Depression And Other Magic Tricks Novels & Stories

Ruby gave John six years of loyalty, only to be repaid with lies and betrayal. When she finally gathered the courage to walk away, John thought she’d come crawling back. Instead, she turned heads by marrying someone John could never match—a dominant, powerful Alpha hockey star with the money, fame, and strength to protect what John discarded. Now, as John watches Ruby in the arms of the man he’ll never measure up to, his regret consumes him. But Ruby isn’t the same heartbroken girl anymore—she’s the woman every Alpha wants, and the one John will never win back.

I was vacationing in St. Moritz, Switzerland with my mother when Vivian from the Valenti family office sent me a photo. The woman in it lay on the cold marble floor of the estate, her coat stripped away, her body covered in blood. No one stood near her, as if she had already been set aside like a problem to be dealt with. It was hard to tell if she was still breathing. A voice message followed, her tone sharp and controlled. “Elena, don’t assume that marrying the Don and being called Donna means your small-town family can step onto Valenti property.” “The lakeside estate Mr. Valenti just acquired is a family asset. Letting someone like your mother stay there breaks rules.” “I act on the Don’s behalf. It is my responsibility to remove people who should not be there.” “This is what happens when someone crosses a line.” I went still. Then I looked up at my mother sitting across from me. She held her tea, calm as ever. I lowered my eyes and enlarged the photo. The moment I saw the woman’s face, my chest tightened. It was not my mother. It was Luca’s. I called Vivian immediately. “Have you lost your mind? That’s Luca’s mother.” She gave a light laugh, her tone cool and distant. “Mr. Valenti has always been clear. Your mother is yours. His mother is his.” “The Valenti family does not take in outsiders.” “You may be Donna, but that does not mean your family steps inside with you.”

Yuri wasn’t looking for anything pure or righteous. He’d never known tenderness, nor did he want to know. It didn’t fit with being Bratva. But when he met her, this tiny bundle of woman, he almost wished he were different. Something about her just appealed to a place deep inside him. A feeling he never realized was even there. She had reached down deep into his soul and taken a piece of him. For her, he almost wished he was different. Because now that he had tasted her he wouldn’t let her go. Raven knew who he was and what he was but she never expected to be drawn to him. She had nothing to offer a man like him. He was one man she never should have met, let alone been allowed to taste. He was everything she’d ever dreamed of and so much more. She knew she should have walked away from him for her own sake. But if she did, she’d be nothing more than a shattered soul.

Luz was a well-known stripper in town, but after meeting Leon and saving him from an attack, she becomes the chosen one of this CEO who offers her a deal, a marriage contract so that he can protect his inheritance from the hatawhay family who tries to kill while awaiting the return of his mafioso brother who everyone thinks is dead. But his return was soon after his marriage, and upon finding the light Alessandra, whose one falls in love, a love disguised in a chase and attacks the girl who tries to endure the difficult genius of the man who over time is yielding to the charms of the light that ends up conquering the two men even unintentionally, but only one can win his heart.

Ximena Branson had her whole future mapped out—with Dean Hansen alongside her. He was her initial love, her stability in the tumultuous realm of high fashion. However, her ideal dream crumbled when Dean left, discarding their years together to become engaged to a different model. Devastated and embarrassed, Ximena escapes to Mexico, intent on burying her pain in a fresh setting. A single impulsive evening throws her into the arms of a significantly older, influential man,Jason Hansen, a billionaire known for his merciless image. Ximena attempts to flee, but Jason won’t allow her to escape. He fears she could be pregnant with his child, and there's no chance he’ll permit his heir to grow up in anything but luxury. Instead, he proposes a marriage of convenience—a luxurious life, limitless riches, and an ideal chance for Ximena to overcome her sorrow and make Dean regret his decision to leave her. Driven by revenge, Ximena consents, entering into a marriage that was meant to be transactional. Yet, as longing and unforeseen feelings intertwine, the distinctions fade, leading her to doubt everything,most notably Jason. Next, the bomb falls. The marriage license that Jason provided her? An untruth. In truth, he remains legally tied to a capable businesswoman, a woman who is determined not to set him free. Once again betrayed, Ximena is ensnared in a perilous rivalry between two siblings—one who broke her heart and the other who could damage it irreparably. As secrets come to light and the past resurfaces, Ximena faces a choice: strive for her own joy or leave the Hansen brothers behind for good

Clara lay on the cold floor bleeding. She stared blankly at the ceiling, and in its reflection, she saw the monster she’d become as her life slipped away. The cruel wife! The “evil stepmother” everyone despised!! She had spent years hurting the people who only wanted her love, her husband, and his children until they stopped looking at her with warmth altogether. And now, in her final moments, the one person she trusted stood above her… holding the knife. Her best friend’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “You should’ve listened, Clara,” she whispered before driving the blade in again. Pain! Regret!! Betrayal!!! Everything Clara had built came crashing down in a pool of her own blood. If only she could turn back time... just once... she would do things differently. She would protect her family. She would stop trusting the wrong people. A lone tear slipped from her eye as her body went still... DEAD! ***** And then... she woke up, gasping for air. Clara’s heart raced as the realization hit her. She had been reborn. Given a second chance. This time, she would not waste it. She would be the mother they needed, the wife he deserved. She will be kind and loving to them. But when the shadows of her past return and the same enemies begin to stir, Clara learns that kindness alone won’t save them. To protect her family, she must become what everyone once feared... An evil stepmother capable of vengeance. Clara died as a villain… and returned to become their savior. Because in her death, she found regret. But in her rebirth, she'd find revenge. They killed her once. They won’t live to do it again. Clara returned from the grave with one goal... to protect her family and vengeance.

At the banquet hall, I refuse to let my adopted twin pups eat the walnut cake. Ivana Lamont—the childhood sweetheart of my mate, Luther Hardwick—chokes up dramatically. She cries accusingly, "Yara, they may not be yours biologically, but you can't abuse them! Why won't you even let them have a slice of cake?" I'm just about to explain that the twins are allergic to nuts, but they point at me and complain in aggrieved voices. "Mommy often doesn't give us food. We never have enough to eat!" With that, I'm unceremoniously driven out of the banquet hall by the host. When I go to look for my mate to talk about it, I accidentally overhear his conversation with a friend. "Alpha Luther, it's been eight years. Are you still not going to mark Yara?" "There's no rush. I'll wait until the kids are a little older. We love each other very much, so it's fine even if I don't mark her." His friend responds disapprovingly, "You've been hiding from her that the twins are actually your and Ivana's pups. Aren't you afraid she may leave in anger if she finds out?" Luther shakes his head and replies with certainty, "She won't. Yara is an orphan, so she has no family. If she leaves me, where else can she go?" The ugly truth causes me to freeze on the spot. It turns out the pups I've loved for eight years were born to my mate and another she-wolf. What I thought was a happy life is nothing but a cold, heartless deception! I touch my belly, thinking of the pup I just conceived. My tears fall like a relentless downpour. In the shadows, I say inaudibly, "You're wrong, Luther. In fact, I found my birth parents three days ago. I just haven't had the chance to tell you. But it doesn't matter now because you don't need to know about that anymore." I have Luther sign the mate bond dissolution agreement before finalizing my withdrawal from the Sharp Teeth pack. Two days later, I give both my mate and the pups to Ivana. With the pup that Luther has never known or laid his eyes on, I disappear from his world forever.

As I was about to leave my brother’s restaurant, the female manager stopped me. "Miss, excuse me, but you haven’t paid your bill." I looked at the unfamiliar face and thought that she was probably new and didn’t recognize me, so I explained politely, "Just put it on the owner’s tab. He knows me." The manager shot me a disdainful look. "Miss, this is a Michelin three-star restaurant. We don’t let just anyone run up a tab." She handed me a printed bill. I glanced at it. Fifty thousand dollars for one meal. Three thousand for tableware maintenance, five thousand for exclusive air purification, ten thousand for a VIP mood-calming service fee, and a bunch of other ridiculous charges. I didn’t even know my brother’s place was such a scam. I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. "I’m the owner’s sister. If there’s a problem, tell him to talk to me at home." But she just wouldn’t drop it. "If you can’t afford it, stop acting like you can. And don’t act like you know Mr. White, either." I fired off a quick text to my secretary. 【Tell my brother to either fire this manager or I’m pulling my investment.】

She agreed to marry the man she had been promised. She woke up beside the man she was never meant to choose. By the time she realizes the truth, it is already too late. The vows have been spoken. The documents signed. The marriage is legal, binding, and irreversible. The man she married is not gentle, nor apologetic. He does not explain himself. He does not beg for forgiveness. Instead, he watches her with calm authority and tells her what no one else will. This was never a mistake. Trapped in a marriage she never consented to, she is pulled into a world ruled by power, silence, and family secrets that refuse to stay buried. Every step she takes is measured. Every decision has consequences. And every attempt to escape only tightens the grip around her life. Between two brothers bound by rivalry, resentment, and unfinished history, she becomes the center of a war she never saw coming. One brother wants her back. The other refuses to let her go. What begins as fear slowly turns into something far more dangerous. Something that blurs the line between control and desire, resistance and surrender. In a marriage born of deception, the most dangerous question isn’t how she ended up here. It’s whether she will ever be able to leave… or if she will choose to stay.

Sean Benson and I have been betrothed since we were kids. But the older we grow, the further he stays away from me. On the day of our engagement banquet, he's found to be making out with Selena White, the heiress of the White family, backstage. This time, I no longer break down in tears. Instead, I just close the door properly for them before returning to the banquet hall silently. After that, I rip the pregnancy report that's pressed beneath a gift box into shreds. On our wedding day, all the guests are all smiles. Sean, however, is the only exception. He maintains a stormy expression the whole time, seemingly not wanting to marry me at all. I know that if it's not the fact that he gets to secure the position as the Benson heir, he will never make any wedding vows with me in the church. But no one expects me not to show up at all, even though the wedding ceremony is already starting. Sean calls me on the phone impatiently afterward. "Where the hell are you? If you don't show up soon, I'm going to cancel the wedding right away!" I merely chuckle softly without saying anything. Then, I throw my phone aside and accept the wedding bouquet that's passed to me. What Sean doesn't know is that my unborn child will be calling another man "daddy" soon.