For My Next Trick Novels & Stories

As I secured the safety rope, I discovered that the metal clip had been replaced with a flimsy plastic ring. My girlfriend, already on the soft ladder, dismissed my concern casually. "Ryan has got a ton of luggage. One clip isn't enough to keep it secure, so I gave him yours. Just wait for the next trip." In desperation, I pointed to the floodwaters surging past my chest. "But I can't swim!" "Cut the drama, okay?" she huffed. "You're a swimming champ. What's the big deal about treading water for a bit? Ryan is related to my boss, and if anything happens to him, my promotion is down the drain. Can't you be reasonable?" "Is his luggage more important than my life?" I shot back, lunging for the ladder. But she kicked me away. "I've checked. The water won't rise too fast. At worst, it'll reach your neck. You'll survive." Refusing to argue further, I watched the floodwaters rage higher and quickly pressed a special emergency beacon on my wrist.

After the team-building trip is over, I get complimented by my boss and colleague for organizing it because it's been a fun experience for everyone, not to mention the money they've paid is worth the experience. But the next day, I get publicly shamed by Marilyn Ross, a finance executive, in the company's group chat. She has posted a few ambiguous transaction screenshots and accused me of receiving 50 thousand dollars' worth of under-the-table commissions from the farm. All of my colleagues instantly take Marilyn's side. They begin berating me for acting all pretentious when in reality, I'm despicable enough to do all those underhanded things behind their backs. But that's when my boss, Ethan Keller, leaves a question mark in the group chat. The smug Marilyn begins coercing me into writing a resignation report and returning the money. But what she doesn't know is that the farm is Ethan's private business. How on earth can I receive such commissions, in the first place?

I hate him. I hate him more than anything in the world. He ruined my high school. He ruined my life. He was my crush, my first love. He was my bully. But now... He is my husband. To save my sick mother, my father had arranged a marriage with the son of the CEO of NAKROS Pharmaceuticals, ADAMS BLACK. I was to bear them an heir, and they get to save my mother. But how do I stay married to the one person I couldn't bear to look at? How do I bear to sleep next to the same man who had left me shattered years ago? He said he was sorry, but I was not a fool. He knelt and pleaded for my forgiveness, but I was no longer the naive weak Sienna of high school. He claimed he needed an heir? He won't fucking get it. And I have no plan on letting him know he already had, not one, but two heirs. Four years ago. ADAMS Four years ago, I fucked up. I treated the only girl I had ever loved so badly. I messed up. And when I finally saw her after four years, I needed a way to make amends, and I did the only thing I could think of.

When the village chief delivered the items for my wedding, my fiancé's adopted sister, who was the apple of his eye, suddenly burst into tears. She cut my wedding dress and smashed the wardrobe that my older brother made for me. Every time I was about to lose my temper, my fiancé, who was also my childhood sweetheart, would immediately side with her. He claimed that she was still young and did not understand jealousy; she was just insecure. Even my own brother defended her, saying I had a birth brother who doted on me. It would not hurt to give in to her. When an earthquake happened, they both ran to her and protected her tightly beneath their bodies. Meanwhile, I was trapped under the ruins for three days and three nights. My brother and fiancé tried every possible way to cheer up her, leaving the villagers to rescue me instead. When they looked at me with wounds all over my body, they only said, "Don't overthink it. Jenn is timid and frightened. We couldn't leave her alone." I was on bed rest for a month, but not once did I see them. Only the village chief came to see me. He tried to persuade me, saying, "You're the first college student in our village. Are you really going to give up on your studies just to get married? This—" I interrupted him, "I made my decision before you came. I'll report to the college on time!"

I had just placed the winning bid on an outrageously expensive piece of jewelry, but the auctioneer refused to close the sale. When I pressed her for an explanation, she turned to my husband with tearful eyes and claimed that I always bring different men here to spend money. “Ma'am, as a professional, I can’t sit back and watch you keep deceiving people. “Sir, I’ll refund your money and even cover the loss myself. Just open your eyes and find someone who truly loves you.” My husband looked visibly moved, their gazes locking in front of everyone as if I wasn’t even there. With all eyes on me, I snatched back my black card. “It’s my card, my money. Why are you giving it to some social-climbing chauffeur?”

I was once the shadow at Nathan’s side, summoned at his will. Pregnant with his child, only to be fed contraception pills by him. On the day of my miscarriage, he was celebrating Liora’s birthday. She took away my parents' love, stole my identity, and destroyed my token, while he stood by and criticized me for being dramatic. They teamed up to lock me in cold storage, tricked me with an AI-generated apology, and even accused me of faking illness when I bled heavily. The day they tossed me out like garbage, I saw the true face of this deceitful pair—the man who abandoned me for vanity, and the woman who exploited a fake pregnancy and staged car accidents to drain him of his last worth. But I didn’t die. Danny found me, half alive, and showed me what it feels like to be cherished. Now, standing on their ruins, those who hurt me have become the badges of my rebirth.

My name is Emily Winters. Born into the White Raven pack and a silver wolf. A rare sight, I must say, but little did I know how rare and what it would cost me. my life? Well, almost. My mate kept his wolf hidden for so long, his pack started to get concerned that he never got his wolf. He never ran with them on the full moon pack runs. It took meeting me, the Ying to his Yang to feel safe enough to do so. True friendship and the love of my mate give me the strength I needed to get through the biggest battle of my life.

“You’re my goddamn stepbrother. You know this, so let’s set boundaries,” I whisper as if I’m speaking of something abominable. But it’s something that should be normal. Sane. Logical. Then Riven Rythrone lifts a hand and grabs my chin, forcing my gaze up to his. His eyes don’t belong to someone normal. They belong to someone dark. Abnormal. Insane. Illogical. “You begged to be mine. Remember?” My breath hitches, my pulse riots, and my body stupidly flinches as he snakes a hand around my waist, dragging me closer. Close into his twisted, demented world, where he rules, where reason burns, and where I’m the only thing he refuses to let go of. Twenty-year-old Adelina West has no reason to hate her mother’s marriage to a California millionaire. But when a devil with blue eyes is involved, resentment comes easy. She wants to escape him. He wants to own her. And when Riven Rythrone wants something, not even blood or sin can stop him.

On my daughter, Arlene Bale's tenth birthday, I miscarried in a horrific car accident. Before I can even tell my husband, Camden Bale, about my pregnancy, my unborn child has already left me. Devastated, I attempt to call Camden. But after spamming more than a dozen calls, none of them get answered. When I open a social media app, the first thing I see is Camden's first love, Ruth Carroll, celebrating her safe delivery online. The accompanying photo features Camden's tender-looking side profile as he cradles the newborn in his arms. Camden's mother, Patricia Stone, even leaves a long comment there to celebrate the birth of Ruth's baby. "Oh, Ruth! You really are a hero to the Bales! To think that your firstborn is a son who can inherit our family's legacy! That woman who has married into our family for ten years only gave birth to one inferior spawn! "I swear, I will kick that useless woman out sooner or later! Once that happens, you can marry into the Bale family proudly!" With trembling fingers, I click the phone shut. After that, I forcibly get discharged from the hospital and rush home so that I can demand for answers. But that's when my nightmare has just begun. I receive the news of Arlene's unfortunate death. It turns out Camden has left Arlene at home all by herself, which leads to her accidental death. The entire Bale family is too busy celebrating the birth of Ruth's son. No one bothers shedding a tear for Arlene's passing. With hatred brimming in my heart, I fly to another country. Camden Bale, you're the one hurting me from the start till the end. I will make you and your family pay the heavy price.

“Are you sure she’s my f*cking mate?” I asked with gritted teeth. I already know the answer, but I still do not want to believe it. Of all the people, why does it have to be her?! Why does it have to be the daughter of the man who took my family away?