Ruins Synonyms

Welcome back to Clifton Heights. Sheriff Chris Baker and Father Ward meet for a Saturday morning breakfast at The Skylark Diner to once again commiserate over the weird and terrifying secrets surrounding their town. Sheriff Baker shares with Father Ward the story of a journal discovered in the ruins of what was once an elaborate koi pond and flower garden, which regales a tale of regret, buried pain, and unfulfilled debt: “Sophan” – Jake Burns has always been a bit...off. Rude, awkward, sometimes brutish, he's tolerated by Nate Slocum and his friends because he hits a mean line drive, and because they all know but don't discuss the abuse he faces at the hands of his troubled father, a Vietnam veteran consumed by his demons. But Jake is suffering something far worse than domestic abuse, and when Nate discovers what, he faces an impossible choice: help Jake and put himself in the path of evil, or abandon him, only to damn himself in the process. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

When Kaelen Drazmir, heir to a divided werewolf pack, finds a young woman lying near the ruins of an abandoned monastery, he never expects her to change his world. She remembers nothing of her past—only a name: Serenya Veyra. As Kaelen shelters her, fragments of her memory return in flashes of fire and blood. Each vision draws them closer, even as it warns of danger. Serenya’s past is tied to forces that could tear apart Kaelen’s pack, and enemies are already hunting for her. A rival Alpha seeks to claim her for power. A dark sorceress vows to use her blood to awaken an ancient curse. And the Harvest Moon, only weeks away, will decide whether Serenya’s fate leads to salvation—or ruin. With time running out, Kaelen and Serenya must uncover the truth before the prophecy binds them forever. But the closer they come to answers, the greater the risk of losing everything they hold dear. A story of forbidden love, deadly secrets, and a choice that could ignite a war—this tale will pull you into a world where every heartbeat counts, and every shadow hides a threat.

A mountain, once a towering monument to man's ambition, now sobbed rust and decay. Its skeletal skyscrapers clawed at a sky choked with ash, an endless darkness that reflected the desolation below. Here, where survival was a brutal equation of scavenged scraps and desperate violence, whispers clung to the crumbling ruins like the ever-present dust. Whispers of a legend, a shadow lurking in the deepest, forgotten heart of the mountain: a monster. They called him the Blood King, a name hissed with fear and reverence. Not just another vampire, but a predator whose power had once threatened to consume all of man-kind. He is said to be so great that no one was a match to his strength, his wrath so terrible, that the ancients themselves, the very inventors of their shadowed presence, had deemed him too dangerous to roam free. They imprisoned him, not in chains of iron, but in a cage of blood. A cage that could only be unlocked by the one whose essence was his destined key, his chosen one. A cruel contradiction, a punishment designed to bind him for eternity. Unknown to them all that the blood king’s chosen one was a human adventurer, who lived for the thrill and would do anything for a fearful adventure.

Freya Daniella Howard, 24 years old, first heir of Howard Constructions is in ‎love with her boyfriend ‎Benjamin, but scared to tell that to her parents ‎because she knows Benjamin will not meet with ‎their expectations. When her ‎mother asks who she is dating, she without much thought says her best ‎friend's ‎name - Rafael. ‎ Rafael, 28 years old, sole heir of Eastmond Builders, secretly dating a model ‎because he ‎knows his high and mighty parents have high plans for him. ‎Though he's not much bothered because he only wants to savor his love-life for now and focus on his dream; to be eligible enough to be the CEO of his ‎family's business. ‎ However, Freya's lie which was intended to be unharmed ruins all his plans ‎and he becomes her ‎betrothal out of nowhere. Their families celebrate the ‎moment and tie them into Wedlock -- too swift for ‎them to comprehend what in the world has happened to them.‎ Is it fate or Freya's heedless mistake that confined them into marriage?.....hard ‎to answer. ‎

WARNING‼️: This is no sweet love story. It's a raw, dark. This is obsession, Power, Control, Pain,and the kind of pleasure that ruins you for anyone else. "Ten million for a woman who doesn’t know her worth—until he shows her just how much it costs to please him." Aria was just looking for her sister, Instead, she ended up bound, blindfolded, and sold at a secret black-market auction. But Luciano De Rossi isn’t just a collector of fine things, he's the devil, and Aria is his newest obsession and his collateral for her sister’s debt. She’s a virgin, a fighter, a woman who swears she’ll never beg. He’s a man who loves to hear her scream and for the next ninety days, she belongs to him. Every inch of her. Every breath. Every orgasm. Whether she likes it… or not. But the deeper she falls into Lucian’s dangerous world of secrets and sin, the more her hate turns to need, and the more he burns to break her completely.

In one devastating day, Wisdom Weisz lost everything—her home reduced to ash, her marriage shattered by betrayal. While she stood in the ruins of her life, her husband was tangled in sheets with her best friend at the same day, showing not an ounce of remorse. Broke, heartbroken, and with nothing left to lose, Wisdom finds herself drowning her sorrows at the bar of a luxury hotel. There, fate throws her into the path of a man she’s crossed before—mysterious, powerful, and impossibly wealthy. He makes her an outrageous offer: become his wife... for hire. No love. No strings. Just a business arrangement—and a hundred thousand dollars deposited in her account with a single word of agreement. Desperate for a fresh start—and a perfect chance to strike back at her ex—Wisdom says yes. But nothing about this arrangement is simple. What begins as a cold contract soon blurs into something dangerously intimate. As secrets surface and emotions tangle, Wisdom realizes one terrifying truth: She may have agreed to be his wife on paper. But her heart? That’s a whole different deal.

On the night of my awakening, which was also my 18th birthday, my parents locked me in a silver cage in the basement while my foster sister Emma prepared for her ceremony upstairs. Then, the Blood Moon Eclipse struck, forcing every member of the pack to evacuate. Emma urged our parents to help. My heart warmed, and I thought they would come to save me. However, the only thing my father carried out was Emma’s stuffed wolf doll. They clutched Emma and fled for their lives, leaving me behind in the collapsing basement. When I crawled out of the ruins, they were already in the safehouse, celebrating Emma’s successful awakening as a White Wolf. Ten years later, I became the heir to Blackstone Consortium, controlling half of the werewolf world’s economy. When we met again, the former leader of the Silvermoon Pack knelt before me. “I've finally found you, my daughter.” My gaze was cold as I faced the stranger in front of me. “You’ve got the wrong person.”

One desperate contract. One year to pretend. One chance to change the trajectory of her life. Amelia Davis never expected her past to collide with her present—it almost seemed like a soap opera. When her childhood friend, Dax Hughes, wakes from a three-year coma, and the Chairwoman of Kenzyl group, his mother demands the unthinkable: Amelia must pose as Dax’s wife to help him recover—else pay a staggering debt left off from ten years ago. Bound by obligation and driven by desperation Amelia steps into the world of wealth, lies, and manipulation. What began as strictly business quickly spirals into an undeniable web of lies and deceit. A thin line between pretense and reality is crossed too many times, as her heart is tested—Dax’s charm could not be denied, pulling her whilst he drew closer, igniting feelings and emotions she didn’t care to feel. But when Dax reclaims the life he'd forgotten, old love resurfaces and Amelia's resolve shatters. Can Amelia still go on playing the role of a wife? Or will this fake marriage break her, much more than her heart in ruins?

After Hours A Small-Town Forbidden Romance Alli never meant to fall for him. Eighteen, freshly graduated, and slinging drinks at the town’s no-frills dive bar, she was just looking for a paycheck and a way out of her quiet life. But then Johnny started showing up—twenty-five, devastatingly handsome, and haunted by more than just his late-night whiskey. Everyone knows Johnny. The town's favorite bad decision. A brooding mechanic with blue eyes that burn and a reputation tangled up with Layla, the town’s resident scandal—and someone else's wife. But when Alli catches Johnny’s gaze from across the bar, something ignites. Something forbidden. Something explosive. What starts as subtle glances and lingering stares turns into late-night texts, a kiss that ruins them both, and a fire that neither of them can put out. Just when Alli begins to believe there might be more between them, Layla drops a bomb: she’s pregnant. Now, Alli must face the truth—was she just a distraction? Or is Johnny just as trapped in his past as she fears? In a town where everyone talks and secrets are currency, love after hours might be the most dangerous thing of all.

Jasmine Hayes swore she’d never go looking for the father who abandoned her. But when her mother’s life is seconds from slipping away, pride becomes a luxury she can’t afford. He agrees to pay for the surgery—on one condition. She must marry Alexander Phillips, the billionaire heir originally promised to her half-sister. Jasmine doesn’t know him. She doesn’t want him. But she signs away her future to save the only person who ever stayed. Alexander isn’t looking for a wife—he’s looking for a solution. His image is in ruins, his family is pressuring him, and marriage is the quickest way to silence the board. Jasmine is not the bride he expected, but she’s convenient… and temporary. The contract is clear: ✔ No love ✔ No sex ✔ No complications ✔ Ten million dollars after the quiet divorce But nothing about Alexander is safe. Nothing about Jasmine is simple. And nothing about this arrangement is going according to plan. She agreed to marry a stranger to keep her mother alive. He agreed to marry a nobody to keep his empire intact. Neither of them expected the real problem to be each other.