The Little Seagull Handbook 5th Edition

After a sudden, brutal breakup, I unexpectedly ran into Pierce Donovan at a hotel—with another woman in his arms. He coldly told me he wasn’t interested in my body. But that all changed when I knocked on his door late at night, wearing something a little more daring. Before I could react, he pulled me into his arms, his voice low and commanding, "Don’t cover yourself. I want to have a good look at you."

In the small town of Eastwood, the mysterious disappearance of 12-year-old Daniel from his abusive family had left a void that no one could fill. Over a decade later, Daniel, now a suave, enigmatic billionaire arms dealer, returns to Eastwood with two purposes in mind: to reconcile with his past, particularly with his beloved younger sister, and to wage a secret war against the dangerous underbelly of the town. His first encounter in town is with Kate, a beautiful waitress with a challenging life of her own. They're immediately drawn to each other, sharing a connection that neither can explain. But with this connection come complications: Kate is tied to a world Daniel is fighting against, with a looming arranged marriage to a millionaire who has dark secrets. As Daniel delves deeper into the town's affairs, he uncovers a network of narcotics trade, child traffickers, and corrupt officials. All the while, he keeps his true identity hidden, trying to get closer to his family without revealing himself. Kate becomes both his anchor and his weakness. Her association with the town's malevolent forces, especially her fiancé, threatens to tear them apart. However, as they grow closer, their combined strength becomes a force to reckon with. Throughout their journey, they'll face intense challenges, both from external enemies and internal demons. The town of Eastwood will witness a storm of love, action, betrayal, and redemption. But the question remains: can love truly conquer all, even the shadows of a tortured past?

I'm admitted to the hospital for gastritis, but my boyfriend shoots to his feet after receiving a call. "Chelsea has a fever. I'll go check on her; I'll be right back!" He runs off without waiting for me to say anything and doesn't return for the rest of the night. That night, I see a short clip that Chelsea Calloway has shared. "I'm not afraid of any illness with you by my side." I comment, "He is pretty good at caring for others."

My girlfriend keeps saying that she comes from a poor family, but she gives her childhood sweetheart a yacht on our anniversary. I text her to ask about this, but all she does is berate me. "Who do you think you are? How dare you stick your nose into my business! I'll give anyone whatever I want. My money, my call. Get lost!" Unbeknownst to her, I'm covered in blood on the other end of the line.

My fiancé suddenly announces he's marrying my sister instead. And just as my world collapses, the cold, noble Twinkle Oriven kneels before me with a diamond ring in hand. He confesses he's loved me for years. We get married. For three years, he's gentle, considerate, and flawless in every way. Then, one day, I accidentally overhear a conversation between him and a friend. "Twinkle, Amelie has everything she has ever wanted. Isn't it time to end this fake marriage?" "Since I can't marry Amelie, it doesn't matter who I marry. All that matters is that it keeps her life undisturbed." In the chapel where he prays every day, the wallpaper is covered with one name—Amelie Ashcombe. I hear him pray to the heavens. "May all the good in the world belong to Amelie. I'd trade my own happiness for her peace and joy. I don't ask to have her in the next life… I just want her to remember me." So this is the truth behind three years of a seemingly perfect marriage. I erase my identity and stage a fake death. From now on, Twinkle and I are nothing.

At eight months pregnant, my younger sister, Reina York, pushed me down the stairs, causing me to go into early labor.  At the hospital, I called Xavier Morales, but he answered with an impatient scoff. "What do you expect me to do about it? Stop bothering me." Xavier hated me, and he never wanted our child. Our baby girl was born, but despite the doctors doing everything they could, she did not make it. I called Xavier repeatedly, but he coldly hung up on me every time. Then, just moments later, I saw Reina's latest social media post. Xavier was there with her, smiling like he did not have a care in the world. He had completely abandoned me just to be with Reina. Even when our baby was cremated, they were still posting about their love like nothing had happened.  I did not scream, nor did I cry—I just packed my bags and left.

The day my husband's first love, who was my sister, died, he sent me into the wilderness, all because I was not a match for the kidney transplant she needed. "Make sure Lisa can’t leave. For pretending to be Emma’s little sister, it’s time she learns her lesson," he ordered. I was abandoned in the dense forest, trapped, and left to fend for myself. Desperate, I sought shelter in a cave, trying to survive. However, wild animals soon picked up my scent and surrounded the cave. In the end, they tore me apart, and I died a brutal, painful death, with my body left exposed and torn in the wilderness. When Benjamin finally saw what was left of me, he lost his mind.

Ling Yiran had been sentenced to three years in prison due to the car accident that killed the fiancée of Yi Jinli, the richest man in Shen City. When released from prison, she somehow ended up catching the attention of Yi Jinli. She kneeled on the ground and begged him, "Yi Jinli, can you let me go?" But he only smiled and said, "Sister, I will never let you go." It was said that Yi Jinli was completely indifferent to anyone and everyone, but for some reason, he did everything he could to please a sanitation worker girl who had been in prison for the past three years. However, the truth of the car accident that year had robbed her of all her love for him, and she ran away. Many years later, he begged her while on the ground, "Yiran, as long as you return by my side, I will do anything for you." But she only stared at him coldly and said, "Then, go die."

It was the third Valentine's Day after our marriage. Samuel was complaining to his friends about me, "Noelle's very uptight. She's so boring in bed. It's like doing it with a blow-up doll. I'd never have married her if she wasn't rich." I went to a club and got a model with an eight-pack to please me. Enraged, Samuel demanded an explanation. I eyed him and snickered. "Look at you. You're so flabby. I'd never have married you if you weren't at least good-looking."

My sister, Yvonne Jones, tried to murder the childhood friend of a rich heir in order to seduce him. Yvonne poisoned the woman's drink and pulled out her oxygen tube after she was sent to the hospital. When the rich heir arrived in a rush, Yvonne cried in his arms daintily. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I failed to protect her." I witnessed everything in the ward but didn't say a word about it. In my previous lifetime, I stopped Yvonne from poisoning the woman. I knew the rich heir would never let her get away with it if he found out about it. Yvonne was forced to give up her plan and even praised me for my foresight. However, she ended up poisoning me instead and stabbed me in the heart with her dagger when I got dizzy. "This is your fault! Die! If you hadn't stopped me, Sean Graham would've been mine!" When I opened my eyes next, I had returned to the day of the poisoning.