Henry James Turn Of The Screw

ในวันครบรอบงานวิวาห์ปีที่เจ็ดของเรา ฉันกำลังนั่งตักลูเซียนสามีมาเฟียของฉัน และจูบเขาอย่างดูดดื่ม นิ้วมือควานหาผลตรวจการตั้งครรภ์ที่ซ่อนอยู่ในกระเป๋าชุดราตรีผ้าไหมแสนแพง ฉันอยากจะเก็บข่าวเรื่องการตั้งครรภ์ที่มาอย่างไม่คาดฝันนี้ไว้จนกว่าจะถึงช่วงท้ายของค่ำคืนนี้ มาร์โกลูกน้องมือขวาของลูเซียนเอ่ยถามเป็นภาษาอิตาลีพร้อมรอยยิ้มแฝงเลศนัย “นายท่าน โซเฟีย นกน้อยตัวใหม่ของท่าน เด็ดไหมครับ?” เสียงหัวเราะแกมเย้ยหยันของลูเซียนแล่นผ่านทรวงอก ทำให้ฉันรู้สึกเย็นยะเยือกถึงกระดูกดำ เขาตอบกลับเป็นภาษาอิตาลี “เหมือนลูกพีชดิบที่เพิ่งเด็ดจากต้น ทั้งสดทั้งนุ่มนวลดีนะ” มือคู่นั้นลูบไล้ไปตามเอวของฉัน แต่สายตาของลูเซียนกลับไร้ซึ่งอารมณ์ “ปิดปากเอาไว้ให้สนิท ถ้านายหญิงของฉันรู้เข้า ฉันตายแน่” บรรดาลูกน้องหัวเราะคิกคักอย่างรู้ทัน พร้อมยกแก้วขึ้นสาบานว่าจะเงียบปากเอาไว้ เลือดอุ่นในกายของฉันค่อย ๆ กลายเป็นน้ำแข็งทีละนิด สิ่งหนึ่งที่คนเหล่านี้ไม่รู้เลยคือ คุณย่าของฉันมาจากเกาะซิซิลี ดังนั้นฉันจึงเข้าใจทุกคำที่พวกเขาพูดกัน ฉันพยายามคุมสติตนเองให้สงบ พร้อมกับปั้นรอยยิ้มไร้ที่ติในฐานะนายหญิงไม่ให้คลาย แต่มือข้างที่ถือแก้วแชมเปญกลับสั่นเทาไม่หยุด แทนที่จะสร้างเรื่องราวอะไร แต่ฉันกลับกดเปิดโทรศัพท์มือถือและเลื่อนหาจดหมายเชิญเรื่องโครงการวิจัยทางการแพทย์ระหว่างประเทศแบบรายบุคคลที่ได้รับมาเมื่อสองสามวันก่อน และกด “ยอมรับ” ภายในสามวัน ฉันจะหายไปจากโลกของลูเซียนแบบไม่ให้เขาตามหาได้อีก

After three years of marriage, William Harris’s first love, the woman he broke up with six years ago, returned from abroad. And she brought back a five-year-old son with her. Charlotte handed him the divorce papers with both hands. “Let’s end this. It’s better for you, for me, and for her.” William glanced at her and said dismissively, “Divorce? Can you afford to leave me?” Charlotte threw down the divorce papers and cut him out of her life for good. She severed every tie to the past and poured all her energy into her career, quickly rising to become an internationally renowned sleep disorder specialist. Powerful figures across the globe owed her favors and respected her work. The youngest heir of a foreign financial empire said, “Charlotte, just divorce him already. I can’t wait any longer.” The CEO of a multinational corporation said, “Charlotte, I’ll go with you when you file for divorce.” A world-famous attorney told her, “Charlotte, I’ll handle your divorce case myself.” Charlotte rubbed her temples. It wasn’t that she didn’t want the divorce. He was the one who refused to divorce her no matter what. Left with no other option, she made a public announcement. “Whoever can actually get this divorce finalized gets VIP seating at my divorce party.” Not long after, William received a divorce notice from her lawyer right in the middle of a shareholders meeting. Soon after that, a multi-billion-dollar project of his fell through. That same afternoon, he was nearly hit by a car right outside his own company. Later, Charlotte arrived at the hospital carrying a bouquet of flowers. “Let’s end this,” she said softly. “It’s better for everyone.” The cold and dignified William pulled her tightly into his arms, his eyes reddening. “You want a divorce? That’ll happen over my dead body.”

Angela Bailey spent six years believing her marriage was built on love, only to discover her devoted husband was nothing more than a polished illusion. When she filed for divorce and asked her daughter to leave with her, the little girl clung to another woman’s hand and called her “Mom.” Donald Turner, cold and entitled, told her, “As long as you apologize to Nina, you can still live your high-society life.” Angela scoffed. “You might not even stay in high society yourself.” She walked out of the Turner household with nothing, determined to rebuild her life from the ground up. With her own talent and grit, she joined a new company and went head-to-head with her ex. Just when Donald realized his mistake and wanted her back, another man stepped into Angela’s life—someone who protected her openly, supported her quietly, and cherished her without hesitation. Donald regretted everything and wanted her back. He appeared with their daughter, eyes red as he pleaded, “I’ll give you the entire Turner family. Please love me and our daughter again.” The man beside Angela laughed. “The Turner family? That means nothing. Angela doesn’t need it. And as for a daughter…” He looked at Angela, and together they said, “We already have one.”

Not every love story ends in happiness, and sometimes, the most painful twists come not from fate, but from our own choices. Yeonho loved Vaani—but he couldn’t save her. Zane loved Vanessa—but his own actions led to her death. Now, Zane has been granted a second chance—an opportunity few are ever given. Thrown into a time he never knew, with questions that have no answers, Zane must unravel the mystery of his survival and the purpose of his unexpected return. What is he meant to do in a world where he never existed? Can he right the wrongs of the past, and what sacrifices will he make to ensure his future? The clock is ticking, and Zane's journey to redemption is about to begin. Will he find the strength to rewrite his fate—or will history repeat itself?

“Your husband wants you dead!” The voice on the phone said to Evelyn. Just then, the car started acting weird. As she tried to control the vehicle, it malfunctioned and crashed into a tree. Evelyn hit her head and lost consciousness. ***** Evelyn had the perfect life - a beautiful home, successful law firm, and a loving marriage. Or so she thought. Shattered by her husband's brutal attempt to end her life, Evelyn decided to take her revenge and make her enemies pay. As she plotted her revenge by pretending to have lost her memories, a new threat emerged. Two men claimed to be her husband— the one she thought she knew, and a mysterious, ruthless billionaire. Now, Evelyn's survival depends on this unexpected twist— will it change her plans or will it influence her revenge?

She was born as the legitimate daughter of Beta Henry's wife, enduring hardship for eight years before finally becoming the Luna of the Lycan King. However, fate was cruel as her husband fell in love with her elder sister and stripped her of her Luna position, forcing her son to die! In the cold and lonely prison, she gritted her teeth and drank the poisonous wine to the last drop! She vowed to the heavens that if there were a next life, she would never do good deeds to help others, never enter the palace, and never become a Luna! As the reincarnated daughter of the Prime Minister's residence, she returned as a wicked woman: An evil and malicious eldest sister? Schemes will send you to hell! A deceitful and treacherous elder sister? Cruel tear apart that beautiful facade! A scheming younger sister? Directly throw her into the abyss! Since they didn't let her live in peace, then no one should expect to live in peace! She had intended to distance herself from troubles; the farther, the better. But who would have expected the hearts of men, like a needle at the bottom of the sea, impossible to find or guess? The man who swore to leave her behind now wanted to live and die for her sake. Her lifelong enemy in her previous life secretly admired her for many years. And what was even more unfortunate was being entangled by the most handsome and unrivaled man in the world...

My younger sister, Sophie Sawyer, got pregnant before marriage, gave birth to a baby boy in a small clinic, and then disappeared. The doctor used the address she left behind to find my family and handed the child to me. My parents knelt and begged me to raise him, and that was how I, an unmarried young woman, struggled through life with a child on my hip. When I finally managed to raise him, Sophie came back, standing beside a big-shot boss dripping in gold. She held her son and cried, accusing me of being jealous of her, stealing her child, and tearing them apart. My nephew cut ties with me without hesitation, choosing her over me. My parents kicked me out of the house. The neighbors all condemned me. In despair, I jumped to my death. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Sophie gave birth.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Lucien growled as he pinned my wrist against the stone pillar. His breath was hot, and I could see the storm brewing behind his eyes. °•○♡♡~♡♡○•° A Queen betrayed A warrior sworn to protect her A mate obsessed with getting her back A kingdom on the edge of war Framed for a crime I didn’t commit, I was dragged in chains, tortured, and left to die by the very man who once held me like I was his only reason to live. Rescued by a mysterious warrior with ties to the old gods, I return, four years later, as the Moon Goddess’ heir and his worst nightmare. Holding a secret that could change everything, his twins. As war brews, the Moon Goddess herself watches from above and I must make a choice. The mate who broke me… Or the warrior who built me back up? One will fight for me. One will destroy everything to possess me. As rival lovers clash, ancient secrets unravel. The world must bow, because a Queen never forgets.

"But my quest is not over. For in the name of all that is evil, I promise Athena, I will be back!" The story of Medusa continues, for when she was slain, her life didn't end, for it was yet to begin. As I walked into the great room, there stood Hades, black jeans and a tee, with a hue of blue......sexy hair. This couldn't get any worse... The goddess Medusa is back and vengeance is coming upon Olympus. Athena is in for the battle of her life as Medusa has the entire nation of the underworld at her command. Medusa would reign terror down on the gods and in return for his help, Hades wants Zeus' throne...... "You wouldn't kill your own role model Medusa darling?" Athena asked, the fear evident in her voice. "You started this war, I'm just doing you a favor by ending you in it."

Shantali Mae Cross, a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Ancient Arts, encounters an impossible phenomenon during her night shift—smoke from the heating vents coalesces into the form of a cobra near ancient Egyptian canopic jars, showing her visions of possible futures. She sees herself accepting a promotion, arguing with a dark-haired man in a hospital, wearing a wedding dress, and standing at a graveside in autumn. Shaken by the experience, Shantali becomes obsessed with understanding what she witnessed, diving into research about serpent smoke divination practices. Her investigation reveals that others throughout history have experienced similar visions at crucial crossroads in their lives, but those who became consumed with interpreting and controlling their prophetic glimpses inevitably destroyed the very relationships and opportunities the visions had shown them. As Shantali spirals deeper into her research, she begins shutting out her boyfriend David, a fellow security guard who loves her deeply. When David witnesses the cobra phenomenon himself, he helps ground her in reality rather than obsession. Through her studies, particularly the warnings left by Dr. Amelia Thorne—a researcher who died alone after chasing similar mysteries—Shantali realizes the cobra's true message: choose love over fear, presence over obsession. The visions weren't warnings of tragedy but glimpses of a life fully lived with all its ordinary struggles and profound connections. When David proposes, Shantali chooses their real relationship over her pursuit of supernatural answers. She completes her research by writing a fictional novel about her experience, transforming obsession into art while helping future cobra witnesses understand that some mysteries are meant to guide rather than be solved. The story explores themes of choice versus destiny, the danger of sacrificing present love for future certainty, and the wisdom of embracing life's uncertainties alongside those who love us.