Vanishes

"I wore my sister’s diamond ring to survive. I never planned to steal her monster of a husband." ---- "You disgust me, Serena. Don’t think for a second this ring means I won’t ruin you." Those were the first words Julian Cross ever spoke to me. My twin sister, Serena, had it all—the glamour, the billion-dollar inheritance, and Julian, the ruthless, untouchable king of the city’s underworld. I was the hidden twin, a secret our family buried in the shadows to protect their perfect image. While she wore diamonds, I dealt cards in an underground casino just to survive. Until the night Serena vanishes, leaving behind no trace of her whereabout. With a fragile corporate empire on the verge of collapse, my family gives me a deadly ultimatum: step into Serena’s designer heels, wear her wedding ring, and fool her terrifying husband. Just until they find her. I thought the hardest part would be pretending to know a world of wealth I'd never touched. I was wrong. The hardest part is surviving Julian. He and Serena didn't just have a loveless marriage; they were locked in a venomous war. But when I don't flinch at his cruelty, when my street-smart instincts take over and I fight back instead of cowering, the cold hatred in Julian’s eyes shifts into something more dangerous. Obsession. "You used to beg for my attention, Serena. You used to cry when I ignored you." He said. "You used to bore me to death," he murmured, "Now? I can't figure you out. It's driving me insane." But in Julian's world, every lie has a price. The closer he gets, the closer he is to realizing I'm a fraud. And then, the phone rings. It’s Serena. And she wants her husband back.

For five years, Elena Frost endured a loveless marriage, sacrificing her billionaire heiress identity to become the shadow wife of Marcus Thorne, the man who only married her because she resembled his dead fiancée. She played the role perfectly, quiet, obedient, invisible. She watched him grieve another woman while sleeping beside her. She forgave his coldness, his distance, his cruelty. Until the night she discovered the truth: His “dead” fiancée, Isabelle, wasn’t dead at all. She’d faked her death, married a dying tycoon for his fortune, and now she was back, ready to reclaim Marcus and destroy Elena in the process. The final betrayal comes wrapped in humiliation: a sadistic contract orchestrated by Isabelle and five powerful men, designed to break Elena’s spirit and prove she was never worthy of Marcus. When Elena uncovers the conspiracy and realizes her husband orchestrated her degradation, she vanishes into the rain-soaked night, leaving behind the meek woman Marcus thought he knew. But Marcus Thorne has no idea what he’s unleashed. Because Elena Frost is actually Elena Vittoria Frost-Accardi, the hidden princess of the Accardi Empire, the world’s most powerful crime syndicate masquerading as a legitimate business conglomerate. Her five brothers are legends whispered in fear across continents. Her father is a king who toppled governments before breakfast. And Dante Accardi, the Don who has watched Elena from the shadows since she was seventeen, is done waiting. After one explosive night of vengeance and passion, Dante makes his intentions clear: Elena belongs to him now. He’ll burn down anyone who hurt her, starting with Marcus Thorne.

"Why aren't you dressed yet?" "W-what?" She stuttered. "You didn't say anything about joining you." He gave her a once over before clenching his jaw. "Now I have. Get dressed we leave in thirty minutes. I'll be waiting downstairs." **** Kallista Hughes Jones is a 25-year-old chef whose world is shattered when she loses her job and house and moves back into her family’s home. Life becomes even more chaotic when her half-sister, Penelope, disappears on the morning of her wedding to billionaire CEO Jaxon Hawthorne, leaving behind only a cryptic note. In a shocking twist, Kallista finds herself standing in for her sister, marrying the enigmatic Jaxon-the very man she spilled coffee on the day she lost her job- in a whirlwind of confusion and obligation. **** Jaxon Hawthorne, a 35-year-old billionaire known for his aversion to touch and disdain for emotional connections and relationships. Jaxon views marriage as a mere formality to placate his demanding parents. He has no love for Penelope, but when she vanishes, he goes ahead to marry Kallista to dispel rumors and appease his parents. What begins as a tense and transactional arrangement soon changes into something more as Kallista slowly cracks the walls around Jaxon’s heart. As Kallista and Jaxon grow closer, their newfound happiness is threatened by cryptic warnings, mysterious messages, seeds of doubt, and violent attacks that nearly claim Kallista’s life. An almost forgotten person from Jaxon’s past emerges, leading to a deadly game where betrayals are exposed, lives are lost, and their love is tested in unimaginable ways. In a story of love, redemption, and sacrifice, Kallista and Jaxon must overcome the darkest chapters of their lives to find their happily ever after. But at what cost?

I used to think I understood survival. By twenty-one, I’d figured out that my body was something I could trade, and honestly, I didn’t flinch at using it. Rain pounding outside, apparently, I barely noticed. I was too wrapped up with Bobby, his cock sliding against my lips while I tried to forget the outside world. “I need to fix supper,” I muttered, and then took him in my mouth. He groaned. His hands knotted up in my hair, pushed me lower, and I swallowed every part of him. A hundred bucks. That’s what it took to make all this feel like just another night, just another transaction. That’s my reality, balancing family, hiding secrets, hustling through college by day, doing whatever it takes at night. But then my dad’s promotion depends on one dinner party. Suddenly, I’m orbiting two men who don’t just spot weakness, they exploit it. What starts with forced politeness turns into something darker. Surveillance cameras watch as I give in again and again, my body traded in deals I never agreed to. The difference between “okay” and “forced” vanishes every time I obey. At some point, I realize what this compliance has actually cost me. Not just my body, my choices, my future, all of it chipped away until the only decision left is brutal: keep giving them what they want and disappear inside myself, or risk everything to fight back against the machine trapping me here. My family’s fate is always tied to me. My body isn’t mine to bargain with anymore. So I keep asking myself: after everything, can someone like me actually claw my way back from submission when it was forced from the start? Keep reading to find out.

Joyce Stone, the beautiful and rich campus belle, often puts the tab on my account whenever she uses her card on any transactions. When she helps a low-income student with their financial problems, the money I save up from thrifting and working part-time jobs for the month is instantly depleted. When she treats the whole class to lunch, the prize money I won from my physics competition is drained right away. I try to argue with Joyce, only to hear the whole class calling me jealous of her beauty and kindness. Only my boyfriend, Lucas Zimmer, still trusts me. We work together to come up with all sorts of solutions to stop Joyce from using my money. But no matter what I do, my money keeps getting funneled from my account. Before the final exams, Joyce suddenly suggests that we all attend an auction and buy whatever we want there. The million-dollar funds that I've gathered from selling my house in order to treat my mom's illness vanishes from my account immediately. Mom ends up dying from her illness. Since I no longer have money in my account, my life force is the one getting depleted when Joyce keeps spending with her card. In the end, I've died as well. Before I close my eyes, I notice a video of Lucas and Joyce kissing on my phone. He looks at Joyce lovingly before saying, "Melanie gets jealous far too easily. If I don't pretend to trust her, I'm worried that she might go berserk and hurt you." When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the day Joyce is about to use her card to pay for everyone's expenses. Before she can open her mouth, I dig out my bank card right away. "Let me treat all of you to whatever you want today."

On the day I get buried alive by the avalanche, my biological older sister, Whitney Linder, cuts off the safety rope wrapped around my waist in order to save Cameron Linder, the fake heir who has replaced me all these years. The snow is about to cover my head, and I can feel my warmth rapidly draining from my body. In despair, I begin screaming at Whitney. "Don't leave me behind, Whitney! Otherwise, my adoptive father's subordinates will settle the score with you by blasting the entire mountain into pieces!" Over the years since I get accepted back into the elite Linder family, I've been keeping up a cowardly and docile facade. Never have I ever mentioned my adoptive parents, who live abroad. Because of that, the Lindens have no idea that the married couple who have adopted me are actually the leaders of an international mercenary squad. My adoptive dad is a legendary sniper, whereas my adoptive mom is a demolitions expert. I'm the apple of the entire squad's eye. But Whitney pulls back the severed rope with a cold chuckle. "Keep dreaming, Skylar! You're just a country bumpkin who lies all the time, so you definitely don't have any powerful subordinates! You should be grateful to me for taking you here for a skiing trip without complaining about how much you embarrass me in public! "To think that you actually have the guts to fight for a chance of survival with Cameron! Don't you know that he mustn't suffer from any shock at all?" After that, Whitney leaves with Cameron in tow. "Since your adoptive parents are that amazing, why don't you get them to fly over in a helicopter to rescue you?" When the light above my head vanishes, I use what little strength I have to press the red button on the satellite-based GPS. What Whitney doesn't know is that she will die in the mountain once the signal is sent out.

Beverly Sinclair and Evan Gray have loved each other for ten years, and they've been married for six. To everyone else, Evan seems madly in love with Beverly. He's devoted, gentle, and basically the perfect husband. But it's only when his mistress shows up at her door that Beverly realizes it was all a cruel joke. He's been cheating for five years, and he even has an illegitimate child. He keeps the other woman right under Beverly's nose, all while wearing the mask of a loving husband. He says he loves her—even more than life itself. But how is this love? Evan hides behind layers of fake affection, dragging everyone around him into the charade, all so he can build the illusion of a perfect marriage. Even Beverly's son has been lying to her. It's a double betrayal from father and son, especially when they act like the mistress is the one who completes the family. Utterly devastated, Beverly decides she's done with this. She returns to her classified team and leaves behind the absurd, hollow life that never truly belonged to her. When the one-month notice period ends, she disappears completely, vanishing from the world without a trace. From that moment on, Evan never sees Beverly again. ... Evan loves Beverly to his core. He was just too afraid to lose her, yet that fear turned their marriage into a tragedy. He thought he hid it well. He thought their marriage was still blissful and that the woman he loved so deeply would never discover the truth. But it's only after Beverly vanishes from his world that he realizes just how wrong he was. Evan breaks down, losing his sanity. He gives up everything. He jumps through hoops and kneels before every god he can find, begging for just one more glance from her. With red eyes and shaking hands, he pleads, "Can you please... love me once more?" However, the truth is that a late apology is worth less than nothing. Beverly already has someone new in her life. There's no place left for Evan or their son.

The cold seawater engulfs me, its relentless pull dragging me into the abyss. I kick desperately, my lungs burning, but the surface drifts farther and farther away. "Save me, Kane… save our child…" Pain lances through my body as I clutch my stomach, shielding the fragile life within me. The child I never thought I'd have, the child who was supposed to be our blessing. Through the watery haze, I see Kane Porter standing on the jagged cliffs above the shore. His tall, commanding figure is framed by the moonlight, his golden eyes burning with hatred. The alpha of the Nightfall Pack, the man who once whispered my name with reverence, now looks at me like I'm filth beneath his feet. His voice cuts through the roaring waves, sharp and merciless. "Don't think I don't know what you've done, Selene." The currents tug me deeper. My strength wanes, but his words stab deeper than the water ever could. "You drugged me with a philter, hoping to make me mark you—hoping to force your way into the position of my Luna. Because of your selfishness, Arya is gone. You destroyed her mind, pushed her into madness!" A shadow of despair twists across his face, but it vanishes beneath pure fury. "She fell from that cliff because of you." I shake my head, but I can’t speak. The sea is swallowing my voice. "Do you know what it’s like to wake up every day in torment? To live knowing the woman I loved died because of you?" His eyes glint like a wolf ready to tear out his prey's throat. "I want you to feel every ounce of that pain. I want you and your cursed child to die with her." The waves crash above me, and darkness claws at the edges of my vision. When I open my eyes again, I'm taken back to the day Kane's philter takes effect. He approaches me, his face flushed and his breathing rapid. He's already undone his buttons. "Hang on, Kane. Arya will be here soon!" I back away and open the door behind me. Then, I run off.