Julian Loki

“Damn it, Viola! Do you even hear yourself? You’re miserable, and you’re pretending it’s normal!” Logan says, clenching his fists beside him. I drag in a shaky breath. “What do you want me to do, Logan? Just leave my marriage?” “Yes!” I freeze. He steps closer. “Leave. And let me love you the way you deserve.” *** She thought heartbreak was the worst thing he could do to her. Then he came back. Three years ago, Logan Reynolds chose ambition over love, leaving Viola McCoy behind—and breaking her heart in the process. Determined to move on, she made a choice—one that led her into the arms of Julian Cruz, a man who vowed to love her but only saw her as a means to an end. Now, trapped in a loveless marriage, Viola endures the whispers, the neglect, and the bruises she hides beneath designer sleeves. But when Logan returns as the new CEO of Reynolds Publishing—her boss—Viola’s carefully constructed world begins to crack. He sees through her forced smiles and polite lies. He soon realizes the woman he left behind is still fighting to be heard. Logan is determined to save her. Viola? She’s certain she can’t be saved. But in the middle of stolen glances, midnight confessions, and the words they can’t say out loud, one question remains: Can love be rewritten, or are some stories doomed to end the same way twice?

For years, the witches and vampires of Shadowbrooke co-existed secretly, without much incident. Until one winter evening in 2002. Luca Delacroix was on a hunting trip when the monthly court hosted by his clan turned disastrous. What began as a normal night for the residents of the sleepy town ended horribly when fledgelings in blood-lust took Shadowbrooke under siege. It took a small coven of witches, a powerful spell, the Chaos Star and a virgin's blood to end the terror. But in the aftermath, Julian Delacroix, Luca's brother, along with several of their clan members, were eternally bound to the manor's cellar, forsaken to wither and perish from thirst. It's 2022, and Luca's returned to Shadowbrooke after two decades. His sudden reappearance threatens to destabilise the peaceful town again. He'll stop at nothing to get his brother out, and the Youngblood Coven will not hesitate to destroy him. While the witches scramble to get the missing piece of the Star of Chaos, the rune they once used against Luca's clan, he has to fight hard to stay one step ahead of them. But, his plans go awry when he meets and falls in love with Cadence Youngblood, the same woman responsible for his brother's infernal prison. Cadence is everything he shouldn't want, but for her, Luca is willing to take the backlash from his clan and risk her coven's wrath. © 2022 Val Sims. All rights reserved. No part of this novel may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author and publishers.

**Her Rock Sequel** Agape: noun. 1. The highest form of love. Selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love; persists no matter the circumstance. One year later Ella and Declan are seniors. One year later Julian is locked up and Hayes is nowhere in sight. One year later Ella and Declan believe they can breathe again without having to glance over their shoulders every other second. This year Ella Emerson has rekindled her love for soccer after facing her past that tragically tore her apart. She has Declan Anderson by her side, the boy who mended her shattered pieces, and the same boy she's given her whole heart to. At last, life is safe again, their love is growing by the second, and now all they have to worry about is loads of homework. Or so they thought. As days pass, peculiar things begin to happen. But when these peculiar things become a pattern can they really keep brushing them off as coincidences? It doesn't take long until the past they thought they conquered sneaks up on them and begins to fiddle with their relationship. Lies arise, fights kindle, tension flares. Will they be able to take each individual punch thrown at them? Or will they crumble when things surpass the limits of difficult? * He then looks into my eyes, his face displaying all kinds of emotions. "Thank you," He whispers. "You're my Ellie, you know that right?" His thumb brushes along my face, setting fire ablaze wherever he touches. "Always my Ellie." My Ellie. Words don't seem to come out, my mouth agape. Always.

Atty. Roxanne Gomez thought she had it all — a thriving career and a peaceful life ahead. Pero isang gabi, gumuho ang lahat. Pag-uwi niya mula sa panalo niyang kaso, natuklasan niyang may ibang minamahal ang asawa niya — isang matandang lalaki na matagal nang kaibigan ng pamilya nila. Doon niya nalaman ang matinding katotohanang ginamit lang siya ni Julian bilang panakip sa tunay niyang pagkatao. Sa gitna ng sakit at pagkadurog, pinili ni Roxanne na magpakalayo at magpakalunod sa alak. Ngunit pagmulat ng mata niya kinabukasan, natagpuan siya sa piling ng isang lalaking hindi niya inakala na magiging bahagi ng kanyang buhay — si Mateo Ramirez, ang tiyuhin ng asawa niya. Isang gabing puno ng luha at kalasingan ang nagbunga ng isang kasalanang hindi niya matatakasan. Parang gumuho ang mundo ni Roxanne nang malamang siya ay buntis. At ang ama ng dinadala niya ay ang mismong tiyuhin ng asawa niyang minsang sumira sa kanya. Habang sinusubukan niyang takasan ang nakaraan, unti-unti namang tumitibok ang puso niya para kay Mateo — ang lalaking hindi niya dapat minahal, ngunit hindi rin niya kayang talikuran. Ipaglalaban ba ni Roxanne ang bawal na pag-ibig, o susunod sa katahimikan at reputasyon ng lahat? Paano kung ang tanging kasalanan niya… ay ang magmahal ng maling tao sa tamang panahon?

Evelyn Moore thought marrying Adrian Blackwood would be her fairy-tale ending. Instead, she became the ghost in his mansion… invisible, unwanted, and broken. For three years, she endured his coldness, his cruelty, and his lies. She smiled through the humiliation when society whispered about his mistress. But when she discovered she was pregnant and he still chose his mistress, something inside her shattered and then rebuilt itself stronger. She signed the divorce papers and walked away from the Blackwood empire with nothing but her dignity. What Adrian didn’t know? She was never just Evelyn Moore, the orphan he married out of obligation. She is Evelyn Hartman…the missing daughter of the most powerful family in the country. Her three brothers emerged from the shadows like avenging angels: Elias, Damian and Julian, ready to protect their sister at all cost They showered her with love, protection, and the wealth she’d been denied for years. But as she heals and rises again, one man stands by her side—Luca Varyn, her silent bodyguard with haunted eyes and deadly hands. He becomes her protector, her confidant, and the man who teaches her what true respect feels like. Yet when shocking secrets resurface, Evelyn learns that Adrian’s cruelty wasn’t born of hate, but of deception…a lie that shattered them both. Now Adrian is fighting not just for forgiveness, but for the woman he never truly stopped loving. Caught between the man who broke her and the man who saved her, Evelyn must choose between the safety of her new life and the dangerous, fragile chance of mending a love that was never meant to die. Because sometimes… the heart remembers the truth even when the mind refuses to.

“She was untouched, innocent, and desperate. He was ruthless, dominant, and determined to have an heir.” --- Nang mag-apply si Solenne Villareal bilang maid sa mansyon ng isang bilyonaryo, ang tanging hangad lang niya ay magkaroon ng maayos na trabaho para maipagamot ang kanyang inang may sakit. Pero sa mismong araw ng pagpirma niya ng kontrata, biglang tumawag ang kapatid niyang si Julian—isinugod daw sa ospital ang kanilang ina matapos atakihin ng seizure. Sa sobrang kaba at takot, hindi na nabasa ni Solenne ang buong kontrata. Pinirmahan niya ito nang hindi iniisip ang magiging kapalit. The next morning, she learned the devastating truth. She wasn't hired as a maid. She was chosen as a surrogate bride. Ang kanyang employer, si Caelum Valtieri, ang cold at merciless billionaire, ay sinabi ang totoong nilalaman ng pinirmahan niyang kontrata. Siya ay magiging surrogate mother ng magiging heir nito at sa loob ng isang taon ay magsasama sila sa iisang bubong bilang mag-asawa. Bilang kapalit, ipagagamot ang kanyang nanay na may sakit at tutustusan ang pag-aaral ng kapatid niya hanggang sa makapagtapos ito. Gustong mag-back out ni Solenne nang malaman ito, pero nang makausap niya ang doktor na sumusuri sa kanyang Nanay Emilia ay sinabing kailangan nitong maoperahan kaagad, kung hindi ay baka manganib ang buhay nito. And with no choice left, she accepted the bargain that chained her to the man she feared the most. Para kay Caelum, isa lang siyang kontrata—isang sisidlan para sa tagapagmana. Para kay Solenne, siya lang ang natitirang pag-asa ng kanyang ina. Ngunit sa kasal na sinelyuhan ng desperasyon at kapalit na buhay, posible kayang mamagitan ang pag-ibig sa pagitan ng isang ruthless CEO at ng inosenteng babaeng napilitang ibigay ang lahat?

En vísperas de la boda, la noticia de que la amante del prometido había dado a luz se volvió un escándalo. Julian Espinoza no esperó a que yo lo confrontara y habló con indiferencia. —No fue más que un accidente. Tú encárgate primero de la fiesta de compromiso. —Además, tu papá está en fase terminal de cáncer de estómago. Cancelar la alianza ahora no le conviene a ninguna de las dos familias. Esa misma noche faltó a la cena de compromiso, pero en sus redes sociales subió la foto de un bebé envuelto en mantas. Cuando marqué una videollamada, apareció dándole de comer con un biberón al recién nacido. —Últimamente estoy cuidando al niño y no tengo tiempo para ti. Ya sabes, en mi familia solo queda una rama masculina, el hijo es prioridad. Limpió la leche de la comisura de los labios del bebé y añadió: —Pero tranquila, cuando cumpla el mes lo mando a Inglaterra. En las fiestas importantes basta con que te muestres como si fueras su madre. El lugar de señora de la familia Espinoza siempre será tuyo. Yo me quedé mirando el anillo en su dedo anular, idéntico al mío, y solté una risa. —Este compromiso queda anulado. Él bufó con frialdad: —Armas tanto escándalo por una tontería. No seas tan caprichosa. Colgué de golpe la videollamada y marqué al número privado de su padre. —Dicen que anda buscando nueva esposa, ¿por qué no me considera a mí? Acariciando mi vientre, solté una risa baja: —Después de todo, tengo facilidad para embarazarme; los hijos que usted quiera, se los puedo dar. Qué soledad la de una familia con un solo heredero. Yo misma le daré varios hermanos para que al menos haya ruido en la casa.