Up Smoke

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.

I masterminded a half-billion-dollar art auction to wash money for Miles’s family. But at the celebration party, Miles gave all the credit to Rebecca. His childhood friend. The daughter of the family’s consigliere. I stormed into his study. “Miles, head curator was Rebecca? Are you sure about that?” He looked up from a cloud of smoke, pulling me into his arms. His voice was a low, soothing rumble. “Valerie, I know you want to prove yourself, but this was all Rebecca. Especially the Caravaggio. The real one, worth three hundred million. She’s the one who pulled it off.” His lips brushed my forehead, his breath hot. “I don’t love you because you can fix some old paintings. You’re my queen, always. My girl. You don’t have to worry about her.” I almost laughed. The anger was choking me. “She can’t tell the difference between oil and acrylic. How the hell would she know a real from a fake?” “Enough!” Miles cut me off, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I know what Rebecca can do. Don’t make a scene just because you’re jealous.” His hands tightened, trapping me in his smoky embrace. “Don’t disappoint me, Valerie.” But he already had. When I’d had enough of his favoritism and his blindness, I walked. And that's when he went crazy. Scoured the earth looking for me. Begging me to come back, saying he was blind, that he’d been wrong about everything.

Once I became pregnant, I was hailed as the most precious woman in the underworld. My husband, the new Don of the Jenkins family, shut down an entire private hospital wing for my check-ups, while my father, the Collins Don, summoned every Michelin-starred chef in New York to the estate, just so I could pick whatever I craved. The baby I carried was destined to be the sole heir of the two most powerful mafia families. But on the day we were to sign the papers securing my child's inheritance, they both vanished. "An urgent family matter came up," my husband, Vincent, said, kissing my forehead. "We can finalize the child's inheritance when we get back. There's no rush." Shortly after they left, I received a link to an anonymous live stream. My father's voice came from the video, colder than I had ever heard it. "You're saying your marriage contract with Evangeline was never valid. Doesn't that make the child a bastard?" Vincent, lounging in a club, blew a smoke ring. Cradled in his arms was my half sister, Sarah. "Evangeline has always had all the love and affection. Her child will want for nothing." "Sarah has been mocked for her status for years. I have to make things right for her, give our child a legitimate name." In that moment, my heart seized, and I could barely breathe. Then my phone vibrated again. It was a text message: "Welcome home to the Gallo family, my queen." "Just give the word, and the child you carry will bear the Gallo name and become the most powerful heir in the American underworld."

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 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.

With one of the best college grades and her degree in medicine, Emma Newton’s next plan is to move to Abuja to pursue her dreams. Her goals in life were easy; get a great job at a private hospital, pay back all her family's debts and make her parents proud. That was before her father got very sick in front of her eyes and is fighting for his life. She reluctantly moves to Abuja with one major goal at the top of the list; Save her father from dying. Alex Lightwood is the CEO of the billion dollar technology company; Pearl mobile, and one of the top business moguls in Abuja. He's also one of the hottest men in the city. But what no one knows is the pain he carries in his heart from mourning the death of his wife and first love. Because of that, he has become cold hearted and ruthless. His wife left him with their three kids but he can't stand to look at them because they remind him of her so much so he hires nanny after nanny to take care of them. However, his mischievous and ill mannered kids have sent away all THIRTY nannies he's hired. That's when he realizes he needs major help. Fate causes Emma and Alex’s paths to cross and he offers her a job to be 'His Caretaker’. Desperate for the money to save her father, she accepted. To Emma Newton, Alex Lightwood must be the coldest, insufferable, arrogant and bipolar person she has ever come across. But, to Alex Lightwood, Emma Newton is the only girl who has ever dared to look him in the eye and question him. Will they let love win or their egos?

Di layar besar aula pernikahan, foto prewed-ku menghilang. Yang muncul justru hasil pemeriksaan kehamilan milik asisten tunanganku. Pada bagian nama ayah, tertulis jelas nama pria yang seharusnya menjadi suamiku. Asisten itu tampak panik dan terisak sambil meminta maaf kepadaku. Sementara pria itu menjelaskan dengan wajah tenang, seolah tak terjadi apa-apa, “Dia hamil di luar nikah, hidupnya sangat menyedihkan. Jadi aku menemaninya saat periksa kehamilan dan menulis namaku. Ke depannya, aku akan tetap menjadi ayah asuh anak itu.” Tapi sebenarnya di hari yang sama, aku juga melakukan pemeriksaan kehamilan pertamaku. Para tamu mengira aku akan cemburu dan mengamuk. Namun aku hanya melepas kerudung pengantinku, lalu membuat janji pada dokter untuk menggugurkan kandunganku. “Wanita hamil tanpa suami memang menyedihkan,” ucapku datar. “Pernikahan ini memang seharusnya diberikan untuknya.” Aku lalu mengangkat gelas, tersenyum tipis, dan memberi selamat kepada mereka. “Selamat menempuh hidup baru. Menikah karena sudah terlanjur hamil.”

Karena kemampuan tertentu yang sangat kuat dari pacarku, kami selalu berusaha mencari hal-hal baru untuk dilakukan selama bercinta. Untuk itu, dia tidak hanya sekali membujukku dengan kata-kata manis, "Kita akan menikah setelah kamu lulus." Bodohnya, aku percaya padanya. Jadi, aku berjuang mati-matian menyelesaikan SKS agar bisa lulus lebih cepat. Aku juga diam-diam membaca berbagai materi dan mempelajari teknik, hanya untuk memuaskan tubuhnya. Sampai suatu hari, karena belajar sampai larut dan melewatkan jam malam asrama, aku pergi ke bar untuk mencarinya. Tanpa sengaja, aku mendengar dia berbicara dengan teman-temannya. "Kak Aidan, apa pacarmu benar-benar segatal itu?" "Ya jelas, masa nggak? Dia dilatih oleh Kak Aidan sendiri." "Kalau Lira gimana?" Aidan Jace mengembuskan asap rokok, tatapannya lembut. "Dia beda, dia sangat polos." Saat itu juga, aku mulai membencinya. Sesampainya di kampus, aku langsung menelepon profesor. "Proyek rahasia yang Bapak sebut waktu itu... saya ingin daftar." Mulai dari hari itu, seluruh hidupku hanya untuk bangsa dan negara.

“True love stories never have endings.” Dean said softly. “Richard Bach.” I nodded. “You taught me that quote the night I kissed you for the first time.” He continued, his fingers weaving through loose hair around my face. “And I held on to that every day since.”