28 Stab Wounds

> “Stay still, Little Thorn… I want to taste you slowly.” His voice was velvet and ruin. His mouth, a weapon. And I—fool that I was—leaned closer. Before death wore a suit and called itself a lover, I used to believe in beauty. Before the blood. Before the runes. Before I painted the image that killed my parents—I believed my art could save me. Now I know better. I was just weeks from graduating when the painting came to me like a fever. I didn’t choose it. I didn’t plan it. My hands moved, possessed, dragging symbols I’d never seen and a face I’d never forgotten—his. Eyes red as wine. A crown pierced with thorns. And a girl in the center… me. Offering herself. I signed it with a mark I didn’t recognize. I sold it to a stranger. And days later, my parents were dead—no wounds, no reason, just... gone. The police said stress. I say fate. Now I’m being hunted by a world I didn’t know existed. Vampires with ancient courts and older grudges. Symbols that whisper in my blood. And Lucien D’Aragon—the vampire who says I summoned him with my brushstroke. That I belong to him. He says I’m his prophecy. His ruin. His Little Thorn. But I’m not just prey. Something is waking in me. Something hungry. Something I was never meant to survive. If I give in, I lose everything. If I fight, I might finally learn the truth. About my art. About my bloodline. About what really happened that night. And why he keeps whispering that I was painted for ruin... but made for him.

When Abby is coerced into a contract marriage with Nathaniel a wealthy egocentric and handsome Billionaire to save her sick father's company, her life abruptly changes not for good but for worse. She marries Nathaniel after being devastated by the betrayal of her lover and boyfriend Fred but their relationship is tainted with distrust and quarrel. A pregnancy results from a passionate encounter after a stormy night. Determined to raise her child alone Abby runs away only to learn shocking facts about Nathaniel, her family and herself. They are reunited by fate years later but the wounds from rejection and betrayal still exist. Is the past too strong to overcome or can love and second chances heal what's broken?

"Fading Echoes of Love" is an emotionally charged contemporary romance novel that delves into the complex nature of lost love, second chances, and the enduring power of memories. The story follows Emma Anderson and James Bennett, two individuals whose lives were intertwined by a profound love that was abruptly torn apart by circumstances beyond their control. Fate separates them when James is unexpectedly forced to move away, leaving Emma heartbroken and longing for the love they shared. Years pass, and Emma becomes a successful artist, channeling her emotions onto the canvas. However, she remains haunted by memories of James and the unfulfilled promises they made to each other. Her world is shaken when a gallery in her hometown hosts an exhibition featuring her artwork, and she discovers that James, now a renowned photographer, is the curator. As Emma and James come face to face, the wounds of the past resurface, and their unresolved feelings reignite. Amidst the echoes of their shared memories, they cautiously navigate the complexities of their changed lives and the unspoken truths that kept them apart for so long. Both carry scars from their time apart, yet they find solace and understanding in one another, drawing strength from the love they once had. Through alternating perspectives and poignant flashbacks, "Fading Echoes of Love.

Nora and Noah's story from contracted: Love in the Shadow. "Hey, Nora..." Noah tried calling her, she ignored him. He bit his lips in anger, as her hand touched the doorknob, he yelled, no, more like roared, "DANYON!" Nora immediately froze in place. She closed her eyes for a second, fighting back tears. that name--- Noah, seeing her wounded expression, took a deep breath, "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to--" "Don't," she snarled, haughtily glaring at him. “Don’t you even think about it.” “Nora—" He began to say, but she turned her back on him and stormed out of his office, ignoring the many eyes that followed her. ** Nora Danyon wasn’t supposed to survive the crash that killed her husband and children. Stripped of everything—her family, her sanity, and her will to live—she’s forced to start over in a world that feels colder than ever. And just when the darkness threatens to swallow her whole, he shows up… Noah Bamford—her late husband’s best friend and the man she once secretly loved. But Noah isn’t the same boy from the past. He’s distant, guarded, and haunted by ghosts of his own. Still, his presence pulls her back to life—until one stolen kiss in an elevator changes everything. Now emotions are spiraling, old wounds are ripping open, and just when Nora starts to believe in love again… Noah betrays her in the most unforgivable way. Now Nora is forced to male a choice ------ In a world where nothing is promised, and love isn’t written in contracts, can two broken souls rewrite the rules—or will their story end in ruins? There is drama, there is hate, and there is love, and above all, do they deserve a second chance? Sit back and enjoy the ride.

Marie, a young beautiful woman who just graduated from college departs back to her family, she belongs to a branch of the Genovesse family and she is to be the Heir of her Family, she goes home to meet her Father who she hadn't seen in over four years, along with her brother but soon after her arrival. A Mafia Lord shows up, Mancini proposes a meeting with Marie's Father, to discuss matters concerning the Family, while Maries waited for her aging father to finish his meeting, she hears gun shots from the room her father was in. In a rush, she carries some men and breaks down the door just to see her father bleeding to death, at the same time she sees her father, Marie's is also shot by Mancini's right hand man, in her confusion she sees her father dying before her, she was also dying but she didn't care about any of that, she struggled to reach her father and prayed for a chance to save her father, to fix all of this, to save her family, afterwards Marie dies of blood loss from bullet wounds to her chest. Marie later wakes up in a plane going back to her family's house, in her confusion, she realizes she had gone back in time, back to when she had finished college and was returning back home. Now that she knew what was going to happen, will Marie be able to change the future and save her family or will be unable to change the unmovable hand of fate?

She was the outcast, the wolfless disgrace of a powerful bloodline. He was the ruthless bully who made sure she never forgot it. But something has changed. The whispers have shifted, the stares linger longer, and the power she was never meant to have is finally awakening. Now, the one who broke her is the one who won’t leave her alone. Desperation laces his every move, regret burns in his eyes. But some wounds don’t heal, and some betrayals can’t be forgiven. He swore she was nothing. So why is he acting like she’s everything?

BLURB: Four years ago, Belle Moreno shattered Cassian Thornwell’s heart with a brutal lie, and disappeared without a trace. He was her best friend, her first love, the heir to a billion-dollar empire. She was the housekeeper’s daughter, never good enough in his mother’s eyes. So, she walked away. Now, fate brings them back together once more—older, colder, and harboring scars the other can’t see. Cassian needs a wife. A contract marriage to save his empire’s image. And when he sees Belle again, he offers a deal—one year as his wife. Should she say no? Should she run? But her secrets are catching up and her heart never learned how to stop loving him. Living under the same roof, sparks fly, wounds reopens, and the truth threatens to explode. Because he doesn’t know she’s hiding more than the past… He doesn’t know she’s hiding his son.

At twenty-five, Heather Martinez sacrificed everything to take care of her younger sibling at matiyak na may matitirhan sila. Pero dahil sa matinding pangangailangan, she had no choice but to enter a dangerous deal with Theo Skye Dawson, isang malupit at misteryosong aktor na kahit sa isang iglap ay kayang baliktarin ang kaniyang mundo. She knew it was a mistake, but she never expected it to change her life forever. Ikinulong siya ng isang kasal na walang pag-ibig, naging bahagi ng mundo ni Theo kung saan siya lang ang talo. Alam niyang malupit ito, walang pakialam sa nararamdaman niya. Pero paano nga ba pipigilan ang pusong natututo nang umibig kahit hindi dapat? Samantala, si Theo, na matagal nang biktima ng kanyang nakaraan, ginamit lang siya bilang pawn sa isang matagal nang laro ng paghihiganti. Pero paano kung hindi niya inaasahang mahuhulog siya sa babaeng minsang balak niyang sirain? As long-buried secrets unravel and old wounds begin to bleed again, will love be strong enough to overcome the pain? Or will their love itself be the ultimate sacrifice?

A sweet, aching, slow-burn romance about first love, second chances, and the kind of boy who never let go of control. ⠀ Lila & Anthony. ✨ High school sweethearts. 💃 Secret dances under gym lights. 🌸 A hand-blown glass lily gifted with meaning. ⠀ He was always dominant. Always the one who led. Even back then, when she didn’t fully understand what that meant. ⠀ Years later, when she’s in college and he’s in the Air Force, fate gives them another shot. But some wounds don’t heal easily. And some love stories don’t follow the rules. ⠀ They loved twice. They broke once. This time… Will it be forever?

"Unrequited" plunges into the tangled web of love, loss, and betrayal within the LGBTQ+ realm. At its heart is Elian, a young man of privilege, whose life is forever shadowed by the haunting memory of his father's untimely death. Elian's world takes a turn when he becomes captivated by a girl in his class, blissfully unaware of the dark and chilling secret that entwines their families in a tragic fate. His best friend, Kaelin, another scion of wealth, secretly harbors deep feelings for Elian, weaving yet another layer of unrequited longing into the rich tapestry of their relationships. The narrative thickens and darkens when the truth emerges: the girl's father has a dark past with Elian's father, twisting their lives into a heart-wrenching collision course. Compounding the emotional turmoil, Kaelin grapples with his own family's rejection, driven away due to the truth of his sexuality. As these connections unravel, "Unrequited" dives into intense themes of forbidden love, hidden identities, and how the echoes of past actions reverberate through the present. Just when Kaelin thinks he understands his feelings, he discovers that the boy who has feelings for him is. Well, it's the love can never be returned. Meanwhile, Kaelin confronts the confusing emotions he feels for his best friend. Alongside them, Lloyd wrestles with his tumultuous feelings for Kaelin, adding another layer to the intricate dynamics at play. The situation takes a dark turn when Kaelin uncovers a shocking truth. As secrets begin to unravel and old wounds resurface, the path ahead teeters on a precipice of uncertainty and emotional upheaval. Will they be able to navigate the treacherous waters of their entangled lives, or will love slip further from their grasp? Stay tuned to witness the twists and turns that await in this poignant exploration of the heart.