Up Smoke

Di pesta ulang tahunnya, Gilena sedang berharap dalam bahasa Jerman di depan kue ulang tahunnya. “Semoga tahun ini Tante Jolin bisa jadi ibuku.” Suami mengelus kepala Gilena sambil tersenyum, lalu berkata, “Keinginanmu akan segera terwujud.” Aku tercengang, kue di tanganku langsung jatuh ke lantai. Suami bertanya dengan penuh perhatian, “Kau kenapa?” Aku menggelengkan kepala dan jawab sambil tersenyum, “Tanganku licin.” Hanya aku sendiri yang tahu, aku panik karena mengerti bahasa Jerman, sampai-sampai kue pun terjatuh dari tanganku.

“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.

Si Lishana Lizvaha ay isang masayahin at chubby na babae na mahilig gumuhit ng makukulay na librong pambata. Isang araw, sapilitan siyang dinala ng kanyang mga kaibigan sa isang marangyang club. Ngunit imbes na sumayaw, nahulog ang atensyon ni Lishana o Lisha sa isang crossword puzzle sa dyaryo na nakita lamang niya sa isang sulok, na hindi naman sa kanya at hindi niya dapat kunin, hawakan o pakialamanan. Ang maliit na desisyong iyon ang naging daan para makilala niya si Trego, a gravely handsome mafia and classic toy collector. At first, everything went smoothly. The man was charming, despite his intimidating aura. But Lishana should’ve listened to her instincts that night. Because a few days later, Lishana Lizvaha vanished like smoke from a blazing fire; 'kidnapped' by the irresistible stranger named, Trego Gregory Braganza.

Noah Rowe is not here to fall in love. He's here to disappear. After a humiliating collapse abroad, Noah transfers to a cold, prestigious university tucked into an old European town - a place where ambition hums beneath every cobblestone and secrets rot beneath stained-glass windows. He plans to keep to himself, finish his degree, and leave untouched. But then he sees them. Adrian and Elián: the twins. They move like smoke and speak like dreams. They share everything - their clothes, their stories, their lovers. One dominates. One disarms. Together, they watch the world like wolves on the edge of hunger. At first, they don't even look at him. That's the last time Noah breathes easy. As the twins begin to orbit his life, Noah is drawn into a slow spiral of obsession, intimacy, and psychological unraveling. The line between seduction and control blurs. Every truth becomes a test. Every choice, a trap. Because the twins don't want to love him. They want to keep him. And Noah, despite everything, might want to be kept.

Two souls, one body. One was a feared assassin, and the other was a beautiful soul brought up and given everything she could ever want. Both were betrayed and killed by those around them on the same day and time. Fate, it seems, could only give one of them a second chance to make things right, a chance at vengeance for both lives.********* "What is this?" Aurelia asked her. "It's a note for a surprise that was prepared for you by your father. He said to hand it to you before the party. You should open it," Nella said. Aurelia smiled at her and tore it open. It was obviously typed in bold letters. SEE YOU AT THE ATTIC, DEAREST. Dearest? That's what her father always referred to her as. "I guess I should start going there," there," Aurelia said and left. The attic had been closed since the incident, and Aurelia had always wanted to go in there and see. It was only reasonable now that her father should let her see before getting married. She entered. "Dad?" She called out to him, but there was no answer. She went in further, and then she saw what was written on the wall. 'DIE BITCH! ' Just then, she heard from behind her as the door closed. Soon, something like a pipe was let in as smoke was being let inside the room. Aurelia ran to the door and started banging, but just then, the violinists started to play below along with other instrumentalists. She kept banging until she started to feel faint and slumped as she gasped for air. There were only a few who knew about her asthmatic condition. her father, her late mother, and Nella. Why would her father want her dead?****************** Read to know what happens next.

MATED is book #2 in a new paranormal romance series by bestselling author Bella Lore, whose series MY TRUE MATE and THE ALPHA’S MATE have over 500 five-star reviews.

“I couldn’t stop reading.”

--Reader review (My True Mate)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When her father suddenly dies, Winter Grace, 17, is forced to fly across the country and attend a mysterious prep school, an ancient castle in a fog-covered island on the coast of Maine. Nothing here is what it seems, and it isn’t long before Winter, feeling a surging power for the first time, realizes that she is not who—or what—she thinks she is.

But when Winter feels an inexplicable crush for an elusive and dangerous boy at the school, she realizes a greater destiny is at play. She knows the relationship might destroy them both—yet she also knows that they can never be apart.

In MATED, Winter and her crush embark on a dangerous quest to retrieve the magic relic and save their friends their school.

Yet they have no idea of the fate awaiting them—or what they will need to do for each other to survive.

Creating an unforgettable world of vampires, werewolves, shifters and magic of all sorts, a world of fantasy, love and sacrifice, MORTAL will take you to another place, rife with shocking twists and turns. Fans of books such as Vampire Academy and Twilight and Crush are sure to fall in love!

Future books in the series are also available.

"The story was very well written and was unique as compared to other shifter stories.”

--Reader review (The Alpha’s Mate)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Excellent from start to finish and leaves you wanting more.”

--Reader review (My True Mate)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Setelah mendengar kabar Ricky Mandos mengalami kecelakaan parah saat balapan liar dan kehilangan banyak darah, Amanda Hilman segera bergegas ke rumah sakit dan mendonorkan darah sebanyak 1000 cc untuknya. Semua saudaranya menasihatinya pulang dan segera beristirahat, jadi Amanda terpaksa menyetujuinya. Tapi baru saja sampai di pintu, dia kembali lagi karena terlalu khawatir. Begitu berbalik, dia langsung melihat perawat menuangkan kelima kantong darah yang baru saja diambil darinya ke dalam tempat sampah! Tak lama kemudian, tiba-tiba terdengar suara tawa mengejek kencang dari salah satu kamar pasien di sebelah. "Haha, si bodoh Amanda tertipu lagi oleh kita!"

Si Beatrice ay niloko at ipinahamak ni Minda, ang dapat ay kanyang magiging biyenan. Dinala sya nito sa kwarto ni Marcus, ang tiyuhin ng kanyang fiance na noon ay nakawheelchair dahil sa aksidenteng kinasangkutan nito. Napilitan syang pakasalan si Marcus upang mabawi ang dangal na nawala sa kanya. Ang inaasahan nyong miserableng mangyayari sa buhay nya mataposa maipakasal kay Marcus, ay kabaliktaran pala ng tunay na mangyayari. May tangi lamang syang problema sa kanilang pagsasama, si Marcus ay may sakit at mahina na. Ngunit isang araw matutuklasan nya ang isang sekreto ng kanyang asawa na ito pala ay palihim na nagpapagamot. Ito na kaya ang magiging umpisa ng kanilang perpektong pamilya o ito kaya ang magiging dahilan upang mas gumulo pa ang kanilang buhay.

Setelah mendengar kabar dari pasukan bahwa kakak kembar suamiku gugur dalam sebuah misi, kakak ipar yang baru ditinggal suaminya itu sangat terpukul hingga pingsan. Saat sadar kembali, dia kehilangan ingatannya. Tangannya menggenggam erat tangan suamiku dan tidak mau melepaskannya. Hanya karena dokter mengatakan, “Pasien tidak boleh menerima guncangan.” Suamiku dan ibu mertua pun membujukku agar ikut dia bersandiwara. Setiap kali aku menyinggung soal itu, mereka berdua selalu menjawab, “Tunggu aja sampai kakak iparmu pulih kembali ingatannya!” Maka dari itu, aku hanya bisa memandangi suamiku sendiri tinggal dan makan bersama kakak iparnya dengan mataku sendiri. Bahkan putri kami pun hanya bisa melihat anak kakak iparku memanggil suamiku sebagai papa di hadapannya. Sampai suatu ketika, putriku demam tinggi dan tak kunjung sadar. Aku memohon padanya untuk mengantarkan kami ke rumah sakit. Dan yang tidak kusangka, kakak ipar justru marah besar karena hal ini. Dia menangis sambil mengancam bunuh diri. Pada saat tarik menarik pertikaian mereka, sebilah gunting itu malah menancap ke jantungku. Saat kembali membuka mata, aku mendapati diriku telah kembali ke hari ketika suamiku memutuskan untuk menjadi suami pengganti bagi kakak iparnya.

Setelah terlahir kembali, aku memutuskan untuk tidak terobsesi pada teman sejak kecilku, Jacky Halim. Di pesta ulang tahunnya, dia memasang plakat di pintu masuk. Dia menulis namaku di samping logo anjing, dilarang masuk. Jadi, aku sengaja pergi ke Hawai untuk menghindar jauh-jauh darinya. Dia bilang mual dan jijik saat mencium bauku di rumah, jadi aku pun memilih pindah rumah dengan patuh. Setelah itu, dia bilang setelah tamat nanti, dia tidak ingin menghirup udara kota yang sama denganku. Jadi aku cepat-cepat angkat kaki pergi dan tidak pernah kembali lagi. Terakhir, dia bilang keberadaanku gampang membuat wanita idamannya salah paham. Aku menggangguk kepala. Tak lama kemudian, aku pun menemukan pria lain dan mengumumkan hubungan kami. Di kehidupan kali ini, aku selalu membuat keputusan yang berbeda dengan kehidupan sebelumnya. Semua ini hanya karena di kehidupan yang sebelumnya, saat impianku menikah dengan Jacky terwujud, wanita idaman Jacky bunuh diri dengan loncat dari tebing. Dia menuduhku sebagai dalang pembunuhnya. Dia pun mulai menyiksaku, sampai akhirnya aku mati dan mayatku menjadi santapan ikan. Di kehidupan kali ini, aku hanya ingin hidup tenang. Kemudian, saat aku merangkul tangan pacar baruku. Jacky malah mengadang di tengah jalan dengan mata merah padam. “Vivi, kalau kamu ikut denganku sekarang, aku akan memaafkan semua lelucon yang kamu buat.”