Crimson Gown

The tree I fell from was rotten. It's leaves were rotten, it's bark was rotten, and it's roots were rotten. Unfortunately, I am an apple that didn't fall far from that rotten tree. I was groomed in the shadow of that rotten tree and sprayed with poison to ensure I would be nothing but it's germinated seed. My earliest memories are dark and painful. My most vibrant memories are coated in crimson red and shame. The small pieces of my soul that I kept hidden and protected are the only parts of myself I can tolerate. The rest of who I am... The despicable trash that haunts my dreams... I hate. Death is the only answer to my life. Not love. I don't deserve love. A tainted apple is never put amongst the ripe juices apples. It is thrown away, discarded... As I should be.

Luna Aria Nightshade believed she had the perfect life as the mate of Alpha Logan Blackwood, leader of the Silver Moon Pack. But on the night of their mating ceremony, Logan rejects her publicly, accusing her of betrayal and choosing another woman. Heartbroken and humiliated, Aria is exiled from her pack. What no one knows is that Aria carries the blood of the legendary Crimson Wolf dynasty a royal lineage thought extinct. Years later, she returns stronger, colder, and far more powerful than anyone imagined. As Aria builds her own loyal pack and uncovers the conspiracies that destroyed her life, Logan realizes the terrible mistake he made. But the woman he once broke is no longer the gentle Luna he knew she is fearless, cunning, and determined to take revenge. Now, Aria must decide: will she reclaim her throne and crush her enemies, or forgive the Alpha who once betrayed her?

Valerie was the love of Brian’s life but she saw his devotion as manipulation and despise him. After the tragic loss of her mother, Valerie felt she had nothing left to live for and vanished without a trace. Her step-sister, Jane, reveled in her disappearance. Seizing the opportunity, she wove a web of lies - accusing Brian of murdering Valerie. She whispered poison into his parents' ears, claiming they had been lovers before he turned violent. To her delight, they believed her over their own son. Now, Jane had one demand: marriage. To silence her and "protect" their family's reputation, Brian’s parents forced him to agree. But behind his cold obedience burned a deadly resolve - he would kill her before their honeymoon ever began. On the wedding day, Jane stood at the registry in her lavish gown, triumphant. Brian was ready to leave the house with his family, his heart steeled for vengeance. Then, a stranger appeared. A woman no one expected, with a pair of twins in her arms. Secrets will unravel. Blood will spill. And before the night ends, someone will die. Will Brian get his revenge… or will the lies destroy him first?

I was the daughter of a crime boss in Flonio. Initially, I was supposed to reveal my identity during my wedding. But my elder brother told me that someone was targeting me and that I could not expose myself. My fiance also took this chance to take off my wedding gown and help my maid into it. My bodyguard then stole my family token. I trusted them deeply, but when the wedding ceremony started, I saw my maid with one arm around my fiance. Meanwhile, her other hand lingered between my brother’s and bodyguard’s sensitive spots on their bodies. In response to my suspicions, my maid laughed wickedly. Then, she instructed someone to break my limbs. They locked me up in the basement and forced me to watch as they got more and more intimate. In the end, they skinned me alive and broke my bones. Before I breathed my last, they left me to the beasts. When I recalled the misery of my previous life, I broke my maid’s ribs with a few punches. “You can have my fiance, but you don’t deserve my family token!”

At the Mercer family's annual dinner, I accidentally wore a couture gown that belonged to Lucian's late wife. The eight-year-old boy I had raised myself, in front of every key member of the Family, threw a glass of expensive red wine all over my pure white dress. He just stood there, his cold, condescending expression a mirror of his father's. "Don't think you can become the mistress of this house just by dressing like my Mamma." "I swear, when I'm old enough to take over the family business, I'll make you disappear for good!" The cold liquid soaked through the fabric, clinging to my skin. But I felt nothing. My heart had frozen solid the moment I signed my life away eight years ago. I looked at the child I had raised as my own for eight years. There was no anger. The faintest smile touched my lips. I leaned down and whispered in his ear, "You won't have to wait that long, my little lion. I'm leaving, and it will be very soon."

“Do you regret it?” he whispered, as he pushed my night gown above my breasts. My heart pounded as his fingers trailed down my skin, stopping just above the lace on my thighs. “I should,” I said barely above a whisper “But I can’t.” His lips curved into a wicked smirk and his hands tore my pants into shreds. “Then say it, Elise. Say you’re mine.” And I did, knowing that the man I’d just given myself to… might be the reason my mother was killed. Elise Anderson never believed in love after betrayal destroyed her world. Her fiancé and best friend planned to kill her for her inheritance, and she swore never to be weak again. So she made a deal with the devil himself, he was a man called Ravien Drayton, Verya’s most ruthless billionaire. It was supposed to be a contract marriage, as it escalated from kissed to steamy nights And when secrets began to unravel, Elise discovered the man she loved was her stepbrother, and the son of her mother’s killer. Now she’s trapped between vengeance and desire, torn between the truth that could destroy them… and a love that refuses to die.

On the third anniversary of our engagement, my fiancé—Dominic Corleone, heir to one of the most powerful Mafia dynasties in New York—told me he was not ready to form a new family so that our wedding would have to postpone. I told myself to wait for some time, the bond between the Corleones and the Valentinos—our families’ sacred alliance—would hold us together. But what followed were his endless betrayals and tortures. I walked into a bridal boutique and saw him laughing with Liliane, the childhood friend who always lingered too close. I watched him destroy the wedding gown I had spent months designing—then crush my hand beneath his heel until it bled. And when I thought I had hit rock bottom, he proved I was wrong—by getting behind the wheel and running me down. He thought I’d beg and cling to him, terrified of losing the Corleone name and privilege that came with it. But instead, I made one phone call and insisted firmly on canceling the engagement. However, that call didn’t just end a marriage arrangement. It unearthed a secret that had been buried for over a decade…and turned a marriage born of duty into a story of dark devotion.

I grew up abroad. My mother feared I might marry a foreign man, so she arranged an engagement for me with a talented and handsome man in Flodon. She insisted that I return home to get engaged. I came back and started shopping for an engagement dress at a luxury boutique. I selected an off-white strapless gown and decided to try it on. Suddenly, a woman nearby glanced at the dress in my hand and told the saleswoman, “That’s a unique design. Let me try it.” The saleswoman immediately yanked it out of my hands. I protested indignantly, “Excuse me, I was here first. Don’t you understand the principle of ‘first come, first served’? Or do you just not care about common decency?” The woman scoffed and retorted, “This dress costs $188,000. Do you really think a broke nobody like you can even afford it? “I’m Lucas Goodwin’s sister in all but blood. He’s the chairman of Goodwin’s Group. In Flodon, the Goodwin family sets the rules.” What a coincidence! Lucas Goodwin was my fiance! I immediately called him and said, “Hey, your ‘sister in all but blood’ just stole my engagement dress. Do something about it.”

“Strip!” Lucas said in an authoritative tone, and my body shivered in excitement. My eyes never leave his golden ones that shine so brightly. I wanted to tease him a little, but then this was supposed to be a lesson, and he was the teacher. “Are you having second thoughts about it?” His voice was barely audible, but I couldn't miss the tone that said, ‘You don't have the guts to do it. You are still a kid!’ With determination, I zipped down my gown and pulled it at a go. “No, I'm not having second thoughts,” I murmured, and then before he could utter his next words, I pulled him by his tie and kissed him on the lips as hungrily as I could ever be. “Easy, little one, let me show you what satisfaction means.” ~~~ When Abigail's father sends Abigail to intern at his best friend's company, he expects Lucas to keep a watchful eye on her while he is away. But as they spend more time together, Lucas finds himself drawn to Abigail's captivating character and vibrant spirit. Torn between his promise to his best friend and his growing desires, Lucas must decide whether he will fight his feelings or destroy the relationship between him and his best friend.

I brought my son, who was around a year old, to visit my parents’ graves, only to run into my childhood friend’s mother. She asked me whether I had returned because I was no longer angry. “Yelena, you’re finally back! You must’ve returned to marry Niel. “I’ll make sure your wedding goes smoothly this time. I won’t allow any random person to ruin it!” Niel Stalner was my childhood friend and ex-fiance. During my engagement party, Cloud Stalner, his foster sister, had barged in while wearing the same gown as I did. She also said that she would kill herself if Niel refused to leave with her. The guests burst into a ruckus, and in the end, I was left alone in the venue. Everyone criticized me, and Niel’s family abandoned me. Eventually, I left the country like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs. I smiled at Neil’s mother, Iris, and pushed the baby stroller forward. “Iris, are you seriously telling me that Niel hasn’t married Cloud yet? Anyway, Michael, say hello.”