Waking Up With A Heavy Chest

I was about to kill my mother's murderer…until he almost killed me first. As the daughter of a respected policeman, justice burned in my blood. I watched my mother die at the hands of a Mafia Lord. And I swore to make him pay. But when I confronted Don Theron, I didn't expect to be wrapped up in his arms, his grip choking life out of me. “Say your last prayers, princess,” he growls, tightening his grip like the devil he was. I struggled, I gasped for air, my heart raced but there was no saving from this doom. I thought I was done for. But then he let me go. But my freedom wasn't a gift, it came with a heavy price–a gruesome curse. In a twisted deal with my father, the man who murdered my mother became my husband. Now, every morning I wake up beside a monster who's cloaked in charm, secrets and control. My soul still burns for vengeance, his soul thrives on possession. And with every day that passes by, I wonder… Will I ever make it out of here alive?

I was pregnant. On my way to deliver documents to Tristan Goldberg, a flash flood struck. Desperate, I dialed his number, praying he’d answer. After a few rings, the call connected. But instead of Tristan, a woman’s voice answered. "Tristan, whose number is this? Do you want to answer it?" There was a brief pause, and then Tristan’s voice, cold and indifferent, cut through. "It’s just my maid. Ignore it. Hang up." And just like that, the call disconnected. Staring at the torrent rising around me, my pulse quickened. I texted him, begging for him to send a rescue team. Minutes passed as the waters climbed to my waist, churning and relentless. Then, a message from Tristan finally appeared. Tristan: [What kind of ridiculous story are you making up now?] Tristan: [Emily, do you think you're eighteen, playing these childish games? I want that document in my hands within thirty minutes, or we're getting divorced.] A surge of terror shot through me as I looked up, catching sight of a heavy branch snapping loose and crashing down. In an instant, everything went dark.

"Despite your protests look at you now." He smirked bending down and placing a kiss on my neck. "In the end you easily succumbed to me without any protest." "I don't want to die." I responded as he continued to trail small butterfly kisses along my throat, all the while lightly grazing his sharp canines against it. "Your mouth is very dishonest woman." He said lifting and staring into my eyes. "It says no while your body says yes." "You're wrong." I whispered. "Am I now?" He spoke against my skin sending goosebumps all over my body. "I don't think I am." Valerie Anderson was your normal everyday secretary, at least she was until the day she died. Killed by her sex crazed supervisor by falling down a flight of stairs, Valerie finds herself waking up in the bed of the cold and oppressive Elias Langley. First prince and next in line for the throne of the land of Allsbrook, Elias gives Valerie two options, either be his slave or die by his hands. Unable to remember a thing, not even her name, Valerie isn't ready to die, not until she discovers how she appeared in this strange land and who she is. Desperate Valerie agrees to be Elias' slave, thus beginning their master and slave relationship. Will the cold Elias end up warming up to Valerie, allowing someone into his cold dead heart? Will Valerie be able to find her memories and figure out her mysterious background?

Mia attends her high school reunion with the hope of reconnecting with her long-lost love, but fate has other plans. She accidentally stumbles into a stranger's private room and finds herself waking up next to a man she doesn't know. The passion between them ignites as they give into their desires, and they have a one-night stand. However, she doesn't wait to find out the identity of the man and runs away, leaving behind her necklace. Several weeks later, Mia discovers that she is pregnant as a result of that one-night stand. Despite the challenges ahead, she decides to keep the baby and raise it on her own. Meanwhile, Zenith, a powerful and wealthy billionaire, finds himself under pressure from his family to settle down and get married. Little does he know that a secret from his past is about to change his life forever. He discovers that he has a child from a one-night stand, and he still has the necklace he found from the night of pleasure with the woman who disappeared at sunrise.

I was abandoned and someone took me in, but being born in a mistake, I've never been a part of this world. Until a hit is taken out on me. I'm kidnapped in the night, heading to have fun, but waking up, it's to come face to face with Dimitri DiFronzo. Dangerous and heartless, Dimitri is the most feared man in the world. I've heard rumors about his potential. I find myself in a nightmare where I don't know who I can trust, and fear for my life is my only constant companion. I'm forced to be at Dimitri's mercy, I'm just not sure he has any. The fact that he is disarmingly attractive, doesn't help either. Tall, dark, and deadly. Knowing this, he uses it against me like a weapon, breaking down my walls faster than can put them up. There's a war coming, and I'm right in the middle of it. The only question is, will Dimitri be the one to save me or kill me?

The wedding had reached the part where the groom kissed the bride. I closed my eyes and leaned in to kiss Stella Stafford, only to end up with a mouthful of fur. Her assistant held up the camera and burst out laughing. "The almighty Mr. Rowe can't even tell if he's kissing a person or a dog?" I stared at the Husky in front of me, its tongue lolling out, and felt my stomach churn. I was about to lay into him when Stella stepped in to block me. "It was just a joke. No hard feelings." Laurent Reilly smirked smugly, his tone dripping with arrogance. "And guess what? This Husky happens to be a female, so why don't you just marry her instead? You're not good enough for Stella anyway." The employees erupted in laughter. Mortified, I kicked him square in the chest, sending him sprawling. The next second, Stella smashed a wine bottle over my head and demanded an apology. I wiped the mix of wine and blood from my face, then dialed an overseas number with a cold grin. "The wedding is short one bride. You in?"

I was done. Done with men. Women say it all the time; they get fed up, throw their hands in the air, and vow a life of celibacy—until the next chiseled chest comes into view and then they’re foaming at the mouth and wiping the drool from their chins. But this was different, I really meant it. I’d been manhandled by the last pig that would ever bring his sausage near me. After one of the nastiest divorces in history, followed by some of the crudest and raunchiest dates, I’d decided to bat for the other team. …At least I tried. But creating the next Brat Pack hadn’t been on the agenda. Neither had my date’s brother, Collier West. And I wasn’t prepared for finding true love at the end of my gal-pal tryst. Girl Crush is created by Stephie Walls, an eGlobal Creative Publishing Signed Author.

Liam had only one perfect moment—the day he was to wed Marcus, the love of his life. Yet, in such an irony, the wedding was disrupted by a jealous admirer, and within one terrible mistake, Marcus was killed by a bullet. Profound sadness ruled over Liam until a mysterious supernatural creature showed up, offering him a second chance. The catch? The price would be made known in the future. Hopeless and shattered, Liam agreed. But something went wrong. Rather than waking up in his past, Liam got into a different version of his world—New York, 2020. A world where Marcus was still very much alive but hadn't had the chance to meet him yet. And a world where another version of himself already existed—Daniel, a ruthless Mafia lord feared by everyone. While Liam pursues his mission to reunite with Marcus, he uncovers a shocking revelation: the same tragedy is destined to happen again. But this time, it's not only Marcus that is in jeopardy. Daniel—the cold, relentless Mafia boss—has his own plans, and they all seem to revolve around him. At this moment, with love, danger, and a man who is him but isn’t, Liam must find a way to outplay fate. Because if he fails, he won’t just lose Marcus again—he might lose himself.

Diane and Luca are a loving, and inseparable, couple with dreams of starting a future and a family after college graduation. But everything shatters when Luca ends their four-year relationship to chase his ambitions of becoming a wealthy businessman, unknown to him, Diane was carrying his child. Heartbroken and alone, Diane decides to keep the pregnancy a secret from him. Five years later, they coincidentally meet at an elite charity gala where Diane is the CEO and powerhouse behind the charity. Her life is thriving without him and she is determined to keep it that way. Luca is captivated by Diane's transformation and later discovers the child she's keeping from him. He is desperate to earn a second chance and will stop at nothing to win back her heart and their child's love. But Luca isn't the only man drawn to Diane. Marko Giorgio, a wealthier and dangerously envious businessman, is willing to do whatever it takes to make Diane his woman. Can Luca overcome Marko's schemes and Diane's mistrust, or will his second chance slip through his fingers forever?

Matthew was a high schooler who somehow transferred into another world after playing a certain game along with a friend. He did not know what happened but he had set his sight to get back home. To do so, he became a Hunter, an adventurer. Amidst his struggles to find a way home, he met various allies and enemies and even his true past. Please leave comments and reviews, it helps me to know what you think of the story. Insta & Twitter: abena_war, for some pics and illustrations