleman. Seems like you've been trying to find a partner, but it hasn't been going well." Her voice hinted she knew a lot. "Think of it as doing me a f

Marcus's POV:I knew it! Bella and her struggling family actually showed up at our door! They must've realized they pissed me off and wanted to beg for forgiveness. Hmph, at least she was clever enough to come in person.Listening to what Mom and Dad said, I felt pretty proud. Of course a woman should know her place. She was an andrologist, for crying out loud. It sounded shady, and her paycheck? It was barely enough for anything. I was way out of her league, and she should count herself lucky for being able to marry me! Making her quit her job and hand over her money was totally reasonable!I was ready to watch her and her family crawl on their knees and beg, but Bella actually refused and said she'd rather stay single forever! How shameless! She had no money and just average looks. She should be grateful to even be near someone like me. And yet, she acted like she was all high and mighty!Mom was right-she needed to be put in her place. Honestly. I regretted only dumping water on he

Chapter 6 You've Got SpiritBella's POV:The older woman standing in front of me now was nothing like the disheveled figure I saw that morning. She wore a perfectly fitted dark suit that looked simple, but she carried a powerful air of nobility and authority. She steadied herself with an old wooden cane topped with a gemstone that glowed with a strange, ghostly light.When she spotted us, her face softened into a warm smile as she walked right over to me."Young lady, it's good to see you again. This morning was so rushed, I didn't get a chance to properly thank you."The Smiths and their crew looked stunned by the whole scene-the fancy cars, the tough-looking bodyguards.Victoria's proud look disappeared immediately, replaced by a fake, overly sweet smile."W-Who are you?" she asked.But the old woman ignored her and turned her kind eyes to me instead. "I've come to thank this young lady. This is just a small token of my appreciation."One of her bodyguards stepped forward and popped

Chapter 5 Rather Stay Single ForeverBella's POV:When I got home, Mom was glaring at me like steam might shoot out of her eyes, and my sister, Alice Shane, looked worried."Bella! Marcus just called! Not only were you late, but your attitude was awful as well! What's wrong with you? I went through so much to pull some strings and find you such a rich match!" Mom's voice was full of disbelief and blame.I sighed tiredly and gave her a quick rundown of what happened at the café-how I ended up at the wrong table and how Marcus had splashed water on me, humiliating me."What? He actually splashed water on you?" Alice jumped up, her face red with anger. "That's ridiculous! Let's go confront him!""Forget it," I said, pulling her back down. "People like him aren't worth the trouble. It's better if we never see him again.""No way!" Mom's voice sounded firm, way more than usual. "Bella, you're already 28! The Smiths are wealthy. Marcus's dad's an exec, and his mom's a socialite. You won't g

Chapter 4 Future of the Thunder PackTodd's POV:Peering through the café's VIP suite one-way glass, I watched everything happening outside with a calm, distant look.Bella-the human woman who somehow stirred something new inside me and my wolf-found herself stuck in a painfully awkward blind date. The guy, Marcus Smith, was rude and clueless, dripping with arrogance and shallowness.When he suddenly splashed water on her, my wolf growled fiercely, claws scraping the floor like it wanted to jump out and tear that idiot apart.Calm down," I told myself and my wolf. She wasn't mine- not yet. I had no right to step into her human affairs."Hmph. What a rude jerk." Grandma's voice came from beside me. I hadn't noticed her appear by the window. Her wise, aged eyes narrowed with disgust. "Looks like my arrangements were better. Bella deserves way better than that."I didn't say anything. Grandma's plans were always a bit of a mystery, even to me.Before long, Bella stood and left. Watching

Bella's POV:I practically bolted out of that VIP section, my face burning with embarrassment. Walking into the wrong place, then blabbering at some stranger who gave off this intense, scary vibe... I was beyond mortified! That guy, Todd, had looked at me like I was some clueless clown who didn't know my limits at all.I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself down, and finally found the real Table 8 tucked away in a quiet corner of the main room.Sure enough, there was a man sitting there, looking pretty annoyed from waiting. He wore a perfectly pressed suit, had his hair neatly styled, and sported an expensive-looking watch. Honestly, he was decent-looking, but his impatience and judging glare totally ruined my first impression of him.Well, since I was here, I might as well get it over with. I tried to steady myself, smoothed my outfit, and walked over with what I hoped looked like a polite smile."Sorry, I'm late! Traffic was terrible, and I was helping some old lady, I'm B