Redfield Smiles 소설 & 이야기

Mom is always very strict with both my elder sisters, Esther and Emily Kingston. She always wakes them up at 5:00 am to make them study. And if they refuse to wake up, Mom will grab an embroidery needle and stab it into my arm. When fresh blood spills out, Esther and Emily will both get a fright and scramble to their desks at once to begin studying. Sometime during the year-end exam, Esther gets one easy question wrong, and I receive ten lashes with Mom's belt. Emily gets only the second-highest score in class, and I am forced to kneel on glass until my knees turn bloodied and torn. Esther and Emily feel sorry for me and fall to their knees, begging Mom to have mercy on me and promising that they will study hard and make her proud of them. Mom smiles happily and says that this teaching method works very well. However, after the SATs, Esther applies for a college out of state, and Emily tells Mom that she is eloping with a young man whom she has fallen in love with. Mom is so angry that she yanks me over and stuffs me into a huge fish tank before beginning to fill it up with water. She then takes a video of me, threatening to drown me alive if they don't listen to her and do exactly as she says. The water keeps rising in the tank. I feel scared, but I don't struggle because Mom always tells me that the only reason for my existence is to be made an example out of for Esther and Emily. She often quotes Shakespeare's "Othello", telling me about how I am the "sacrificial" dog one beats to scare a lion and teach it obedience. I think that I am considered quite a qualified dog after all, right?

"Sign it and leave. Sarah needs me more than you do." Clara Vance had spent three years as a "perfect" ghost—the invisible, dutiful wife of the ruthless billionaire Julian Thorne. She had cooked his meals, ironed his shirts, and endured his coldness, all while hiding her true identity as the world’s most sought-after tech prodigy. She thought her love could melt his icy heart. She was wrong. On their third anniversary, Julian handed her divorce papers. His reason? His first love had returned, and he wanted to give her the life Clara was currently "occupying." Clara didn’t beg. She didn’t cry. She signed the papers with a steady hand and disappeared that same night, carrying a secret that would change his world forever—she was pregnant with his heir. Five Years Later. Julian Thorne is a man haunted by a shadow. He has everything he ever wanted, yet he feels nothing but a void where his "unwanted" wife used to be. At a global economic summit, he prepares to meet the mysterious, "Iron Lady" CEO of the V-Tech Empire—a woman who has been systematically crushing his businesses for months. When the doors open, Julian’s heart stops. Dressed in a power suit, radiating cold elegance and diamond-hard confidence, stands Clara. But she isn’t alone. A mini-version of Julian stands by her side, looking at him with the same icy glare he once gave her. "Mr. Thorne," Clara smiles, and it’s the coldest thing he’s ever seen. "I believe you’re here to discuss the terms of your surrender?" The chase is on. The billionaire is on his knees. But this time, the Queen isn't looking for a King—she’s looking for revenge.

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Three years ago, my rich boyfriend, Steven Delaney, went into bankruptcy. He decided to break up with me so that he wouldn't drag me down. As I looked at his broken expression, I steeled my heart and ripped the overseas college application I had just received. "I'll stay with you. Together, we can rebuild your legacy." Everyone told me that I was nuts. Still, I decided to move into a damp basement room with Steven. After that, I took on a job out in the streets that allowed me to earn money the fastest, which was promoting beer to the customers. One day, when I'm delivering beer to the customers, one of them calls out to me. "Hey, this lady looks like you!" There are two screens being shown on a livestream, that's being replayed. The left screen shows me crouching at the doorway of the basement while washing shirts for Steven. It's so cold that my fingers have gone completely red. The right screen shows him all dressed up in a smart-looking suit. He has an arm wrapped around a beautiful and well-dressed woman, and they're both sitting in a luxury car. Steven smiles at the camera and says, "This is my third year lying to my girlfriend about my financial situation. Till now, she still hasn't realized the truth! She really is a pathetic idiot!" The live comments keep popping up on the side. "You really know how to make things interesting, Mr. Delaney! I can't believe you're capable of coming up with the whole 'pretending to be broke in order to test your girlfriend's humanity' act!" "What exactly is that lady aiming for, honestly? She's just someone who sells beer! Does she seriously think she's in a romance drama?" "Oh, this is hilarious! That penniless girlfriend of his is even washing underwear for him! The truth is, the underwear belongs to the Delaney family's household staff!"

For ten years, I have stayed by Maren Hale's side without her formally acknowledging me as her boyfriend. Thus, I become the oldest kept man in Harborfield. After I turn 30, I have asked her to marry me more than 30 times. Each time, she smiles and kisses me. "Reid, I'll marry you when I'm ready," she says. When I'm 31, a car accident nearly kills me. Still shaken, I propose to Maren. She tells me to wait a little longer. By the time I'm 33, a doctor warns me that my kidney function is declining. I wave the diagnosis report in front of her and press for marriage. Yet, she still tells me to wait. While I wait for her, the sun rises and sets over Mount Carlisle more than 3,600 times. Finally, I think she is ready. Holding back tears, I promise my seriously ill father that he will live to see me get married. What I don't know is that Maren is not opposed to marriage. It's just that the ten years she spends fooling around with me are nothing more than an act of rebellion against her mother, who has driven away her former fiancé. Before the banquet, I see the ring I give Maren inside her handbag. I think she is finally going to accept my proposal. Nervous and hopeful, I wait the entire evening. But just moments ago, during a game of dare, she casually tosses the ring to a male model she has just met. "The kid is turning 20. A pink diamond suits him perfectly. Next time, I'll have an emerald one made for us." The entire room bursts into laughter. I laugh along with them. "Don't bother," I said. "Someone else already has a rock waiting for me, and I said yes."

“I, Grayson Stone, take you, Blair Anderson, as my mate and Luna of Redstone pack,” Grayson stated smiling at Blair as they stood in front of the elders. “I, Blair Anderson, take you, Grayson Stone, as my mate and Alpha of Redstone pack,” Blair smiled so brightly, stealing small glances at the crowd. Her eyes landed on me, and she gave a smirk only I seemed to notice. I stood there fighting back heartbreaking pain that radiated through my body as our bond had completely broke. He didn’t even reject me properly. He let the bond snap as he kissed her, as if I never mattered.” Celeste Winters once had a name that echoed across territories, the daughter of the WinterMoon Alpha—fierce, loyal, and born of a legacy older than the crown that now rules the city. But all of that shattered the moment the man she trusted with her soul chose another without a word of goodbye. Cast aside without explanation, stripped of identity and purpose, Celeste ran. She abandoned her title, her pack, even her wolf… burying it all beneath perfume and silence. Now, in the heart of a city that doesn’t know her, she works late-night shifts at a diner and hides her scars behind forced smiles and lingering shadows. Every day she survives, but she does not live. Until the night everything begins to unravel. A rogue attack. A moment of instinct. A power she shouldn’t still have. And a single word whispered by the Alpha King himself as their eyes lock across the chaos: Mate. Celeste never wanted to love again. Never wanted to be claimed, or seen, or remembered. But he remembers her—her scent, her laugh, the steel behind her soft-spoken words. And worse, his wolf wants her. Craves her. But Celeste’s past isn’t just filled with heartbreak. It’s filled with secrets—deadly ones...

Despite being married to me, Don Massimo Cortese has forgotten my birthday once again. On my 25th birthday, he brings his most capable Underboss, Catia Sangalli, home with him. "Catia is pregnant." His tone remains even, as though this is nothing more than routine business. "She's pregnant with my child." My eyes become as wide as dinner plates. I can only stare at Massimo in disbelief. There isn't a trace of guilt on his expression. If anything, there's a hint of calculation in his eyes. "My family needs an heir, which you can't produce at all." That's when I finally give up on Massimo. After wiping my tears away, I pass him a divorce agreement that I've prepared in advance. Massimo just smiles lightly as he signs the agreement without hesitation. His friends are confused, to say the least. "Aren't you going to ask the Donna to stay, Don Cortese? Everyone in Napango knows very well just how much you love her. Are you seriously going to let her go like this?" Massimo says firmly, "Don't worry. She will never be able to leave my side. Angelica doesn't even have any family in this world. Who else can she seek out but me? "She's far too temperamental right now, so she needs to be taught a lesson. Once she finally learns her place, she will come back to me." I pretend to not hear the conversation as I pack my luggage quietly. What Massimo doesn't know is that I've taken the initiative to give up on my inheritance rights to the Rocchi Famiglia's assets five years ago because of the family rule that states, "No Rocchi is allowed to form marital ties with other forces." This time, I'm going to cut all ties with Massimo and return to the Rocchi manor as their heiress alongside my unborn child.

WARNING: This book contains BDSM themes, emotional abuse, manipulation, explicit sexual content, and G×G scenes. Reader discretion is advised. Ashley has spent her entire life surviving. By day, she hides behind forced smiles and coffee orders. By night, she dances beneath neon lights, selling fantasies to strangers while struggling to pay off the mountain of gambling debts her abusive mother left behind. College is her only way out. Then a wealthy client offers her an outrageous amount of money for a private dance. Desperate, Ashley agrees. Until she walks into the room and sees Kayden Devereaux. Her high school bully. The boy who made her teenage years a nightmare. The boy who pushed her so far she once thought death was easier than facing another day with him. Ashley is ready to leave, but Kayden stops her with an offer she can't ignore: One month. Complete control. Two hundred thousand dollars. She hates him enough to say no. But hatred won't pay her debts. So she signs the contract. Days later, her entire world shatters. Her mother marries the dangerous man they owe money to, wiping out their debt overnight. And Kayden? He's now her stepbrother. Forced to live under the same roof, Ashley finds herself trapped between fear, anger, and a dangerous attraction she refuses to acknowledge. She should end their arrangement. She should stay away from him. But Kayden has never been the type to let her go. As obsession replaces hatred and dark secrets begin to unravel, Ashley discovers that Kayden isn't just the villain from her past. He's been pulling the strings of her present all along. And now, the devil who ruined her life wants to own her heart too.

My husband and I have been married for a decade. When I finally conceive for the first time in ten years, I realize my worst enemies are my family, who all want me dead. I've made a promise to return to the fertility shrine on the mountain and fulfill my vow if things work out, but my mother-in-law deliberately messes up the cable car tickets. In the process of hiking up the mountain for two hours, I lose my baby. In the hospital, I cry to my husband about all the vicious things his mother has done to me, but he kicks me in the stomach. "I had a vasectomy a long time ago. There's no way that bastard inside you is mine!" When he hands me the proof, I'm completely speechless. I break down in tears and run back to my parents' place. Not only do my parents hire a nanny to help take care of me, but they even move out of the house so I can rest in tranquility. When I'm eight months pregnant, I overhear them whispering in the bathroom. "We can never let Gina have the baby. I don't care if it kills her—we're all screwed if the child is born!" "Relax. The doctor already told me that Gina's got leukemia from all the formaldehyde in our new house. Even the baby's deformed!" Shocked, I burst into the bathroom to confront them, but the slippery floor causes me to fall hard. Instantly, blood snakes across the tiles. As I lie there in pain, I look up and see the cold, twisted smiles on my parents' faces before taking my last breath. I cannot fathom why my family wants me dead. I thought they'd been looking forward to his baby for a decade. When I open my eyes again, I return to the very day my mother-in-law insists on taking me to the mountain.

Finding You Both Daisy Miller's life was exactly where she wanted it to be. A respected pediatric doctor in New York City, Daisy had dedicated her life to caring for children while convincing herself she never wanted any of her own. With a successful career, a beautiful apartment overlooking Manhattan, and the unwavering support of her older sister Harper, her future seemed perfectly planned. Then one girls' night changed everything. A chance encounter with a handsome stranger named Roman Moretti leads to a single unforgettable night. No last names. No careers. No expectations. Just one perfect evening neither of them can forget. Weeks later, Daisy discovers she's pregnant. Unable to find Roman and determined to face motherhood alone, Daisy prepares for the arrival of her daughter surrounded by family, friends, and the chaos only Harper can create. As the months pass, she slowly falls in love with the little girl growing inside her and begins building a future she never imagined for herself. Days after baby Lillie is born, a chance meeting in Central Park reunites Daisy with the man she's never quite forgotten. Shocked to discover he has a daughter, Roman embraces fatherhood without hesitation and becomes determined to make up for every moment he missed. As two strangers become parents, and two parents learn how to date, Daisy and Roman must navigate a relationship that starts completely backwards. Between sleepless nights, family drama, first smiles, and second chances, they discover that sometimes love finds you when you least expect it. Heartwarming, emotional, and filled with family, laughter, and romance, Finding You Both is a story about unexpected motherhood, finding your way back to the right person, and learning that the family you never planned for might be exactly what you've always needed. One unforgettable night. One beautiful daughter.