Shattered Rose: He Held On Tight

Patrick and Clare wake up trapped in a basement, a thin wall separating their cells. Their captor is mysteriously absent, which at first seems like a blessing. As more time passes with no food or water, they begin to realize a clock is ticking for their survival.They know their captor is still out there, and it is only a matter of time before he returns.©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

When my stepsister, Kate Lawrence, is poisoned at the full moon ceremony, my father, Jack Blackwood, condemns me at once, convinced that I am the one behind it. He clamps silver chains around me and drags me into the manor's dark underground cell. His eyes burn hatefully as he snarls, "You wretch! How could I have a daughter like you? Rot in here!" I drop to my knees on the cold floor and try to explain, but the sentence he throws over his shoulder as he turns away snuffs out the last of my hope. "Even if she dies in there, no one shall go in! Whoever lets her out will die with her!" The cell severs the mind-link completely, so no one hears me screaming. Seven days later, he finally remembers me, not knowing that I'd already died on the fourth day when the silver burned through to the bone.

In a world of glitz, glamour, and dangerous secrets, Alice's life is turned upside down when she loses her brother to the infamous Logan D'Nores. Little does she know, Logan is not only a star actor and filmmaker, but also a powerful drug lord and mafia boss, controlling the underground world of crime from the shadows. As fate would have it, Alice finds herself forced into a marriage with Logan, leaving her with no choice but to play the dutiful wife and bide her time until the opportunity to strike presents itself. But things take a deadly turn when Alice discovers that Logan is onto her plans and will stop at nothing to keep her under his control. With her life on the line, Alice must navigate the treacherous waters of Logan's world, all while keeping up the facade of a loyal wife. But as she delves deeper into the dark underbelly of Logan's empire, she begins to unravel the shocking truths about her brother's murder and the sinister forces at play. Will Alice be able to outsmart Logan and finally exact her revenge? Or will she be consumed by the very darkness she seeks to destroy? Find out in this gripping tale of love, betrayal, and deception, where every page leaves you on the edge of your seat, wondering what shocking twist awaits next.

"You were just a tool, Imogene." Her heart stopped. "And I was foolish enough to believe you cared." *** Imogene Scott had always known her place—by Damien Shaw’s side, even when his love was a distant dream. Marrying her only because of an unexpected pregnancy, Damien’s affection never blossomed. Instead, her devotion turned him from a mere sales manager into the billionaire CEO of IMU, one of Europe’s most powerful tech empires. But her sacrifices weren’t enough. After losing their baby, Damien’s coldness deepened, sealing their marriage with an unspoken “no meddling” rule. Imogene’s reward? Watching Damien parade countless mistresses, all while she buried her own dreams to fuel his. She believed, naively, that one day he’d see her worth. But when he fell in love with her stepsister and served her with divorce papers, Imogene’s world shattered. Realizing she was nothing more than a pawn in Damien’s game, she vanished—pregnant and determined to protect her unborn child. Three years later, Imogene returns, not as the broken woman who fled but as a renowned artist and mother to their two-year-old daughter. Now, Damien realizes what he’s lost and wants her back. But this time, Imogene is ready to fight, and she’s not making the same mistake twice.

I was chosen to be the fiancée of Lorenzo, the Mafia’s heir. But at a family gala, Lorenzo was openly pursued by Chiara, the daughter of an arms dealer. Chiara wasn’t like the other rule-abiding debutantes.She tore through the streets in a modified sports car, used a military-grade combat knife to cut her cigars, and drank the harshest whiskey neat.There was an untamed wildness about her, a fire Lorenzo couldn’t look away from. He complained to the family elders, “How can a woman like that possibly be our Madre and run this entire family?” His words dripped with disdain for her recklessness, yet his eyes were glued to her, tracking her every move as she raised her glass. Then, on Lorenzo’s birthday, he announced his intention to make Chiara his mistress. Chiara refused.”The women of my family are wives, never mistresses.And my husband’s heart must belong only to me.” Lorenzo came to me, his voice hesitant.”Alessia, it’s just a title.I need you to give it to Chiara.Please? She doesn’t understand our family’s traditions, and she’s making a scene about marrying me.We just need to pacify her for now.Even if she marries me, you will still be the one to manage the family’s affairs.” As I stood trying on my wedding gown, a sharp crystal bead on the bodice pierced my finger.A single drop of blood bloomed against the pure white satin. The dress was ruined, but the wedding would go on. Since he chose someone else to be his wife, I will become his Madre.

One organization; five merciless women. Behind their innocent faces hide their true identities. They can kill without feeling guilty. Mercy? It has never been in their vocabulary. There's only one rule to keep you alive; OBEY & NEVER BETRAY. You have been warned. Welcome to Atrómitos Orgánosí ! I am Quennie Rose Rado, also known as BOMBER. "Tick. Tack. Tick. Tack. Time's up, darling."

Julie had been secretly married to Jotham for four years, Even at work, no staff knows about their marriage. Despite the fact that her husband never made love to her, she didn't mind at all. As long as she's his wife, she will be happy. But one day, she heard on the radio that her billionaire husband, Jotham Joram went to welcome his girlfriend at the airport. How true? When her husband came home, she confronted him, "Jotham, is it true?" "Yes, Mirabel is back." He added. "and I want a divorce." Mirabel was his ex girlfriend. Tears rushed down her eyes. Her heart wrenches. "Jotham, I'm..." "I don't care. Sign and leave!" He had interrupted. Hearing that, her world collapsed. She had wanted to tell him about her newly discovered pregnancy. What's the point of staying with a man whose mind is made up, who had never and would never love her. She anguishly signed the divorce papers and left Five Years later, Jotham was severely sick so he booked the services of the best doctor in the continent at that time. When he met the doctor, it turned out to be Julie. This time, she was extremely gorgeous and was with a man but Jotham didn't care if she was with a man, he pursued her relentlessly, having insane obsession over her. "Julie, in this world, only I can be your man. And you...will be my woman!" He brutalizes any man he sees with her, stalk her every second and kills anyone who even dares to touch her, all these while, begging to win her heart. Will he ever gain her heart or is she too broken to accept love?

Marissa thought the marriage was forever. Until one day, her husband Alaric's first love Stella came back, she was faced with the accusations of cheating while being pregnant with their second child. Alaric handed her divorce paper, he took their first child, daughter Nova and Marissa grandmother's house. Years later, fate brings them back together, Alaric's empire collapses, Nova is gravelly ill and the woman he once discarded is now untouchable. Broken by regret, Alaric begs for a second chance but Marissa holds the choice: forgive the man or finally make him taste the pain he gave her.

WARNING: This story contains violence and mature contents. Readers discretion is advised. It happens every December to February, in 3 months, everyone celebrates the Christmas, New Year and Valentine but what if. The merry-go-round leads to scary, horrible nightmares and bloody, what would you do if you faced the White Rose? Do you really want to believe her? Do you trust her?

There's an earthquake. My husband, the captain of the rescue team, abandons me to save Wendy Smith, his true love. I don't stop him. I let him go. Why? Because when he was faced with the same choice in my past life, he saved me because I was eight months pregnant. Meanwhile, Wendy remained trapped under the rubble. She ultimately died due to a lack of oxygen after the delayed rescue. Later, on the day I went into labor, my husband brought me to Wendy's grave. He watched me coldly as I collapsed on the ground from the searing pain. He ignored my pleas. "Does it hurt, Yelena? Wendy's pain was a thousand times worse when she was trapped under the rubble!" I stared at him in disbelief as he descended into insanity. "You were safe that night—you were in the safe triangle zone! Wendy would never have missed the best time for rescue if not for you using your pregnancy to threaten me! I want you to experience all the pain she went through!" He forced me down on my knees and bumped my head on the ground before Wendy's grave. He ignored the blood that flowed down my legs. Ultimately, I died after major blood loss from a difficult labor. When I open my eyes again, I'm back to the day the earthquake happened. This time, neither I nor my child will wait for him.