Stay Close Harlan Coben Summary

Eva Vergara is an orphan, craving love and family. She vowed to have a complete and happy family of her own and to never let anything tear her family apart. Then she met Jack Dizon, a charismatic young man with a promise of love and a happy family. But what if her prince charming was an evil incarnate? How can she survive for the sake of her only daughter? Will she have the guts to leave? Marcus Sullivan, Jack's childhood friend. A first-hand witness of Jacks evil. Marcus's sister died because of physical abuse from her husband. Marcus blamed himself. So he saves Eva and promised to love her. Can he keep his promise? Or is it just another nonsense? Norman Rosebush, a Filipino doctor from the states. He decided to come home after his wife cheated on him with his closest friend. What if Norman and Eva's path crossed? Can he save Eva from drowning in pain? Will he successfully show her that life is still worth living?

He was everything they warned her to stay away from. He was the kind of man she would never have wanted to associate with. But how and why did she fall for him, even when he degraded her? He made it known to her that she was a nobody to him, yet she couldn't leave him. Astrid Peyton becomes the fiancée of a young billionaire, Darius Titan, who is rumoured to be a heartless dominant. She is determined to prove the world, especially her mother, that they are wrong about him. Nikoleta Titan, Darius's mother, is diagnosed with cancer. She is excited to find out that her son is engaged to someone, as she feels like he only uses people to get what he wants. This brings her and Astrid very close. But what happens when Astrid finds out that Darius is everything they say he is? What if he's worse? Did she really not grow on him, like she usually did other people? Will she stay with him, even after everything he has put her through?

My father's adopted daughter was only locked in the cramped storage closet for around fifteen minutes, yet he punished me by tying me up and throwing me inside. He even sealed off the ventilation with towels. "As Wendy's older sister, if you can't take care of her, then you should also experience how scared she was," he declared coldly. He knew I was claustrophobic, but my desperate pleas for mercy, my terror, were met with nothing but heartless reprimands. "Let this be a lesson on how to be a good sister." As the last sliver of light disappeared, swallowed by the oppressive darkness, I struggled helplessly. A week passed before my father finally remembered my existence and decided it was time to end my punishment. "Let's hope this week served as a good lesson for you, Jennifer. If this happens again, you will no longer be allowed in this house." He would never know that I had already taken my last breath in that suffocating room. My body had begun to rot in the darkness.

After struggling with infertility for years and being betrayed by her lover, Ella finally decides to have a baby on her own. However everything goes wrong when she gets inseminated with the sperm of intimidating billionaire Dominic Sinclair. All of a sudden her life is turned upside down when the mix up comes to light -- especially because Sinclair isn't just any billionaire, he's also a werewolf campaigning to be Alpha King! He's not going to let just anyone have his pup, can Ella convince him to let her stay in her child's life? And why is he always looking at her like she's his next meal?! He couldn't be interested in a human, could he?

Harold missed our fifth anniversary. He said Rogues had attacked the border, and as the Alpha, he had to fight to protect the pack. However, the she-wolf who came to fetch him was dressed in a tight little dress and heels—she looked more ready for a date than a battle. Worried for Harold, I went to the Moon Goddess's altar to pray for his safety, like I always do whenever he's called to fight. However, on the way, a witch told me there was no war at the border at all. He lied to me. At that moment, I knew it was time to walk away. "I want to break my mate bond with Harold," I said. She turned the pages of an old, dusty spellbook. "Harold won't accept this. He was even willing to give up his claim to the Alpha title just to be with you." "I don't need his permission," I said. "I'm willing to pay any price." She sighed. "If your heart is truly set on leaving, I can brew a potion for you. One sip, and your scent will vanish from the pack's memory—as if you never existed. "However, think carefully. You'll lose your title as Luna, leave behind your home, your people. You'll start over somewhere new, where no one knows your name. Not even the Moon Goddess will be able to find you." I said, "I've made up my mind, I refuse to stay in a love built on lies. "How soon can I have the potion?" "Three days." Three days. Just enough time to say goodbye to everything I once called home.

"I, Alpha Azrael Shepherd, reject you, Alexandria Gregory as my mate," he said coldly then turned his back towards the packhouse. ****** When Alexandria Gregory turned 18, she met her mate and that is Azrael Shepherd, the Alpha of her rival pack. But Azrael rejected her when he found out she was an omega of her pack. The rejection she felt was excruciating. Once her mate rejected her, she would never find another mate again. The reason why Azrael rejected her is because the man will be married to Liza, the Alpha's daughter of her pack. Even though they aren't mates, they decided to stay together for the union of the two packs. No one knew her mate was Azrael. Rage fills her heart and she will make sure Azrael would regret ever rejecting her. She ran away from her pack and promised to herself that she would come back and take her place as the real Alpha.

There's no one in her life that Kate Grayson despises more than Colton James; he's inconsiderate, rude, irresponsible and perverted, and yet he has an effect on her she can't even begin to explain. Determined not to fall for the resident bad boy, Kate falls into a vicious cycle of being pulled into his attractive charm before forcing herself to stay away. For his part, Colton finds Kate intriguing and when he warns his friend away from her, he realizes that perhaps her lack of desire for him only enhances his own desire for her.

James Wesley has hated me for a decade after his childhood sweetheart passed away. He requests to be transferred to the frontier the day after we get married. I write him countless letters in those ten years to win back his favor, but his response is always the same. "If you truly regret it, why don't you hurry up and die?" However, after I am abducted, James storms the bandit's hideout by himself and saves me. He suffers multiple bullet wounds, but before he succumbs to his injuries, he uses the last of his strength to slap my hands away. "The thing I regret the most… in this life… is marrying you. If we get a second chance at life… please… don't bother me anymore." His mother, Felicia Axford, sounds regretful during the funeral. "It's all my fault, James. I shouldn't have forced you to marry her…" His father, Jeremiah Wesley, stares at me, his eyes burning with contempt. "You forced Emily to take her own life, and now you also caused my son's death. You're nothing but trouble, so you should just die!" Even Xavier Bowen, our troop commander, who was responsible for facilitating our marriage in the first place, shakes his head and sighs. "I shouldn't have played matchmaker. I let you down, Mr. Wesley." Everyone feels sympathetic toward James, including me. On the night I am discharged from the troop, I swallow some pesticide and die in the middle of an abandoned field. When I open my eyes again, I realize I have returned to the day before my marriage. This time, I am determined to fulfill everyone's wishes.

"Arise, my Luna." His voice rang in the air and sent shivers down my spine. I looked down at the ground, slowly rising to my feet while holding my breath.  "My name is Clair, Alpha Aeon." I answered respectfully, but I refused to look at him. Frustration rolled off of his aura before it changed into anger. I swallowed hard as bile threatened to rise from my throat.  "Have I done anything to despise you?" His hand snaked around my nape as he took one step closer. "My wolf is so close to marking you, Clair. I can assure you, it'll be painful. I'm the only one standing in the way. Submit, and we'll make it less painful." He moved his hand to my jaw, forcing me to look at him. "Look at me. You'll be mine! And I will make sure all others before me are forgotten." I closed my eyes, and the tears fell from my eyes. I was already losing this battle. I took a deep breath, ready to nod my head, when a ferocious growl marred the air, shaking the ground where I stood.  "I dare you to touch what's mine!" I snapped my eyes open, turning in the direction of the threat. He's here.  He came for me.  My Alpha came for me.  ¤¤¤¤¤ ALPHA JACOB GALHART of the Black Shadow Pack never wanted a mate. He has led his pack for years without a Luna and was content to remain that way. But it was time to produce an heir. Not wanting to find his mate, he set his eyes on this one female, Clair Montrell.  He thought he had everything planned out until she turned out to be the fated mate he never wanted. But would he be able to let her go?

My husband, Damien Falcone, had 99 lovers. And I was the mafia princess men lined up to die for. The day we got together, everyone in our world took bets. They said we wouldn't last three months. But then , everything changed. For me, he wiped his phone clean, built a rose manor, and got down on one knee. Then, on our wedding night, he told me he wanted an open marriage. "Our bodies can play," he said. "But our loyalty? That's just for us." I agreed. Then came his 100th lover, Sophia Ricci. She betrayed our family in an arms deal. Almost got my father killed. But Damien protected her. He even moved her into our home. So, I did what any heartbroken mafia princess would do. I got drunk and woke up in another man's bed. I just didn't know that man was Damien's uncle.