Novel & Cerita The Ghost That Lives In The Doll

After many years of being abused by her father, Maia is brought to an orphanage. A landscaper adopts her and she meets the people he works for. Falling for their servant, she also notices feelings for another man. As she’s trying to figure out who she truly loves, another man appears and shakes her even more. Which will she choose?

At nine months pregnant, I was in the final stretch of my term, and my body heavy with a baby due any day. But my husband, Vito Falcone, underboss of the family, had locked me away. He held me in a sterile underground medical room and injected me with a labor suppressant. As I screamed in agony, he coldly told me to endure it. Because his brother's widow, Scarlett, was expected to go into labor at the exact same time. A blood oath he'd made with his late brother declared that the firstborn son would inherit the family's lucrative West Coast territory. "That inheritance belongs to Scarlett's child," he said. "With Daemon gone, she is utterly alone and destitute. You have my love, Alessia. All of it. I just need her to deliver safely. Then it's your turn." The drug was a constant, agonizing torment. I begged him to take me to a hospital. He grabbed me by the throat, forcing me to meet his icy gaze. "Stop the act! I know you're fine. You’re just trying to steal the inheritance." "To get ahead of Scarlett, you'll stop at nothing." My face was ashen. My body convulsed as I managed a desperate whisper. "The baby's coming. I don't care about the inheritance. I just love you, and I want our child to be born safely!" He sneered. "If you were really that innocent, if you had an ounce of love for me, you wouldn't have forced Scarlett to sign that prenup, waiving her child's inheritance rights." "Don't worry, I'll be back for you after she's given birth. you're carrying my own flesh and blood, after all." He kept a vigil outside Scarlett's delivery room all night. It was only after seeing the newborn in her arms that he remembered me. He finally sent his second in command, Marco, to release me. But when Marco finally called, his voice was shaking. "Boss... the missus and the baby... they're gone." In that moment, Vito Falcone shattered.

"Don't you miss daddy?” Cierra’s breath caught. “I thought I killed your ass…” A low, knowing chuckle followed. “Well… my cock found you, princessa.” Then he moved, fast...pinning her against the wall before she could think, before she could run. Cierra Monroe never chose this life. She only agreed to stand in her mother’s place, to wear the veil, sign the papers, and complete a wedding meant to protect her family while her mother faced a prison and court case she couldn’t escape. It was never meant to be hers. Never meant to follow her. But that one act tied her fate to a man she was never supposed to belong to… her stepfather. Now, what should have been temporary is anything but! Because somewhere between obligation and silence, between restraint and forbidden temptation......something unspoken begins to form, something neither of them planned, and neither of them can fully deny. What begins in secrecy tightens into obsession. What feels like protection shifts into control. And the line between duty, power, and desire slowly disappears as Cierra is pulled into a dangerous reality where vows carry weight, trust is fragile, and escape comes at a cost she may not survive. Because some promises were never meant to end. And some were never meant to exist at all. Alas, not all that glitters is gold. Sometimes… all that glitters is her stepdad.

My fiance, Dante de Rossi, is the heir to a mafia family in Manhorne, and he loves me dearly. Yet, a month before our wedding, he says his family has arranged for him to have a baby with his childhood friend, Isobel de Luca. Despite my refusal to agree to it, he brings it up daily and tries to push me into it. Half a month before the wedding, I receive a pregnancy report. I find out that Isobel is over a month pregnant. I have yet to give Dante my permission. This is when I realize just how fragile our years-long relationship is. I cancel the wedding and destroy everything he has ever given me. On the day of the wedding, I set off for Etolia to further my medical career. I accept a role with an international medical organization, severing all ties with the mafia. From that moment onward, he and I no longer have anything to do with each other!

After I donated my kidney to my movie star girlfriend, she finally agreed to marry me. On our wedding day, Vanessa Laurent left only a video of herself jumping off a cliff, then disappeared. I led a desperate search and rescue at the mountain base for three days straight. Even when a falling boulder crushed my leg, I kept going. When I finally dragged myself to the scene with my last shred of strength, I found Vanessa tangled up with Mason Miller, her late sister's husband. Her usually cold expression was flushed, her thighs red and swollen. When our eyes met, she did not even flinch. "Today is my sister's death anniversary. Mason was going to kill himself to follow her, so I had no choice but to sleep with him. From now on, I'll fulfill my duties to both of you." Mason looked down at me with contempt. "You don't mind if I consummate with Vanessa first, do you? You can wait for your turn." Everyone expected me to explode, but I just smiled. "Of course." I was done with Vanessa. I would never be with her again.

When I went for my prenatal checkup, I filled in my mafia husband Enrico Salvatore's information in the spouse column. However, the doctor told me, "The system shows no record of you ever being married. You're unmarried." I froze, unable to believe it. "How is that possible? We got married five years ago. Please check again." The doctor pulled up the system records again, and only one line appeared on the screen: [Marriage Registration: None.] At first, I thought the hospital had made a mistake. Then, I overheard Enrico talking to one of his men. "Isabella's the only one in my heart. I'll give her everything else she wants. But Luisa gave me a daughter. For the sake of the family's bloodline, I have to register our marriage and give her that status. Isabella can never find out about the registration." At that moment, I finally understood. The small wedding five years ago was nothing but a cover. We never registered. There was no legal marriage. Even the child I was carrying had no legal standing. It was all an elaborate lie he had crafted. Since none of this ever truly belonged to me, I would just leave.

Ivory Stone has tried and failed to seduce her stoic steward 999 times. She thinks that maybe Wilson Quill doesn't have a heart. Maybe he won't ever fall in love with anyone. But one day, she catches him pleasuring himself with a bracelet belonging to the fake heiress who stole her life.

Victoria Henshaw discovered her husband’s affair with her sister, Katherine Henshaw on the night of their third year anniversary. She also learned that the child they had adopted two years after their marriage was her husband and her sister’s son. At that spot, she proposes divorce and left the house. She went to a bar, got drunk and had a one night stand with Alexander Blackwood, the CEO of Blackwood Empire, believing he was a gigolo. Weeks later, Victoria Henshaw found out she was pregnant, and at the same time, got a job as a mechanical engineer designer at the Blackwood Empire. She learned Alexander wasn’t a gigolo as she had thought, but a wealthy billionaire— The owner of the Blackwood Empire. On the other hand, Christian Santiago was reluctant to divorce her as his company is about to go public and he needs to maintain a stable family image. Also, he's still attracted to Victoria’s gentleness so he proposes an open marriage instead. When she refused, he constantly harassed her, until he learned that Katherine’s child was not his own and was diagnosed with asthenospermia. Victoria tried to tell Alexander about the pregnancy, but learned that he disliked children and anything about marriage. She dared not tell him about her pregnancy, and kept it to herself. While dealing with life challenges, Victoria gradually developed a sense of dependence on Alexander’s help as he’s always there for her. Christian, frustrated and jealous, tried to gain control of Victoria, but Alexander in turn suppressed his career, rendering him penniless. Victoria had believed Alexander was a cold, playboy and indifferent to women’s feelings. Until she realized just how intense and unwavering his devotion truly were as the two get along. But, for how long?

Natasha is a rich girl who fell in love with someone she least expected. Natasha and Michael didn’t plan to fall in love—it just happened in quiet moments, shared laughter, and long conversations that felt too easy to be new. What started as simple coffee breaks and campus strolls slowly turned into something deeper, something real. But love wasn’t the only thing growing between them. With disapproving parents and personal struggles pulling them apart, their relationship is tested in ways they never expected. Through misunderstandings, distance, and emotional walls, they are forced to question if what they have is strong enough to survive. In the end, it’s not just about love—it’s about choice, timing, and whether two people can truly find their way back to each other.

When I'm having a meal with my family at home, I find out that my childhood sweetheart, Melanie Johnson, has given up on an opportunity to get promoted and transferred to the military base in the north for the sake of my cousin, Wilson Chandler. "Wilson's competence is only good enough for him to study at a local college in town. It so happens that Mrs. Holland is in poor health as well. I've already applied for a local college for you. We shall stay in this town together." My mom adds, "That's right. I did promise your uncle that I'll take good care of Wilson, so you need to help me take care of him too. You should just give up on Valmore College—it's useless for you anyway. When you marry Melanie in the future, you'll have to follow her to whichever military district she's going to." Before I can even speak up, Wilson's eyes redden instantly, making him look very aggrieved. "This is my fault for being a total loser. My parents aren't here anymore, not to mention I'm the reason why Charlie can't attend his dream college. Why don't you all just leave and do whatever you want? I'm fine being alone." The moment Wilson starts playing the pity card, both my mom and Melanie panic instantly and start doing their best to comfort him. Meanwhile, I return to my room quietly and withdrew the application that Melanie helped me submit. Luckily, I manage to apply to Valmore College one second before the submission deadline ends. Honestly speaking, I intend to study at Valmore College not just because I can be closer to Melanie in terms of distance, but I also want to watch the snow with her there. I want us to walk together in the snow till our heads turn white from the flakes, signifying the longevity in our relationship. But now, the person standing next to me as I watch the snowfall doesn't matter to me anymore. It's just that I need to watch the snowfall no matter what.