When I Was Gone The Regret Began

Eight years ago, my cousin Wendy Cooper was involved in a drunk driving hit-and-run. Yet, my parents made sure all the evidence pointed toward me. The victim's family waited outside my school every day with gasoline, threatening to die with me. Because of that, the school took away my guaranteed admission to university. That day, my parents and brother all tried to persuade me. "Wendy's terrified. Just give her your spot to make her feel better." I refused, fought back, and even tried to talk them out of it. But the next day, they handed me over to the police themselves. Lance Stewart, my fiance and a powerful business tycoon, had orchestrated it all. As he was afraid I'd run or cause trouble, he personally pinned several charges on me and sent me to an isolated island prison. He left me with no way out. When my sentence began, he made me a promise. "Esme, just endure it for a few years. I'll get you out once Wendy graduates, and then we'll get married."

I lost everything in a single night—my pack, my home, my whole clan. Found by Hades, the owner of an assassin group called the Nameless, he trains me into a merciless killer called Viper. But all I can think about is avenging my parents. I can’t stop thinking about the fire, the screams, the look of terror in my mother’s eyes as she hid me in our closet. And to my greatest surprise, Hades offers me a deal: kill Alpha Tyler, one of the strongest Alphas in the werewolf territory, in exchange for my parents’ killers. Everything crumbles when I realize Alpha Tyler is my fated mate, but that isn’t what freaks me out—it’s the fact that I’ll have to live with him and spy for Hades. What if I get caught? What if Alpha Tyler discovers that the woman living under his roof is an assassin sent by the Nameless? What if getting close to him, feeling things I shouldn’t, ruins everything and makes me fall for the one I’m supposed to kill?

Lucas Fenrir was the son of the Alpha of the Silvertail Pack, born as the pack's greatest pride. When his Luna and first love, Nara Boris, chose to leave, he married me in a fit of rage—the most unremarkable Omega in the pack. Everyone said I was just a substitute for Nara. They were waiting to see me abandoned, to see me cry, and to see me beg on my knees. Nonetheless, I always smiled and calmly fulfilled Lucas' every demand. I helped him stabilize the pack's morale, stood up for him in public, and even defended him against the rumors that he had rekindled his past romance with Nara. Until one day, I saw him on the streets during the Moon Goddess Festival. He was holding Nara, kissing her deeply. Meanwhile, I simply turned my head away in silence from behind the crowd and pretended I saw nothing. A few months later, I was diagnosed with wolfsbane poisoning that had spread to my nervous system. My condition was beyond saving. I was admitted to the ICU of the pack's hospital, with only a few days left to live. Lucas came when he heard the news. His eyes were bloodshot as he roared and grabbed my dying body. "Why didn't you tell me? Why are you trying to die alone in secret?" I looked at his unhinged expression, my gaze as gentle as it had always been. There was even a faint mocking smile curling at my lips. "Lucas, I've never loved you. "The one I loved… was actually your twin brother—Derrick."

I was blind for three years. The day I saw again, I watched my billionaire husband betray me—and I smiled. I was blind for three years. The day I got my sight back, I watched my billionaire husband in bed with my cousin. He thought I couldn’t see him. He thought I was still his fragile, obedient wife—his experiment. He was wrong. While he whispered, “She’ll never witness this,” I stood in the dark… and chose revenge. He broke my heart. I’ll dismantle his empire. Alexander Kane doesn’t know the truth: I’m not just his wife. I’m the woman behind the most dangerous secret powering his fortune— and the only one who can destroy it. Now three powerful men are closing in: The crime prince who claims I was always his The investor who helped erase my past And my husband… who would burn the world before letting me go They want to control me. They want to use me. They want to own me. But I’m done being powerless. Phase III launches in seven days. Twelve lives will be destroyed—just like mine was. Unless I stop it. Unless I outplay them all. Unless I win.

In the shadowy depths of the Crescent Moon Pack, an unexpected romance brews amidst deception and power struggles. Elena, an Omega who is wolfless, faced rejection and disgrace. However, she contested it with all her might. When Prince Adrian was crowned as the new Alpha, he introduced his chosen Luna, igniting Elena's outrage. She boldly declared to the entire pack that she was his true Luna, only to be met with disbelief and scorn. Alpha Gregory, puzzled by Elena's claims, questioned Prince Adrian, who vehemently denied any connection. Humiliated and heartbroken, Elena resigned herself to her fate, remaining a maid in the grand palace. Yet, Adrian couldn't resist his growing feelings for her. Just as their forbidden love began to blossom, a mysterious curse stripped Adrian of his werewolf abilities. The truth came to light when Alpha Gregory discovered Elena was indeed Adrian's true Luna. In a twist of fate, he forced them into marriage. But danger lurks around every corner, and the bond between Elena and Adrian is tested like never before. Can they overcome the shadows of betrayal and embrace their destined love? Or will the dark forces conspiring against them succeed in tearing them apart forever?

I woke up naked beside a man I hadn’t seen in eight years. Before noon, the scandal was everywhere. By noon, I’d lost my position as CEO, my name, and my marriage. But the worst betrayal wasn’t the headlines. It wasn’t walking in on my husband and my best friend planning my downfall and mocking me. It was finding out the man I loved, my sweetheart of five years, made me a surrogate without my knowledge. The twins I'd been carrying for seven months weren't mine. But it failed to break me. It only made me stronger. After all, I wasn't just a mother—I was a CEO.

"Say it again!" His husky voice sent shivers down to my core. "Pl-please...I-I want you," my voice betrayed. He let out a dark chuckle, leaning to my ear. "Say it louder, Munchkin...I want this empty classroom vibrating with your voice," he teased. *** When two different worlds meet, the attractions pull them closer like a magnet but at the same time could be very dangerous without caution. She's the school janitor's daughter who lives in her world of delusion, believing love could exist once you've set your heart on it while he's the popular handsome jock, billionaire's son who breaks girls with such mindsets. What happens when a ticking spark that has been lying dormant for years within them ignites? It goes BOOM! WARNING: Contains strong vulgar languages, sexual scenes, erotic contents, triggering situations, and lots more.

Three days before the wedding, I was cleaning out some old boxes when I remembered the time capsule Natasha Rowe and I buried ten years ago. When I mentioned it, her face stiffened for a moment. She quickly tried to talk me out of going. "It's been so long," she said. "Someone probably dug it up already." I didn't think much of it and went back to our old high school alone. At the spot where we buried it, I started digging. Instead of one box, I pulled out five metal containers of different sizes. Two of them were the ones Natasha and I buried ten years ago, their surfaces rusted and worn. But there were three others. One of them was just as rusted as ours. The other two looked almost brand new. The old extra box had a name scratched into the lid. Vince Houle. On it were the words, [My secret crush was a war I fought alone. Natasha, I hope you're happy.] I remembered him then. He had been a quiet guy who sat behind us in class. The kind of student no one really noticed. The two newer boxes had names carved into them, too. Natasha and Vince. The date etched into both of them was today. On Natasha's box were the words, [The greatest regret of my life is that I couldn't marry you.] On Vince's box were the words, [The greatest regret of my life is that I can't openly congratulate you on getting married.]

I bought Cade Bowman, a werewolf, off the black market. When he was on the brink of death, I treated him tirelessly. When his heat drove him into a feral frenzy, I stayed and soothed him. But when Cade reclaimed the Wolf King's throne, he chose my sister as his queen and sentenced me to death. On the day of the execution, a helicopter dropped out of the sky. I looked calmly at the man on board and said, "Julian, take me to a place without wolves."

Rachel Larson was adamant about marrying me, and she spent ten years stealing my heart. On the night before our wedding, I overheard her conversation with her friend. "You're marrying Leonardo? What about your side piece?" A moment of silence later, Rachel answered, "That guy? He's just a cheap replacement. Leonardo's the real deal. Don't compare my side piece to him. If he stays put and keeps his mouth shut, I might let him stay around. Leonardo's a broad-minded man. He won't mind." The side piece did not stay put. In fact, he caused a scene at the wedding the next day. He shoved me off the stage, but the woman who was supposed to marry me darted over to his side instead. Why? He was holding a piece of broken glass against his throat. Gutturally, he roared, "Choose! Me or him?" Panicked, Rachel kicked me away despite my injuries, and she roared, "Get out of the way! I need to take him to the hospital! If anything happens to him, I'll kill you!" She didn't need to wait that long. My heart died right there and then. … That night, I bought a flight ticket that would take me abroad and left her.