At All Cost Book Novels & Stories

Anthony had Faith, and Phil had no one. Phil had been so focused on his career that he had neglected his personal life. He had always thought that material possessions would bring him happiness. But they never did. And when he saw how happy Anthony was with Mayra, he decided to steal her from him, thinking she'd make him feel loved. And when that fell apart, he gave up on love altogether. But now, standing in his loft, he realized that love and warmth couldn't be bought with money or stolen from someone else.

“What? Why? Ava, this is for you. I wanted you to have your own freedom, something safe and nice to drive.” “And I said I don't want it,” Ava replied firmly. “I can't accept this, Nico. It’s too much. And honestly? It feels cheap. You think whenever things go wrong, whenever you hurt me or mess up, you can just bring me flowers, or art, or expensive cars, and everything will be okay? You are just trying to win me over with flashy things. You are trying to buy my forgiveness. Well, you can’t.”

If she found out, how was I supposed to face anyone ever again? "It's really fine," I blurted quickly. "Lance and I are close. You don't have to be so formal." Anna picked up the stockings anyway and smoothed them out. "That won't do," she said lightly. "It's your first time here. Stockings make it more proper." I watched as she slipped her toes into the fabric, slowly pulling it up along her legs. It was strangely mesmerizing, and at the same time, my heart pounded with pure panic.

The doctors immediately sprang into action, bringing out various equipment to begin emergency treatment. Meanwhile, a young nurse, though frightened of Jaclyn's fury, still stammered, "B-But Ms. Prescott, you personally ordered us not to treat Mr. Shaw's parents unless he waited in line and paid the fees first. You said you needed to 'avoid any conflict of interest.' "The fee was only 2000 dollars, but Mr. Shaw, as your husband, had to request it from Mr. Williams, and Mr. Williams only gave him 20 dollars. That's what led to Mrs. Prescott's death."

Whenever it was Anna's birthday or a holiday, I'd work extra shifts, scrimp and save just to buy her something nice. A gift worth a couple of hundred dollars might not sound like much, but to me, it was everything. Anna always smiled and always seemed genuinely happy. But every time my gift sat next to the ones other people gave her, it looked so cheap. Rachel once said, "Joel, I'm not trying to stir the pot or anything, but I saw Anna throw away your gift when no one was looking. Maybe she doesn't care for the stuff you give her after all." I told her Anna wasn't that kind of person. But deep down, my inferiority complex grew.

"I thought the cost was my conscience, my freedom, and my body. What's left?" "Your worth," he countered, meeting my gaze, his eyes devoid of flirtation. "You accepted that you are not disposable. Now, you must become valuable. In the Volkov world, nothing is simply a pleasure object. Everything must justify its existence through contribution, or it is purged. Arthur’s entire philosophy is built on efficiency."

Do you really think Chloe's going to come running back to you if you shower her with money? I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. "Look, I'm thinking of what's best for you. That money is—" I did not even get to finish. He shot up from the couch like I had hit a nerve, pointing right at me and launching into a tirade. "Brianna Sawyer, you used to be so kind and considerate. What happened to you? How did you get so greedy and self-centered? "Really? You're going to quibble over just forty-five thousand dollars? Chloe's out there with nothing but her kid, struggling every day. Don't you feel even a little bit sorry for her?"

"Honestly, it’s no trouble at all. It wasn't exactly a blow to the budget. The campus bookstore had a clearance bin, so I snagged it for about a credit and a half." The warm smile on Patricia’s face turned into a frozen mask of secondary embarrassment. I could practically see the gears turning in her head. It wasn't that the book was inexpensive—it was the fact that I had just admitted to buying the most powerful Alpha in the Kingdom of Valeria a 'peace offering' that cost less than a cup of cafeteria coffee. To make matters worse, I was standing there bragging about what a bargain it was.

It also made sense why they named themselves after the book, it was what brought them into the realisation of a potential threat. Mum went further to say that the book had powers beyond what the mind could understand, and she mentioned that with the book one could skip the necessary balance. “What do you mean by the necessary balance?” I inquired, barely holding my excitement as she told it all to me. “The necessary balance, um, how will I explain this?” She clicked her tongue severally. “It is a simple term that means magic had a price, it always had a price.” Squinting my eyebrows, I said, “Always had a price? What is the price, how much? How do we quantify the….”

What integrity costs. Everything. Always everything. Gladly everything.