Collateral Damage 소설 & 이야기

As the news broadcast reported a random serial killing near my residential complex, I knew—I had been reborn once again. In my first life, my husband insisted on going out in the middle of a snowstorm to buy weapons for self-defense. I locked every door and window, waiting at home, anxiety clawing at my chest. I never imagined the killer could pick locks. Before I could even react, a blade plunged into me, and I died on the couch. In my second life, I didn't hesitate. I hid in a concealed storage room, holding my breath. But the door was still pulled open. A man wearing a rabbit mask stared straight at me. "Found you," he said. In my third life, I ran to the police station. I rushed inside and told the officer on duty that the killings weren't random—that the murderer was coming for me. They looked at me like I'd lost my mind. Then my husband arrived in a hurry and took me away. But the moment we reached our front door, a heavy hammer smashed into the back of my head. Through the blinding pain, I forced my eyes open, but I never saw who killed me. Now, staring at the grave expression on the news anchor's face, agony surged through every inch of my body. Rebirth isn't a reset. The damage accumulates—and sooner or later, it will torture me to death. Without hesitation, I walked into the kitchen and set a pot of oil to heat. And I waited… for the moment the lock began to turn.

After the death of her mother, Autumn Jones finally gets her life together the only thing bothering her is a persistent man who wants to buy her building at all costs but she refuses every time. How could she ever sell the last thing she inherited from her mother? She enters a yoga class where she meets Summer whom she befriends immediately not knowing she is her ex"s sister. One day as Summer visits Autumn's coffee shop her brother Domenic shows up, but he doesn't come for his sister. He is behind the man who was trying to buy the building not knowing Autumn was the owner. When his eyes land on Autumn he can't believe that the woman in front of him is the same girl whose virginity he took years ago before going to college. The girl he humiliated just to win a bet not knowing the damage he was causing. She haunted his dreams for years and now was standing in front of him. Autumn didn't waste a second, she threw him out. The shock of seeing him revived all the memories she tried so hard to bury. It takes Domenic a lot of tries and a lot of patience in order to break through Autumn's defenses and earn her trust again, as well as it takes some time for Autumn to understand Domenic's fears. The things get more complicated with the arrival of Alice, a woman whose sole interest in life is to marry Domenic and enter the Davis Jones family. She will stop at nothing to separate Autumn and Domenic, but will she succeed, or will love and trust prevail?

Eva: My family views me as a taint to their bloodline. The disgrace without her Wolf. "You are a big disappointment!" Father would always spit. "Yuk! You irk me!" My younger sister would curse. Then he suddenly came into my life and became my shield.. my comfort.. my love.. my strength.. my confidence that my life would not end up bad after all. That it would turn out better. Only for me to realize that he… he came to use me too. Came to take advantage of my intense yearning to be loved.. to be accepted.. to be cherished by another.. before he Rejected and dumped me after shoving his true intentions on my face. Now I'm back. Back from where I ran to find solace for my wounded heart, and I saw him. He is back too. Back to where it all started. And he… he wants me back?... Why?... Is the damage he did to me years back not enough? Does he want to break me finally now? And… he… he says I'm his Mate?... Daniel: I just wanted to woo the weak link of this evil Man and save my kingdom. She was the most vulnerable, she would be easier to penetrate, so I did what I had to. After all, he did the same to get my family too… my kingdom… My plans worked out perfectly. I had won. Made her fall for me and got what I needed. But I later realized that she was not the only one that fell. If she fell hard, I fell harder…

Being the only child to the Queen of Castle Grey, lost within the confines of mount Trenon, Kilvic is made to learn a number of things best suited to the heir to the Elzcrid bloodline at the hands of tutors handpicked by his mother. However, his fifteenth birthday sends him beyond the reaches of his mother’s domain. She has tasked him with the duty of learning more. Understanding greater things than she can teach him, greater things with which to cope with the curse upon his bloodline as she had been taught by her father and mother. Finding himself in a new kingdom, in an academy designed for only the most elite of mages, Kilvic is tasked to survive the new things he will come to learn, while struggling with the chaos of human association, as he comes to understand that while he may know a great deal about the world from the castle archives, it is a different thing to experience them. The association between people isn’t as easily deciphered as the books made them seem. As he struggles with the task of becoming a mage and a student along with surviving new friendships, failure threatens him at every turn and people prove pettier than the books would have him believe. Yet, despite all these, somewhere hidden in the shadows of the kingdom, a creature stirs, taking from the academy the one thing it values most. Kilvic must survive the trials of the academy, keep his friends, best his first enemy, and ensure that what stirs must not cause more damage than the kingdom can bear, lest the supremacy of Castle Grey be called into question in realms beyond that which most know. And all in time to attend the Winter Hall Fest.

Elizabeth Jael Valmonte is one of the ten undeniably gorgeous and passionate heirs of the Valmonte clan, a ravishing, rich, and famous family known for being business-oriented and having members that are at top of their respective fields. She loves singing more than anything. She's born to conquer the stage and make everyone fall for her sweet voice. But when her father, Arthur Valmonte, fell into a coma and her mother, Harriett Valmonte, suffered severely because of a car accident, her world fell apart into pieces right before her eyes. According to the investigation of the police and base on the damage, at least two or more vehicles should be involved for the accident to happen that way. But the big mystery is why only her parents' car was present when a witness came to the scene? Lost and devastated because of her parent's situation, her older brother, Rueben Valmonte found something that could be the reason behind everything. Struck with amazement that her father might have an affair with Lucille de Silva, known for her acting awards, generous donations, and the wife of Gabriel de Silva, a potential candidate for the position of Mayor in the upcoming elections, she prepares herself for war. But what can a seventeen-year-old do to avenge her family when all this time she thought she had a perfect one? Jael met an arrogant guy in a shoe store. They both liked a limited edition designer heels but only one stock is left for their desired size. This guy caught the attention of Jael because of his inconsiderate and nosy attitude. She met the same guy again where her parent's accident happened to found out that he bought the whole area, making him her new lead to know the root of the tragedy.

“Why should I just accept the past? Why I have to endure the consequences caused by others? The phoenix will rise from the ashes It's time to return to my rightful place!” In the previous life, because of her weakness, Alice was slandered and killed by the lover and the other daughter of her father. Unexpectedly, Alice met a miracle that had the opportunity to be resurrected again when she was 17 years old. This time, Alice determined to become the holder of her own destiny. And with her determination to avenge, she swore that she will definitely make those who harmed and pushed her to death suffer a hundred and a thousand times more pain than what she had to go through before. Since he was a child, Arthur, the lost Great Prince, has been raised by the Wolf. He was always seen as a monster. They took advantage of the ruthlessness, cold blood, and extraordinary strength of the wolves that had taught him to send him to the battlefield, using him as a murder weapon. On the run, fate brought the two of them together. Before Arthur met Alice, he was completely immersed in darkness, lost control and easily revealing the wolf's instincts in him. Since meeting Alice, Arthur suddenly realized that, in fact, he is also an honest person and has a desire to be loved. Thanks to Alice, Arthur knew and realized that he needed to fight for what he deserved. But Alice was engulfed in anger, wanting revenge and would never give up on that idea. She even wanted to use Arthur to carry out her plan. Will Arthur be able to touch the heart that has suffered a lot of damage from that poor girl? Can the two together take back what belongs to them?

100 years ago, amidst WW3's nuclear bombing, a deadly virus was released in the atmosphere and nearly wiping out the humanity. It lives inside the human brain thriving on the empathy receptors, leading to irrational behaviour and ultimately brain death. To slow the damage, scientists created L.O.V.E, short for Living Off Vital Emotions, a nanovaccine that numbs the virus and switches off all strong emotions. As a last resort and with a dying planet, the Supreme Government created the City, a place to contain the infected survivors suitable for the experiment. Those in the first stages of illness became ideal candidates to receive the neuroinhibitor. Having their feelings restrained and their memory altered, those who come of age are designated a life partner through a selection process, thus preserving the humankind. A few decades after the trial had started, scientists had a major breakthrough. The nanites, which are highly chemically reactive organisms, are changing their bio-engineered purpose when dopamine levels are high. With a new generation of nanoids, stronger and smarter to fight the battle, the virus doesn't have a chance. Many attempts were made to create a man-made version of synthetic dopamine and each time the outcome was a disaster. Their goal is to create new generations, immune to the virus. These are called Purebloods, the offsprings of those who find pure love, the only cure to save them from a violent death. Running out of time, the Experiment entered in its final stages. To minimize the threats, the Colonies have sent their best soldiers to oversee the trial and protect its key subjects. If only things were going according to plan, or better... stay hidden. With Iron Guard, the resistance outside the walls, hunting the Purebloods too, will the trial save human race before it's too late?

When Nadia Marlowe attends the annual writers’ conference in California, all she has in mind is a break from the regular activities back home, an autograph from her favourite author, and the desire to connect with writers from around the world. That is, until the air conditioner in her hotel room starts spitting hot air, and a technician is sent in to fix it. Suddenly, the conference no longer matters. The goals she arrived with disappear into thin air, replaced by an undeniable awareness of the extremely handsome technician standing across from her. One thing leads to another, and a simple repair session turns into an intense encounter that leaves Nadia shaken to her core. Disgusted with herself for crossing a line she never thought she would—married, with children—Nadia leaves California after the conference determined to bury the experience and pretend it never happened. But fate has a sense of humour, and Nadia Marlowe becomes its favourite recipient. Her husband’s longtime friend arrives for a business discussion, and to her horror, that friend turns out to be Fabian, the same technician she had mouth watering sex with back in California. Lost for words, Nadia struggles to survive his stay in her home. But fate isn’t finished yet. Fabian’s visit stretches longer than planned. To make matters worse, he is trapped in an on-and-off relationship, and also has a daughter. He knows the damage he’s causing. He knows that after everything Nadia’s husband has done for him, betraying him this way is unforgivable. Yet the pull toward Nadia is something he cannot control. What began as a single reckless moment spirals into a dangerous affair, one filled with desire, guilt, and secrets, threatening to destroy marriages, friendships, and the perfect life Nadia has built.

"Noooooooooooooo!" With a loud shrieking voice. "Stopppp! Not again, not even here". Sobbing, trying to get a grip of what had happened, again. Her body vibrates violently, with her hands shaking and moving like they have a mind of their own. Her glowing eye is so noticeable even with the dark shades on. Her body violently jerked, spilling the hot pasta and orange juice all over the dining table and her denim shirt, while she tried her best to keep calm and behave as if everything was fine. A secret only her mum used to know about has grown wings and flown out, in the cafeteria!. "Hell no, I have to do something." She whispered to herself. But sadly, there was nothing to be done. The damage had been done already. Anxiously, she picked her backpack and brought out her journal, and placed it on the messed-up dining table. She could hear some of the students calling her a freak, and as usual, all looking at her in disgust. Her heart sinks every time that happens, knowing she's going to be the talk of the school, and she hated that. She hated all of it, and self-flagellation was as tempting as the garden of Eden. She just wished she could just disappear from the surface of the earth. Then suddenly, The bell rang, lunchtime was over. "Finally," She muttered, with a deep sigh. Yes, she is a PSYCHIC, and she's 16. She is a psychic who has another being in her. She had five friends, each with a secret to keep. they had to team up to solve the mysterious Homicide going on in their peaceful town, and in the process, they learnt each other secrets and the town's history. Will they be able to solve the mystery?

He thrust in with a force that snatched my breath for a minute. “Arghh!!!” I groaned out feeling my eyes burning with unshed tears. But I had to cool it off. I'm nothing but a collateral exchange for my dad. In exchange of favours, he hands me off to the new Alpha of our park. This has been my life for years. Not being able to change to a wolf since I came of age has hit my family hard, as the only child I feel I've let my family down which is why I deserve this type of treatment. “Yeah Aria!” He groaned, releasing inside of me. Feeling relieved that it's over, as Bale stood up, I quickly stood up and rushed to go out, Bale was once someone I thought was a friend before he inherited the Alpha title from his dad who died after they tried to attack another pack, my dad who's nothing but a coward fled and left the Alpha to his death. Walking through the forest to my house, the thought to run away crossed my mind for the 100th time. On getting home, everywhere was eerily quiet, I walked to my room and stopped in shock, seeing the broad back of a shirtless man, he turned towards me holding the dress I changed from yesterday, before I could blink he was already in my front, the pull I felt towards him was so strong and I couldn't tear my eyes away from his deep blue eyes. “Why do you smell like mine and at the same time smell like you've been with another man?” He barked out, anger covering his features. I whimpered and cowered in fear. “You're coming with me!” Was the last thing I heard before I lost consciousness.