The Secret Sister

When a sister is depressed and angry, it affects the other. Lily has been in Lucinda's shadow all her life. Their relationship is one of love and hate. When Lucinda falls to alcohol, Lily bears the hurt the most. And when Lucinda dies, Lily is heartbroken. Lucinda was hiding a great secret from Lily before her death and now, Lily is harbouring a terrible secret about Lucinda's death from everyone. As the story unfolds, the truth about Lucinda's alcoholism and death comes to light.

1943. Soviet Union is under attack as WW2 is raging. Fighting in the doomed battle of Kursk, Andrei finds himself in a strange city where Svetlana, a girl he has never seen but who looks eerily familiar, saves him from a fist-faced creature. When Svetlana’s family is lost, the two embark on a harrowing odyssey across the snow-covered plain, battling deformed former humans and taken prisoners by the army of black stars. Against impossible odds, they reach their destination where they discover a secret that will change history.©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

As the youngest daughter of the Costellos, I had always lived in my sister’s shadow. That was until five years ago, when she betrayed the family and ran off with a street thug. I took her place and completed the wedding with Elio Ross. Over the years, he loved and indulged me, but we never got a marriage license. He always said family matters kept him busy, and that, with or without it, I was his wife in his and the family’s eyes. I believed him. Until today… I watched as Elio walked out of the church with my sister Alyssa, who had been missing for five years, both of them wearing the family rings that symbolized their union. At the church entrance, three black SUVs opened their doors simultaneously, and my three brothers stepped out in tailored suits. “The ceremony’s done? We’ve already booked Antonio’s to celebrate Alyssa’s return.” They climbed into the cars, expressing their joy, while no one noticed my pale, shattered face across the street. Later that night, under the guise of apology, my sister let a venomous spider bite me. “A substitute is always a substitute. Now that I’m back, it’s time for you to die.” I screamed for help. However, my husband and my three brothers only rushed to hold my sister, who had pretended she had fallen, without a glance at me, writhing from the poison. They called in every specialist from the hospital, only to tend to my sister’s scraped knee. That was the moment my heart truly broke. After being dragged back from death’s door by the doctors, I made my decision. I picked up the phone and called the International Private Island Exchange. “That isolated, uninhabited island… I’ll take it.”

Arwen was never supposed to be here. Her sister was the beautiful and confident one.
The one promised to billionaire tycoon Caelum Ravencroft. But days before her wedding to billionaire CEO Caelum Ravencroft, the perfect Isolde disappears. To save their family from ruin, her quiet, overlooked sister Arwen is pushed into her place. Caelum is powerful, distant, and used to getting exactly what he wants. He expects a polished bride who fits his world. What he gets instead is Arwen-quiet, thoughtful, an artist who hides her dreams and her pain behind polite smiles. He doesn’t trust her. She doesn’t trust him. But living under the same roof, pretending to be husband and wife, cracks something open neither of them planned. Then a message shatters everything: Don’t trust her. When Arwen’s secret is exposed, she’s thrown out with nothing but heartbreak — and a truth that could change everything. Because while Caelum believed she was lying to him, he never saw the real danger closing in. Now his enemies are circling and his empire is burning. The only woman who can save him is the one he lost. But… She’s already gone. And she’s carrying his heir.

The day I died was the same day as my twin sister’s birthday party. She was in tears and was wrapped up in my boyfriend’s arms. My mom was seething with anger and kept calling me over and over again. My brother was clearly upset and sent me a text saying, "You’re so selfish. You just can’t stand to see anyone else happy." Even my usually quiet dad was furious and said, "She’s nothing but an ungrateful brat." I touched my chest. Thankfully, it did not hurt anymore.

Because of what I witnessed the night before my wedding that really broke my heart. I decided to push my plan of seducing Frederik Wilford for my sister to taste my sweetest revenge for making me feel worthless and unwanted.