Summoning A Familiar

Me metí en una novela. Y no como la protagonista ni como la villana, sino como una extra bonita, sin nombre, de esas que solo aparecen de fondo para rellenar escenas. El problema es mi hermano mayor: de todos los personajes, es el único que se comporta como una persona normal, y justo por eso, en la novela lo pintan como el “amor imposible” de la protagonista: un dios frío, reservado, casi intocable, al que ella jamás logra conquistar. Cuando ella se le declara entre lágrimas, él responde que está estudiando. Cuando le promete entregarle todo, él dice que anda montando un negocio. Cuando ella se deja caer y se pierde entre galanes, él ya está en la cima, con un éxito brutal y diez mil millones de dólares al año. Yo, de verdad, pensé que iba a vivir en paz, sin deseos, sin tentaciones, así para siempre. Hasta que una noche, ya de madrugada, lo encontré con una prenda que yo reconocería en cualquier parte entre sus manos… y, en voz baja, casi obsesivo, repitiendo un nombre una y otra vez. Un nombre demasiado familiar, demasiado cercano.

At my engagement dinner with Greg Willis, the Rossi mafia family’s underboss, his assistant, Sydney Carlson, casually tossed a half-eaten cookie on his plate in front of everyone. Greg didn’t react. In full view of the guests, he calmly picked it up and ate it. That night, after we returned, I told him I wanted to call off the engagement. He rubbed his brow with his fingertips, his voice steady in that familiar, composed way of his, yet there was distance beneath it. “All this,” he said, “over a cookie?” “She already took a bite,” I corrected him. He fell silent for a moment before replying in a low voice, “Zoe, you’ve always been sensible. Why get hung up on something so small?” “I’m not hung up,” I said evenly. “I just don’t want to settle.” When he saw that I wouldn’t back down, something complicated flickered in his eyes. Then, his tone hardened, almost like a warning. “Think it through carefully. Don’t you regret it.” He was certain I couldn’t leave him. After all, he was a mafia underboss. There were countless people eager to take the position of Mrs. Willis, and I was nothing more than a minor employee at his company. What he didn’t know was that I had never coveted the title of his wife. All I ever had for him was love. But now, that love was gone, and once I turned away, I would never look back again.

Forever Love unfolds against the backdrop of the captivating island of Malta during the vibrant 90s. Joelle and Jason forge an unbreakable bond, their souls entwined in a dance of friendship laced with unspoken yearning. As their connection deepens, their hearts become entangled in a whirlwind of emotions. Amidst the twists and turns of fate, they find themselves entangled in other relationships, their desires suppressed beneath the weight of loyalty. Yet destiny, relentless in its pursuit, finally orchestrates their reunion. A blaze of passion ignites, painting their world in vivid hues of love and possibility. But love's journey is rarely smooth, and the road they travel is fraught with challenges. Fragile as petals, their romance falters, and they are forced apart. Joelle, her heart shattered, resolves to pour her energy into her work, seeking solace in its demanding embrace. Jason, undeterred by their separation, vows to reclaim her, defying all obstacles that stand in his path. Just as victory seems within his grasp, Joelle's very first love, Chris, reappears, captivating her with a magnetic charm. A whirlwind of emotions envelops Joelle, torn between the loyal and devoted Jason and the intoxicating allure of her past flame, Chris. In this enthralling tale of love's labyrinth, Malta's picturesque landscapes bear witness to a tempestuous struggle of the heart. Joelle stands at the crossroads, faced with a choice that will shape her destiny. Who will be her forever love? Will she follow the path of familiar affection, or venture into uncharted territory in pursuit of a long-lost flame? The answer lies within her, waiting to be discovered amidst the timeless beauty of Malta's shores.

Leonard Burton and I are childhood sweethearts, bound by a family-arranged marriage. After we marry, we live a loving, harmonious life. In a terrible accident, he even gives up his only chance at survival to save me. After Leonard's death, we find a journal among his belongings. In it, he records the three years he was missing after falling off a cliff—years spent with another woman he deeply loved. But his parents had forcibly separated them and arranged our marriage instead. Unbeknownst to anyone, he had continued to protect that woman from afar, silently and faithfully. At the funeral, Leonard's mother, Charlotte Newman, is inconsolable. "Leonard, it's all my fault. Would you still be alive if I'd let you marry Yelena back then?" His father, Samuel Burton, glares at me with hatred. "He fell off that cliff saving you. He died in that crash shielding you. Why do you bring him nothing but harm? Why aren't you the one who's dead?" Yes, why is it not me who's dead? I look at Leonard's familiar, smiling face on his gravestone before running at it and smashing my head on it. When I open my eyes again, I'm taken back to when he just returned from that small fishing village. This time, I choose to let him go and give him what he wants. Finally, I see Leonard again.

Everything changed the night Hayden Delaney entered a private room to search for her missing blind date. Four years ago, she lost her family in a fire and thought her stepbrother, Dominic Fox, had also died. That was until she found out that he was alive and her date knew her stepbrother. Also, he is the Mafia Lord. His cold attitude toward her is nothing she isn't familiar with, but now things seem different. After Hayden accidentally killed a mafia boss in a deal gone wrong, she is forced to stay by Dominic's side. Hayden joins his company and works with him so Dominic can keep her safe. What she doesn't expect is that she starts to fall in love with him. That alone is dangerous enough. Facing love rivals, office drama, and someone trying to kill her, can Hayden manage to survive while keeping her heart safe? Dominic had tried to keep his distance from Hayden, not only because she was too young but also because she was too innocent. As the Mafia Lord, his life was already full of hidden dangers. He also had a secret that could destroy everything. He tries to think of Hayden as his sister, but his heart has never thought of her as a sister. Once her life is put in danger, he has no choice but to keep her close. The more time they spend together and the more dangerous it becomes, the less he can keep his heart hidden. Dominic's biggest fear is that he will lose his heart and fail to protect her.

17-year old Star Sullivan was no stranger to loss, having recently endured the heartbreaking passing of her parents. Struggled to come to terms with her grief, she found herself uprooted from her familiar surroundings and thrust into a new town under the care of her godparents. The weight of her sorrow hung heavy on her shoulders casting a shadow over her once bright spirit. Star navigates the unfamiliar street and faces of her new home, a glimmer of intrigue caught her eye - a student with eyes as silver as moonlight, a captivating mystery etched in every glance. Drawn to this enigmatic figure, she found herself unable to resist the pull of curiosity that tugged at her heart. His mysterious past whispered secrets that beckoned to be unraveled, a puzzle waiting to be pieced together. With each passing day, Star found herself entangled in a web of intrigue and emotion, her heart torn between the allure of the unknown and the safety of familiarity. As the threads of secrets began to unravel, revealing truths that shook the foundation of her newfound life, Star stood at a crossroads, her heart torn asunder. Would she choose to stand by her new friends and family, embracing the complexities of their intertwined destinies, or would she heed the call of uncertainty, fleeing to the safety of the hills, away from the tumultuous storm that threatened to consume her? Only time held the answers to the questions that plagued her restless mind. The clock ticked away, each passing moment a reminder of the choices that lay ahead, the paths diverging into the unknown. In the quiet of the night, as the stars whispered tales of destiny and fate, Star found herself standing on the precipice of a decision that would shape the course of her future.

"Walt..." I looked at him, my hand trailed his chest. I was biting my lip, I need him. It felt like I need him to make me forget. It felt like a familiar thing to do. But I still wasn't sure that he wanted us to happen the way it was intended to. Then he cupped my jaw and kissed me. His lips touched mine, his facial hair tickled my face softly. I was opening my lips, as his thumb stroked my cheek. "You need to stop me, Flo, we shouldn't be doing this." He whispered hoarsely in my ear. Flo was abused and misused by her parents because of her ability to see the future and see the dead. Until one day she runs away and finds herself in Walter's protection. She had all the right feelings for him, but he kept pushing her away until she finally left. Then he realized that he needed her more than he knew. Walter had been let down by the universe over and over again. He had to rebuild himself from his lowest moments several times already. He was trying to be strong, and he was finally happy for the first time in his life, only to be fucked up majorly as fate decided to take his wife's life before their first anniversary. He was rebuilding the tallest wall he had ever made, but Flo slowly tearing it apart and making him doubt himself. Will he finally have a happy ending, or will fate screw him again?

Story Blurb The Hart family is known for power, wealth, and an untouchable diamond empire built on legacy and deception. After losing their son fourteen year ago the family goes through some trauma until when a man claiming to be Ethan Hart returns after years of disappearance, the family’s carefully constructed world begins to crack. Sophia Hart has spent her life searching for her lost brother, clinging to memories that never faded. When he finally comes home, something feels wrong. His face is familiar, yet his presence feels distant his eyes hold secrets that don’t belong to the boy she remembers. While the rest of the family is eager to reclaim their heir, Sophia’s doubt grows stronger, threatening to unravel everything they believe to be true. As hidden agendas surface and old wounds reopen, Edward the adopted son raised to protect the Hart legacy struggles with loyalty, forbidden love, and a truth he cannot reveal without destroying the woman he loves. Meanwhile, the returning “Ethan” carries a past shaped by loss, survival, and deception, torn between a role he was never meant to play and feelings he never planned to have. Behind the luxury and glittering balls lies a darker history one of betrayal, stolen identities, and a legacy built on blood and lies. As power shifts and secrets claw their way to the surface, the Hart family must confront a truth that could cost them everything: their empire, their name, and each other. In a world where love blurs the line between right and wrong, and identity can be rewritten, one question remains Was he truly her brother… or was he another imposter?

I was a wedding planner, and I personally designed my husband's wedding to his mistress. I had been with Victor for five years. Three of those years were swallowed by the pandemic. The remaining two were spent married, pregnant, and raising a child. The wedding I had always dreamed of existed only as "next time" whenever it came out of his mouth, until the day I received a new wedding planning request. The client was a young woman, her eyes curved with laughter, her smile bright and full of hope. "This is the venue my boyfriend chose himself," she said softly. "He insisted the wedding had to be held here." I took the file from her, and my gaze stopped on the venue name. The church in Clairmont. The very church I had mentioned to my husband countless times, the place I had dreamed of more than anything else. I was just about to smile and marvel at how someone in this world shared my taste so perfectly when the groom's name leapt into view. Victor Langford. My fingers froze on the page. Across from me, the girl was still wrapped in her happiness. She added gently, "We've only been together for two months, but he said he wants to give me the best wedding possible." I curved my lips into a smile and fixed my eyes on that familiar face—the man I had lived with for five years. After all this time, the day I planned Victor's wedding had finally arrived. Too bad the bride wasn't me.

A woman of your caliber doesn’t deserve to be cheated on,” Amelia Connels thought Jake was her forever. She loved him, trusted him, and even helped him rise to success. But on the night of his surprise birthday party, a night she planned to celebrate their love; he didn’t show up. Instead, Amelia met Logan Wills, a captivating billionaire with a devilish smirk and a devastating revelation. "Does he look familiar?" Logan asked, as he held his phone up. The image of Jake, tangled in bed with another woman, shattered Amelia’s world. Heartbroken and furious, she didn’t know what hurt more: Jake’s betrayal or the truth that she’d given everything to someone who didn’t value her. Logan, however, offered her a proposal—a fake relationship. "A relationship with me for three months," Logan proposed, his gaze steady. "Make him regret ever cheating on you." What Amelia didn’t know was that Logan’s motives runs deeper than revenge for her heartbreak. But as their staged romance heats up, so do real feelings, and secrets neither of them expected threaten to ruin everything. "You used me, didn’t you?" Amelia whispered, tears streaming down her face. "And you helped him to ruin me!!," Logan shot back, his voice cracking. In a battle of love, betrayal, and redemption, Amelia and Logan must decide if they can overcome their pasts or if their connection is just another casualty of revenge.