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Shadows and secrets
Last Updated:
2025-04-24 18:05:40
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A Love Forged In Ruins A silent threat
Layla's pov The message stays on my screen, burning into my mind.“You’re running out of time, Layla.”I stare at it, my heart pounding.Time for what?Who is sending these messages? And why do they sound like a threat?I swallow hard, my fingers shaking as I type a response.Who are you? What do you want?I hit send. Seconds pass. Then minutes.No reply.A heavy weight settles in my chest.I need to do something. I can't just stay here, waiting for the next message, expecting something even worse.I come down from the bed and take my robe, securing it snugly around me. My palms feel damp, my breath is irregular, but I compel myself to remain composed.I exit the bedroom, proceeding carefully along the softly lit corridor. The estate is silent, with the sole noise being the subtle ticking of a grandfather clock located somewhere below.I'm not certain about what I seek, yet I require answers.I feel like I am being watched.Someone wants me to be afraid.And I need to find out why.
Last Updated : 2025-04-24A Love Forged In Ruins The stranger in the dark
Layla's pov The rose sits on my windowsill like a silent threat.A message. A warning. A promise.I hold my phone tightly, my fingers frigid as I go over the message again.“I'll see you shortly.”My abdomen churns. My heart beats so fiercely it aches.I compel myself to shift, to take action, to do something.I take the rose with trembling hands and rush out of my room, my breathing irregular. The hallway is eerily quiet, with the soft glow of the chandeliers making the shadows stretch longer.Damian's room is situated at the corridor's end. My bare feet move quietly on the ground as I open the door without any knocking.He’s awake. Sitting at the edge of his bed.His head snaps up, eyes locking onto mine instantly.“Layla?” His voice is rough, low, but there’s an edge to it. Like he was already on high alert.I toss the rose onto the bed between us.His gaze d
Last Updated : 2025-04-25A Love Forged In Ruins Haunted in the dark
Layla's pov The echo of the gunshot fills my ears, intertwining with my heartbeat.Damian grips my wrist tightly, his body shielding mine as we crouch behind a stone bench in the garden."Stay down," he snarls, his voice like a knife.I am unable to breathe. My mind races. Who fired the shot? Where did it come from?Damian’s men move fast, fanning out, weapons raised. Someone shouts an order. Another voice curses.Then—silence.Long. Heavy. Drenched in tension.Finally, a guard approaches Damian, his face grim.“The shooter’s gone.”Damian’s fingers tighten around me before he lets go. Slowly, he stands, helping me up.I force my shaking legs to move, my eyes darting around. The shadows stretch long across the garden, shifting under the swaying lanterns.Damian turns to his men. “Find him. Now.”They scatter immediately, disappearing into the streets of the
Last Updated : 2025-04-25A Love Forged In Ruins Trapped by fate
Layla's pov I scream, twisting-And come face-to-face with Damian."Layla!" His voice is sharp, commanding. "What the hell is going on?"I'm gasped, my heart hammering. "Upstairs-someone-one of your men-he's dead-"Damian's face hardens instantly. He pulls out a gun, his movements swift, and controlled."Stay here."I shake my head. "No! There's someone up there. He-he had a knife. He knew who I was."Damian's jaw clenches. His grip on the gun tightens.Then, another voice cuts through the tension."Well, well," Celeste purrs from the bottom of the stairs. "Today just keeps getting better."I spin toward her. "This isn't a game, Celeste! Someone was murdered-"She smirks. "Yes. And the real question is-who's next?"A cold dread settles in my stomach.A soft click echoes through the room.I turn around.A second man stands by the e
Last Updated : 2025-04-26A Love Forged In Ruins When fear turns to love
Layla's pov The sound of sirens filled the estate. The blinding blue and red lights painted the night sky, flashing through the windows. Adrian and his men scattered like shadows, vanishing into the darkness before the police arrived. I screamed Damian’s name, my voice cracking as I clung to his weak body. His blood soaked my hands, warm and sticky, seeping through my clothes as I cradled him on the cold marble floor.“Damian! Damian, stay with me!” I shouted, shaking him gently, terrified of hurting him more. His face was pale, his lips had turned blue. His eyes were barely open, struggling to focus on me. Blood pooled beneath him, staining the floor.His breathing was shallow, each breath a painful gasp. I pressed my hands against the wound on his side, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. “Help! Somebody help!” I screamed, my voice breaking, echoing through the empty hallways.The paramedics burst through the doors. They moved quickly
Last Updated : 2025-04-26A Love Forged In Ruins A dangerous temptation
Layla's pov Two weeks had passed since the night Damian was shot. Two weeks of endless hospital visits, late-night worries, and watching over him like a hawk. But today, finally, he was coming home.I had barely slept the night before, my mind restless with anticipation. Not because I hadn’t enjoyed taking care of him—I had, surprisingly. I had sat by his bed, fed him when he was too weak to hold a spoon, and even helped him adjust his pillows when he was in pain. But I was relieved that he was finally strong enough to leave the hospital, that he was out of danger.I signed the discharge papers with a grateful heart, thanking the doctor before following Damian outside. Two of his guards behind us, their expressions unreadable as we made our way to the car. Damian moved slower than usual, his injuries still affecting him, but he didn’t complain.As soon as we settled into the car, I exhaled, stealing a glance at him. His sharp features looked
Last Updated : 2025-04-27A Love Forged In Ruins Holding on, letting in
Layla's pov The next few days were strange—different from what I had expected. The same Damian who had been desperate to hunt down his attackers was suddenly calm. Too calm. I had thought he would bury himself in work, ignore me, and treat our marriage as nothing more than a business deal, despite having confessed his love for me just days ago. But something had shifted between us. Subtle at first—small moments, lingering looks, unspoken words—but it was there, growing stronger with each passing day.One morning, I found him sitting at the dining table, scrolling through his phone with a concentrated frown. Normally, he would have locked himself in his office by now, but today, he was here—waiting.“You’re up early,” I said, setting a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of him.Damian looked up, his gaze flickering with something unreadable. “Couldn’t sleep.”I hesitated before sitting across from him. “Are you in pain?”
Last Updated : 2025-04-27A Love Forged In Ruins Not just a contract
Layla's pov It was supposed to be a quick trip. I just needed to grab a few things from the superstore—some fruits, milk, and bread. Nothing complicated. Damian had offered to come with me, but I told him I could manage. Still, he insisted, saying he needed fresh air. I didn’t argue too much. Deep down, a part of me liked having him close.The store was a little crowded, people pushing carts, kids running around, announcements echoing over the speakers. Damian parked the car and said he’d wait outside for a bit, make a call or something. I nodded and walked in alone, thinking it was just another normal errand.But nothing about that afternoon turned out normal.As I reached for a pack of strawberries, I felt something behind me—a presence. I turned slowly, and my heart dropped.Mark.He was standing a few feet away, arms crossed, eyes burning into me. His lips curled into that familiar cruel smirk that used to make me feel
Last Updated : 2025-04-28
Latest chapter
A Love Forged In Ruins Daughter of secrets
Layla's pov Even after I left the attic with the journal clutched to my chest, the weight of it followed me. I sat curled up on the edge of my bed, the leather-bound pages resting on my lap like something sacred and cursed at the same time. The words I had read earlier swirled in my head like smoke—hints of love buried under pain, confessions soaked in regret.I thought I was ready for more. I thought I could handle anything now.I was wrong.The next morning, I made tea just to keep my hands busy. I hadn’t seen my mother since the argument yesterday—since she told me I was dead to her. I could still feel those words lodged in my chest like splinters.But it wasn’t her voice that haunted me now. It was her writing.I opened the journal again.At first, the entries were simple—day-to-day observations, dinner parties, travel plans. But as I flipped further, the handwriting became messier. More emotional. As if her carefully built mask had started to slip.Then I found it.An entry dat
A Love Forged In Ruins Not dead, not done
Layla's pov I stood at the front gate of the Monroe estate, the same one I used to swing on when I was eight, pretending it was a pirate ship. But today, the wrought iron felt heavier, colder—like it knew I no longer belonged.The message from my mother still played in my mind. Just one sentence, sent late last night.“We need to talk.”No warmth. No apology. No context. Just cold, clipped words that felt more like a warning than an invitation.I buzzed the gate, and the security guard let me in without a word. I walked the long driveway alone, my heels crunching on the gravel, my heart thudding heavier with every step. The house loomed ahead—grand, perfect, and empty in all the wrong ways. A golden cage built for secrets.When I stepped inside, the silence wrapped around me like a noose. I found her in the sunroom, sitting stiffly on the white sofa, sipping tea like this was any other day. Her dark hair was pulled into a tight bun, not a strand out of place. Her eyes met mine, sharp
A Love Forged In Ruins Born Monroe, built different
Layla's pov I stood in front of the mirror in my office at Eclipse, my reflection staring back at me like a stranger.The sharp black suit fit perfectly—tailored shoulders, crisp creases, not a single thread out of place. My hair was slicked into a low bun, my lips painted a bold, unflinching red. I looked like a leader. A woman in control. But the truth?Inside, I was barely holding it together.My stomach twisted like it had been caught in a vice. My heart thudded loud and uneven in my chest, echoing with all the questions I couldn’t silence.Was I doing the right thing? Would I regret it?Would she be proud of me?I turned from the mirror and crossed the room, heels clicking on the polished marble floor as I walked toward the tall windows. The city below stretched endlessly, glowing in amber and steel. It pulsed, alive and hungry. It didn’t care about my decisions. About my war.But I did.Today was the day.The day I would stop running from the weight of my family name. The day I
A Love Forged In Ruins They never said sorry
Layla's pov I sat in the Eclipse boardroom, the city skyline stretched beyond the windows like a painting I couldn't touch. The chair beneath me felt too big, the room too silent. I had accepted the role. I had taken the keys to a kingdom built on secrets and war.But it didn’t feel like victory.Not when the cost was this heavy.The logo of Eclipse glowed on the wall behind me—sleek, cold, powerful. A constant reminder that my grandmother had handed me not just a company, but a loaded gun. One aimed directly at Monroe Enterprises.My family.Or whatever was left of it.I didn’t want to save them. Not after what they did. Not after how they made me feel like I was never enough. But… the people in that company, the ones who weren’t monsters, they would suffer if Monroe Enterprises fell. Employees. Families. People who had no idea what kind of poison ran through the boardroom.If I saved it, I’d be saving them too. But I’d also be helping the same people who used me like a pawn.I stoo
A Love Forged In Ruins Born by wolves, raised by fire
Layla's pov She wasn’t supposed to be here.She was supposed to be at the hospital, recovering.I stood frozen in the boardroom of Eclipse Corp, still gripping my phone. The words from Damian’s message blurred as I stared at the woman who stepped through the door like a phantom.Angelina Monroe.My grandmother.Healthy.Her eyes found mine, sharp and steady as ever. She wore a long, charcoal-gray coat, her silver hair swept into a tight bun, her posture regal like she hadn’t spent a single day in a hospital bed.“Hello, Layla,” she said, her voice like polished steel.My heart was a runaway drum. “How are you… how is this—?”“I told them to say I was dying,” she cut in smoothly, stepping fully into the room and closing the door behind her. “Because I needed to see how everyone would behave when they thought the throne was empty.”I backed up a step, the weight of her words crashing over me. “You faked being on your deathbed?”“I was never dying,” she replied, walking past the long co
A Love Forged In Ruins Queenmaker
Layla's pov I didn’t expect the letter. It arrived quietly, slipped beneath my door in a cream-colored envelope with my name written in elegant cursive.Layla Monroe.No return address. No markings. Just that name that once held so much weight. That name I wasn’t sure still belonged to me.Inside, a short message:“The reading of Angelina Monroe’s will is scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m., at Monroe & Bell Law Chambers. Your presence is requested.”My fingers tightened around the paper. My heart didn’t know how to react—grief, confusion, curiosity. My grandmother had been in the hospital for months now and was still recovering, why were they going to read her will when she's still alive? Damian stood in the kitchen, he had come to see me at my apartment early this morning, and he was to help me move my things back to his place, his back to me, pouring coffee like nothing in the world could shake him. The contrast made something inside me ache.I slipped the letter back into the enve
A Love Forged In Ruins Becoming sovereign
Layla's POVI sat at the edge of the bed, my fingers gripping the sheets so tightly my knuckles had turned white. It felt like the only thing anchoring me to this moment, to reality. My chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, each inhale a struggle against the storm brewing inside me.Across the room, Damian stood by the window like a statue carved from shadow—rigid, still, and unreadable. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his slacks, shoulders locked, jaw clenched. The city lights spilled over him, casting fractured reflections against the glass, but he didn’t move. Didn’t speak.It was like we were both frozen in the aftermath of something unspeakable.The truth was out now. There was no more pretending. No more carefully woven words or calculated omissions. Every dark corner of his plans had been dragged into the light, every manipulation dissected until there was nothing left but the raw, ugly truth between us.And yet, here we were.“You’re quiet,” he said at last, his vo
A Love Forged In Ruins Choosing me
Layla's pov The USB burned a hole in my palm as I sat on the edge of my bed, the room dark except for the pale glow of the moonlight leaking through the curtains. It was quiet, but my mind was loud. The information I had—the names, the deals, the betrayals—felt heavier than any weapon. And for the first time, I understood what true power felt like.I stared at it again. This small, plastic thing held the truth that could destroy Damian… or protect him. But it could also bring my father’s empire crashing down. My own family. The people who raised me, lied to me, used me.Tears blurred my vision, but I didn’t let them fall. I couldn’t afford to be weak. Not anymore.I got up slowly, walked over to my dresser, and slid the USB into a hidden compartment beneath the top drawer. I locked it. Then I walked away.I wasn’t going to give it to my father. I wasn’t going to give it to Damian either. No one would use me again.I was done being a pawn.---The next morning, I made my way to the ca
A Love Forged In Ruins The choice
Layla’s POVI couldn’t sleep. Not after everything I had learned.The folder Kellan gave me sat on my nightstand, its contents burned into my brain. Blueprints. Names. Damning evidence. Pieces of a puzzle that made too much sense now.And Damian—he hadn’t denied it.He didn’t beg. He didn’t make excuses. He just said he didn’t mean to fall for me.But that didn’t erase what he had done. What he was planning to do.I sat on the edge of the bed, staring out the window at the garden bathed in moonlight. The air was cold, but I barely felt it. All I could feel was the weight of this secret crushing my chest.My father wasn’t a good man. I knew that. I had always known there were skeletons in his closet—deals made in silence, people stepped on to get higher. But I didn’t know… I didn’t know he had a hand in what happened to Damian’s family.Damian’s revenge wasn’t just about justice—it was personal. It was war. And I was the prize both sides didn’t realize they were fighting over.My phone
