Orphan: First Kill

Tiba-tiba dua hari lagi Nadira harus menikah dengan Anand, laki-laki yang sudah lama dijodohkan dengannya karena ibu Anand kritis. Tak pernah bertemu sebelumnya, Nadira meminta foto Anand pada Triana, sahabatnya yang kebetulan adik sepupu Anand. Dari sini kesalahpahaman terjadi, Nadira semakin tak sudi bertemu karena Anand di foto jelek, tua, dan hitam, sangat berbeda dengan Nadira yang cantik dan Mahasiswi pujaan banyak laki-laki di kampus. Dia tidak hadir bahkan di acara ijab kabul. Empat bulan berlalu, takdir mempertemukan keduanya. Anand langsung mengenalinya, berbeda dengan Nadira. Bagaimana kisah mereka selanjutnya?

I'm staring at this man who looks exactly like my husband, overwhelmed by fear, as I received a message that read, "He's not your husband!"What's even more bizarre is that the name displayed as the sender of the text on my phone is "My Dear Husband"!Who on earth should I believe?

Ever since I married Myra Cowan, I started living like a beggar despite making an annual salary of a million dollars. She kept telling me, "We should hang in there for now, honey. Once we've saved enough money, we'll be able to live however we want without worrying about our financial situation." My closet was stuffed with old suits bought ten years ago. My lunches were always sandwiches, which were nearing their expiry dates, bought from convenience stores. My friends made fun of me for marrying a woman who was addicted to saving money. But my heart went out to Myra for suffering with me in life. But when I was diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer and needed money for a life-saving surgery, Myra broke down in tears and told me that all of our savings were kept in a fixed-term deposit. Before I drew my last breath, I heard Myra telling her younger brother, Dwight Cowan, over the phone in a gentle tone, "I've already transferred you the down payment for your house." When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the day Myra demands that I sell my gaming account in exchange for money. The monitor shows a familiar login screen. Myra can be seen standing next to me. "This account can be sold for 8,000 dollars. We can save three months' worth of expenses with this money!" I just laugh in response. In my previous life, I had done nothing but save money. In the end, all of my money became someone else's assets. Why the hell should I save money in this life? With just one click on the mouse, I reload a million dollars into the game right away. Immediately, a reddish-golden meteor shower covers the skies of the entire server. The system makes an announcement in a bold, enlarged font that gets repeated for a long time. "Player 'Void' spares no expense, inviting fair maidens from across the realms to forge a destined bond! Those who are interested are welcome to attend the Celestial Lake Gathering. A bride price of one million awaits—offered in exchange for a single, sincere heart."

My younger brother, Luke, committed suicide after being falsely accused of plagiarizing Layla's brother's music. My own life was a living hell. I was a respected music critic, but now I was the sister of "the plagiarist." My reputation was in tatters. My colleagues whispered behind my back, and my articles were dismissed as the ramblings of a biased, grieving relative. The one person who had always stood by me was my husband, Julian, a successful music producer. We had been together since college, and he was my rock, my refuge in the storm. I thought he would believe me. But, he didn't. But the real betrayal came the evening, just another day of being ridiculed online, I came home to find Julian on the phone. His voice was low and urgent, laced with a coldness I had never heard before. "The case is closed, Layla. It’s over," he said. "The evidence has been submitted. No one will ever know that it was your brother who plagiarized Luke's music."

She raised her face to his. He was staring down at her with such intensity, it was like a physical touch. He stared at her, through her, right into her, and she felt her breath hitch. His gorgeous body was so solid, so strong. He was close to her and it felt so damn good; she lowered her gaze to his lips, dying to kiss him. Needing to be closer, as close as she could be. Aidan was wondering just how the hell he had ended up here: pressed up on Gabriela’s hot little body, her hands clutching him. His cock was pushed into her firm, curvy thigh, and her dark eyes were full of unspoken desire. The sight of that lust shocked him, exhilarated him. **** Gabriela Torres was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and she saw something she was never meant to see. A brutal murder. Now she’s hiding at Dangerous Curves, trying to convince herself she imagined it, that the killers never noticed her. She’s wrong. They know exactly who she is... and they’re coming. When it becomes clear Gabi is being hunted, the Curves men close ranks to protect her. But no one moves faster than Aidan Carter, the tough, steady man she’s been quietly in love with for years. Aidan has wanted Gabi for three long years, and when she moves in with him, the walls finally fall. He gives her safety, devotion, and everything he has. But when the Fallen Angels MC decides loose ends must be erased, protection may not be enough. As violence drags Gabi into darkness, Aidan faces his greatest fear: that love might not be strong enough to bring her back. And losing her would destroy him.

My father’s death was ruled a suicide, but I knew it was murder. The last word he left behind was a name: Volkov. So I buried the girl I once was, built a new identity, and walked straight into the world of the man I believed had taken him from me. Damian Volkov was everything one should fear—cold, brilliant, untouchable. Yet the longer I stayed, the more I saw the fractures beneath his control. Behind his silence lived a sorrow that mirrored mine. I sought vengeance, but somewhere between hate and obsession, I fell for the man I swore to ruin. Now I stand between the monster who ruined me and the only man I have ever truly loved. Until a truth I never thought possible tore through every reason I had to hate him: He is my stepbrother, born from a one-night stand my father could neither bury nor escape.

My pack was slaughtered. But my fated mate Ethan turned his back on me, choosing another she-wolf, Lyra. In my darkest hour, his brother, Alpha Caden, claimed me. He promised me safety. Vengeance. A home. For three years, I was his Luna. I thought I was safe. Then I learned the truth. "You've hidden the evidence for three years, Alpha. You know Lyra was behind the Dawn Moon slaughter. What happens when your Luna finds out?" Caden’s reply shattered my world. "I have to protect Lyra. Even though she chose my brother, I need her to be happy. As for Selena, making her my Luna is compensation enough." My legs went weak. I almost collapsed, sobbing. The monster who killed my family was right beside me all along. And the mate I loved so deeply? Our bond was a lie, built only to shield her. So I performed the Farewell Ritual, a ceremony to erase myself from the world. Only when he was about to lose me forever did Caden finally see the truth. Shattered by regret, he hunted down the real killer, begging for a forgiveness he would never earn.

As Jason and I try to stay one step ahead of the Marching Tides and their nefarious associates, we draw ever closer to the shocking truth of who the mastermind behind the Marching Tides really is. Something tells me I’ll regret learning the answers at the end of my journey.©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

After my husband picked up his secretary and our son, they went into the hotel for a business meeting. Photos of them were trending online. I gave him a call to ask him about it, but he hung up on me impatiently. “I’m meeting a client. Obviously, we’re meeting at the hotel! Can you stop being unreasonable?” I was busy contacting IT support to retract the trending topics. Two hours later, I received a call from the emergency department of the hospital. When I reached the hospital, my son was already dead. In his hand, he was still holding a staff ID tag. The secretary’s name was on the tag. I broke down crying. My husband, Zac Davis, had blocked my number so I could not reach him. After I completed the hospital procedures, Zac finally returned my call. He sounded very angry and impatient, “Did you fetch our son? Why didn’t you inform me? Don’t you know that we’re all waiting for him to pass us the agreement? Just send the document over now!” After that, he immediately hung up and blocked my number again. I stared at the notification on my phone and sneered. I was going to snatch your clients and force you into a dead end!

Since Clever’s family was murdered, his life has been full of misery. Now, he only wants three things: revenge, strength, and to protect his only remaining kin—his twin brother, Claver. Clever no longer knows pity. He has learned to love punishing, especially those connected to his family’s death. Prince Clever Del-Vago was once a kind and gentle man. But everything changed when his family was brutally assassinated by his father’s powerful enemies. Broken and hopeless, he almost ended his own life. But then, he discovered that his twin brother, Prince Claver, was still alive. This gave him a reason to keep living. Clever decided to take Claver away to another country for safety, and then return to seek payback. He did not want money, wealth, or property. What he wanted were lives of his father's enemies. Along the way, he met Leexiya Martinez, a girl who gave him comfort in his pain. A girl who became his fiancée and eventually became his wife. With her, Claver, and a few loyal friends by his side, Clever set out on his path of vengeance. His way of revenge was not merciful, but cruel and bloody—the same way his family had been killed. Disclaimer: This story is written in TAGLISH. Written by: LoquaciousEnigma Genre: Thriller, Romance and Action.