After Dark Murakami Novel Novels & Stories

I married someone two years ago. From then on, I lived a happy life. Thankfully, I did not have to deal with a mother-in-law and did not have to work. I even got two hundred thousand dollars from my husband every month as pocket money. Even my best friends lived the high life because of me. But today, right after I got my allowance, I got a call from the police station. They told me to pick my husband up from there.

When I received the news that my fiancé, Ellison Perez, had postponed our wedding for the 18th time, I happened to be walking out of the hospital, clutching my medical report. Once again, he had delayed our wedding for an entire month, all because of my adopted foster sister, Becky. I thought about what the doctor had told me. After hesitating for a long time, I finally dialed Ellison's number. "I can't wait until next month. If we can't get married tomorrow, there won't be another chance." However, Ellison only took my words as another fit of childish willfulness. "Don't be unreasonable, Lily. Have you forgotten how Becky took your place as the hostage? She was tortured for a whole month before being rescued." "It's because of you that she developed severe trauma. Now you can't even wait one more month for her to recover?" I could hear my parents' voices chiming in over the line. "Becky still suffers from extreme fear of men. Ellison is the only one who can calm her down. Isn't it your fault she ended up like this?" "You're being selfish, Lily. A wedding can wait, but Becky's condition can't!" I had known for a long time that ever since that incident, my entire family had chosen Becky's side. Even so, tears streamed down my face. "Fine," I said softly. "Postpone it." I clenched the medical report tightly in my hand. They did not know that just moments ago, the doctor had told me the truth— I was in the final stage of liver cancer. I only had one month to live.

I was the greediest stand-in in high society, and my motto was simple. As long as cash kept coming, my dignity could take a back seat. For Frederick Jameson, I played the role of his obedient pet, so when his true love accused me of stealing her necklace, I just bowed and apologized. With Samuel York, I served as his lab rat, testing drugs meant for his sweetheart's condition until they left me with a bleeding ulcer. And for Theodore Xander, I acted as a scapegoat, getting pushed out to take the blame of extortion for his crush. They all assumed I was hopelessly in love with them, even forcing me to sign a confession at their joint engagement party. That was when the system's voice chimed in, "Host, the portal home is now open." I wiped the blood from my lips, splashed my wine into their faces, and grinned brightly. "Game over, losers!" Right in front of everyone, I leaped straight into the sea. Later, word spread that the three big shots scoured the entire ocean just to find my body.

As one of London's premier wedding planners, I have spent my career orchestrating "perfect moments" for others, yet I never seemed to find my own. The ballroom at Claridge's was bathed in an opulent glow for my best friend Stella's wedding. The bridal bouquet sailed over the crowd. It brushed a young woman's fingertips, bounced once, and landed squarely in my arms. In an instant, half of London's high society turned toward Ryan. "Proposal! Proposal!" the crowd chanted over the rhythmic clink of champagne flutes. "Ryan, a sign like that is rare. Looks like we should prepare for the next big party!" Ryan was nudged forward by the crowd. In his charcoal Savile Row suit, he still managed to look detached, as if the noise had nothing to do with him. As I held the flowers, the lingering scent of fresh roses filled the air. For one ridiculous second, I even wondered whether I should warn him not to crease his trousers if he knelt. But he only smiled. Then, with practised ease, he took the bouquet from my arms. Without the slightest hesitation, he turned and handed it to his assistant, Emily, who was standing nearby. "She touched it first," he said, ruffling my hair with the same flawless tenderness I had endured for eight years. "Be good, Claire. Let's wait for the right time." The attention followed the flowers as they moved away. I caught the flicker of triumph in Emily's eyes and quickly looked down, tracing the intricate patterns of the carpet while forcing a perfectly poised smile. Ryan lived by schedules and efficiency, yet he never understood one simple truth: some chances, once missed, don't come with a "next time". My own wedding is next Saturday. And he has been officially struck from the guest list.

A woman who once worked in a casino dreamed of becoming rich, but she fell in love with a billionaire's bad-boy son. He got her pregnant and left her. After giving birth, she vowed never to return to the casino. Desperate to support her child, she became a maid—only to discover she now works in the house of the man she hates, Gabriel Bustamante, whom she hasn’t seen in five years. Gabriel, now engaged to another woman, doesn’t know he has a child. Living under the same roof, emotions resurface as Gabriel persistently tries to reconnect, slowly breaking down Samantha’s anger. One day, he kisses her—just as his fiancée walks in. Things become more complicated as her gilfriend begins to suspect Samantha and Gabriel is hiding something.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Aurora…” he said in a low whisper, his breaths hot on me. I replied softly, the tears in my eyes threatening to fall, “then don’t hurt me.” But I knew he couldn't do that. His demons wouldn't let him. ~~~ At fourteen, Aurora Turner, the first daughter of the Alpha of the Moonstone pack, shifted prematurely on a full moon. But what should’ve been a night of celebration initiated the beginning of a new nightmare when the Alpha and Luna discover who their daughter’s mate is… and what he is. Though it takes Aurora more than four years to meet her destined mate, she quickly realizes that he’s nothing she’s ever dreamed of. The Dark Alpha is a million miles away from sweet, lovable, and merciful. But when trial comes and a once defeated enemy rises again, Aurora and Adrian’s untidy love might be the only thing standing in the way of mass destruction. What unravels as the enemies join forces but the packs remain divided? Can Aurora free the Alpha from the chains of his demons and look past his unsettling history? What decision will Alpha Adrian make when he’ll have to choose between his most prized mate and his most treasured pack? ~~~ THE ALPHA TRIPLETS SERIES BOOK ONE: TRIPLETS FOR THE ALPHA TRIPLETS BOOK TWO: THE DARK ALPHA'S UNWANTED LUNA* ~ Can be read as a standalone ~

"I'm so sorry, Dian. But this is wrong. You're too young. Too weak for someone in my position. The pack needs a strong Luna someday. Dian Drake was rejected by her mate and exiled from Shadowcrest Pack, but what awakened after was a power unknown to her. She reads every emotion and feelings, A mind reader. Can control multitude with her powers. It's a rare gift that should have stayed hidden, because now Draven wants her. The deadly rogue leader who hunts gifted wolves, building an army of the powerful and enslaved, and Dian's abilities make her his perfect weapon. Sheltered by Frostgale Pack, Dian trains under healer Thea while uncovering a deadly conspiracy. Luna Seraphine was murdered for discovering a hidden truth. Dian must master to use her powers to save Shadowcrest. The mate bond might tie her to Kael, she finds love in Frostgale during exile .Will she go back to the traitor or bond with Rowan?

“Some people walk into your life quietly, yet some ruin you without even trying to.” Isabella Young, a twenty-five-year-old woman, comes back to New York to rebuild her life. Her agenda is clear: find a job, get an apartment, get married. It all seems easy enough until she finds herself in the worst position of her life, with no job, no apartment, no partner, and running low on her resources. Prideful Isabella doesn’t ask for help or pity. She believes she will stay single forever. But fate is ruthless in her timing. Because when she least expects it, she meets him. Damian Sinclair, a thirty-two-year-old man, bound by duty, loyalty, and control. He knows what he must do: find a suitable match, get married, and have an heir. A son to carry the family name. Until he sees her. The timing is wrong. Circumstances are worse. Connections are inconvenient. Will either of them be able to resist the temptation and continue their lives as if the other never existed or will they risk everything for something neither was supposed to have?

I was in love with him for five years—until he pushed me into the fire with his own hands. I thought I had simply fallen out of favor, but I was wrong—he married the girl he’d grown up calling his “sister.” During the month I spent in the hospital, he never came once. When I finally returned home, I saw her sitting on his lap, smiling sweetly. And me? I was nothing but the “gold digger,” the “shameless outsider” in his eyes. It wasn’t until I turned my back and took the Alpha throne of the Bloodmoon Pack that he went mad, chasing after me, tears streaming down his face. “I broke off the engagement,” he cried. “Just come back—we’ll get married right now!”

She survived the poison that killed her family. She built an empire on the bones of men who hurt her. She swore no man would ever touch her heart again. Then her uncle sent the same boy who poisoned her fifteen years ago… …this time to seduce her, break her, and finish the job. He was supposed to kill the Alpha Queen. Instead, he woke the only thing that can save her—or destroy them both.