Shattered Souls

Seven years I spent with Jason Shaw, but I never got a ring. Rather, all I received was an invitation to another person's wedding. That day, as a wedding planner, I was at the rehearsal, making last-minute adjustments. Looking up, I saw the man whom I waited every day to reply to my messages, walking down the aisle, arm in arm with another bride. "Her boyfriend had something urgent come up, so I'm filling in for him," he said, standing straight, his tone light, a small smile on his lips. But his eyes couldn't hide the hurt, like a child who lost his favorite toy. As if that wasn't enough, he told me to hand over my wedding plan. He patted me on the shoulder, saying sincerely, "There's no rush for us. We've got plenty of time. I promise I'll give you an even better wedding. Just help me out this time. It's not like I'm not going to marry you." He didn't know that I had revised the wedding plan hundreds of times, even counted and recounted the bouquets seven times. To me, it wasn't mere work—it was a dream I held for five long years. I didn't argue anymore, just quietly stepped aside. Later, I lay alone in a hospital bed, listening to the rain tapping against the window from outside. I counted each drop as the hours slipped through my fingers. Perhaps those who worked so hard to create happiness for others had lost the right to their own happiness.

In the heart of Valenza, where corruption and violence are twined, Gabriella Conti finds herself in the middle of it when her father sold her to the ruthless of them all—Dante Lombardi. Known for his viciousness, Dante has made a name for himself as a leader to be feared but nothing prepared him for the delicate woman that was dumped into his lap.

Every orphan dreams of one thing—finding a home. When my parents finally found me, I thought I was the luckiest girl alive. But the moment I stepped through their door, I saw her—a girl my age, dressed like a princess, calling them "mom" and "dad." That girl, Cassia, had been living the life that should have been mine. She was their pride and joy, while I was nothing but an outsider. In front of others, she played the perfect sister. Behind closed doors, she made sure I knew my place. I was her shadow, her punching bag. She was my tormentor—my fake sister. I thought my husband could save me from the misery of that home. He was kind, gentle—or so I believed—until he demanded I give up my unborn child, because the only baby he wanted was hers. Betrayed by the two people I trusted most, my world crumbled as I bled alone on an operating table, my life slipping away. But destiny had other plans. I was given another chance—a chance to rewrite my story. This time, I’m ready. I’ll expose Cassia for who she truly is. I’ll protect everything that was stolen from me. I’ll no longer be the weak girl in her shadow. I’ll become my own strength, and Cassia will never have power over me again.

She had it all — fame, beauty, love. But in one fateful night, everything came crashing down. Betrayed by her fiancé and her envious stepsister, actress Liana Hayes wakes up in the room of a stranger, her name splashed across scandalous headlines. The public believes she cheated. Her career is in tatters. Her fiancé walks away. And her stepsister snatches everything she once cherished. But the stranger from that night — the cold, mysterious CEO Adrian Cole refuses to fade from her life. He holds a truth she hasn’t yet uncovered. As their lives become intertwined, Liana discovers that sometimes, the deepest betrayals can lead to the most genuine love… if she’s brave enough to fight for it.

Isabelle Ashford's aristocratic family is drowning in debt and scandal when Dante Marchetti offers a devil's bargain: marriage in exchange for erasing their financial ruin. She accepts, believing she's sacrificing herself for her younger sister's future. But from the moment she steps into Dante's fortress-like mansion, she realizes this isn't a marriage of convenience; it's a beautifully constructed prison. Dante is cold, controlling, and seems to delight in psychological games that leave her questioning her own sanity. He monitors her every move, isolates her from the outside world, and treats her like a possession he's studying under glass. As weeks pass, Isabelle begins noticing inconsistencies. Dante's cruelty sometimes feels like protection. His surveillance system captures threats she didn't know existed. His empire, built on blackmail and coercion, seems designed to destroy specific people connected to her family's past. When she discovers hidden files in his study, she learns a horrifying truth: her father wasn't just a failed businessman; he was part of a criminal syndicate that trafficked information and ruined lives. Dante's parents were among their victims. Her marriage isn't random, it's revenge twenty years in the making. But as Isabelle digs deeper, she uncovers something even more sinister: the syndicate her father once belonged to has been hunting Dante for years, and now they've marked her as their way to destroy him. Caught between a husband who married her to break her and enemies who want her dead, Isabelle must decide whether to escape the monster she married or join him in a war that could consume them both.

"Hate consumes too much. Revenge isn’t worth my energy. I left you behind long ago, buried deep in my past." In a marriage that once seemed flawless, a single event triggers its sudden collapse. As everything falls apart, the wife vanishes, only to reappear changed and indifferent. No longer tied to the past, she returns with a cold detachment that leaves everyone questioning the true cost of their perfect life.

Vanessa Moore’s world shatters the moment she learns she’s pregnant—only to return home and find the man she loves in the arms of another woman. Betrayed, humiliated, and left with nothing but heartbreak, she walks away from the life she thought she knew.

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

Harper just returned home after a grueling week-long business trip in London only to find her sister in bed with her beloved fiance, shattered, Harper swore to make them pay, for deceiving her after everything she had to sacrifice for them.

She loved him with everything she had. He hated her for reasons she could never understand. Veda and Adyant were bound by vows of marriage. While Veda’s heart beat only for him, Adyant's heart remained chained to a past he refused to let go of. Blinded by misunderstandings and haunted by his lost love, he pushed her away, until she finally walked away. Now, Adyant must fight to reclaim the woman he never knew he needed... before it's too late. In a story of shattered vows and broken hearts, will love find a way to heal?