The Distant Echo

"If it's destiny... I would rather choose to die... than to not have you love me back." ........... "Why him...?", Anna shook Mia's shoulder. "It only has to be him.", Mia firmly replied. "Are you aware of what you are doing...? Are you sure what you are throwing yourself into...?", Anna shouted. "I'm willing though.", her words left her lips. ................. "Now...are you still willing...?", Anna questioned. "I...I...though I can make him love me...for the whole 3 years...h...he...", Mia's voice trembled as she couldn't speak anymore. "Mia...you are not that helpless 20 years girl anymore...you have right to choose your happiness...leave that damn family of yours too...I will be your family.", Anna hugged her. ................ "Why do you want a divorce now...?", He was still the same...unbothered. His handsome face and heavenly features just remained as distant as he was before. His hair was combed perfectly taking her breath to see the view in front of her...but her heart was broken beyond to admire the view in front. Memories jolted her... Been 3 years...never once he cared for her...but on their wedding anniversary...he came back late...as she was waiting for him like she always did...but before she could realize...He scooped her in his arms as she walked upstairs to the bedroom she never dared to enter. The butler and his wife were left speechless seeing what just happened. Upstairs. He pinned her to the door, he stared at the sparkling eyes that stared at him...her beautiful fairy face was in shock. His throat felt dry...as his right thumb moved recklessly on her trembling lips. He gulped down the saliva after a sigh...he leaned towards her as his lips touched her collarbone... which made her tremble... ..........

Jacob kissed Emily’s forehead and smiled at her. “You always make me happy, Amy.” Emily smiled, but then she frowned and froze. Did she misheard what Jacob said? Jacob called her Amy. Could it be that it just slipped off the tongue? Amy Hoffner, or Amy Brooke before she married Samuel Hoffner, was Emily’s distant cousin. Samuel was one of the ten eligible billionaire bachelors in their country and also in the continent before marrying Amy. Unfortunately, Amy was also Jacob’s ex-fiancee. “What did you say?” Emily asked, unsure if she heard him correctly. *** Emily Brooke (twenty-two years old) fell in love with Jacob years ago. Years later, she finds out that her parents are discussing an arranged marriage for her with the man she loves. Jacob Jefferson (thirty-five years old) starts a new life and becomes a successful billionaire, only to find he is in an arranged marriage. Though he doesn’t like it at first, he changes his mind as soon as he meets Emily. However, the chance for a happily ever after is broken with a harsh reality when Emily finds out the real reason why Jacob accepts the arranged marriage. Later, Emily also knows about Jacob’s secret identity as a mafia’s leader. When everything is messed up, Emily meets with her savior, Harold Montgomery. But then, Harold also has a complicated background. With Jacob and Harold later fighting to win her heart, who will Emily choose in the end? Will she find a happily ever after? *** The book is a crossover (combination) of Billionaire/Romance and Mafia genre) and a spin-off of My Beloved Billionaire, but both books can be read as stand-alone. For the most enjoyable reading experience, please read My Beloved Billionaire first.

Jessa Gencianeo, a woman who married secretly to her long-time boyfriend, because she unexpectedly got pregnant by him. Her life wasn’t indeed a fairytale throughout their marriage, because she suffered hell especially in the hands of her husband’s family. But the hell she was suffering intensified when her OB-Gynecologist told all of them that her son was positive for Down Syndrome. With that, her husband suddenly became cold and distant to her, because she was carrying a baby with Down Syndrome which made her heart shattered, especially that her husband started to cheat on her, and committed an affair behind her back with his childhood bestfriend who eventually got pregnant which made her husband, and his family thrilled. She felt alone and rejected while being pregnant, because they were even really proud of her husband’s infidelity. She couldn’t take it anymore when her mother-in-law wanted to kill her and her child, so she ran away after she signed the annulment papers. She thought after she was freed from her first marriage, she would live at peace, but still being chased by chaos. Her ex-husband’s family wanted to kill her and her baby inside her womb. Out of nowhere, she was being hit and run by a mysterious car which made her life at risk. But before she passed out, she saw who the mastermind behind it was, and it was her mother-in-law with a triumphant smirk. But little did she know that a miracle would change her life, and make her rise from the ashes after she was being saved by a Zillionaire Old Lady who was Doña McKenna Hermosa-Accardi who would help her to avenge, and would also play cupid to be a matchmaker for her to be a Mafia Lord’s Zillionaire Wife.

Kathalina Ruiz never believed in fairy tales. Her mother's dying wish bound her to enigmatic CEO Thirdie Stone in an arranged marriage she accepted out of duty, not romance. Yet somewhere between quiet nights and fragile smiles, Kathalina fell deeply for her distant husband only to keep her love locked away, too afraid it would never be returned. For three years, their marriage balanced on politeness and silence. Then one stormy afternoon shattered it all. Kathalina walked into Thirdie's office and found another woman-half-naked-sitting on his lap. Without demanding an explanation, she signed the divorce papers he placed before her, his gaze as cold as the ink that sealed their separation. What she never knew was that Thirdie's betrayal was a lie... a desperate act to protect her from the dangerous threats circling his empire. Heartbroken and grieving, Kathalina fled abroad. From the ashes of her pain, she rebuilt herself into a celebrated jewelry designer, admired for her elegance and independence. But fate had other plans. Years later, her mother's lawyer makes a revelation she has inherited a vast fortune and controlling shares in Stone Corporation. The life and the man she tried to escape are waiting for her return. Back in the city where it all began, Kathalina comes face-to-face with Thirdie once more. Old wounds resurface, secrets linger in every shadow, and danger draws closer than ever. Now, she must decide to protect her heart from the man who once broke it or uncover the truth he buried......a truth that could change everything she thought she knew about their past. A story of love, sacrifice, and second chances, The Stones We Keep asks.....is it ever too late to believe in a love that never truly died?

Mia Johnson's life has been filled with heartache and mistreatment, after her father leaves. Her life takes an unexpected turn when her mother poisons her and her father possesses the antidote to a poison that plagues her, but he remains distant, seemingly never to return. As Mia turns eighteen, her mother devises a shocking plan to secure a business , offering Mia's hand in marriage to a man named Carlos. Trapped and desperate, Mia's life seems destined for misery until a mysterious man enters her life. On a fateful night, a stranger quietly slips into Mia's room, offering food and concern for her well-being. Their chance encounter marks the beginning of a unique connection, one that will leave Mia questioning the true intentions of this enigmatic man named Dave. Days later, Mia meets the same handsome stranger in a shopping mall. She looked up at him. "You were the man in my room that night..." "Do you let men in your room at night? If you don't want visitors, don't skip your meals," Dave responds stubbornly. Mia discovers that Dave is adopted by her own biological father, a man of immense power and influence in the country. But their relationship takes an unexpected turn when Dave confesses his true feelings. "Big brother wants to you, Mia," Dave admits, leaving Mia shocked and confused. Struggling to come to terms with her emotions, Mia rejects the idea of romance with her "brother." However, Dave is determined to shed the brotherly label, longing to become her partner in love. “No… you are my brother and ten tears older than me…” she says while trembling. Dave takes a step towards her. “Who cares about being your brother? I want you… I want to make you mine, forever…”

Luke finally agreed to bind with me, urged by his mother Monica on her deathbed. Moonlight spilled through the window, casting a glow on his golden-brown fur. He stood by the bed, his amber wolf eyes deep and seemingly nervous. As soon as he stepped out of the room, his expression returned to its usual calm, and he said to me coldly, "Emma, let's wait a little longer." "I need to bond with Alina first," he continued, his wolf eyes distant, his tone neutral. "Her mother is seriously ill, and I promised her." "What about your mother? She wants to witness our bonding too!" "I have to bond with Alina first. You don't need to worry about my mother’s health," he said, as he effortlessly removed the vow ring Monica had given me from my finger, then turned and walked away. His little wolf followed, its tail wagging happily, showing no sign of reluctance. But as soon as he left, his mother suddenly took a turn for the worse. By the time Monica passed away, I was the only one by her side. Weakly, she squeezed my hand and whispered, "Emma, don’t wait for him anymore. Find someone who truly loves you." Her hand fell limp, and in the quiet darkness, I made two calls. The first was to the church, changing our marking ceremony to a funeral for his mother. The second call was to my best friend. Her brother was the Alpha of another pack, with dark fur and sharp green eyes. "He once said that if I was willing, he would bond with me... Is that promise still valid?" There was a pause on the other end before a deep voice, full of natural authority, came through: "Emma, have you finally figured it out?"

« Si nous étions tous les deux en danger, qui penses-tu que Jared sauverait en premier ? », demande-t-elle soudain. « Quoi ? » Je n’ai pas le temps de réfléchir à ses mots, car la minute suivante, je sens une poussée dans mon dos et je perds l’équilibre, glissant dans les escaliers jusqu’à atterrir au bas des marches. ***************** Arielle a tout pour être heureuse–une carrière florissante en tant que chef talentueuse et un mariage réussi avec un milliardaire. Bien que son mari soit d’un naturel distant, elle est convaincue qu’il tient profondément à elle. Elle est satisfaite de leur relation et apprécie ce qu’ils partagent. À un jour de leur troisième anniversaire de mariage, elle découvre qu’elle est enceinte. Remplie d’excitation et d’espoir, elle imagine déjà partager cette nouvelle avec son mari, certaine que cela apportera des changements positifs à leur famille et adoucira peut-être même son caractère réservé. Cependant, le destin en décide autrement. Avant qu’elle n’ait pu annoncer sa grossesse, une figure inattendue du passé de son mari réapparaît : sa « vieille amie ». Alors que cette nouvelle venue s’immisce dans leur vie, sans qu’Arielle ne s’en rende compte, cette arrivée bouleversera tout ce qu’elle pensait savoir sur son mariage, sur son mari et sur elle-même.

Nora and Noah's story from contracted: Love in the Shadow. "Hey, Nora..." Noah tried calling her, she ignored him. He bit his lips in anger, as her hand touched the doorknob, he yelled, no, more like roared, "DANYON!" Nora immediately froze in place. She closed her eyes for a second, fighting back tears. that name--- Noah, seeing her wounded expression, took a deep breath, "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to--" "Don't," she snarled, haughtily glaring at him. “Don’t you even think about it.” “Nora—" He began to say, but she turned her back on him and stormed out of his office, ignoring the many eyes that followed her. ** Nora Danyon wasn’t supposed to survive the crash that killed her husband and children. Stripped of everything—her family, her sanity, and her will to live—she’s forced to start over in a world that feels colder than ever. And just when the darkness threatens to swallow her whole, he shows up… Noah Bamford—her late husband’s best friend and the man she once secretly loved. But Noah isn’t the same boy from the past. He’s distant, guarded, and haunted by ghosts of his own. Still, his presence pulls her back to life—until one stolen kiss in an elevator changes everything. Now emotions are spiraling, old wounds are ripping open, and just when Nora starts to believe in love again… Noah betrays her in the most unforgivable way. Now Nora is forced to male a choice ------ In a world where nothing is promised, and love isn’t written in contracts, can two broken souls rewrite the rules—or will their story end in ruins? There is drama, there is hate, and there is love, and above all, do they deserve a second chance? Sit back and enjoy the ride.

I fell in love with a cold, taciturn tattoo artist named Henry Kane. So I deliberately damaged my tattoo again and again, picking at the skin and reworking the design, just to see him a few more times. By the third visit for touch-ups, scrolling comments suddenly appeared before my eyes: “I’m dying of laughter. This desperate female lead literally destroyed her freshly tattooed skin just to see the male lead again, and she still didn’t dare confess her feelings.” “Henry Kane is actually the embodiment of an ancient ferocious beast who sat on mountains of gold and silver but refused to spend them, choosing instead to open a tattoo studio to experience mortal life.” “He looks icy and distant, but his possessiveness has long since maxed out.” “He was just afraid his violent nature would scare his woman away.” I looked at the man in front of me, who was lowering his head as he wiped down the tattoo machine, and he did indeed give off an unmistakable keep-your-distance aura. But the comments claimed that he wanted to possess me? “Um… Excuse me?” The man tilted his head slightly, and under the weight of his deep gaze, the confession lodged in my throat. My mind short-circuited, and I blurted out, “I… I wanted to tattoo it on my lower back this time.” In an instant, the comments exploded in joy. “Woohoo! We’re taking off!” “Lower back, you say? That’s a sensitive spot! Can this pure-hearted ferocious beast really hold back?” “Good grief, straight to the undressing scene! This cunning move by the female lead is operating on a whole other level!” The man’s hand gripping the tattoo machine jerked to a sudden stop, and the air seemed to freeze for a few seconds. Then he answered, his voice slightly hoarse and unreadable, “Alright.”

Durant les premiers mois de sa grossesse, lorsque Zora souffrait de nausées matinales, Ezrah passait son temps avec son premier amour, Piper. Le jour où Zora eut un accident et appela Ezrah à l'aide, il lui répondit qu'il était occupé. En réalité, il était en train d'acheter des chaussures pour Piper. À cause de cet accident, Zora perdit son bébé. Pourtant, pendant toute son hospitalisation, Ezrah ne se présenta pas une seule fois à son chevet. Elle savait déjà qu'il ne l'aimait plus, mais ce fut la goutte d'eau qui fit déborder le vase. Son cœur brisé ne pouvait plus supporter tant de souffrance. Quand Ezrah rentra enfin à la maison, quelques jours après la sortie de Zora de l'hôpital, il ne retrouva pas la femme qui l'accueillait toujours avec un sourire et prenait soin de lui. Zora se tenait en haut de l'escalier, le visage glacé, et lui lança d'une voix tranchante : - Bonne nouvelle, Ezrah ! Notre bébé est mort dans l'accident. Il n'y a plus rien entre nous, alors divorçons. L'homme qui prétendait ne plus avoir aucun sentiment pour elle, qui s'était montré distant et lui avait même demandé le divorce à deux reprises, fut soudain saisi de panique.