Romans & histoires Jessica Hall

Brianna didn’t want a new life; she wanted a way out. When her mother, Eloise, marries the tech tycoon Declan Van Doren, Brianna is dragged into a world of cold marble, sharp whispers, and a stepbrother who treats her presence like a stain on his family crest. Dawson Van Doren is the heir to an empire and a man with a heart of jagged glass. To the world, he is the brilliant, untouchable billionaire. To Brianna, he is the monster in the bedroom down the hall—the man who watches her with a mixture of loathing and a dark, suffocating hunger that makes her skin crawl and her heart stutter. But the Van Doren mansion is a house of glass. While Dawson breaks her spirit by day, his father’s closest friend—the man she calls Uncle—watches her with a terrifyingly different kind of heat. Caught between a stepbrother who wants to ruin her and a forbidden protector who wants to own her, Brianna is walking a tightrope over a pit of fire. And Dawson is about to prove that the only thing more dangerous than hating him... is letting him touch her.

On the day of my daughter Eleanor Baldwin's second birthday party, my entire family stood nervously by the banquet hall entrance. They were not there to greet guests, but rather to keep me from showing up and causing a scene. Mom's face was written all over with anxiety. "Lucas wouldn't actually crash the party, would he?" Dad's brow stayed tightly furrowed. "Who knows? That disgrace of a son is capable of anything." My younger brother, Cody Baldwin, had his arm wrapped gently around my wife, Kendra Clarkson, trying to reassure her. "Don't worry. If Lucas dares to show up, I'll keep you and Ellie safe." Kendra nodded slowly. "If it really comes to that... maybe we should just let Ellie be his goddaughter. At least then, we're still family..." However, the party came and went, and I never appeared. I had already made up my mind to join a classified national defense research program. Only this time, it was for good.

My ex-boyfriend, the Don's heir, was getting married today. In the grand reception hall, the bride, Elena, moved through the crowd with a champagne flute in hand, toasting the bosses and captains who'd flown in from across the island. In the dressing room, Luca had me pinned against the gown the bride had just changed out of, fucking me hard. The mirror gave me back a stranger, hair tangled, not a stitch of clothing left on me, my neck covered in marks he'd left like a signature. The camera on the side table blinked red. Three knocks at the door. Luca stood up, straightened the white rose boutonniere on his lapel, picked up the black earpiece from the table and pressed it in. He tossed it at me without looking. "One night. Half a million euros. Anna, you're even pricier than I remembered." I watched his back as he walked out, and picked up the check with shaking hands. Rosa, don't be scared. Mama's got the money to save you.

I'm finally bored after pursuing Hugh Freeman for ten years. I give up on him and get together with Christopher Sanders, who's always had feelings for me. Christopher lights the city's sky with fireworks throughout the night. He even buys a small island to propose to me. However, he goes missing right before the wedding. When I find him, I hear him talking and laughing with someone. "I only pursued Jessica to get on Hugh's nerves—I lost interest in her once I got together with her. "Still, I don't want to let her off so easily because of everything she put me through. That's why I'm going to leave her at the altar—to humiliate her. Fun, isn't it?" So, I decide to run away before he does. I turn him into the laughingstock of the city. Later, I hear that Christopher scours the capital in search of his missing bride. He never finds her, though.

Who said a werewolf necessarily has to have a normal mate? Is it either just someone from the pack or a human? What if they are both Alphas? Alphas who rule their cities better than anyone? Bianca, the alpha of SunVille wasn't just any woman to mess with. She is proud, sweet, brutal, and also authoritative. No one would ever dare to cross the bad side of the silver-haired alpha. Bianca was the rarest werewolf who came from the line of rare moon werewolves and she was the fifth of them to ever exist. Zane, alpha of Moonshine city. He was cold and vicious and no woman dared to be near him. When the alphas first met, she knew he had a dark and hidden secret she was willing to go miles to unfold. ***** "I'm not the right person for you Bianca." "I'd like to know the reason why you aren't.” ***** The moon goddess wouldn't make things easy for them either as the third wheel came in, Jessica, an enemy in the form of a friend. What will they do? Love transcends all they say but not all love.

As soon as I graduated from university, I suggested to my three roommates that we should rent a place together. The place I found was near our workplace, and it was cheap as well. It was much better than the house they used to rent in the suburbs. During the first three months of renting the place together, everything seemed fine. One day, I got off work early and heard them talking in the living room. "I did some research online. The rent of the houses in this area is at least 2 grand a month. But ours is only 800 dollars a month. How about we rent the master bedroom out for 800 dollars? That way, we won't have to pay any rent." "Alright, I'm in! Why does Jessica always get to sleep in the master bedroom? Even if she covered all the bills of this house, how much would that cost anyway?" "I've had it with her arrogant attitude. Thinking of her being homeless makes me want to laugh!" I laughed inwardly. 'You want to see me homeless? But I'm the landlord!'

Raised by a single mother, Clara lived life as a normal high school student, until she turned 18 and her life bagan to change. "Come find me princess" He said, trailing his nose along her neck, taking in her scent. she felt his warmth on her skin, making her whimper, Clara shivered as she stared back at those smoldering silver eyes that made her heart flutter. Soon, she was pulled back to reality. Was it only a dream? But things turned real when Clara discovered who she really was and the woman she had called mother for 18 years was hiding a big secret. Her life became a lie until the man with silver eyes stormed into the hall and shouted "Mate". Perplexed, Clara didn't know what to do. she had enemies who wanted to destroy her and they would stop at nothing just to take everything she loved away from her. Will Clara accept her mate? How will she cope in this new world she found herself in?.

Vampires only ever took one mate in their lifetime. And yet, my vampire husband refused to acknowledge me—his human wife, bound to him through an arranged marriage. On the night of our tenth wedding anniversary, Jason brought another woman into my bed. She was wearing my nightgown. She was carrying his child. And in my hand, I held a pregnancy test I'd just had confirmed. "Be reasonable, Elena. Jessica just conceived my child. She needs me." "Go sleep in the guest room. I'm sorry for the inconvenience." My husband shielded the other woman, his smile polished and gentlemanly, though his eyes held the same icy indifference they always did. When he saw me frozen in the doorway, Jason assumed I was going to do what I always did. Scream. Cry. Demand to know why he kept doing this to me. But he didn't know—this time was different. The ten-year contract had come due, and I was finally leaving him for good.

My ex-husband Giacomo and my brother's widow, Zoya, are the reason I went to prison. Seven years. Gone. I crunched leaves on the way to Carlo's grave and—of course—they're there. Together. Right in front of his headstone. "Jessica?" His voice shook. Fake surprise. He wiped his eye like that meant something. "I've been looking for you for seven years. I thought you... were gone. "Where have you been all these years? Why didn't you ever contact me?" I said nothing. He kept going. "You're still mad about what happened? I had my reasons." 'Reasons?' I looked at him. Almost laughed. He and Carlo's woman killed Carlo. Framed me, kicked me out, and sent me to prison. He took half my life. And now he's talking about reasons—standing at Carlo's grave. But seven years of torment burned everything down. Love. Hate. All of it.

Braving a downpour, I delivered a lavish food order, anticipating the hefty commission and a $100 tip. Laughter suddenly echoed from the villa. Someone started, "He really believes your car crash left you paralyzed? He's hustling deliveries to support you and even pawned his dad's heirloom?" Another said, "What if he discovers you're actually a billionaire heiress, just playing poor? He'd probably break down in tears." Jessica Stark toyed with her wine glass. "Guys like him are wired to serve, especially since he always outshone Mark in our school days. This is his comeuppance." I stood in the relentless rain, a bitter chuckle escaping my lips. Turned out, her two-year charade of paralysis was merely to avenge her childhood sweetheart. Her broken legs, deceased parents, and helpless tears were all meticulously crafted lies. Disillusioned, I dialed my estranged tycoon mother. "You win. I'll go through with the arranged marriage."