Familial Bond

Kiera Hart was a kindergarten teacher, until the day she was the only thing standing between her kids and a man with a gun. Kiera was injured and can no longer be in a classroom without having a panic attack. A year later she has just moved to New York and started a new job, a quite boring job. But before she can even settle in, her boss, William Lund needs help in a family matter… a matter that has her fake married to her handsome icy boss, a boss she was told is gay. How will Kiera handle it when she starts falling in love with her fake husband, not to mention her bond with the cutest little girl in the world, Frida.

I grew up with the Vipera brothers. They have always considered me their younger sister and spoiled me silly. But after that car accident, my relationship with them changes completely. The accident leaves me with severe burns on my body, and I'm in constant agony. On top of that, my face is disfigured too. The moment I'm wheeled out of the ICU, I call the Vipera brothers to let them know that I'm safe. However, the only response I get from them is an impatient dismissal. "Sofia, Bianca hurt her fingers during the accident. We're taking care of her now. Don't bother us by throwing a tantrum." Soon, Bianca Rossi uploads a selfie of herself with the Vipera brothers in a luxurious hospital room. She's wearing three wolf fang bracelets on her wrist. I'd given those to the Vipera brothers as a Christmas gift last year. To get the fangs from the particular species of wolves they liked, I trekked through the jungle alone with a gun and battled feral wolves the entire night. I completely let go of any remaining feelings toward the famiglia that raised me and decide to leave them for good. When the Vipera brothers see me again at a grand banquet held by the Ferro famiglia, they are overwhelmed with regret.

Natalie Spencer, a 21-year-old girl lived happily with her parents and cousin brother Sean in Las Vegas but she lost her parents in a sudden tragedy which forced her to come down to Seattle, and live with her Uncle and Aunt. Max Spencer, Natalie’s Uncle is a cunning Man and has his eyes on his brother’s property, whose Natalie was the sole heir. Due to Natalie’s father’s will, the property will come under her husband’s name and she can only get married once she turns 23. So, her uncle tortured her for 2 years, kept her hostage in his house, and fixed her wedding on her 23rd birthday to a boy Named Ricky, who is a nonsense person and has bad intentions for Natalie. But Natalie ran away and reached California seeking help from her childhood best friend Nancy and her boyfriend Caleb where she Met Mason Rhodes Mason, who is the best friend of Caleb, lost his Father in an accident and his Mother couldn’t take it and fall sick. Just for her sake, Mason married Natalie, who also needed a husband to get a hold of her Father’s property and get rid from her uncle. Both got married and fell in love with each other. Mason and Natalie’s relationship is jeopardized when Natalie’s Aunt and Uncle re-entered her life and some horrific truth about the past was disclosed.

After my sister, Mona Ramsey, and I graduated from college, our family went bankrupt. Our father gave us two options: One was to marry into the Whites through an alliance. The other was to take over the company and clean up the mess. In my previous life, Mona wanted the rich socialite lifestyle and chose to marry into the Whites. She ended up being brutally tortured by her husband, leaving her disfigured and disabled. I, on the other hand, relied on my talent for business to bring the company back from the brink. For a while, I was riding high and had everything going for me. Mona grew insanely jealous of me. At the company's IPO launch event, she stormed into the venue carrying gasoline and set me on fire. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment when our father gave us the choice. This time, Mona rushed to stand in front of me. "Dad, let Laura marry into the Whites," she said. "She's been spoiled since she was little. She can't handle a hard life. I'll stay with you and face everything that's coming." I couldn't help laughing. Oh, my silly little sister! Staying would be far more miserable than marrying into the Whites.

Due to my husband's unique status, I did not reveal his identity to my mother after we secretly married. My family was about to be relocated during the holidays, and I took the opportunity to visit my hometown. When I got home, my mother locked me in my stepbrother's room. I questioned my mother about it, and she said, "We're about to be relocated. If you get pregnant, the baby will be counted as an extra person. We'll be compensated with one more house and millions of dollars extra." I begged my mother to release me, but she said that it was better for me to stay in the family than marry into another one. "You and your brother aren't related, anyway. We can even save on dowry." I refused, so my mother got my brother to beat me up until I bled. As the date for the entire town to relocate approached, the developers arrived to distribute the compensation. My husband was among those who arrived. When he saw my bruised cheeks and the bump on my stomach, he went crazy.

Every day, my son and husband finish all the house chores before I even get home. But only because they're bringing my husband's first love, Sally Sullivan, back for Thanksgiving, I pour boiling water on my son's face. I also kick both my son and husband out when it's 104°F outside. Desperate to save our son, my husband sprawls across the front porch, begging me to open the door. "Wanda, open the door! We need to save our son! I only invited Sally over because she saved you once back then. I didn't mean anything else by it!" "Mom, it hurts!" my son cries. "Mom, can't you kiss me? Mom…" Meanwhile, I'm slouching on the couch, snacking away as I watch TV. In the end, my husband can't take it anymore and brings me to the Bad Mom Court for trial. The moment my memories are extracted, the entire court bursts into tears.

My husband, James Zeller, and I have established a common-law marriage. We did not have a formal wedding ceremony, nor do we have a marriage license. We also live separately, our lives barely intertwining, because he has a special profession. Therefore, despite being married to him for seven years, we've never met each other's friends and relatives. As his wife, I'm proud of being married to him despite how it pains me. I'm willing to give up the opportunity to study at the National Academy of Sciences to take care of things at home while he works. One day, my son, Jasper Chalder, comes home from elementary school crying. He sobs about not being a bastard child and requests to see James. Greatly distressed, I decide to take him to visit the military base over the new year for a family reunion. However, I don't expect this trip to turn my life completely upside down.

I was the Alpha's lost bloodline, raised far from home. I was thin, pale, and covered in ugly scars no one wanted to look at. Lucia Abbott was the pack's jewel, carefully raised and fiercely protected. She was beautiful, powerful, and loved by everyone. Before she fell from the cliff, her soul scream tore through the entire pack. "Lyla joined the enemy! She tried to kill me!" No one questioned it. After all, who would believe a filthy lone wolf over someone as pure as moonlight? My fiancé chained me to the ritual altar. My father lit the Moonfire Trial fire with his own hands. The flames burned through my wolf spirit, ripping my memories apart and forcing them into the sky for everyone to witness. It was a public execution offered to the entire pack. But the truth was worse than death. It was slow destruction, carved piece by piece.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked me. I looked at him, the hate in his eyes as he was looking at me was just too much for me to take. "I am here to claim my rights, I am your wife and you are my hubsband. As a married couple, we should stay together under one roof," I said and watched as he scoffed. "You left me 5 years ago, and now you suddenly want your rights as my wife? That is not happening," he said and then walked toward the door. He opened the door for me, "Get out," he said and I smiled. I left 5 years ago and that was the biggest mistake of my life. I should have stayed and fought for my daughter's rights and mine. I should have stayed and fought for our relationship. "I am not going anywhere, you and I exchanged vows. Till death do us part, I will only leave this house in a casket. I am here to stay now," I said. Well, he doesn't need to know that me leaving in a casket might happen very soon. He can't know the truth, first I need to help him bond with our daughter. This is his last chance to realize his mistake and also my last chance to find out the truth. Why did someone frame me of having an affair? Why was he told that he can't father a child when he has a child with me? Who planned all of this?

After my mother shot down my pleas to cover my medical bills the 100th time, I clutched my bone cancer diagnosis papers and trudged to the crematorium. "Hi, I'd like to reserve a cremation slot ahead of time," I muttered to the clerk. Half an hour ticked by before my parents and adopted brother arrived in their car. My dad, a forensic pathologist, cracked me across the face. "You're pulling a fake-death stunt now, just to steal the spotlight from your brother?" My mom, a hospital director, snatched the papers from my hands and shredded them into confetti. "Faking records using my credentials and tying up hospital resources? You've crossed the line!" My brother cried, tugging at their sleeves. "It's all my fault. I'll skip the amusement park forever. I don't need a thing. Just quit riling up Mom and Dad." I spun around, my hand pressed against my throbbing chest, and begged the crematorium staff. "Please, when it's time, cremate me and scatter the ashes in the river. I've got no family left in this world."