Masking Grief

*Excerpt* My gaze met Sergio's. He didn't look away. I couldn't look away either. It felt like there was an invisible magnet pulling us towards each other. He looked away, breaking us from the trance. "Are you sure you're okay, Nicole?" "Come inside." He shook his head. "I was worried, and—" "Come inside, let's talk." He shook his head again, unyieldingly. "We're already talking." "Are you scared?" I asked in a challenging voice, my gazed fixed on him. "What are you so scared of?" "Nicole..." "To answer your question, no, Sergio, I'm not okay." "What's bothering you?" The vulnerability in his eyes towards me was palpable. It was my chance to act. I couldn't afford to waste it. "You," I replied, my gaze still boring into his. "And your fiancee. I couldn't bear watching you together." Sergio swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I was jealous, Sergio." • *Blurb* In a turn of events, Juliana bears witness to the brutal murder of her father—a sight she never thought she'd witness. Amidst the turmoil, she finds out she's their next target, but somehow, she manages to evade them. Determined to seek closure and justice for what happened to her father, Juliana takes on a new identity as Nicole and embarks on a quest for vengeance against the masterminds. With a heart hardened by grief, she takes on the journey. A journey that would test her limits and push her to do unthinkable things. Will she succeed? Follow her on this journey as she confronts the demon of her past.

A tragic misunderstanding that ruined a promising love story…. When Darla gets kicked out of the Gomez Mansion, a place she worked as a maid, she is devastated but even more hurt when she finds out that it was her beloved that had her kicked out, Daniel Gomez. Overcome with grief and fear for her unborn child's safety, Darla fled the city. Daniel, perplexed by her sudden disappearance, searched far and wide for her, but to no avail. Five years passed, and Darla rebuilt her life as a successful voiceover artist and brand influencer. Returning to the city with her daughter, Raya, she is determined to move forward, but Daniel is resolute in his pursuit. This time, he will never let her go and is ready to make her his… for a lifetime.

*** This story has steamy scenes that are not suitable for minors.*** Serra Lore's life is supposed to be perfect and ideal. She graduated top of the class in the Mage Academy. She married the handsome Gideon Dunkerson, the young Lycan King, and she became his Luna. However, on their first wedding anniversary, everything turned upside down. She discovered that her in-laws were just using her. Her husband is cheating on her with a beautiful woman. To make matters worse, to protect everyone in the Kingdom, she becomes hideous. Now that her daydream has turned into a nightmare, how will she regain the confidence she once had? Gideon Dunkerson thought that his life was perfect. He is the Lycan King, powerful and handsome. The only flaw in his life is that, his Luna does not only look ordinary, but also comes from an ordinary family. Her only saving grace is her excellent magic skills that catapulted her to sit beside him. However, he did not expect that his respect for her magic, will turn into lust, and then love. He tries to stop himself from completely falling in love with her, but all is in vain. However, his plans to hurt her only cause him a series of pain. He is about to confess to her that everything is a lie when she chooses to protect everyone and vanish in the process. Her disappearance spirals him into depression and grief, and soon, he is traveling all around the world to search for his Lost Luna. However, when a new competition is held to find a new Luna, Serra reappears. And this time, he vows not to let go of her hand ever again, even if she looks at him with distaste and hatred.

Two wonderful tales! My Beloved Alpha: Alissa has always been physically and psychologically abused by her stepfather, all she wanted was to get out of his clutches and run as far away as possible, where he couldn't find her and hurt her anymore. After his mysterious death, she is free to live her life fully and leaves for a small town that goes unnoticed by naive eyes, she wanted to start over and leaves in search of a new beginning. What Alissa still doesn't know is that this city is different from all the others and that she will encounter beings she thought never existed. *** Double dose: Amelina's mother made a request to her daughter before dying: That she live and not give in to grief, her mother wanted to see her happy and fulfilled. And that's what Amy did, she answered her mother's last request after cancer took her. Amy left Seattle and moved to Washington, she was willing to start over and leave all the years of suffering in Seattle behind. The first thing she did upon arriving in town was looking for a job, and it was at the Balzer Company that she found love, but love came in the form of two spectacular men.

"Before we go in," he said, cupping my cheek with one hand, his touch surprisingly gentle, "I'm going to fuck you. Are you okay with that?"  Luca Rossi, a ruthless Italian billionaire and Mafia leader, is grappling with the devastating loss of his mother, the only person who saw beyond his carefully constructed facade. Seeking solace in his exclusive Los Angeles nightclub, he encounters Lena, an independent and ambitious woman who's struggling to make ends meet. Their passionate one-night stand leaves both of them reeling, but it's only the beginning of a complicated and forbidden romance. When Lena unexpectedly lands a job as Luca's personal assistant, their paths collide again. Their undeniable attraction burns hotter than ever, but their vastly different worlds and Luca's deep-seated emotional scars make their connection dangerous. As their secret encounters become more frequent, Lena finds herself falling deeper for the enigmatic billionaire, unaware of the dark secrets he's hiding. When a shocking revelation about Luca's mother's death resurfaces, his world crumbles, and he's consumed by a thirst for revenge. As Luca spirals towards a dangerous path, Lena confronts him, demanding he face his grief and seek healing. Will she be able to help Luca find redemption or will their love be consumed by the shadows of his past?

After her Vampire mate died, Marina became broken but determined to avenge the death of her lover. Memorizing the faces and scents of those young vampires who killed him, she began her quest to avenge Dante's death. Every night she took one underling's life, starting with the weakest first. Before each killing, she would question them on where she could find that underling that left his father behind that night. Some didn't answer willingly so she took great pleasure in torturing them till they gave her the clues she needed to begin her search. She made sure to kill the underlings in the same fashion as the first: by ripping out their throats and draining them of their blood. she was emotionless except for her anger and grief as she watched them die. Her only satisfaction came from seeing the fear that crossed the remaining underling's faces when they discovered their fallen brother's bodies on the steps to their lair. After many years later, will there be any hope to find love again? Join me in this epic, steamy and thigh tingling vampire erotic series/sequels and enjoy the ride.

My curse uprooted my perfect Chicago life and threw me to the wolves. It forced me to reject my fated mate. I could see the future, but all I had ever seen was death. When I moved to Rapid Falls, it was my chance to be a normal girl again. But within a week, I was being chased through the night by a pack of murderous werewolves. Until Brandon saved me. He was perfect in every way, but he was a werewolf. According to him, so was I. I was starting to fall for Brandon when I envisioned him dead. To save myself from grief, I rejected him. But when he risked his life and saved me a second time, I couldn’t resist my desire anymore. I struggled to find my way in this new world where wolves were both predator and prey. A world where Brandon was to die soon. Would I be able to harness my curse and embrace my fate?

At a time of war and hate, Alpha Diego put his life and that of his pack in danger when he abducted and eventually fell in love with the Luna of a rival pack: the Blackfur pack. Without a thought of the consequences, Diego makes Kyra his Luna after gruesomely murdering her mate and Alpha of the Blackfur pack. Kyra, encumbered with grief for her dead mate decides to redeem her defeated pack, but she was only human and without any special abilities. Knowing how much Diego loved her, Kyra decides to use it to her advantage; making him completely trust her. Diego fell without a doubt, stubbornly kicking off his Beta, Zayr's disagreement concerning his sudden faith in her. It took only a short time for Kyra to get Diego to tell her the secret of his Pack's continuous victory. The Syria sword. A death gift from his father was the secret of the abrupt steady victory of the crystal red moon pack. One reckless trust led to betrayal and the brutal destruction of the crystal Redmoon pack, with the Syria sword thrust into the chest of Alpha Diego by the one he trusts, instantly placing a sacred curse on him. Due to the curse, Diego evolved into a demon Alpha. His strength; limitless, His heart; icy and dark, and his only intention; to get rid of the one who betrayed him. Only then, will he succumb willingly to the nothingness that threateningly accompanied him, ogling for his life. For more than twenty years, with the blade still buried under his skin, Diego fiercely sought Kyra, to kill her in the cruelest way possible; notwithstanding, she was his first love. Now, his hatred for her was thicker than the love he once had for her, or so he thought. ...

For five years, she lived in limbo….caught between hope and grief, waiting for the day her mother might wake up. When that day finally comes, joy floods her chest, too overwhelming to contain. She races home, desperate to share the miracle with the man she loves. But instead of open arms, she finds open betrayal. Her husband. Her Best cousin sister. Twisted in the sheets of the life she thought was hers. With her world in ruins, she runs…into the night, into the arms of a stranger, into anything that isn’t this. For one night, she doesn’t want to feel. For one night, she wants to forget. But when the morning comes, will she still recognize the woman staring back at her? Will she able to face the consequences of her action?

On Father's Day, I received a heartwarming gift. My one-year-old son called me Dad for the first time. But moments later, he convulsed, foamed at the mouth, and died before we could reach the hospital. My wife was shattered, and I was devastated. The doctors couldn't identify the cause of his death. Three years later, my wife emerged from her grief, and we welcomed our second child. But the moment this child called me Dad, they, too, died instantly. To spare her further pain, I suggested adoption. Yet, even our adopted children met the same fate. Unable to bear the losses, my wife divorced me. Everyone said I was cursed, never meant to be a father. Defiant, I remarried and had another child, vowing never to let them call me Dad. For years, we adhered to this rule. But when our daughter turned four, she came home from preschool, eager to celebrate Father's Day. Holding a card, she read aloud, "Dad."