Behind Closed Door

"You think you will sit on our chest and enjoy all of our money all your life. We don't want you, Zara. Don't ever try to get back here. Remember you are sold and the sold things never get to return back to their original place," Zara rolls down the thick drops of tears as she clutches her clothes with all her might. The line cuts off and there is silence all over the dark room where she is supposed to meet him today. She is scared and she is foreign to the place. She doesn't know who the is the one she is entangled and sold with by her uncle and aunt. Her eyes plays around the room only to find the dark and tall figure standing right behind the door and his blue orbs was only what she could see right now. "Get the out of here or I will make you life just the ," he shouts and her whole body shivers with his hoarse voice. ** He is practically a monster who has always distanced away from people and lived his life completely in an arrogance. He doesn't but he also doesn't love anyone. Will she be able to melt his heart and turn him back to normal young man? Will her lifelong trap be beautiful instead of being a ? Or will it be even worse?**

My husband, James Lincoln, disappeared in an accident, and my in-laws wasted no time filing to have him legally declared deceased. At the funeral, a woman, Xena Xander, suddenly showed up with a young boy, both crying hysterically. The boy, Charlie Lincoln, screamed at the top of his lungs, calling my husband “Daddy.” My ten-year-old daughter, Mia Lincoln, charged at him, shouting, “Shut up! That’s my dad!” Pretending to break it up, my in-laws instead shoved Mia to the ground. She collapsed and passed out on the spot. “If you’re looking for someone to blame, blame yourself for not giving us a grandson! This family can’t die out without an heir!” Xena smirked at me with blatant provocation. Behind her, Charlie spat in my direction and sneered, “You’re just a worthless tramp nobody cares about.” I didn’t lose my temper. Instead, I laughed. “If you want the status and the inheritance so badly, you can have them. But don’t come crying to me when you regret it.” Two weeks later, Xena showed up at my doorstep, covered in blood, banging on the door and screaming. And then, I got a phone call that felt like a nightmare come to life. But I couldn’t have cared less. By then, I was already enjoying a peaceful vacation overseas.

“I will let you see your family, but you can't leave this palace, Selene. This is home, and I will refine you into a strong she-wolf." “I never want that. You already have Luna by your side; the strongest she-wolf in the Eldoria. You might be wrong; I'm not your mate." Selene interjected as she gently rubbed her palms together. Rayne chuckled softly at the woman's words, and this sounded like music to Selene's ears. The devil was undeniably handsome but cruel in her eyes. “The maids will attend to you; make yourself comfortable. I will come to you tomorrow to officially welcome you as my concubine." He said, rising from the bed, as he watched her shake her head in denial. “I don't want to live here." She rasped. “You are tied to me, Selene. To me and no one else," He declared as he walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. *** When Selene went to the celebration, she didn't know that would be the last time she would see her family. She was claimed and rejected by the Alpha king but with one condition. She won't be able to gain his heart and will have to become a breeder. What will happen when the Alpha king suddenly discovers she is his true fated mate but she escapes from the palace?

On Independence Day, I was on my way to my boyfriend's house when a car slammed into me. The stretch of road was deserted. The collision jammed my door shut, and the acrid smell of gasoline filled the air. My car was about to explode. I scrambled for the emergency hammer, only to find it had been swapped out for a pink toy mallet. Panic rising in my chest, I dialed my boyfriend's number. To my horror, his ringtone sounded from the very car that had crashed into me. He stepped out, arm wrapped around his childhood sweetheart. She put on a pitiful face, tears in her eyes. "Oh no, I'm so clumsy. It's my first time driving, and I hit someone." When my boyfriend realized the victim was me, he didn't hesitate to console her. "Don't worry. She must have collided with you on purpose." I pounded on the window, desperate. "Nick! The emergency hammer's been switched out. Help me get out of here!" His childhood sweetheart lit up with a mischievous smile. "Katie, I swapped it! Isn't the pink hammer super cute?" Disgust flickered across Nick's face. "It's just a little crash. Get out on your own." By now, thick smoke was pouring into the car, and the heat was searing my lungs. I begged him to save me. But the girl only giggled, covering her nose in mock annoyance. "Katie, why are you cooking in there? The smoke is awful." Then she patted her stomach. "Oops, my tummy is rumbling. Nick, let's go home and eat." He tightened his hold around her and turned to leave. "Enough already. Stop pretending. My parents are waiting for us at home." Just as suffocation closed in on me, I slammed my hand against the car's emergency distress button.

Charlotte is a traveling historian with a specific interest in old towns, which is what brings her to the forgotten Willow Creek. Her research takes a drastic turn when she discovers that the place is harboring a mysterious castle that belongs to an even more mysterious vampire Lord. She will do anything to unlock the secrets of the little town, even offering up her blood. However, Charlotte soon finds out that she may have bitten off more than she could chew. *** “So, what is it that you think you’re offering me that isn’t what you’ve already agreed to?” “If you can answer the simplest difficult questions for me, then I’ll offer you a living taste,” Charlotte said. Silently, he closed the distance between them. Charlotte’s eyes closed while he neared her neck, his lips just above her skin. “Drinking so savagely from anyone is just not the way I do things.” In The October Wind is created by Rachelle Keener, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

"You don’t know what you’re playing with." He murmured, His hand traced a slow path down my arm, fingers firm but deliberate, sending a shiver straight to my core. "You are scared" “I’m not.” I whispered. He smiled. “You should be.” Before I could think, he closed the distance, his lips crashing onto mine, rough, urgent, claiming and fierce, consuming fire of his touch. "I can't stop. I don't won't to." Then he claimed my lips again. And soon, my lips moved. I was kissing back. This shouldn’t be happening. Just then footsteps echoed. “Rylan—stop, someone’s coming—” But his hands only gripped my waist tighter, holding me still. he whispered. “Let them. I don’t care.” then his lips crashed against mine, harder. I tried turning away but he grabbed my neck and stuck his tongue into my mouth. "Rylan please." my eyes dart to the door. "Stop." I struggled. His hand slipped down to grab my ass. Squeezing it tightly. "If you weren't wearing a jean, I would have stuck my fingers right into your holes. Fuck." He hissed then continued. A light knock sounded at the door followed by the twisting handle. No! ★ Some-secrets are born in fire... and some desires, forged in darkness. Alyssa Milano carries a past she can’t outrun-one soaked in blood, silence, and a secret that could ruin her. At fifteen, her innocence was stolen. Rylan Russo is danger, ruthless, powerful, and used to getting what he wants. When he sets sights on Alyssa, their worlds collide in a storm of obsession and desire. Is this a love story tocall? In a world where trust is poison and passion is a weapon, Alyssa must choose her path. A dark, twisted romance where survival comes at a cost.

"Pick up…. pick up… please" When the call did not get through, I burst into tears. The killer was now banging the door violently. “Inspector Kenneth speaking” Uncle Ken’s voice came through and right at the same the killer made a whole in the door by his continuous banging. "Uncle Ken, he's here, he is going to kill me…." I stated this in a panicked, horrified tone. “Zara, darling, we were going to have some fun why did you called the police?” he said in a cold tone bringing out his silvery knife. A shudder rushed down the spine. However, I maintained my composure. "You are over now," I said, trying to mask my terror. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, not yet…." He answered and raced towards me. What happens next???

In the quiet depths of her gaze, simmering beneath a facade of submission, lies a beta daughter, Abbey, harboring a burning desire for retribution. Once entwined in the Alpha male's embrace, she now feels the sting of betrayal and oppression. Her movements are measured, her demeanor demure, yet her mind churns with schemes of vengeance. She observes with calculating eyes, biding her time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike back at the one who killed her parent in cold blood, destroyed her pack, and left her friend Charity homeless and visionless. With each passing day, Abbey's resolve strengthens, fueled by memories of his cruelty and disdain. She knows that to reclaim her dignity, she must outwit the very one who is her mate, the love of her life. Though a wolf's crystal is not in conformity with this idea, her thirst for vengeance overshadows her love. Behind closed doors, Abbey plots in secrecy, weaving a web of deception and manipulation. She understands the intricacies of power dynamics, using her wit and cunning to undermine his authority while maintaining the illusion of subservience. As tension between them simmers, she bides her time, waiting for the opportune moment to unleash her vengeance upon Alpha Jemery. The question remains: will Abbey forgive Jemery for what he did to her pack members, parent, and Charity's pack, and become his mate? Or will she let vengeance consume her?

Isabella Martinez never expected to trade her dreams for a marriage contract, but when her conniving step-sister flees an arranged marriage, she's forced to take her place. The groom? Alexander Kane, Manhattan's most ruthless CEO, a man known for destroying companies and breaking spirits. The same man who nearly ruined her father's company years ago. At forty, Alexander Kane has everything money can buy, except revenge against the Martinez family. When his intended bride escapes, he finds an even better alternative in her younger sister Isabella – the one person his rival truly loves. It's the perfect opportunity to complete his vendetta. What starts as a cold business arrangement soon turns into a dangerous game of attraction. Behind closed doors, Alexander's icy facade melts away, revealing a man haunted by past betrayals and unexpected tenderness. Isabella discovers that living with her enemy awakens desires she never knew existed, even as she uncovers the dark secrets that drive him. As their fake marriage transforms into something real, Isabella must choose between her family's loyalty and her growing love for Alexander. Meanwhile, Alexander faces his own demons: can he trust in love again, or will his quest for revenge cost him the only woman who's ever touched his heart?

From the outside, her life looked like a storybook — young love, a growing family, and the hope of a future built on hard work and devotion. But behind closed doors, it was a different world — one filled with control, silence, and bruises too deep for anyone to see. Before she turned twenty-one, she had already survived a violent marriage, the constant threat of losing her children, and a battle between truth and lies that nearly destroyed her. Every time she tried to rebuild, life seemed to find a new way to break her — a false accusation that stole her children, a fire that turned into murder, and the death of the man who had helped her believe in love again. Echos of Ruin is the raw, unflinching story of a woman who refuses to stay broken. Through violence, betrayal, and unbearable loss, she finds the courage to keep moving — to fight for her truth even when no one will listen. It’s a story of motherhood and survival, of loving and losing, and of discovering that sometimes the only way to save yourself is to walk through the fire. Told with haunting honesty and sharp clarity, this memoir is not just about what was taken from her — it’s about what she refused to surrender: her spirit, her strength, and her voice. Because even when the world tried to silence her, she learned the most powerful truth of all — the human heart can shatter a thousand times and still find the strength to beat again.