Julian Maxwell Novels & Stories

On the day the Cole family went bankrupt, Adrian Cole left behind a suicide note and went alone to the snow mountains to end his life. I chased after him without hesitation, searching for him in the snow for a full ten hours. Just as despair hollowed me out completely, I saw his secretary, Zoe Bennett, livestreaming Adrian's proposal on social media. One of his friends joked in the comments, "You're about to be a groom. Aren't you afraid your woman will get mad?" His reply was icy cold. "I only promised her the title of Mrs. Cole. She shouldn't even think about anything else." Another comment followed. "She's marrying in with ten billion in investment. Is she really willing to swallow that kind of grievance?" I could almost see Adrian sneering as he typed, "She got ten billion for the position of Mrs. Cole. She's not losing out. If it weren't for her, Zoe wouldn't have been forced to go abroad. These last few days are my compensation to Zoe." My fingernails dug deep into my flesh. Calmly, I burned everything that had anything to do with him. On the day of the wedding, he went mad searching for me everywhere. In the upscale venue across the street, I had just slipped on a diamond ring given to me by another man, Julian Cross. Unbeknownst to him, while he was calculating the countdown to our breakup, I was also preparing to marry someone else.

I used to be a top ballet dancer. The year I was diagnosed with a spinal hemangioma, my boyfriend Julian Blackwood said, "Wherever you go, I go." We'd been together three years. He walked beside me as I went, step by step, from the most luminous dancer on that stage to a woman in a wheelchair. Every time the nerve pain hit and I collapsed, he was the one who lifted me off the floor. Every round of electrostim and acupuncture, he sat in the corridor outside the therapy room and waited for me to come out. Before I got sick, he promised me—the night I finished my final performance of Swan Lake, we'd sign the marriage license. He'd bought tickets for that show three months in advance. I never stood on that stage again. And the marriage license never came up. Until the morning I noticed the collar of his white dress shirt carried a smudge of lipstick that wasn't mine. I heard him on the balcony. A woman's voice on the other end. "Mr. Blackwood, you left your jacket at the hotel last night. I'll bring it over." I stared at that smear of red, and something in me snapped. I laughed. "Send me to Westbrook. The locked-down rehab facility. I don't want to drag you down anymore." Something flickered in his eyes—a brief, animal panic. Then he nodded. He thought I meant rest. He didn't know I'd already signed the papers to donate my body to science. I was going there to die.

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.

“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?

Seventeen years ago, the Hartwell family's little girl vanished into thin air, leaving her big brothers, Alexander and Julian, heartbroken and their parents wrecked until the end. Fast-forward to now: the billionaire brothers launch a worldwide hunt for their long-lost sister—the true heir to their massive empire. The big giveaway? A unique crescent-moon-and-star birthmark on her back. Plot twist: she's been right under their noses the whole time—as Elena, the overworked, underpaid maid getting bossed around by greedy widow Victoria and her bratty daughter Sophia. When the birthmark news hits, Victoria spots the real deal on Elena's back and smells money. Boom—they slap a fake tattoo on Sophia, coach her on sob stories, and march her straight to the Hartwells. The brothers, desperate for family, buy it hook, line, and sinker. Sophia morphs into "Isabella Hartwell," moves into the mansion, snags the CEO title, and starts living like royalty. Meanwhile, the actual heiress keeps scrubbing toilets. But power turns Sophia into a total monster—snobby, mean, and extra cruel to Elena. She even frames her for stealing a billion-dollar necklace and gets her kicked out. One brother (the sharp one) starts smelling something fishy. Then, at the huge CEO crowning gala, Sophia forgets to redraw the fake birthmark. Cameras flash, the mark's missing, and the internet explodes. Fake heiress busted! The brothers show up at Elena's tiny apartment begging forgiveness. She quietly shuts the door in their faces. Weeks later? Elena reclaims her empire—not as a sweet lost princess, but as a fierce boss lady who rebuilds it better, smarter, and kinder. She doesn't just inherit power—she owns it. And the brothers? They get front-row seats to the glow-up they never saw coming.

Julian "Jules" Ashford was born to wear a suit, walk the shiny halls of power, and marry the perfect woman - even when he's lied his entire life to everyone, including himself. Closeted, bullied by father Stephen Ashford Sr., and stuck in a copycat marriage to political heiress Camille "Cam" Stratton, Jules has just one freedom: acting... until an ice-blue mess and a beat-up Dodge Challenger smash into his carefully built world. River Moreno is signed, shattered, and too occupied destroying Moreno Custom Garage with his sister Sierra and father Tomás to give a shit about billionaire dickheads in fancy suits - until one of them "accidentally" hits him from behind to get his attention. When Jules and River's worlds collide - quite literally - what begins as a calculated untruth sets something raw and magnetic in motion. One man's existence is constructed on silence and legacy; the other's on survival and truth. But when a brick comes through River's shop window and threats begin to escalate, Jules doesn't hesitate to defend him - even if it means putting himself at risk and exposing himself in ways he's never been brave enough to. As Jules utilizes his power to protect River from harm, something deeper takes root - deeper than lust, deeper than rebellion. It's real. It's risky. And it may cost them everything. In a city where Ashford & Co. Wealth and the Stratton political machine reign supreme, where love between two men puts more than reputation at risk - it puts power at risk - Jules must make a decision: Can the man who was trained to live behind a mask come to love - and live - in the open?

**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.

My adopted sister, Clara, framed me. She claimed I forced beast blood down her throat. The terror, she said, gave her a heart attack. So my three beloved vampire brothers sealed me away. They trapped me in the observatory in the highest tower, bound by a blood curse. I pounded on the door, helpless, explaining and begging them to let me out. Damien, my eldest brother, the head of our family, pierced me with a look of cold disappointment. Then he turned his back on me. "There's a limit to your selfishness, Lilith. Clara is a fragile human. She has a heart condition! Did you force that filth on her? Were you trying to kill her? I don't want to see this cruel side of you again. Stay in here and think about what you've done." Ethan, the rock star, and Julian, the gothic architect, couldn't even look at me. Their voices were tight with anger and exhaustion. "We put up with your tantrums, but not so you could hurt our family! You've let us down, Lilith. Stay in there and figure out what you did wrong." Then they carefully lifted the "unconscious" Clara and disappeared down the hall. But they didn't know. The observatory was only meant to open at night. But it malfunctioned. When morning came, the dome didn't close. Deadly sunlight streamed straight in. My power evaporated. My screams turned to silence. I burned to ash. Three days later, my brothers returned with a "recovered" Clara. Only then did they remember me. They had no idea the sun had already executed me.

Sarah Miller spent three years as the invisible and neglected wife of Jason Vanguard. The story begins when Jason serves her divorce papers to marry the socialite Elena Vance. believing Sarah is a penniless nobody. However. the divorce triggers the secret Vanguard Pact of 1995. Sarah discovers she is the heiress to a hidden 30-billion-dollar fortune. Supported by her childhood protector. Julian Thorne. Sarah sheds her timid persona and begins a brutal corporate takeover. She systematically dismantles Jason’s empire and humiliates her enemies in public "face-slapping" revelations. As Sarah rises to power. she uncovers a dark family conspiracy. Her father. Arthur. faked her mother’s death to hide his own crimes. and Sarah eventually finds her sister. Lily. who was hidden away for years. The conflict escalates when Sarah discovers her mother. Catherine. is actually alive and is the true villain of the story. Catherine is a cold mastermind who has been pulling the strings of both families from the shadows. She views Sarah as a rival and uses deepfakes. holograms. and identity theft to frame Sarah for global crimes in an attempt to steal the 30 billion dollars. The final battle takes Sarah from Singapore to London. where she survives assassination attempts and psychological warfare. Sarah eventually locates her Aunt Rose. the only person with the legal authority to override Catherine’s control. In a final showdown. Sarah triggers a financial "Poison Pill" that bankrupts her mother and leaves Jason paralyzed and imprisoned. Sarah emerges as the "Glass Queen." an independent titan who turns her corrupt family legacy into a global foundation. She finally finds peace and a true partnership with Julian. having destroyed the ghosts of her past.

Penelope was the girl they broke. Now, she’s the woman who’ll destroy them all. She once thought love would save her. Julian the golden boy of the Callister Pack was supposed to be her forever. But one night shattered everything. Drugged. Humiliated. Framed. Her best friend and her mate betrayed her in the most brutal way imaginable, and the pack she once called home cast her out like filth. Whipped. Starved. Left to rot in the Ashborne Pack dungeons. Her innocence was replaced by something colder and sharper. A year later, the world thinks she’s forgotten. Forgiven. They couldn’t be more wrong. But when her father strikes a deal with Alpha Daemon Callister’s father, Penelope is forced to move into the mansion of her enemy. She swore she’d make Callister pay. Her plan was simple: seduce Alpha Daemon, destroy Callister, and take back everything she lost. Make Callister jealous. Make her watch as she sank her claws into Alpha Daemon, Callister’s father. Cold. Dangerous. Untouchable. She would seduce him. Use him and then walk away, satisfied. But revenge turned into obsession. Not hers. His. Daemon wasn’t supposed to fall. Wasn’t supposed to crave her like a sickness. Now, he watches her every move. Marks her skin with his mouth. Kills any man who dares to look at her twice. He knows about the age gap. But he doesn’t care, he doesn’t just want her love. He wants her submission. Because now that she’s in his bed, he’ll ruin anyone who tries to take her away even if it means destroying his own blood.