The Ballad Of Never After

I'm having a mental breakdown as I face a clogged drain with my feverish and fussing daughter in my arms. Meanwhile, my husband has reserved a hotel to celebrate another woman's birthday. My mother-in-law spits on the floor. "This is what you deserve. You can't even capture a man's heart!" I clench a fist around the winning lottery ticket in my pocket. I want to get a divorce.

“I will never love you.” His voice was deep and quiet, yet cold enough to pierce straight through my bones. God, I knew he only married me because I had the same rare blood type as his lover. I just want to be able to breathe and live better than I do now. When I asked for a divorce, he should have been happy—his lover had regained consciousness, after all. But his reaction was confusing. “You want a divorce? Do you think you can pull another sly trick by saying that?” “There will be no divorce until you repay everything I’ve given to your family, Sandra.'"

[Warning this book contains strong sexual content and violence, readers discretion is strongly advised] Hallow Groove was a quiet and peaceful town until the enigmatic Lycan brothers, Lucian and Lucifer, descended upon it. Suddenly, death, chaos, and inexplicable disappearances become a daily occurrence. Alexandra, a young and ambitious journalist, is determined to uncover the truth behind the brothers' activities and puts herself in danger to do so. Delving deeper into the investigation, Alexandra begins to realize that there is more to these brothers than meets the eye. Lucian, the brooding and intense brother, intrigues her with his quiet strength and aura of danger. Lucifer, on the other hand, is charming and charismatic, and Alexandra finds herself drawn to their magnetic personality. Caught in a dangerous game of love and secrets can Alexandra navigate the complex relationship between the two brothers, each vying for her attention and affection while guarding their own hidden agendas and uncover the secrets behind the strange disappearances in Hallow Groove?

On her way to Nashville to try her hand at a singing career, Alyssa Collins meets Logan Ambrose, her soul mate in every way. Not only is he a great singer and guitar player, he has a down-to-earth personality to die for. Soon, he proposes and they make plans for the future, but everything changes in an instant. A month later, she wakes from a coma only to learn that her life has changed forever. Lost and distraught, Alyssa tries to make sense of her life. Needing to make a change, she puts her singing career behind her and finds herself in law school. Ten years later, she is a lawyer and she takes a job in New York with a prestigious firm. When Alyssa goes to New York for a political fundraiser, something happens that changes her life again. With more questions than answers, can she find it in herself to go on with her life … if tomorrow never comes?

When Isabelle's mother, an ambitious socialite, marries for the fourth time, she introduces Isabelle to her new stepfamily. To Isabelle's horror, her new stepbrother is none other than Logan Sinclair—the very boy who tormented her during high school. Seeing him again rekindles all the old fears and resentments. To make matters worse, Isabelle is soon hired as Logan's secretary at Sinclair Enterprises, the megacorporation run by Logan’s father. Isabelle braces for the worst, expecting her nightmare to continue. But instead of cruelty, Logan is calm, professional, and oddly protective of her. Isabelle is torn. The wounds of her past run deep, and the humiliation she endured at his hands isn’t easily forgotten. Can people truly change? Or is Logan just playing a long game, trying to manipulate her emotions once again?

Three years into my marriage with Shawn, I found out I was pregnant. I nervously but joyfully prepared to surprise him with the news. Yet what I received was the news of Shawn’s accidental death. Devastated by the blow, I miscarried the child and killed myself in despair. However, after death, I saw him drinking and mocking me with his rowdy friends. “Samantha is so dumb. I can’t believe she really fell for that prank. Does she really think I’d be fooled by her? I’m not an idiot like her. What, she’s pregnant? If she was going to make up something to fool me, she should have at least made it more believable.” But our child really was gone, and I had really died.

"A great alpha handles pack affairs outside, and chores at home." my mate Luke had posted. I stared at these words. It was a post from my mate, Luke's Instagram. In the picture he was in a vineyard pruning grapes. Chores at home? Luke who would not even help me to clean a table was actually helping someone else. He had left this morning saying he was going on werewolf business, but from these pictures he was at a she-wolf's vineyard in our pack. A bitter smile escaped my lips as I quietly liked the post and put of my phone. Whatever was coming next, I did not know. But I knew it was over.

“You called me a whore for what we did that day! And that is how you treated me,” Lara condemned starkly, sticking to her point. “You see, I was only twenty-three and I had absolutely no experience with a man like you, Christophe. You are the one who took advantage…” “I wanted you like crazy, Lara!” The assurance was harsh, immovable, no admission of fault. Her mouth twisted painfully. Christophe Moreau appeared in Lara’s life in the most vulnerable moment possible. He was powerful, strong, stunning… way too overwhelming for such a young girl like herself. So, Lara got scared and pushed away his indecent proposal, choosing a comfortable life next to Randall Anderson, her best friend. Three years had passed since her ‘no’ to Christophe. Lara Anderson is now a widow and she’s facing a terrible drama: her father is accused of stealing money from the company he’s working for. Lara knows she can’t overcome this alone… She needs Christophe’s help to avoid her father being incarcerated. Christophe is suggesting a deal that will give him what he always wanted: Lara’s body. She must have been his for three months! But Lara can't give in to Christophe's demands. To let him possess her body and soul will be to give him the ultimate revenge… because he will discover that after three years of marriage, she is still… untouched!

Kourtney was out of options. To save herself and get her inheritance, she did something crazy—she kidnapped Travis Forger. Now, she stood in front of him, holding a marriage contract, her last hope. “If you marry me, I can get my inheritance. After that, we’ll let you go,” she told him, her voice shaking. But Travis didn’t panic. He stayed calm. “And what do I get from this?” he said. “I already have a fiancée. I love her." Those words broke Kourtney’s heart. She already knew about Kim, but hearing him say it hurt more than she expected. “You’re my hostage!” she snapped. “You have to do what I say!” Travis looked at her, no anger—just disappointment. “This isn’t love, Kourtney. This is just fear.” Her hands dropped to her sides. She felt small, helpless, and humiliated. But deep inside, something darker began to grow. As she turned away, her eyes filled with tears, and one dangerous thought crossed her mind: If Travis won’t marry her by choice… Then maybe he won’t have a choice at all.

The night before high school graduation, Ethan Luciano pulled me into his bedroom. His hands were rough, his touch demanding, yet my heart overflowed with a decade's worth of unspoken longing. I'd loved Ethan for ten years, and finally, it seemed my silent wishes had come true. Afterwards, as we lay tangled in his sheets, he whispered that he'd marry me after graduation. Once he took over the Luciano family's empire from his father, he'd make me the most cherished woman in the family. I believed him. The next morning, I sat curled up against his bare chest as he casually told my foster brother, Lucas, about us. My cheeks were flushed, and my heart raced, still clinging to the sweetness of the night before. However, then their conversation shifted into Italian. Lucas smirked, leaning back against the doorframe. "Not bad, Young Boss. Your first time, and the school's 'it girl' just threw herself at you. So, how's my little sister taste?" Ethan gave a lazy chuckle. "Looks like an angel, but a freak in the sheets. Who would’ve thought?" The room erupted in low, conspiratorial laughter. Lucas raised a brow. "So, should I call her my little sister or my future sister-in-law?" Ethan’s tone darkened, his arm tightening around my waist for a moment. Then he let out a sigh. "She’s nothing. Just practice," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I’m trying to hook up with the cheer captain, Sylvia Dawson, but I don’t want her thinking I’m clueless in bed. Cynthia Saville’s just a warm-up." He paused. "But don’t tell Sylvia. I don’t need her getting all emotional." They didn't know that I’d spent months secretly learning Italian, preparing for the life I thought I’d share with Ethan. I didn't say a word. Later that day, I quietly withdrew my early decision application to Caltech and applied to MIT instead.