The Silent Patient

There are monsters in this world. And they used to be us. Now it's time to euthanize to survive in a hospice where Emily, a woman haunted by her past, only wants to do her job and be the best mother possible. Post-infection Chicago. Christmas. Inside The Hospice, Emily and her fellow nurses do their rounds. Here, men and women live out their final days in comfort, segregated from society, and are then humanely terminated before fate turns them into marrow-craving monsters known as ‘Smilers.’ Outside these imposing walls, rabid protesters swarm with signs, caught up in the heat of their hatred. Emily, a woman haunted by her past, only wants to do her job and be the best mother possible. But in a world where mortality means nothing, where guns are drawn in fear and nobody seems safe anymore – at what cost will this pursuit come? And through it all, the soon to be dead remain silent, ever smiling. Such is their curse. It won't be long before that snow-speckled ground will be salted by blood. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

“He gave my heart to my mother. So I gave my hand to his father.” When Elara discovers that her fiancé — the man she thought she’d spend forever with — has been sleeping with her own mother just days before their wedding, something inside her shatters. The betrayal isn’t just personal; it’s humiliating, raw, and unforgettable. Instead of collapsing, Elara makes a silent vow: they’ll all pay. And her revenge begins not with a knife, but with a smile. Her target? His father — a cold, enigmatic billionaire who’s always kept his distance from the family drama. She slips into his world like smoke, slowly making herself indispensable… and irresistible. But as lines blur between vengeance and desire, Elara faces a dangerous truth: some hearts are easier to burn than others. And love, even when born of revenge, can destroy everything.

On my thirtieth birthday, Gideon Salton told me to meet him at city hall. He made sure I wore a wedding dress and brought my papers, hyping it up as a huge birthday surprise. But when I showed up, all dressed up, he turned to his trashy crew and laughed. "No way—she actually did it. Dress, docs, the whole thing. Pay up, fifty bucks each." Then he looked at me. "Come on, Madison. You didn't seriously fall for that?" I didn't answer. He smirked. "If you're that thirsty to get hitched, go inside and grab some rando to register with." His friends cracked up. They called me Gideon's loyal simp, his forever backup plan. Said I'd never end up with anyone else. But when I came out with my husband and a legit marriage certificate, Gideon just froze—pale, silent, wrecked.

Scarlet Watson once believed love was enough—until her husband, Lucas, placed another woman, Maria Owen, on a pedestal far above her. As Maria tightens her grip on Lucas and sets her sights on driving Scarlet out, Scarlet finds herself slowly drowning in a marriage built on betrayal. But just when her world begins to crumble, an unexpected kindness changes everything. Peter, her quiet, observant driver, becomes her only source of warmth in a house gone cold. His steady presence and silent protectiveness awaken something Scarlet thought she’d lost forever—hope. What begins as stolen glances and late-night conversations blooms into a love neither of them saw coming. But Peter carries a secret that could shake everything: one that ties him to the very man who broke her heart. In a world where loyalty is tested and love must fight to survive, can two wounded hearts rewrite their story?

"Are you warm for me Belle? " "Scorching. " She whispered back as he traced his hand along her inner thigh. She could feel the ache between her legs. Christian nibbled in her ear and whispered huskily. "Then let me turn the heat off. " Isabelle blue has her life under control, a boyfriend, a trustworthy best friend and a caring family until her cousin accuses her of drugging him and forcing herself on him. Sam produces photographs of the scene during a get together dinner, depicting Isabelle on top of his unconscious body. No one believes her including her father who disowns her. To worsen it all, Isabelle can't remember what happened during the party that Sam claimed she had abused him. In search of emotional support, Isabelle goes to her boyfriend's place Dylan. She is not prepared to find her best friend in the hands of her boyfriend, moving sensually in passionate love making. Thrust in a world of hurt, she finds herself in a nearby park in darkness. She almost succumbs to the betrayal but one man lurking in the shadow comes to her rescue. She ends up having sex with a stranger who turns out to be her patient the very next day. What happens when they can't control their feelings towards one another? Will Christian help her uncover what happened the night Sam took the pictures? Will Christian and Isabelle survive hurt, betrayal and secrets? Or will they end up being lethal enemies?

Ever since I can remember, I was Nina's blood bank. Nina was like a glass princess. One sneeze and she could break. She needed blood all the time just to stay okay. Mom had her tubes untied just to have me to save Nina. My arms were always full of needle marks. Mom and Dad looked at me like they felt bad. "Chloe, you're a good girl. Nina's sick. She doesn't mean it when she gets mad. Be patient with her." I made myself smile. "I know. You can take more. I'm not scared." They turned away and cried. I thought if I stayed good and didn't complain, they'd love me someday. Then I won first place in a painting contest. Nina ripped the bandage off her hand and started crying. "Why are you showing off? Why am I the sick one? I hate you!" Mom shoved me to the ground. "Your sister can't even go to school. What are you bragging about some dumb paper for? How can you be this mean? Why couldn't you be the sick one?" Dad carried Nina out. He didn't look at me. I ran after the car all the way to the hospital. I only heard the doctor say, "Without a full blood replacement, she won't make it three months." I looked at my arm. 'Nina, please don't hate me anymore. If I give you my life, will that be enough?'

Seven times, I bonded with the same Alpha. And seven times, he tore our bond apart for his childhood flame. The first time, he swore it under the moon. “Astrid, my Luna. From this day forward, my heart and my wolf are yours alone.” But the moment his precious Liana returned, his promises turned to ash. “Can’t you just be patient? You’re making her uncomfortable, making it look like she’s seducing a mated male.” The first time he rejected me, the searing pain of the bond breaking nearly killed my wolf. They sent me to the pack healers, but he never came. Not once. The third time, I swallowed my pride as an Alpha’s daughter. I joined his pack as a nobody, just to be near his scent. By the sixth time, I knew the drill. I packed my bags and walked out of our penthouse without a word. My breakdowns. My compromises. My surrender. All I got for my pain were his clockwork apologies and the same betrayal. Over and over again. Until now. The moment I heard Liana was coming back, I handed him the papers to sever our bond myself. He just set a date for our next bonding ceremony, as if nothing had happened. He has no idea. This time, I’m not just breaking the bond. I’m shattering the heart that beat for him seven times, only to be crushed by his own hands, seven times.

Synopsis –CEO’s wife who chose Herself Elaine Flores married into power — but never into love. Bound by a family arrangement, she became the wife of billionaire heir Aron Salazar, a man who believed he was trapped in a marriage he didn’t choose. For five years, Elaine tried to be enough — quiet, patient, understanding. Pero sa likod ng lahat ng iyon, unti-unti siyang nauubos. When Aron finally admits he cannot love her the way she deserves, Elaine does the unexpected. She walks away. Walang drama. Walang paghihiganti. Just one suitcase and her dignity. Alone in Singapore, she rebuilds her life in the ruthless world of high finance. What begins as survival turns into transformation. Through discipline, brilliance, and quiet strength, Elaine rises from an overlooked strategist to a respected global risk architect. Ang babaeng minamaliit noon ay ngayon, siya na ang hinahangaan. But power has a way of crossing paths again. When business forces Aron back into her world, he no longer finds the soft-spoken wife he left behind. He meets a woman who negotiates without fear, commands respect effortlessly, and no longer needs his validation. Now equals in the global arena, they are forced to confront the past — and the truth: Hindi niya lang iniwan ang isang asawa. He lost a woman who chose herself. The CEO’s wife who chose Herself is a story of growth, redemption, and a love rebuilt not by obligation — but by choice.

She was the good girl, the kind who went to church, held onto hope, and believed love was patient, kind, and safe. He was the golden boy, a charming athlete with a dangerous edge and a past full of secrets. When their worlds collided, it wasn’t gentle. It was wild. All-consuming. Addictive. From the very beginning, he swept her off her feet , with compliments, promises, and intense affection. She fell hard. He changed her, slowly pulling her away from her values, her friends, and herself. But behind the sweet messages and stolen kisses was something darker: cheating, manipulation, and obsession. When she made one mistake, one moment of weakness, he unraveled. Possessive. Cold. Punishing. Their love turned into a battleground of blame, silence, and control. She finally found the strength to walk away. Two months of no contact. Healing. Distance. She went overseas to find space from the chaos. But just as she began to breathe again, he messaged her. They reunited. Briefly. Just long enough for her to realize the truth: he hadn’t changed. But she had. This is the story of a girl who lost herself in someone else’s world, and slowly, powerfully, found her way back. It’s about love bombing, heartbreak, emotional survival, and becoming your own safe place. She meets other men, learns new lessons, and begins to understand that what she really wants isn’t chaos disguised as passion… It’s peace. Wholeness. Companionship built on truth. He was never her forever. But he was the lesson she needed to meet the love she deserved.

I spent five years taking the blame for a truth that could have destroyed my Alpha. In Blackthorn Pack, everyone mocked me as the wolfless Omega who couldn’t bear an heir. They said I was unfit to be Luna. They said Adrian Hale should cast me aside for a stronger woman. What none of them knew was that Adrian was the infertile one. I burned the report myself and let the whole pack shame me for his weakness. I gave up my studies, my pride, and everything I loved to protect him. Then his mistress got pregnant. And I heard the truth with my own ears. “She has no wolf, no pack, no one to stand up for her. Even if she makes a scene, the Elders’ Council won’t take her side.” That was the moment I understood. For power, for bloodline, for status, Adrian had already chosen Lydia Ashcroft, the Alpha’s daughter carrying a child he couldn’t possibly have fathered. So I severed our mate bond. I took nothing from him except the look on his face when he opened the medical report I left behind. Patient: Adrian Hale. Diagnosis: congenital azoospermia. Infertile. What Adrian never knew was that I was never wolfless. I was the lost daughter of a Lycan King. And in my bloodline, a wolf does not awaken until her family calls her home. The one who could never have children was never me. It was the man who begged the world to believe otherwise.