Silent Separation

"Sign it," he said. Three years of marriage ended with a line and a pen that trembled in her hand. It wasn't the papers that hurt—it was the way he didn't even flinch when she did. Amelia Hart walked out of his penthouse that night with nothing but a suitcase and a broken heartbeat. She'd given Daniel Sterling everything—her love, her identity, her silent devotion—only to be discarded the moment she became inconvenient. But when the empire he built begins to fall, when the cold CEO who never looked back suddenly needs the woman he threw away, he returns with the same hands that once let her go, now reaching for what he destroyed. Only this time, there's a clause he didn't read…

Thirty years ago, a progressive rock band called The Yellow Kings began recording what would become their first and final album. Titled “The Final Reconciliation,” the album was expected to usher in a new renaissance of heavy metal, but it was shelved following a tragic concert that left all but one dead. The sole survivor of that horrific incident was the band’s lead guitarist, Aidan Cross, who’s kept silent about the circumstances leading up to that ill-fated performance—until now. For the first time since the tragedy, Aidan has granted an exclusive interview to finally put rumors to rest and address a question that has haunted the music industry for decades: What happened to The Yellow Kings? The answer will terrify you. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

"You bastards! You’re worthless! How can you not bring me that woman?” I shouted nervously looking around me at how pathetic my people were. Everyone was silent, and that made me even more p*ss*d off. I had already exited through the back door of the auditorium, so nothing stopped me from spilling my guts on those who disobeyed my orders. So, I punched in all directions and I knocked down whoever fell victim to my fury of blows to the ground. I punched until I was literally tired. “I must have this woman! Do you understand? You will bring her to me whether she wants it!”

On the day of her wedding, Vittoria De Angelis was dragged from the altar and forced to marry the enemy. Vincenzo Lucchese, the exiled heir of the Sicilian mafia, returned to avenge the deaths of his father and brother. In front of everyone, he stole his rival’s bride, sealing a new order of power, written in blood. Now, Vittoria is his wife. Not by choice. But by punishment. Trapped with a man who loves her, yet is as dangerous as he is irresistible, she soon learns that running from him may be even deadlier than falling for him. Because Vincenzo doesn’t want obedience. He wants to surrender. He wants revenge. And she is his guarantee. In this silent war between them, love might be the most lethal weapon of all.

Adeline has been in love with Blake Rhodes for as long as she could remember-twelve years of silent yearning turned into three loveless years of marriage. She has always wanted him to return her love. However, Blake's heart is clouded by manipulation and misunderstandings, with the shadows cast by Adeline's half-sister Rebecca. Unknown to Blake, it is not Rebecca who is dying but Adeline. Adeline has stage four cancer, a secret she holds tightly, even as Blake is forcing her to give her blood-and a kidney-to save Rebecca. So, while Rebecca is faking being ill for Blake, Adeline keeps the pain to herself and silently suffers by sacrificing all her possessions for the man who doesn't perceive her value.

[MATURE CONTENT] Warning: Skip of you are not a fan of mature romance. Faced with a choice between blaming my stepfather Jason or stepbrother Ethan for the life growing inside me, I felt the weight of Jason's ominous threats—stay silent or risk my mom's life. “Chelsea,who is responsible for this pregnancy?” my Mom asked. I stood there, tears welling in my eyes, torn between the truth and the suffocating weight of shame. "Mom, I'm really sorry," I whispered, my voice cracking, as tears streamed down my cheeks. Unable to endure the guilt, I ran away from home, leaving my mother to search for me, only to tragically meet with an accident in her pursuit. HAPPY READING

"We both know that this match is not our will, for that I offer you a contract." my eyes widened in surprise Henry's words, an open offer from a man she had met for the first time. What the average family couldn't do, this sort of thing happened easily with the righ folks I went over several points of the written agreement there. *Do not intervene in personal life * Maintain the confidentiality of the marriage contract agreed to by both parties *The marriage lasts at least two years, but if the separation is still difficult to implement, it can be extended until circumstances permit. I read some interesting points. Although this type of contract is not natural for a couple who is about to get married. For me, the prenup made me more prepared than having to guess what would happen later when she became part of the Marcus family. "I deliberately left the last page blank, please write your wish" Henry swung his finger lightly. Skillfully, Henry's assistant handed me a ballpoint pen. * Appreciate parents on both sides as a family *No physical contact *Stay in separate rooms *** I am someone who prefer being alone and I have never had a boyfriend and she dont care. Unfortunately, my sister who does have a boyfriend has been betrothed to a billionaire's son who she will now be forced to marry. I pitied my sister and decided to replace her... Well, Henry, the billionaire's son doesn't want to marry someone he doesn't know so he proposed a contract to me. I found that helping, huh? Two years later, we will file a divorce and that will be the end of us or so we thought.

Viren, the main character of the story, has a complex history that has led him to hold a strong aversion to romantic commitment. As the only son of industrialist Rai Bahadur, he carries the weight of responsibility, as the CEO of the family company. Despite being perceived as a shrewd and ruthless businessman, Viren possesses a deeply caring and considerate nature, especially when it comes to his family and loved ones. His tall, well-built stature and sharp features make him a highly sought-after eligible bachelor, but his past has left him wary of commitments and hesitant to embrace love. In stark contrast, Priya is a vibrant, middle-class woman who works as an assistant to Rai Bahadur. She is kind-hearted, devoted to her family and possesses beauty and intelligence. The story progresses with Viren expressing concern for Priya's scepticism and offering to help her with her problems. Priya then shares her family's financial challenges, including her brother-in-law demanding money and her father's mounting medical expenses, which she struggles to meet with her salary. In a heartfelt gesture of support, Viren offers to arrange the necessary funds for Priya if she agrees to a paper marriage, as his father's critical condition compels him to settle down. He grants Priya two days to consider his proposal. Despite their initial reservations, they unexpectedly find themselves falling in love with each other. Unaware of each other's feelings, they continue to navigate the complexities of their awkward and initially unwanted relationship. According to their contract, they eventually decide to dissolve their marriage after the completion of a year. However, following their separation, they both come to realize their true feelings for each other. The question arises: will they proceed with the divorce despite their newfound understanding, or will they find a way back to each other?

At 3:00 p.m., Rose Jenkins, the new hire who had barely been here a few days, suddenly tagged me in the company group chat with a few hundred people in it. [Hi, can you stop hammering your keyboard? The noise is making my stomach hurt! The baby I'm carrying is sleeping. If you shake it into a concussion, I swear I'll make your whole family pay for it!] I rushed to explain. I was racing to finish a proposal that was due soon, and I was using a silent keyboard. But she wouldn't believe me, no matter what I said. I kept my patience and explained it over and over. To avoid any more trouble, I even asked if I could move out to the hallway to work. What I didn't expect was that a week later, she would storm into the break room with a kettle of freshly boiled water and dump it straight over my head. I collapsed in a pool of scalding water, my skin blistering and tearing open. She kept screaming as if she had lost her mind and smashed my head with her high heels, over and over. "It's all your fault! I lost the baby! Your keyboard noise shook my son to death!!" My vision blurred. By the time everything went black, I still couldn't understand how a silent keyboard could possibly kill someone. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day she first went off on me in the group chat. This time, faced with the same insults, I didn't back down. I went straight into the chat and fired back. [Stop pretending you're pregnant. You've got more going on down there than your dad does!]

Alpha Prince Valen, the next in-line to be Alpha King, has been Raina's childhood crush. For years she yearned for the attention that he never gave. Surprisingly, she got her wolf at age sixteen, which was the same day of Valen’s eighteenth birthday party. Among the pack members, family and friends, he looked her dead in the eyes and publicly denied finding his mate. - Distraught, ashamed and heartbroken, Raina kept the secret of being mated to Valen, until circumstances forced him to finally acknowledge their bond. - Sadly, things went downhill because something was devastatingly wrong with their bond. The old books declared them as unfortunate soulmates. A glimpse of the future has left her torn between the desire for her mate and the doom of their fate. - Forced to reject her and sever the bond, the painful separation exposed Raina to numerous challenges and dangers. - Will Raina and Valen have their happy ending or did the moon goddess have something else in store for them? Should she fight for her mate, or let the course of destiny unfold? - Find out as Raina embarks on a journey filled with heartache, revelation, and an uncertain future. - This is Book 2 from the Mates series. This might be read as a standalone, however, to understand the characters, you might want to read Book 1 - Mates: Regrets and Redemption © All rights reserved. - EXCERPT: He chuckled and lewdly continued, “Mmmmmm….right there....it will hit all those spots over and over." "Valen, stop." I breathlessly moaned and blushed. A rush of heat pulsed through my body. "Or when I put one hand around your throat…” He did the action, moving his lips to brush on mine. “.....and the other grips your hair, then your inner thigh, and then your cumming p**sy."