Dreaming Of Drowning

As I walked through the dimly lit hallway, my heart was still racing, my breath uneven from the whirlwind of emotions that had consumed me in the last few hours. Then, my eyes flickered up, catching sight of the metal plaque bolted to the doorpost "Wing 1." A cold chill ran down my spine. My body went rigid as Otto’s letter flashed vividly in my mind, the words echoing as if he said it directly to my face "Room 316. Wing 2." No. No. No. No. Oh, God. A sickening wave of realization crashed over me, leaving me breathless. The man in the grey suit… He had smiled, nodded, and gestured me down this hallway. So confident. So sure. And like a fool, I had followed. I had made a mistake. A colossal, irreversible mistake. My stomach twisted violently as the truth settled in, thick and suffocating. I had entered the wrong wing. The wrong room. The wrong bed. I had given myself to a stranger. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, drowning out everything else. The world tilted, my vision blurred. What had I done? How far is too far? In this encapsulating masterpiesce, Sucre is down for whatever gets him closer to taking revenge on Otto - his twin brother's killer. But, would he really do all that is necessary? Would he chose his ambition over that of Luca the cartel’s underboss and his lover? Can he stop the knife and gun violence on campus and win the five million dollars prize money? Dive into a story of love, betrayal, romance and suspense. The Cartel’s Forbidden Love is a gripping and intriguing read that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

ADRIANNA GREY: Father called me cursed—a mistake that should never have existed. He blamed me for my mother’s death and treated me like a burden he couldn’t wait to discard. In the end, he sold me to the Alpha King, a man worshipped by the kingdom but a devil in private. He made me his sex slave, stripping me of my dignity. Just when my suffering was nearly over, his sister framed me. As punishment, he resold me—this time to another Alpha King even crueler than him. Every day of my life felt like drowning in darkness. I saw no reason to keep living. Then he appeared. My unexpected savior. He risked his life to free me, protected me like I was made of something precious, and treated me with a gentleness I’d never known. He would burn the world to keep me safe. But after everything men have done to me… can I really trust him with my heart? Especially after discovering the truth about what he truly is? ⸻ ERIC BLACKWELL: She was a small, innocent-looking girl in shabby boy clothes when I first saw her, but her doe eyes caught me instantly. After saving her from being burned alive at the market, something inside me changed—something I had never felt in thirty years. Then she disappeared. I searched for her everywhere, only for fate to return her to me in the worst way: she was a sex slave to my boss. Knowing she was in danger, I didn’t care what I had to lose or what I had to do—I was going to save her again. But saving her woke the ghosts of my past, and now those secrets threaten the fragile bond I’ve risked everything to build with her.

"You're paying for my body. Not for my soul." Alpha King Thomas Blade is a man of pride and power. A year ago, he divorced his wife, Kiara. He threw her out of his pack and out of his life, trying to forget the bond they shared. But fate has a cruel sense of humor. While visiting a high-end bar, Thomas is shocked to find Kiara standing on an auction block. The woman who was once the Luna of the Moonlight Pack is being sold as an escort. Angry and confused, Thomas outbids everyone. He buys her for one night, determined to find out how she fell so low. However, the Kiara he meets isn't the shy, sweet girl he used to know. This version of Kiara is cold, bold, and claims she only cares about money. What Thomas doesn't know is that Kiara is hiding a heartbreaking secret: she is drowning in debt and selling herself only to pay for her dying mother’s medical bills. Unable to let her go, Thomas makes a new deal: He buys her for an entire month. He wants to punish her, but the more time they spend together, the more he sees the truth. Behind her "greedy" mask, Kiara is still the selfless woman. When Kiara’s mother finally passes away, Kiara disappears, leaving Thomas with nothing but the truth. He discovers the poverty and pain she endured alone while he sat on his throne. Now, the Alpha King must hunt for the woman he wronged. To win her back, he will have to beg for forgiveness, pay her debts, and protect her from a dangerous world where wolves are traded like shadows. He broke her crown. Now, he’ll do anything to give it back.

"You're here to play nurse, not to pretend you care," he snapped, his cold gaze locking onto hers. "And you are here to waste your life because it's easier than fighting for it," she shot back, her voice shaking but defiant. He wheeled closer, his jaw clenched. "Don't think for a second that you can fix what is so broken." I'm not here to fix you," she whispered, her eyes unrelenting. "I'm here because I believe there's more to you than this bitterness. He was the untouchable golden boy of his family, a magnetic presence destined to inherit a sprawling empire. His charm, his power, and his perfection made him unstoppable until a car crash shattered his life and left him confined to a wheelchair. His once-loyal followers turned their backs, leaving him drowning in the bitterness of betrayal. She was living proof of her family-a forgotten daughter whose dreams of becoming a doctor kept her sane amidst years of neglect. All she wanted in life was freedom, but fate had other plans. Forced into a contract marriage with the epitome of misery, she found herself engulfed in a battle she never asked for. Their worlds collide in a storm of resentment and vulnerability. Underneath his bitterness, though, lies the ruins of a man who had everything to lose-and the dim hope of someone who could help him find it again. As she works her way through his fury, and he pushes against her kindness, a bond forms-a bond neither expected. But with jealous rivals scheming in the shadows and old wounds threatening to tear them apart, their fight for love becomes a war for survival. Can two broken souls find strength in each other, or will the scars of their pasts destroy them both?

I spent my whole life trying to be invisible. I was the girl who was too broken to survive high school, the one who tried to end it all after they had filmed themselves cutting off her hair. The girl who had to be homeschooled for eight years. So when my parents forced me into one final year of university, I made a deal with them. I'll give it a try, if I hated it, I'd disappear forever. I walked those halls with my head down, drowning in oversized clothes, praying no one would notice me. But then I met him. Dreyven. The one person who pushed me so far that I lost control and slapped him. ​But what I didn't know was that he had three identical brothers, and I had just started a war. ​They planned their revenge together: make me fall in love with them, one by one, thinking they were the same person, then break my heart and leave me destroyed. ​I gave him everything: my trust, my body, my heart. ​I thought I was falling in love with one perfect man who kept surprising me with new facets of his personality. ​When I discovered the truth, it shattered me. They were four brothers who had used me for revenge, four men who had passed me between them like a toy, four liars who had laughed while I fell apart. ​So disappeared. ​Five years later, I wasn't that broken girl anymore. I had built an empire. I knew their secrets. I knew their weaknesses. ​And I was going to destroy them the way they destroyed me. ​But revenge had a price and I had to learn that, ​some love stories are simple. But ours was written in scars, secrets, and second chances.

Triple Threats -Strong Female Lead -Three scoundrels, Cough! Cuties on a mission. -Rebirth Interviewer, "If you and your husband's mistress are drowning, who would he save first?" Scarlett Tates scoffs, "That's a ridiculous question. I don't have the time to play such stupid games. In Fact, you've just reminded me to take swimming lessons." Dakota Asgrave frosts over, "Mrs Asgrave how can I be your prince charming if you don't spare me some opportunities? You, stop this interview! How dare you put bad thoughts into my wife's mind?! Isn't it hard enough that she is a prodigy in everything?!" Interviewer, "..." * * * Scarlett Tates, an overbearing aristocrat, didn't expect the cliche that happens in books to happen to her as well. Her fiance, whom she donated a kidney to, cheated on her with her senior step-sister. Distraught, she sought solace in alcohol and ended up sleeping with an unknown man! Strangely, after that steamy night she found herself, bloody and with a sickly baby girl in front of her parents' gates with no memory of what had happened or where she's been in the last 9 months! Over the next ten years, the once proud woman was chastised by the world, used and abused by her family, fiance and her once greatest hope of a love-filled life, her husband. What's worse she was separated from her daughter for five years! In the end, Scarlett died a miserable death of being run down by a car like an animal and made a wish in her last breath. It seemed God had finally noticed her when she opened her eyes, back five years in the past! After being given a second chance how will Scarlett take charge of her life? What truths might she discover on her way of becoming the next top doctor?

He stole her first kiss on their first encounter, and she accused him of being perverted and arrogant. Her straightforward personality hooked his interest despite the danger ahead. He announced a surrogacy competition to draw her towards him. She left no option but to join the competition only to find out he’s the same person she gave a great lesson he’d never forget. Trapped to the trick played by this ruthless billionaire, she played along with his game and became his wife. His dark secrets gradually unfold, destroying and drowning them into the deep abyss. He suddenly disappeared from her life, but another stranger came in. She could feel his warmth, and they kissed. Warm tears began to roll down from her eyes, soaking the white cloth over them. When he felt her heat tears, he panicked instantly. He did not know why, but he did not want to see her cry. “Darling, don’t cry...” He let go of her, his fingers gently touching her hair. “I won’t touch you, I won’t touch you anymore, okay?” She cried more violently, and she said in a choked voice, “Don’t talk!” “... Why?” He was a bit stunned. Gently biting her lip, she could not help saying, “When, when you talk, you sound like him very much...” He’s so gentle and dotes on her. When he spoke, she even felt that it was not another person, but her husband Joshua stood next to her. Even the way he kissed her was so similar... It was not until this moment that Hazel realized how much she missed Joshua. She was not afraid of waiting. Even if she had to wait for a long time, she would cherish it.

“Aku menunggu waktu ini tiba hampir 4 tahun, Anne. Mengamatimu dari jauh dan membayangkan tubuhmu tanpa bisa aku sentuh secara langsung. Aku menahan semuanya hingga aku rasa umurmu sudah cukup dan aku berhasil menunggu hari ini tiba.” Jari telunjuknya bermain di sekeliling pusar Anne. Wajahnya menunjukkan jika pria itu sangat senang dengan kegiatannya. Apakah Anne tetap pada pendiriannya? Apakah waktu singkat yang mereka punya tak membuat keduanya saling jatuh cinta? Apa alasan yang membuat pendirian itu ada? Lalu, siapa yang menunggu 4 tahun untuk bertemu Anne?" _____________________________________________________________ Untuk sebuah alasan, membangun komitmen dan menikah tak pernah menjadi wishlist selama 32 tahun Anne hidup. Namun, Jasmine, ibunya mendesak Anne untuk segera menikah dan memberinya cucu. Anne menolak hingga Anne sering membisu dan memilih tinggal sendiri. Anne tetaplah Anne yang teguh dengan pendiriannya. Namun, dia juga anak yang ingin menuruti keinginan ibunya. Tidak, Anne tidak menikah, dia memiliki cara lain dengan mengandalkan apa yang dia punya. Menyewa gigolo yang tak dia kenal daripada para pria yang telah terlibat kencan buta dengannya, kencan buta yang diatur temannya. Sayangnya, uang dan seluruh keuntungan lain yang Anne berikan tak membuat semuanya berjalan mulus. Gigolo itu mengajukan sebuah syarat, dia meminta agar mereka tinggal bersama hingga tujuan Anne tercapai. Anne menolak pada awalnya, sebelum dia kembali dan menuruti keinginan pria itu dengan syarat. “Pertama, jangan mengusik privasiku dan jangan pernah memberi perhatian lebih dari yang seharusnya,” ucapnya dengan nada serius. “Kamu takut jatuh cinta denganku? Yah, aku cukup tahu dengan pesona yang aku miliki. Kamu mengakui hal itu secara tidak langsung, Anne.” Axel tertawa sarkas. "Keep dreaming, Axel.” “Dreams do come true, hang in there.” ——

She's still getting married but not with her groom-to-be because she's marrying a stranger! “Do you want to change the groom? Then... Why don’t you consider me, Miss? Marry me.” Umawang ang bibig ni Serena sa tinuran ng lalaking kaharap. Ngayon niya pa lang ito nakilala, hindi ba? Kasal kaagad ang inalok nito sa kaniya? Ngunit kung iisipin, ay kailangan niya ng groom… “P–Pakakasal na ako sa 'yo!” kaagad niyang tugon. Gumuhit ang misteryosong ngiti sa labi ng lalaking kaharap niya na siyang nagpalunok kay Serena. “Good decision. Tomorrow, you’ll be my wife.” ***** Bago pa dumating ang araw ng kasal ni Serena ay nahuli niya ang fiancé na si Alex at may ibang babae itong kasiping sa kasama. Ang hinayupak, talagang sa hotel room pa na kanyang binayaran ang mga ito gumawa ng kababuyan! Imbes na humingi ng tawad ay nagawa pa ni Alex na sisihin sa kanya ang ginawa nitong kasalanan. Aminado si Serena na hindi niya pa kayang isuko ang sarili kay Alex, dahil gusto niyang mauna ang kanilang kasal. Ngunit, ito na rin yata ang senyales na tama lamang ang ginawa niya, dahil isa itong manloloko! She didn't give him a second chance, but broke up with him and found another man to marry! Inalok siya ng isang estranghero, tanging alam niya lang sa pagkatao nito ay ex-boyfriend ito ng kalaguyo ni Alex. She agreed to marry the man named Kevin Xavier Sanchez, who turns out to be a billionaire and her big boss! Asawa siya ng isang bilyonaryo? Hindi ba siya nananaginip lang? “You're not dreaming, wife. Whatever I have is yours. My properties, money—everything, it belongs to you now. Do you like that, hmm?” Kakapusin yata si Serena ng hininga! Help!

My son, Tim, was kidnapped by a group of rogues. My husband, Alpha Kieran, spared no effort, using every resource at his disposal to find him. Finally, he tracked him down to an pub training center nearby. But when Tim regained consciousness, he discovered that he was disabled. As the only son of Kieran, destined to inherit his father’s title, he couldn’t bear the reality of his condition. Despair consumed him, and in his grief, he attempted to take his own life by drowning himself in the lake within our territory. I arrived too late. By the time I pulled him from the water, my strength was nearly gone. Kieran rushed me to the pack hospital, holding me close as he whispered into my ear, "Please, Selene, stay with me. I cannot lose you too." But after my surgery, as I lay in bed, I overheard Kieran speaking to his Beta, Damon, in the hallway. "Alpha, sacrificing the rescue mission that could have saved Tim seemed… excessive. Finding another heart donor wouldn’t have been impossible. Using Tim’s—he was your only son with Luna Selene." "I allowed him to be born because I knew he could save my daughter. I’ve already raised him long enough. It’s only right that he gives me what I need now." "And the doctor said siblings have a better chance of surviving heart transplants. Ana is my most precious child—I won’t risk her suffering another heart attack." Kieran’s words shattered me. He was my fated mate, the love of my life. Yet he had sacrificed our son—our son—to save the bastard child he had with his mistress. The marriage I once cherished, the fated mate I once believed in, had now become my own personal hell.