The Hollow Adam

"You don't belong in this world of mine," Liam whispered, his lips inches from mine. "But I'm selfish, and I can't let you go." "I want to stay," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I'm falling for you too, Liam." - I should be sneering, laughing even. How blind could he be? Liam Sterling—the killer, master manipulator, the ruthless, untouchable king of New York’s underworld—brought to his knees by the one woman sworn to tear him apart. For years, revenge was all I had. Liam destroyed my family, tore my life apart, leaving me with nothing but rage. I rebuilt myself piece by piece, every step driven by the thought of making him pay. But then... I got close to him. Close enough to touch. His touch is fire, burning through every wall I’ve built. Each kiss, every stolen moment, weakens my defenses, awakening a need that terrifies me. How can I want him like this? Crave him, when every scar I carry is a reminder of all he’s taken? I should hate him. I should destroy him. But when he looks at me, when he holds me like I’m something he needs to protect, I’m lost. And as I watch him break, all I feel is a strange, hollow ache where satisfaction should be. How can I keep fighting him, when I’m already falling, already broken, for the man I was supposed to ruin?

The classified project I was working on wrapped up ahead of schedule, so I made sure to get back on my daughter's birthday. When I walked in, a girl I had never seen before was wearing my daughter's princess dress, a crown perched on her head. She sat in front of a cake as tall as she was, eyes closed, making a wish. I frowned and stepped closer. "Who are you? Why are you wearing my daughter's dress? Where's Heidi?" Before she could answer, two housemaids rushed out and started yelling at me. "Where the hell did you come from? How dare you talk to our boss's daughter like that? If you know what's good for you, get out! When the boss gets back, you won't like what happens." I stood there, confused. Boss? The boss's daughter? In this house, wasn't it just me and my daughter, Heidi Foster? I barely had time to speak before they shoved me toward the front door. In the middle of the pushing, something caught my eye. Off to the side, chained to a pillar, was Heidi. The girl I used to hold like she was the most precious thing in the world was now sprawled on the ground, digging through a dog bowl for food. A thick iron chain was locked around her neck, and her body was covered in bruises. My vision tightened. "Heidi, what happened to you?" The moment our eyes met, her hollow gaze filled with tears. She shrank back, then let out a soft bark at me, like a frightened dog. The maids looked at her with open disgust. One of them sneered, "Our boss said that that little thing was born to live like a dog. You have to keep her chained up if you want her to behave."

How will you feel when you end up with the same person you were trying to find an escape from? How will you feel when you end up in a one-night stand with your Ex-husband? Her eyes fluttered as she felt the morning cool breeze brushing against her bare body, which was semi-covered with a quilt. Although her eyes felt heavy to even blink, her other senses were high alert. She could hear the bird chirping outside the windows, she could smell a familiar masculine cologne, her body covered with goosebumps with the presence of someone familiar, and her heart beats rapidly on its own accord. That's when her brain registered her surroundings and could recollect her last passionate night with someone who would be her soon-to-be ex-husband. How? When? Why? She mentally slapped herself, but then she couldn't hide the contentment. She felt as if she was complete now. She couldn't stop but feel happy again. Why? Why does she feel like falling in love again? "I see you are still the w***e you were back then," his words broke her little dream she just thought of. "A desperate woman like you, who can with her ex-husband, can no wonder w***e around any men." He said with no remorse. "I did the right thing by divorcing you. How much do you charge for a night?" he smirked, looking at her teary face. "Here! Take extra 200 bucks for the sake of our old times." She vowed never to cry in front of her husband, but what he said just now shattered her soul beyond repair. Her quivering body and hollow eyes didn't hide the agony she felt at that very moment. "Sorry for loving you."

Loriah Dee has never truly belonged. Orphaned young, with no family, she clings to the only thing that feels like home—music. Winning a scholarship to one of the country’s most prestigious universities is her one chance to chase her dream of becoming a singer. But campus life brings more than sheet music and rehearsals. It brings Draco Thorne. Draco is the heartthrob of the university—, devastatingly handsome. Only a select few know that he is a werewolf, destined for a Luna chosen by his powerful family. But from the moment he sees Loriah, he wants her. At first, she is just a distraction— a dazzling freshman with innocence in her eyes and the hottest body he has ever seen. Winning her over proves a challenge. Desperate to have her, Draco lies to gain her trust. Slowly, she lets him in. But Loriah’s world comes crashing down one night while working at an upscale restaurant. There, she sees Draco seated at a lavish family dinner, surrounded by wealth and privilege, a stunning fiancée at his side—his future wife. In an instant, every lie begins to unravel. She quietly begins to piece together the truth. Bit. She discovers the deception, the secrets, the double life he has woven around her. She has given everything to him. Her first time, her first kiss, her trust. She had bared her soul to him. But he had left her with nothing else to give, trampling on her love and leaving her to gather the pieces of her soul. By the time Draco realizes Loriah is not just another girl, but the only one he has ever truly loved, she is already gone. And he is left with nothing but regret, longing, and the hollow echo of the song she carried into his life.

“Give me the baby! You’re worthless—you don’t deserve to be a mother!” My step-sister had used a prosthetic belly to fake her pregnancy for nine months to force Adam Kastner, the young master of the most powerful Kastner family, into marriage. Now she needed a baby to present to the family to secure the marriage. She was after my child since I was eight-months pregnant. Unlike her fake nine-months belly, mine was real and it even hurt to tie a shoelace while carrying my child in my womb for so many months. My father, blinded by greed, stood by as they injected me with labor-inducing drugs—and even tried to sell me off to a fifty-year-old monster to settle a debt. On that rainy night of desperate escape, I stumbled into a limited-edition luxury car and met David Summer. He was the most dangerous man in the city—and the true mastermind behind that ridiculous marriage scam. To survive, I risked everything to expose my stepsister’s lies, never imagining that gamble would cost me my whole life. After that night, he tossed a contract at me. “Be my wife, and I’ll make sure you and the child live.” I thought it was just a transaction—each of us getting what we needed. But little by little, I found myself falling into his trap of tenderness. Until he trapped me in his arms, lowered his head, and bit my earlobe, his voice hoarse like embers burning low: “Baby… I want another kiss.”

Dix ans après avoir pris les rênes en tant qu'Alpha de la Meute Mystique, Alpha Adam Pierre Robinson n'avait toujours pas trouvé sa compagne. Avec le temps qui s'écoulait et le désir de produire un héritier, il n'avait d'autre choix que de trouver une génitrice appropriée. Une Oméga serait parfaite—quelqu'un qui pourrait lui donner un fils et qui ne compliquerait pas sa vie. Née d'un prince démon et d'une louve Oméga/renégate, Lucija (Lucia) n'avait jamais souhaité la vie de princesse démoniaque qui était la sienne. Tentant de fuir l'enfer, elle se retrouvait projetée dans le monde des loups, le seul royaume que son père lui avait défendu de franchir. Avec ses pouvoirs démoniaques réprimés, il était trop tard pour faire marche arrière et quitter le monde que son espèce détestait le plus. Désormais, elle était à la merci du célèbre Alpha de la Meute Mystique, dont le seul objectif était de faire d'elle sa génitrice parfaite. *****

They called her "mad." The woman who once ruled Zhou's halls with laughter and grace now sat hollow in a white cell. Rose Sallow had lost everything. Her inheritance. Her child... her little boy, whose last breath faded against her trembling arms after the poison took hold. Her husband, Duke Sallow, once sworn to never leave her, now stood beside another. Lisa Zhou. Her cousin. Her sister in all but blood Now the new "Madam Sallow." She was carrying Duke’s child, the 'heir' he publicly acknowledged as his first child, and Rose's son’s name was erased from the family records. In the mental hospital room, she laughed when they handed her the divorce papers. That night, Rose decided to end it all. But fate, cruel, capricious fate, had other plans. When her eyes fluttered open, she didn’t find herself among the angels. She was staring at her reflection in a golden mirror, and on the bed behind her was her wedding gown. It was her wedding day. A chance to change it all. To rewrite fate. But as she rose from the bed, a shiver crawled down her spine. There, on the vanity, a note written in red... "Congrats... You have been granted a second chance." Then came the knock. Three slow, deliberate taps on the door. She froze. “Lady Rose?” a deep voice called. It wasn’t Duke’s voice. Softer, steadier, yet commanding. “Forgive the intrusion, but… I couldn’t wait any longer.” She opened the door. Standing there was a man she had never seen before. He bowed slightly, eyes dark as midnight. “Marry me,” he said simply. In her first life, this had never happened. No mysterious man. No interruption. No warning. Why now?

Bella French is a peculiar girl. That is what everyone says about her. She would rather have her nose in a book, forgetting the world around her, than to actually live her life. She has an odd father who likes to tinker in the shed and her mother is dead. The way he locks himself in the building and claims to be helping the FBI, people around the town find him crazy, but Bella knows that he isn't. At school she had no friends, because she prefers to be alone. Yet that does not stop Gus Stone from bothering her. For some reason, despite girls throwing themselves at him, he only wants Bella. She dreams of getting out of the small town that they just moved to. They live on the edge of town, next to the 'Forbidden Forest' as the town calls it. She had heard the town legends and lore about entering these woods. Especially not at night. But circumstances lead her there; Where she finds a beast. Adam Prince is King of the Wolves. He is the Alpha and he has even been called a beast. He is so jaded from life that he is angry at the world and he takes it out on anyone stupid enough to be around him. Especially Bella. The way that he finds himself drawn to her infuriates him. Yet, he can not stay away from her, even as he finds himself changing to please her. Can he really be falling in love with her? Is she the one that can break his curse and end his misery?

I slumped on the floor and hugged my knees into my chest. I glanced up at Blake and my eyes started to pool, looking at him. "I- I am scared. I-I am scared to have kids. I am scared to have feelings l-like this. I am scared of everything that is connected in love." My voice broadcasting sadness when I said those words and tears started streaming down my face."I have f-fear Blake. I have a fear that I don't want to encounter but they are still coming after me." I broke into sobs and I buried my face into my knees. --Ava Celestine YuA 24 years old girl, independent, strong on the outside, hard-working, reached her dreams at the age of 24, have a simple life on her own, no fairytale dream in life. What can happen when someone comes into her life that makes her feel the feeling and emotions she does not want to experience because of her fear that she hid for years? Blake Adam EcollinA 26 years old, fourth youngest billionaire in New York City, handsome, charming, a hidden billionaire who doesn't like paparazzi but still everyone loves him, rude, cold, and ruthless CEO who owns BLADE RUSH Techno. He knew that almost all the women chase after him, he isn't the one who chases her. --Is it a choice between love and fear? Which one she will she choose?Or is it a battle of love and fear? Which one will prevail?---GRAMMATICAL ERRORS- (Read at your own risk.)IG: azelea_avery

SUBMITTING TO MY STEP BROTHERS "Nicole meet your stepbrothers and .......", I didn't hear the next words when my eyes fall on the two men already seated. I found myself momentarily frozen at what I was seeing. Was i dreaming or I wasn't? What the hell is wrong with my step father’s sons. They are all f**king.... **** "Do you want it?", Before I could reply him, my gaze accidentally moved down then I saw it.....his bulge was huge even though it was flaccid. Was I turning him on? Just like I did to his brother, Alexander. My breath hitched as he stepped closer to me, his chest coming into view, closer to my face, "I think its too late to eat the cake," He rasped as I looked up. His hand extended above me but his forest green eyes held mine, they became darker as if time had stood still. Right now, I needed a saviour. I noticed that Alexander has ocean blue eyes then here is his brother with ...... my goodness! Speechless, I moved my gaze to his Adam's apple, which bobbed as he swallowed. "If the banana is all you wanted. Then have a good night step sis" He moved away, smirking and then he turned around. My eyes landed on his ass. I snapped out of quickly it then shook my head. Holy hell! I was still holding the banana in my hand in disbelief. Was that a dream?