Cut Sleeve

"Mas, aku sangat mencintaimu, tapi aku juga tak ingin melepasnya." Dita berteriak ketika Mas Arman menyentakkan tangannya melepaskan diri dari cengkraman Dita di lengannya. "Ak--aku-- Mas, mengertilah." Aku masih bisa mendengar Dita memelas di balik dinding ini. Sungguh luar biasa wanita itu, batinku. "Kamu, Gila!" Mas Arman balik meneriaki perempuan yang aku tahu sangat dicintainya itu. "Aku tahu. Aku gila, Mas. Aku juga tidak memintamu untuk memaafkanku, tapi aku hanya meminta kamu mengerti perasaanku karena awal dari semua kesalahan ini adalah kamu, Mas. Kamu yang membiarkanku untuk jatuh hati pada lelaki lain, saat harusnya aku memilikimu." Apa maksud Dita? Aku mencoba mendengar dengan seksama dan menempelkan kupingku lebih rapat ke dinding kamar yang menghubungkan kamarku dan Mas Arman. "Aap--pa?" Suara Mas Arman terdengar parau dan menahan kemarahannya. Ooh ... Tuhan, perempuan macam apa yang tega menyakiti lelaki baik hati itu. Lelaki yang sanggup mengorbankan seluruh kehidupannya demi membahagiakan wanita-wanita yang dicintainya. Aku mengurut dadaku yang sesak, mungkinkah aku penyebab keretakan hati mereka? Air mataku menganak sungai di pelupuk mata. Takpernah kubayangkan kehidupan keduanya akan sekacau ini.

Dr. Jasper Hawthorne brings his colleagues on another expedition, that of his old mentor. Dragging into the barren field of Antarctica they stumble upon something unexpected. Bringing along his great niece Bridgette will it be a happy coincidence, or does fate have something up its sleeve?

I opened my eyes to a sharp sting in my arm. Pushing up my sleeve, I froze. A dense line of jagged letters had been carved into the skin of my right forearm: [This house has monsters! Every time I'm killed, I'm thrown into a loop and lose all my memories. With each death, I mark my hand.] Beneath the warning, three crooked tally marks were etched deep into my arm.

Past hurts have taught Vivienne Bouvier not to shy away from danger or show fear, not even when she encounters the ruthless Adonis Knight, CEO to Crimson Inc. But things are not always what they seem, and Vivienne may not be the only one with secrets up her sleeve—secrets of the shapeshifting, moon goddess, mates variety. As feelings and temptations ignite, old enemies start to close in on all sides, and with a potential war brewing they know they must fight to win, as failure could mean their deaths.

Finish the mission, Seven, or we finish your sister." My handler's voice is static in my ear. Clinical. My sister's heartbeat still echoes from this morning's audio clip, steady, for now. Across the Volkov's gilded ballroom, my three targets watch me with possessive hunger. Alexei, whose brutal hands lift my chin like I'm something precious. Dimitri, who counts my lies like other men count coins. Nikolai, whose kindness is the most dangerous weapon of all, because it's the first thing that cracked my programming. I was engineered for this. Genetically modified to be immune to their mate bond, sculpted into the perfect weapon to destroy the most dangerous werewolf mafia family in Russia. Six months to make them love me. Six months to kill them. My immunity is failing. I feel it when Nikolai's touch doesn't repulse me. When Dimitri's suspicion feels like concern. When Alexei's cruelty looks more like pain. The bond I was supposed to fake is stitching itself into my bones, real and terrifying. Now my handlers want the kill. My sister's life for theirs. But the man who created me is their uncle. This isn't a mission, it's an eighty-year revenge, and I'm the blade he sharpened to cut his own bloodline. They think they've claimed their fated Luna. I'm carrying the knife that could end them. And I'm not sure which is sharper anymore:the silver in my sleeve, or the hope in my chest that maybe, just maybe, I could belong to them instead of my creators.

It was a taboo… An attraction that should have been forbidden from the start. But he was gorgeous, sinfully attractive and insanely seductive. How was she supposed to resist him when those eyes made her skin burn? How was she supposed to walk away when his presence intoxicated her like a drug? Silver-streaked hair, full sleeve tattoos, piercings above those slashed brows and those mesmerizing seafoam eyes that made her whimper with every glance, Roman was her biggest fantasy. A forbidden fruit she couldn't even look at, unless… He offered her a taste. Even at that, there were so many ways this could go wrong… especially when he was married to another.

On New Year's Eve, I prepare a feast. The clock strikes twelve, but my husband, Vincent Porter, still isn't home. My daughter, Lorelei Porter, tugs at my sleeve and holds up my phone. "Look Mommy, Daddy is at this lady's house!" Vincent has posted an update on Twitter. He is with Christine Snow, his childhood sweetheart. They are smiling at the camera, with a boy who looks about ten standing between them. In front of them sits a swan-shaped cake. The caption reads, "The most special day for the most special you." My heart sinks into my stomach. A marriage that came later in life can never compete with a pair of childhood sweethearts. I accept defeat.

"Kevin, let's get a divorce." The man on the phone was silent for a moment, then a cold laugh was heard. "Jessica, what other tricks are you playing?" Kevin asked. Jessica closed her eyes and said calmly, "Kevin, I'll wait for you at home." After hanging up the phone, Jessica, who was leaning against the wall, fell down because she was so weak. The heavy rain outside the corridor came in because of the wind and wet her body. She gripped her phone and bit her sleeve while crying silently. Kevin was stunned when the phone call suddenly ended. Jessica had been fighting a cold war for a year and was reluctant to get a divorce. Why did she suddenly change her mind today?

Time The greatest revelation of our universe. Rhythmic, eternal, valuable. It is always watching, acknowledging, and recording. The moment he realized the heavy truth, he knew he had to act fast. In the rubble of heaven and hell, he chose the familiar warmth of home- Her. The one whom he selfishly broke, betrayed, lied, and eventually lost. The story uncurls its threads, making him realize importance of each breath. What was left unsaid must be said now before this time slips from his fingertips, demolishing the second chance. Treading the thorny path of redemption, wearing a bleeding heart on his sleeve, the Devil professes a tale of undying love, while craving forgiveness from the soul that was bound to his. Endlessly

'What's that from?' Daniel says, lifting my sleeve a little more to reveal the obvious bruise. Shit I forgot about that one, 'I bumped into my counter last night. You know me, I'm clumsy'. Daniel looks at me knowingly. I have to get to class, but I'll meet you at lunch. My treat.' I say, run off to class. That was a close one. She was compelled to work from a young age in order to support her parents' vices and her own education. She was the neglected child of alcoholic parents. Daily bruising was a reality. She went through a lot of suffering before she found the man who would save her.