Masking Grief

Elin was supposed to marry the crown prince and become the queen. That's what her father the duke had always told her, and that's what everyone believed. That is until the day the crown prince mysteriously loses his life in a tragic event leaving Elin drowning in grief, anger, and guilt. Fingers point out at her in suspicion as the next in line for the throne. As the conflict between noble parties began she's thrown into a fight for succession with her cousin and childhood friend, Louis. That's when the king interfered, sending Elin to study with her cousin at the royal academy postponing the announcement of the next heir, and giving her the perfect chance to realize her goals. Taking that as her chance, Elin begins to orchestrate her plans to investigate who killed her fiance while looking for a way to let her cousin win the succession battle. If only they would let her step down from the throne. She didn't expect that Louis too had his own plans in all this madness. And that she would meet someone else who would make her reconsider her decision and shake the fragile balance she was standing on.

In her past life, Dylan Xander was forced to marry Zoe Stone. On their wedding day, his first love died in a plane crash. After the wedding, Dylan fell into a deep depression and grew to despise Zoe. For seven long years, she humbled herself just to win a sliver of his affection. But all she ever got in return was the same cruel question, over and over again: “Why wasn’t it you who died instead?” And yet, when the tsunami struck, Dylan gave up his only chance of survival to save her. On the lifeboat, she desperately reached out to grab his hand but he pulled away with all his strength. As he sank into the dark depths of the sea, he smiled in relief. “I’m finally free. I can be with her now.” After his death, the entire Xander family turned their hatred toward Zoe. Consumed by grief and guilt, she took her own life by jumping into the ocean. But when she opened her eyes again, she had returned to seven years ago. This time, she would cut the toxic bond between them and let him be with his true love.

The day before our wedding, my fiance, Yale Salvatore, died in an accident. He had been setting up the venue when the stage collapsed. I'm now a widow and carrying his child. Devastated with grief, I even tried to end my life. However, my parents-in-law urge me not to grieve too much. After all, I'm pregnant and need to stay strong for the child's sake. On the day of Yale's funeral, his older twin brother arrives from Novavista with his wife and child. They're here to attend the funeral. His face is so identical to Yale's that I nearly mistook him for Yale several times. By accident, I overheard a conversation between him and my in-laws. "You faked your death just for Gwen King? Sasha is pregnant with your child! Do you want your baby to be born fatherless?" "You did all of this just so you could be with Gwen out in the open?" My brother-in-law, exasperatedly explains, "Mom, Dad, Gwen has cancer. She has less than a month to live. She's loved me for years, and her dying wish is to marry me. "Once she passes, I'll return to Sasha's side and give her an even grander wedding. Then, I'll be there for the birth of our child, and we'll raise him together." Hearing this, I'm so shocked I can't speak. My so-called "brother-in-law" is actually my fiance, Yale! For the sake of helping another woman fulfill her dying wish, he doesn't care how upset or devastated I may be. And once he completes his benevolent mission, he intends to return to my side? No. My fiance, Yale, is already dead. I won't beg him to come back. And in three days, I'll be just like him. I'll be lying beneath a cold gravestone, and I'll forever vanishing from his world, he will never find me again...

Disclaimer: Mature Audience Only! This book is specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 18. This book may contain one or more of the following: crude indecent language, explicit sexual activity. "I'm your master, right?" "Y… yes…" "Yes what?" "Yes, master." "Then I order you to go on your knees and suck." .......... They don't call him the devil for nothing. Ryan Johnson doesn’t do distractions, doesn't chase women, until her. But one look at her and her sinful curves, those defiant brown eyes, and his self-control shatters. But she is too young, too forbidden, but the way her pink lips part when he pins her with that stormy gaze? Irresistible. One taste, and he’s addicted. The more he resists, the harder she pulls him under. Elena Carter is a wildfire, chaotic, impulsive, and too reckless for her own good. When she sneaks into an exclusive club with her friends under fake ID, she doesn’t expect to lock eyes with him. He’s everything she shouldn’t want. He’s all dominance, danger and recklessly magnetic, his calm exterior masking a storm of intensity that draws her in like a moth to a flame. He knew it was dangerous, she knew it was illicit, both of them knew it was forbidden but they couldn't stop themselves. Between stolen touches and secret rendezvous, Elena discovers a side of herself she never knew existed, one that craves submission to Ryan’s command. But when the truth comes out, will their guilty pleasure destroy everything or become the one thing they can’t live without? “𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐀 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞.”

On the day of my marking ceremony, I don't receive flowers or a mate's embrace. Instead, I receive news that my boyfriend, Liam Hagerty, was caught in a snowstorm and his body was never found. I lose the man I love, and the pup in my belly loses its father. The grief nearly destroys me, but everyone keeps saying, "Aurora, stay strong—at least for the pup." On the day of the funeral, Liam's twin brother, Jasper Hagerty, returns from the border patrol with his mate. Every time I see Jasper's face—the exact same face as Liam's—my heart aches all over again. Then one night, I accidentally overhear a conversation between my mother-in-law—the old Luna—and Jasper. "Liam, you have to go through with this. Your brother died saving you, and your sister-in-law's been through so much. Let her give birth and have something to rely on. Then, you can host your marking ceremony with Aurora." Silence follows. Then "Jasper" speaks. "But what about Aurora? She's carrying my pup..." His mother sighs. "Aurora is strong and considerate. She'll understand." Jasper says in resignation, "Alright, Mom. I'll do as you say." That's when I realize Liam never died. The man I thought was my brother-in-law, Jasper, is just Liam putting on an act. Heartbroken beyond words, I call my older brother, Axel Maddox. "Axel, I want to come home. Liam is already dead, so there's no reason for me to stay here anymore."

Three months since my husband, Julian Moretti, disappeared. I walked into his favorite den, the grief so deep it stole the air from my lungs. I just wanted to breathe him in, to find any trace of him that was left. Then I heard it. A familiar laugh. And the soft moan of a woman. Through a crack in the door, I saw him. My husband, the man "missing" for three months, had his hand tangled in another woman's hair. "Baby, just a little longer," he said. "Soon as I siphon enough cash from the family's books, we're gone. You and me." In his arms was Bianca, from the Rosso family. "What about your wife?" she purred. "Let her play the grieving widow. She's nothing without me anyway." My fists clenched. The world went quiet, my blood turning to ice. The next day, I put the word out to the entire Family. "I'm holding a memorial mass for my husband." At the service, he stormed in, a ghost returned from the grave, roaring that he was alive and there to take back what was his. But I was standing next to his uncle, Dante Moretti, and all I did was stare him down. "Then explain," I said, my voice cutting through the silence. "Explain the woman. Explain the money. Explain your betrayal... to the Family. And to me."

He Stole My Love Heart and Future—But I’m Taking It Back In this fast-paced romance filled with betrayal, revenge, and girl power, Emily Reyes appears to be the perfect good girl—beautiful, loyal, and the devoted wife of arrogant CEO Carlos Reyes. She gave him everything: her love, her fortune, and her future. But behind the public smiles is a tragic truth—Carlos used Emily to build his empire and now hides a devastating secret. When Daniela, a mysterious woman with a young son, moves into their mansion claiming to be Carlos’s stepsister, Emily’s world begins to unravel. The truth? Daniela is Carlos’s former lover, and Mateo is their son. Heartbroken, Emily flees and crashes her car in a storm—only to be rescued by Alejandro Vega, a kind architect with a painful past and a quiet strength that draws her in. Torn between grief and justice, Emily pretends to have amnesia and begins gathering evidence of Carlos’s crimes and betrayal. With the help of her childhood friend, she transforms from weak to strong—reclaiming her inheritance, documenting the lies, and plotting her revenge. As Carlos’s empire collapses under the weight of Emily’s revelations, tragedy strikes: in a final act of madness, he murders Daniela and takes his own life, leaving their son orphaned. One year later, Emily has rebuilt her life and found peace—and love—with Alejandro. The once submissive wife is now a powerful woman who turned heartbreak into strength. When she places a white rose between Carlos and Daniela’s graves, she whispers: “The price of betrayal was too high for all of us.” A gripping tale of love, tragedy, and redemption, this is the ultimate weak-to-strong romance where justice is served—and healing begins.

There are a lot more truths in the books we read, than we’d like to admit. What if a book delves into the lives of the very town you live in? Reveals to you some personal stories of people you know? Or thought you knew. Bookstore owner Kevin Ellison faces this truth when a mysterious book shows up in Through a Mirror, Darkly by Kevin Lucia. Through a Mirror, Darkly is a Supernatural Thriller collection masked as a novel. With elements of mystery, suspense, and otherworldly horror, Through a Mirror, Darkly successfully delves into the worlds of Lovecraft, Grant, and the mysterious Carcosa. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing Arcane Delights. Clifton Heights' premier rare and used bookstore. In it, new owner Kevin Ellison has inherited far more than a family legacy, for inside are tales that will amaze, astound, thrill...and terrify: An ancient evil thirsty for lost souls. A very different kind of taxi service with destinations not on any known map. Three coins that grant the bearer's fondest wish, and a father whose crippling grief gives birth to something dark and hungry.

After suffering the devastating loss of her aunt and her second child, Keilah makes the heart-wrenching decision to step away from her life with Ralph, the Alpha of Moonrise Pack.  However, as she grapples with her grief, the vampire’s mark that had once vanished resurfaces with an overwhelming force, consuming her thoughts and pulling her towards the very vampire king she thought was gone forever. Damien Draven, the vampire king who saved Keilah from the brink of death with his venom, vanished into the shadows of the underworld where no light or human soul could reach. Yet, even in the darkest depths, he couldn't escape the persistent echo of Keilah's name, a call so powerful it drags him back to the human world. Here, love and war are set to collide once more, forcing both Damien and Keilah to face a destiny neither of them can outrun. "The Sting of the Vampire's Bite" is a spin-off from "TETHERED." To fully understand and enjoy Damien and Keilah's story, be sure to read "TETHERED" first.

Jesiah Kate Saltina—once an Amania, flew in a different country to pursue her passion in arts. She came back to her motherland without knowing what awaits for her come back. There, at the art exhibit in the Philippines where she was invited, she met Ford Khrysler Chua again. It is when he offered her for a job that she realized what he told her back then might be true. "Wala ka ng babalikan kapag hiniwalayan mo ako, Kate." She tried all her best to hide her feelings: grief, pain and insecurities from him. To protect herself. To save herself. She must masked it all!