Night Smoke Chapter 14

She returned to bury her father. Instead, she was forced to marry his enemy’s son. - Rosalind Marlow returns to New York to settle her father’s affairs, once one of the city’s most feared mafia bosses, only to find he died beside his greatest rival… and left behind a contract binding her to the rival’s son. Viktor Marino is cold, calculating, and infuriatingly magnetic. Rosa has no intention of becoming anyone’s pawn, not in grief, not in business, and definitely not in bed. But Viktor plays a long game, and with every stare, every challenge, he pulls her deeper into a world of secrets, power, and heat. She was raised to be untouchable. He was born to conquer. And in the space between vengeance and desire, who is going to lose control first? (Contains mature and dark content) ***** EXCERPT ‘Why would you want to leave this behind?’ he growled in my ear, his chest rumbling against my back. Because I can’t trust you. Because I don’t know what I want. ‘Because it’s cruel,’ I whispered. And then he pulled away, leaving me trembling, desperate, and furious.” ❦

Shantali Mae Cross, a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Ancient Arts, encounters an impossible phenomenon during her night shift—smoke from the heating vents coalesces into the form of a cobra near ancient Egyptian canopic jars, showing her visions of possible futures. She sees herself accepting a promotion, arguing with a dark-haired man in a hospital, wearing a wedding dress, and standing at a graveside in autumn. Shaken by the experience, Shantali becomes obsessed with understanding what she witnessed, diving into research about serpent smoke divination practices. Her investigation reveals that others throughout history have experienced similar visions at crucial crossroads in their lives, but those who became consumed with interpreting and controlling their prophetic glimpses inevitably destroyed the very relationships and opportunities the visions had shown them. As Shantali spirals deeper into her research, she begins shutting out her boyfriend David, a fellow security guard who loves her deeply. When David witnesses the cobra phenomenon himself, he helps ground her in reality rather than obsession. Through her studies, particularly the warnings left by Dr. Amelia Thorne—a researcher who died alone after chasing similar mysteries—Shantali realizes the cobra's true message: choose love over fear, presence over obsession. The visions weren't warnings of tragedy but glimpses of a life fully lived with all its ordinary struggles and profound connections. When David proposes, Shantali chooses their real relationship over her pursuit of supernatural answers. She completes her research by writing a fictional novel about her experience, transforming obsession into art while helping future cobra witnesses understand that some mysteries are meant to guide rather than be solved. The story explores themes of choice versus destiny, the danger of sacrificing present love for future certainty, and the wisdom of embracing life's uncertainties alongside those who love us.

This book is a Standalone, you don't have to read the first two to relate to what happened, though I do recommend it. Book Three of the Bloodlust Series “Is this some kind of joke?” Kiara asked frowning in confusion, waking up in the familiar podium where she once grew up watching people die in front of her as she herself fought for her own life. “I don’t know, but I don’t like this” Richard said from beside Kiara. The two were trying to process how they even got here to begin with. People around them started coming to their senses as they woke up inside the podium. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to The Bloodlust Games, The final chapter” ************************* Re-entering the Bloodlust games was never an option in Kiara’s life. But when revenge is on the line and both she and Richard are forced into them, they have nothing to do but survive, for it was either play and live. Or die…

On my 28th birthday, I announced that I was pregnant. But my husband told everyone that he was sterile. Together with my best friend, they said that this was proof that I cheated on him. I tried defending myself, but in the end, I, along with my baby, died while burning with hate. When I reopened my eyes, I returned to the moment three hours before my death.

-Setiap orang memiliki jalan kehidupannya masing-masing- Febriana Aurelie. Seorang perempuan yang lumayan terkenal di sekolahnya. Ia dikenal sebagai preman sekolah setelah kejadian ia memukuli 1/4 murid, yang kebanyakan laki-laki disana. Suatu ketika saat ada seorang murid pindahan yang masuk ke sekolahnya. Awalnya ia tidak memperdulikannya namun semakin lama mengenalnya membuatnya merasa sedikit tertarik? Ia sedikit mencari tahu dan yang membuatnya terkejut saat mengetahui sebuah fakta besar yang membuatnya tak percaya. Apa itu? Tertarik? BACA AJA!

The night I find out I'm pregnant, my family's villa suddenly goes up in flames. I endure the suffocating smoke and run the risk of being disfigured as I run to my son's bedroom. However, it's empty. Just then, I hear his excited exclamations outside the window. "Monica, you look so cool when putting out fires! I bet you'll get first place in this upcoming Firefighter Challenge!" I'm about to head downstairs to lecture him when a wall collapses and crushes me. As I drift in and out of consciousness, I hear my stern, stoic husband praise Monica Sloan for her courage. If I'm guessing correctly, my husband and son have started this fire to please her. I stare at the door, which is so close and yet so far. I send out one final text before dying of asphyxiation.

Sophia’s heart broke every time she saw her husband, Ethan, stealing glances at another woman, the same woman he insisted she donate blood to for the third time that week. Their five-year marriage felt like a lifetime of pain and betrayal. Sophia loved Ethan deeply, but he married her only to inherit his family’s multi-billion-dollar business. Once he gained control, he discarded her like she meant nothing. Despite years of humiliation, Sophia clung to hope that Ethan would someday love her. But when he repeatedly demanded her blood for his mistress’s health, her hope shattered. She endured the cruelty but not the betrayal, not having been cheated on and drained out of blood to the point of death. Sophia filed for divorce, which Ethan accepted without hesitation unaware she was pregnant from a reckless night she barely remembered. *** Left with no family, no money, and no future, Sophia nearly gave up until a mysterious stranger saved her. Years later, she returned with her child, Ethan’s spitting image. “Bro, your ex-wife is here. And that child looks just like you,” Ethan growled, “They’re mine. And I will fight for what belongs to me !”.

Harry at long last quit singing when he saw the lady remaining before him, and the band additionally quit playing. He thought it was only one of his admirers or fans. He took a gander at the smashed lady who lacked the ability to stand up still. She was wearing a free dark shirt and pants, her hair was long, white skin and with a basic wonder. She even ventured nearer to him prior to talking. "Hello you! I know you, that such face misleading ladies!" said Arosh uproariously. "What? “Harry asked in shock. "You attractive men continuously carry bogus desire to ladies, then when they experience passionate feelings for you, you will leave! You are so terrible! You are bold!" Arosh yelled irately. "Come on Arosh" Fanky yelled, as she attempted to hold Arosh by the arm, yet Arosh went wild. "No, I will seek retribution on this moron!"

"I got pregnant on New Year’s Eve.That night was hands down the best night of my life. A magical night with the man of my dreams.The aftermath changed everything.After weeks of silence from him and a positive pregnancy test, it was safe to say I was in full out panic mode.Until I walked into a conference room only to find Mr. Man-of-my-dreams-father-of-my-unborn-child at the head of the table.Turns out the VP of finance isn’t an old boring guy with white hair.Two different cities.A baby on the way.An intense attraction.And he’s technically my boss.Life just got even more complicated."

Mahira married a man who never loved her. Her husband always treated Mahira harshly. One night, Mahira thought that her husband had changed. He fucked her gently; never in Mahira's life had she needed anything as special as that night. But who would have thought that it was not Mahira's husband, another man who was drunk had defiled Mahira. The man was none other than Mahira's best friend, now Mahira's brother-in-law. How will Mahira live her life? And can Mahira get away from her husband who never treated Mahira well?