Pilgrim Church

“You walked into the wrong place at the wrong time, Alvina,” he said quietly, his eyes cold as steel. “Now, you’re mine….” When Alvina Frost runs away from an arranged marriage to a man ten times her age, the last thing she expects is to stumble into another. Desperate and terrified, she hides inside a church, only to interrupt a grand wedding ceremony that changes her life forever. Before she can understand what’s happening, the groom — billionaire CEO Ethan Kale — claims her as his fiancée in front of the entire congregation. To the world, she’s the woman who stole another’s groom. To Ethan, she’s the perfect solution to his corporate scandal. And to herself, she’s just a pawn trapped in a dangerous game she never agreed to play. Forced to live under the same roof with a man who hides his pain behind a cold façade, Alvina must survive his rules, his silence, and his secrets. But as days turn into nights, she discovers that lies can turn into something far more dangerous—feelings. “Sign the contract,” Ethan said. “Be my wife for six months. No love. No strings attached. No touching.” But as her heart begins to betray her, Alvina realizes that some lies are too deep to escape.

Eidolon Avenue: Where the secretly guilty go to die. One building. Five floors. Five doors per floor. Twenty-five nightmares feeding the hunger lurking between the bricks and waiting beneath the boards. The sequel to Eidolon Avenue: The First Feast (“a great read...powerful and jarring” - Cemetery Dance) returns to the voracious Eidolon as it savors The Second Feast. A narcoleptic man in apartment 2A battles a vengeful past determined to rob him of everything as he runs from the barbaric disaster of a delusional love. A woman in 2B, reinventing herself to please a callous boyfriend, discovers the horrors that wait in the shadows of her self-renovation. The man in 2C, a teacher at the nearby Catholic girl’s school, collapses beneath the brutal consequences of his lecherous desires. An older woman in 2D, after decades dedicated to the church, is cornered at last by the grisly carnage beating at the hollow center of her faith. And a college student in 2E, hungry to escape an ignored life of invisible anonymity, finds herself captured between the pages of a ravenous book. All thrown into their own private hell as every cruel choice, every drop of spilled blood, every silent, complicit moment of cowardice is remembered, resurrected and relived to feed the ancient evil that lives on Eidolon Avenue. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Warning: This story contains explicit scenes and is intended for mature audiences only. Reader discretion is advised. “You said you’d never touch me again.” “I lied. And you like that, don’t you?” “Ten Sinful Commandments? Sounds like a church gone wild.” “More like a sin you’ll beg to confess.” Lydia Grace thought she left her past—and him—behind. But when she walks into a luxury club in Milan and locks eyes with Damian Moretti, the dangerously dominant man who once made her break every rule she lived by… it all comes flooding back. He’s powerful, seductive, and hiding a secret that could burn the world they both know. But Damian isn’t just here to rekindle the flames. He has a plan. One that involves ten unholy rules, whispered against her skin—rules that tempt her deeper into a game of control, surrender, and secrets. “You want me to obey you?” “No, sweetheart. I want you to crave it.” But Lydia has secrets too. A broken past, a ruined family legacy, and a dangerous mission that puts her right back in his arms… and at his mercy. Ten commandments. One forbidden man. And a past that won’t stay buried. Obsession is the first sin. The rest? You’ll have to beg for them.

What would you do if, on the day of your wedding, someone unexpectedly showed up not to congratulate you but rather to interrupt this very special day of yours? Gavin had been looking forward to this momentous occasion, but unfortunately, it was ruined by the lies of an unknown woman. Worse yet, she claimed to be pregnant and that Gavin was the father of the child she was carrying. The marriage he dreamed of was all but ruined. The woman who was to be his bride began to despise him and ultimately abandoned him at the altar. His family, almost disowned him and was fuming mad at what happened. As well as the people closest to him, they all hated him. Then, the woman who had ruined his wedding day suddenly vanished like a mere bubble. This was the catalyst for everything that had happened. It may appear to be a hopeless situation, but unfortunately, that is what transpired in Gavin's life. Things went from bad to worse. After some time had passed, Gavin was taken aback when he ran into her again. The woman that he had always looked forward to talking to. The same woman who, many years ago, made the announcement in front of the church that she was expecting his child. What steps ought to be taken? And how can Gavin exact revenge on the woman who destroyed his life when it was during this time that he found the love of his life?

Happiness is the only emotion a broken soul can't seem to experience. They can only dream of it and hopefully find serenity to fill the void, with the hopes of one day being able to feel it in their being. Akaiia Bleau Stepanova, is she destined to feel this brokenness forever or does her initial definition even begin to cover what true brokenness feels like? Let the flames of life and death drain my essence. An evil thought that grinds in my brain since I heard of my sentence. A bitterness that made himself at home inside of me. Sometimes I just wish I could change my fate, but yes it is just wishful talk. My story is one full of emotion. Treason, hate, love and pretend. A wild combination, you might say. .... "I do." She says with the most beautiful smile, one that even reaches her eyes. One so rare and truly beautiful to witness. "Aiden River King, what is your answer? Do you take Akaiia Bleau Stepanova as your lawful wedded wife?" The priest questions. As soon as I'm about to answer a voice I remember to clearly ego's through the church walls. ... The tears staining her eyes are like daggers in my chest.

A forbidden obsession burned between two men from different worlds. Salvatore Esposito, the notorious Mafia boss known as Diablo, was consumed by his desire for Ethan, a devout pastor. Their paths crossed at Diablo's bar and nightclub, where Ethan's innocence and purity immediately captivated the ruthless devil blackened heart. Diablo's fascination with Ethan grew as he secretly observed the pastor's every move, learning his likes and dislikes but when Ethan's wedding day arrived, Diablo's possessiveness boiled over. He stormed the church in a shocking display of power and Diablo kidnapped Ethan, vowing to make the straight pastor fall in love with him. Ethan, determined to resist Diablo's advances, accepted the challenge but as they navigated their twisted game, a hidden enemy emerged, threatening to destroy both men. However, with each attack that came their way, Ethan began to see Diablo in a different light, glimpsing the complexities beneath the Diablo's facade, he realized that there is more to Diablo than he shows. As the pastor and the devil forged an unlikely understanding, the question remained: could Ethan truly fall in love with Diablo, or was the Mafia boss doomed to suffer for a love that could never be his? Would their differences tear them apart, or could they find a way to bridge the gap between their worlds?

Aria could never imagine herself walking down the aisle, flashing a smile, and wearing a beautiful white wedding dress. Never had ever crossed her mind to get married. She's sure and knew it better than anyone. As cliché as it is, Aria's meant to marry the son of her mother's best friend, Ashton. Aside from the fear of commitment, she also doesn't want to be with someone she doesn't even love. After all, she is just a woman who never experienced true love before. Months passed when the preparation for her wedding came. She met Easton, a famous fashion designer in the Philippines. As Easton was taking measures for her gown, he accidentally clasped her two little mountains resulting for Aria to act instinctively and greeting him with a powerful uppercut that made his nose bleed with ketchup. There's no doubt that their expected first encounter was a total disaster. The day of her wedding came, and she finally decided to run away before she could even set foot in the sacred church and taint her soul. At that time, all that she could think of was to run and before she knew it, she finally arrived at her desired destination. . . unknowingly at Easton's wounded heart.

She was supposed to get married. Everything was ready—the gown, the church, even the dreams they built together. She thought she was the luckiest woman in the world. But one unexpected night changed everything. One night she wished she could erase forever. A one-night stand. A single mistake that shattered her quiet life like a storm. She tried to bury what happened, hoping it would fade with time. But it didn’t. That mistake bore fruit—and the father of her child was the man she never thought she’d cross paths with again. In tears, she confessed everything to her fiancé, ready to face his anger and to lose him forever. But instead of walking away, he pulled her into his arms and said, “I can accept this. Marry me anyway, Katya. I can’t live without you.” “Marco…” My voice cracked. “I made a mistake. I don’t even know if we should still go through with this.” “No, Katya. Don’t just leave me like this. Please, stay. I’ll take everything — the pain, the shame — just don’t walk away.” I shook my head, sobbing. “I can’t. My baby isn’t yours, Marco! Don’t you see how filthy I am? Because of what I did, we’re already broken She thought everything would eventually be okay.

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.

"She will come back," she promised. "She just needs time to sort her head out." "Not her heart?" The dry distinction made Charley wince. "I'm sure she loves you," she persisted. "She's just not ready to commit to marriage." If you just give her time, then I— Black eyebrows with a fascinating silken gloss gave her a curious look. "Are you actually standing there, Miss Jones, suggesting that I should wait for Adelina to sort her head out?" Well, was she? Lifting her chin, "If you love her—yes," she insisted. "Then you are a romantic fool because it is not going to happen." He moved suddenly, straightening away from the desk. "There is a wedding arranged for next Saturday morning, and I intend to make sure that it goes ahead." Without a bride? Charley stared at him. "You mean—you're going to find her and drag her back to marry you?" A silly kind of laugh left her throat at the very image of Adelina being dragged by this man down the church aisle, kicking and screaming. ‘No.’ Reaching behind him, his long fingers picked Adelina's letter up again—this time to fold it with slow, neat precision. "I mean to replace her with someone else."I want reparation for being taken for an idiot, and if that means putting you in Adelina's wedding dress and marrying you in her place, then that is what is going to happen."