Novel Strand Novels & Stories

She was structuring it with the care she had developed over 15 years but this time she was in control: * The Uncut Foundation: The new flagship novel under the Nora Vale Imprint would focus on the realities of the early harbor strikes and the secret collateral that started it all, not the glossy histories of Manhattan's elite. * The Algorithm Break: by speeding up the plot with cliffhangers she structured the saga into big acts that let the historical tension build naturally. * The Operational Shield: Downstairs, the corporate work of The Narrative was running smoothly under Marcus's eye providing a solid financial foundation that let her write freely. Julian picked up the stone with his glo

The recognition brought a smile to my face as I seized the night in hedonistic passion. In the blink of an eye, we'd arrived at someone's home. I assumed the driver. With no more than a light in the kitchen to cast a glow in the living room, both men set out to devour me. It quickly became evident, this was not a first. They worked in tandem, one in front, the other behind. Oddly, there was nothing rough or awkward about any of it. The straps fell from my shoulders as Right nipped kisses on my neck. My breasts were completely exposed when the dress fell to my waist where Left had his hands on my thighs, raising my skirt to explore beneath my thong.

“You cannot leave until you are whole.” “I am whole.” “No,” she said. “You are broken in three.” My heartbeat stumbled. Three. She gestured, and the forest darkened — not visually but in sensation. A chill swept over me, crawling down my spine and pooling at my feet. Suddenly three strands of light appeared before me, suspended in the air like threads: A golden strand, pulsing with warmth. A silver strand, steady and bright. And the white strand, cold as frost, flickering. I sucked in a breath. “That’s—”

And somewhere on the other side of Caldenveil — at the record office, at the window table, with her notebook closed and the hum present at the walls and the city beginning its long unhurried introduction — Neva Strand is listening. For the first time. Without notation. Just: listening.

“The second thought ability in the green margin is even rarer—it’s considered the strongest of all. A creator. This thinker’s power can only be inherited or transferred. There are only four known creators worldwide.” My mind raced. “Wait… Are you saying you know one of them?” “Yes. And Josh… We’re inside his thought right now.” “What?” “Think back to that rhino-like beast. Why do you think Finlay was able to silence it?” “Wasn’t it because it was a product of a thou—” I stopped mid-sentence. My mind caught up with hers, connecting all the dots. The beast. The strange events. The island itself. “Chevonne… Don’t tell me we’ve been inside a thought this whole time.”

The specific look on Strand's face when he understood I had been prepared. He was going to regroup. He was going to come back with something I had not prepared for because the thing about someone like Strand was that he had contingencies. Layers. He had been building this for years and the partners meeting was one layer and there were others underneath it and I needed to find them before he deployed them. My phone buzzed. A number I did not recognize. I stared at it for a second. Then I answered. "Ms. Mercer." A man's voice. Older. Careful. "My name is Edward Kellner."

If divorce is not what you seek… Well, I can help you break his legs. His words made me look up. We locked eyes. Evan stared at me. His gaze was unwavering and focused as always. I was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of reluctance and impulsiveness. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the collar of his black shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. Evan froze. He wasn't expecting this at all. I hadn't anticipated that things would play out this way either. But before I could process what was happening, Evan snapped into action. He leaned in, forcing my head back and kissing me fiercely.

** The New Dawn** The vineyard stood in quiet triumph, its vines once again lush and thriving. After months of challenges, betrayal, and hard-fought victories, the Cain family was finally beginning to feel a sense of stability. Yet, as the first rays of dawn stretched across the golden rows, they all knew their work was far from over. This new chapter demanded as much resilience as the last. --- A New Opportunity Lily received an unexpected call early one morning from an international organization specializing in sustainable agriculture. They were offering a partnership to expand the Cain Agricultural Academy into a global initiative, providing resources to underserved farming communities wo

It was only a matter of time before they found out that Jenny had been interfering in my marriage long before our divorce, and that her child would have only been conceived while I was still legally married to Steven. Stephanie was the one who gleefully relayed all this information to me. When she saw how I didn't have any reaction, she sighed. "Sis, is it really over between you and Steven? Jenny's a terrible nuisance! Ever since they got married, our family's been turned into a total mess!" I chuckled and shook my head. "Just call me Melanie." Stephanie was momentarily stunned before letting out a bitter smile. "Yeah, you’re right. My brother’s a dirty man. He doesn’t deserve you."