Novels by sophyneajike

~Jayden~I had exactly three seconds to process what just happened before survival instinct kicked in as the mate bond burned in my chest and I knew it did same to Riya."Morris, get out," I ordered, already reaching for my shirt on the floor, "now."Morris, the guard whose name I probably should not have known this well, scrambled for his uniform with the kind of speed that would have impressed Father's entire military unit. He didn't look at Riya. Smart man. He slipped through the door and was gone before she could fully turn around.Riya turned around anyway.She was already walking away, with her back straighten and deliberate steps like she was trying to put as much distance between herself and what she just witnessed as physically possible, and something in my gut told me if she made it back to that main floor, I was finished.I grabbed her arm and spun her around, pressing her back against the wall with both hands flat on either side of her, not rough, but firm enough that she

~Riya~Nobody was going to steal my joy today, not Darius, not Siarah, not the mating mark burning on my skin, and definitely not the memory of a kiss I was still pretending meant nothing.I was up before the sun, dressed before the birds, and out of that castle before anyone could ruin my mood with drama or breakfast politics. The hallways were empty when I left, Siarah's chamber was shut, the twins' cars already gone from the courtyard. Good. The less interaction the better. I had decided somewhere between staring at the ceiling at two in the morning and finally falling asleep at four that I was done carrying other people's chaos on my back. Today was mine.By the time Dorian's driver dropped me at Classy Dinnings, the morning crew was already inside setting up, and the sight of the restaurant stopped me at the entrance. Fresh paint, new signage, polished floors catching the light, everything rebuilt better than it was before the fire. Dorian never did anything halfway and standing

AidenI was halfway to my car when a voice like silk and sandpaper stopped me dead. “Aiden, dear! Going to the office?”I turned. Siarah was descending the castle steps, her gold jewelry clinking with every movement. She looked far too cheerful for a woman whose daughter was currently locked in a guest room after a mental breakdown.“I am,” I said, my left hand tightening on my briefcase. “Why?”“My car is having some… engine trouble. Such a nuisance. Do you mind giving your mother a ride into the city?”I stared at her. We had a garage with forty luxury vehicles and a team of full-time mechanics. Engine trouble?“There are a dozen drivers on standby, Siarah,” I replied flatly.She waved a hand dismissively, already pulling open my passenger door. “Oh, you know how I hate the company of servants. I’d much rather catch up with my son.”I didn’t argue; there was no need. I got in and slammed the door.For the first five minutes of the drive, the only sound was the hum of the tires again

~Riya~Dorian had sent a car earlier to pick me up, and I couldn't even bring myself to join them for breakfast. Seeing my mom all brainwashed like that? No way, I'd lose it. I just had to get out of this castle, to feel free again, to be somewhere I actually belonged.When the car dropped me off at Dorian's mansion on his private road, I walked up to the front and knocked. Leanna swung open the grand door, and before I could say a word, she jumped on me with a huge hug.“Oh my goodness, Riya…” she squealed, squeezing me tight.“Finally, Leanna, I've missed you so much,” I said, hugging her even harder. It felt like home already.We headed straight to the kitchen, and I couldn't wait to catch up. “Where's Dorian?” I asked, dying to know what he was up to.“He stepped out to get everything ready for the restaurant reopening tomorrow,” she replied, pouring me a cup of orange juice. “Here you go, dear.”“Thank you.” I took a sip, but my mind was racing.“So, spill all the tea, what's bee

~Aiden~My cheek was killing me from that slap. It felt like someone had smacked me with a hot iron. What the heck was I even thinking? Pulling Riya in for that kiss like some total loser, as if it was magically supposed to wipe out all the pain we had caused her.Deep inside me, my wolf was flipping out, basically yelling that she was spot-on and I was the villain here. I kept pacing back and forth in my office; my brain was spinning like crazy. "How do I even begin to fix this disaster?" I muttered to myself, kicking at the edge of my desk. Everything felt so messed up, like I was stuck in a bad dream I couldn't wake from.Then, bam! A sharp knock on the door snapped me out of it. "Sire, everyone's waiting in the boardroom," my secretary called out.I straightened my tie real quick, slapping on a fake calm look even though I was a storm inside. "Be right there," I shot back. Being the alpha's heir felt like wearing an invisible crown that screamed "act perfect or else," even when

~Riya~I practically flew out of the room, the door slammed shut behind me before Aiden could say another word. My heartbeat thundered violently in my chest. I didn’t know where I was going. I just needed to move. To run. To breathe somewhere that wasn’t suffocating with betrayal and… that kiss. Goddess, that kiss. Somehow it was my first, and somehow I knew I didn’t want it to end. But not with the enemy. I stumbled around a corner, and my feet stopped as I stood in front of an elegant, sparkling kitchen. “Madam Nora…” My voice cracked. The elderly woman turned. “Come in, Riya. Come on in.” She smiled, wide and warm, the kind of smile that somehow told me it was okay to fall apart. I stepped inside, every bone in my body trembling. I slid onto a stool by the counter, unsure if I could even hold myself upright at this point. “You look tense, dear. Are you alright?” Nora asked gently. “I… I’m…” The words knotted up in my throat, and just like that, the dam broke. Te