The Rock Stare

So there I was, stuck in this dark Victorian mansion for a whole freaking century, thinking I'd never get out. Then, out of nowhere, these two gorgeous girls swoop in and rescue me! I couldn't believe it, and we instantly hit it off. They showed me a whole new world I'd only ever imagined, and I was all about living a normal human life.   But just when I thought things were looking up, this vampire named Vivaldi pops up out of thin air, grinning like a possessed Jack-o'-lantern. I mean, a name like Vivaldi is bound to give you the creeps, right? He claimed I had some ancient first blood running through my veins and demanded that I sign some crazy blood contract with him—the kind of deal that comes with some seriously freaky consequences.   Vivaldi was trying to sell me the idea that this blood contract was his only lifeline, the only way to save his skin from something worse than death. But I wasn't some clueless newborn vamp; I knew better than to just dive into something as serious as a blood contract. Those things come with some heavy consequences, and I wasn't about to sign up for that without a second thought.   The problem was, if I didn't go along with his messed-up plan, he promised to make my friends' lives a living hell—the very people I'd started to care about. I was trapped between a rock and a hard place. If I decided to team up with Vivaldi, I'd be keeping him around, which is far from ideal. But if I refused, my friends and the whole town of Shadowvale would be in serious danger.    It felt like I was caught in this impossible situation, like I was trying to choose between two rotten apples.

Mary Preston and her family fled to another country, leaving everything behind. Suddenly, she found herself surrounded by unfamiliar faces, in a foreign land, speaking a language she didn’t understand. A few years later, at the tender age of 19, she ended up married to Maximus Palmer, the grandson of the powerful Catherine Palmer. Mary loved him with all her heart, but he never felt the same. He married her out of obligation, not out of love. One misunderstanding after another pushed their marriage into a downward spiral, filled with infidelity, abuse, and endless disillusionment. For years, Mary lived under the shadow of another woman, enduring the pain until she finally found the courage to ask for a divorce. Her decision took Maximus by surprise, and he refused to let her go. But fate had other plans, and a tragic event forced the divorce to happen sooner than anyone expected. Afterward, Mary tried to rebuild her life, hoping to find love again and happiness that would last. But the scars from her past made it hard for her to trust or believe in love again. She faced many moments of anguish, sadness, and loneliness. Yet, through it all, she slowly began to find herself and step back into the light. Perhaps this time, she wouldn’t have to face everything alone. Maybe someone new would come into her life, someone who could be her rock and her reason to live. Although she learned that the past was never truly left behind, she also discovered that with a strong foundation, even the most broken things could still stand tall. Life had taught her about the three kinds of love: the one that teaches you how to love, the one you wished was yours but wasn’t meant to be, and the one you never saw coming that heals your wounds and brings true happiness.

Elias cleared his throat and rolled his eyes. “Thank you,” he said. I tilted my head. “No. Not like that.” His brows rose. “Then how…?” Being so close to him, his scent enveloping my senses messed with my brain. My eyes dragged down his naked chest, to his abs and stopped at the V line in his lower abdomen. Just this one time, I was letting my emotions and desires control me. Just this once, I didn't want to care about the consequences. I reached out slowly, took his hand in mine, and guided it up my chest, dragging it down the line of my torso, over warm skin, every inch of contact making his breath hitch. His hand trembled as it followed my guide and I could feel electricity tingling at every inch he touched. I guided his hand lower and lower, his eyes widened when I stopped with his hand on my rock hard cock. With his hand still in mine, I squeezed on my cock and groaned in pleasure. I leaned in, my voice a low whisper against his ear, “Like this.” ************************************* Elias Thorne, a secret Omega who has trained to be a Perfect Alpha, was sent to Mortlach Alpha Academy to solidify his position as the next Alpha of Silverhaven During his time in the school, he only had two orders to follow; stay away from the heirs of the Crescent Pack and make Selena Drake your mate to forge an alliance with her Pack But a simple order became the hardest task for him when Rowan Vale, the Alpha's second son of Crescent Pack was assigned as Elias’s roommate, whose mere presence woke up the part of him that he tries to suppress.

“I’m done with you, Aurora Fernandez—if that’s even your name.” Mia’s voice trembled with rage as she turned for the door. “You’ll regret refusing me,” Aurora snapped behind her. Mia's hand touched the knob—just as it turned on its own. The door creaked open. Her heart dropped. Standing in the doorway was a face she never wanted to see again. Lucius Lovato. The cold, merciless CEO of the department store where she'd once worked. His eyes swept over her with visible disdain. “Who is this little thing, Eva?” he asked, his voice hoarse and biting. And just like that, Mia knew—she was trapped again. Wrongfully accused. Publicly humiliated. Betrayed by the only man she ever loved. Mia Simpson thought she'd hit rock bottom. Then came the offer—escape prison and start over, under one terrifying condition: seduce and marry Lucius Lovato, the mafia heir with a heart of ice and a soul no one dares touch. But Mia isn’t the fragile girl the world thinks she is. She agrees to the deal—on her own terms. Behind her innocent eyes burns a thirst for revenge, and the deeper she steps into the dark world of power, blood, and secrets, the more dangerous she becomes. Lucius, however, is not a man easily fooled. Every attempt to break him only draws him closer. And every secret Mia hides? He already suspects. As enemies close in and her hidden past begins to unravel, Mia discovers a horrifying truth—she is not just a girl caught in the middle of a mafia war. She is the legacy of something much greater… and much more feared. He was her mission. She was his undoing. But in the underworld, love might just be the most dangerous weapon of all.

“You loved me at my worst so you deserve me at my best.” Unrequited love hurts but what hurts even more is when the person you love with all your being is in love with your best friend. And what hurts even worse is when your Best friend slaps the truth right in your face that your man has been in love with her all along and you are nothing but just a second choice. As important as a rock on the street. No one should ever go through this. But Serena wasn't that lucky. To get revenge on Shanice Cooper- the queen bee of High Central- Asher Carter begins dating Serena Adams- Shanice's best friend. Serena, who is deeply in love with Asher, fails to notice his ulterior motive and keeps falling for him even more. It takes her 7 long years to know she was just a pawn in his game. But 7 years is long enough to change the game. It was all supposed to be just a game, but Asher couldn’t help himself falling for this innocent girl. He didn't realise when she became the center of his world. When did she become so important? So much that he bent the sky and moved the world only to see her smile. He became the richest man on earth only so that his woman lived like a Queen. He thought he was in love, but what he felt for Serena Adams was far more intense than he had felt for anyone ever. It was straight madness. But what happens when his first choice returns? The question is would Asher go back to her or would he, this time, protect his marriage? And what will happen when Serena finds out the truth- will she stay or leave him?

On the day we were supposed to get engaged, my fiance, Christopher Vittorino, slid the ring—that was supposed to be mine—onto Lina Sorenzo, my stepsister's finger, right in front of the entire family. Christopher's uncle, Don Mark Vittorino, was the one who had specifically ordered his subordinates to deliver the ring that symbolizes the wearer's status as the future Donna of the Vittorino family to Christopher himself. I could only stare at Christopher's deep blue eyes in disbelief. Just as I was about to question him, he just gazed at me with a stony expression. Even his tone was cold and rigid. "The Don intends to send me to Maravena for the next five years to develop my own business there. Once I return, I'll take over the family business. "You don't have any skills at all, Isla. If you stay with me, you'll just be a hindrance to me and cause me unwanted trouble. "Lina, on the other hand, is fluent in Maravenese. Not to mention, she knows how to expand the family business overseas. She will serve as a brilliant assistant for me." After that, Christopher took Lina's hand and left the venue with her, not caring about the fact that the leaders of the other branch families as well as the elders kept murmuring among themselves. Because of that, I ended up becoming the laughingstock of the entire family. Five years later, Christopher and Lina return to the country. When he spots me showing up at a family gathering held by Mark with a ruby ring that signifies my status as the Donna on my finger, his expression changes instantly. "I can't believe you learned to steal, Isla!" I just ignore Christopher's accusations in favor of looking for the Black Rose Medal that my son, Toby Vittorino, has lost. That medal is a gift he received on his fourth birthday from Mark. Poor Toby has been sobbing for a long time because of its disappearance. I need to hurry up and find it as soon as possible.

An alarm wakes everyone up at 1:00 am. It turns out that a few college students have gone missing during their exploration in Wolffang Valley. My heart goes tense at the news. After all, my stepdaughter, Nancy Campton, had told me yesterday that she'd be exploring that place! Since Nancy has asthma, I specifically prepare medication that's meant to treat asthma in my medical kit just in case anything happens. After carrying my backpack, I begin urging my husband, Jack Campton, who's also the leader of the rescue team, to set off right away. But he keeps stopping me in my tracks. "What's the rush? Let's wait for Dakota to finish doing her makeup." Half an hour later, Dakota Sweeney, who has a face full of makeup and is wearing a pink rescue jacket, begins complaining in a high-pitched voice. "Why did you keep rushing me? Thanks to you, my eyeliner came out all crooked!" On the way to the valley, Dakota actually pulls out a pair of pink lace panties. After unscrewing the cap of a bottle of life-saving water, she starts washing it with said water. I can't endure her stupid antics anymore. "Have you gone nuts? This bottle of water could potentially save someone's life!" But Dakota replies in a matter-of-fact tone, "I'm a woman with principles! I must wash my underwear that I've changed out of on the same day!" Jack shoves me away at that moment. He then snatches the bottled water from me before passing it to Dakota. "Willow Armstrong, you're the crazy one here! Is it wrong for Dakota to take care of her hygiene?" As I stare at Jack, a cold smile slowly spreads across my face. It's not wrong for Dakota to take care of her hygiene. I just wonder if Jack is capable of facing the consequences behind Dakota's tendency to drag things out.

I stare at the email on my screen, unable to move my fingers. Tomorrow is our company's crucial product launch, and I just learn that the patent for the algorithm I spent three years developing is now filed under Matthew Ashford's new assistant, Sophie Bennett. I storm into Matthew's office to confront him. Sophie sits on his desk with her legs crossed, looking completely innocent. She claims that she filled out the form by mistake. "It's just a clerical error. The patent still belongs to the company. What's the big deal?" Matthew stands up from his chair, positioning himself in front of Sophie. I can't believe what I am hearing. "Matthew, this is my research!" "Emma, you're thirty-five. Why are you picking a fight with a twenty-three-year-old intern?" He frowns. Then, he turns to Sophie. "Starting tomorrow, you're the new CTO. Emma needs… some time off." I'm utterly stunned. A decade of marriage and five years dedicated to building a company together have been shattered by a few casual words from him. Thirty minutes later, Sophie posts a photo on social media of herself sitting on Matthew's lap. They are both clinking champagne glasses. "So lucky to have the best boss ever. I'll make sure to be his loyal kitten." Below that, Matthew leaves a comment—three red heart emojis. I shut my laptop and pick up my phone. "Hello. Is this Mr. David Langley from Novara Group of Sundale Valley? This is Emma Whitmore. I've changed my mind. I'm ready to join you." I pause. "And by the way, about that unreleased algorithm upgrade, I have the complete technical blueprint. Make me an offer." Later, I fly to Tallisport with an eight-figure check in hand, while Matthew goes frantic trying to find me.

I put my t-shirt down, my hands shaking. I try to ignore them and stare at my reflection in the mirror. My hair color is dark brown and a vague hint of golden. My dad used to say that my eyes are ocean blue. A guy in my history cl once said that I had perfect s. Another guy said that I had a great body. They wanted to date me. And I dated few of them. I brush my fingers in my forehead. Then my dark, thick eyelashes. The side of my nose. My s. I run my hand at my neck, then across my collarbone. Am I beautiful? Honestly, I don't know. Maybe I'm not. "You were wrong, Angelina Valentine." A voice inside my head suddenly whispers. "Calm down, Angel," another voice whispers. It's the voice I loved. His voice is fading away. My hands start shake again, my breath rapidly quickening. I am losing control. I have to do something. "Goddammit!" I punch the mirror with my fist. It shatters into thousand pieces. My reflection has shattered into thousand pieces, too. The mirror now looks to me like an art. And my bloody knuckles. "I am sorry, Edwin. I can't promise you anymore, because you left me." I bite my to stop myself from crying. I won't cry. What's the point of crying? My sixth sense is suddenly alert. Somebody is watching me. I spin around. A guy is standing in front of the door, leaning against it. He wears a tight blue shirt, the sleeves folded. His black hair is ruffled and his hands are folded across his chest. The probable most amazing thing about him is his eyes. They are dark green. They are dangerous, beautiful and incredibly unreadable. And they are watching me.

. No one argues with me. I sit there for a long time. Eventually, footsteps approach again. I do not look up. “Selene,” a voice says. I recognize it. I lift my head slowly. Dorian stands in the doorway. His suit is immaculate. His hair perfectly styled. He looks irritated. Not panicked. Not broken. Late. “You came,” I say. My voice sounds wrong. Hollow. He exhales sharply. “I came as soon as I could.” I look down at Rowen. Then back at Dorian. “You missed it,” I say calmly. He frowns. “Missed what?” I laugh. “Our son,” I say. “You missed our son.” His eyes shift to the bed. To the stillness. To the quiet. Something flickers across his face. Annoyance. Disbelief. Not grief. “Selene,” he says. “What are you talking about.” I stand up slowly, still holding Rowen. “He waited for you,” I say. “He asked for you.” Dorian rubs his temple. “This is not the time for dramatics.” I stare at him. “Say that again,” I say softly. He sighs. “We will arrange the healers again tomorrow. Right now, I have people waiting.” I feel something dangerous rise in my chest. “Tomorrow,” I repeat. “Hmm. Okay.” He steps close r. Looks at Rowen more carefully now. “Why is he not responding,” he asks. I meet his eyes. “Because he is dead,” I say. Dorian freezes. “What,” he says. I take a step toward him. “Say his name,” I tell him. He hesitates. “Rowen.” “Say it again,” I say. “Rowen,” he repeats, irritated now. I lift my chin. “He died asking if he was good enough for you,” I say. “So tell me, Alpha Nightfall.” My voice trembles for the first time. “Was he.”