Beautiful Ruins

Luke Fagundes is the son of billionaire Gonçalo Fagundes. The boy sees his life change completely when he discovers that his father betrayed his mother. Willing to reveal to the world who Gonçalo really is, Luke faces his own father, who sends him to another state, without clothes and without money. Luke will live hell on earth until he meets Aurora. Their lives, even with similar stories, will teach them that love heals many things, including wounds from the past. Will the son and also Billionaire Luke, abandon the idea of revenge to live a love story?

It was Christmas Eve. Once again, my parents left me alone at home, chasing triple pay at work. However, after twenty years of the same lonely holiday, I couldn’t take it anymore. I didn’t want to sit in the quiet house by myself again, so I packed up some sandwiches and went to them. What I didn’t expect was to see them stepping out of a luxury car, arms linked with a boy who looked about my age, laughing like they didn’t have a care in the world, heading straight into a five-star hotel. “Mom, Dad, is it okay to leave Suzie all alone at home like that?” My mom waved it off and said, “It’s fine. She’s used to it.” My dad just brushed it off with a chuckle. “She’s nothing like you. You're our real treasure.” Upon hearing that, I turned and walked away. They'd been pretending to be broke all these years, lying to me about working overtime, about scraping by. Well, fine. If they don’t want me, I’m done wanting them, too.

What does the underboss of an infamous crime family have in common with a spirited primary school teacher? Absolutely nothing, except a marriage of convenience, of course. When Lionel Tyson defaults on a gambling debt and offers his most prized possession as collateral, Austin Hawthorne is underwhelmed. But in desperate need of a housekeeper and permanent child minder, he knows he’d be an idiot to look a gift horse in the mouth. So, against his better judgement, he accepts an offer he should absolutely refuse. Marybeth Tyson is horrified to learn that not only is her father wanted by loan sharks, but he has also sold her off to a mafia boss. Bound by duty and pushed by guilt, she agrees to give Austin Hawthorne one year of her life, despite common sense screaming at her to run the other way. After all, how hard can pretending to be madly in love with someone be? It’s all fun and games until play pretend becomes all too real, and an earth-shattering secret from Austin’s past comes to light, threatening to destroy his second chance at love with his dogged pursuit for answers. Betrayal, especially at the hands of his older brother Blake and long-time friend, Andrei Ivanov, is a bitter pill to swallow for Austin, and letting them off scot-free is not an option. Driven by his unquenchable thirst for revenge, Austin will stop at nothing to get to the truth, even if it means destroying decade-old friendships and fragile ties to The Corporation. 2022 Val Sims. All rights reserved. No part of this novel may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author and publishers.

Layla Monroe has always been the overlooked daughter in a family that treasures beauty over loyalty. Betrayed by her boyfriend and overshadowed by her stepsister, Celeste, Layla has learned to survive without the support of those who should love her most. But when her family’s business teeters on the brink of ruin, they demand a sacrifice: a loveless marriage to Damian Blackwood, a man with secrets as deep as his grudges. Reluctantly, Layla agrees, believing Damian to be a penniless partner in her family’s plot. But her husband is hiding an empire—and a vendetta. What begins as a calculated alliance shift into something more as Layla uncovers Damian’s plans for revenge against her family and his unexpected role in her future. When old enemies and past lovers return, threatening to destroy everything she’s fought for, Layla must choose: protect the family that betrayed her or forge her path with the man who could be her undoing—or her redemption. In a world of lies and betrayal, can Layla find the strength to reclaim her worth and take control of her destiny?

Esme was compelled to marry Jasper by her parents. It had been two years. Her husband never paid attention to her as he should give to her as his wife. He was a good person but a worse husband. She knew. He was seeing someone. She never tried to find it out. Her parents died. So she was trying to fulfill her parents' last wish. Livia! Her best friend, one day forced her to go to the club with her. There she met him, Carlos King. He stole her innocence, her heart……. That night, she cheated on her husband. Esme was a good woman, trapped in an unwanted marriage. To escape, the daily torture of her husband negligence. She shouldn't have spent the most passionate night with a stranger in the club. But she wasn't ashamed of cheating on her husband.

(First Part Completed✅)When renowned gynecologist, Harry O’Neil, was involved in an accident that took away the best of things that mattered most to him, he willed himself away from light. When June Sandler moved to the big city, she had big dreams, but when she returned to their small town five years later, she returned as a shadow of her old self, only with a certificate and nightmare that haunts her both day and night.These two brilliant yet scarred souls were brought together by fate when June was hired to nurse Harry.How can one heal the other when they both need healing?Can two wrongs make a right?Will these two ever have a place among the stars?”