When We Were Strangers Novels & Stories

He walked into her life. Looked at the baby in her arms. And said three words that shattered everything: “That’s my son” Ava Hayes made a promise on her twin sister’s deathbed: never tell the baby's father. But when billionaire Damon Ashford walks into her café and recognizes his own eyes staring back at him... The secret is out. Now he wants answers. He wants custody. And worst of all—he wants her. The solution? A contract marriage that solves everything… and ruins everything as playing his wife was never part of her plan. And falling for the man she swore to avoid? That’s a secret she never meant to keep.

It has been seven years since I shadowed Eula Ross like a fawning puppy. Under my dedicated tutoring, she successfully became a top student. But after the SATs scores were released, she casually dropped a single line at a class reunion. “Why don’t you apply for a community college with me? I have to go be with Luke Stetson.” All these years, I have been at her beck and call while granting her every wish. To make her happy, I even humbled myself to the point of slapping myself in front of everyone. Everyone said I was her shadow that she could never shake off. They bet that I would be stuck with Eula for the rest of my life. Right then, our classmates were standing by. They waited to see how me, the valedictorian, would humbly agree. For the first time ever, my expression was cold as I flat-out refused her. “Screw that! You’re the one with a screw loose. I’m not.”

I give up being with my family and follow my boyfriend, Leon Burton, to a research institute in the harsh land of Aetheris, just to take care of him. One day, he discovers an asteroid. According to the law in our country, the person who discovers an asteroid holds the right to name it. Without even stopping to think, he says, "I'll name it Phoebe." Everyone is stunned. Naming an asteroid is a significant event, but Leon makes his decision too hastily. The person in charge asked again, "Are you sure you want to name it that?" Leon nods without hesitation. Standing in a corner where no one can see me, I can't stop crying. Only I knew that "Phoebe" is the name of his first love, Phoebe Jones. Wiping away my tears, I call my mother. "Mom, I've decided to marry Nathan. I'm leaving Aetheris."

The male postpartum care specialist adjusted his touch with calm precision. Heat spread through my body, leaving me weak against the cushions. "You're quite sensitive," he said quietly. The warmth of his breath near my ear made me tremble, despite myself.

Bradley Oliver Jones was eight years old when he first heard "Phantom of the Opera" in New York.The lights gleaming across the stage, the voices of the performers ringing through the theater in a way that brought tears to the eyes of those listening. A wonderful canvas of brilliance painted bright by the dull colors of the world.The performance brought something wonderful to Bradley Oliver Jones.The theatre brought magic, brought light, brought hope into the mind of a little eight year old kid.A kid now dead set on being on that stage.And suddenly, the world was on fire, and everything was possible.

Gabriella's life has always been complicated. Her father, the Don of the mafia, kept his business life separate from his family life. But Gabriella knew; the late night meetings, hushed conversations, his rivals ending up dead, and the occasional "business trips" that would leave her mother worried sick. Because of this, Gabriella chose to distance herself from her father's world. She attended college far from home, and even started a different life far from her father's shadows. But there's only so much you can do when you're seen as a weakness. Her worst fears finally become a reality, and her parents are killed in their living room, while she's on the verge of death. Someone's does save Gabriella, and she survives, but loses her sight in the process. Gabriella is grateful for this guardian angel, and years down the line, they get married, start a family, and love in perfect peace. But even the devil itself can disguise himself as an angel….. Gabriella has a shot to get her eyesight back, but that shot opens up a can of secrets that will ruin her perfect reality forever.

Although he was born with a golden spoon in his mouth, Daniel King Carnillo was a magnet for bullies. Despite the severe bullying, he was able to survive his fourth year in high school. One day, a group of guys took his card and threw it away. Incidentally, Hannah Mae De Vera found it-she was the most popular girl in school-she tampered with King's name on the report card and happily showed it to her mother. But her mother found out about the tampering and made a deal with her. She shall need to graduate with excellent grades in math, otherwise she would be expelled and unable to proceed to college. That was why she needed the help of King. King became her tutor and unintentionally their hearts fell in love with each other. But a revelation from the past ruin everything they started. Despite knowing the truth, King and Hannah manage to graduate, struggling to ignore the feelings they had once. But Hannah wasn't able to pass the aisle due to deep devastation. Will the wounds from the past heal the heartaches of the present?

'"Tell me what you want, Amara,” Zane said, voice like silk over fire. His lips were a whisper from mine. I could feel the tension in his body. The restraint. The raw, maddening awareness. He dragged a finger down my cheek. “To be touched? Or to be remembered?” I stared at him. “Neither. I just want you gone.” “You don’t mean that,” he said, leaning in just a fraction closer. “I do,” I lied. His breath fanned my lips. His nose grazed mine. I felt every inch of my body coil, traitorous and trembling. I wanted him to kiss me. But it would be wrong. He was engaged to someone else.' *** He is the bridegroom. She is the wedding planner. He doesn’t seem to remember her. Or so he says. Five years ago, wedding planner Amara Ibe was madly in love with her fiancé, Zane Blackwood. Until she exposed a massive corruption scandal that was tied to Zane’s father’s company, to which Zane was the primary heir. Her whistleblower tip destroyed Zane’s career, or so she thought. Now Zane is back, bigger and better than ever, and about to marry someone else in the wedding of the century. The catch? Amara has been hired to plan the wedding. And Zane doesn’t seem to remember her. Behind the luxury wedding, perfect vows and Zane’s strangely elusive fiancée, nothing is what it seems. Everyone has secrets, and Amara gradually realizes that everything the couple sells out to the public is a lie. And loving this man could destroy her… again.

Choices, life if full of them and each one offers several paths to walk down. Mary knows all about choices. It was because of a string of them she went from living a happy life with her parents to end up an orphan working in the castle kitchen. Mary is now working hard while praying she wouldn't be kicked out on the street. The man she loves, her best friend, doesn't see her but is courting another woman who does her best to make Mary feel worthless. To top everything off, the sickness is back in the city which means Mary's only refuge is gone. She is trapped and she feels like a trapped animal. That is when Lady Tariana comes back into Mary's life. She was the one that saved Mary when she was a child. Now she is back and she offers Mary new choices, travel back with Lady Tariana to her home. It's just one choice, but with each of the choices comes a myriad of new choices and consequences. Can she leave her love behind? Would she managed to survive in a new world? And what about magic? Does it really exist? Time is running out and she needs to make her decision or the world will make it for her.

Five years ago, Samantha Manning was seven months pregnant when her husband Channing Lane's first love, Sydney Ingram, caused her to lose the baby. But what hurt most was what Channing said to her. "Syd didn't mean it. She can't go to prison." He signed a letter of forgiveness in Samantha's name regardless of her wishes. Five years later, Sydney returned from studying abroad. Harold Lane, the son Samantha had adopted, said to her, "You're a bad woman! You're always picking on Sydney!" Only then did Samantha finally understand that there had never been a place for her in that family. Furious, Samantha fought back. She took back everything she had lost and took back the love she had given Channing for eight years. As Channing and Sydney walked step by step toward their fitting end, Samantha turned around and married the powerful man who had always protected her. When Sydney's true nature was finally exposed, Channing begged and cried for Samantha to take him back. "Sam, it was all my fault! I didn't cherish you! Please forgive me and come back to me!" Samantha smiled faintly and stroked her slightly rounded belly. A new life was forming inside of her womb. The man who truly loved her had always been by her side.