In The Lives Of Puppets

My husband, Alex Carter, is a top AI engineer. He one day gets drugged by a new intern at his company, and one night of chaos follows. He calls me the next morning, his voice hoarse from a hangover and filled with unfamiliar panic. "Em, I messed up. But don't worry. I gave her enough money to disappear from this city." After ten years together, I believe it is just a momentary lapse in judgment. Six months later, Alex's company suffers the worst cyber attack in its history, with core data hanging by a thread. I rush back from a fragrance exhibition in Astral, only to witness a scene at the data center entrance that sends me into shock. Alex stands outside the tightly sealed door, his face showing a weariness and guilt I have never seen before. The doctor says that the intern, Brooke Anderson, is three months pregnant and has spent 72 hours with him in the high-radiation server room. Now, she shows signs of miscarriage. Later, Brooke gives birth to twins, a boy and a girl. The entire Carter family is ecstatic. I remove the wedding ring that has accompanied me for ten years, my fingertips turning ice cold. I dial the number saved with only one letter "S" and say, "Mr. Sullivan, I accept the collaboration you proposed last time." A low, soft laugh comes from the other end of the line. "Ms. Emma Shaw, that's a wise decision."

It was New Year's Eve. We were streaming live when my brother called. I spoke first, "I wish you peace and a happy, long life." He gave a cold laugh. "Yeah, well, I don't want you to have any of that. I hope you spend the rest of your life in misery." I'd cut him off the year he was flat broke. Now that he was successful, this was the first thing he did—get back at me. I kept my tone calm. "I wish you peace and a happy, long life." He sounded annoyed. "Cut it out. There's no way I'm wishing you well. If I have to say something, then I hope you stay miserable forever." The host hesitated, then chimed in, "Ben, that was just a recording of Hailey's message. And yes, when she left… she was in a lot of pain and quite miserable, just like you hoped for."

The once-glorious empire is in ruins, its capital buried beneath ash, following a bloody uprising. A competent scavenger who has been hardened by grief, Zara endures in the broken world, plagued by memories of the empire's devastation, particularly the ruthless purge that claimed her family's lives. She discovers a secret amid the rubble: a wounded man named Kael who says he is the final heir to the crumbling empire. Zara reluctantly consents to assist him, viewing his survival as a way to make amends. But Kael isn't interested in bringing back the empire he was born into. Rather, he is dangerously knowledgeable about a weapon that could upset the delicate balance of power in the world. An unforeseen attachment forms between Zara and Kael, complicating their objective as they create an uneasy alliance to traverse the lethal world of bounty hunters, imperial loyalists, and rebels. Zara is compelled to face her own troubled past—including the potential that her long-lost brother is still alive and fighting for one of the factions—as they delve deeper into the empire's hidden secrets. After the rebels kidnap Kael and torture him to find the weapon, Zara must decide whether to risk everything to save him or let him perish. Zara and Kael are pushed to the limit by their increasing love and the burden of their common past as they work against the clock to destroy the weapon and keep it out of the wrong hands. Will the fires of their decisions consume them or will they find salvation in a world of ashes?

"I was naive and grateful. Happy that I had a place I could call home, but I was wrong. He was surrounded by evil and too blind to see it. I had to pay the ultimate price for his blindness..." Willow.*************** Willow Brooks learned a hard lesson that she wasn't meant to recover from. Framed for murder and executed for it. She was given a second chance to rectify her mistakes, save lives and change the outcome of events. The catch was she had only one year to fail or succeed; if she failed, both she and her wolf would be damned forever, never to be reborn. The other problem that loomed in her mind was if she succeeds, will she live beyond the year?

Canary Lienne is playful, skips classes and never serious in her studies. 'You only live once' is the title of the song she thought of as her motto to believe. Then with just one reservation at a café, she met Samuel. He is mature, silent and an adult. Samuel is her first crush. Isn't it great that they both like each other? As she grows up and faces independence, learns of things she never knew, will the bad little girl Cana remain? Or does Samuel's love and care make her the good girl she has always wanted to look up to? A warm cup of coffee in the summer and a slice of romance, a story of growing up, family, friendship, betrayal, bullying, coming out and the first struggles of teenagers. This is solely based on the experience of the author's teenage years with peers. Disclaimer: The names, characters, setting and scenes are fictional.

*The sequel to this book will be here from now on----------Daughters of the Moon Goddess-----------All the chapters you purchased here will remain here. * Kas Latmus isn't even an omega with the Silver Moon pack. She's a slave. Her Alpha has abused her for years. On her seventeenth birthday, her wolf wakes up and insists the Moon Goddess is her mother. Kas knows it can't be true but she is too weak to argue until she starts to go through an unusual transformation and display abilities that are not normal for a werewolf. Just as Kas is ready to give up on life, the ruthless Bronx Mason, an Alpha werewolf with a reputation for killing weak wolves shows up and claims her as his mate. Will Kas be able to overcome years of abuse and learn to love the menacing Alpha that is her mate or is she too far gone to be able to accept him and become the Luna her wolf believes she should be?

My sister-in-law, Esmerelda Black, hates that her mother, Ruth Jennings, favors me. To make things worse, she has the ability to hear Ruth's thoughts. And she uses that gift against me. When I tell Ruth to have more vegetables to stay healthy, Esmerelda says, "Clara is such a cheapskate not to buy you meat. She doesn't ask her own mom to eat more vegetables." When I encourage Ruth to exercise more to build strength, she says, "Mom, you're already old. You should be taking it easy. Clara wants you to work yourself to death." Slowly, Ruth grows to hate me. In the end, Esmerelda acquires the family business, seizes the fortune, and trafficks me to North Maldia to die. However, when I open my eyes again, I have her gift too—I can also hear Ruth's thoughts.

When Miranda Forbes wakes from a stolen kiss under the cover of darkness, her world unravels. The man before her is not Fiore Ilarde, her devoted boyfriend of three years and newly minted fiancé, but Xylon Diaz—Fiore’s closest confidant and the last man she ever wanted to be near. What should have been a moment of bliss becomes a haunting betrayal that sets their lives ablaze. Fiore’s anger destroys their future, leaving Miranda’s heart fractured and her disdain for Xylon consuming her every thought. Yet, fate intervenes, forcing Miranda and Xylon into the isolation of a remote estate nestled deep in the woods. Resentment gives way to reluctant understanding, and Miranda begins to see beyond Xylon’s arrogant facade. The fiery disdain she once felt begins to transform into something she cannot control: longing. Against her better judgment, she finds herself drawn to the very man she swore to despise, craving the touch that awakened her soul. But when Fiore reappears, promising redemption and reigniting old flames, Miranda faces a harrowing choice. Torn between the man who was her first love and the one who now claims her desires, she must decide: Will she follow her heart or surrender to the untamed passion that could destroy everything she once believed in? A tale of betrayal, redemption, and the unpredictable nature of love—a story where every choice carries the weight of the soul.

"You take me for a fool?” He yelled, gripping my arms tightly, his fingers making sure to leave marks. “I would never lie about something of utmost importance, Diego”, I tried to convince him while earnestly trying to save myself from his strong grip. “No one dares to look me in the face and lie.” He said while gripping my arms more strongly than ever. “Yet, you stand here, lying to my face. You want to use me against my father as your revenge, isn't that right Adriana?” With that, he let go of my arms, shoving me aside angrily—whilst I hit my head against a door frame. _______________ A strong-willed yet vulnerable young lady from a mafia family finds herself stuck in a marriage with a rival heir arranged by both families as a means to stop bloodshed among them. Her husband, being the mafia heir, is a stern person who is feared by members of the syndicate. He hates negotiating and solves his problems on his own. But, when he falls in love with the daughter of the rival family, will it complicate his plans? What will happen when circumstances force them to choose between love and loyalty to their families? How will it affect their lives? A tale where love and vengeance intertwine and the hearts of two individuals are tested against the ultimate betrayal.

After being locked away her entire life for her protection, Esme is finally let loose on the world. Being half vampire half human in a new world of mean girls and social expectations leaves her unprepared. Luckily for her, she had a guardian ready and waiting to help her through the challenges. Will finding out the identity of her guardian turn out to be her greatest difficulty of all?