By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead Novels & Stories

Before my parents died, they arranged for me to marry Alan Palmer, the powerful but impotent overlord of Northingdale. The day I received the engagement letter, strange floating messages appeared before my eyes. [Don't marry him. He can't have kids, and he's violent!] [If you go through with this, that freak will torture you to death. Run!] [Your childhood sweetheart is your true love. Run away with him!] My childhood sweetheart, Leon Wade, grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes with what seemed like deep affection. "Tiffany, let's run away together. Have your maid take your place and marry Alan. She knows you well. No one will notice." Fooled by the so-called love in his eyes and those floating messages, I chose to go with him in my past life. I could only watch as the maid stole my identity as the heiress of the Glissons, gave Alan a son, and walked away with hundreds of millions of dollars in fortune. In the end, Leon held her in his arms. He tied a huge stone to me, kicked me into the ocean, and said smugly, "From now on, she's Tiffany. As for you, rot at the bottom of the sea forever!" I watched as sharks slowly tore into my body, pain ripping through every inch of me, until only my bones sank into the dark water. After being reborn, I finally understood that those floating messages were fake. They were carefully planted traps designed by Leon. Now, facing him and his pleas for me to run away, I let out a cold laugh and ignored the floating messages. "I'm not some helpless maiden. I'm marrying Alan."

In order to save her dying mother, Avery Thompson was forced to sign the divorce papers handed to her by her husband, Benjamin Williams. She's known to the world as the billionaire's wife, however, Benjamin only sees her nothing other than a girl forced on him by his father. Despite her effort and desire to win his affection, she'll be nothing to him but his daughter's nanny. Suddenly, Benjamin fall seriously ill with kidney failure and urgently needed a transplant. Avery decided to donate one of her kidney to him out of love, but kept her identity a secret. Unfortunately, Amelia Arnaldo, the heiress of CITYGROUP, who has always had her eye on Benjamin, takes advantage of the situation. She bribes the doctor to make Benjamin believe that she was the donor, leading to a secret affair between her and Benjamin. One day, Avery walked into her husband's office to ask for a favor but, she caught him with Amelia, making out. Despite the pain, she remains calm and still asked for his help to save her mother's life. However, instead of being remorseful of his action, Benjamin asked for a divorce in exchange of saving her mother's life. She was prepared to face the painful reality. She was prepared to leave in order to save her mother's life. However, fate had a different plan in store for her when she discovered that she was already pregnant with his child. What unfolds next? Especially when Benjamin learns that it was his wife who saved his life and not the woman he thought. Now, he is determined to win her back, but she wants nothing to do with him anymore!

Does Ana honestly believe that she and Brian have been in a love affair forever? She thinks she can rule the world as well as Brian's life! Believing they can stay together until they live is one thing to know if that will happen and another thing entirely! In the heart we cannot rule and much less in the lives of others with time “Ana” will understand that not everything is the way we want it, much less love! However, Brian and Ana were very young, they had a whole life ahead of them to decide if they were really made for each other. Only they would never imagine that the world would go around so many times and accomplish something they never wanted and with that today they don't know how to solve it without hurting anyone! Who never believed that their childhood love would be forever? I believe that just like Ana thought, did you also believe one day?

Just as she’s starting her new life in Las Vegas, she gets an urgent call to return home to Atlanta. Deila Barbson could be stubborn, witty…among other things but she wasn’t the rogue her family thought her to be so she answered with equal urgency oblivious to what awaited her— her past. She’s faced with the person that’s haunted her beautiful nightmares everyday for two years. Betrayed by her heart, she found herself running again from whom she still longed for as the very air she breaths. Breathing was as difficult as commitments. Would she stand unbroken or she melt under his touch? Time they said healed every wound so why did his heart still bleed at the sight of the woman that left him shattered sixteen months ago? Hard-headed as he was, James Martin felt open as if it were yesterday he got stood up on his planned proposal dinner. He wanted answers, from her, from himself; why didn’t he feel anger towards her for breaking his heart? Why was his heart still thudding with hope at the sight of her? Why did Deila still unman him as if he wasn’t the macho CEO that intimidated even the Mayor? And most importantly, why did she return? Behind the unwilling woman and broken man was the dark secret both their families shared. What would be keeping them apart? Their ego? Or the family secret? Warning: This book contains mature words and sexual encounters that aren't suitable for readers under the age of 18.

For twins Ethel and Elise, the line between dream and nightmare was always thin—and on Paron Island, it has been completely erased. Their idyllic gap year, a sun-soaked mosaic of beach bonfires and reckless abandon, is shattered in an instant. A "project," as the panicked news reports cryptically call it, has gone horrifically wrong, releasing a pathogen that reanimates the dead with a singular, gruesome purpose: to feed. The sisters' bond, once defined by shared secrets and sibling rivalry, is now their only anchor in a world drowning in blood. Driven by a raw, primal instinct to protect each other, they join forces with a few other fortunate—or unfortunate—souls who survived the initial onslaught. Together, this makeshift family must navigate the ruins of their former paradise, where every shadow hides a potential threat and every human sound could be a lure. Ethel, the more cautious sister, finds a hidden strength in strategy, while Elise's impulsive nature becomes both a weapon and a liability. But their fight against the decaying hordes is only the surface of the terror. Whispers of a coordinated presence, of supplies that go missing too conveniently, and of strangers who seem to know too much, point to a more insidious truth: the island's collapse was not a random tragedy. They are being hunted by something that thinks, that plans, that wears a human face. As their hope for rescue dwindles, Ethel and Elise are forced to confront the ultimate horror—that in the midst of an apocalypse, the most monstrous creatures of all are still human.

When the mafia heir, Marco Gallante, barged into the family vault with his mistress, I was standing before the Virgin Mary statue, cross-checking bloodstained ledgers. Fiore Albero cowered behind him, pointing at the ledgers in my hands and shrieking, "Marco, I'm scared..." I did not even bother looking up, just flicked the ash off my cigar. However, Marco kicked the desk over with one swift boot. "Chiara Moltisanti, Fiore can't stand the sight of all this blood and violence. Sign the divorce papers, now!" I stared at the mess scattered across the floor, thinking back to the pregnancy report the family doctor had handed me just ten minutes ago. The Gallante bloodline was dying out in this generation. Ever since the eldest son, Luca Gallante, died in that accident, Marco became the sole heir. The Don, Carmine Gallante, dreamed of nothing more than a legitimate boy of pure blood to carry on the family name and glory. So, I smiled, bright and sharp, with unmistakable mockery. "Perfect. Since you want true love, then the Don's throne will never be yours." Besides, I never wanted Marco, that useless fool. What I wanted was the Gallante empire, a mafia dynasty spanning three continents with 100 years of roots, and the control that left him with nowhere to run and no legs to stand on. This time, I would cut him out completely, keep the bloodline, and sit at the head of the family.

My wife, Lillian Harmon, skips our daughter's birthday party to celebrate her male assistant’s birthday instead. We run into them at the restaurant. My daughter, Rosetta Coleman, runs over and hugs her. She calls out, "Mom." But Lillian pushes her away coldly and pretends not to know her. She turns and wraps her arms around Marcus Fisher while explaining, "I have no idea where this brat came from. She's just randomly calling strangers her mom." Rosetta is hurt and confused. She is on the verge of tears as she asks, "Why did Mommy pretend not to know me?" I hold her and say, "You got the wrong person. Your mom is in Marindale." Right away, I file for divorce and take Rosetta to Marindale. But Lillian loses her mind and chases after us to beg for our forgiveness. I keep her out of our lives and find Rosetta a new mother.

After suffering all kinds of infertility treatment, Mango was finally pregnant with Nathaniel’s child. But it turned out another woman had already conceived Nathaniel’s child for 5 months. Just after claimed her pregnancy, she was kidnapped by Nathaniel’s bodyguard and almost died in the fire he set. It was universally acknowledged that she was dead. But that’s not true. After five years, Mango came back to Nathaniel’s side as a famous international car designer seeking revenge. Except for a different title, she also had a different face which looked more gorgeous and a different identity, mom. Her son Zion, a four-year-old boy, who shared the same beautiful almond-shaped eyes with Nathaniel was much more mentally mature than the kids of his age and also sought revenge for Nathaniel. However, revenge wasn’t the main purpose of them coming back...

"Fall in love with THE THORNTONS, a family filled with sexy alpha males, passionate women, and lots of heart, all set in a delightful small town in the Pacific Northwest. It’s Christmas time, and the entire Thornton clan is spending the holidays in a cabin deep in the Washington woods. What could go wrong with twelve adults, four kids, and a dog all staying together in one big cabin? Only the most chaotic—and memorable—Christmas ever! Expect kisses under the mistletoe, lots of (spiked) eggnog, and even a surprise wedding as the Thornton clan celebrates the most romantic holiday of all. Author’s Note: I’ll Be Home for Christmas is set six months after the last book, Till There Was You, ends. It’s recommended that you read the other books first, as this book is an epilogue to the entire series. Merry Christmas and happy reading! ** This book is a part of the LOVE EVERLASTING series, which is one large series following multiple families and friends. Each book can be read as a standalone (unless otherwise noted), or they can be read in order of publication as one long series. Each book is interconnected, with many of the same characters showing up in multiple books. LOVE EVERLASTING THE THORNTONS The Nearness of You The Very Thought of You If I Can’t Have You Dream a Little Dream of Me Someone to Watch Over Me Till There Was You I’ll Be Home for Christmas (A Thorntons Christmas)

Panni never intended to steal her twin sister’s life. She only agreed to help with one simple favor—pretend to be Annie for a single meeting. But the moment she stepped into an elite private restaurant and faced Jinyan Lu, the cold, brilliant CEO of Lu Corporation, she realized nothing about this meeting was simple. Jinyan, still bound by his late grandmother’s dying wish to “find someone who will stay by your side,” had prepared a contract marriage proposal. He believed the woman sitting before him—Panni in disguise—was the one who had already agreed to the arrangement. Bound by fear, circumstance, and her sister’s disappearance, Panni reluctantly stepped into a life that wasn’t hers, signing a contract that would entangle her fate with a man who trusted no one. As she plays the role of the polished, confident twin, Panni struggles to hide her true identity while navigating the cold walls of the Lu family mansion, the scrutiny of the company board, and the unspoken expectations placed upon the future Mrs. Lu. But her biggest challenge is Jinyan Lu himself—distant yet unexpectedly protective, calculating yet quietly vulnerable. What begins as a practical arrangement slowly turns into a dangerous emotional territory neither can control. When Jinyan starts falling for the woman he believes is Annie, Panni is torn between duty and desire, truth and revival. Every moment she stays by his side deepens the lie… and the attachment. But secrets don’t stay buried forever. When the real twin retraces and hidden agendas threaten the fragile bond forming between them, Panni must decide whether to walk away—or fight for a love built on borrowed identity.