Novels by Rita Wild Pen

Raymond crouched beside the unfinished foundation, pressing his palm against the reinforced concrete while Amanda watched him study every crack, joint, and drainage channel with unsettling concentration.“Who designed this section?” he asked, tracing a narrow line where two surfaces met. Amanda folded her arms, watching his expression tighten.“The construction team. They said reinforcement would be enough.”Raymond looked up, his gaze steady. “It won’t be, not if water carries debris at the speed you’re expecting.” Amanda felt a cold thread move through her stomach.“What do you suggest?” she asked, stepping closer to the foundation. Raymond rose, brushing dust from his hands before pointing toward the slope.“We raise this section, reinforce the lower walls, and redirect the drainage away from the main structure.” His tone stayed calm, but his certainty made Amanda listen.“You’re saying the elevation alone isn’t enough.”“I’m saying water doesn’t care how expensive your land is.” A

“She's refusing to pay Ivy's hospital bills, yet she's buying enough food and equipment to supply a small city!” Katie slammed her phone onto the table, anger shaking through every word.Susan stared at her, equally stunned. “Are you sure those purchases are hers?”Katie pulled up the transaction records, her eyes burning with resentment. “They're under Amanda's name. Water, generators, freezers, construction materials, everything.”Eric stood near the window, studying the information in silence. His expression had lost its earlier arrogance. “How much has she spent?”Katie gave a bitter laugh. “Enough to make me wonder what she's planning.”Susan tightened her fingers around her handbag. “Maybe she's trying to frighten us into begging her.”Katie's face twisted. “Then why is she building somewhere else?”Eric finally turned toward them, suspicion sharpening his voice. “That's what I want to know.”Katie leaned forward, lowering her voice as though sharing something dangerous. “We nee

“What the hell is going on here!?” Eric's shout crashed through the empty house as he stood halfway down the staircase, staring at the stripped rooms with disbelief twisting his face.Amanda turned slowly from the doorway, her expression calm despite the accusation burning across his features. She folded her arms and met his stare without flinching. “I'm taking back what belongs to me.”Eric stepped onto the bare floor, looking around as though the furniture might somehow reappear if he stared hard enough. His voice dropped dangerously. “You emptied the house?”Amanda watched his eyes move from the missing sofas to the vanished television, refrigerator, appliances, electronics, and decorations. “The things I purchased are mine.”His jaw tightened as realization finally replaced confusion. “You took the furniture, the appliances, the electronics—everything?”Amanda's fingers curled lightly against her sleeve, but her voice remained steady. "What belongs to me, and what I no longer inte

Katie's eyes filled with desperate tears once again, clutching the burning infant tightly against her chest. “I don't have enough money.”Amanda’s merciless answer came back immediately. “Then find it.”Susan stared at Amanda in pure disgust, stepping slowly backward toward the open door. “How can you be this heartless to your family?”Amanda took one highly intimidating step forward. “That’s interesting coming from you.”Susan fell entirely silent, stepping backward nervously as Amanda’s eyes grew ice-cold. She pointed directly toward the open front door. “I’m done shielding you from life’s consequences.”Katie stood frozen, holding the sick baby tightly.Katie looked at Amanda, realizing her endless financial safety net was permanently gone. “Who are you?” Amanda stopped at the staircase, turning around very slowly. “The woman who finally opened her eyes to the truth.”Katie hurried toward the heavy front door with Ivy, Susan following closely behind. Amanda watched them leave witho

“Ivy is burning up!” Katie's terrified scream tore through the house before Amanda could finish reviewing the last bank statement, and footsteps thundered upstairs as panic suddenly swallowed the quiet morning. Amanda slowly lowered her phone.Her expression tightened as Katie appeared on the staircase, clutching nine-month-old Ivy against her chest. Katie's face was drained of color, and her trembling voice barely held together as she hurried toward Susan. “Mom, something is wrong with her.""She’s so hot.” Susan reached for Ivy immediately, pressing her palm against the baby's forehead before recoiling at the heat. Her eyes widened with alarm. “Oh my God, Katie. She has a terrible fever.”Katie's breathing became uneven as she bounced Ivy against her shoulder, desperately trying to soothe her crying. “We need to take her to the hospital. Right now. I think something is seriously wrong.” Amanda remained seated. Back then, Amanda had never waited for anyone to ask. She had simply pai

Amanda came back to life with seawater still choking her. Her fingers clawed desperately at the sheets as she coughed, expecting muddy floodwater, blood, and the crushing weight of death.Instead, warm cotton pressed beneath her trembling palms, and familiar darkness surrounded her. She dragged in another breath and stared at the ceiling, her chest rising violently.Her heart hammered against her ribs as memories crashed through her mind—the flood, the shark, the locked door, Eric, Katie, Susan. “No…” Her voice came out broken.Amanda pressed both hands against her stomach, terrified of what she might find. Then her breath stopped completely. There was no wound. No blood. No seawater. Her body was whole.And when she felt the faint warmth beneath her palm, tears immediately filled her eyes. “My baby…” She whispered the words as though speaking louder might make them disappear.Amanda slowly sat up, one trembling hand remaining over her stomach while the other reached blindly for the