Chapter Nine

There were five things I was absolutely certain I wouldn't miss even if I became blind: -The first one was the fact that I was a slave and my life would never go back to the way it was. -The Second one was the Duke who bought me was a dragon hiding his identity for a reason I didn't know. Weren't dragons supposed to be powerful and all? Using his race might give him a huge advantage in politics. -The third one I was certain the Duke was hungry for me and I started to love him. Furthermore, he was cursed and the cursed ones didn't live for more than a year. Conquering him was a lost cause; a battle with less than 50% of success. However… Was it really necessary to label numbers on everything that was happening? -The Fourth one: Was it really necessary for Dotoria, the human land, to curse the other races existing within its borders? I wasn't confident about the statement. Nonetheless, everyone was looking for a wish granter gem. The nine kingdoms collided eying the gemstone like a prize for dominion. -The Fifth one had the magic of belief in it; Do you work on your dream or stay back hiding behind a smoke of mist fearing failure? I wanted to escape but I gradually lost interest in it. The world was a mystery in my eyes and I was taught to never engage in a battle with less than 50% of success. Do I even have a dream because the only thing I wished for was the reason I was a slave. People were driven by dreams and goals and I didn't have one yet.

"I, Sebastian Knight, reject you, Rose Pecklewood as my mate..." Rose waited to hear these words tumble off his lips. Just a moment ago, they had found each other as mates and his burning gaze told her she was far from being accepted by him. She immediately shook her head no, "I don't want you to reject me. I'm in love with you, Seb." He smirked, the coldness in his eyes stretching. "Deal, but I will make you wish I did," he grabbed her by the neck, yanking her to him until their bodies merged. "You just dug your own grave, sweetheart, but there is no turning back for you now." She held her breath, fighting the urge to break as he continued brutally; "This, every fuckin part of you belongs to me now and I will make sure to ruin them one by one until there is nothing left, until you disappear like Leah. All of you." A tear strolled down her cheek but she quickly wiped it. He hates her but she couldn't bring herself to reciprocate the feeling. She had loved him for nine years, it grew into a habit. He was having fun, she could see the glint in his eyes and she knew it was only the beginning of her misery, but her stupid self was excited that a powerful wolf like Sebastian Knight accepted her as his mate. It was all she ever dreamed of, even though they were the only ones who knew about it.

(Witchita Series #1) On the evening of Santacruzan, I met Gideon, the consort of my life. Months later, we grew closer to each other, but then... he found out about the bet and we split up. Weeks after our breakup, he confronted and told me, “Panagutan mo ako... Buntis ako," and I was like, “Gago ka ba?” Days after my family revealed our biggest secrets, I made up my list. To do: 1. Get to know more about my family's identity, history, and special ability (especially in dealing with a pregnant male partner!) 2. Master my family's craft — witchcraft. 3. Attend to Deon's needs, assist, and take care of him. 4. Protect and keep him away from his pack for nine months (or else our child's gonna get killed because Deon's a son of an alpha b*tch!) 5. Plan about our child's financial support and our parental setup. 6. Make sure that the whole pregnancy experience will be tolerable for the first-time mommy (or pappy or whatsoever, I don't really know what to call him, geez...) 7. The child should stay with my family after Deon gave birth because he or she belongs to us, to the kind who needs to keep hiding. 8. And the most important thing to do, love my child with all my heart, mind, and Witchita soul. I am Angie Lou Pereira, a Witchita, and this is my guide to successful parenting.

After three miscarriages for Xavier Lowe, I see it—my mother-in-law has three years left, my father-in-law nine years, and my sister-in-law two years. I say nothing. After the third miscarriage, my mother-in-law blames me, calling me a curse who "kills" children. My sister-in-law sneers, saying she almost died in a car crash the year I married Xavier—as if my bad luck dragged her down. My mother-in-law snaps, "She can't even keep a child. It must be because she's cursed!" Xavier just stands there, silent. He doesn't say a single word for me. I know that, deep down, he believes that I bring bad luck. Maybe it's also because he already has someone else—his secretary, Yvette Snyder. His mother has always liked her better, and he clung to her the night I lost my third child. I don't explain because I know the truth will only destroy them faster. On my 28th birthday, I catch a glimpse of my own countdown in the mirror. On that day, I take a leave of absence. I go to the funeral home and pick out an urn—pure white, just like the wedding dress I once wore. Wearing a beautiful floral dress, I text Xavier, asking him to meet me at the lake where we first met ten years ago. I wait from daylight until nightfall as my countdown ticks to zero. I die, and he never shows up.

My marriage certificate with Shane Galingston was lost again. By the time we went to replace it for the ninth time, his childhood sweetheart deliberately raised her voice as she said, "Lily has been divorced eight times and has had nine abortions. She also has AIDS and syphilis… practically every vice in the book. Did you know all that?" With a loud crash, a newlywed couple sitting nearby was so startled that they fell to the floor, groaning in pain. In an instant, contemptuous and disgusted gazes poured in from all directions, pinning me in place. The icy slime of rotting refuse dripped down my face, chilling not just my skin but my heart as well. This time, I didn't hold back. I turned and walked straight toward the complaint counter. But Shane, who had stayed silent all along, suddenly grabbed my arm. He wiped the filth from my face and coaxed me in a low, gentle voice. "Don't be angry. She's just childish—she likes to fool around. She didn't mean to smear your name. "Besides, she's not targeting you. She's just throwing a tantrum at me. How could I not know what kind of person you are?" As he spoke, he shot his childhood sweetheart a helpless yet indulgent glance. "Go ahead and help us reissue—" I pushed his hand away without expression and cut him off. "No need. Let's get a divorce."

Julian Ziegler betrays his and Willow Harper's four-year marriage. He pursues his true love like mad, wanting to make up for the regrets he experienced in his youth. Willow loves him deeply and tries her best to win him back. However, he wraps an arm around his true love and mocks her. "You're the furthest thing from a woman I've ever seen, Willow! I can't even get it up when I look at your icy face!" Willow's heart dies at his words. She no longer clings to him and leaves, not wanting to embarrass herself further. … Julian doesn't recognize Willow when they meet again. She sheds her strong, domineering façade, revealing a softer, more affectionate side. Countless big shots pursue her—even the most powerful man in the city smiles only for her. Julian loses his mind! He loiters outside her door every night, giving her checks and expensive jewelry. If possible, he would dig out his heart for her. When others are curious about their relationship, Willow merely smiles indifferently. "Mr. Ziegler is just a passing chapter in the book of my life."

**Perfect Blind** *She pretended to be her blind twin. Then she watched her brother-in-law die. The killer tested her—held the bloody head five inches from her face. She didn't blink.* **But what he didn't know? She's not just pretending. She's hunting him too.** --- Jiang Yan has spent three months learning to be her blind twin sister: the walk, the voice, the empty stare. She breaks into Lin's apartment seeking a diary—evidence of a murder Yan committed ten years ago. Instead, she finds a body. A killer who knows sign language. And a "dead man" who won't stop breathing. Trapped in a locked room with two strangers and one lie, Yan must play the perfect blind woman while uncovering the truth: her sister isn't blind, her father isn't dead, and the murder she confessed to never happened. **In this family, everyone wears a mask. The only way out is to see through them all.** --- **Perfect for fans of:** - *The Silent Patient* (unreliable narrator) - *Gone Girl* (toxic sisterhood) - *Behind Her Eyes* (identity games) **Tags:** #PsychologicalThriller #TwistedFamily #BlindPOV #ShortRead #DarkSecrets --- **Word count:** 10,000 words | **Chapters:** 10 | **Reading time:** 45 minutes *Every chapter ends with a twist. The final page changes everything

Warning: This novel contains strong language, mature content, and potentially triggering scenes. It is rated 18+. Read at your own risk. Aurora and her twin brother were orphaned and enslaved at the age of nine when their father's pack, the Midnight Shadow Pack was attacked and taken over. Their parents were killed, and anyone who didn't accept the new Alpha was either killed or forced into exile. Aurora's brother, Aiden, was the first to be enslaved and separated from his sister. Aurora became a slave and maid in her father's pack, which now belonged to someone else. Years passed, and Aurora's memories were erased by the pack in order to manipulate her more easily. However, she still dreams about having a twin, and these memories bring tears to her eyes. When she regains a small fragment of her memory, she vows to find her twin brother. Enduring years of mistreatment and abuse, just when things couldn't get any worse, she discovers that her mate is the son of the man who enslaved her and ruined her life. Alpha Finn, the notorious playboy of all the packs, and a man who places great importance on status, rejects Aurora on her eighteenth birthday. She accepts his rejection because she hates him and wants nothing to do with him. Then, the Moon Goddess grants her a second chance mate, and suddenly Finn wants her back after realizing that he is in love with her. However, he may be too late to win her heart as Aurora has already moved on. Will Finn be able to prove himself and win her back? Will Aurora uncover the truth about her past and find her twin brother? Read to find out.

My sister Isolde and I used to be human. The twin vampire princes, Caelum and Dorian, turned us and married us. The entire vampire world celebrated. Two human sisters, personally turned by the Crown Princes? It was the highest honor a mortal could receive. We believed we were loved. We were fools. Five months into my pregnancy, I was attacked by a group of exiled vampires in the forest beyond our territory. I called Caelum nine times. He didn’t pick up. The exiles circled me, cutting into my arms and legs with blades that burned. Pain tore through my body. I called a tenth time. This time, Caelum’s cold voice came through: “Haven’t you had enough? Vivienne is being tracked by hunters. Stop bothering me.” Vivienne was the human girl that both princes truly loved. The one who had refused to be turned. With nothing to stop them now, the exiles closed in. Their leader drove a blade into my stomach. I watched the light leave my body from the inside out, and felt my unborn child die. When I was close to death, my sister Isolde found me and fought the exiles off. But there were too many. Isolde was badly wounded. She called her husband Dorian for help. All she got was: “Looking for Vivienne. Don’t bother me.” Isolde carried me and ran. A storm hit and we were caught in the open at dawn—deadly for wounded vampires. The border patrol found us just in time. We barely survived. When I woke up in the infirmary, my first thought was simple: Sever the bond.

Amigos' Love Story (Series)- Standalone book His Cupcake (Book One) Carlos Gonzales + Cassandra Johanson Cassandra Johanson, a girl who likes to write romance stories. She was on cloud nine when her new published novel became 'top picked' books but not too long until she found out something real about the book. The reality freak her out at the moment she found out the main character that she created from her own imagination was real and the guy was standing in front of her, proudly introducing himself. Carlos Gonzales, a successful businessman in the hotel industry, known as a serious, less of sense of humor & grumpy man. Unexpectedly found out that someone made him as the main character in the novel. He bought the book due to his curiosity but immediately got hooked up with it. The girl behind the book caught his attention. He came out with a plan to know more about her, but it wasn't easy as opposite personalities often need time to get along. *** "Damn, we should make it to one week. We shouldn't talk right now." I knew she purposely did that to piss me off. I smooch her lips without any warning. "This plump lip of yours," I said in between my gritted teeth after the kiss, "talked too much," and I continued while my eyes can't tear off from her lips that were slightly parted. "That's our first kiss," she whispered. "Yes, that was our first kiss. Should we make the second one?" I whispered back. *The picture doesn't belong to me. Credit to the original owner.