Vow Of Thieves

For a decade, my world had been measured in laundry cycles, grocery lists, and the ever-growing pile of dishes in the sink. I was elbow-deep in soapy water, scrubbing the remnants of another family meal, when it happened. A sudden, silent cascade of text flickered at the edge of my vision, like subtitles for a movie only I could see: [Gosh, the heroine is so tragic. Her husband's entire family has been feeding on her luck like parasites!] [Her husband stole her graduate school admission and her career!] [The in-laws are literally siphoning her health away. No wonder she's always sick.] [And the sister-in-law took her "romance" stat! No wonder her love life is a desert.] [Heads up! Her husband's about to give her another "gift." Let's see how much more he takes from her this time.] My hands, clutching a greasy plate, froze. Right on cue, my husband, Tristan, sauntered into the kitchen. A smug, self-satisfied smile was plastered on his face as he took my wet hand. He slid a flimsy, garishly colored plastic bracelet onto my wrist. "Look what I got for you, sweetheart," he announced, his voice dripping with pride. "I made a special trip after work. Found it at the dollar store. It's romantic and economical, just like you always say you want. You love it, don't you?"

Sloan is a new member of the Thieve's Guild. She is trying desperately to prove herself after growing up as an Orphan. The Guild Master gives Sloan a job that is going to change her entire life. If only she can survive the outcome.

He pinned me against the wall. "You are nothing but trash from my past", he said. "Just a used toy from the past" a loud sound resonated in his office. Coming to my senses I understood that the devil was slapped. By me. I looked at him with tears in my eyes, afraid of his reaction. But his face was completely blank; he was touching the cheek I had slapped. I opened my mouth to apologize but nothing came out. Instead a pair of soft lips were roughly placed on mine like it was punishing me. Being the ex-wife of a billionaire is not fun. Especially when he promises you the world and in the end leaves you with nothing but just a suitcase of clothes. Claire White is the former Claire Knight, billionaire Adam Knight's ex-wife. Their marriage as well as the divorce was the most gossiped about and favorite topic of everyone in New York. During their marriage the headlines were: New York's most eligible bachelor marries the poor waitress within a week. Is she pregnant? Or just a gold digger who couldn't wait to get her hands on Knight's large fortune? And after divorce: Adam Knight finally confirms divorce with Claire White and states, she was just a gold digger. Now after 5 years Adam Knight is in California, both of them meet, sparks fly. But Claire is not alone now. She has a 5 year old daughter with her who looks nothing like Adam. Now Adam is one hundred percent sure she is a cheater who played with his feelings and his money too. So now he is hell bent on making her pay in every possible way. But secrets are revealed in the most unexpected ways. Is she really a gold digger? Or a victim of circumstance?

In 1989 an 8.2 earthquake almost flattened America, killing over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. In the midst of utter devastation and chaos, a father left his wife safely at home and rushed to the school where his son was supposed to be, only to discover that the building was as flat as a pancake. After the unforgettably initial shock, he remembered the promise he had made to his son: "No matter what, I’ll always be there for you!" And tears began to fill his eyes. As he looked at the pile of ruins that once was the school, it looked hopeless, but he kept remembering his commitment to his son. He began to direct his attention towards where he walked his son to class at school each morning. Remembering his son s classroom would be in the back right corner of the building; he rushed there and started digging through the ruins. As he was digging, other helpless parents arrived, clutching their hearts, saying: "My son!" "My daughter!" Other well meaning parents tried to pull him off what was left of the school, saying: "It s too late! They’re all dead! You can’t help! Go home! Come on, face reality, there s nothing you can do!" To each parent he responded with one line: "Are you going to help me now?" And then he continued to dig for his son, stone by stone. The fire chief showed up and tried to pull him off the school s ruins saying, "Fires are breaking out, explosions are happening everywhere. You’re in danger. We’ll take care of it. Go home."

Gael Navarro was never a believer in fate or the enigma of love. Life, he believes, is a game in which you must cheat, and vows are not supposed to be kept. So he felt victorious when Elyse Solana Ruiz gave him her hand in exchange for his selfish desires, but he had no idea that this was only the beginning of his life. The woman he used would play a big role in his life more than he expected. Is there anything more powerful than love that is willing to suffer and forgive? How will they deal with life with a neglected promise?

My wife, Valerie Larson, had a congenital heart condition. Despite that, she still wanted to have a child with her first love, Eugene Dyer. I refused without a second thought. Ten months later, Eugene's mother, Susan Turner, passed away. Her eyes were still wide open as if refusing to accept death without ever holding her grandchild. Overcome with guilt for failing his mother, Eugene took his own life in his small, rundown apartment. Valerie, consumed by grief and anger, took us on a road trip, only to crash the car head-on into a truck without hesitation. She shouted, "It's your fault Eugene died! If you had let me give him a child, he never would have ended up like that! His whole family is gone, so yours doesn't deserve to live either!" When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day Valerie first asked to have Eugene's child. This time, I forced a small smile and said, "Darling, go ahead. Our whole family will support you."