Bloom Salon In Arlington Heights Il Novels & Stories

Kyle Carter, brother of the Ruthless mafia bosses Reed and Matteo. He might look like a harmless football player, but he is the most dangerous brother among the three. He is ruthless, cold and calculating. And a Chameleon who can change his colors so easily. Serra is the daughter of a gambling addict of a father and her mother left them when she was young. Her father sold her to an old business man who was double her age and who was already married thrice. But her fate shined upon her and that old man collapsed on the day of their wedding right before they exchanged their rings. She met Kyle, who gave her a place to live when she had no where to go. And then, he became her every thing. When her past came back up hunt her, and while Kyle found out that she was almost married, she couldn't stay there. So she left him. But who would have thought that she was pregnant with his baby and he would become a sought after football player, which was a cover all along. Will their incomplete love bloom? Or her past would destroy her? What will happen when she finds out that he is the monster who haunts everyone's dreams? Will she still accept him?

"Either marry me or watch me destroy everyone and everything you love." ********* In a world where werewolves are on the brink of extinction, Seraphina Rose makes a promise to her dying father to ensure the survival of Moon-ray Pack, the last standing werewolf settlement in Riverton City. Keeping her promise seemed like an easy task until she catches her fiance and her best friend together in bed. Heartbroken, she runs away for a while. Upon returning, she finds her pack burnt to ashes in an attack she soon discovers was orchestrated by Reed Knight, the billionaire tycoon who had been trying to buy their pack land for a long time. Right on that scene, she is murdered, but fate intervenes, and she wakes up two months in the past, given a second chance to save her people and herself. With knowledge of the future and a heart hardened by betrayal, Seraphina swears to get revenge on everyone responsible, especially Reed, the bastard who thinks money can buy everything. A failed assassination attempt by Seraphina on Reed results in him blackmailing her into a contractual marriage. Seraphina doesn't know his reasons and she doesn't care. All she knows is that she needs him dead before her time runs out so she signs the papers. However, feelings begin to bloom where they shouldn't as new secrets and identities are revealed. In the end, will she have to choose between duty and love?

Atenea, a young woman of captivating beauty, displays an innocent face that could easily be mistaken for that of an angel; however, don’t be deceived, for behind that appearance hides the very devil in a small body. She accepts Valentino Rizzo’s marriage proposal—an ice-hearted businessman—bound by the obligation to save her father’s nearly bankrupt factory. When the young Russian sets foot on Italian soil, she comes face to face with her future husband’s mistress. One might think that the fragile girl would cry over a future with a fiancé who has another woman, but… —“You’re my fiancé’s woman, you say?” —she removes her sunglasses, a gentle smile curving her lips—. “Nice to meet you, I’m Atenea Volkova, the future wife of your man. Sorry… our man.” In contrast, a husband with a cold and unyielding heart, who constantly shows her his disdain and openly professes his love for his mistress, becomes astonished when he discovers a small detail that binds him to his tiny wife. Love arises, grows, multiplies, but at some point, it must perish, for Atenea Volkova is not willing to give her heart to any man. It was a promise made on her knees before a grave, where her fragile heart was buried for life. Can true love bloom between a heart of ice and another cracked and closed to the feelings of love?

"Abby Davison only wants to focus on her career as a nurse, as she has no time for dating after a bad breakup over a year ago. When her mother presses her about settling down, Abby tells her a little white lie: she’s dating Mark Thornton, the handsome and gruff rancher who both frustrates and makes her heart flutter every time they meet. When Mark overhears Abby's lie, he decides to cut her a deal: to keep his silence regarding their make-believe relationship, she'll come to live with him on his ranch until his broken arm heals. Despite her wounded pride and initial trepidation, Abby can’t help but begin to fall for the guarded Thornton brother as the days pass on his ranch. The black sheep of the family, Mark makes no secret that he prefers horses over people. His brusque exterior, though, only conceals hidden depths and a wounded heart that Abby understands all too clearly. As feelings start to bloom between them, neither is sure what is real and what’s make-believe. Yet the sizzling attraction between them is anything but fake, and with every kiss and every touch, they fall harder for each other. But as their pasts begin to creep toward them, unearthing secrets both would rather keep buried, Abby and Mark must learn to trust each other—or risk losing the love both never knew they needed."

The words echoed, a promise she wore like a blindfold. “Give me a chance to prove to you that love is beautiful.” Kensington Darley had believed him. At twenty-six, she was the beautiful, trusting daughter of a gilded cage, and she had willingly traded her own life’s map for the one drawn by her boyfriend. His choices became her destiny; his whispered needs, her sacred law. Until the moment his love demanded her degradation. He didn't ask her to empty a savings account. He didn't ask her to sell the family jewels. He asked for her body, for her dignity, to be sold piece by devastating piece. The debt. It was a cold, unforgiving beast, and the only currency powerful enough to silence it was Kensington's unwilling performance in front of a camera. Every forced smile, every feigned moan, was a knife-edge decision she made in the name of love. She despised the spotlights, the sterile sets, the shame that clung to her like cheap perfume—but she did it. Because she loved him. But as she watches the man she is saving—the man who allowed her to be lost—a single, poisonous question begins to bloom in the darkness of her despair: Does he love her back? If the answer is no, what becomes of a woman who has sacrificed everything for a lie? And how will Kensington Darley ever learn to trust a single word, let alone love, again?

Lydia McKenzie used to be just like any other normal, seventeen year high school girl, fretting over what to wear for school, struggling to get good grades and dealing with boy trouble, until one day, a dangerous incident at school and a severe brain injury, made her turn off her emotions completely. Three years later, she’s a complete robot who works with utmost efficiency without showing any emotions. But things start to change when she arrives at Rosewater University for higher studies. David Lyric Donovan is the quintessential bad boy of Rosewater. Be it getting into useless fights, getting arrested for beating someone to an inch of their life or any other crimes around campus, and not to mention going through girls like a person goes through their clothes, he’s done it all. He’s also a professional street fighter. Girls want to ‘fix’ him and guys want to be him. But nothing bothers him as much as the presence of the new girl, Lydia. She’s upfront and outspoken and she does not have the patience to deal with his , and moreover, she gets under his skin without even a slight change in her expression. Who is she and what’s in her past? He’s just as fascinated with her as he is annoyed. Can romance bloom between such a mismatched pair? And will Lydia ever let herself feel again, after what she’d endured?

Kristen Rose never meant to marry billionaire Max Ethan Anderson. But fate and a cruel twist placed her at the altar. On what was supposed to be Max and Lena’s wedding day, Lena ran off for selfish reasons. When her plan backfired, she returned, accusing Kristen of kidnapping her. In truth, it was Lena who tricked Kristen into wearing her wedding gown and walking down that aisle. Max found out the truth right there on the stage right before the kiss. But instead of stopping the ceremony, he masked his fury. After the wedding, he gave Kristen a cold deal.... Twenty days to divorce Twenty days with a man who resents her for everything she never meant to do. But what Max didn’t expect was Kristen’s heart to be so real. And what Kristen didn’t expect was to start falling for the man behind the icy glare. Just when hope begins to bloom, Max shatters it all. He marries Lena instead, telling the world he’d never choose a "low-life" like Kristen even though he loved her more than anything. Lena, now his wife, sees Kristen as a threat. And she’ll do anything to erase her permanently. When tragedy strikes, the world believes Kristen is dead. Until she returns. Stronger. Smarter. Fearless. And this time, she’s not alone. Kristen is now teaming up with Max’s most powerful enemy. And Max never saw it coming.

In the coastal quiet of Baler, a studio is born—not of architecture, but of intention.* Founded by Yam, a poet whose words cradle pain gently, and Franc, an artist who paints tenderness into walls, the studio becomes a refuge for those learning to stay—with grief, love, longing, and themselves. As visitors arrive, they leave behind more than footprints: a sigh recorded in bamboo, a poem tucked into the “Found Letters” shelf, a mural painted in crooked lines. Through zines, tea, silence, and sketchbooks, the studio teaches softness as revolution. Ren creates the *Window of Soft Returns*, an installation of anonymous voice recordings—each whisper forming a community of echoes. Drew builds the *Staircase With No Wrong Turns*, inviting people to walk through emotions without shame. Franc offers brushstrokes as brave work, and Yam curates writing circles that map healing in half sentences. Together, they host festivals that feel like hugs, and they begin traveling their archive, letting softness cross oceans. Even those who once left—like Miguel—return, discovering that some doors never truly close. Others, like Tala, capture the studio’s sound and turn it into a podcast of breath and becoming. Over seventy chapters, the studio transforms into something larger than itself: a mural of memory, a sanctuary for second chances, a place where return is sacred and voice is proof of survival. In the final bloom, the studio stands not as a monument—but as a reminder: > *“Staying isn’t easy. > But chosen together, > it becomes home.”*

Part 1: Dante and Sienna - Revenge Part 2: Domenico and Sylvana - Retribution Part 3: Dario and Serena - Resentment Dante 'il Drago' Dragonetti ruled New York's underbelly with an iron fist. With his brothers, Domenico and Dario, ruling at his side as his most trusted men, the mafia family thrived in infamy - no one dared to cross them. Until they met their match in three pairs of blue eyes. Sienna, the bride given and used as a tool of revenge. Sylvana, the mafia boss with bad blood running deep into her family roots. Serena, the mafia heiress sent to spy and kill. Will the Dragonetti Beasts be tamed, or will they all crash and burn? **This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this book are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

LUCILLE thought it would be her engagement evening, not knowing it was the night she was going to realize she had kept foes as friends. Her boyfriend betrayed her with her best friend but she never let it affect her. Instead, she slapped them in their faces by getting married to RAMSEY ROWE, her ex's cousin and a zillionaire. It started as a marriage of convenience and they were not meant to fall in love with each other. *. *. * "It's simple. Marry me till I am awarded the contract," Ramsey's cold voice sounded. Void of emotions. "No. I want a real marriage with you," Lucille rejected his first offer, piercing her gaze into his. The tough man in front of her was powerful, rich, and had all the connections she needed to avenge the betrayal from her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend. Why would she miss the opportunity? Ramsey cracked up, kneading his brows. Silence overwhelmed the atmosphere and he leaned his mouth forehead, "You can't get what you want, Lucille. We are only bound by a fake paper," Lucille also chuckled and tilted her head backward, "I will make you fall in love with me," Determination filled her eyes. She wasn't going to lose this man to anybody. Will she be able to make his heart beat for her? What would they do when they realize their feelings are growing and they cannot do without one another? In the midst of many villains, will their love bloom or die?