Smoke And Steel

To help her lover win the rally championship, my fiancée, Alanna Johnson, deliberately sabotaged my race car. The vehicle lost control on a curve at nearly two hundred miles per hour, and in utter despair, I called her one last time. Her voice, however, brimmed with impatience. “Stop being dramatic. “This championship means nothing to you, but Jack is about to retire. This is his final chance. “Once this race ends, I’ll cut all ties with him and marry you. All right?” But she never realized that this event had drawn unprecedented global attention. After my death, the in-car surveillance footage would be released to the world. And she would face a judgment far worse than death.

Never does Joseph Hart expect that the remark made by his oldest daughter, Natalie Hart, about her not being his actual daughter is actually a prophecy that foreshadows the truth. At the same time, it tears down the shameful and dark truth surrounding Joseph's marriage and family. His wife, Cora Lowell, is an extremely gorgeous woman, and she's also the richest woman in town, to boot. She and Joseph have been married for 16 years, and so far, they have three daughters. It feels as though fate is toying with Joseph. Gradually, the results of other paternity tests being conducted tell Joseph that his other two daughters are also not of his own blood.

After returning home from a flight, I realize that my bottle of hair conditioner has run out in the bathroom. The thing is, my husband, Carlos Zappa, doesn't use hair conditioner at all. Seeing Carlos through the frosted glass, I decide to probe him for answers. "Did any guests stay over lately? Or have you started doing hair care?" Carlos flips through the documents, which are stamped with the Zappa family crest, impatiently at my questions. "Maybe a maid accidentally toppled the bottle over when she was cleaning the bathroom. Also, why are you annoying me with such minuscule matters?" When I put on the bathrobe, I feel a ticklish sensation coming from the collar. As soon as I look down, I notice a strand of dried yellow hair being entangled in the collar. The moment the steam dissipates, I see two pairs of intertwining handprints on the bathroom's glass door. I never thought that my home would grow this popular during my one-week trip away from home. I've been married to Carlos for three years, and yet this is my first time finding out that he's actually this wild in bed. So, I secretly text my father, the Don of the Carozza family. "Dad, Carlos has cheated on me. Does the bet we made three years ago still count?"

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.

Claire thought she was done with her husband. Claire Grace Channing left a life of violence and crime behind her when she took her son away from the Steel Claw Motorcycle Club, and away from her husband, the Vice President of the club and the love of her young life. But when Claire's father -- the president of the MC -- is grievously injured, she returns home and finds herself drawn back to the man she thought she left in her past.

VIOLET-He left me because of his secrets that he refused to share with me. He didn't care how he shattered already broken pieces and left a mess. My family was the one to put me back together with their love & care. And now I'm a completely different person, the girl who was abused & the woman who was left behind are nowhere to be found. Now I'm here with an armor that I'd built in his absence, with a heart incased behind walls of steel & I refused to let him fool me again. He might've been the one to heal my body with his soft touches but my heart was too tender to believe in him again despite that one dream that could be possible only with him. He says he'd his reasons, that he'll do anything for my forgiveness. But should I trust him again? Should I give him the chance he's begging for? Or should I just fool him like he did me & get what I really want? COLE-I made a mistake when I left her. But now I'm back to beg for forgiveness. The problem is My broken princess has turned into one with steel heart & ironclad armor. She doesn't care about my sweet words or tender touches anymore. She's not the woman I'd left behind. She knows how to hurt me & she hurts me where it's fucking painful. She says she won't forgive me but she'll have to because there was nothing else I wanted more than her forgiveness. I'll do anything she wants, give her everything she needs except that one thing that she really wanted from me. For the second time I'll do something she'll hate me for but at least I'll have her where I wanted her. By my side-In my heart-As my wife.

On my 28th birthday, I announced that I was pregnant. But my husband told everyone that he was sterile. Together with my best friend, they said that this was proof that I cheated on him. I tried defending myself, but in the end, I, along with my baby, died while burning with hate. When I reopened my eyes, I returned to the moment three hours before my death.

The night I find out I'm pregnant, my family's villa suddenly goes up in flames. I endure the suffocating smoke and run the risk of being disfigured as I run to my son's bedroom. However, it's empty. Just then, I hear his excited exclamations outside the window. "Monica, you look so cool when putting out fires! I bet you'll get first place in this upcoming Firefighter Challenge!" I'm about to head downstairs to lecture him when a wall collapses and crushes me. As I drift in and out of consciousness, I hear my stern, stoic husband praise Monica Sloan for her courage. If I'm guessing correctly, my husband and son have started this fire to please her. I stare at the door, which is so close and yet so far. I send out one final text before dying of asphyxiation.

When billionaire tycoon Anton Rogers discovers that someone in his empire has stolen a prototype capable of rewriting global digital security, he hires Sabatine Stalker, a private investigator who works in the shadows and has an uncertain past. But the more Sabatine digs, the trail of deceit leads squarely into Anton's inner circle — and perhaps to Anton himself. Bound by duty but seduced by desire, the two men are forced to navigate a dangerous landscape of corporate intrigue, deception, and forbidden longing. When a shocking revelation incriminates Sabatine, both must decide to have faith in the other or let their guarded hearts destroy everything they've built. In a universe of silk and steel, only the truth can set them free — at the cost of their lives.

Summer’s RoadMy name is Ian Memmer, and I've been keeping something from my best friend Summer Quinn for years. I'm in love with her. She breaks my heart over and over, day after day, but I love her. We grew up next door to one another. She's kind and beautifully broken, and she has no idea how I feel. Because of her depression, and since she never showed any signs she felt the same, I've kept silent. Tormented. Wanting her. Becoming the playboy everyone views. I'm her rock. She needs me. I fear she's keeping secrets from me, too. Then a passionate moment between us changes everything, gives me hope. Yet the guy she's been dating wants to take their relationship to the next level.Winter’s PathMy name is Matt Holcomb, and I'm the good guy. The boy next door. I'm the safe bet and I always do the right thing. Then one night two years ago, I made a terrible mistake that caused irreparable damage, and the guilt is killing me. If I'm ever to make the leap and find love again, the woman would have to be perfect. She can't disrupt my carefully constructed control. I met my best friend Jenny Winter as a teenager and have loved her ever since. She's gorgeous and talented. Her voice could make angels weep. Yet she chose someone else and I swore I'd never fall for her again. Until something happens between us and passion ignites.Seasmoke Friends is created by Kelly Moran, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.