Fish Upon The Sky Trai Nimtawat

My mother was the best portrait artist in the police station. She had a strong sense of justice and brooked no evil. However, all I got was a sharp retort when I called her to save me. "You know it's your sister's coming-of-age celebration today, and you're cursing her? Kidnapped, are you? Fine, the kidnappers can kill you for all I care." She assumed it was a prank call. So, she refused to go to the police station and do her job. I wasn't saved in time and was tortured to death. When the DNA report came out, she came to the scene all wobbly. She drew a portrait of me with my bones as reference, her hand trembling all the way. "Jessica? It can't be her. This is a mistake!" She tried again and again. Yet, it didn't matter how many times she redid it as the portrait showed my face. My mother, who had hated me my whole life, teared up.

Mi hija Sofí era una pianista muy reconocida. El día de la final, alguien la encerró en el baño y, confundida, perdió la oportunidad de ganar el campeonato. Revisé las cámaras, descubrí a la culpable y me preparé para denunciar esa trampa. Pero mi esposo Andrés, me detuvo con firmeza. —Es solo una travesura de niños. Si insistes en denunciar a la hermana de Isabel, haré que Sofía ni siquiera obtenga el segundo premio. Temblé de rabia. ¡No podía creer que Andrés fuera capaz de humillar así a su propia hija solo por proteger a la hermana de su secretaria! En ese momento, Sofía me tomó de la mano, aguantando las lágrimas. —Mamá, ya no quiero el campeonato. Y tampoco quiero a papá. Apreté su mano con fuerza. —Está bien. Si tú no lo quieres a él, yo tampoco lo quiero.

Diego llegó tarde a nuestra boda. Cuando finalmente apareció, entró al salón tomando del brazo de Liliana con delicadeza. Traía puesto el traje de padrino, mientras que el de novio había sido abandonado en el sofá como si fuera un trapo viejo. —Diego, ¿por qué te pusiste...? —comencé a preguntar. —¡Inés! —me interrumpió bruscamente, con la mirada alerta—. Piensa bien lo que vas a decir. Sé generosa, y no me hagas odiarte. Sonreí, decepcionada. Como Liliana Martínez, su primer amor, había perdido la memoria, habíamos quedado atrapados en el juego de ayudarla a recuperarse. Teníamos que esconderle todo lo malo y tratarla con cuidado, evitando cualquier cosa que pudiera alterarla. Diego se acercó a mí y me abrazó con ternura. —Inés, ¿puedes entenderme? —me susurró al oído, antes de darme un beso ligero. Obedecí, le agarré la mano al padrino y caminé hacia el altar del matrimonio junto a él. El otro día, me encontré a Diego en un centro comercial mientras yo compraba cosas para nuestro bebé que iba a nacer. Me detuvo, y sus ojos, enrojecidos, se clavaron en mi vientre: —Inés... Todo esto era una farsa, ¿no? ¿Por qué estás embarazada?

Llevábamos seis años de casados, pero en los últimos tres meses, mi esposo ni siquiera me había tocado. Decía que el trabajo lo tenía agotado, y yo, enamorada desde hace años, le creí sin dudar. Hasta que en el día de mi cumpleaños, escuché a sus amigos hablar en alemán a sus espaldas. —¿Ya terminaste con la otra? Antes ibas todos los días… no sé cómo aguantabas. —¿Y tu esposa? ¿No te dice nada? Mi esposo soltó el humo de su cigarro con indiferencia: —Hace meses que ni la toco. Claudia es buena en la cama y aún no me aburre… Lástima que salió embarazada. A mi esposa no le gustan los niños, así que le di dinero a Claudia para que se fuera al extranjero y lo tuviera allá. Apreté los puños con fuerza. Las lágrimas comenzaron a caer sin permiso. Él se acercó preocupado y preguntó qué me pasaba. Yo negué con la cabeza, sonriendo. —Este pastel que hiciste con tus propias manos… me emocionó mucho. Está delicioso. El pastel sabía dulce. Pero yo, que sí entendía alemán, solo sentía amargura en el alma.

Mercy was all I asked for but I guess I didn't deserve it. Dragged by her long nappy hair, like a heavy bag carried by a weak person through the mud and sand. Her screams and begging fell of deaf ears, not even her father batted an eye. Torture seemed to find her everywhere, even now, as everyone applauded with smiles, wishing the newly wedded couple, a beautiful life ahead. A marriage that marked the beginning of endless an and undisturbed torture.

Naya a grandi dans les rues animées de Cebu, aux Philippines, élevée par une mère aimante mais sans ressources. Elle a appris la résilience, la débrouille, et la force de rêver malgré la misère. Liora, elle, a toujours vécu dans le faste de la haute société parisienne, entre bals de charité, voyages en jet privé et deals d’affaires. Héritière choyée d’un magnat de la biotech, elle ignore tout de sa sœur jumelle. Leurs chemins se croisent lorsqu’un concours de circonstances amène Naya à travailler sous une fausse identité dans l’entreprise dirigée par leur père biologique. C’est là que toutes deux rencontrent Lysandre Varnier, un entrepreneur magnétique, aussi brillant qu’imprévisible. Lyam tombe d’abord amoureux de Naya, captivé par sa sincérité brute. Mais Liora habituée à obtenir ce qu’elle veut, s’entiche de cet homme qui ne fléchit devant aucun pouvoir. Sans connaître leur lien de sang, les deux femmes entrent dans une spirale de passion, jalousie et rivalité. Mais lorsque la vérité éclate les origines cachées, les mensonges d’un père, et l’amour partagé Naya et Liora devront choisir : s’anéantir pour un homme… ou affronter ensemble la vérité pour mieux se retrouver.

Amber Reegan: The night I rejected my manipulative mate and stood up to my abusive father was the last night I spent in our pack. As the weak, Omega child of my father, I'm seen as a total waste of sperm and he has wanted nothing more than to get rid of me. And that night, my father found the perfect time to banish me. I wandered off into the wild forest, cradling my bleeding heart. Somehow, I winded up on the territory of Nightwalker pack and had to face their ruthless Alpha, Raze Von Miller. A one-time meeting stretched out into something intimate and I'm left wondering if he's the home I've been in search of all my life. Alpha Raze: When my patrol men found an intruder on the borders, it felt like the same old shit. Not until I saw who the intruder was. I was awestruck by her puffy, amber eyes and I knew I wanted more with her. Having her as my surrogate mate was not enough. I needed her to stay with me forever and trust me with the secrets that keep her crying at night. I needed her to feel safe with me. But one day, I woke up to the reality that she was more than just some random stray. It was thrilling and devastating to know there was more to the frail werewolf who stole my heart at a glance…

Ao saber que eu estava grávida, o amor inesquecível do meu marido me empurrou de propósito do convés de um cruzeiro. Não gritei por socorro. Em silêncio, agarrei a minha sogra, que também caíra na água, e juntas lutamos para sobreviver. Na vida passada, clamei desesperada no meio do mar. Meu marido desceu imediatamente com homens para salvar a mim e à sua mãe. A amante, porém, manchada de sangue, atraiu tubarões e acabou devorada. Após a morte dela, ele declarou que, por ter me empurrado, ela não merecia viver e passou a me tratar com devoção. Mas, quando meu filho nasceu, foi ele quem pegou o retrato daquela mulher e esmagou a criança com ele. Rugiu ele: — Você me fez perder o amor da minha vida. Agora vai provar o mesmo gosto da perda! Lutei até o fim e o arrastei comigo para a morte. Quando abri os olhos novamente... eu estava de volta àquele mesmo mar.

In my last life, my brother Leo—the heir to the Moretti crime family—stripped our estate bare of every last soldier, all for a Vegas jaunt. All because his new flame, Scarlett, had a jones for the high-roller tables. The Volkovs—our rivals, the very ones Leo had just pissed off—saw their opening and stormed our gates. My mother, Sofia, took a bullet meant for me. Died protecting me. I blew up Leo’s phone, my pleas turning to screams. He didn't answer. He waltzed back in after the shooting stopped, bringing our men home, but far too late for it to matter. Then, the news from Vegas. Scarlett was gone. A suicide note left behind. In it, she painted me as the monster. The one who’d leaked our weaknesses to the Volkovs. The one who'd orchestrated a fake kidnapping and torture plot, all to drive her to despair and lure Leo home. A perfect, tragic lie. Leo read the letter calmly. Then he burned the letter and told me, "Forget it. It's handled." Father tore into Leo for abandoning his post, for leaving his family to die. And me? I was named the new Consigliere. But after the celebration, Leo cornered me in the wine cellar. His face was a mask of cold fury as he pressed the barrel of his gun to my forehead. "This is for family traitors," he hissed, his voice pure venom. "The throne is my birthright, not some backstabbing bitch's prize!" When I opened my eyes again, I was back. Right in the middle of the fire and the blood. This time, I shoved my mother behind me, dragging her toward the panic room. And the bastards who were too blind to believe me? They’ll regret it.

In a time where it is impossible for women to provide for themselves, Irene has to find her chosen mate to take care of herself and her younger brother, but it’s almost impossible as she is known as the Traitor’s Daughter and no Alpha wants to be with her. What happens when she ends up being forced to seek help for the man responsible for her misfortune? The man who put those false accusations and had her father executed? A man with many scars, both physically and mentally?