That Summer A Novel Novels & Stories

After my year-end bonus came in, I immediately transferred 10,000 dollars to my husband to buy New Year’s gifts for both our parents. I even told him to get the very best, especially that case of whisky for my father. On New Year’s Eve, I rushed home to have dinner with my parents. However, at the table that night, Dad, who had always loved his drinks, was sipping tea instead. I was confused. “Dad, it’s the holidays. Why didn't you bring out the liquor?” I smiled as I rose to my feet to grab the case. “Kevin went out of his way to get this. I heard it tastes amazing.” “Don’t touch it!” Dad slammed his teacup against the floor. His face was flushed dark red. “Zeena, don’t send this stuff anymore. I know it’s not easy for you to make money in the city. But even if our Collins family is poor, we still have our pride! People in the village are talking behind my back, saying I’m putting on airs!” I was completely stunned. I opened the bottle and took a sip, then froze for a moment. This was not whisky at all. It was just plain water.

Bianca has been abused all of her life, first by her father and then by her brother. She has been raised with one cruel truth, that her only worth is the price that she can be sold for. When her brother announces that she is to marry a ruthless alpha, Bianca knows that this is the end, unless she runs. With the help of her mother and a trusted friend, Bianca escapes into the human world. On the night of a blood moon, fate intervenes. She meets her mate and they spend the night together, but her freedom is short-lived. Her brother finds her, drags her back, and punishes her brutally for daring to escape. When Bianca discovers she is pregnant, her brother’s cruelty reaches new depths. Declared worthless, beaten nearly to death, and left for dead, she only survives through the loyalty of her childhood friend. But her survival comes at a price. Bianca is forced to deceive another alpha, under the lie that her unborn child belongs to him, all to secure her brother’s thirst for power. Caught in a web of lies, threats, and growing danger as rogue attacks spread, Bianca struggles to protect her son while hiding the truth from everyone. When fate brings her face-to-face with her mate again, her secrets begin to unravel, alliances are tested, and war becomes inevitable. No longer the broken girl she once was, Bianca steps into her strength, helping bring down the man who stole her childhood and tried to destroy her future. This is a story of survival, resilience, and a Luna who rises from unimaginable darkness to claim her power, her mate, and her place next to the alpha who was always meant to stand with her.

"Mm… Slow down, honey... You'll wake Julie..." Chasing a thrill, my best friend, Natalie Turner, and her husband, Scott Turner, were actually making love right in front of me. Their hushed, breathy sounds filled the room, intimate and unmistakable. My face burned the entire time, heat rushing straight to my ears. I barely dared to breathe as I froze in place, waiting until Natalie finally drifted into unconscious sleep. And then, the very next second, Scott climbed onto me.

When Bonita began hoping to take their relationship to the next level, towards marriage, Benjamin was caught red-handed cheating with a graceful and seductive model. Letting go of the man she loved was incredibly difficult for Bonita. The four years they had spent together, after she had closed her heart due to trauma from a previous marriage, were too precious to just let go. Will Benjamin admit to his affair and choose the sexy model? What will become of Benjamin and Bonita's relationship after the affair is exposed?

June Hanson unintentionally spent a warm night with a man she just met. All she knew was the man's first name, Drake. She vows that one day she will take revenge on the man who slept with her that night and left before she woke up. However, June lost track of him. A year later, fate brought her to meet Drake again. But it was not like June had imagined. It turned out that Drake was the CEO at her new workplace. Drake Burton, that's his name. And what June hated the most was, Drake didn't remember her at all. When Drake begins to be soft on her, fate brings her to Alarick Joseph, the mysterious, gray-eyed man who saved her life from an accident. June had no idea that she was dealing with two dangerous men. The Dragon King and the Werewolf Alpha. Strange events make June realize that she has been caught in a war that began thousands of years ago. Follow my IG: @cindychen06

I had a caring, loving, and steady boyfriend and we were so much in love but our breakup was one I didn't see coming and I fell into an endless maze of twists which left me broken and lost. . . Mary, daughter to Mr. Nyomvi was given out to a husband at a crucial time in her life. Desperate to save his company from debt, he merged with a stronger company. A good deal. How far will he go to save his company? What price does Mary pay due to her father's actions? A tale of family lies and secrets, hidden behind closed doors and disguised by money. A touching story of the one chain that binds one to another... Family.

Ten days before the wedding, my fiancée spent over a hundred million to buy Marcus Collins a luxury yacht. So, I silently threw away the matching rings I had once planned to give her. Seven days before the wedding, she spent 50 million dollars to celebrate Marcus' birthday. Thus, I set fire to the photo album that held every memory of our past. Three days before the wedding, she wore the ring I had used to propose, and she kissed him deeply by the sea. Today, I finally chose to step aside. I notified our families and friends that the wedding was canceled, and I personally returned the engagement tokens to the Yardley family. Lowering my head, I said softly, "Mr. and Mrs. Yardley…I've always known I'm not worthy of Claire. I hope you can understand."

Life has a way of awakening us…Often cruelly. Astraia Ilithyia, a humble art gallery hostess, finds herself pulled into a world she never would’ve imagined existed. She meets the mysterious and charismatic, Vasilios Barzilai under terrifying circumstances. Torn between the world she’s always known, and the world Vasilios reigns in…Only one thing is certain; she cannot survive without him.

The night before the design competition, my husband took my design draft, promising to secure a patent to protect my work. In the intense competition, my work stood out and won first place. During the award ceremony, I walked on stage wearing the necklace that my daughter and I had made together. Suddenly, my seven-year-old daughter rushed up to the stage, screaming, "Mom, how could you steal Veronica's necklace? That's horrible and embarrassing. Just come down and go home with me."

Snowie Walton, the belle of the class, claimed she could hear my thoughts. When a classmate gained weight from hormone medications, she pointed at me and shouted, "Why did you call Eva a disgusting fat pig? Do you think you'll never be ill in your life?" The others believed her right away. They surrounded me, relentlessly demanding that I apologize publicly. From that day onward, I was isolated by the entire class. Later, during a lesson, the teacher mentioned her family. Snowie suddenly turned on me again. "What do you mean that our teacher only got this job through connections and that she has no capabilities at all? Show some respect!" I desperately explained that I had never thought such things, but the teacher didn't believe me. Not only was I written up for disciplinary action, but my scholarship was also revoked. Then, confidential documents from the school labs were stolen. Once again, Snowie blamed me. "How could you sell those files to foreigners and say that they were only worth a hundred thousand?" I was arrested by the police and convicted of leaking state secrets. I was sentenced to life imprisonment. In the end, I died in prison, consumed by depression. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the very day Snowie accused me of insulting Eva. By this time, she didn't know that I had uncovered her secret behind her so-called ability to hear my thoughts.