Jewel Garden

Welcome back to Clifton Heights. Sheriff Chris Baker and Father Ward meet for a Saturday morning breakfast at The Skylark Diner to once again commiserate over the weird and terrifying secrets surrounding their town. Sheriff Baker shares with Father Ward the story of a journal discovered in the ruins of what was once an elaborate koi pond and flower garden, which regales a tale of regret, buried pain, and unfulfilled debt: “Sophan” – Jake Burns has always been a bit...off. Rude, awkward, sometimes brutish, he's tolerated by Nate Slocum and his friends because he hits a mean line drive, and because they all know but don't discuss the abuse he faces at the hands of his troubled father, a Vietnam veteran consumed by his demons. But Jake is suffering something far worse than domestic abuse, and when Nate discovers what, he faces an impossible choice: help Jake and put himself in the path of evil, or abandon him, only to damn himself in the process. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Clair is an omega maid in the Vulcan pack. She never aimed for anything except doing her job diligently as the maid she is. Things, however, took a different turn when she met this handsome man in the garden admiring flowers. Her wolf never called out to him as her mate, but there's something strange which keeps drawing her to him whenever they meet. Unfortunately, he's the Alpha of the Nightingale pack, a pack known for its immense wealth and powers, and he is in an arranged marriage with Roxanne, the Alpha's daughter and the lady she serves. Knowing this, Clair decides to get rid of whatever feelings she has for him since he's far above her level, but hell breaks loose when she is to go to the Nightingale pack as Roxanne's personal maid. To worsen it, Clair is further placed in a dire situation where she is subjected to having a one-night stand with this Alpha. What will happen after this one-night stand with the man she's always been in love with? Will things turn out for good?

Warning: Mature content! He let his hand squeeze her breast gently through the gown she wore, then he applied a little bit of force. He heard her make a whimpering sound into his mouth and he swallowed it up. He released her hands and pushed her to himself with his hand while caressing her breast. *** His unwilling slave… Fiery and innocent, Lady Roksolana was once the esteemed and privileged daughter of the sultanate king. Until she was captured by the enemy, the all powerful and devilishly charming Sultan, Sheikh Jamal Aamil. The ruthless king… Worshipped as a god by his people, sinfully hot Jamal takes ahold of Roksolana during an attack and back to his palace. Drawn to her exotic beauty, he tries to bends her to his seductive whims. Except that Roksolana refuses to suppress her bold spirit for any man, especially such an arrogant one like Jamal, who sees her as nothing but his possession, a jewel in his harem and a slave to slake his pleasure on. Bound together by desire… Soon, Roksolana finds herself succumbing to his sensual touches and in the process falls in love with him. But with another danger in the air, ememies scheming wicked plots and his favorite mistress raging with jealousy, will these two be able to find love in the midst of all the chaos? A thrilling tale of love, lust and desire.

Aria Quinn has spent years hiding from a truth that nearly destroyed her one night, one death, one secret. Now, with a new name and a second chance, she’s clawed her way into New York City’s elite creative scene. Her latest project? Rebranding the crown jewel of Vale Corp, a global empire ruled by wealth, ruthlessness, and the one man she never saw coming. Cassian Vale is a billionaire heir with ice in his veins and a legacy he never asked for. Groomed to protect the family name at all costs, Cassian has buried every emotion, every weakness until Aria storms into his world and ignites a fire he’s no longer able to contain. As they fall into a relationship fueled by lust, obsession, and need, Aria and Cassian begin unraveling each other’s secrets. But their connection is more than forbidden it’s dangerous. Because the more Cassian investigates his family’s past, the more he realizes Aria was never a coincidence. She’s the key to everything. And someone will do anything to silence her… even if it means killing them both. In a city of shadows, seduction, and power, love isn’t safe. It’s a war. And only one of them might survive it.

Alam ni Tessa na hindi siya ganoon kamahal ni Zander, ngunit nanatili pa rin siya sa tabi nito dahil may kailangan siya kay Zander at ganoon din naman ang lalaki sa kanya. Pero nang bumalik ang dating minahal ni Zander, bihira na lamang itong umuwi sa kanila. Nanatili si Tessa sa walang laman na silid, ginugugol ang hindi mabilang na gabi na hindi niya kasama si Zander. Kalaunan, nang mapagod na si Tessa, tinanggap niya ang isang tseke at tuluyan na niyang iniwan si Zander. Nang muli silang magkita, may iba nang lalaking kasama si Tessa. “Mr. Velasquez, ikaw ang unang nakipaghiwalay. If you want to date me, kailangan mong pumila.” — Tessa Jewel Morales. Kinabukasan, nakatanggap si Tessa ng deposito na isang daang bilyong piso at isang dyamanteng singsing. May pag-asa pa kayang magkabalikan ang dalawa? O mas pipiliin ni Tessa na hindi na bumalik sa buhay ni Zander?

John Handful’s first client is a member of the local Polish community wanted by the police for the disappearance of his pregnant wife. A new miracle cancer drug is stolen from a pharmaceutical complex located on a shingle spit, just off the Suffolk coast. A wealthy local financier is blackmailed, and a ripple of malice spreads across the village of Oxmarket. Each household of a cul-de-sac have a secret that could point to them being the murderer of a man found shot dead in his bedroom.A perplexing case unfolds with the revelation of secret lovers, flowers from the garden and a death that is not as it appears.John Handful finds himself enmeshed in a violent, multi-layered plot at a luxury hotel on a remote island. A man kills himself despite receiving the good news that his lover’s husband has agreed to a divorce.A woman is witnessed shooting herself by her husband even though she had already been dead several hours.A man has been found shot through the head in a locked room with suicide well and truly ruled out. How did he die?Severed limbs in a concrete block, leads, John Handful to believe that a cold calculated killer with a thirst for revenge is on the loose. Ten cases, one connection. What is it?

Imagine standing in your white dress, 20 minutes to your wedding and your boyfriend of 4 years and supposed soon to be husband walks in and tells you it was all a mistake and he doesn't want to marry you anymore. You're devastated, because everyone is in the hall waiting for you, both the same people that have mocked you for being in a relationship that was heading nowhere; you should have listened to them. Now you run out crying, after begging him in tears to please consider taking you back (I'm such a fool) You're in the garden crying and you meet his hot half brother and you both share his cigarette. Now he has a proposal. To save you from shame and for personal reasons for him; He's asking you marry him. But it doesn't end there, because you never knew that he was in the Mafia, a top ranker at that, and he has obsession issues. He will literally kill anyone he dares to look at you, he will protect you, even take a bullet or two for you, but there's a catch. You must not fall in love with him. Sounds crazy right? Well let's go

As the wife of the Colombian cartel heir, Krystal Serrano is a symbol of diplomacy and control. Dressed in silk, wrapped in silence, and displayed like a crown jewel at the center of power. But behind the flawless smile lies a woman raised not just to survive, but to rule. When her husband's betrayal ignites a war with the Italian mafia, Krystal is taken. Kidnapped and hidden away by Zachary Romano, the young, ruthless Don who solves problems with bullets and buries questions with bodies. He thought he had captured a soft, obedient mafia wife. What he brought home was a storm in heels. Krystal doesn't beg. She doesn't break. Her silence provokes, her lips taunt, and her gaze slices deeper than any blade. Inside the stone walls of his private villa, control begins to slip. Hatred turns into tension. Tension burns into obsession. And in their world, love always comes with blood on its hands. The ring on her finger still binds her to a man who believes she belongs to him. But what happens when a woman like Krystal meets someone dark enough to understand her, broken enough to match her, and reckless enough to want her? Because there's a difference between loving a woman like Krystal… And trying to own her. And Zach Romano is about to learn—only one man can stand beside her. The rest will be buried.

Catherine Turner was the naive young lady of the Turner family. She should be loved and treated like a precious jewel but the wrong marriage with Billy Rodriguez - the young master of the Rodriguez family - had brought her down to hell. Her beloved husband had an affair with her soulmate and planned to get the Turner family down. He took Turner Group as his property, made her mother and father die in an accident. Her eldest brother had been taken to a mental hospital. Catherine had lost everything, then she decided to risk her life to drag those two ungrateful people to the grave. After all her efforts, she failed and she was killed. When she was near death, she prayed to Mighty God that if she had a chance to do it again, if she could be reborn in a new life, she would change everything. She would stay away from these bad people who just used her like an ugly doll. She would take revenge for what they had done to her. And if she had the last chance, she would find him, Christoper Harris Borrisons. She would appreciate him - the one who did everything for her but did not want her to return anything, even though she had been cruel to him all the time. If there's an afterlife, I will find you and make up for everything that I owed you. And… if there's any chance, I will be truthful to myself, not living a lie anymore.

Gabriella Montez is an ordinary omega blessed with the gift of healing through the knowledge of herbs and her culinary skills. After being wrongfully accused of theft, she escapes her pack and finds refuge in White Pack, applying for a position in the mansion of Alpha Waylen, who has been desperately seeking someone to replicate his mother’s cherished mushroom broth soup. Once she secures the job, Gabriella heads out to a club to celebrate with her friend, where a night of unexpected passion with a mysterious stranger leads to a steamy one-night stand. The morning after reveals a shocking twist: the seductive stranger is none other than Alpha Waylen himself. As Gabriella whips up hearty meals in his kitchen, and heals his soul in ways he didn’t know could be mended, she gradually melts her way into his heart. Yet, their blossoming romance is met with challenges, as different forces threaten to tear them apart, and Alpha Waylen harbors secrets that could jeopardize everything they’ve built together. Can the forbidden love between an Alpha and an omega endure the trials ahead? Will it flourish against all odds, or will it wither away like a neglected plant in a once-thriving garden?