In The Middle Of Hickory Lane

“Oops! You’ve run out of your happy days,” she sang. After the tragic death of Noah's family, his heart was adorned with eternal cracks. He finally found a reason to live. Noah Parker and the love of his life, Ella, are married now. One night, the hallucinations about his twin sister engulf him to an extent that Noah injures himself. An argument breaks out between him and Ella because he refuses to see a psychiatrist. In the middle of the night, Noah is awakened by a blinding light. He discovers that his wife is missing. Ella’s quest leads him to the forest surrounding the lakehouse. He passes out in the woods. Searching for his wife will leave Noah’s heart with even deeper cracks. Veiled truths. Everlasting wounds. Harrowing past.

It’s all she can do to get the voices in her head to keep quiet, they seem to be more these days, asking her to go back home, but where is home, Kira isn’t really sure after her mom left her at the church gates at the age of 12. Home before that was the forest but which one it is, she wasn’t sure after all these years now. But her voices that have been with her since she left want her to set them free and God help her, she will stop at nothing to set those tormented voices free.

On my second day after transferring to City Hall, I took over one of my coworker's cases. A young woman had come in for a certified copy of her marriage certificate. My coworker chuckled. "This is her ninety-ninth time requesting it. We already have all her paperwork on file, so it'll only take a minute." I blinked. "Ninety-nine times?" She laughed. "Yep. She married a wealthy older man, and every time they get into a fight, they tear up their marriage certificate. That's how they vent. "Only an older husband would tolerate that kind of childish behavior. I heard her husband is from the Hayes family, the wealthiest family in Havenbrook." I frowned at once. "Anyone from the Hayes family should know better than to behave like that. Are you sure her husband isn't an impostor?" My coworker immediately clapped a hand over my mouth, looking horrified. "For heaven's sake, keep your voice down. He's the real deal. Hunter Hayes, the head of the Hayes family." I froze. My phone slipped from my hand and landed on the desk. The screen lit up with a photo of me leaning against Hunter. The young woman in front of me suddenly went pale. She snatched my phone off the desk. "Who are you?" she demanded. "Why do you have a picture with my husband?"

A town with a strange past. A group of teenagers with secrets to hide. A world inside a box and a man who should no longer exist. Will they ever find out where they truly belong?

Madison Byers returns to the dazzling city of Los Angeles, determined to reclaim her family's legacy after the tragic loss of her father. Yet, standing in her way is a menacing uncle with ambitions to seize her father's empire. In a city where power and wealth rule, Madison's last hope for redemption takes an unexpected twist when she shares a passionate one-night encounter with Tyler Marshal, the charismatic billionaire playboy. Tyler Marshal, accustomed to a world of deceit and danger, suddenly finds himself captivated by Madison's wit and determination. Their lives collide, and a whirlwind of events propels them into an arranged marriage neither of them saw coming. As they navigate the treacherous waters of high society, deceit, and hidden agendas, the fate of their families hangs in the balance. Trusts are shattered, and long-buried secrets claw their way to the surface. In a city where destiny can change with a stolen kiss or a fleeting touch, Madison and Tyler must dance to the unpredictable tune of fate while facing relentless opposition at every turn. Sometimes, destiny also begins with the brush of lips or touch, but how well can both parties dance to its tune with the many oppositions?. In "Thorns of the Heart", a tale of love, intrigue and power, will they emerge victorious or be consumed by their demons?

At the dinner table, my mother-in-law slid a contract across to me, right in front of more than 20 relatives. "Just sign it," she said lightly. "Consider it a favor to me." I looked down. A home mortgage agreement for 150,000 dollars. Across from me, my husband's younger brother, Jim Canfield, watched with a grin. Beside him, my husband's eldest sister, Cindy Canfield, urged impatiently, saying, "Shirley, what are you waiting for? Just sign it." I said I needed to go home and talk it over with Howard Canfield first. My mother-in-law's expression darkened. "What? You can't even make this decision for your own marriage?" That night, I did not sign anything. Later, she sent a three-minute voice message in the family group chat, accusing me of being childish, ungrateful, and heartless. More than 70 replies followed—not a single one in my defense. A month later, I came home from work to find three men waiting at my door, there to seize the house. I pulled out my phone and checked the property registry. The record was clear. [Mortgaged. 150,000 dollars.]