Painted Doll Cradle Novels & Stories

Arielle Santos 24 years old never imagined that her life would be written for her — even her love story. She was raised in a modest family, a dreamer who painted her hopes in colors only she could see. But one evening, her world collapsed when her parents revealed the truth: to save their family from bankruptcy, she had to marry the son of their business partner — Evan Monteverde, the 28 years old, cold and distant heir of one of the country’s most powerful companies. Evan didn’t believe in love. To him, emotions were distractions — weaknesses that could ruin a man. He had long promised himself never to trust feelings again after being betrayed by someone he once loved. So when his father announced his arranged marriage with a woman he barely knew, he didn’t protest for love’s sake — only to end the endless lectures about “duty” and “family legacy.” Their wedding day was perfect — at least in the eyes of the guests. But behind the veil and the smiles, two strangers stood at the altar, reciting vows they didn’t mean. The words “I do”echoed in the church, but neither of them truly did. After the ceremony, they made a deal — they would live together for one year, play their roles for the sake of appearances, and then quietly separate. No love. No expectations. Just peace. But peace was harder to keep than they thought.

For ten years, Isaac was my fated mate. My Alpha. My future. Then, on the eve of his Alpha Ceremony, he chose another she-wolf to be his Luna, Chloe. His reason? She was wild and free...everything I used to be. "We are FATED MATES!" I screamed, my hand flying to the mark on my neck. "How can you defy the Moon Goddess? How can you just throw me away?" My wolf howled through our bond, trying to make him feel my pain. The backlash should have crippled him. But he didn't even flinch. It wasn't a real mark. Just a lie, painted on with magic. A trick to chain me to his side. My legs gave out. I hit the floor, a raw sob tearing from my throat. When the tears dried, the grief turned to ice. I stormed the Elders' Council and demanded they sever the bond. Then, I did the unthinkable. I chose his cursed uncle, Vincent. Isaac laughed. He thought it was a pathetic game to make him jealous. He had no idea. The Elders had already named his uncle the new Alpha. He didn't understand his mistake until he saw me crowned Luna on Vincent's arm. Only then did he come crawling back, begging for a forgiveness I would never give.

Everyone in Moonveil Pack knew our Alpha, Eric, worshiped his Mate. When he loved, he went feral. To keep me—an infertile she-wolf—on the Luna throne, he once painted the Elder Council in blood. Stood in front of the whole pack and swore he hated pups. Said he'd end his own bloodline before he let me hurt. Yeah. That was his version of forever. Until my body changed. Then one day he walked into our territory holding a young she-wolf's hand—Velda—and built her a little love nest right next to our home. I asked for an explanation. "My pack needs an heir. You can't give me one." Velda smiled all sweet. The second he looked away, she flipped me off. "Zara, you're fat as a pig. What makes you think you can compete with me?" I looked at her young, perfect face and finally got it. Those vows? Not love. Just lust in a crown. I didn't cry. Didn't cause a scene. I called the witch through mind link. "Do it. Forcefully sever my mate bond with him." If he hated this body so much, then the thousandfold pain I'd held back for five years? Yeah. It was time to give it back.

"Laurette, you are not qualified to have a child." Hearing these words from her husband, Laurette's heart shattered into a million pieces, leaving her wondering if she'd be enough. Every time they had sex, he'd remind her to take her contraceptive pill, making sure she never got pregnant. For five years, Laurette found herself trapped in a loveless, secret marriage with Bryce – one that forbids pregnancy. No one knew about it – not even her family. It's been five years already; everyone expected children, especially her mother-in-law, who couldn't wait to cradle her grandchild. But the truth was, she'd had a miscarriage years ago, and the doctor said she couldn't get pregnant again. The memory still lingered, a painful echo of what could've been. She kept it a secret, hiding behind a mask of compliance, letting her mother-in-law cling to hope of carrying her grandchild one day. But today was different. Her mother-in-law, Mrs. Ava, fueled by years of frustration, called Laurette "infertile." Bryce stood there, silent. He knew the truth. He knew about the contract, and he didn't defend her. Instead, he handed her divorce papers and said coldly, "Let's get divorced. My first love is back." Bryce Rodriguez chose Irene – his childhood sweetheart – over the woman who'd stood by him for five years. Laurette couldn't compete when her husband's first love returned. Heartbroken but dignified, she walked away without looking back. But fate had other plans. Months later, Bryce accompanied Irene to a prenatal checkup... only to run into his ex-wife, holding triplets! He went crazy and shouted, "Whose children are they?" he demanded, his voice shaking. "I thought you're infertile?" Laurette only smiled. Too late, Bryce realized the truth. He didn't just lose his wife... He lost his entire family.

I worked at a sales job and felt pretty good about my work. Then, Vivian appeared. She was a new intern with an insatiable curiosity for others’ private affairs. On Valentine’s Day, my husband, Henry Ambrose, bought a million dollars’ worth of bags from me to help me meet my sales target. Just as I left work to meet him for a date, Vivian sent a snide message. [Your Fitbit just logged an extra thousand steps. That’s literally the exact distance to the hotel next door. Nice work, Lily! You close a million-dollar deal and immediately head to the hotel with the client?] I coldly fired back, [If you’re this desperate to stalk people, you should’ve just joined the K-9 unit.] That very night, parcels of adult toys appeared on my doorstep. Vivian had written a nasty post that had gone viral, and things turned out like this! [This Salesgirl Slept With My Client and Stole My Million-Dollar Commission on Valentine’s Day!] A pair of my ripped silk stockings, which I had tossed in the trash, became her “proof” that I had seduced a client during work hours. Vivian was painted as the victim, while I was viciously smeared as a “salesgirl who slept with clients for commissions.” What Vivian did not know was that Henry was actually a leading researcher worth billions. I only took the sales job because I was bored and wanted to experience something new.

My fiancé leaves me jilted on our wedding day and marries my sister. As I stand there, feeling humiliated, William Sterling gets on one knee before me and asks me to marry him. Everyone in my city knows of him—he's an elite bachelor and every woman's dream. Yet now, he slips a wedding band onto my ring finger and confesses his love for me. "I've always loved you, and I thank the heavens for giving me the chance to spend my life with you." We get married, and he treats me well. Everyone knows that he won't fall for anyone other than me. Everything changes when I accidentally enter his studio in the seventh year of our marriage. I see that he's painted thousands of portraits of my sister, Ivy Winslow. Each one is a tender confession of his love for her. The man I love with all my heart earnestly prays to the heavens and utters his wish. He's willing to sacrifice anything for Ivy to be happy, including his life. It turns out what I thought was seven years of love was nothing but a lie. Ivy is the one he's loved all along. If that's the case, I'll back out. I'll leave in three days, and I hope he and Ivy can be happy together.

Rory Callahan never wanted to be a headline. She only wanted to play hockey. As the first woman signed to the professional Titans hockey team, she has spent two brutal seasons fighting for her place in a world determined to push her out. Her greatest obstacle is Jaxon Kane, the team’s arrogant captain, whose cold glares and cutting words make it clear that he believes she does not belong. But when a public scandal threatens Jaxon’s career and Rory is once again painted as angry and impossible to coach, management forces them into the perfect lie: a fake relationship. Now, the man who once humiliated her is holding her hand before cameras, sharing an apartment with her, defending her to the press and standing too close under the excuse of fixing her stance on the ice. Rory knows better than to trust him but the longer they pretend, the harder it becomes to tell where the act ends and the truth begins. Then she discovers the secret buried in Jaxon’s contract: a five-million-dollar bonus tied to her failure. Caught between betrayal, ambition, pregnancy and a love she no longer knows how to trust, Rory must decide whether to walk away quietly or expose the system that tried to destroy her. But when the man who was supposed to ruin her becomes the only one willing to burn everything down for her, can Rory risk trusting Jaxon Kane again?

Everyone in the upper circles knew I was the Xander family’s delicate little porcelain doll, someone who could not tolerate even the slightest grievance. I always had to sit in the seat of honor at gatherings. My drinks had to be served ice-cold. If anything annoyed me even a little, I would have my childhood friends clear the room. That was, until the fallen heiress returned. She did not rely on men. She had built her own business from scratch and was ruthless in the boardroom, radiating a wild, untamed beauty. Slowly, my dear brothers began to find me insufferable and too high-maintenance. When they pulled their investments from my gallery to back her projects instead, only my fiancé stayed by my side, comforting me. “Forget them. They’re all opportunists. I’ll always keep you safe in the palm of my hand!” That was until one day, I saw that same proud fiancé bent low like a servant, humbly wiping wine stains off the heiress's shoes in a corner of a club. His eyes were filled with a devotion I had never seen before. “All I need is one look from you, and I’ll drop the whole wedding.” I took off my engagement ring and tossed it into the drain. Then, I went home and told my grandfather, “Grandpa, I’m going to Africa for that development aid project. “I’ll agree to the arranged marriage. Just don’t make me see them again."

Evelyn Ward never imagined that a routine walk home could shatter her life. Taken from her small Oregon town, she’s thrown into a velvet prison known as The Bidding Room, an elite underground auction where innocence is rare, and the most powerful men in the world come to buy it. Dressed like a doll, paraded as prey, Evelyn is thrust into a world of wealth, cruelty, and obsession. What should have ended in despair becomes the start of something more twisted - because the man who buys her isn’t a collector or a sadist. He’s something far worse. Lucien Moretti - The Devil of Verona - rules a vast criminal empire, built on fear and blood. He doesn’t pay for what he wants. He takes it. Yet something about Evelyn stops him. A silent challenge in her eyes, a trembling defiance that speaks louder than screams. He buys her not for pleasure - but to destroy what is pure. Except she doesn’t break. And that enrages him more than he expected. Their lives spiral in a dangerous dance of power and obsession. Lucien's enemies circle like vultures, and his own people begin to question his judgment. Evelyn isn’t just a girl anymore - she’s a symbol of his weakness, and they want to exploit that. As Evelyn is drawn deeper into the mafia world, her morality blurs. Can she resist becoming like them? Or is the darkness already inside her? In a story of violence, betrayal, and unnatural love, Evelyn and Lucien are caught in a storm they may not survive. And even if they do - what will be left of them?

"Kneel!” He roared, seeing I wasn't moving. I scrambled to my feet, landing my knees to the floor. My face scrunched in pain when I suddenly felt all my bruises. I bit my lip, resisting a sob but my tears refused to stop falling. He grabs my jaw, squeezing it tightly between his fingers. He forced me to meet his eyes. "I'm going to ruin you." His words were heavy and filled with venom. “And then… see how they'll think when their precious daughter becomes the very beast they despise, hunted… and killed.” Nasrin has struggled all her life because of her heart disease. She was neglected by her family and the people around her that treated her like a fragile doll. One night, she woke up from a knock on the door. She didn't know that the man behind it will change her life. All it took was one bite from a vengeful beast, her life had completely changed. From a fragile doll to becoming a being that she only read in books. Lucan Maximus Black, the Alpha of the Blood Moon pack. There's only one thing that Lucan wants and that's revenge for his family and pack. When he knew that the sickly fragile girl was his enemy's daughter, he immediately knew what to do. Take her and make her the being that his enemy hated the most. Unfortunately for him, falling for the enemy's daughter wasn't part of his plan.