Winter Flower

Welcome back to Clifton Heights. Sheriff Chris Baker and Father Ward meet for a Saturday morning breakfast at The Skylark Diner to once again commiserate over the weird and terrifying secrets surrounding their town. Sheriff Baker shares with Father Ward the story of a journal discovered in the ruins of what was once an elaborate koi pond and flower garden, which regales a tale of regret, buried pain, and unfulfilled debt: “Sophan” – Jake Burns has always been a bit...off. Rude, awkward, sometimes brutish, he's tolerated by Nate Slocum and his friends because he hits a mean line drive, and because they all know but don't discuss the abuse he faces at the hands of his troubled father, a Vietnam veteran consumed by his demons. But Jake is suffering something far worse than domestic abuse, and when Nate discovers what, he faces an impossible choice: help Jake and put himself in the path of evil, or abandon him, only to damn himself in the process. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Because of her father's brain cancer, Karen Goodwill became Gordon Williams' concubine to earn money for her father's hospital bills and treatment. She dropped out of school at the age of eighteen. After five years with Gordon Williams, Karen Goodwill has accumulated a large amount of money. After the deal ended, Karen Goodwill gave up her life as a concubine. She runs her own flower shop for a living. Meanwhile, Mr. Williams asked Gordon Williams to get married so that Williams Gems Group could receive a huge investment from the Joyner family. Unexpectedly, two years later, his wife betrayed him, the Williams family made a loss. While going to a bar to relax, he met Karen Goodwill again. They meet each other again, no longer have a relationship to exchange money and sex, falling in love with each other and together revive the Williams family estate, build their own empire and avenge the Joyner family.

I am a billionaire titan who controls the world’s medical supply chains. With one phone call, I can bring an entire city’s healthcare to its knees. In the boardroom, I am the queen they all fear. But eight years ago, I was nothing. They said a girl like me was lucky to have even breathed the same air as a Harrington. I was the "placeholder" wife of Ryan Harrington, a man whose family name carries the weight of a dynasty. To the Harringtons, I was a nameless girl from the gutter, a woman Ryan married and discarded like a piece of trash. His mistress threw me out into the winter night, pregnant and penniless, expecting me to wither away and die. But you can’t kill a woman who has nothing left to lose. I used to pray for his love. Now, I’m coming for his empire.

"Shh, Alpha Kieran, your wife might hear us and we'll be in so much trouble," whispered Astoria as Kieran shoved her against the wall, his hands slowly gliding up her smooth thighs. Their lips were barely apart, his breath brushing against her face. "Don't care," he growled. "All I want right now is you and you alone." Growing up in the Winter Moon Pack, Astoria faced relentless mistreatment but couldn't help falling for Kieran, the indifferent yet charismatic son of the Alpha. One night, a single encounter between them left Astoria with a life-altering secret. Years later, Kieran returns to claim his position as Alpha, only to find there's a condition he must meet to lead the pack. Astoria now finds herself in a complicated and dangerous situation that could change everything.

All because his first love, Luna Harper, needed test subjects for her drug research, Jake Bertrand sent me to a mental hospital when I was pregnant just so I could serve as an experiment subject for her. I was electroshocked until I drooled and convulsed, but he simply covered his first love’s eyes in disgust, saying, “What filth. Don’t look.” Thanks to the results of this experiment, Luna received a nomination for an award, and he lit up the entire city with fireworks to celebrate her success. Meanwhile, during the freezing winter night under the dazzling fireworks, I gave birth to a deformed male fetus. The child cried just once before passing away. Numbly, I placed the stillborn into a freezing chamber. Seven days later, at the awards ceremony for Luna, it would appear in Jake’s hands as a gift.

She thought she was just signing a contract. He thought she was just another name to silence his family’s pressure. But when the fragile, terminally ill girl he married starts slipping through his fingers, the heartless billionaire who swore he could never love—breaks first. Evelyn Hart never believed in fairy tales. All she wanted was a quiet marriage to escape her cruel relatives and live out her short life in peace. Nicholas Drake, the ruthless New York billionaire with a heart colder than winter, only needed a wife who wouldn’t ask for love. But when the woman he thought he could forget begins to fade away, his carefully built world starts to crumble. He married her for convenience. He never expected to fall in love before she was gone.

On the 26th of my birthday, my true love gave me divorce papers and a broken heart. One meant to wound. One meant to finish me. Life has a way of giving gifts that are both unexpected and profound. If the people you love the most can hurt you this deeply, then perhaps it is only fair to return the gesture, quietly and carefully. This is a thick and cruel world. But I am still here. And some gifts are returned with interest — Bianca Winter. *** “Please, Bianca,” Charles Warren begged, crying on his knees. “Give me a chance. Give us another chance.” “Dear ex,” Bianca Winter replied coldly, “I would have to be blind to walk your way again and even blindness wouldn’t excuse that mistake. You already showed me the darkness, Mr Warren, and I will not step back into the shadows.” With no trace of remorse, Bianca turned and walked away with her head held high.

Amidst the cold country of Glacia where evil and corruption continues to grow, a young swordsman named Arth, from the small village of Frostwood, wants nothing more than to help his poor village that's suffering under the hands of the nobles. On his journey, he finds himself entering a rebel guild called Forgotten Winter—a group of talented assassins who has only one goal; to eliminate the source of evil and corruption in the country—that is … to overthrow the King. But when Arth discovers the game-changing truth about him … about the King … about who the real enemy is … He has to learn how to unleash the hidden power he has within himself, because he's the only one now who can save his country from annihilation.ATTENTION: My book had been selected ... and Goodnovel will create an AUDIOBOOK from it … We're currently working on it now … so please stay tuned!

Only days after her eighteenth birthday, Iris finally joins her pack in attending the Winter Solstice, a gathering of the four Western packs in the United States. Even though she is a Beta’s daughter, Iris plans on keeping her head down at the party, a task that proves more difficult when she runs into the notorious Alpha of the Black River Pack. Alpha Sergio has still not recovered from the tragic, mysterious loss of his first mate. So when he bumps into a young girl from a rival pack and feels the familiar fire reignite in his core, he thinks Fate is playing a cruel joke on him. Intent on keeping Iris out of harm’s way, Alpha Sergio decides to push his young mate away. But Iris, and her dormant wolf, are determined to teach the broken Alpha how to love again.

Do you ever just look out of the window watching the clouds go by and question what your life is meant to be? What am I meant to do? Will I ever meet him? Hi, I’m Nova, a 17 year old about to turn 18 and go join the elites of the wolf world at the elite college known as Winter Garden Academy. It’s the place in which those that are powerful in the packs or have unique abilities go to hone their skills. I am merely the daughter of an omega but I have the ability to read people’s minds, the alpha found it very useful when having to negotiate with other neighbouring packs. I’m unsure why I have such an ability though as usually the children of omegas aren’t blessed by the moon goddess is this way. But now it’s time to take the next step in life and join the elite and royals..