Nobela ni Jescyka Grant

I stood beside Dylan’s car, and it felt like my entire chest was being ripped open slowly, painfully, like the moon goddess herself had reached inside me and decided to punish me for daring to love too much. The cold morning breeze brushed against my skin, yet none of it mattered because all I could feel was the ache sitting heavily inside my heart. The moment Dylan wrapped his arms around me, I completely lost every strength I had been trying to hold together since morning. My fingers clutched tightly against the back of his shirt while tears rolled endlessly down my cheeks. I could hear my mother sniff quietly behind me, and even my father had gone unusually silent, but none of that mattered to me at that moment. The only thing I could think about was the painful truth that fate had once again found a way to take away something I wanted before I could fully hold onto it.“I wish the moon goddess would just give us a chance,” I cried against his chest. I hated how weak I sounded,

The moment Jessica walked into the dining hall that morning, everything inside me softened.It was ridiculous how easily she affected me. Before she arrived, I had been sitting there listening to Alpha Silas speak about pack matters, but honestly, my mind had been elsewhere. I had woken up that morning restless for reasons I couldn't explain. Even after a full night’s rest, something inside me still felt unsettled.But then Jessica stepped into the room. And just like that, the heaviness disappeared.Moon Goddess.There was something dangerously peaceful about that woman.Sometimes, when I was alone in my room at night, I found myself wondering if she was the answer to prayers I had stopped saying years ago. Because the peace I felt around her wasn't normal. It wasn't an ordinary attraction or childhood affection. No. This was deeper than I had ever imagined, the kind of feeling that wrapped around a man slowly until he started imagining forever without even realizing it.Even with my

I could barely think straight throughout that morning.Every time I closed my eyes, I felt Kaelen’s lips against my neck again. I could still hear his voice in my head, still feel the way his hands trembled when he held me close like he was terrified of losing me. I could still feel the tiny sting of his bite on my neck, like everything had just happened right now. And somehow, that terrified me more than anything else.I stood in front of my mirror, staring at the faint mark. As soon as my fingers touched it, my heart skipped immediately. The bond reacted in a way that almost felt like Kaelen himself was standing beside me.I quickly pulled my hand away. “No,” I whispered to myself. I couldn’t think about him right now.I had spent almost the entire hour crying after he left. Crying because I loved him. Crying because I hated him. Crying because after everything, he still had the power to destroy every wall I tried building around my heart.And now I have to go downstairs and act no

For a long moment after Kaelen spoke, neither of us moved.The room felt painfully small, too small to contain everything crashing inside my chest. My breathing increased, my hands trembling slightly at my sides as I stared at him. I could still feel the sting on my neck where he had marked me, but the pain was nothing compared to the chaos happening inside my heart. The bond between us no longer felt distant. No. It was alive now, breathing inside me like something that had finally awakened after years of sleeping.And the worst part? I had wanted this. Moon Goddess help me, I had wanted this for so long.For so many nights, I had laid awake imagining what it would feel like for Kaelen to finally hold me like I mattered to him. I had imagined him confessing, imagined him looking into my eyes and telling me I wasn’t crazy for loving him. I had spent weeks hoping for even the smallest sign that maybe I wasn’t alone in this bond. Yet now that it had finally happened, now that he was sta

My hands clenched at my sides. “Why?” My voice came out in a whisper. “Why wouldn’t you look at me? Why wouldn’t you tell me you loved me? Why wouldn’t you tell me you felt this bond too?”I hated myself that despite my effort not to cry, the tears kept flooding in my eyes. And I was certain he could see how red my eyes were.“And now—now that I might actually move on—you expect me to do what? Say no to him because of you?” I scoffed again, shaking my head for the third time. “How do I even know you’ll change? How do I know that if I choose you, you won’t go back to pretending I don’t exist?”He didn’t answer, and that silence hurt more than anything.“Exactly,” I whispered. “You won’t do anything. You call yourself a nobleman, but you’re just scared. Scared to admit how you feel. Scared to stand in front of everyone and claim me.”It was just so hurting to know that despite all these, my heart wouldn't stop doing that crazy somersaults for him. I wasn't so much interested about him c

“My Lady…” His voice stopped me, even though I didn’t want it to.I didn’t look at him immediately. I didn’t want to give him that satisfaction, I didn’t want him to think that a single word from him could still pull my attention so easily. But my heart… my stupid, traitorous heart was already racing like it knew something I was still trying to deny. Slowly, I lifted my eyes to him, my expression turning cold. “What is it?” I questioned, not minding how rude I sounded. “Aren’t you done?”He didn’t move at first. He just stood there, his hand still on the door handle, his back half-turned toward me like he was fighting with himself. Then slowly, he turned fully, his eyes locking onto mine in a way that made my chest tighten painfully. There was something in that look—something raw—that I had never seen before.I forced myself to hold his gaze. “Are you going to say something, or are you just going to keep staring at me?” He said nothing. “If you don’t have anything to say, then quietl

Xavier narrowed his icy eyes that resembled a thousand-year-old frigid lake, and sneered, “Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?”“Aria?”Before Aria could unravel her boss’s enigmatic thoughts, a familiar gentle voice called out to her.At that moment, Aria suddenly recalled her conversation with Dr. Wilson the day before. That was right before her boss abruptly ended the phone call yesterday!Was Xavier referring to Dr. Wilson?Aria glanced up at Scott, who was approaching them, and then at Xavier, whose eyes gleamed with mockery.That must be it! Otherwise, why would he be here today?Scott came closer and observed the bleeding back of Aria’s hand. It was a result of her hasty removal of the needle without applying pressure.Frowning, he cautioned Aria, “You’re bleeding. According to the time of your drip, it shouldn’t have been finished yet.”Aria glanced down and quickly applied pressure to the needle puncture. “Thank you, Dr. Wilson. I’ll take care of it.”Scott sighed with co

“How did it go? Clay didn’t bully you, did he?”Katie’s face twisted with disgust. “What are you doing here? Haven’t you caused enough trouble for us?”Ignoring Katie’s hostility, Bradley Hale smacked his lips and turned his attention to Aria. “Aria, could you step out for a moment? I need to talk to your Mom alone.”Aria hesitated. However, she knew that her father rarely visited, so she decided to give them some space to talk. As she stood up from the chair, she warned Bradley, “Don’t make Mom angry.”Bradley nodded in agreement, but Aria looked back every few steps as she walked out of the ward.As soon as the door closed, Bradley’s feigned concern vanished from his face. It was replaced by a cold and ruthless expression. “Can’t you just zip it?” he said in a low voice.Katie’s eyes filled with anger as she gritted her teeth. “Don’t you dare use Aria to pay off your debts again!”Bradley sneered. “I spent money raising her, so what’s wrong with asking her to help me out now? As lon

He immediately stopped the bodyguards. “Stop!”As the bodyguards stopped, the woman approached Xavier, trembling with fear and desperation.Tears fell as she introduced herself, “Mr. De Luca, my name is Daniella Love. I have something to say to you. Please.”Xavier’s gaze was complicated as he stared at the woman’s earlobe. Unknowingly, his voice softened. “Come with me.”With gratitude in her eyes, the woman replied, “Thank you so much, Mr. De Luca.”Xavier turned to look at Aria and instructed, “Postpone the meeting.”Aria opened her mouth slightly as if to say something but quickly swallowed her words.As she watched Xavier leave with the woman, Aria forced a smile and shut her mouth.Aria returned to her office desk after completing all of her boss’s instructions.However, before she could reach her seat, the vision of the sight before her swayed and she stumbled, grabbing onto the table to steady herself.As she regained her balance, she heard the sound of Daniella’s silver bell-

“You came here seeking me out. Why are you pretending?” Victor sneered as he reached for the vodka on the coffee table.With one hand pinching Aria’s face, he forced the alcohol down her throat. The alcohol flowed into her mouth and nose, causing a suffocating sensation to overwhelm her.She struggled vigorously, but she couldn’t break free from Victor’s restraint.Aria was on the verge of collapsing, her cheeks wet with tears.She should have seen this coming.For three years, no commission from De Luca Group had ever reached $70,000. Naively, she trusted Xavier, believing he wouldn’t manipulate her into the clutches of a pervert like Victor.Clearly, she was mistaken, and her biggest error was trusting Xavier.Aria had shared a bed with him every night, but he had always treated her like a plaything, one that could be easily discarded with money.Victor ripped her clothes apart. In her despair, Aria suddenly caught a glimpse of a vase beside her.She grabbed the vase in passing and

“Mr. De Luca, the results are in. Miss Hale’s gynecological examination shows that she is still a virgin and meets all the standards. She’s clean.” The bodyguard respectfully informed the man on the other end of the phone at the entrance of the hospital’s examination room.Aria Hale lowered her head and stood in the crowded corridor, trying to ignore the strange gazes of passersby.She was weighed down by the burden of her sick mother and father’s gambling debts. Hence, she had resorted to using her body as a bargaining chip and agreed to get into bed with Xavier De Luca.A moment later, Xavier’s deep and magnetic voice came through the phone. “Send her to Villa Azure.”Back at Villa Azure, in the dim light, Aria huddled nervously under the blanket.The man standing by the bed looked incomparably handsome as he stared down at her with his stone-cold eyes.Aria knew that he was Xavier De Luca—a man so influential in Florence, one could even call him the king.As Xavier lifted the silk