Truly Like Lightning A Novel

"Mom, Dad, I’ve decided to come home for the blind dates you mentioned. I’ll be back by the end of the month." In the early spring, with the lingering chill of winter in the air, Valerie Stonecutter pushed open the door while speaking softly into the phone. Her gentle voice drifted through the rain like a thread weaving through the mist. Pulling her collar tighter against the cold, she heard her parents breathe a sigh of relief on the other end. "Val," her father began, his voice heavy with age. “Your mom and I haven’t been in good health these past few years. So now that you’ve made up your mind, that’s good. When you’re back, I’ll have your Aunt Laura arrange a few suitable candidates for you to meet." Hearing that her parents were already making arrangements for her future, Valerie’s gaze flickered, her emotions momentarily unsettled. After a few more words of small talk, she ended the call. She glanced around her home with a heavy heart, her thoughts tangled in a quiet storm. Then she retreated to her bedroom and began to pack.

Eight months pregnant, a contraction tore through me like a blade. But my husband, the Mafia boss Darren, refused to take me to the hospital. His sister-in-law, Angelina, his late brother's widow, was also due. To ensure she gave birth before me, she produced so-called proof of my infidelity, insisting the child I carried was no true Falcone. Because the heir to the Falcone family had to be the firstborn grandson. Darren believed her. He locked me in an abandoned wine cellar. “Don't think for a second I don't know what you've been up to.” “Let me tell you, you're not giving birth to that bastard until I've verified its bloodline myself.” “Angelina’s boy is of pure blood. I have to make sure her boy is the family's firstborn grandson.” I tried desperately to explain. “My water is about to break! Please, take me to the hospital! He’s your son, I swear on my life!” “I’ll never fight for the position of heir! I just want my baby to be safe!” Darren simply kicked me and shot me a glance. “Who knows if you’ll change your mind later? Don’t worry. I’ll come for you after Angelina gives birth. When the baby is born, I’ll see for myself whose it is.” Later, as he gazed at the crying infant in Angelina's arms, he finally thought of me. But one of his men informed him, his voice trembling: “Boss, the Madam… and the child… they're both dead.”

Amelia Kai was her name. She was born into an Alpha's home and was chosen as the successor of the Alpha throne as a Luna. Amelia has a friend called Elias who she made a promise to that she'll always protect him and never forget him no matter what but on Amelia's coronation day, the Pack was attacked and she was killed. Due to the promise she made to Elias and the avengance spirit she had, her soul didn't rest so she decided to be reborn and Eighteen years later a female soldier who was the replica of the dead Luna was found in the human city and her name was Rihanna James. Rihanna knew nothing about what was living in her but she started to get some clue after she clocked Eighteen. Six month later after the Soldiers holiday, Rihanna returned to the school of soldiers but she started getting a wierd feeling her. She becomes angry anytime she looses in training and she craves meat alot. She later discovered that she was once born as a werewolf years back through one of her fellow Soldiers named Ayesha and she got to meet Elias again, though she could not remember him at first, she remembered later through the promise that kept ringing in her ear and Elias had stop ageing so he looked like how he was eighteen years ago. Her pack was being ruled by her parents rival "brown rocks." With Elias as her mate, she unlocked her inner wolf once again and Rihanna allowed Amelia to borrow her body. After they fought and won the war, Rihanna returned to the city and told her family about everything then took them to Amelia's pack.

Six months after our divorce, my ex-wife, Shanon Reich went viral with her new influencer boyfriend, Tobias Hunt, gaining over ten million followers. One day, by sheer accident, I scrolled into their livestream and saw my three-year-old daughter, Ginny Herbert, trapped inside a car. She was crying so hard she could barely breathe. Her little face was flushed, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. She looked utterly helpless. Shanon didn't smash the window, nor did she call the police. Instead, she laughed brightly at the camera. "Thank you to our top fan for the moneybag gift!" Then she grinned and said, "Send another moneybag! I'll smash the window once I get it, okay?" I lost my mind. I raced over like a madman and wrenched the car keys out of her hand. "Leomund Herbert! Are you insane?" she screamed. "Do you know how much this stream is worth? It's just a little heat! She's not going to die!" I held my daughter in my arms. Her tiny body was limp, and she was barely conscious. With reddened eyes, I pointed at her and shouted, "Shanon Reich! You will pay for this!"

During a revenge plan gone wrong, Rogue leader, Julian never expected to find his mate, Willow. Julian knows that his little mate is not meant to be in his dark world. Willow is too pure for a life like that and he won't subject her to one. So he ignores his urges and decides to leave her. But danger is lurking in the shadows and his own past may be the reason his mate could die. As Julian battles with conflicting emotions from his heart and his head, Willow deals with her own. Her brother gave his life for her and the guilt eats away at her daily. Not only does she have to deal with that, she also has to come to terms with the fact that her Rogue leader mate doesn't want to be with her. All Willow feels is guilt and devastation. She still thinks that she should be dead instead of her brother. She craves her mate - but he doesn't want her. When the craving for one another finally becomes too hard to ignore, both mate's find themselves navigating a world full of love, new experiences and extreme jeopardy. But the past is catching up to them and it's coming back with deadly agenda. That's the thing about the past, it always comes back to haunt you.

Melissa Anderson who has had her fair share of heartbreaks decides to break free from the baggage she has been carrying as she joins an online dating community seeking the life of the rich and boujee. With no intent to have any emotional attachment, she stumbles upon Micheal Scott, the Wealthiest bachelor in Vegas who is disguised as a normal guy. Micheal was a force to reckon with, one that made Melissa question her defenses and took her on a journey of self-discovery. Lies were told, and secrets were exposed, would love conquer all?

She's wild, I loathed it. She's well-heeled and famous. I can't get hold of it. She wants me, I'm getting used to it. Until she stopped wanting me. It terrified me. This story talks about how love melts a man's ego. Loving a man who thoroughly closes his heart for his dark past would need a rigid embrace from a woman's arm. Can love be enough weapon to break that wall?

Sometimes it only takes one person to change your life, a few seconds to fall in love and one day to lose everything.For Karolia, it only took one day to lose everything at the age of 19. Her happiness changed to grief and loneliness. Without knowing the reason for her parents' , she fled from Worcester, her hometown to a crowded city, NYC to escape from the nightmares and memories. She is sweet, childish, strong and everything a good girl needs.For him, falling in love is a bad distraction and it only causes heartbreak. Being the CEO of a powerful company, Logan has enough weight on his shoulder. His escape from reality was fighting. He's dangerous, devilishly handsome, and everything a bad boy needs.When these two people cross their path, a whirlwind of emotions breaks apart - Hatred, Love, Happiness, fear, heartbreak, revenge, ... They change each other's lives and perceptions and they are the perfect soulmates. For him, no longer love is a bad distraction, but perfect.But every story has a villain. In this, her past is the one and now she has no escape. Will Logan be able to save her from her nightmare or let her go forever? Be ready for a new adventure, new mysteries, and new memories.After all, Distraction can be good as well as bad. It depends on how we see it.

When Isabella Carter thought her life had hit rock bottom, she found herself in the hands of Leonard Blackwood, a ruthless billionaire who doesn’t believe in coincidences. She was just a poor girl struggling to survive, but he saw more than that. He saw a challenge… and a desire he wasn’t willing to deny. By saving her on a rainy night, he wasn’t doing her a favor, he was setting the stage for a dangerous game. A game with no escape and no refusals. “I don’t help people for free, Isabella…” His words were both a promise and a threat. Now, she is trapped in his dark world, a world of wealth, lust, and deadly obsession. Will she be just another pawn in his hands, or will she manage to break free before he consumes her completely?

Verana tahu bahwa dia telah salah langkah, percaya dengan rayuan dan janji manis pacarnya, Josh. Setahun berpacaran, mereka sudah melakukan lebih, tidur bersama bahkan melakukan hubungan badan. Dua garis biru tampak di depan mata setelah bulanannya tidak kunjung datang. Panik, Verana langsung meminta pertanggung jawaban dari pacarnya, namun Josh dengan enteng mengatakan digugurkan saja karena mengingat mereka sudah semester enam, sudah pasti akan sangat sibuk mengurus skripsi dan yang lainnya. Bagaimana nasib Verana selanjutnya?