Second Time Around Series Novels & Stories

It sounded absurd and unreal. Just as people began whispering that it might end unsold, a deep, measured voice rose from the back. "3.1 billion." It was Will. The Wheaton family's faces lit up with barely contained ecstasy. Of course, it was exactly what they'd expected. But then, from the opposite VIP section, another voice cut through the air. "3.2 billion." Heads turned. It was Garson —Will's long-standing rival—smirking with deliberate provocation.

And there he was—Killian, Alpha of the Thorne Pack, alive and breathing, standing right in front of me. He looked younger than I remembered. Less hardened. But the disdain in his eyes hadn’t changed. My throat tightened, but I forced back the sob. The Moon Goddess had truly answered my plea. She’d sent me back—not to the day we first met, but to the day we were supposed to complete our bond. Ten years ago. Thank the stars. There was still time. I stared at him, memorizing every inch of him like a starving wolf. I’d begged the Moon for this chance—not to win him, but to set him free.

About the specific work of becoming real when you'd spent years being made into something else. *What Comes After: On Healing, Identity, and the Life You Build From Scratch.* By Aria Ashford Rhodes. Claire called on publication day. Voice doing the undignified thing again. "Number one again," she said. "First day." "People needed this book too." "It's different from the first one. Quieter. More personal." "The first one was about what happened. This one is about what I did with it." "Yes. And apparently everyone needed to read about what you did with it."

The connection snapped, but not before understanding took root. A voice echoed through the void, low and resonant, threaded with something almost like amusement. “So,” it murmured, dark and melancholic, “you are stronger than I thought.” The tone shifted, not anger. Not frustration. Caution. “The second attempt,” the voice continued softly, “will not be so simple.” The connection faded. Back in Fiato, Mia exhaled and finally turned to face the twins. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I felt it, I couldn’t let it breach further.”

She had been betrayed once before, and she refused to let it happen again. As she walked out of Ethan's life, Lily felt a sense of sadness but also a sense of relief. She knew that she had made the right decision, and that she was finally free to find someone who would truly love and respect her. She had learned that sometimes, "a second chance with someone new was the best thing you could ask for".

I retorted, a slight blush warming my cheeks as I headed towards Laxus. The elevator doors slid closed, enclosing us in a small, confined space. Several employees, their eyes wide with a mixture of curiosity and amusement, watched us as we stood close together. The unspoken narrative was clear: the couple who had broken up, now inexplicably together again. The air crackled with a palpable energy, a blend of awkwardness and anticipation. Reaching the parking lot, I halted, a silent pause before the next chapter began. My gaze met Laxus's, a silent question hanging between us.

To Be Continued… Find the next instalment of this series with book two Sad Girl Next Door.

Unexpectedly, Rebecca had the audacity to show up at my doorstep, shamelessly wailing outside the Hale Group's building. "I was blind before! I couldn't see the scheme those two snakes were running. Tyler, I've thought about it for the past five years, and I've learned so much! People shouldn't trample on others' sincerity. I've made up my mind—I will be completely devoted to you. Tyler, forgive me for the mistakes I made unknowingly! Please give us another chance. I know now that everything you did was to make me realize the truth. I'm wide awake now. I really know I was wrong, and from now on, I'll love you with all my heart!"

Their rooms Every camera destroyed earlier, somehow restored. He’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Round two wasn’t beginning It already had.”