Novel & Cerita Croods Voices

My mother and sister never liked me. The only son they ever truly cared about was my older brother, Lucian Vieri. Before she married me, Serafina Valcieri, the only daughter of one of the most feared syndicates in the country, was always the one who stepped in when I was cornered, mocked, or blamed for things that were never mine to carry. She never said much. She just made people back off. Then she married me. Then, not long ago, Lucian shoved me off a ski slope. I said he meant to kill me. My mother called it an accident. My sister said he had only been trying to save me. Only Serafina believed me. When I woke up in the hospital, I heard voices outside the door. “Who told you to do it like that?” Serafina said, her voice low and cold. My mother answered in a panic. “Lucian’s leukemia can’t wait. If Cassian learns the baby isn’t his, everything falls apart.” Then Serafina said the words I still can’t forget. “I chose him, and I married him for my own reasons. But Lucian still needs this child. If anything had happened to Cassian, none of you would have walked away from it.” I stood there in silence, listening to every word. The child my wife was carrying was never mine. It had been conceived through IVF to save my brother. And the marriage I had trusted from the beginning had never belonged to me alone. I had spent my whole life coming second to Lucian. I just never thought Serafina would be the one to prove it. If no one truly wanted me, then I would leave.

Doris thought the hardest part of her life was finally over the night she walked away from the man she wasted six years loving. She was wrong. After a humiliating breakup and a car accident that leaves her nearly broke, Doris clings to the only good thing she has left an interview invitation from Delvian Group, one of the most powerful companies in New York. She tells herself all she needs to do is survive the job, save enough money to rebuild her life, and stay out of trouble. Then she meets Delvis. The kind of man people lower their voices around without realizing it. The kind of man who looks at you once and somehow makes it feel like he already knows everything about you. Doris first meets him on the worst night of her life, but she does not realize the stranger from the accident is actually the CEO she is about to work for until it is already too late to run. Working for Delvis is nothing like she expected. The office is beautiful, expensive, and controlled down to the smallest detail, but underneath all that perfection, something feels wrong. People are nervous around him. Files disappear. Conversations stop when she walks in. His name barely exists online, and the deeper Doris digs, the more she realizes her boss is not just some wealthy businessman from Singapore. His family is tied to something darker. And then there is Ethan, Delvis’s charming fiancé, who smiles too easily, speaks too softly, and somehow makes Doris feel safe in a world that suddenly doesn’t. But safety inside Delvis’s world comes with a price. Because the deeper Doris falls into their lives, the harder it becomes to tell who is protecting her… and who is slowly destroying her.

**"How much did you know?" I asked. Silence. "Enough," his voice was calm and low, as usual. I looked around the room again. The photographs, the notes, every conversation, every lesson, every answer he refused to give...suddenly, it all felt planned. "Who are you?" I yelled the words again. "You already know...." he started saying while taking a step forward, but I held my hand in front of him. "Was any of it real?" I whispered. For the first time, something cracked in Lucien's expression. He opened his mouth. I waited for an explanation to make everything okay. But nothing came out. Then, he looked away. I bit my lip to hold back the tear that was ready to fall.** Celeste has always known how to behave. Speak when needed. Fit perfectly into the life built around her. But it isn't enough. The nights begin to change. Sleep turns restless. Whispers follow her into the dark. And the mark on her wrist starts burning as if it's trying to be seen...or trying to warn her. When a series of brutal murders rocks her city, everything begins to unravel. She starts seeing things that shouldn't exist, hearing voices she can't explain, and feeling drawn to places she knows she should avoid. Then there's him, the man with black eyes. He appears where he shouldn't, moves like he's not bound by the same rules as everyone else, and looks at her as though he knows secrets he was never meant to know. He warns her to stay away. But she can't. And the closer she gets, the more she realises the murders were never random. They were always leading someone to her. And whatever is waiting in the dark isn't just hunting her. It's been waiting for her.

Meg and Charlie meet on Titanic, but their lives were intertwined long before they ever stepped foot on the doomed ship. Follow their story from the very beginning. Prelude After Meg's father dies, her life spirals out of control. Her mother is mean, her uncle abusive. When she discovers she’s been promised to a wealthy American, she’ll do whatever she must to flee Southampton, hoping for a new life in America and a chance to start over. Charles Ashton knows that his father arranged for him to marry Meg. Even though the temptations of being young and rich beckon him, he believes in keeping promises. However, his attempts at meeting Meg are thwarted and eventually, Charlie wonders if Meg exists at all. Ultimately, destiny’s plan will be revealed and their worlds will collide aboard a ship named Titanic. Titanic Meg never dreamt she would find herself aboard Titanic. Now that she finally has the opportunity to escape it all, she realizes the man she's engaged to is also aboard the ship. If Charlie discovers her identity, she will end up breaking his heart all over again. Will Meg find a way to reveal her identity without destroying their relationship, or will her last chance at true love end up in the abyss? Residuum The survivors of Titanic arrive in New York, but being back on dry land doesn't end the terror, and for some of the passengers, the nightmares are just beginning. Having escaped her haunting past, Meg knows she should be excited to start her new life as millionaire Charlie Ashton's fiancée. However, Titanic has scarred both of them, and part of her wants to escape into the night. Will she stay by Charlie's side? The voices in Charlie's head are ever-present. Will he lose Meg all over again?

Nadia!" I turn towards the voices that called my name, almost not making it out due to the sheer amount of snarling and growling happening around me. I see a woman pinned by a ravaging wolf , and as I make my way to her, I'm knocked to the ground with such force , I hear my arm snap. I groan as the pain hits me. My arm is clearly broken, and I'm unable to shift for some reason. I hear her sickening scream and I raise my head just as the wolf embed its teeth into her neck and shoulder. "NO!" I roar and scramble to my feet, but I'm surrounded by at least 10 wolves, preventing me from getting to the woman. My eyes dart around as they encompass me, circling slightly. Shit. They're going to all attack me at once. Just as I come to that realization, they strike. I dodge the first few, but I yell out as one of them clamps down on my leg, ripping out a good chunk of flesh. I try to stay standing, but it's useless as more wolves' barrel into me, not allowing me to regain my stance. They claw me in every direction, and I can't anticipate the attacks anymore as I fall to my knees with a hard thud. Claws at my back. Claws at my arms. Claws at my legs. There's no escape. I can't save them. I can't even save myself. Pack life for Nadia was perfect. Although abandoned at the Pure Moon pack when she was just a pup, she was completely accepted by the Alpha and Luna. She becomes one of the top trained female warriors in the pack alongside her wolf Seles. That is until tragedy strikes and Nadia’s life is completely turned upside down.

Someone pushes me off a cliff when I'm eight months pregnant before taking their life on the spot. Meanwhile, blood pools underneath me as I'm rushed to the hospital. As despair washes over me, I hear Jacob Langley's voice come from outside my hospital ward. "Are you sure it'll work this time?" "Yes, Mr. Langley. Mrs. Langley has taken good care of herself during her pregnancy, but the branch pierced her belly. There's no chance of the baby surviving this, and she won't ever be able to conceive again." "Good. Make sure the culprit's family has been sent away. I won't let anything go wrong before the Adkins agree to adopt Clara." "Yes, sir. Still… why did you need to push Mrs. Langley off a cliff if you wanted to adopt Ms. Jennings' daughter? Mrs. Langley is kind; I'm sure she would've treated the child well." Jacob snorts. "What do you know? Why would Selene agree to adopt Clara if she had her own child? She'll only treat Clara as her own once she can't have children and leave everything she has to Clara. I couldn't marry Kaia back then; this is all I can do to make it up to her." The voices slowly fade away, but they reverberate loud and clear in my mind. I've spent six years by Jacob's side, yet all I've gotten in return are lies and betrayal. His so-called love for me is nothing but a trick to steal my inheritance for someone else. Since this is what he wants, I'll make his wish come true.

How quickly everything ended by just a single day, I was just like any other girl in the world- laughing and hanging out with friends, taking endless selfies, having crushes on bad boys and nerds included. I never thought or cared about how I look. It was just mine. Normal and Easy. But everything changed in one single moment- a moment filled with fire, screaming metal, and a blur of terror that rewrote my life. I survived. Everybody says I'm lucky but this, this doesn't feel like survival it feels like a punishment, a curse. A curse that am willing to carry all my life. The accident left me with permanent facial disfigurement, and ever since, I've been stuck behind a mask I never asked to wear. My face is the first thing anyone sees, and sometimes, it feels like the only thing they see. I avoid mirrors now. I no longer go out; I can't risk being stared at. Friends faded. Invitations stopped. Of course they would stop, who would want to invite the hideous me. I would scare everyone, worse, ruin their appetite. They would move away from their tables. What did I expect? Life moved on for everyone but me. My mom is the only person in my life right now, shes' become my anchor. Even with her love, it's still hard to silence the voices in my head, the ones saying I'm hideous, broken, unworthy. I miss my old smile. I still haven't done anything in life. And this isn't about my appearance it's about my self- esteem, my confidence, my ability to feel like I belong anywhere. This is a constant battle with the mirror, with the world, and with yourself. And most days, I'm trying to find the strength to look up to.

I always thought my husband, Ryder, was forced to marry me. For six months, he wouldn't touch me. I tried everything. I wore my sexiest lingerie. I guided his hands over my burning skin. I could feel how hard he was, completely out of control. But at the last second, he'd always push me away, gasping. He'd finish me with his fingers instead. My hope died. I decided to leave him. I was ready to accept a top dog trainer position in Europe. The night before I planned to hand him the divorce papers, I heard voices from his study. Ryder, talking to his best friends. "Ryder, you're dying for her, man. So why won't you touch her? Another man's going to snatch her up!" "But she's so fragile..." Ryder's deep voice was filled with pain. "You know... I'm a monster. If she sees what I really am... it will terrify her." His voice dropped to a raw whisper. "If she really needs... comfort... from another man... I can take it. As long as she comes home to me in the end." His friend growled. "Stop! Then maybe stop posting on that encrypted dark web forum, asking for help!" Monster? What did that mean? Late that night, I used his computer. I found a hidden forum called "The Den." A pinned post at the top. Thousands of replies. User ID: Midnight_Howler. One sentence. Dripping with desperation and frantic obsession: "I finally married the girl I've loved for years, but I'm terrified to touch her. How can I survive my rut without hurting her, without her discovering my secret?"

Kyra Hopkins doesn’t believe in marriage and long term relationships. She co-manages her dream job with her two best friends Lily and Bipasha. With the two worried about her no-dating state, they hit a club with plans to GET KYRA LAID. In a White tiny dress they leave her in a bar nurturing a glass of water and pondering what exactly her newest client’s birthday party theme should be. Horses or cars. That’s what she voices out to the sinfully hot man who took the seat beside hers. And he’s got Kyra’s feet feeling like they were lit on fire. Worst of all, she got what it meant to have butterflies flutter in your stomach walls. Best of all, the man knows what she wants and he wants it too and more. Kyra got in for the ride of her life, planned for a weekend because remember? Kyra doesn’t do long term. But then, neither is Nicholai Damien Ivanov or Sin as he’s more popularly known as into long term relationships. One night stands or at a stretch a weekend fling. Why does the angel in white getting stuck in his head and refusing to leave? Why couldn’t his PI track her from the little information she dropped about herself. The questions haunted his nights and refused to leave until he caught sight of his Angel in a black dress on another man’s arm, then his sister hugged her referring to her as Kyra while his Angel introduced herself to him as April. Sin got his answer and meant to show her how much they weren’t over yet. In fact they hadn’t even begun. It was just the beginning of Nicholai Ivanov’s obsession with his one-night stand.

When I received the news that my fiancé, Ellison Perez, had postponed our wedding for the 18th time, I happened to be walking out of the hospital, clutching my medical report. Once again, he had delayed our wedding for an entire month, all because of my adopted foster sister, Becky. I thought about what the doctor had told me. After hesitating for a long time, I finally dialed Ellison's number. "I can't wait until next month. If we can't get married tomorrow, there won't be another chance." However, Ellison only took my words as another fit of childish willfulness. "Don't be unreasonable, Lily. Have you forgotten how Becky took your place as the hostage? She was tortured for a whole month before being rescued." "It's because of you that she developed severe trauma. Now you can't even wait one more month for her to recover?" I could hear my parents' voices chiming in over the line. "Becky still suffers from extreme fear of men. Ellison is the only one who can calm her down. Isn't it your fault she ended up like this?" "You're being selfish, Lily. A wedding can wait, but Becky's condition can't!" I had known for a long time that ever since that incident, my entire family had chosen Becky's side. Even so, tears streamed down my face. "Fine," I said softly. "Postpone it." I clenched the medical report tightly in my hand. They did not know that just moments ago, the doctor had told me the truth— I was in the final stage of liver cancer. I only had one month to live.