Opening Up

Two weeks before our wedding, Jonah Alston suddenly wants to postpone it. He says, "Sasha says she's having her first exhibition on that day. She'll be alone during the opening, and I'm worried she'll get stage fright. I have to help her. We're just going through the motions with the wedding, anyway. What does it matter whether it's a day earlier or later?" This isn't his first time postponing our wedding for Sasha Lester's sake, though. The first time he did it was because he claimed she missed having homecooked food after undergoing surgery. He'd flown abroad to care for her for two months. The second time was because he said she wanted to head into the mountains to get inspired. He'd gone with her out of concern for her safety. Now, this is the third time. I hang up and look at Austin Everett, my childhood sweetheart. He sits across from me, looking leisurely as he taps his emerald-embedded walking cane on the marble floor. I ask, "Do you need a wife?" On my wedding day, Sasha holds up her glass and waits for Jonah to clink it with his. However, his eyes are red as he watches a livestream—it's the wedding of the scion of Everett Group, the country's largest property development company.

I stretched lazily on the bed, much like a contented kitten, before opening my eyes. Hovering above me was a face that could have been sculpted by the gods—a handsome, well-defined face with sun-kissed golden eyes. My first groggy thought was that Cara had finally brought home a decent, well-groomed man for a change. But…. Why is he in my room? I abruptly shoved him away, ending the spell. "Get off your asshole!" With a scowl on my face, I got up quickly. “Was personal space not mentioned by Clara, huh?” I spoke in an irritated tone. “Clara?” He turned and casually picked up some papers from a nearby table, settling down with an annoying smile. “And who might that be, if I may ask?” He doesn’t even remember her? Asshole “Well, if you must know, Clara—” I started, but my words faltered as something shiny caught my eye. What is..? Then my memories began to flood back. —it’s a damn golden sofa. Shit. Brain Freeze. ~~~ Growing up as the oldest kid on a Chicago farm was no picnic for Mary Johnson. Her folks, good ol' Mr. and Mrs. Becky Johnson, were salt-of-the-earth types, who worked hard on their small farm not far from the gritty backstreets of Chicago. They taught Mary and her siblings the value of hard work, self-value. But as much as Mary loved her family, she dreamed big, but those dreams took a backseat when she needed to step up and help support her family. Then, out of the blue, fate threw her a curveball. A chance in the US came knocking, and Mary didn't hesitate. And then she crossed paths with the Blacks – New York’s high society, dripping with wealth and power, who offered her a deal she couldn’t refuse.

Misteri yang terdapat di balik ritual yang dilakukan setiap tujuh tahun sekali oleh orang-orang desa di tempat tinggalnya, memancing seorang anak laki-laki bernama Aaron untuk menyelidiki misteri itu. Setelah sahabat dekatnya yang bernama Elena diculik oleh sang makhluk kegelapan, Aaron pun bertekad akan membawa gadis itu kembali, serta mencari tahu penyebab dari hilangnya ingatan semua orang terhadap si gadis bersurai emas. Ketika tahun demi tahun telah berlalu, Aaron yang telah menjadi seorang pemuda tangguh harus kembali ke desa kelahirannya. Dia dan ketiga orang sahabatnya pun terjebak dalam ritual pemujaan yang membuat keempatnya menghilang, masuk ke sebuah pintu menuju dunia yang asing, segalanya mendadak berubah. Aaron dan ketiga orang temannya harus menjalani kehidupan yang berat di dunia yang dipenuhi monster dan makhluk mitologi yang sering diceritakan oleh neneknya di masa lalu. Keempatnya kemudian bergabung ke sebuah organisasi pemburu monster bernama Dark Storm, demi melanjutkan misi pencarian terhadap Elena. Akankah semua yang Aaron rencanakan berjalan lancar sesuai dengan rencananya ataukah ... dia gagal memperoleh Elena kembali? Mampukah mereka melarikan diri dari pengaruh sihir yang lambat laun akan membunuh mereka semua?

Seventeen year old Charlie hadn't had an easy life. At the age of ten she lost her mother to a drunk driver and now she was being raised by her father and step mother where her life was at risk daily.The opening of a new science block at school brings The Royals into her life, specifically Prince Alexander and Prince Max who reveal who Charlie really is or rather what she is.With both the Princes at her side, can Charlie conquer her fears and find true love

Lumaki si Jay dala-dala ang mapait na ala-ala ng kaniyang kabataan mula sa lolo niya. He never believed in her. Sa mata nila, isang mahinang babae lamang si Jay na hindi p’wedeng maging sundalong gaya nila. Simula noon, ipinangako ni Jay sa kaniyang sarili na hahanapin niya ang kaniyang ina kasabay ng kagustuhan niyang mapatunayan sa lolo niya na mali ito ng naging husga sa kaniya. What Jay didn’t know, hindi lang pala simpleng giyera ang magagawa niyang suungin. She was able to dodge bullets but she wasn’t able to dodge when Lorenzo made her feel the happiness she’s longing for.

Pada hari putusan pengadilan, tunanganku Ferdi Andrian membujukku untuk tidak lagi mempertahankan pembelaan tidak bersalah dan menandatangani surat pengakuan kesalahan. "Aku tahu kamu tidak bersalah, tapi Hanaya sedang mengandung anakku. Aku tidak bisa membiarkannya masuk penjara," katanya sambil menggenggam tanganku dengan air mata berlinang. Dia menggenggam tanganku sambil menangis tersedu-sedu, "Tiara, aku melakukan ini juga demi kebaikanmu. Tanpa ragu, aku menandatangani surat pengakuan kesalahan. Di kehidupan sebelumnya, aku mati-matian menolak menggantikan Hanaya Halim untuk dihukum. Namun pada akhirnya, bukan hanya aku yang dipenjara, aku juga disiksa oleh orang suruhan Ferdi hingga mandul seumur hidup. Dalam kehidupan kali ini, aku memilih untuk mengikuti keinginannya. Keesokan harinya, berita tentang aku mencuri rahasia dagang menyebar ke seluruh media. Hanaya bahkan tampil sebagai saksi mata. "Ya, itu dia. Aku melihat sendiri dia menyusup ke Perusahaan Lukito!" Namun pada siang harinya, saat persidangan dimulai, penggugat, Rian Lukito, tiba-tiba mencabut gugatan. Di tengah tatapan heran semua orang, dia berlutut dan mengeluarkan cincin berlian. "Tiara, di kehidupan ini maukah kamu menikah denganku?"

There's no time for second chances with a guy who humiliated and took everything from you. Instead, just date his uncle. Cassie was in love. She would do anything for Trent, burn the whole world if she had to. But how did he repay her, he cheated on her with her sister. Trent sent her to rock bottom, ruined her image, and when he was done, he divorced her. After his betrayal, Cassie has to start from the ground up. She wants revenge, and when she meets her prince charming, they form an unstoppable team. Will their joint quest for revenge lead to a promising romance?

Fashion designer Sylvania Scarlet is about to marry Russell Thompson. But just as she says her vows, masked gunmen storm in. They don’t just steal her wedding ring; they take jewelry, money, and other valuables. But one thing stands out… her ring was meant for someone called "The Don." Shocked and confused, Sylvania becomes obsessed with finding out who The Don is. As she searches for answers, her marriage starts falling apart. Russell, once loving, becomes violent, forcing her to run away and start over. Wanting to rebuild her life, Sylvania starts her own fashion business, Scarlet Fashions, and quickly becomes famous. But she doesn’t know that long before the wedding, she had already caught the eye of a powerful man. Zagaff Manscent, a feared Mafia boss, has been at war with his rival, Victor Morano. When Zagaff first saw Sylvania in a newspaper, he was drawn to her beauty and talent. He wanted her, but he knew the risks. Victor would do anything to hurt him, even going after someone he loved. To protect Sylvania, Zagaff pushed his feelings aside and stayed away. But after the wedding robbery, Zagaff is furious, convinced that Victor is behind it, making their war even worse. One night at Divas Deluxe, Sylvania meets The Don; the man she has been searching for. She is drawn to him, unaware of the deadly battle surrounding him. As they grow closer, Sylvania finds herself caught between Russell, who refuses to let her go, and Zagaff. Then, she finds out she’s pregnant. With danger all around and the fight between Zagaff and Victor Morano getting worse, Sylvania must make a choice among Love, Power, or Revenge. Will she survive this dangerous game… or become its next victim?

After Sandra was divorced by her husband, Brian, she thought life was over until she discovered she was pregnant. Left only with a choice to return back to her parents house, she decided to leave the country and start a new life. She returned back six years later as a successful businesswoman with her hidden son. She hid her son from Brian so as to protect him, unknown to her that he had divorced her to protect her from a lurking secret. Their fate entwined again when they met at the opening ceremony of her company, and the hidden truths began to be revealed.

Richard Franklin has left his Midwestern roots behind to live on the coast of Maine with his family. But in the autumn of the year 2000, he must return to his Illinois birthplace on a sorrowful journey. His wife Michelle has been killed in New England by a hit-and-run driver who is never found, so back home he comes with her cremated remains, to fulfill a final wish and on her birthday scatter her ashes in the park along the river in Blackwater Valley—simply Blackwater Val to locals—the small town where they both grew up and fell in love. With him he brings his six-year-old daughter Katie who still grieves for her lost mother: Katie, who can sometimes guess who’s going to be on the phone before it rings. Who can stop all the clocks in the house, and break up clouds in the sky with her mind, and heal sicknesses, and who sometimes sees things that aren’t there...people who are no longer alive. All gifts she inherited from her mother. Only something isn’t quite right in the Val. Sinkholes are opening up, revealing the plague pits the sleepy hamlet was built over in the 1830s, when malaria and cholera outbreaks ran riot. Mysterious bird and fish die-offs begin to occur, and Katie can see ghosts of the dead gathering all around. But what she can’t see is the charred, centuries-old malevolence which has been waiting for her, and wants her for its very own. Or the pale Sallow Man who haunts the town’s nighttime streets...or the river witch—another Blackwater Val, of sorts—each of whom will be drawn one by one into the nightmarish bloodletting about to take place. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing