Long Shadows David Baldacci

“I love you always and forever.” Carl whispered in my ears, making my face flush red but seeing his mother's glare from behind him, the blush faded. Georgia Timbers stood as an obstacle to our union, she stood against our relationship and did all she could to ruin us. “You'll never be good enough for my son!” She cursed at me occasionally. She always reminded me that I'd never live peacefully as long as I remained in Carl's life. “Will you marry me?” Carl proposed to me—The only dream I wished to come true for years but thinking back to the warnings from his mother, I wondered if our love was worth risking my life for. Staying with him would kill me gradually with every day that passed by. Leaving him would leave me broken until we meet again. This was a tough decision but I made my choice. And the consequences of my choice changed my life in a way that I would have never imagined!

Felix and I had been inseparable for ten years, and everyone thought we would end up married. When he got into fights at school, I took the blame and got expelled in his place. When he slept with countless women, I delivered birth control pills and breakup money in his place. I had always played the part of the shameless doormat, and everyone believed I loved him more than life itself. But the moment he took over as the heir to his family's fortune, he dumped me. He looked at me with scorn and disdain. "Kathy, maybe once upon a time we were in love, but it's been too long. You're dull, and you've drained away every ounce of my affection. I don't want to spend the rest of my life with you, so get out of my sight. I'm going to marry someone I truly love." Everyone was waiting to watch me fall apart. But when I saw the hospital's proof that my mother had been cured, and the extra hundred million dollars in my bank account, I genuinely smiled. "Fine. I'll leave," I said. The truth was, I had stayed with a player like him only because of a business deal. Now that I had the money, it was time for me to walk away.

Cerita tentang Rania untuk menyadari bahwa kebahagiaan masih ada dalam hidupnya walau dengan liku yang panjang. Orang tua dan kedua adiknya meninggal bersama, pada hari dan waktu yang sama. Dia diangkat anak oleh adik dari ibunya yang seorang petinggi militer saat berusia 18 tahun. Keluarga kandung dari ayahnya menuduh Rania tak lagi ingat mereka karena sudah ada dalam keluarga ‘berada’. Orang-orang di sekitarnya tak pernah menghargai kerja kerasnya untuk meraih cita-cita karena di anggap menumpang nama dari Mama angkat yang berasal dari keluarga produser film. Keinginan untuk menikahi teman masa kecilnya harus pupus saat ia gugur dalam tugasnya sebagai abdi negara. Inilah kisah Rania Aprilia saat mencari alasan mengapa ia tetap dihidupkan saat semua alasannya untuk hidup diambil darinya. Bergembiralah, Orang yang meninggal tidak ingin mereka yang ditinggal menderita terlalu lama.” (Lim Ju-Kyung – True Beauty 2020)

Two weeks ago, my family and I went hiking and camping. When the storm hit and the mudslide erupted, my adopted sister shoved me into a ravine. My parents and fiance only cared about my sister. They remained completely unaware of my predicament. A week later, when the rescue team finally finds me, my parents accuse me of being selfish and malicious.—— "You clearly know that your sister is suffering from a terminal illness and is about to die, yet you still try to murder her!" they yell. "The bride for next week's wedding will be your sister. She has end-stage kidney cancer, and her dying wish is to marry your fiancé.Ethan. You have to agree to this!" "I agreed to their wedding, and for atonement. I am willing to donate my kidney to my sister, and I will also give her all the academic papers I own and the oil paintings I have collected." Seeing how sensible I was, my parents and my fiance all smiled with relief. They said, "I've grown up and become sensible. I'm no longer that willful elder sister who didn't know how to care for my younger sister." In my final three days, I will give them everything they want and leave behind a perfect image. And when I die, I hope they won't cry, mourn my death；

The shadow’s have secrets. They see everything, and for a special few individuals they actually can hear the shadows whisper. But for a teenager named Cassia and here 5 year old sister Lillyanna the shadows hold secrets to their lost past and what happened to their village and the Kingdom of Archon. Follow the 2 on their journey through the wilds with a talented rag tag group of misfits. All the while being chased by Vampires, Werewolves, and Farrell Humans.

Penelope Faelan’s life was ordinary, if not for her haunting beauty—an allure so striking it seemed almost otherworldly. But the life she knew vanishes the moment the goddess Demeter kidnaps her, desperate to save her daughter, Persephone, from a fate worse than death: becoming the Queen of the Underworld. Transformed into an exact replica of Persephone, Penelope is thrust into a world of darkness and deceit, forced to take her place as Hades’ queen. Bound by magic to conceal the truth, Penelope finds herself at the mercy of the brooding and enigmatic King of the Dead. But Hades is not the monster she was warned about. Beneath his cold exterior lies a smoldering intensity that stirs something Penelope has never felt before. As Penelope struggles to adapt to her new role, the Underworld reveals its secrets—and her own. With every passing day, she begins to question her past and the mysterious circumstances that led her to this moment. Meanwhile, Persephone watches from the shadows, determined to reclaim her throne and the man who was never meant to fall for her mortal double. As passions ignite and loyalties are tested, Penelope must navigate a labyrinth of lies, lust, and power. When Demeter’s betrayal sets a deadly plan into motion, Penelope faces an impossible choice: to fight for her freedom or embrace the darkness and claim her place as the true Queen of Shadows.

[1st Account in the Tale of Shadow's Enigma] Z doesn't sit well in a world where a shadow is manipulated. As someone who has no memory of her past, she can't summon her shadow like others used to. It's a fatal mistake that may as well cost her life. But she can't worry with the facing danger when she's the only one who sees their world becoming undone. The legend of Dark, the only Shadow Wielder able to control time, is resurfacing once again. With a mob of wielders going on a rampage and going missing here and there, Z is losing a battle that haven't even started yet. In her haste, she makes the first mistake of leading her only friend to his death. And commits the second one by signing a deal with Dark himself just so he can be resurrected. Dark sends Z in a prestigious school where she's been thought of as someone she doesn't know. And while she has to endure living a stolen life, listening to a brat's whining, being patient with a maniac's snide remarks, and taking in the dazzling cold stares of an enthralling man whose eyes are only set at her, will she allow the world to crumble in the hands of Dark any further? And sacrifice every wielder alive just for a single friend?

"Shadows of the Past" is a story about *Natasha Fernandez* (26),the daughter of a billionaire who never enjoyed her childhood due to the loss of her mother and her father's busy schedule. She struggles with health issues and finding true love until she meets *Jamal smith* (29) who rescues her from a robber and becomes her friend, and eventually her husband. Years later, Natasha hires her childhood friend *Imade Martins*(25) a home tutor for her adopted daughter *Tessa* (3). However, Natasha is heartbroken when she discovers Jamal's affair with Imade, and she uses her power to frustrate Imade's business life. Unbeknownst to them all, Jamal is the biological father of Imade's daughter, whom she lost in the hands of a matron to an orphanage some years back. Imade leaves for another city where she falls in love with her boss, Mr. *George Henry,*(34) an influential business tycoon and a single father. Twenty years later, *Roy Henry,* George's son, falls in love with Tessa, Natasha's daughter. However, their love is jeopardized after a family introduction takes place, and complicated truths unravel, putting Tessa's life at stake. The story explores the drama and chaos that ensue as the characters confront their past and navigate their present relationships.

Since the death of their mother, Trixie had always lived in the shadow of her sister. No matter what she did, it was never enough for their father—not since the night their mother died. A cold winter evening when she gave her life trying to protect Trixie from a band of rogues that had invaded their kingdom. The only human who ever loved Trixie for who she was had died in her arms. As her breath faded, she whispered the last words that would cling to Trixie like skin to bone: “You’re special, my child. Mama is going to be watching over you...” Those words became a fragile beacon in the dark world that followed. Years later, on their eighteenth birthday, Trixie’s sister Trisha was honored with the ceremony every Alpha deserved—firelight, songs, and the whole pack gathered in reverence. Meanwhile, Trixie was tied up behind the pack house, hidden away, a secret shame. But the forest does not care for family politics. When a group of rogues stumbled upon the weak girl passed out beneath frost-bitten branches, they saw only prey.

Everyone always talks about how amazing it would be to find your mate. For me, that's the last thing I want. I mean when you're held prisoner by some sick bastard, there's not a lot you can offer your mate. No matter who it is, they can't save me from this. All that finding my mate would do is crush my heart and make my life that much more harder. Yet when I saw him at that gas station, I couldn't get him out of my head. I need to stay away, but I don't know that I can. I keep finding myself traveling to him even when I don't mean to. This doesn't bode well for me. *** "I have to go." I told him. "No, wait." He grabbed my hand, causing a strong spark to course through my body. It made me inhale deeply, intoxicating me with his scent. I pulled my hand away quickly, as if he'd burned me. His eyes widened as he stared at me. He had felt the spark too. He furrowed his brows at me, but I let the shadows start to swallow me, disappearing before him. "Please, come see me again." Were his last words to me. ***** Zerena has had one rule all her life, never find her mate. The life she leads is dangerous and not her own. Held captive by a scientist, forced to do his bidding alongside 4 others. Zerena has always known that if she found her mate it would cause her more trouble than anything else. As a shadow weaver, she knows nothing but darkness & cruel fates. She's used to danger, but how will she handle love?