Wind-up Bird

Hari itu adalah hari ulang tahunku. Kupikir, Andre akan menemaniku ke pantai untuk menonton kembang api. Tapi, pacarku itu malah membawa wanita lain dan anak wanita itu. "Keisya repot bawa anak, tolong pengertian." "Dia nggak tahu jalan dan bawa barang banyak, jadi aku mau antar mereka ke hotel duluan." Dia mengatakannya dengan enteng, seolah sedang menjelaskan masalah sepele. Kelembutan itulah yang membuat kemarahanku tampak berlebihan dan tanpa alasan. Dia membantu mereka masuk ke dalam mobil dan memasangkan sabuk pengaman untuk anak itu. Lalu dia tersenyum dan berkata kepadaku, "Aku nggak lama pasti balik lagi, jangan mikir macam-macam." Aku berdiri di pinggir jalan, menyaksikan mereka pergi seakan-akan mereka satu keluarga sempurna. Malam tiba. Angin laut terasa sangat dingin hingga menusuk tulang. Aku masih menunggu, sampai aku melihat video di akun Keisya. Andre menggendong anak Keisya sambil menonton pertunjukan kembang api di pantai. Pertunjukan itu adalah kejutan yang aku rencanakan sendiri untuk ulang tahunku. Isi komentar di bawahnya senada. [Mereka pasangan yang serasi, keluarga kecil yang bahagia.] Seseorang bertanya padanya kenapa dia tidak menjemputku. Dia tersenyum dan berkata, "Viona pengertian. Dia nggak mungkin marah." Pada saat itu, kue ulang tahunku sudah meleleh seluruhnya. Ternyata, dia bukannya tidak punya hati. Dia hanya terlalu yakin bahwa aku akan terus menunggu selamanya. Tapi, hati yang terlalu lama diabaikan pasti akan menjadi dingin. Ombak menghantam pantai. Menghancurkan ilusi terakhirku. Kali ini, aku tidak akan menunggunya kembali.

Menjelang hari pernikahan, Ashley mengalami kecelakaan saat berusaha menyelamatkan Noah. Tubuhnya terpental akibat tertabrak mobil, mengalami patah tulang di banyak bagian, dan wajahnya rusak parah akibat bergesekan dengan aspal. Meski wajah Ashley hancur, Noah sama sekali tidak merasa jijik atau menjauhinya. Dia tetap menikahinya dan setelah pernikahan pun, dia memperlakukan Ashley dengan penuh kasih sayang dan perlindungan seperti sebelumnya. Semua orang berkata bahwa Noah mencintainya setengah mati. Cintanya pada Ashley telah melampaui nilai-nilai duniawi dan penampilan fisik. Dulu, Ashley pun percaya akan hal itu. Namun, setengah bulan yang lalu, dia menemukan bahwa Noah berselingkuh dengan pembantu rumah tangganya sendiri.

Banished on the same day she was supposed to be made Luna of her pack, Sofia left heartbroken and found herself alone, battling depression. Just as she began to rebuild her life, she discovered she was pregnant with twins, carrying the legacy of her former mate, Nathan—the Alpha who betrayed her. In her darkest hour, she met Luca, a wealthy and renounced CEO, whose kindness and friendship helped her start anew. In a bold move to secure a better future for her children, she left the country with her babies to study at a renowned culinary school. Five years later, she was back! Back with her twins as a celebrated chef! But as time goes on, Alex, one of Sophia's twins, begins to show signs of shifting—awakening the werewolf bloodline within him and bringing the past crashing back. With the pack’s dangers resurfacing, Nathan reappears, desperate to reclaim his family after uncovering the truth behind his mistakes. Caught between the loyalty of the mate bond and her growing love for Luca, Sophia faces impossible choices that could determine her children's fate. “Mommy, Daddy, we want to be together!” > Alex and Alexia. “It’s not possible!” > Sophia. “Tell her it’s not!” > Nathan. Will she find it in her heart to forgive Nathan? Can she protect her family from those who threaten their safety? And with Victoria—the woman responsible for her banishment—still lurking, how far will Sophia go to secure a future for those she loves? With enemies closing in and her children caught in the crossfire, she must decide: Return to the pack with Nathan or forge a new future with Luca! Will love or loyalty prevail?

Daphne Harper spent three years believing she was the beloved wife of Vincent Carter, sacrificing everything to support the man she loved and the child she thought was hers. Until the day she discovered the truth. Their marriage was never legal. The little boy she raised with unconditional love was not her son. And Vincent already had a real wife—Rumbidzai Carter—the woman who had been laughing behind Daphne’s back the entire time. Heartbroken and humiliated, Daphne walks away from the life she built with nothing but shattered trust. But fate has one last surprise waiting for her. When a powerful billionaire reveals the secret Daphne’s mother took to her grave, her world changes overnight. The woman they once treated as disposable is actually the hidden heiress to one of the largest fortunes in the country. Now, Daphne returns stronger, richer, and untouchable. As Vincent and Rumbidzai desperately try to crawl back into her life, Daphne has already stepped into a new world of power, wealth, and influence—one where a dangerous and enigmatic billionaire, Brian Adrian, seems far too interested in her. This time, Daphne Harper isn’t the woman being deceived. She’s the one holding the power. And revenge has never looked so elegant.

"Sign!" He demanded. A signature. Just a signature's going to change both our lives. My decision might make OR ruin both our lives.... *** Nicholas Perkins, the most wealthiest and ruthless businessman, and the city's No.1 Playboy who wants nothing more than his selfish needs to be fulfilled at any cost. But there is one condition that is required to be satisfied. Evelyn Katherine Linard, just a simple girl enjoying her father's money under his care. All she finally wants is to be free like a bird and live her life. Though enjoying all the luxuries of life, both have had a past which presents itself in front of them playing with their minds. They have no choice but to stick together. What could be their final decision? The playboy is finally in search of his bride. But is this arrangement going to work out? Is the Bride ready to be tied down? Read to find out!

Qykerth is brought to the reality of life when he finds his mother's body the day after his father leaves them under the excuse he will be out cultivating when his mother knows the truth. Qykerth blames himself for his father leaving because he was incapable of living up to his father's expectations as a cultivator and descendant. The loss of his mother brings unfathomable pain causing the power stored inside his body to explode, taking three lives with it, but a mysterious man finds Qykerth's body and grants him a second chance to live. Prince Queseon believes that his father's acts of keeping the humans out of the waters is ridiculous and ventures out into the world and meets a particular creature. As the two of them spend day after day together, both boys fall for the other but live with their unrequited love. Unable to take it any longer their fates connect, they separate and a child is born who faces obstacles a child should never face but with the help of his little fae friend, a new destiny is carved. |Side Stories| *|Lumiere & Licht | *|Daughter of Ice & Disciple of Wind| *|Sucked Into Darkness|

How will you feel when you end up with the same person you were trying to find an escape from? How will you feel when you end up in a one-night stand with your Ex-husband? Her eyes fluttered as she felt the morning cool breeze brushing against her bare body, which was semi-covered with a quilt. Although her eyes felt heavy to even blink, her other senses were high alert. She could hear the bird chirping outside the windows, she could smell a familiar masculine cologne, her body covered with goosebumps with the presence of someone familiar, and her heart beats rapidly on its own accord. That's when her brain registered her surroundings and could recollect her last passionate night with someone who would be her soon-to-be ex-husband. How? When? Why? She mentally slapped herself, but then she couldn't hide the contentment. She felt as if she was complete now. She couldn't stop but feel happy again. Why? Why does she feel like falling in love again? "I see you are still the w***e you were back then," his words broke her little dream she just thought of. "A desperate woman like you, who can with her ex-husband, can no wonder w***e around any men." He said with no remorse. "I did the right thing by divorcing you. How much do you charge for a night?" he smirked, looking at her teary face. "Here! Take extra 200 bucks for the sake of our old times." She vowed never to cry in front of her husband, but what he said just now shattered her soul beyond repair. Her quivering body and hollow eyes didn't hide the agony she felt at that very moment. "Sorry for loving you."

WARNING ⚠️ PG 18 THIS BOOK CONTAINS SENSITIVE CONTENT, READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED. "For every pain you have made me feel," I whispered, "you will feel ten times more." The wind carried my words away. "I will make sure every member of your family feels the same pain and torment you forced upon me." I stepped back, further into the shadows. "The sins of the father," I murmured, "will be visited upon his children.” ******************************************** Betrayed by her boyfriend, Ruby watched her family gruesomely murdered. She was defiled by her parent's killers and left to the cold hands of death, However, it seems fate had so much in store for her, As she was Saved by a Ruthless Mafia lord, Kairo, driven by Rage, and Betrayal, and pain of losing her loved ones, Ruby vowed to get her revenge on Harlow's family. Unexpectedly, Ruby finds love amid her revenge, caught between carrying out her revenge or accepting her feelings. Will she be able to get her revenge on the Harlow family? Or will she give it all up for the sake of love?

It’s ironic, you think you have a basic boring life: go to school, go on summer vacation, work, eat, sleep and repeat, and still people will find things to complain about saying they want more adventure, or something exciting to happen to them. Then suddenly, that exact thing happens to you. And you get dragged in to a war that’s been raging for hundreds of years. I’m only 17, I should be worrying about other things! Finishing school, what I want to do with my life, boys! But the day I meet Ash everything changed and I am yet to decided if they changed for the better. And it all started because of a nightmare. Who would have thought nightmares could be real. DEFINITELY NOT ME!…

Torn between the man she loves, and the man who loves her.... Cordia Pike has always been strong-willed, but she knows her family expects her to accept the hand of her childhood friend, Jaris Adams, in marriage. As the conflict between the states continues to escalate, Cordia hopes it will last long enough for her to find a way to free herself without breaking her friend’s heart. On the eve of war, as the men prepare to ride off to battle, Cordia meets a mysterious newcomer. There’s just something about Will Tucker that she finds both intriguing and dangerous. Under the guise of caring for his sister, she makes a plan to write to him. Perhaps by the time the war is over, Will’s feelings for Cordia will have blossomed into the love she is starting to feel for the Union soldier. But war is evil and complex, and by the time it begins to wind its way through Southwest Missouri, one of these men will be dead, and Cordia will find herself betrothed to a man she loathes. Will she have the courage to follow her heart and stand up for what she believes in like so many others, or will she do as she is told and acquiesce to a loveless marriage to a heartless traitor?