Like Water

After my fiance’s childhood friend found out I was born with a heart condition, she secretly poured a high-dose energy drink into my champagne. The moment I drank it, my heart started racing, and stabbing pain spread through my chest. In a panic, I tore open my only emergency medication, but the water I used to take it had been swapped with strong lemon water. As soon as I drank it, my face went pale. I lost all strength and collapsed to the ground. “Lemon water’s full of vitamin C. It helps with hangovers and keeps you healthy.” Charlotte Whitmore laughed so hard she nearly doubled over. With her arms crossed, she looked at my fiance, Ethan Cross, the boss of the Rolling Stones. “Ethan, your fiancee’s acting is incredible! “I’ve been a doctor for years, and I’ve never seen anyone react like this to a little champagne and lemon water.” I bit my lip until I tasted blood. The pain made my eyes sting, and I clutched Ethan’s leg. “Honey, please, call an ambulance! I can’t take it anymore…” For a moment, his expression wavered, but the guests quickly cut in. “Come on, stop pretending! Nobody dies from a bit of champagne and lemon water.” “Yeah, you’re just jealous Charlotte got promoted and didn’t want to toast to her.” Ethan’s face turned cold again. He yanked my hand off and stepped away. “Charlotte’s a doctor. You’ll be fine with her here.” I stopped begging and texted my father asking for help.

"Marry me, Olivia," Felix said to her, his expression stern and commanding. "What?" The statement was so unexpected that she choked on the water in her hand. Water dripped down her chin as she coughed and sputtered. She tried breathing while tears filled her eyes. "What did you just say?" She asked hoarsely when she recovered. There was no way he could have said what she thought he said. "Married? Just like that? You can't be serious!' she shook her head in disbelief. "Didn't you seduce and sleep with me just to be with me? Marry me and let's get this problem over with." Olivia Thompson's life takes a complete turn when she sees pictures of her boyfriend of two years with a new girl on the school's social media platforms and her father's demand for her to marry his 50-year-old friend to settle his debts. I'm an attempt to distract her from her problems, her best friend drags her to a lavish party, but everything changes when she wakes up naked on Felix Walton's bed, her best friend's enigmatic brother. Felix offers Olivia a marriage contract to protect his family's reputation after she unexpectedly becomes pregnant; Olivia accepts out of desperation. However, there is a problem: his parents have another woman they would prefer him to marry and she conceals secrets that could destroy the family. What will happen when Olivia faces her deepest fears? Will Olivia and Felix be able to overcome all the challenges in their way and build a future together or will the shadows of their past tear them apart forever?

Lydia Martins, the smart kid at school, is the constant target of bullies like Emily, the wealthy businessman's daughter, who torments Lydia for getting perfect grades. After Lydia aces another test, Emily and her friends confront Lydia in the bathroom, calling her "Teacher's Pet" and accusing her of only succeeding because of the handsome, young Mr. Derek—the new English teacher. The girls tease and bully Lydia, claiming she's sleeping with Mr. Derek for good grades, before dumping a bucket of water over her head. Humiliated, Lydia soon finds photos from the incident circulating online with vile captions calling her a ‘Slut’ and the ‘Teacher’s Pet’. Enraged, she hatches a plan not to get back at her bullying classmates but to target Mr. Derek instead. She decides that if she can get him fired, the torment over her grades might finally stop.

Fresh from a business trip, my husband swept me into his arms and pulled me toward the bathroom for a passionate shared bath. As our lips met in a dizzying kiss, I noticed something odd out of the corner of my eye: the toilet lid was down. Seven years ago, after reading an online article claiming that men urinating while standing could splash bacteria onto the seat, he insisted we always keep the lid up for hygiene's sake. In all our years of marriage, it had never been lowered until now. A chill ran through me. The bathroom was pristine, not a stray hair in sight. But then I noticed the shower's water temperature was set five degrees higher than the 98.6°F he always preferred. Men preferred cooler water, and women warmer. In an instant, I realized that Nick Doyle had betrayed me.

Eugene Lloyd is known all over Swanford as a wife-obsessed maniac—everyone says he loves Jacklyn Stinson with quiet, unwavering devotion. At first, Jacklyn believes it, too… until the day she discovers Eugene is cheating—and with her own sister! It hits her like a bucket of ice water, dousing every bit of passion she once had for him. Jacklyn plots her revenge. She drains Eugene's assets, then contacts her best friend to stage her death. It's time to destroy the cheating scum and his shameless lover! Afterward, Jacklyn thinks she'll never love again. But on the night before her staged death, Swanford's so-called prince, Liam Robertson, corners her against the wall. Years of silent yearning finally boil over, and his voice trembles as he looks at her. "Will you consider me instead? I'll wait for you!"

When he pushed her into the water at the alliance banquet — eight months pregnant, fighting for her life while he held another woman and asked if she was okay — something in Ivy finally broke beyond repair. She lost her son in a hospital room Noah never came to. She signed the divorce papers alone at midnight while he was across town blowing up birthday balloons for his first love. And when he finally walked through the door that night smelling like another woman's celebration, he had the nerve to ask if she even cared about the baby. She pushed the papers across the table and said one thing. "Reject me. Tonight.". He still doesn't know their baby is gone. And honestly? Let him find out the hard way. Ivy is done protecting a man who never once protected her.

On the wet sand beside the seashore, the strong, tall man was laying with a cigarette in his hand. His bike parked a few feet away from him. The environment there was serene and noiseless as no one was allowed then on the beach that he owned. It was not a big deal for a billionaire like him. He had a lot more than that. Wealth, power, the respect he had all of them but lacked the most important thing that couldn't be bought with money. He lacked inner peace. He inhaled the vinous smoke as the corner of his lips twitched in a sad smile. His eyes deceived him being moist and a lone tear slipped down his face on the sand. The sand sucked the water as soon as it fell on it, and he wondered if his pain disappeared in thin air like that. He breathed out a puff of smoke through his nose and mouth. Looking up at the sky with the sad smile plastered on his face he spoke up, "Why so hatred for me, ya Rab?" Miles away from him the girl with a cuddling baby in her arms uttered looking up at the sky, "I express my deep gratitude to You for sending this angel to me, Ya Rab."

During Christmas dinner, my mother-in-law hinted for the umpteenth time that she wanted a grandchild. However, my husband, Zachary Cole, who had insisted on staying child-free in the past decade, only smiled and filled her plate. After dinner, he slipped onto the balcony. "There, there. Daddy will come see you on New Year's Day," he whispered. I stood in the corner of the living room with a glass of water in my hand, feeling cold as the words sank in. I stepped forward and forced a playful tone. "I just heard you say 'Daddy.' Got a secret kid stashed somewhere?" He rubbed his nose, his voice stiff. "You must've misheard. That's… just a friend's kid." My heart sank. I'd been married to him for a decade, so I knew exactly what he looked like when he was lying.

They say every wolf has a fated mate. But not me. I was cursed, mateless, wolfless… worthless. My mates die before they can claim me. One by one, death takes them. And fear makes the others run. So my family did what they thought was best. Sold me off like I was nothing. But then… Two survives. One Mafia Alpha. One Devil. Now I’m caught between a past mate and a devil who would burn the world for me. Again. They both want me. They both burn for me. But only one is mine and only one will survive. Deep down, I'm terrified I know who. And you know too. "When the devil finds his bride, and they two become one. There will be chaos in the world." These words confirmed my fears. Sit tight with your legs soaked in water and pick up MATED TO DARKNESS, cause it'll be a long and fast one.

Book 1 in Russo Series. Loud gun shots echoed all around in the huge mansion. Cold bodies lying unalive on the floor as we walked over those bodies to find her. "Damn! She really is a killing machine." I heard Lorenzo's voice ringing in my ear through the earpiece. He is right. She is a killing machine. The amount of dead bodies we crossed and the way blood is splattered on the floor like water proves it. "Nic behind you!" Shawn warned me in urgency and I turned behind to look at the same girl I fell in love with, heading towards me, blood painting her face. --- Nicolas Russo, is the leader of the black market auction. He owns half of the Italy and people quiver in their boots at the mention of his name. But, a swirling storm, with a name Zyra Lavender stole something very precious to him. It was the audacity of her later on, to go and live right in his mansion with him. She overestimated herself when she thought that she can go on after messing with a man like him. Nicolas does not do forgiveness. He chases, catches, kills and cleans. Now, we have to see, how far can Zyra run? Thank You For Reading.