Darling X Apple Novels & Stories

Mumbai. The city of dreams. Shining bright with impressive skyscrapers, glamorous filmstars, and glittering malls. Standing tall on the shimmering coast of the Arabian Sea. Everywhere Sun hits here, this city dazzles. But beneath this warm dazzle, there is another Mumbai. The cold Mumbai. The dark Mumbai. The stronghold of the mafia. Where narrow alleys are splattered with gun-powder and blood. Where lives are discarded like tissue papers. Where an obscene amount of money circulates unaudited. And since years now, this formidable underworld is under Lala Amarnath Vaghela's thumb. The powerful mafia kingpin who started his ascent from the slums of Dharavi years back, today he controls most of the Indian subcontinent's illegal dealings and organized crime with an iron fist. But not without help. Kunal Ranjan Vaghela. Lalaji's grandson and his heir apparent. Apple of his grandfather's eyes, he is calculative, sly, and cold-blooded. Samar Jagtap. Lalaji's ruthless and cunning protege. Indispensable, he is as unapologetic as they come in this business. Everything is working smoothly in Lalaji's world. Like a well-oiled machine. Or is it? Because apart from sharing Lalaji's trust, apparently these two capable young men also share an undisguised hatred for each other. Not above playing dirty in this high-stakes arena, both are merely bidding their time to tear one another down. But no matter who emerges the winner out of the two, there is someone who will only lose. A torn heart that refuses to take sides. A girl who dared to love them both. Stubborn and loyal-to-a-fault Maahi. Full name Maahi Ranjan Vaghela. Kunal Vaghela's beloved baby sister. And the beautiful confusion of Samar Jagtap's life.

On the day of my seventh wedding anniversary, my husband's lover gave my son a pet cat. My pregnancy made me allergic to cat fur, and rashes appeared all over my body. Sensing that it might lead to a miscarriage, I told my son to return the cat. "I'm keeping it!" my five-year-old son, Zachary, protested. He pushed me and said, "I hate having you as my mom! I want Aunt Lynn to be my mom!" My husband, Quinton Locke, tore into me. "Why did you have to develop an allergy now, out of all times? Is your jealousy blinding you to the point where you won't even consider your son 's feelings? You're being unreasonable!" He carried Zachary up and left with the cat. They had eschewed me in favor of Lynn Shelbert, Quinton's lover and the 'apple of his eye'. I collapsed on the ground, watching as blood began to soak my pants. At that moment, I knew I had suffered a miscarriage. I felt an unimaginable pain while I was in the hospital. My husband and son went traveling with Lynn, resembling a happy family of three. Lynn sent me a message. [Do you know why Quinton married you even though he's hopelessly in love with me? Well, I wanted a son and a daughter, but I didn't want to bear the risks that come with pregnancy. It's a shame you had a miscarriage.] Despair engulfed me that very instant. I hired a lawyer to prepare the divorce papers and took a flight back to my hometown. My sole wish was to never see Quinton and Zachary again.

Leon, drink up. Finish every drop in this glass." As my wife, Alice Carr, holds a glass of warm milk, she keeps staring at my Adam's apple intensely. Every night, she needs to watch me finish the entire glass of milk. At first, I think this is Alice's way of showing me her love. That is, until something occurred last month. Back then, my neighbor's fire alarm blared extremely loudly due to a fire breaking out. Yet, I had slept like a log the whole time. Only then do I realize that something is wrong with the milk. Last night, I pretended to go on a business trip. When I secretly go home in the middle of the night, I find out that my bedroom door is locked. When I peek through the gap in the door, I feel my hairs rising on their ends. It turns out that Alice isn't asleep at all. She's standing on the balcony while holding my pillow and burying her face into it. Then, she inhales the scent deeply, as though she were a drug addict. Her shoulders keep trembling violently the whole time. It's one thing if Alice is madly addicted to my scent. The thing is, the pillowcase is a part of the bedroom set that my mom has dug up from my childhood home last week. I never have a chance to use that pillow, so there's no way my scent lingers on the pillowcase. Suddenly, Alice halts in her actions and raises her head. She looks up at the moon while licking her lips in an euphoric haze. Then, she mumbles softly, "Your dad's scent… is fading away…"

She opened the door, and when she stepped inside, someone else closed it behind her. She jolted. Her head spun in shock to see him standing there. Her nerves felt jittery. He couldn’t possibly kill her now, could he? “W-what do you want?” Anna stuttered. The usual smirk wasn’t on his lips as he glared at her. “One thing I hate is when things don’t go as I planned. Silly little loopholes,” he said, pushing away from the doorframe. Her heart rippled when he took a step toward her. He was tall and large—she felt like a little girl compared to him. “I will scream,” Anna breathed, cold sweat rolling down her back. He held her chin. His hold was gentle as he caressed her jawline. Anna shivered. Then his lips tilted into a smirk—not enigmatic like the ones she had usually seen. This one was… sinister. One that told her he didn’t have good plans for her. “Careful there. We wouldn’t want you ending up with a broken spinal cord now, do we?” His large palm flew to her throat, his thumb gently caressing it. Tears brimmed in her eyes. “What do you want?” Her voice came out as a low whisper. “Your body,” he deadpanned. “As manure for my apple tree.” After being thrown to the wolves by her own father, Annalisa must make the ultimate choice—follow her heart or destroy the man she’s come to love.

I was perfect at everything. I have perfect beauty, perfect at school, etc. I can do a lot of things. Everyone envies me. And everyone adores me. But, there’s no such thing as perfect in this ugly world. Everyone has their own darkest secrets that are kept hidden from everyone else. I had mine and none of these people who envied and adored me knew how hard it is to keep them hiding in my closet. I had to be tough to survive. But, when I started getting along with the long-haired 33-year-old man, I realized how flawful I am in my perfect world. He made me realize my imperfections, that I can do sinful things, that I can also be a rebellious daughter, that I can also be an ordinary girl, that I can show off my true identity in front of him without being judged. He understands me because just like me, he’s also a broken soul. He embraced my imperfections. Little by little, my heart recognized him as a lover. I let him get into me, not just through my body, but through my heart, too. Princes do come in unexpected ways, isn't it?! But, behind actions are devious intentions. How did I fall into such a trap of destroying me and my whole clan? How did I not see the red lights? Oh wait, maybe because he's a master of deception. I thought he was the prince, the prince who's going to save me from the poisoned apple. He was the poison I should've run away from the first time he showed me the apple and said that it will grant all my wishes. I was the princess and he was the monster in disguise.

The remnants of the pack gathering had barely faded when my whole world changed. My best friend, Hallie Richmond, vanished, snatched away by rogues. Only for her to reappear the next day, found bruised and bitten near the pack borders. My heart ached for her, so I went to her with her favourite apple pie. But the solace I intended to offer shattered into a million pieces the moment I heard the words of my boyfriend, Camilo White, our pack's beta. "...Hallie's family will destroy her if they learn of this. I have no choice but to mark her first.” "What about me, Camilo? I'm your girlfriend!" The words tumbled out. "You can be my secondary mate, Violet. It's just a small favor. Surely, if you truly loved me, you wouldn't hesitate to help?" Camilo's words ripped my heart out, breaking up with me and replacing me with Hallie for the marking ceremony we had both anticipated with such joy. From that moment forward, I became a shadow. The pack whispered words of how I was deflowered before my true mate could claim me. My family now regarded me with disappointment. My father's anger was a physical force, driving me to my knees beneath the icy waterfall. Then, the following day, a figure emerged from the mist. Alex Skye, the Alpha's son, pulled me from the water. He leaned close, his sky-blue eyes holding mine, and whispered the words that offered home: "I'm your true mate, Violet. Break up with that vile, idiotic boyfriend of yours. I believe you will be the perfect future Luna."

My blood-bonded mate lied to me. He said our bond—a bond of centuries—was fading. It was all for his new lover, Josie. He wanted to let her play princess. He denied me my rightful place. I was walking down a hall lined with ancient tapestries when I heard Josie’s voice, sweet and laced with venom. “Darling, if you make me your princess, just for a little while, can you taste me every night? But… won’t that old relic Lydia get suspicious? Your bond has lasted three centuries, after all.” “What can she do? She can’t leave this castle, and she needs my blood to survive.” Milton’s voice dripped with contempt. “That fool, Lydia. I told her the bond was fading, and she actually believed our connection was broken. Even if she knew the truth, she’d just hand over the Eternal Chalice without a fight and go back to being a quiet little Dreamweaver. You’re the only princess in my heart, my little wildcat.” I froze. And I let him believe his lie was safe. Then, a pain sharp enough to kill a mortal ripped through my soul. The bond shattered. I turned and melted into the shadows. Let them think their little play is flawless. They’ll soon find out what this “fool” is truly capable of.

"Darling, this ends when you are entirely mine once more. I have a thousand ways of chasing you down. Some of which you won't enjoy." Her sultry, alpha voice makes Abel's body to stiffen. "Fuck off!" Abel hisses in a firm voice. ******* Vanessa Sterling, the beautiful billionaire owner of starlight styles, a fashion brand known to all elite circles, dumps her beautiful husband, Abel Blackwood, for his brother, Cyrus, who is fast becoming a renowned designer. She cruelly tells Abel, "Face it, you're a nobody. Cyrus is a talented designer that can elevate my brand," before handing him divorce papers which he grudgingly signs in shame before disappearing. Three years later, Abel Blackwood resurfaces as the most sought after male model. With his breathtaking, chiseled features and muscular physique, he has become the muse of top designers. Every major fashion house is clamoring to book him for their runway shows. Vanessa is stunned when she sees her ex-husband's beautiful face plastered across billboards and magazine covers. He is no longer the unknown man she once discarded. Many excellent women are chasing after him, including her friends and business rivals. But there isn't a woman on earth that can rival Vannesa's wits or determination Abel Blackwood will become hers again . . . or else...

BOOK 2: The Gentleman Series *Can be read as a standalone* ~~~ I think I had a one night stand with the Beast my sister was supposed to marry, now I’m marrying him. Angelica Hearst’s beauty is the bane of her existence. All she is and all she knows are tied to her beauty that everyone covets, but deep down she wants better for herself. She longs for escape from the man who has sworn to make her life a living hell and because of that she made a list of things she wants to do for herself and she’s determined to get through them somehow, but how would she with the Beast lurking? An illegitimate child, abused and forced to marry a wicked, bruised and pensive Don in place of her sister. It’s the last thing she wants, but maybe it’s a chance at the freedom she desires. ~~~ TRIGGER WARNING!!! This book contains themes that are not suitable for all readers, including; death, graphic violence, scenes of intimacy, strong language, physical and verbal abuse, manipulation, substance abuse, family trauma, and mental health issues. Proceed with caution and read at your own risk. Enjoy. x

Amelia has slaved her whole life, working multiple jobs to help support her poor husband Caleb― only to discover he is a millionaire! When confronted, Caleb feels no guilt. He divorces her immediately to pursue his true love, leaving her with nothing to her name. “Kelsie is the woman that I love, the woman who truly deserves to be by my side,” Caleb said. “Now, sign the papers and I can end this farce of a marriage.” But thankfully, fate has yet to close all its doors on her. The messy breakup has led Amelia to meet the elusive Matteo Montgomery, the mysterious owner of X’el International Inc., and even though Amelia could have sworn that this is the first time they have ever met, Matteo seemed to hold more interest in her than ordinary. With her divorce finalized, Matteo’s courtship quickly grows more extravagant. He offers her everything, from a job as his secretary, a new penthouse apartment, and a permanent home in his heart. But just as Amelia’s heart begins to open up to Matteo’s sincerity, Caleb comes crawling back, determined to ruin her life.