Tonari No Stella

#Dark #Trauma #Steamy #Violence #LoveTriangle #SlowBurn Stella's world crumbles when her husband, Kellan Keller, tragically dies in a car crash, shattering their plans of starting a family. Left to pick up the pieces, Stella takes over Kellan's insurance company while keeping her own fashion business thriving. Hoping to help her heal, Stella’s parents whisk her away to Alaska. There, she stumbles upon an eerie book about wolves, Lycans, and a woman who mysteriously disappeared in the Alaskan wilderness. The intrigue deepens when her best friend, Julie, vanishes without a trace. But nothing prepares Stella for the shock of seeing a man who looks exactly like Kellan in a local grocery store. As she dives into the mystery, Stella uncovers secrets that challenge everything she believed about her life and Kellan's death. Her search for answers throws her into a dangerous web of truth, betrayal, and passion, leading to revelations that will change her world forever.

Stella Renouf is the youngest child of Remus Renouf, the last successor of their elders. Her birth brings dismay to her father as Remus wants a male child. She knows that her father doesn't like her as much as he likes her older sister, named Daisha Renouf. To carry on their family's legacy, Remus made an accord with their Alpha, named Raven Alarick. They decided to bind their families with a marriage between their youngest children. Stella meets Brandon Alarick, the finest warrior of their pack. They were given a couple of months to stay under the same roof and learn about how to be compatible with each other. Their situation made Brandon's life miserable because he already chooses his mate. He is vocal about his feelings and shows Stella that he will never fall for her, no matter what happens. Stella is longing for love that her father doesn't give her, and she hopes that Brandon might fulfil it for her. As time goes by, nothing changes with her relationship with Brandon. They were still strangers to each other. As their families noticed that they were unmatched, they decided to change Stella's mate. Brandon doesn't know what he feels when he finds out their chosen mate for Stella. He wants to get her back, but it is already late. How can he get back the woman he tries to send off? Does Stella still want him to stay by her side? Is there a second chance for them to cherish each other?

Keterpurukan membuat Stella harus dipertemukan dengan Sean, pemilik lahan panti asuhan tempat di mana dia dibesarkan. Gadis berparas cantik itu terpaksa memohon pada Sean, agar tidak menggusur panti asuhannya. Segala cara Stella lakukan agar Sean mengabulkan permohonannya. Namun sayangnya permintaannya selalu ditolak oleh pria tampan arogan itu. Hingga suatu ketika ada sesuatu hal yang diinginkan Sean, sebagai bentuk pertukaran lahan panti yang akan pria itu gusur. “Apa yang bisa kau tawarkan jika aku mengabulkan permintaanmu?” tanya Sean dengan serigai di wajahnya. “Apa yang anda inginkan, Tuan?” Stella mendongakkan kepalanya, menatap manik mata cokelat gelap Sean. “Dirimu.” Sean menjeda, raut wajah arogannya terpancar begitu serius. “Kau bisa menawarkan dirimu sebagai imbalan atas apa yang kau inginkan.”

I chase my six-year-old daughter out of the house on a cold winter day. I cut her new clothes to pieces and dirty her dainty little face with mud. Then, I give her all my savings. She looks at me tearfully and reaches out for me, wanting me to hold her. However, I harden my heart and push her away, saying, "Leave! Go to Bowen Group and look for their CEO, Logan Bowen. Show him my death certificate and your DNA test—he'll take you in." She sobs while looking at me. "Don't you want me anymore, Mommy? Let's go look for Daddy together." After a brief silence, I say, "I can't go with you. I lied to him back then to have you." Yes, I'm a liar. I orchestrated everything from meeting Logan, dating him, to ultimately leaving him with his child in my womb. Even the death certificate I've given my daughter is fake. From beginning to end, I've lied to him about everything except our daughter.

Fedora Smith was done with love. Finished. Buried. Betrayal had ripped out her heart and torched it—her boyfriend of four years and her best friend of twenty-five caught pants down on the very anniversary sheets she gifted him. And their excuses? “You’re not attractive anymore.” “You took too long to marry him.” Fine. If love was a game, she was rewriting the rules. Now, she runs The Bridal Fix, an elite agency providing fake marriages for a steep price—rent-a-bride services for men needing to fool their families, secure an inheritance, or stage the perfect breakup. Fifteen weddings, fifteen divorces—no strings, no mess. Just business. Until Judah Carlstone. He hires her like the rest—one contract, one wedding, one payday. But Judah asks too many questions. Looks at her too long. And when he smirks and says— "Tell me, Fedora… how does it feel to say ‘I do’ and not mean it?" For the first time in years, she has no answer. Because this was never supposed to feel real.

Devon menyodorkan surat cerai tepat ke depan muka Rosa. Pria itu tak terlihat main-main. Pada akhirnya pernikahan yang mereka lalui tidak berhasil meskipun Rosa sudah mencoba sebisanya. Rosa menginginkan Devon. Sangat membutuhkan kekuasaan keluarga Wijaya yang berada di genggaman Devon. Dia tak bisa pergi, tak akan mau. Ketika Rosa tengah memutar otak untuk menunda perceraian ini, tiba-tiba saja petir menyambar Devon secepat kilat! "Ja-jangan mati!!!! Ambulans! Tolong, siapa saja panggil ambulans!" jerit Rosa dengan derai air mata bercucuran. Sementara itu, Devon bergeming di tempatnya. Asap-asap hitam mengepul keluar dari sekujur tubuh dan perickan listrik seperti melompat-lompat di atasnya. Namun bukan itu yang penting. Sebuah suara melengking yang pria itu kenal jelas, merasuki kepalanya dengan kurang ajar. Devon bisa mendengar suara isi pikiran Rosa tanpa sepengetahuan wanita itu. Dan darahnya dibuat mendidih. 'Siapa bilang laki-laki ganteng di dunia ini cuma Devon? Cuih! Manusia macam dia mending bertapa di gunung jadi biksu. Percuma dikasih istri secantik aku kalo matanya nggak dipake,' ujar Rosa dalam hati. Gigi Devon bergemeletuk menahan amarah. "ROSA!!"

Despite a decade of marriage, Simon never once shared my bed, claiming that he had pledged himself to ascetic practices and that it was beneath him. I thought that he suffered from some shameful ailment and guarded his secret like a devoted fool, until my birthday, when I came home to find him entangled with a brothel worker before the floor-length mirror. When I lunged forward in rage, he drove a shard of that broken mirror straight through my heart. When I awoke, I was gripping my phone, its screen illuminating a message Simon had just sent: [I’ll still give you a lavish wedding, but the marriage certificate? That belongs to her.]

I was reborn back to 1975, when the child in my womb was three months old. I did not tell anyone and quietly had an abortion. However, I still wrapped cotton around my belly every day, pretending the baby was still there. In my past life, my husband Declan Huxley's childhood sweetheart Jane Patton and I gave birth on the same day. She had a healthy, ordinary baby boy. But my child looked nothing like us—he was mixed-race, with features of the Valorian people. Declan and I were both locals, so there was no way our son could look like this. Enraged, Declan scolded me in front of everyone, accusing me of cheating on him and having a disgraceful affair with a Valorian. No matter how many times I explained, no one believed me, and I became the shameful woman everyone pointed at. Worse still, Declan reported me and handed in some foreign letters he found at home, which led to me being taken by federal agents and sentenced as a spy. I spent ten years in prison, and when I finally walked out, I was nothing but skin and bones. Meanwhile, Declan had climbed the ranks for his so-called loyalty to the country. He held Jane's hand and brought along my real son, Seth Huxley, then threw 500 dollars at me like it was charity. He said, "Back then, Jane was accidentally deceived by someone else and gave birth to that brat. Unlike you, she has a gentle nature and couldn't endure hardship, so I had no choice but to switch your children. "This money is payment for your ten years and your reputation. You have a criminal record, and I already filed for divorce long ago to be with Jane. Seth also thinks you're not worthy of me, so you better take care of yourself." Seth also looked at me with disgust. "Mommy Jane treats me very well, and she's not like you; she's never been to prison. I don't want a mother like you!" When I learned the truth, the fury was so overwhelming that I had a stroke and died in despair. In this new life, I want to see how they plan to scheme against me when the child is already gone.

Two years after we marry, my husband moves his sister and her family into our marital home. The four of them settle down and refuse to leave. So, I quit both my jobs. I laze around at home all day and splurge on various things. I have so many parcels delivered that they pile up by the door. Occasionally, I ask my husband and his sister for allowance. When the management office sends someone to chase for our maintenance fee, my husband breaks down so loudly that everyone in the building can hear him. He asks me whether I've lost my mind—who will support the family if I don't work? How will we survive without money? Am I going to allow our family to starve? So, it turns out he does know that we'll starve without anyone generating income. Why does he and his sister stay at home and plot to take away all my money, then?

Cold and proud to all, Beamon Slade, Northarch's strongest Alpha, reserves his gentleness solely for me. Everyone knows that I'm his Luna. But today, his first love is infected with deadly wolfsbane and on the brink of death. He hands me a herbal pill that can seal memories and temporarily remove the mate mark. "Eiro won't last another three days, Swan. "Could you give me three days to fulfill her dream of becoming a Luna through a symbolic marking ceremony? I won't hurt you. This pill temporarily severs the bond and makes you forget me. "When the ceremony ends three days later, take the antidote and you'll remember everything. We'll get back together." Looking at his calm, gentle expression, I silently swallow the pill without hesitation. He has no idea, but I crafted the pill with my own hands. There's no such thing as an antidote. Three days from now, I'll completely forget him. All our embraces, vows, marks, and his past gentleness will vanish with the wind.