Speaks The Nightbird

"There's still half a year left before the contract is up. I'm getting ready to file for a divorce from Steven." As Celine Harlow speaks, she looks at the video which has been replayed on her iPad over a hundred times. In the video, her husband, Steven Kirk, keeps staring at his childhood sweetheart, Quinn Lambert, lovingly. "Oh, Quinn! I still can't forget about you at all! Will you please return to my side?" After that, he takes the initiative to capture Quinn's lips in a kiss. Meanwhile, Celine's son, Zane Kirk, whom she has risked her life giving birth to, keeps screaming at the top of his lungs, "Daddy, I want Quinn as my mommy!" Celine's resolve to leave her marriage behind is steeled even more. On the other end of the line, Steven's mother, Evelyn Kennedy, falls silent for a moment. She then advises Celine to think through her decision carefully. "You have to think this through. If you get divorced, not only will you have to give up on your current job, but you also won't be able to obtain any assets because of the contract." Celine doesn't hesitate at all. "I know. Since our marriage certificate is fake, I'll definitely get divorced without asking for a single cent. Don't worry." But Evelyn tries to get Celine to stay. "If you insist on getting a divorce, you won't get the custody over Zane. Are you sure you have the heart to never see him again?"

When I was 18 years old, I stepped between Eric Ludlow and a silver arrow loosed by another contender so I could help him win the Alpha Trials. The silver sank deep into my wolf. Ever since then, I've lived as a broken werewolf without a mind-link and unable to conceive. Drowning in guilt, Eric decided to mark me. He pulled me close and vowed, "I'll love you for the rest of my life, Evelyn. I'll never see you as less." I really did believe him back then. At 25, he wins the pack war again and emerges as the strongest Alpha. But he turns our mate bond into a joke. At the celebration dinner, during a thoughtless game of Truth or Dare with his secretary, Mia Sadler, he speaks across the mind-link to everyone. "Evelyn, you're painfully dull. You're not the least bit appealing, your scent is thin, and you can't even bear a pup. You're just dead weight. I wish you'd never been saved back then. I wish you'd died." I clutch the medical report that says my wolf is about to be gone for good, staying silent. He assumes I can't hear anything since I don't have a mind-link. I beg the pack healer for a brutal, life-draining potion, just to know what a mate bond with him feels like. It's fine. I'll be dead soon, just the way Eric wants.

Her back hit the cold wall before she could even breathe. Damian’s hand slid to her jaw, tilting her face up to his. His voice was a low, trembling threat. “Do you feel what you’re doing to me, Aria?” Her heartbeat stuttered. “You’re my sister’s husband…” “Exactly,” he whispered. “That’s why I shouldn’t want you.” He leaned closer, his breath brushing her lips. “But wanting you is all I’ve done… every damn day.” *** Aria Hale has spent her life unseen, ignored by her father, used by her sister, and taught that her feelings don’t matter. But everything changes the day she moves into her sister’s penthouse… the same home ruled by Damian Cross. Thirty-six. Billionaire. Cold. Married to her sister. And quietly, obsessively fixated on Aria. He watches her too long. Stands too close. Speaks too softly for a man with no heart. He looks at her like she’s the only warmth in his frozen world. Aria tries to avoid him. Tries to reject him. Tries to pretend she doesn’t feel the air tighten when he enters a room. But Damian does not let go. He corners. He interferes. He destroys anything that dares approach her. Because wrong or not, forbidden or not— he has already decided she belongs to him. And when the truth behind his obsession finally comes to light… Aria will learn that some desires, once awakened, are impossible to escape.

********* “Did you really come all the way here to tell me you were with another woman you slept with and impregnated?” “What?” Travis is the one who speaks, his voice echoing his shock as he looks from me to Kian. Kian’s usual blank look remains as if he is unaffected by my words and the pain he has caused me. “Let’s not do this here, Leslie. You know I can’t just leave her.” I scoff. “I never stopped you. You know what? You should have never come here. You should have stayed with her since that is where your loyalties lie now and I am no longer in the picture.” Kian frowns, moving closer and intimidating me just a little with his height and muscular frame, “What does that mean? You are my wife.” “Ex-wife,” I say the words without even thinking. I didn’t think any of this through but I don’t care because my entire being seems to agree that this is what’s best for me, “I want a divorce, Kian.” His eyes grow wide, unable to contain the shock at my words and I am proud of myself that I finally got a reaction that isn’t anger or coldness from him. “Both the divorce papers and my resignation will find their way to you soon.” I add before he can get over his shock and I don’t wait for him to reply as I turn to an equally stunned Travis. “Take me home, Travis.”

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.

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.

"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'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."

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.

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.