Painted Scars Neva Altaj

Beatrice Pagett has always deeply loved Edward Maddock, even though they married by contract. After a year of passionless marriage, she decides to seek a divorce, longing for a life away from the pain of unrequited love with Edward. Edward realizes too late the grave mistake he made and decides to fight with determination. He wants to undo the past and win back Beatrice's love. He strives to regain her affection and rebuild the lost time. Now, the question is whether Beatrice will give a new chance to the man who rejected her. In this story of second chances, their fate is shaped by the desire to start anew and the caution that comes from the scars of the past.

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.

Sarita has always been a good daughter. The straight A's student and quite possibly going to be the class valedictorian on her graduation day. Like every other girl, she began to notice boys when she was fifteen and one boy in particular caught her fancy; Rajveer Chaturvedi. He is the co-captain of the school's basketball team The Panthers but he has never noticed her because he has his eyes on Divya Malhotra, head cheerleader who also happens to be his girlfriend. But Divya has her eyes on Vikrant Suryavanshi, the captain of the basketball team and Raj's best friend. Sarita loses all hope of ever getting Raj's attention but by a twist of fate, she becomes friends with Vikrant whom she'd heard of and seen a couple of times in school but had never spoken to due to the animosity between him and her best friend Kalyani who happens to be his cousin. Feelings grow between the unlikely pair and a long term friendship is broken when Divya's lies are revealed to Raj and Vikrant is painted the bad guy by his friend who swore to get his revenge. Vikrant's and Sarita's relationship is put to the test when she becomes pregnant due to a situation that was beyond their control and she is forced to choose between her family and the father of her baby when a young man shows up, claiming to be her betrothed.

After losing his wife in a tragic accident, Flynn Rourke is left to raise their two children alone, struggling to cope with grief and single parenthood. But when Veronica Santos enters his life, her warmth, kindness, and compassion spark a glimmer of hope. As they grow closer, Flynn begins to heal, and his children find a new sense of joy. Will Veronica's love be the balm Flynn needs to mend his broken heart, or will the scars of his past prove too deep to overcome? Let's find out what happen. Try to read my story Cleaning up his Heart. Hope you enjoy it. *ΧοΧΟ* CrisLee

***Offical Book 2 of Scars and the Ahswood Family Saga*** As the Ashwoods and Alosies travel to South Korea for the internal Werewolf Council, their lives are turned upside down when James Ashwood finds his fated mate, An Jieun. She is no ordinary Wolf half of her is not a wolf or a human but a nine-tailed fox god. Will An Jieun be able to accept her wolf side and become the future Luna the Ashwood pack needs? What does her Demigod existence mean for werewolves and supernatural beings? Can James protect his mate from outside forces? Can he finally accept his birthright as the next Alpha and Alpha Council Chairman?

Nelson De Vedra, known as a boatman on the island he called home for many years, lived a life of quiet purpose. His reputation was solid, but his past held secrets he preferred to keep buried. Dorothy "Dorry" Castillo, a young woman who once found herself on the island, sought refuge to heal her broken heart. The serene shores had become her sanctuary, far from the chaos of her past life. Two souls, marked by the stains of the past, are fated to cross paths once again; as their lives intertwine, will they find a way to erase the scars of yesterday, or will their reunion deepen the cracks that already exist?

Female Alpha Human mate *Breaking stereotypes* ..............*_*_*............... Audrey Moon, the Alpha of her pack and the strongest one at that there is. She keeps herself busy with her work yet not finding her mate on due time. But all her heart wants is to have him by his side when she feels the burns consume her at night. Chase Cedric, the youngest son of his family. He grew up knowing he means nothing, he worths nothing. But the harsh words never bothered him or refrained him from living his life to the fullest. Although the scars say otherwise. Read to find out how they finally meet and fall in love. If they have what their heart desires.

In the coastal quiet of Baler, a studio is born—not of architecture, but of intention.* Founded by Yam, a poet whose words cradle pain gently, and Franc, an artist who paints tenderness into walls, the studio becomes a refuge for those learning to stay—with grief, love, longing, and themselves. As visitors arrive, they leave behind more than footprints: a sigh recorded in bamboo, a poem tucked into the “Found Letters” shelf, a mural painted in crooked lines. Through zines, tea, silence, and sketchbooks, the studio teaches softness as revolution. Ren creates the *Window of Soft Returns*, an installation of anonymous voice recordings—each whisper forming a community of echoes. Drew builds the *Staircase With No Wrong Turns*, inviting people to walk through emotions without shame. Franc offers brushstrokes as brave work, and Yam curates writing circles that map healing in half sentences. Together, they host festivals that feel like hugs, and they begin traveling their archive, letting softness cross oceans. Even those who once left—like Miguel—return, discovering that some doors never truly close. Others, like Tala, capture the studio’s sound and turn it into a podcast of breath and becoming. Over seventy chapters, the studio transforms into something larger than itself: a mural of memory, a sanctuary for second chances, a place where return is sacred and voice is proof of survival. In the final bloom, the studio stands not as a monument—but as a reminder: > *“Staying isn’t easy. > But chosen together, > it becomes home.”*

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.