Tamuz14
8 Published Stories
Tamuz14's Books and Stories
Note from a stranger
Romance
When a mysterious letter arrives at her brownstone apartment, Clara Vance-an editor nursing heartbreak in the heart of Manhattan-finds herself drawn into the story of a town that doesn't exist on any map. Her curiosity eventually leads her to Eli Dawson, a quiet artist with his own secrets. Clara begins to unravel a past that may not be entirely hers with the assistance of her jovial roommate Marla, a reclusive bookseller by the name of Bea, and letters signed by an unknown individual. A moving tale about second chances, quiet places, and the kind of love that comes out of nowhere. October in New York City A coppery wax stamp without initials sealed the creamy white envelope, which was thick and textured. It was in Clara Vance's mailbox, between an unsubscribed issue of The New Yorker and an electric bill. She opened it in the hallway, leaning against the peeling paint of the front door of her brownstone. The bookstore café down the hall was emitting the scent of roasted coffee beans. > "To the girl who forgets to look up: There's a place that misses you. Locate it. It is standing by the lake." There was no signature. merely a return address from Davenport's Reach, New York, a place she'd never heard of. In their tiny, sun-drenched kitchen, she showed it to Marla that night over wine and leftover pad thai. Marla read it twice. "This is either a stalker, a marketing ploy, or an angel whose handwriting is terrible." Too exhausted to care, Clara laughed. "Or the incorrect Vance was simply discovered by mail," The name Davenport's Reach, on the other hand, lingered in her mind as she lay in bed later. The Last Page was run by Bea Kensington. It was a bookstore café on Amsterdam Avenue that was hidden between two flower shops. The shelves creaked, the scones were always warm, and the regulars mostly brought their own mugs.
Clara had edited novels there for three years. It was there that Julian Park broke off their engagement six months after she fell in love with him. It was also where she met Rosa, the barista who brewed heartbreak the same way she brewed espresso-bold and with a twist of sarcasm.
Before Clara spoke, the letter was noticed by Bea. "That's Davenport's Reach," the old woman said, adjusting her tortoiseshell glasses. "I haven't heard that name in fifty years."
"Have you been there?" "More like I left it behind," Bea said. "Before the city pulled me in. There are some places you only visit in letters or dreams. Clara felt the pull again. not only of the location but also of the story. An editor's curse.
"Do you think it's real?"
Bea sipped her tea. "Does it matter? If a place is written well enough, it might as well be."
She met him on the F train.
Clara's tote bag had tipped over, spilling manuscripts all over the floor, and it was crowded. He knelt down to assist her and handed her the pages without observing. A sketchbook was in his lap, and his fingers were covered in ink. "Thanks," she said, catching her breath.
He responded, glancing at the title of the manuscript, "No problem." "That one has a sad ending."
"Have you read it?" He nodded. "Once. In a different life."
His name was Eli Dawson. He lived in a fourth-floor walk-up in Brooklyn, painted portraits that looked like they missed someone, and rarely smiled with his eyes. There was something about him that made Clara feel like she had just walked into the second chapter of something she should've started long ago.
They started running into each other more-on the train, in Central Park, in the bookstore. Rosa called it "a plot device."
The second letter came with a pressed leaf.
> "The lake turns silver in October. That's when the geese start calling. You always said the silence there was louder than the subway."
It made Clara ache.
Over breakfast, she told Marla. "It's like they know things I've never said aloud."
Marla played with a spoon. "Maybe they do. Perhaps you are writing to yourself. Your future self."
"Or my past."
The letters kept coming. Stories were sometimes told. Occasionally, lists Once, a map of a lakeside town with no roads in or out.
She told Eli about them on a walk through Central Park, leaves crunching beneath their boots.
He looked distant. "My brother used to send me letters like that. After his stroke, he forgot most things but remembered places that never existed."
"Henry?"
Eli nodded.
"I had no idea he was sick," I said. He's doing better now. But changed. He paints only one thing now-a dock, on a lake, with a red canoe.
Julian Park appeared at her doorstep one rainy afternoon, hair wet, eyes nostalgic.
"I saw your name on a galley proof," he said. "Missing you." Clara's response was, "You missed owning me." "There is a distinction." Life, to Julian, was always like a chessboard. Clara had had enough of him being his queen. The next day, she ran into Zadi Thompson-Eli's ex-at The Last Page. Zadi was all angles and red lips. "You're the editor," Zadi said, leani The Bride's Double life
Romance The Bride's Double Life
Where vows collide with secrets, and love wears a mask...
Camille Rowe is about to marry into the illustrious Ward family in the quiet elegance of Hollow Creek. To the townspeople, she's the perfect bride: elegant, devoted, reborn. However, beneath the lace and assurances is a woman fleeing a perilous past. In Brooklyn, she's known by another name-the seductive and secretive songstress at The Red Veil Bar, where the lights are low and the lies run deep.
Unaware of the storm his bride carries beneath her veil, the groom, Ethan Ward, is a polished corporate heir with charm and legacy in his veins. But secrets don't stay buried forever, especially not in The Wedding Estate, where walls have ears and ghosts whisper names.
When Jonas Blake, Camille's former lover and the only man who knew her truth, returns from the shadows, Camille's fragile new world trembles. Not only was their past sexy, but it was also dangerous. And incomplete. Margot Rowe, Camille's estranged sister, shows up unannounced and begins to cauterize the wounds that have not healed. Her motives? Murky. Who are her allies? Unclear. And lurking not far behind is Detective Alana Verge, a hard-nosed Brooklyn cop chasing a trail of crimes that lead straight to Camille's polished new life.
As Mrs. Evelyn Ward, Ethan's shrewd and grieving mother, watches with cold suspicion, Dominic Crane-a stranger with cryptic warnings and connections to Camille's past-emerges from the crowd, speaking in riddles and truths she isn't ready to face.
Only Avery Kent, Camille's fiercely loyal best friend, knows how far Camille has gone to escape her past-and how close she is to losing herself in the web she's spun.
Everything unravels at the Ridgewell Train Station, where time once stopped for Camille-and may again. It's where destinies collide, where identities confront each other in the stark light of truth, and where love, vengeance, and redemption await their final curtain.
In a world where every character wears a mask, Camille must decide which life is real-the one she escaped or the one she's trying to build.
Will she run again... or finally stand and fight for the woman she's become?
The Trophy wife revenge
Romance Blurb: "The Trophy Wife's Revenge"
In the sprawling ultra-modern coastal city of Verona Bay, where opulence masks a web of corruption and crime, Valeria Moreau finds herself at the heart of a dangerous game. Valeria Kane appears to have everything-wealth, status, and a life of luxury-because she is married to Marcus Kane, a powerful but cruel man. But beneath the surface, her marriage is a façade, hiding dark secrets that threaten to destroy her.
When private detective Adrian Wolfe is hired to spy on Valeria, he quickly realizes that there is more going on than just a simple affair. He has a sharp mind and a dark past. As he uncovers the layers of betrayal, he begins to question his loyalty and motivations. A woman with a burning desire for justice is hidden behind Valeria's cold exterior, and her aspiration to exact vengeance on those who have wronged her is beginning to take shape. Her ferocious best friend and criminal partner, Isabella "Izzy" Saint Valerie, stands by her side and is determined to assist her in retaliating against the men who have abused and abused her. Victor Crane, Marcus Kane's loyal bodyguard and enforcer, serves as both a protector and a constant reminder of the power Marcus holds over her life. Elena Martell, an investigative journalist, is hot on their trail, desperate to uncover the truth behind the city's elite corruption.
But the stakes are higher than anyone realizes when Damien Cross, Valeria's ex-lover, resurfaces, bringing with him a trail of unresolved passion and danger. Meanwhile, Governor Nolan Trent, a crooked politician whose ties to Verona Bay's underground crime syndicate run deep, holds the key to unlocking the final pieces of the puzzle.
As Valeria's plan unfolds, secrets are revealed, alliances shift, and everyone is forced to confront their darkest desires. Will Valeria be able to reclaim her life, or will the corrupt city of Verona Bay consume her? Action, suspense, love, betrayal, and the struggle for power in a city that plays by its own rules make up The Trophy Wife's Revenge, a high-stakes thriller. In a game where only the most dangerous players can survive, secrets will be exposed, loyalties will be tested, and lives will be destroyed. Love in crossfire
Short stories In a dystopian city perpetually cloaked in violence, dusk brings no peace-only gunfire, smoke, and sirens. Entire districts lie in ruins, patrolled by drones and military forces. Amidst the chaos, a resistance group fights for freedom.
Main Characters:
Maria Johnson: A resilient and idealistic field nurse, Maria treats the wounded in the shadows of rubble-strewn streets. She works tirelessly for the resistance, haunted by memories of Smith William, the man she once loved.
Smith William: A cold, calculating military spy, Smith was once part of the resistance but vanished years ago, abandoning Maria. Now embedded deep in government operations, he's torn between loyalty to his mission and the guilt of betrayal.
Williams Brown: A charismatic and forceful rebel leader, Brown believes in liberation at any cost. He's both revered and feared among his people. Secretly, he's the estranged son of Lotoya and was once a childhood friend of Maria and Smith.
Jone Sophia: A sharp, disillusioned camp prostitute who knows the secrets of soldiers and rebels alike. Though seen as an outsider, she plays a crucial role in shaping the narrative through whispered information and acts of quiet rebellion.
Miller Davis: Head of Interpol, Davis oversees global surveillance and has made the city his testing ground for new authoritarian control methods. Uncompromising and strategic, his real aim is to crush the resistance before it sparks a worldwide revolt.
Lotoya: Williams Brown's mother, once a civil rights advocate, now lives in isolation, shamed by her son's rebellion. She's caught between grief and pride, and her past might hold the key to peace-or more bloodshed.
Plot Summary:
The story opens with Maria racing through alleys at dusk to save a boy shot during a government raid. Blood paints the streets as the city erupts. She reunites with the resistance underground and is tasked with establishing a medical outpost near the frontlines.
Meanwhile, Smith William, under orders from Interpol and Miller Davis, infiltrates the resistance, pretending to be a defector. He's forced to confront Maria, who doesn't know if she should kill him or kiss him. Their chemistry reignites, but trust is shattered.
Williams Brown plans a massive uprising, with the help of coded transmissions intercepted from government lines. He recruits Jone Sophia to manipulate soldiers and leak intel. Though underestimated, Sophia's information proves critical to several operations.
Smith is torn. Miller Davis pressures him to kill Williams Brown and destroy the resistance from within, but old loyalties stir. Smith discovers that Davis plans to bomb entire districts to crush the uprising. Horrified, he secretly warns Maria.
Lotoya, sensing the storm, emerges from seclusion. She meets with Maria and reveals hidden documents from the city's past-evidence of human experiments and corruption that could dismantle Interpol's rule. Williams Brown confronts his mother, unleashing years of rage and sorrow. They part unresolved, but her truth fuels his final move.
In the climax, Smith helps Maria leak the documents. As the city erupts in simultaneous rebellion and military crackdown, Miller Davis orders an aerial strike. Smith sacrifices himself to stop the drone control hub.
Maria survives, wounded, carrying Smith's last message: a confession of love and regret.
Williams Brown, now a symbolic figure, retreats into exile, leaving others to rebuild. Jone Sophia vanishes, her legacy living in the whispered tales of a woman who knew too much.
Blurb2
Only love can withstand the bullets in a city rife with betrayal. Maria Johnson, a skilled field nurse and quiet person, tends to the wounded with trembling hands and a burning heart in the war-ravaged ruins of a once-prosperous metropolis. She has always tried to remain neutral, which has helped save lives on both sides of the bloody civil war. But neutrality becomes impossible the moment she uncovers the truth: the rebel forces are planning a full-scale coup to seize the city-and Jone Garcia, a ghostlike terrorist wanted by forty nations, was behind the massacre of her family.
When the secret files of investigator Larry Coldsweat are made public, Maria's world falls apart even more as she is haunted by the murder of her parents. Not only do they point to a bloodbath that is coming, but they also point to a web of betrayals that goes deep into both the government and rebel groups. Maria considers the truth to be more than just an idea. The killer has a name. A face. And a history of vanishing before justice can reach him.
Determined to uncover the past and avenge her bloodline, Maria makes a daring move: she joins the rebels. Not for politics. Not for power. But to track the ghost who shattered her life. There, amid smoke and gunfire, she meets Williams Brown, the ruthless yet charismatic leader of the insurgency-respected by his men, feared by his enemies, and wrapped in a pain she understands
The vow and the vendetta
Short stories The remote village in the highlands, once lush and tranquil. In a temporary shelter, Isabella Sanchez provides assistance to the injured. The growing tension overshadows her quiet moments with rebel fighter Damian Philips. Although he arrives under the guise of documenting peace, Hernandez Lopez has secret plans. The tough police chief, Ander Thomas, tries to uphold the law in a place where there is no law. Before the war, Isabella and Racheal's childhood is shown through flashbacks. The brotherhood of Damian and Raphael is put to the test because Raphael has chosen to support the government. As supplies become scarce, villagers and soldiers become increasingly tense. Lopez conducts interviews with villagers, revealing alarming details about massacres that were obfuscated by both sides. Raphael leads the government team in a surprise attack on the village. Damian has been hurt. He is hidden by Isabella. Ander has to choose between duty and compassion. Racheal confronts Isabella about harboring a rebel, disillusioned by both sides. The articles written by Lopez begin to appear all over the world. Raphael finds Damian in Isabella's house, but he holds off on killing him. Ander sets up a covert ceasefire to allow civilians to be evacuated. Rogue elements from both sides orchestrate a violent ambush to break up the plan. Lopez sustains an injury while capturing the chaos. In the crossfire, Racheal dies trying to save wounded children. Isabella gives Lopez medical attention despite losing faith. Only one of Damian and Raphael survives the final confrontation. After being overruled by superiors, Ander resigns. The real story is told all over the world by Lopez. After a few months, Isabella contributes to the international aid reconstruction of the village. Lopez dedicates a book to Racheal for publication. Isabella finds peace in her work while Damian's fate is unknown. A child asks Isabella in the final scene whether war will return. She leaves a hauntingly unanswered response. More than just mist was carried by the highlands' air. It carried the spirits of the living-women who buried their dreams in the ground and men who fought like beasts. While his mother wept alongside her, Isabella Sanchez applied a damp cloth to a boy's bleeding shoulder. Camphor, blood, and prayer were all present in the old chapel that had been converted into a clinic, but none of them were sufficient. The mother spoke softly, "They came in the night." "Again."
Isabella gave a nod. She no longer inquired about "they." When you were digging graves in the morning, everyone looked the same-mercenaries, troops from the government, and rebels. The fog outside rolled like an army down the hills. She could make out Damian Philips's silhouette behind the broken stained glass, rifle in hand, eyes scanning the horizon. He hadn't slept. His once-soft hands were now callused from conflict. They trembled when they touched hers, perhaps out of love or guilt. He whispered, "Lopez is back," in a low voice. "Assumes that he is writing about peace." "Is that now what they call it?" She replied in a hollow tone. With promises, a press badge, and a camera, Hernandez Lopez had arrived. He spoke of international aid and the Geneva Conventions, but his eyes were sharp and calculated. He was seeking the truth, but which version was it? The silence was broken by a loud knock. Ander Thomas, the last law enforcement figure in the village, intervened. His uniform was filthy, the buttons weren't matched, and his badge was hanging loosely, like it had been forgotten. Ander mumbled, "We got problems." "Raphael's group is approaching from the east. sweep by the government." Damian became stern. "A brother?" Ander nodded grimly. Between them, Isabella looked around. "He will slay you." Damian responded, "Only if he finds me." However, the optimism in his voice was reflected in the way his fingers twisted around the rifle's butt.
Blurb
When Isabella Sanchez, a principled journalist turned activist, stumbles upon a covert scheme to traffic stolen military hardware, she doesn't just unearth a scandal-she triggers a war. A private investigator discovers a family secret as she investigates further: her late father, Colonel Rafael Sanchez, held a $200 million life insurance policy that was intended for the family and contained money that could either save or destroy them. But not everyone wants the truth exposed. Hunted by traitors, politicians, and mercenaries, Isabella must navigate treachery from those she once trusted. The vow of justice leads to a vengeance that no one could have foreseen in a world filled with shocking secrets and sinister motives. ---
Chapter One: A Funeral of Shadows
The rain fell like needles on the old stone chapel. Isabella Sanchez was barely able to breathe as she stood by her father's casket. Colonel Rafael Sanchez, a war hero, strategist, and father, has passed away, and his body has been classified as "enemy contact." But Isa
Whispers of a double life
Short stories The city's skyline was both stunning and threatening as it shone through the morning mist. Sophia Brown almost appeared to be someone else from the penthouse window of a chic condo in Jersey City-perhaps a corporate consultant or a real estate lawyer with a wine collection and a Pilates routine. Instead, she was a fugitive who breathed stolen air under the alias "Sophia Brown," with miles of lies covering up her true past. She tightened the silk robe around her waist and looked at Rodriguez Martinez, the man who was still sleeping next to her. Rich, hospitable, and dangerously in love. He had no idea that the woman he revered was hiding not only from her past but also from those who would do anything to keep it hidden. Sophia did not have a Brown birth name. Serena Ramirez was born to Don Ramirez, a powerful businessman who later became a criminal who ran an empire that was built on charm, fraud, and occasionally blood. Her early years had taught her survival skills and manipulation. But Serena vanished when Don's empire collapsed. She needed to. She was told not to talk about threats, a fire, or the death of her brother. Only her stepsister, Felicia Lawson, knew where Serena had gone after she left. Felicia was always the preferred child and the one who knew how to wear a secret like a diamond necklace, so the two of them had never been able to get along. However, the Ramirez family's blood had an odd way of sticking to each other. Serena, now Sophia, had known other men like Rodriguez Martinez. He did not inquire excessively or delve into her resume's omissions. He managed investments for clients who wore gold Rolexes and committed legal offenses while working in finance. Sophia possessed a grace that he thought was uncommon in his world: she was a woman devoid of ambition or calculation. He was, of course, wrong. Everything about Sophia's life had been planned. Her relationship with Rodriguez had begun as a means of self-defense and the creation of a new identity within the life of a respectable man. Despite her better judgment, she had slowly fallen for him. Her first error was that. Her second came when she began utilizing Rodriguez's access to look into the funds that vanished when her father passed away. Money does not simply disappear. It conceals. Felicia entered the city without prior notice. In a beige trench coat and sunglasses, she showed up at Sophia's door as if she were just another socialite looking for brunch. Sophia, however, knew better. Felicia never showed up without a reason. "What do you desire?" Sophia inquired. Felicia laughed. "Funny. I was going to inquire similarly of you. They sat opposite one another as if playing chess. Felicia declared, "Dad is back." "And now he is dying." Sophia hesitated. "Good."
"You did not intend that. He desires to see you. "He probably wants to kill me." Felicia lost her smile. "Maybe. Or perhaps he wants to reveal the truth to you about your brother." Sophia had always held the belief that the fire that destroyed their family's estate was the cause of Julian's death. Felicia and their father's old friends told the tale in low tones. However, Felicia was now implying that it was a fabrication. Julian was still alive. He had vanished. Perhaps he is still alive. Sophia was crushed by the possibility's weight. Everything she had built was based on a bigger lie if Julian had lived. Rodriguez noticed that she had changed-she was now more icy and distracted. He said one night, his voice thick with worry, "You're pulling away." "What are you not telling me?"
She nearly informed him. Almost confessed everything, including the fire, her brother, her stolen identity, and ruined past. She just couldn't. No, not yet. Using Rodriguez's network, Sophia retraced the old money. She was shocked to discover accounts linked to a shadow corporation in the Cayman Islands. Are you one of the recipients? Julian Ramirez is a man. Without informing Rodriguez, she booked a flight to the Bahamas. Felicia demanded to go with her when she found out. She stated, "Whether we like it or not, we're in this together now." They found the bank in Nassau. They came across the account. They also discovered Julian. The sight of them did not surprise him. He said, "It was Dad's idea." He fabricated the fire. I remained alive. I was expelled. "Why?" Shaky, Sophia asked. Because I was too knowledgeable. about the people for whom he worked. about the things they wanted from him and you. Rodriguez was spiraling back in New Jersey. He was beginning to investigate Sophia's identity. He discovered a photo, a newspaper article, a police report-each presented a different picture. Then Sophia came back. Before he could respond, she said, "I'm not who you think I am." Serena Ramirez: My name is Serena. Don Ramirez is my father. My brother is still here. Furthermore, I have misled you about everything." Rodriguez was torn between anger and sadness as he stared at her. He told her, "I loved you." Laced with lies
Short stories Juliet leaned against the weathered rail of the boardwalk, the salty breeze tangling her hair as she closed her eyes. Allen's laughter echoed in her mind-quiet, low, the kind that wrapped around her ribs and stayed. They used to sit on this very spot, passing sketches between them, dreaming of galleries and quiet lives. He had called her "wild with restraint," a phrase she never understood until he was gone. She could still feel the warmth of his hand in hers, the way his eyes softened when he looked at her art.
"Don't vanish," he had whispered.
And yet, she had.
The town of Bridgeport hadn't changed much in eight years. The same white cottages lined the coast, the same gulls circled overhead, and the same scent of seaweed and cinnamon buns from Margie's Diner floated on the wind. It was Juliet who had shifted, reformed, rebuilt herself in cities where no one knew her name.
She turned back from the rail and walked toward the cluster of buildings that made up the town's center. Her father's campaign posters were pasted on nearly every pole-Lewis Johnson for State Senate. The sight made her stomach twist.
Juliet had returned for three reasons: to sell her late mother's house, to visit Allen's grave, and to face the past long enough to escape it for good. But the house had not welcomed her. Dusty, echoing, full of old canvases she'd never finished, the rooms felt like frozen whispers of a girl she no longer was.
She reached Margie's and stepped inside, the bell over the door chiming like an old friend. A few heads turned. A pause. Then came the hush.
"Juliet Johnson?" Margie stepped from behind the counter, wiping her hands on her apron, eyes wide. "Well, I'll be. You're a ghost."
Juliet smiled faintly. "Just visiting."
Margie's hug was warm and cinnamon-scented. "Your daddy'll be glad to know you're in town."
Juliet doubted that. "I'll stop by."
Margie gave her a booth and a slice of cherry pie without asking. As she ate, Juliet stared at the walls. Photos from decades past filled them: fishermen, town fairs, prom queens, and one image in particular-a black-and-white shot of Allen and Juliet on the boardwalk, his arm draped around her shoulder, both laughing mid-sentence.
It hurt to look at. So she didn't.
The next morning, Juliet walked to the cemetery on the edge of town, her sketchpad tucked under her arm. She passed rows of sun-faded headstones until she reached Allen's. The marker was modest-Allen Graves, Beloved Son, Dreamer, 1989–2017. At its base were seashells, dried flowers, and a small bundle of pencils bound by twine.
She knelt. Ran her fingers over the name. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I shouldn't have left the way I did."
There was no reply, of course. Just the distant crash of waves and the rustling of dune grass. But Juliet opened her sketchbook anyway and began to draw. A boy at peace. A sea that never stopped moving.
She didn't hear the footsteps until they were close. A small voice broke the silence. "Are you an artist?"
Juliet turned. A boy stood a few feet away, freckled, maybe ten years old, holding a crumpled bag of marbles. He looked like Allen had once-same dark hair, same curious eyes.
"I am," she said.
"My name's Marco. My granddad's buried over there." He pointed. "What's your name?"
"Juliet."
He nodded solemnly, then peered at the sketch. "He looks nice."
"He was."
Marco looked at the grave. "You must've loved him."
Juliet didn't answer right away. "I did. In ways I didn't understand until I couldn't tell him anymore."
Marco sat cross-legged beside her, uninvited but not unwelcome. "I think when you draw someone, it means you still love them."
Juliet smiled. "You might be right."
They sat there for a while, two strangers in quiet company. When Juliet finally stood, Marco said, "You should come to the boardwalk fair. It's tomorrow night. My mom says it's the best thing about this town."
Juliet hesitated, then nodded. "Maybe I will."
Later that afternoon, she found herself in her father's office. Lewis Johnson stood behind his desk, speaking into a headset, gesturing toward charts on a whiteboard. Politics still clung to him like cologne. Juliet waited until he noticed her.
He froze mid-sentence.
"Juliet," he said, removing the headset.
"Hello, Dad."
He crossed the room in two strides and pulled her into a surprisingly firm hug. "It's been too long."
She stiffened, then relaxed. "Eight years."
"You could've called."
"You could've asked why I left."
A beat passed. He didn't answer. Instead, he motioned to a chair. "You look well."
"So do you. Campaigning suits you."
"It's exhausting." He smiled thinly. "But rewarding. We're close."
Juliet nodded, unsure what to say. So many unspoken things between them.
He cleared his throat. "Your brother's organizing the fair tomorrow. It's part of the campaign. You should come. Reconnect."
"Reconnect with who?"
"With the town. With you Echoes of her kiss
Short stories A quiet, brooding seaside town-out of season, filled with gray skies, the scent of salt, and crashing waves. A distant lighthouse watches like a sentry over secrets buried in time.
Juliet Johnson returns after eight years-now a solitary, reclusive artist-summoned by a letter from her brother, Jones. She is met by the chilling familiarity of the town and memories of Mario Telly, the man she once loved and left behind. The lighthouse becomes a recurring symbol: a guide, a warning.
Lewis Johnson, her calculating and image-obsessed father, is running a campaign for regional governor. His reputation, built on false morality and suppressed scandals, depends on alliances. His current project: grooming Anderson Williamson, the ambitious son of wealthy industrialist Taylor Williamson, as Juliet's future husband.
Jones, Juliet's brother, serves as the campaign's loyal executor-cleaning scandals, controlling narratives, and silencing dissent. He believes loyalty to their father is a noble cause. Juliet sees it as servitude.
Juliet is introduced to Sophia Williamson, her father's illegitimate daughter. Sophia, sharp-witted and ambitious, has grown up in the shadows and seeks her place in the family legacy. Juliet is torn between empathy and mistrust.
Mario Telly, now a local fisherman and folk hero, bears the scars of Juliet's departure. Once the town's golden boy, his opposition to Lewis's politics made him an outsider. He is the voice of the town's truth-bitter, honest, and unforgiving.
As Lewis prepares for a major political gala, Juliet discovers documents hidden in her father's study-evidence of land acquisitions, bribery, and the silencing of whistleblowers, all orchestrated in tandem with Taylor Williamson. The lighthouse grounds, she learns, are to be sold for development.
Juliet rekindles a hesitant connection with Mario. He reveals her father's role in the downfall of his family's boat business. They begin planning a subtle resistance-Juliet with her paintings, Mario with the support of townspeople.
At the grand gala, Juliet publicly unveils a haunting painting series: abstract, storm-laden seascapes hinting at corruption, decay, and betrayal. Whispers spread like wildfire. Lewis fumes. Taylor wants to stop the damage. Anderson, feeling used and manipulated, turns on his father. Sophia confronts Lewis, declaring she will not be hidden or shamed. Jones begins to crack under the pressure of conscience.
The town awakens. News spreads. Journalists arrive. Lewis tries to buy Juliet's silence, but she refuses, choosing truth over family legacy. Mario and Juliet stand together at the lighthouse, watching the sea consume the gray morning.
Sophia starts her own political podcast, exposing power games and giving voice to the silenced. Anderson leaves politics for good. Jones vanishes from the public eye, disillusioned. Lewis's empire crumbles. Juliet, though uncertain of what comes next, opens a gallery in the town. The lighthouse still stands-weathered but resilient. Much like Juliet.
Blurb
a story about broken ties of loyalty, hidden truths, and the kiss that changed everything. Sophia Williamson once had faith in family, legacy, and most importantly, her husband, Taylor Williamson, a powerful patriarch with as many ambitions as he had secrets. Sophia, on the other hand, begins to question everything she once defended as their son spirals into scandal after scandal, fueled by privilege and disdain for the women he rejects. As Taylor's elite circle presses them further into moral compromise, domestic tensions rise. Unbeknownst to them, Juliet-quiet, observant, and dangerously underestimated-has been listening. She hears everything, including the manipulation, the deception, and the deals made in the shadows, behind closed doors and carefully selected smiles. Juliet knows she is just a pawn in Taylor's political chessboard, used to secure an image that never truly included her. But knowledge is power, and a single kiss-given in trust, taken for granted-becomes the echo that exposes a dynasty built on lies.
One question now looms: How many lives must be broken before the truth is revealed, as Sophia confronts her husband and Juliet contemplates vengeance.
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Honey, You are Mine
ELAINE MALLIN After being framed by her boyfriend and best friend, Nicole ended up spending the night with a mysterious stranger. She thoroughly enjoyed the unexpected rendezvous, but when she woke up the next morning, she couldn’t help but feel bad about what she did. All of her guilt, however, was washed away when she saw the face of the man lying next to her.
“He’s... beautiful,” she whispered, awed by what she was seeing. Her guilt quickly turned into shame, and it drove her to leave the man a bit of money before she left.
Kerr was astounded. ‘Did that woman try to pay me? Like a prostitute?’ he thought, offended. “Ask the hotel manager for the surveillance video,” he commanded his assistant authoritatively, his eyebrows furrowed. He had a determined expression on his face. “I want to find out who was in my room last night.”
‘And when I find that woman, I’m going to teach her a lesson!’
Where will their story go? Passions Endure Fiercely
AAAngels It was June, at the crack of dawn, a beautiful woman woke up with pains wracking her body and a splitting headache in a presidential suite of a five-star hotel, somewhere in the capital city, Nordeny.
She felt utterly exhausted. Her head was killing her. It was as if she had woken up in a stranger's body. The young woman was Anya MacMillan. She forced her eyes open and pushed herself up. The sight before her baffled her.
A huge bed. Messy sheets with streaks of dried dubious fluids stained. Clothes strewn across the bed and the floor. Clothes that belonged to her and a man.
Anya jerked in shock. She whipped her head around and stared at the other side of the bed.
On the huge and messy bed slept the man whom she had been secretly in love with forever. Evan Welton, the most sought-after bachelor in the capital city. The Adonis of Nordeny.
Exhaustion lined his handsome face. His eyes were tightly shut. He showed no signs of waking up. He was completely naked, His finely sculpted form laid completely bare to Anya's eyes.
The pounding in Anya's head worsened.
Her breathing quickened. Did she...had she...with Evan...last night?
Anya shoved aside the splitting pain in her head and forced herself to recall what had happened last night.
Last night...she remembered that she had paid a visit to her stepmother.
What had happened after that?
Her memories were a blur. Her head felt heavy and her neck was killing her. Amid the fog clouding her head, snippets of memories flashed. She remembered heated touches, naked flesh and then some...
There was no doubt about it. They had sex.
It must be her stepmother. Her stepmother must have drugged them! Anya couldn't think of anyone else who would do something so vicious to her!
Anya felt an alarm sound off in her head. 'She had to get out of here,' she thought. She tried to clamber out of bed immediately. She knew exactly who Evan Welton was.
The man set to inherit the vast fortunes of the wealthiest family in Nordeny and the bachelor whom every young woman from any respectable family sought to marry. A man who loathed the advances of women he didn't know. Angering him would mean death.
Anya imagined the possibility of Evan waking up right now. What would he think when he saw the mess? There was no way she could talk her way out of this one.
She had been secretly in love with the man since she had been a girl. She didn't want the man to detest her.
Anya scrambled to get out of bed. Suddenly, something shot towards her from the other side of the bed. He wrapped himself around her slender waist and yanking her back forcefully. The next moment, she was trapped under someone. She heard a husky male voice, rough with anger and through a clenched jaw. "Anya MacMillan...how dare you drug me..."
Anya's mind cleared up. The fog that had clouded her head dispelled immediately. She shook her head frantically. "I didn't do it! It wasn't me..."
"You didn't? How did you end up in my bed then?" Evan detested such shameless and stealthy means. His fingers tightened around Anya's pale arms. His strong grip nearly crushed her fragile bones.
Pain spiked down Anya's arms. Her eyes reddened as she repeated herself.
Evan wasn't interested in listening to her denials. In his view, she was just another despicable, loose woman who drugged him so that she could sleep with him. He released his grip on her and shoved her aside roughly. Then, he got out of bed and began to dress himself. "I don't want to see you again. Ever. Appear in my sight again and you're dead."
The young man pulled on the rest of his clothes angrily.
It was then that Sydney, Anya's stepsister, burst into the room suddenly. The sight of the mess in the room sent her into an instant rage. She had thought that the drug would make them pa** out and put up a deception of them having had sex.
They weren't supposed to actually sleep with each other! Billionaire's Regret: Ex Returns
Joy Daniel
The day Ava Smith discovered she was pregnant, her husband handed her divorce papers. Cold, cruel, and heartless, Logan Smith claimed he never loved her and that their marriage was nothing but a deal forced by his grandparents. His true love, Arabella, had returned... and Ava was no longer needed.
Heartbroken and cast out, determined to change everything. Ava thought she had lost everything, until fate led her back into the arms of the powerful brothers she thought were gone forever. When they learned the truth, they vowed to destroy the man who broke her. The forgotten had come back with more than a broken heart. She came back with a child and a legacy.
Now, Logan wants her back, claiming to repay for the past years. He fell on his knees saying, "You can't marry him, I still love you. I am sorry."
Your brother, my husband
Desewa Naomi Thompson was blissfully preparing for her wedding to Alexander Darlington, the man she had loved since high school. But what should have been a romantic visit to his apartment turned into a nightmare, she found clues-Rachel's clothes and whispered conversations-that revealed a shocking betrayal. Instead of the fairy-tale ending she had dreamed of, Naomi was forced to confront the painful truth: Alexander had been unfaithful. Her world shattered just days before her wedding.
In a desperate attempt to escape reality, she had a one-night stand with a stranger-only to later discover he was her fiancé's elder brother, Raymond Darlington.
Naomi ran from the marriage, vowing never to return. But five years later, she comes back with a new identity, Erica Smith, and a mission-to reclaim what rightfully belongs to her. To achieve this, she must enter into a contract marriage with Raymond Darlington. Will her plans for revenge stay intact, or will fate have a different path in store for her?
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