Saddest Message

A flicker of hope, a spark amidst the neon grime of New Shanghai. Anya, a slave to the Volkov Mafia, had long buried her emotions under layers of calloused defiance. Years of servitude had carved a burning desire for vengeance into her soul. Then, a whisper of rebellion arrived – a message smuggled in a package, hinting at a Volkov family secret. Anya's heart, long numbed, stuttered awake. This wasn't just a chance to escape; it was a weapon. A weapon to dismantle the empire that had stolen her life, her family, everything. But the path to freedom was a razor's edge. Fear gnawed at her, a constant companion in the Volkov's watchful gaze, their merciless enforcers lurking in every shadow. Yet, a flicker of something else bloomed – a strange, almost forgotten warmth, a sliver of the person she used to be. Could she trust it? As Anya navigated the labyrinth of lies and high-tech security, a deeper truth unfolded. This Volkov secret wasn't just about her escape; it was a key to exposing a far-reaching conspiracy, one that could reshape the city's criminal web. Suddenly, Anya's burning desire for revenge transformed. It wasn't just about herself anymore. It was about a sliver of justice, a chance to dismantle a system that preyed on the weak. But with this newfound purpose came a terrifying weight of responsibility. Was she strong enough to risk everything, to ignite a war she might not survive? The weight of human emotions – fear, anger, and a desperate yearning for freedom – threatened to suffocate her. The price of vengeance was steep, and Anya had to decide if she had the strength to pay it.

Sixteen-year-old Aria Blackwell is the billionaire’s forgotten daughter—unwanted, unseen, and emotionally discarded after her father remarries and starts a new, perfect family. Left to battle her loneliness in silence, Aria begins noticing strange things happening when she loses control of her emotions—things that shouldn't be possible. After a terrifying incident forces her expulsion from yet another private school, a black envelope arrives with no return address. Its message is simple: Welcome to Blackmoor Academy. Hidden deep in the mountains, Blackmoor isn’t listed anywhere. Its students aren’t normal. And neither, Aria learns, is she. Three dangerously beautiful boys seem to know exactly who she is. They say she’s Starborn—a girl tied to an ancient prophecy that could tip the balance between realms. Her powers are awakening, her soul marked, and her heart torn. One boy wants to love her. The others might destroy her. But none of them are ready for what Aria truly is becoming. When her magic explodes during a duel and a dark sigil blazes onto her wrist, everything changes. The boys kneel. The academy trembles. And the hunt for her soul begins. At Blackmoor, love is lethal, secrets are sacred, and fate has teeth. Aria was never meant to survive in this world. She was meant to rule it.

Alpha Derek is wild, strong and… horny. After the death of his wife 3 years ago, Derek Compton has not found any woman within and outside his pack attractive and worthy of his attention until he finds a woman from an inferior and enemy pack in the woods. He could kill her to send a message to members of her pack who may think of wondering into enemy territory or satisfy the sudden desire brewing inside him to have her in his bed. Isabel is not only an omega in her pack, she’s also a constantly bullied loser and sometimes treated like an outcast. One night, while she blindly runs from her bullies, she accidentally gets lost in the most fearful and merciless wolf pack territory, the South Park, known for their brutal nature and super strength. Isabel is faced with the option of death or sex with her captor. Death may have been on her wishlist for a long time but the stories of the south’s cruel and merciless killings scare her out of her mind. Also, the new spark of hope that she may(to) find the Southern wolves that killed her parents ten years ago makes her agree to this proposal. Derek keeps lying to himself that he has no feelings for her but is unable to stop himself from protecting her when she was caught snooping around by his men. Isabel’s vendetta is the only thing standing in the way of her falling in love with him - only if she hasn’t. By the way, it is forbidden for the Southern wolves to be together with a wolf from an inferior territory. Alpha Derek made the rules.

Eli Chamberlin has everything: wealth, legacy, and a very powerful last name. But when he falls for Adrian, a brilliant but struggling journalist from the wrong side of the world, his carefully planned life begins to fracture. Defying his controlling parents and the expectations of high society, Eli publicly claims his love for Adrian, igniting scandal, betrayal, and a war between blood and desire. Adrian, unprepared for the spotlight and hunted by Eli’s vengeful ex- fiance, Sabrina, and parents, finds himself caught in a ruthless game where love is currency and secrets can kill. As lies spiral and family legacies are shaken, both men are forced to choose: each other or survival. But when Sabrina fakes a pregnancy and Adrian believes her, Adrian is left heartbroken and betrayed. Now, Eli must uncover the truth before he loses everything… including the only man he’s ever truly loved. And just when it seems like Adrian and Eli have found their way back to each other… Sabrina disappears. But not before leaving behind one final message: “You thought I was finished? I’ve only just begun.”

Eliot Hale had it all: grades, charm, and an enviable future. The whole campus admired his girlfriend. His life was picturesque...Until an anonymous message snatched it all away. One party. One betrayal. One moment that saw the shattering of his glass-laden golden world. Eliot, now the joke of the university, has been stripped of any last semblance of support, in whispers mocking him, asking his name, and wondering in his moment of awe, "Who do I trust when those I loved the most were the first to destroy me?" And just as Eliot spirals into isolated boredom, a stranger people would wish they had in their lives, begins texting him. What starts off as cautious curiosity soon evolves into an intimate, heartfelt bond- the anonymous presence sees into him, all the pain he hides beneath the surface; making him feel something for the very first time in his life. But upon finding out who actually was behind the screen… everything was changed forever. The boy who ruined him might be the only one who really understands him. The one he was raised to hate might be the one to really love him. And that forbidden love? That just might be the one thing that could save them both.

Everyone in the Rossi family knows that their Don, Giovanni Rossi, loves me, Rebecca Costa, more than anyone else. Ever since we got together, he has stopped attending any social events that involve other women. We promised to marry once he returns from negotiating a dangerous arms deal in Aelfana. He was supposed to come back a week before the wedding, but instead, he returned on the eve of the wedding with Rosa Bianchi, his stepsister, in his arms. Rosa was unconscious, and traces of intimacy were visible on her skin. Giovanni kneeled before me, his expression remorseful. "Rebecca… I was drugged. I never meant to betray you. When Rosa threw herself at me, I thought she was you." And I believed him. At least, I did until I overheard a conversation in the changing room backstage at our wedding. One of his men asks, in disbelief, "Did you really mistake her for Rebecca?" "I did for the first night. But for the rest of the week… well, a man ought to have his bit of freedom before getting married." My fingers clench around my phone. In my inbox sits an unopened message—a marriage invitation from Angelo Calavaro, the most enigmatic Don in southern Ilya's underworld. I know what I have to do.

Why do I feel like I’m making a deal with the devil?” I murmured, signing the paper. I felt him smile as he said, “Maybe you are.” ~ After her father is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, Selena receives an anonymous message from a stranger, offering her a way out. But on one condition— she must marry him. She agrees, desperate and determined to get revenge against the Devereuxs. But unknown to Selena, her new husband is Dominic Devereux, the son of the man who framed her father. The plot thickens when Dominic's estranged brother returns offering Selena support and something more. Now trapped in a dangerous world and a marriage built on lies, Selena must navigate a web of seduction and betrayal with secrets that threaten to destroy them all. And just when she’s ready to choose… Dominic forgets her name.

Sara Beck thought losing a client was the worst part of her week until one reckless night with Dame Casian, a man she’s spent years despising, changed everything and left her haunted with a memory she can’t erase. She hates him… or so she thought. But nothing prepares her for the real nightmare: her mother’s sudden engagement to Dame’s father. Now, the man she slept with, her worst enemy, is about to become her stepbrother, and maybe the only man who truly sees her. Suddenly, she’s caught in a twisted web of forbidden attraction, hidden pasts, and a family merger that feels more like a trap. But can she trust him, or is she setting herself up for heartbreak? And just when she starts to question everything, a message on Dame’s phone reveals a truth she wasn’t ready for.

My husband, Alex Walter, was the head of the Bodyguard Association. When I was about to be killed by the kidnappers, he was comforting his childhood crush, Susan Miller, who was sobbing in his arms. While the kidnappers stopped for a meal, I called Alex five times calmly. He was angry when he finally answered. "Susan was just rescued from the kidnappers, and she needs me. If you want me to come home, stop using your own kidnapping as some excuse to compete for attention. It is pathetic!" Hearing Susan's sweet and delicate voice in the background, I had no time to argue with him. Instead, I called the Bodyguard Association. The operator informed me that Alex had pulled all the city's bodyguards away thirty minutes earlier to rescue Susan. When the kidnappers returned, they mocked Alex's heroic efforts to save Susan, mobilizing the entire force for her. If I remember correctly, this was Susan's twenty-eighth kidnapping this month. As the kidnappers approached me with guns and tasers, I closed my eyes in despair. Before I died, I used all my strength to send Alex one last text message, [No matter what, I loved you. Move on from me.]

Shantali Mae Cross, a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Ancient Arts, encounters an impossible phenomenon during her night shift—smoke from the heating vents coalesces into the form of a cobra near ancient Egyptian canopic jars, showing her visions of possible futures. She sees herself accepting a promotion, arguing with a dark-haired man in a hospital, wearing a wedding dress, and standing at a graveside in autumn. Shaken by the experience, Shantali becomes obsessed with understanding what she witnessed, diving into research about serpent smoke divination practices. Her investigation reveals that others throughout history have experienced similar visions at crucial crossroads in their lives, but those who became consumed with interpreting and controlling their prophetic glimpses inevitably destroyed the very relationships and opportunities the visions had shown them. As Shantali spirals deeper into her research, she begins shutting out her boyfriend David, a fellow security guard who loves her deeply. When David witnesses the cobra phenomenon himself, he helps ground her in reality rather than obsession. Through her studies, particularly the warnings left by Dr. Amelia Thorne—a researcher who died alone after chasing similar mysteries—Shantali realizes the cobra's true message: choose love over fear, presence over obsession. The visions weren't warnings of tragedy but glimpses of a life fully lived with all its ordinary struggles and profound connections. When David proposes, Shantali chooses their real relationship over her pursuit of supernatural answers. She completes her research by writing a fictional novel about her experience, transforming obsession into art while helping future cobra witnesses understand that some mysteries are meant to guide rather than be solved. The story explores themes of choice versus destiny, the danger of sacrificing present love for future certainty, and the wisdom of embracing life's uncertainties alongside those who love us.