Amid

The urge to protect begins with desire... A widowed researcher, Caitlyn Maddox, opts to take her second honeymoon trip with a hired escort, a mysterious man paired with her through an exhaustive agency matching process. Unbeknownst to her, the handsome stranger, Duke Carter, who her meets her at the airport isn’t the man she hired. Along the twisting channels of romantic Venice and the intimate eateries of sophisticated Florence, sparks fly between the duo. But the agency isn’t the only group looking for the spellbound scholar and her charming companion. Amid the narrow cobblestone streets, spectacular gardens and vitrine art galleries, dangerous secrets from both her late husband’s past and Duke’s present are swiftly encroaching on Caitlyn’s blissful fantasy. Against a firestorm of half-truths and flying bullets, Duke struggles to bring Caitlyn through safely. Not merely because it’s his job to protect her, but because no one is going to hurt what’s his.

He hated them. Zadicus Snyder, the criminal wizard, hated that whole country- especially 'her' who neglected him and got him exiled. He wanted to ruin them, ruin her. He ruled empires from the shadows but amid this sovereignty, she never left his mind. Not even once. Persephone Sage. The army commander of his ex-homeland. The one who put him in the state where he was consumed by darkness. Evoking a fire of revenge in his heart against Persephone, the person he once called his lover.

My three-year-old daughter was playing in the room, and she suddenly fell from the window of the room and died. In my past life, I held her lifeless body after learning the news, crying so hard I thought I would never stop. But when my husband rushed back, he slapped me across the face without a second thought. "How could you be so cruel? You actually threw her out of the window—she was only three!" I was too stunned to react. Later, my husband and my best friend teamed up and testified that I had thrown my daughter from the window because I had an argument with my husband. I was cyberbullied and labeled the "evil mom". Amid the public hatred and the pain of losing my daughter, I jumped to prove my innocence. Even in death, I still didn't understand. My daughter had been fine playing in the room—how did she fall out of the window? When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day she fell.

PROLOGUE. /In the deepest part of Han river, lives a kingdom. Kingdom Quenshi, a kingdom of mermaids and mermen. Ruled by the powerful King Watergirine. King Watergire has a wife, Queen Aqua. She bore him three princesses, the charming beauties. Princess Cleo, the first Princess Princess Lotus, the second Princess Princess Mul, the third and youngest princess The three princesses are the most beautiful girls in the kingdom. Despite the fact that they're all beautiful, Princess Lotus was considered the most beautiful. Her beauty is almost blinding and she's endowed with a gorgeous irresistible b0dy that'll make any lose concentration at her sight. Another thing that added to her beauty is her tiny melodious voice, she's got a beautiful voice that's capable of healing. She also possesses magical powers. Lotus was banished from the Quenshi kingdom in the most disgraceful way ever. She left River Han and joined the world of humans. Fate led her to Melody's musical high where her story continues. She met friends and foes, different calibers of people. And a soulmate. How's this gonna go? Who's the soulmate? Will her life at the Quenshi kingdom end? How will she survive amid humans? Will she later be found out as a mermaid?

Barry Ocason, extreme sportsman and outdoor travel writer, receives a magazine in his mailbox and opens to an ad for an adventure in the Bavarian Alps. Initially dismissing the invitation, which seems to have been meant specifically for him, he soon finds himself involved in a larger plot and seeking answers to why an individual known only as the elephant man is terrorizing his family. Barry and his daughter Kristen, who survived a twin sister taken from the family at a young age, travel from Juneau, Alaska to the sinister Spider Festival in Rio Tago, Brazil, before he ultimately answers the call to Bavaria, where the puzzle begins to come together. Amid tribulation, death, madness, and institutionalization, a document emerges describing a scientist’s bloody bid to breed a theoretical “third twin,” which is believed to have the potential, through its connection with its siblings, to bridge the gulf between life and afterlife. The godlike creature that soon emerges turns out to be Barry’s own offspring, and she has dark plans for the world of her conception that neither her father nor any other mortal can stop. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

When my body is engulfed in flames, my firefighter father is watching a new movie with my sister. My mother is baking them a cake. I hear laughter in the living room, and I can smell the caramel popcorn in the kitchen. Today is my family's weekly family day—it's a day for my sister and parents to be with each other. The doorbell rings, and the perpetrator gives me a chance to ask for help. My limbs are bound, and stones fill my mouth. I stand at the door and desperately wait for my parents to open it. They don't get up. Instead, they sit on either side of my sister and hug her. "We promised you we'll only be with you on our family days. No one can disturb us." "What if it's Danica?" Ravenna Sutton, my sister, asks. "Her? She hasn't answered her phone in days—who knows where she's off being wild? I'll think of her as dead if she still doesn't return tomorrow!" Ravenna giggles. Mom feeds her some popcorn, and Dad discusses the movie's plot with her. The perpetrator drags me back upstairs and laughs mockingly in my ear. "Looks like I did something unnecessary. They genuinely don't care about you." Smoke permeates every corner upstairs, and the flames start to lick at my body. Mom and Dad protect Ravenna as they run downstairs. They have no idea their birth daughter is screaming in pain amid the blazing fire.

After running away from home seven years ago to escape a loveless arranged marriage, Kyra Wilder has finally mastered up the courage to be back in her small town of Ruthwell in Washington DC. She’s ready for a second chance with her parents and the people who used to be her friends back in high school and most of all, she’s ready to tell her parents that she’s about to become a bride. But the small town she lived in hasn’t changed all that much in the past seven years and no one seems to have forgotten her betrayal, or seems anywhere near ready to forgive her for her past mistakes. Everywhere she goes, she’s met with hostility and anger and it’s thinning out her chances of redemption ever second. Now, how does she tell her parents and her friends that not only has she moved on in her life, further than anyone had ever anticipated, but she’s happy and successful in what she does? And amid all the truths and revelations, how does she tell everyone that she isn’t marrying a man, but the woman of her dreams?

Chloe Yates, a tall and stunningly beautiful attorney, was known for her loyalty in relationships. She always believed that marrying her wealthy boyfriend, Trevor Skyler, would lead to the perfect happily-ever-after. But on their wedding night, her world shattered when she walked in on Trevor having a threesome with his childhood friend, Rachel Rain, and her best friend. Heartbroken, Chloe left without hesitation and sought solace in a club, drowning her sorrow in alcohol. Fate had other plans. That night, she shared a passionate encounter with a gentle yet enigmatic man, who turned out to be Trevor’s uncle, Roman Skyler! Drawn into an intoxicating and dangerous entanglement with Roman, Chloe found herself irresistibly captivated by this mysterious and wealthy man, who was far more alluring than she could have imagined. Amid their game of mutual seduction, Chloe discovered her growing desire—to tame the man before her and become the aunt to the very ex-boyfriend who betrayed her!

On the night of her anniversary, Sydney Talker finds out that her husband was cheating on her with her own best friend. Another breaking news was that Sydney was about to announce her pregnancy that same night. Shattered by what she discovered, Sydney decided to leave and pursue her own life. She bumped into Spencer Martini, a renowned billionaire who recently relocated to the city. The bids of events with Spencer ended in a nightstand and when Spencer found out that Sydney was pregnant, he claimed the baby as his. Now amid this chaos, Sydney’s cheating husband comes back and asks for her forgiveness, at the same time claiming the child as his. As Sydney discovers that the card of fate is in her hands to play, she must make a hard decision while trying to balance her life — to choose between her cheating husband and the possessive billionaire. Who will Sydney choose?

“Summer,” he called her name. She ran to Osiris and hugged him as she cried. "We broke up. He hurt me and cheated many times. This must be my karma for what I did to you." Tears streaming down her face, she asked for his forgiveness. "If I could turn back time, I would choose you. If I'm given the chance to love you again, I will make it right." Osiris and Summer walked through the rain-soaked gardens, their clothes clinging to their skin. Just as they reached the grand doors of the mansion, they swung open, revealing Osiris' wife standing in the doorway, Martha, in her pregnant state. --- When a chance encounter leads to an unusual pact, Summer becomes the unlikely tutor for Osiris in the art of domesticity. As they navigate the trials of chores and life's uncertainties, a unique bond blossoms. But destiny has more in store as their paths diverge, only to reunite in a twist of fate. Osiris, driven by a silent admiration, becomes the steadfast pillar in Summer's whirlwind rise to stardom. Amid the glitz and glamour of showbiz, a stolen kiss in the moonlit confines of a car reveals hidden desires, setting the stage for a passionate dance of emotions. In a tale of love and longing, Osiris yearns to bridge the gap between their worlds, all while concealing his true identity as a powerful CEO. Summer, caught in a web of emotions, grapples with secrets she's compelled to keep. The stage is set for a heart-wrenching encounter when past promises collide with present desires, challenging the very fabric of their connection.