Devil's Own

For Maxine, "normal" is a costume she wears every day. She's an imposter, a forbidden creature hiding in plain sight. But her act is tested when four new students arrive, seeing through her mask as if it were glass. They are like her, but different. Dangerous. And they might be the only ones who can save her from a fate she doesn't yet understand. To survive, she must trust them, but trusting them could mean losing herself—especially to the one whose gaze makes her forget she's supposed to be human.

Kierra Hail had already lost everything—her child, her marriage, her dignity. Betrayed by the man she once loved, cast aside for his mistress, and left to rot as he stripped her of everything she owned. But the cruelest blow? Her daughter’s death, a tragedy her husband could have prevented if he had only chosen her life over his secret lover’s son. Now, broken and gasping for one last chance at survival, Kierra dials a number she swore she’d never use. A man who calls her princess. A man who doesn’t forgive. A man who owns the underworld. Sebastian Novair—heir to the infamous Noir de Costas Syndicates and a merciless mafia king with blood on his hands and fire in his veins. Years ago, Kierra saved him. Now, he’s back to collect his debt—with interest. He offers her power, vengeance, and the sweet taste of retribution. But making a deal with the devil has its price… and he’s more than willing to make her pay in ways she never imagined. He’ll ruin her enemies. He’ll break her chains. And he’ll claim what’s always been his— her.

She believes he had the saviour trait when he stood over the rain, his hand stretched out, offering his fur coat as shelter as he wrapped her in his arms, guiding her away from her bleak life that just ended. Not knowing that he was the beast, that clawed with his fangs and long nails like a vulture until he wasted her silently. "You will be my wife..." Turned out to be her worst nightmare.

At the dinner celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary, I held the pregnancy test report in my pocket, planning to surprise my CEO husband. However, the moment the doors opened, I froze. A stunning woman stood there with her arm intimately linked through my husband's. She clung to Charles Lawrence with the ease and confidence of someone who clearly belonged at his side, carrying herself like the lady of the house. Neither Charles nor the guests found it strange. If anything, they seemed entertained. Someone even joked, "Mr. Lawrence and Ms. Cooper aren't just ideal partners at work. Their chemistry is something to admire as well. I've personally reserved the presidential suite at Jubilee City's finest resort for Mr. Lawrence tonight. You can be sure no one will disturb you." Fiona blushed and slipped shyly into Charles's arms. He lowered his head and kissed her hard. They fit together so naturally, so intimately, that the sight was unbearably glaring. My thoughts flashed back to the night before, when Charles had pressed me into the bed. In that moment, I had caught sight of a strange message sent by someone named Fiona: [Everyone in the company thinks we've slept together.] Charles had explained that Fiona was only his assistant, a forty-year-old woman, and that the message was nothing more than a punishment from a lost game, a foolish dare. That explanation had dissolved my suspicion and anger. Then, I finally saw the truth. I was the one who had lost everything. Inside my pocket, the pregnancy report was crushed into a tight ball. I forced the tears back, stepped away, and opened the invitation from the National Aerospace Research Institute on my phone. Without hesitation, I tapped Accept. Three days later, I would vanish completely from Charles's world.

My daughter accidentally scratched my husband's young mistress's face with her nails. For that, my husband had her fingers chopped off. Covered in blood, she came home seeking help, only to be assaulted by an intruder. I called my husband, crying, but his mistress's sweet voice answered the phone. "Stop using these lowly tricks to get Jack's attention. All you're doing is making him sick!" I begged my husband to take my call, but all I got in return was a barrage of insults. "Nothing is more important than Yvonne's face! I'm busy taking her to the hospital! I don't have time for your drama!" Later, my daughter's organs were removed by the intruder. Even in death, she was still tightly holding onto the birthday gift she had prepared for her father. My husband, a top lawyer, personally defended the criminal who assaulted our daughter. He let that man walk away scot-free after what he had done. On the day he celebrated his birthday with all our relatives, he finally knew that our daughter had died. He completely lost his mind.

Over the weekend, I went with my best friend to one of the premium auto shops owned by my company to get her car serviced. Just as we were about to leave, someone stopped me and ordered me to wipe down her car. I explained that I didn't work there, but she got angry anyway. She flipped a 10-cent coin at my face. "Consider it an honor that I'm letting you wash my car. A broke girl like you has probably never even seen a luxury car in her life! I'm trying to broaden your horizons, and you're not even grateful?" I shot back, "You're right. I've never met a car owner who can only spare 10 cents. Consider my horizons broadened." She exploded on the spot. "Do you even know who I am? The chairman of the Penzo Group is my mother-in-law! Scared now?" I paused for a beat, then calmly called Leo Penzo. "I hear your mother went behind my back and found you a new wife?"

My best friend is bound to a trade system—she can force a swap with me three times. At 13, she takes my heart. At 18, she takes my SAT scores. And now, for the final swap, she wants my entire identity. I hide under the covers, unable to hold back a laugh. My villa is rented, and my family background is totally fake. Go ahead, bestie. Swap away! This time, I really hope you don't hold back.

Maribell is a shy young woman who has spent her whole life seeing to the needs of her siblings after her father ran off. She spent her life being hated by her mother and treated like trash while her twin is given everything on a silver platter. Maribell is on her way home from working a double shift at a diner when she is attacked from behind. When she comes to she's in a cell facing a strange man she has never seen before. While in his cells she meets a mysterious woman who vows to set her free before she can be sold off. Margo and the Devil's Knights work together to free the people trapped in the cells while Dex works with a journalist to expose Bernard's and the Island's secrets. Dex and Maribell meet and she's instantly attracted to him but her own experiences before she met Bernard are enough to make her pause. She works at the club and learns more about Dex and his painful past when his mom and sister walk into the bar. Maribel learns that not all men are the same and the men of the Devil's Knights would fight to protect a woman or child in a horrible situation. Things are going well for them until her mother and sister barge into the club demanding that she come back home. Bernard is still on the loose and someone is pulling some strings in the background. Margo and Kane are intent on seeing justice served one way or another and the Island shut down no matter the cost.

After my father-in-law, Oswald Leyton, is diagnosed with a complicated form of heart disease, I rush to Germasia for an intensive training on the most advanced medical technique just so that I can operate on him and treat his condition. When I return home after the training three months later, I gleefully find my husband, Nicholas Leyton, to tell him about the good news that I have mastered the technique. The plane lands. However, the luxury car that should have come for me turns out to be a broken-down van instead. Someone throws a sack over my head, and I can hear Nicholas' cold laughter next to me. "Did you have lots of fun with your boytoy overseas for the last three months, Victoria Rosewood?" After he and a few other men force themselves on me multiple times, Nicholas slides open the door, planning to abandon me in the wilderness. "Nicholas! You can't do this to me! I'm pregnant…" I try to explain myself, throwing myself at him despite all the cuts and bruises on my body. However, Nicholas gets even angrier after hearing that and forcefully shoves me aside. I feel an excruciating pain coming from my lower abdomen. Warm, sticky blood starts flowing down my thighs. Then, my vision blacks out, and I lose consciousness altogether.

Sejak Kecelakaan yang menyebabkan mobilnya jatuh ke jurang, Clarissa pun tak sadar dirinya terlempar ke masa lampau dan menjadi Ratu disana.