Bloom Salon In Arlington Heights Il Novels & Stories

He is the most terrifying man in the Empire—Hadrian, the Lord Protector. Cold, ruthless, and dictatorial, he rules the chaotic world with an iron fist, crushing rebellions without mercy. To the world, he is a monster devoid of human emotion; a tyrant who bathes in blood. She is a rose growing in the mire—an ordinary, low-born girl struggling to survive in the slums. She possesses nothing but her pride and a fragile life. Their worlds should never have collided. But in a twist of fate amidst the smoke of revolution, the lofty Dictator set his eyes on the humble commoner. He didn't know how to love, so he used the only method he knew: Conquest. He clipped her wings, trapped her in his gilded cage, and forced her to bloom only for him. "You fear me," Hadrian whispered, his fingers tracing her trembling lips. "Good. Because in this lifetime, you will never escape me." In a game of power and submission, can a tyrant learn to kneel for love? And can a bird in a cage tame the beast?

Ava St. James has walked down the aisle four times—and buried every “forever” along the way. At seventy, she’s traded vows for vintage champagne and decided love looks best from a distance. Then along comes Marcus du Prée—handsome, grounded, and far too young to be interested. A gardener, he says. Except the roses he tends belong to his estate, and the dirt under his nails hides a fortune he’d rather forget. When Ava’s flamboyant New Orleans clan crashes into Marcus’s refined Pasadena world, sparks fly, secrets bloom, and one improbable romance dares to take root. For the Fifth Vow is a sparkling romantic comedy about late love, Southern pride, and the kind of courage it takes to say “I do” when everyone else says you shouldn’t. Witty, wise, and full of heart, it reminds us that some vows aren’t meant to end—they’re just waiting for the right season to begin.

“Where do you think you’re going, huh? You’re mine now, little mouse. Get back in the house!” Vincenzo's voice boomed, sending chills down Victoria’s spine as her world seemed to crumble. Victoria Washington was shattered—betrayed by her boyfriend who dumped her the day before his wedding,to her sister. She was left humiliated, mocked by everyone. But fate had other plans for her. She’s broken, he's lost. She’s full of fear, and he’s the monster. Yet, somehow, he’s her light while he remains the darkness. Vincenzo Dante will stop at nothing to tarnish his family’s name for forcing him into a marriage he never wanted. But what he doesn’t realize is that his new wife is stronger than she seems—too broken to bend under his cruelty. But when love begins to bloom, and secrets start to unfold, what will happen next?

I am heading to my job interview when my close friend, Thomas Lang—the same guy who always cautions me about meddling in other people's business—suddenly throws caution to the wind and sprints toward the wrecked limousine. I instantly realize that Thomas has been reborn, too. In my past life, Thomas and I were the top two graduates of the finance department, both making it to the final round of interviews at a Fortune 500 conglomerate. Yet, on the day of the interview, we suddenly came across the CEO, Ruth Gibson, who had just gotten involved in a car crash. I abandoned the interview to save her, while Thomas hurried off to the interview. In the end, Thomas landed the offer, while I lost my shot at working at the top conglomerate. I received sympathy from everyone around me. However, Ruth sought me out eventually, and in the spirit of profound gratitude, she presented me with an immediate proposal of marriage. I became the man who would marry Thomas' superior, achieving incredible status overnight. Meanwhile, Thomas stayed an ordinary worker, perpetually crushed by impossible metrics and corporate pressure. I was enjoying the heights of my privilege at the annual dinner, standing beside Ruth, while Thomas lurked in the background. He was a miserable face lost among the nameless guests. Consumed by jealousy, he brandished a knife and stabbed me to death right there. I suddenly open my eyes and realize we are both back at this single, pivotal day of Ruth's accident.

For centuries ago, the Kingdom of Crescent Vale has lived in terror of its lost Alpha—Luna Sinclair. Once the Moon Goddess’s favored champion, she became a bloodthirsty tyrant, cursed and sealed away for her sins. Her legend warns that if she ever returns, the land will drown in blood and shadow. Selene Lowell wants nothing to do with Crescent Vale. A gifted healer descended from the Moon Goddess herself, she lives quietly in Lumen Heights, tending to her dying mother and hiding from the fanatical Moon Priests who want her bloodline extinguished. But when visions of a chained wolf haunt Selene’s dreams, she is drawn to the ruins where Luna sleeps. A moment of compassion breaks the ancient seal. And the monster awakens. Bound instantly by an unbreakable soul-link, Luna is consumed by the scent and presence of her mate. She becomes fiercely, dangerously possessive—unwilling to let Selene out of her sight. The kingdom, once fractured into warring sub-packs, trembles at her return. Old enemies gather to challenge her. Moon priests demand Selene’s sacrifice to prevent Luna’s rise. Yet beneath Luna’s feral rage is a broken warrior seeking redemption. Selene is the only one who can calm her, the only one who sees the woman behind the monster. As war brews and the Moon Goddess herself demands judgment, Selene must choose: abandon the cursed Alpha to save herself, or risk her own soul to heal the darkness inside her mate Their bond is both salvation and damnation. Their love could unite a kingdom—or destroy it.

Bought as a defect. Destined as his mate. As the last heir of the Wolf Kings, Grey Stormborn carries the burden of a dying kingdom. Bound by an ancient curse to the Everlasting Tree, his people are losing their ability to shift, their fertility, and their future. Only a rare Rona—a woman blessed with the power of flowers—can save them. Desperate, Grey purchases the only Rona he can afford. Maya is mute, timid, and utterly useless by every measure. Her flowers bloom only to wither moments later. Forced into a one-year marriage contract, Grey plans to fulfill his duty, secure an heir, and part ways forever. But beneath Maya's silence lies a devastating secret. When dragons descend upon the kingdom, she unleashes a terrifying magic capable of commanding forests and bringing armies to their knees. Suddenly, the "defective" bride becomes the kingdom's greatest treasure—and the obsession of the ruthless king who once sold her. Now Grey must protect the woman he never wanted... before he loses the mate he never knew he needed.

When struggling teacher Sienna Carter takes a last-minute nanny job for Grayson Pierce, a ruthless billionaire and single father, she has no idea what she’s getting into. Grayson is cold, demanding, and emotionally distant, more interested in boardrooms than bedtime stories. His daughter, Lily, is quiet and withdrawn, having lost her mother in a tragic accident. Sienna, with her warm and compassionate nature, clashes with Grayson at every turn. He sees her as an inconvenience, while she finds him insufferable. But as Sienna slowly breaks through Lily’s walls, she unexpectedly starts to unravel Grayson’s, too. Hate turns to fiery tension, tension turns to stolen glances, and before they know it, the icy walls between them start to melt. But just as love begins to bloom, secrets from Grayson’s past resurface, threatening to destroy everything. Will their growing love be enough to survive the storm? Or will Grayson’s fear of vulnerability cost him the one thing he never knew he needed?

"Kiss me," he ordered, not taking his eyes off of her. "Why? Is she coming this way?" Kelsey asked, trying to look behind him but his warm, big hands caught her face and he leaned into her. "Yes, now kiss me." And she did. As he leaned in, she rose to the balls of her feet to accommodate the discrepancies in their heights and their lips met. He ravished her lips, pinning her against the locker and deepening their kiss. Her eyes widened and she tried pushing him away. They had a deal and kissing her the way he did was not part of it. The next second he pulled away, a mischievous smirk was on his face. "She was not coming. I lied." He gave her one last look before walking away. * * * The day Kelsey's world collapsed, she knew she'd do what it took to get over the humiliation, even if that meant she had to blackmail the notorious boy, Flynn Ascott. The day his biological mother stepped into his school and begged him to give his family a chance, Flynn knew his life was about to change for good. He just did not realize that it would involve a five-foot-two strawberry blonde with a head as stubborn as a stone. Could two broken people heal each other? * * * This is the story of Flynn aka Tyler Vincent's twin brother who was given away and raised by the famous Ascott family? Part of "The Bad Nerd Boy" Series. You can check out Tyler's completed story "The Bad Nerd Boy" here in GoodNovel.

Susanna Winchester is killed at the hands of her mate Charles Vincent and best friend Jenny Bloom as they want to gain the Alpha and Luna position of her pack and the magical power she possesses. She never imagined in her worst nightmare that they could do something like this to her ever whom she loves dearly with all her heart. While dying she asks for forgiveness from the Moon Goddess for disrespecting her decision and not waiting for her fated mate. She wishes for a second chance to correct her mistakes and luckily The Moon Goddess grunts her wish and gives her second life. Then she plots to take revenge on the person who killed her in her last life. But while taking revenge she falls into a forbidden love. No matter how much she resists herself she can't help pulling towards her foster brother. Who is a forbidden fruit to her.  Will she able to find true love this time or this love will bring destruction in her life. 

Selina Okoye lost everything when her father was falsely accused of fraud by Raymond Bellington—the powerful CEO of Bellington Holdings. The scandal sent her family into ruins and took her father’s life. Years later, Selina is forced into a strategic marriage to Adrian Bellington, Raymond’s only son and heir to the same empire that destroyed her family. Cold, calculated, and quietly noble, Adrian agrees to the union for his own reasons—an inheritance clause that demands he marries before taking over the company. Determined to never forgive the Bellingtons, Selina plans to endure the marriage for the sake of her family’s survival and leave when the time is right. But Adrian is nothing like his father. And as cracks form in her hate, feelings she thought were impossible begin to grow. Just when trust begins to bloom, Selina uncovers a dark family secret—one that threatens to break everything they’ve started to build. Can two enemies-turned-strangers find love in a marriage built on pain? Or will the past destroy their future before it even begins?