Chapter: Wedding eveThe night before the wedding was the quietest night Mary had ever known. It was not the peaceful quiet of rest or safety, but the oppressive silence of a graveyard, the kind that pressed in on the ears until even breathing felt too loud. The house itself seemed to be holding its breath, waiting.Her father had taken no chances.The window in her room had been nailed shut from the outside, thick boards crisscrossed over the glass so that even moonlight struggled to get through. A single lamp glowed dimly on her bedside table, casting long, distorted shadows across the walls. Outside her bedroom door, a guard sat in a chair. She could hear him occasionally shifting his weight, clearing his throat, reminding her that she was not alone even when she desperately wanted to be.She had been stripped of everything. No phone. No books. No paper or pen. Nothing that could distract her or offer escape. There would be no last messages sent, no prayers written, no plans made. Her father wanted he
Last Updated: 2026-01-30
Chapter: The fittingIf the contracts were the chains, the dress was the shroud.Three days before the wedding, the most famous bridal designer in the country arrived at the estate. Her convoy of black vehicles rolled through the iron gates just after dawn, their tires whispering over the gravel like a funeral procession. She brought with her three assistants, all dressed in severe black, their hair pulled back tightly, faces blank and professional. They moved with the cold efficiency of surgeons preparing an operating room.They did not come to consult Mary.They came to fit her.The drawing room had been stripped of warmth and familiarity. The furniture was pushed to the walls, draped in white sheets like corpses under linen. Tall mirrors had been wheeled in and positioned at cruel angles, multiplying Mary’s reflection until she was surrounded by herself. Pale. Thin. Trembling. There was no escape from her own face.In the center of the room stood a headless mannequin, and draped over it was the dress.
Last Updated: 2026-01-28
Chapter: The contractThe contracts arrived the next day.They were not delivered with flowers or congratulations or any illusion of celebration. They came in thick binders, stacked neatly like tombstones, their dark leather covers stamped in gold. They were heavy, dense with legal jargon, terms, and conditions that felt less like the framework of a marriage and more like a meticulously planned hostile takeover. Each binder was a weapon disguised as formality.Elena carried them into Mary’s room without ceremony. She placed them on the desk as if they were just another task on a long list of obligations. Her face remained perfectly blank, her posture rigid, her eyes carefully averted.“Your father wants you to review these documents,” Elena said, her voice flat, stripped of any warmth. “Mr. Sterling’s lawyers will be here in two hours for your signature.”Two hours.Mary stared at the stack of papers as though they might move on their own. Her chest felt tight, as if something invisible had wrapped itself
Last Updated: 2026-01-27
Chapter: JailerThe next few days blurred together into an oppressive haze that Mary struggled to separate into individual moments. Time lost its shape. Morning and night felt the same, each bleeding into the other without relief. She existed in a state of suspended animation, moving when she was told to move, sitting when she was told to sit, breathing only because her body insisted on it.Her bedroom door remained locked from the outside.Elena opened it only when necessary. Meals were delivered with mechanical precision, the tray set down without comment. Sometimes Elena stayed long enough to watch Mary take a few bites, her gaze sharp and appraising, as though hunger itself could be interpreted as defiance. Mary ate just enough to avoid punishment. Anything more felt impossible. Her stomach stayed clenched in a constant knot of dread, rejecting food as if it understood what was coming.Dress rehearsals followed.Elena would unlock the door and instruct Mary to stand while seamstresses adjusted si
Last Updated: 2026-01-27
Chapter: Run AwayThat night, the reality of her situation did not arrive gently. It crashed into Mary with the force of a tidal wave, violent and unstoppable.She lay in bed staring at the ceiling, her body rigid beneath the covers. The room felt too small, the walls closing in as if they had moved while she wasn’t looking. Every breath felt borrowed. Every second closer to something she could not endure.She could not do it.She could not let that man touch her. She could not let his hands claim her body the way they had already claimed her future. She could not survive a life spent swallowing screams in a house where she existed only as an object.Her father’s words echoed in her mind. The threat. The certainty. The calm cruelty of it.Mary turned onto her side and pressed her hand over her mouth to muffle the sob that threatened to escape. Her heart raced so violently she was sure someone would hear it. The house was quiet, but it was never asleep. It watched. It waited.She stayed still until the
Last Updated: 2026-01-27
Chapter: MergerThe two weeks leading up to the “merger,” as her father insisted on calling it, passed in a haze of white lace, whispered conversations, and doors that closed just a little too softly behind her. Mary felt like a prisoner on death row being measured for a silk noose. Everything was polite. Everything was elegant. And everything was irreversible.Silas Vance wasted no time.Within forty-eight hours of the meeting in the study, the news appeared in the high-society papers. It was framed as triumph, as destiny, as the joining of two powerful legacies. The headlines praised strategy and foresight. They celebrated numbers and futures. They did not mention the girl at the center of it all.“A Union of Dynasties: Vance and Sterling Join Forces through Marriage.”Mary read the words until they blurred.She sat at the vanity in her bedroom, her back straight, her hands folded in her lap. The newspaper clipping lay neatly on the silver tray Elena had placed beside her breakfast. The tea had gon
Last Updated: 2026-01-27
The Alpha’s Second Chance Human Mate
Lila Reid’s life of privilege has always felt like a gilded cage. As the wallflower daughter of the powerful Richard Reid, she has always shy away from the cameras due to her traumatic experience when she was a kid. But when a series of sinister threats against her family emerge, her father hires his best friend, Caleb Marshall to be her bodyguard.
Caleb Marshall with his commanding presence and rugged good looks, awakens something dark and primal within Lila. She can't help but be drawn to the way his eyes linger on her, the subtle brush of his hand against hers that sends shivers down her spine. The forbidden nature of their attraction only intensifies her desire. Every stolen glance and accidental touch fuels a hunger she’s never felt before, a need she knows is dangerous but impossible to resist.
Caleb Marshall known in his other life as Alpha Marshall has always been a man of honor, fiercely loyal to his best friend Richard Reid. Protecting Richard’s daughter, Lila, was supposed to be a straightforward task, but the moment he saw her, he felt an overwhelming pull. She is his second chance mate, a bond he thought he’d never feel again. The fact that Lila is human and already promised to another man only adds to the torment.
Every moment he spends with Lila is a test of his restraint. Her scent, her closeness, the way she looks at him with a mix of innocence and desire—it drives him to the edge. He is consumed by a dark, primal need to claim her, to mark her as his despite knowing the consequences. The forbidden nature of their attraction gnaws at his control, making every touch, every heated gaze a battle against his deepest instincts
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Chapter: PizzaAs Caleb drove them to the pizzeria, Lila couldn't help but glance at him every so often, her heart thudding in her chest. There was something about him that made her feel both nervous and safe at the same time, an intriguing contradiction that she couldn't quite understand. The way he handled the car, the confident ease in his movements, all of it was so captivating. She wanted to say something, to break the silence, but every time she opened her mouth, the words got tangled up in her throat."Are you okay back there, princess?" Caleb's voice broke through her thoughts, a teasing lilt to his tone that made her cheeks flush."Y-yeah, I'm fine," she managed to stammer, immediately hating how awkward she sounded. "Just... thinking.""About?" he prompted, throwing a quick glance her way before focusing back on the road.Lila fidgeted with the hem of her dress, unsure how to respond. "Just... stuff," she said lamely, feeling her face heat up even more.Caleb chuckled, a deep, rumbling sou
Last Updated: 2024-07-13
Chapter: WarmthLila stepped out of the therapist's room, her thoughts a whirlwind of emotions. The calming hues of the office did little to settle her racing heart.As the door closed behind her, she scanned the waiting area, and there, like an unyielding sentinel, stood her bodyguard, Caleb.Tall and imposing, his eyes flickered with concern as they met hers, offering a silent reassurance in the face of her inner turmoil.“Hi.” She waved. “I hope you haven’t been here long.”He shook his head, “You’re worth waiting for, don’t worry. Hope you’re okay?”Lila's lips curved into a grateful smile at Caleb's words. His genuine concern was a soothing balm to her turbulent emotions."Yeah," she replied softly, her voice carrying a hint of vulnerability. "It was... intense in there. But I think it helped." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her fingers trembling slightly.Caleb's presence seemed to offer an anchor amidst the chaos of her thoughts."I'm glad to hear that," he said with warm sincerit
Last Updated: 2024-07-12
Chapter: He’s backLila stood in front of her closet, her heart pounding with nervous excitement. She tugged at the hem of her floral sundress, her gloved fingers fidgeting with the fabric. Today was different; today she was going into town with Caleb, to see her therapist. It was just a routine appointment, but the prospect of spending time with him outside the confines of her home was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking.With a sigh, she turned to the mirror, her reflection revealing a mix of anticipation and self-doubt in her eyes. Her fingers brushed through her hair, trying to tame the unruly strands, as she wondered what Caleb would think of her today.She smoothed out invisible wrinkles on her dress, her heart racing at the thought of being around him in a more personal setting.Lila had always been a private person, but lately, her feelings for Caleb had grown stronger. His protective nature, his kindness, and the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled had all captured her heart.She admired his
Last Updated: 2024-07-12
Chapter: Breakfast Lila stabbed a button to slow down the treadmill and bent her body across the machine, panting as the track came to a stop. Sweat dripped down her skin, sticking in her hair. Her lungs ached. Her whole body felt like it was on fire. She had been going out of her damn mind. It had been four days since Caleb arrived at her house, and she had been officially losing it. He had been everywhere. Everywhere she turned. He was currently working on fitting her new security system, installing cameras, lights, blinds, gates, locks, alarms. The whole nine yards. He would wake up every morning, dressed in jeans and t-shirts, and spend all day screwing and wiring and hammering. Lila couldn't help but admire his flexing abs and bulging biceps as she struggled to catch her breath. Her mind was consumed with thoughts of him, and the air felt thick with their shared tension. Groaning, she grabbed her phone and left the basement gym, her legs feeling shaky from the intense workout. Working out
Last Updated: 2024-06-27
Chapter: Goodbye Lila folded the last of Alice's clothes into the suitcase, smoothing out the wrinkles with a careful hand. The room was a chaotic mix of half-packed bags, discarded outfits, and the faint scent of Alice's favorite perfume. Alice, always the whirlwind, stood in the middle of it all, trying to decide if she should pack one more dress or leave it behind."You sure you don't need this?" Lila held up a shimmery, silver gown.Alice looked up, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Nah, leave it. Besides, you might need it for a hot date with that bodyguard of yours."Lila rolled her eyes, trying to hide her blush. "Caleb is just doing his job, Alice. It's not like that."Alice smirked, tossing her hair back. "Right. And I suppose those longing looks you two share are just part of the job, too?"Ignoring her sister's teasing, Lila zipped up the suitcase and pushed it to the side. "You're impossible, you know that?"Alice laughed, the sound light and carefree. "Just saying, if I had a bodyguard lik
Last Updated: 2024-06-27
Chapter: His touchRemarkably, he stood firm and unwavering, unaffected by the collision. In a swift and fluid motion, his agile arms shot out, swiftly catching her before she fell."Careful now," he whispered gently, his voice soothing as he effortlessly supported her until she regained her balance and stood steadily on her own feet again."Okay?" he asked, his gaze fixed on her, yet revealing nothing in his expression. His expression remained stoic and unreadable, leaving her longing for the warmth and security she had felt when pressed against his broad chest.The crisp white collar of his shirt and impeccably knotted gray tie served as a mere facade, unable to conceal the raw magnetism that practically emanated from him.In her mind, he embodied the epitome of perfection, surpassing even the most strikingly beautiful men she had seen in movies. He exuded a masculine aura, emanating strength, maturity, and an undeniable primal energy that seemed to course through his veins.Oh God.Lila's body stiffe
Last Updated: 2024-06-24
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