Speaks The Nightbird

Evelyn Ward never imagined that a routine walk home could shatter her life. Taken from her small Oregon town, she’s thrown into a velvet prison known as The Bidding Room, an elite underground auction where innocence is rare, and the most powerful men in the world come to buy it. Dressed like a doll, paraded as prey, Evelyn is thrust into a world of wealth, cruelty, and obsession. What should have ended in despair becomes the start of something more twisted - because the man who buys her isn’t a collector or a sadist. He’s something far worse. Lucien Moretti - The Devil of Verona - rules a vast criminal empire, built on fear and blood. He doesn’t pay for what he wants. He takes it. Yet something about Evelyn stops him. A silent challenge in her eyes, a trembling defiance that speaks louder than screams. He buys her not for pleasure - but to destroy what is pure. Except she doesn’t break. And that enrages him more than he expected. Their lives spiral in a dangerous dance of power and obsession. Lucien's enemies circle like vultures, and his own people begin to question his judgment. Evelyn isn’t just a girl anymore - she’s a symbol of his weakness, and they want to exploit that. As Evelyn is drawn deeper into the mafia world, her morality blurs. Can she resist becoming like them? Or is the darkness already inside her? In a story of violence, betrayal, and unnatural love, Evelyn and Lucien are caught in a storm they may not survive. And even if they do - what will be left of them?

RACHEL:I was supposed to be a bride. Instead, I became a tragedy in a white dress. When your mother dies the same night your groom disappears, you stop believing in happy endings. Then came him. A man with no warmth, no promises and eyes that watched me like I was a puzzle he didn’t want to solve. He saved me once. Now I live under his roof, cooking meals for a stranger whose silence speaks louder than comfort. Then there is Chris, the charming CEO who drowns me in the kind of affection I always dreamt of. And there is Liam, my ex fiance who came crawling back, begging for another chance. But the heart is a stupid thing. Even when it’s broken, it still learns to give second chances. Even for the wrong man. DAMIAN: She was a disaster I didn’t ask for. One I couldn’t ignore. I don’t do emotions, and I sure as hell don’t do strays. But I let her in, just for a while. Rachel Hart is not my responsibility. But she keeps showing up in places I can’t ignore, my company, my home, my thoughts. Now her presence lingers. Her scent. Her voice. Her past. She doesn’t belong in my world. But I find myself rearranging it anyway. And when someone else tries to claim her, They’ll learn the hard way I don’t let go of what’s mine.

VOWS WRITTEN IN SILENCE “I told myself she was a distraction. I was wrong. She’s the only thing that matters.” Raiyan Al Mansoor built an empire on iron-clad discipline and cold restraint. He believed love was a hollow ache—until a chaotic spill at Heathrow brought him face-to-face with Zoya Roseanne Fayez. She was a glitch in his perfect system. A girl with a sharp mouth, steady eyes, and a silence that felt like a challenge. Raiyan walked away telling himself it was nothing. He lied. When she reappeared at his family gala, laughing like she’d always belonged there, the quiet in Raiyan’s soul turned dangerous. He didn't just agree to this "strategic" marriage; he ensured it. He closed the distance before she could even see him coming. But Zoya is a riddle he can’t solve. She moves like a secret and speaks like a poem. She thinks she’s in control, choosing where to stand and who to trust. She has no idea she’s a hidden heiress to a fortune that has shadows moving in the desert—or that she’s already been marked by enemies she doesn't know she has. Zoya is an enigma wrapped in silk and defiance. And Raiyan? He’s a man losing his mind trying to protect a woman who doesn't think she needs a savior. The vows are written. The silence is loaded. And the most dangerous part isn’t the threat outside... it’s the moment Raiyan stops pretending he can ever let her go.

Due to an accident, my wife and I lost our lives in a massive fire. When we open our eyes again, we find ourselves back on the day we registered our marriage. In our last life, everyone thought we were the perfect couple. Little did they know that my wife, Queenie Lloyd, refused to consummate our marriage. Right before my death, I found out that I was nothing but a replacement for her first love. Queenie had intended to remain chaste for him for the rest of her life. After being reborn, neither of us speaks of the past. By an unspoken agreement, we get a divorce that very day and go on to live separate lives. Eight years later, she attends an industry summit holding her childhood sweetheart's arm. She's now a rising star in the business world. I am dressed in plain clothes. When she notices me, she walks over with a champagne glass in hand. "Mr. Lawrence! Even if you still have feelings for me, you didn't have to disguise yourself as a waiter just to approach me. Are you still trying to convince me to get back together with you?" she sneers. I ignore her and smile as I wave at someone nearby. My son runs over to me and tugs on the corner of my shirt. "Mommy said she's tired, Daddy. She wants to know when you're coming to pick us up," he tells me. Upon hearing this, Queenie's face stiffens immediately, and she almost drops her wine glass.

Natalia Punongbayan. They call her "extraordinary," and for good reason. She's not just someone who stands out in a crowd; she's someone who can fundamentally alter the course of lives with a single, calculated step. They say she can ruin someone's life just by stepping into it. Her friends call her "troublemaker," a term that speaks volumes about her cunning. It means she's a force of nature, someone who can navigate any situation, escape any consequence, and always come out on top. She's a con artist, a master manipulator, able to weave intricate webs of deception that leave people tangled and bewildered. She can twist people's minds around her little finger, making them believe anything she wants. And when things get tough, she simply disappears, leaving behind a trail of shattered lives and unanswered questions. But even the most skilled manipulator can make a mistake. And for Natalia, that mistake was a monumental one. She was supposed to target a specific man, disrupt his life, and leave him reeling. But she got it wrong. She ended up targeting the wrong groom, the wrong wedding. She pretended to be his mistress, claiming to be pregnant, all for a scheme that was supposed to be flawless. But it wasn't. Argo Greensmith, the groom of the wedding Natalia mistakenly attended, refused to let her slip away unscathed. Fueled by a desire to ensure she faced consequences for her deceitful actions, he stood firm in his decision to hold her accountable for her misdeeds.

I've been in a relationship with my brother's best friend, Emilio Slater, for three years, but he's never been willing to make our relationship public. Still, I never doubt his love for me. After all, he's been with 99 women before, yet he stops looking at anyone else because of me. Even if I have a slight cold, he drops billion-dollar projects and rushes home to take care of me. But on my birthday, when I'm excitedly preparing to share the news of my pregnancy with Emilio, he forgets my birthday for the first time and vanishes without a trace. The housekeeper tells me he's gone to pick up someone important from the airport. I rush there and see him holding flowers, his face full of nervous anticipation, waiting for a woman—one who looks strikingly like me. Later, my brother tells me she's Emilio's first love, the one he can never forget. Emilio defied his parents for her, and he fell apart after she dumped him. He sought out 99 women who resembled her to fill the void. My brother speaks with admiration for Emilio's deep devotion, unaware that I'm one of those stand-ins. I watch Emilio and his first love for a long, long time. Then, I return to the hospital without hesitation. "Doctor, I don't want this child anymore."

"Why can’t you just leave me alone?" Valentina snarled, breath hitching as she shoved against the bark of the tree behind her. He stepped closer, eyes glowing with an untamed hunger. In one swift, possessive motion, he pinned her hands above her head, his lips grazing the pulse at her neck—dangerously close to the spot only a mate should touch. “Because, little wolf,” he whispered, his voice dark velvet against her skin, “you belong to me—and I’m done pretending otherwise.” _______ Stabbed by the man she once loved and betrayed by the friend she trusted most, Valentina was reborn in the ashes of heartbreak. No longer the obedient luna of the Shadow Crust pack, she rises from the shadows to reclaim her life—and her power. But home is no longer safe. Her pack is in ruins. Her father? Bewitched by a mysterious woman named Carmella. And fate? Cruel, as always. Because waiting for her in the heart of the storm is the man she should never desire—Andres Donovan, the cold and dangerously obsessive Lycan King… and her second-chance mate. He watches her with eyes full of secrets, speaks in riddles that echo of a past she can’t remember, and touches her like he’s been starving for centuries. But as enemies close in, alliances fracture, and war brews over the divine blood flowing in her veins, Valentina must decide: Will she fight fate again… Or surrender to the one man who could ruin her—or save her?

I stand in the hospital after my two older brothers decline all 99 of my phone calls. They finally appear, bringing with them the biological sister they found. My gentle eldest brother, who had once rescued me from my so-called abusive parents, raises his hand and slaps me across the face. "Cynthia, you're actually pretending to have a terminal illness just to compete with Sarah for our affection? And you came to this kind of place to frighten us?" I clutch my swollen cheek and listen as my second brother, who always says he'll trust me no matter what, holds Sarah in his arms and laughs out loud. "Are you trying to fake being sick to get our attention after seeing that Sarah is in poor health? "Just cut the act. You've been living in luxury since childhood and have always been in perfect health. How could you possibly be ill?" Sarah Crawford speaks up thoughtfully, "Don't blame her, you two. I think she just feels like I've stolen away your love for her, which is why she has become so unreasonable..." I look at the two brothers who have doted on me for ten years and suddenly feel that nothing matters anymore. After all, I only have seven days left to live. In seven days, everything will return to normal after my departure. But by then, they'll be the ones unable to accept it.

As the full moon hangs above the masquerade, Apollo Cadwell shows up with Bella Lohart. One is my Beta mate, the other his childhood sweetheart. Since she doesn't have a gown for the ball, he gives her my dress instead. It's a one-of-a-kind piece I've handmade myself—priceless, even—that I'm supposed to wear for our mating ceremony. "Bella has never been to a masquerade before," he says. "A beautiful dress will help her feel more confident." I calmly hand the dress over and watch Bella slip into the gown I've designed stitch by stitch. She clings to Apollo's arm, acting sweet. "You're the best, Apollo. Can I borrow the ring on your hand as well? That moonstone is too dazzling to miss." One of our friends can no longer stand it and speaks up. "Nora spent an entire month making that ring by hand. Are you just going to give it away like that? Have you even considered Nora's feelings?" He patiently slides the ring onto Bella's finger, then replies casually, "I'm just letting her wear it for a night. Nora won't mind. I'll just soothe her afterward, and she'll be fine." He's right about one thing. I will be fine. Slowly, I began erasing myself from his world. Before leaving, I keep my promise to the Elder that I'll personally travel to The Spine of the World on the Faron Continent to continue my research on the Moonshadow Herb Alchemy Research. From that night on, Apollo and I might never cross paths again.

Pretend to be his fiancée. Save her brother’s life. Don’t fall in love with a man who can’t see the truth. Celeste Harper is a master of voices, but her own life is a tragedy. Drowning in the suffocating medical bills for her comatose younger brother, she’s one missed payment away from losing the only family she has left. Until a cold-blooded offer from the city’s most powerful matriarch changes everything. The Task: Step into the designer heels of Vivian Lancaster—the socialite who abandoned her fiancé, Lucian Aldridge, the moment a brutal accident stole his sight. The Target: Lucian. A billionaire CEO turned into a recluse, a man whose bitterness is as sharp as the shards of glass that blinded him. He’s a wounded predator in a gilded cage, and he hates the woman who left him. The Problem: When Celeste speaks, Lucian doesn't just hear his fiancée—he hears the only reason he has left to live. Now, Celeste is trapped in a dangerous game of sensory deception. Every touch is a risk; every whisper is a lie. As she navigates the dark hallways of his estate and the growing, electric tension between them, the lines start to blur. To the world, she’s a gold-digger seeking redemption. To Lucian, she’s the only light in his darkness. But secrets in the Aldridge empire are never buried deep enough. In a world where he can’t see her face, Celeste must decide: how long can she play the role of a ghost before she disappears entirely? Because when the bandages come off and Lucian finally sees the truth—it won’t just be his heart on the line. It will be her life.