Novels by FRANKOPHONE

Ronan's POV "You're not responsible. I'm choosing this." I squeezed her hand gently. "Maya, they're offering me my job back on the condition that I stay away from you. They didn't say it explicitly, but we both know that's the deal. Professional boundaries. Appropriate distance. Pretend what's between us doesn't exist.""Then take it," Maya said desperately. "Take the job, Ronan. You've earned it.""At what cost?" I asked. "Spending every day seeing you in the hallways, in classes, around campus, and pretending you're just another student? Watching you with Jaxon or whoever else you might date, knowing I gave up my chance because I was too scared to choose?""It's not about being scared. It's about being smart.""Maybe I'm tired of being smart," I said. "Maybe I want to be reckless for once. Maybe I want to choose love over career advancement and see what happens."Maya pulled her hand away. "You're romanticizing this. In six months, when you can't find another teaching position beca

Ronan's POVThe email from Chancellor Morrison arrived at 7:03 AM on Monday morning.Professor Thorne,In light of recent revelations regarding the systematic harassment campaign against student Maya Cross, the university administration has completed its review of your conduct. We have determined that the accusations of favoritism and inappropriate conduct were based on falsified evidence and malicious intent.Your suspension has been lifted, effective immediately. Your position as Dean of Healing and Herbalife is hereby restored, along with full back pay and benefits. Furthermore, the university would like to issue a public apology for the damage to your reputation.Please schedule a meeting with my office at your earliest convenience to discuss your return.Sincerely, Chancellor Patricia MorrisonI should have felt relieved. Vindicated. Triumphant, even.Instead, I felt hollow.I'd gotten my career back, my reputation cleared, my position restored. Everything I'd worked years to bui

Ashen's POV "Everything you'd expect," I said. "Lawsuits, criminal charges, going after my family's business, getting me expelled.""Will your family stand by you?" Miguel asked.My phone buzzed with a text from my father: You've destroyed everything we've built. Don't come home. You're no longer my son.I showed them the message."I'm sorry," Isabella said softly."Don't be," I said, though my voice cracked. "I knew this was coming. I just didn't realize it would hurt this much."My phone buzzed again. This time it was Maya: I just saw the article. Ashen, what you did... I don't have words. Thank you. But are you okay?I typed back: I will be. It was the right thing to do.Her response came quickly: You didn't have to do this. You didn't have to risk everything.Yes, I did, I wrote. I owed you better. I owed myself better.There was a long pause before her final message: For what it's worth, I forgive you. Not for what you did before, that still hurts. But for this? For standing up

Ashen's POV "That's a conspiracy to commit harassment," Isabella said. "Possibly conspiracy to commit fraud, depending on how their lawyers try to spin the assault charge against Jaxon.""There's one more thing," I said, pulling up a video file. "Security footage from the student center that Victoria's private investigator obtained illegally. It shows her staging situations to make Maya look bad, then editing the footage to remove context before sharing it.""How did you get this?" Miguel asked."Victoria showed it to me, bragging about how clever she was." I looked down at my hands. "I pretended to be impressed and asked for a copy, saying I wanted to learn from her tactics. She was so arrogant she just gave it to me."Lyra shook her head in disbelief. "She really thought she was invincible.""She was," I said. "Until Maya refused to break."Isabella was downloading everything to her secure server, making multiple backups. "Ashen, once we publish this, your life is going to get very

Ashen's POVI sat in my apartment at three in the morning, staring at the encrypted drive that contained everything, every conversation I'd recorded, every transaction I'd traced, every piece of evidence that would bury Victoria Sterling and her family's conspiracy.My phone buzzed. Another threatening text from an unknown number: Think carefully about what you're about to do, Whitmore. There are consequences for traitors.They knew. Somehow, the Sterling family had figured out I was planning to testify against them.I should have been scared. A year ago, I would have been. The Sterling family was powerful, connected, ruthless. Going against them meant becoming a pariah in the social circles I'd grown up in.But then I thought about Maya, the girl I'd betrayed, humiliated, broken for a stupid bet. The girl who'd somehow found the strength to stand up to forces much more powerful than her. If she could be brave, so could I.I picked up my phone and called Isabella Rodriguez."It's 3 AM

Jaxon's POV "Professor Thorne," William Sterling said icily. "I'd be careful about involving yourself in this situation. Given your own history of inappropriate conduct with Ms. Cross, your defense of her looks rather suspicious."Ronan's jaw clenched, but he didn't back down. "I'm defending the truth. Something your family seems allergic to.""How dare you.." Catherine started."Everyone stop," Dean Matthews said, holding up his hands. "This situation needs to be handled properly. Victoria, go to the hospital and get treated. Maya, Jaxon, you're not banned from campus, but I strongly suggest you both retain legal counsel. This incident will be investigated thoroughly.""With Sterling family lawyers already spinning the narrative?" Isabella asked. "How fair do you think that investigation will be?""The university will conduct an impartial investigation," Matthews said, but his tone suggested even he didn't believe it.As the paramedics loaded Victoria onto a stretcher, she looked at

Author’s POVThe airport buzzed with life—announcements echoing through the speakers, travelers hurrying to catch their flights, rolling suitcases and sleepy children in tow.Damian walked silently, a cap pulled low over his brow, his bag clutch tightly in his hand. For the hundredth time, his chest tightened with a mix of pain and longing. He thought of turning back but then again he convinced himself that leaving was necessary. It didn't have to be convenient but it was the right thing to do.He walked towards the boarding gate, his steps slowed and just then a voice—sharp and familiar—cut through the noise in the airport like a thunderclap.“DAMIAN!!!”Heads turned backwards.His steps halted.That voice belonged to that woman.“Damian, wait!”He spun around just as Elara burst through the crowd, sprinting toward him. Her sundress gown flapped wildly in the wind and her hair was a tangled mess from the rush. She slipped and fell hard on the airport floor, pain throbbing at her side

Author's POVThe doctor stepped out of the room with a tired but reassuring smile. Damian, sitting in the hallway with bandages wrapped around his ribs and leg, stood up immediately and approached her slowly.“She’s stable,” the doctor said. “Whatever force brought her back… it was strong. It was a miracle! She just needs rest now. She’ll wake up soon.”Damian exhaled deeply, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. But the relief was brief. He nodded, murmuring a quiet “thank you.” The doctor nodded slowly, and made her way out of the palace.Damian stood , eyes glancing through the empty hallway for a moment longer before he walked back toward the corner of the hallway where he had kept a bag—already packed with clothes and some essentials.His eyes flickered toward the room where Elara slept. Peaceful. Unaware, and his chest tightened with a mix of pain and guilt.He pulled out the divorce papers she had given him months ago—the ones he had kept, unsigned, tucked away in guil

Author's POV“Why are you taking so long,” the Rogue king growled, his patience wearing thin.Kael towards his father, his face crumpled in a mix of confusion and fear. “I don't know what's happening, father.“ Behind him, Elara jolted away and before anyone realized what was happening, she shifted into a feral wolf.The Rogue king was the first to notice her. “What?“ He screamed. “Kael moves away.“Kael tried to turn but then her wolf elongated its claws and ripped his head away from his neck, blood pooling beneath him.Fear gripped everyone as Kael's head rolled off like a ball. The Rogue king's legs buckled at the sight of his son being butchered like an animal. He stumbled backward and fell to the floor sharply. “Noooo…. Kael.“Elara's wolf jumped off from the bed, her eyes glowing dangerously. She started approaching the warriors, her paws hitting the floor sharply.The warrior's eyes were wide with fear as they tried to escape but one after the other, she hunted them down befor

Author's POV “You're really stupid to come alone, aren't you?“ The Rogue king sneered, his disdain filled eyes glued on Damian.Damian wasn't listening to him. His attention was on Elara who was at a corner inside the warehouse. She laid unconsciously on the bed, her chest rising and falling with the aid of the life support machine.The king continued. “You're crazy to come here alone.“Damian turned back to the Rogue king. “You should keep to your word. You said you were going to let us Elara go if I come alone.“The king exchanged glances with his warriors and they all burst into laughter. “You really think I will let you both go?“ He asked, slamming his fists on the armrests of the wooden chair he's seated on. “Look at what my son had turned to, you asshole.“ His gaze flickered towards Kael who was shoving food in his mouth like a hungry lion.“Your son did worse to us,” Damian said. “Your son killed his own child and the woman who had supported him for years. He is a monster—just

Author's POVThe next day.9. P. M. Damian paced his room, heart pounding and his phone clutched tightly in his hands. The Rogue king has not called since yesterday nor has he sent the address.Damian had tried to call the number but all to no avail. It keeps getting connected to voicemail.Did he change his mind? But he won't forget about his son, would he?Minutes passed, a beep finally came on his phone. Gomez quickly lifted the phone. Too quickly. His wide eyes reading through the message.“Come to Royal Valley path. Alone with Kael.“Royal Valley path?Of course he knows the place quite well. It was a lonely path just after the Cadman Pack. It was the place where Damian's family were killed, and the Rogue king found him there days later.Damian's hands trembled slightly. The mere name of that place traumatised him. The memories of his family's being ripped apart clawed back.Why would the Rogue king choose that location out of the numerous locations?Is he finally admitting tha

Author's POV “Where the hell is my wife?“ Damian asked, his voice thundering through the doctor's office. His eyes blazing like fire threatening to consume everything in its path. For the past three hours, the entire hospital has been torn upside down but Elara is nowhere to be found. The CCTV has been checked but there was no coverage that could lead them to who might have taken her.The doctor's eyes narrowed in a mix of confusion and fear, her hands trembling slightly. “Alpha…… please calm down,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.“Calm down.“ Damian shot up to his feet, slamming his fists on her desk. “Don't you dare tell me to calm down. This is my wife we're talking about,” he spat, through gritted teeth, his blood boiling over.Gomez, who had been silent all this while stepped closer. His jaw clenched tightly. “Damian…..“ he placed a hand on his shoulders. “Calm down, please.“Damian snapped his head at him but he didn't say a word. Just his heart pounding faster wit