PRESENT-DAY "This last painting is made by an artist who took a long time to agree to sell her beautiful painting. She chose this out of all her paintings. She claimed that this is the best one she made and ready to let it go. So whoever will be the new owner of this tonight, she wants to tell you to store it well for her." He explained vigorously and removed the cover of the painting. I was astounded when I see the painting. It was her painting, us in the bar. I can never forget the shades, textures of her painting especially this. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I did not feel the same way before. I did not hate you. I hated and torture myself not to see you that I might just hurt you." He added. I really miss this man and I am trying to relieve myself not to give in again easily. I paid the guilt by giving myself to him but how can I not restrain myself from him. I was busy thinking when he hugged me touching my hair. I can sense him wanting me and his head on my shoulders, hugged me like we are just the person in the hotel. People are gazing us now. "Enough, enough, people are looking at us. It's embarrassing." I protested. We sit and finish the meal and share the food. After eating he leads me to my room, I am drowsy from the wine I drink. He did not take a sip of it and it's better for me. He guided me inside. I can still walk but I am losing my balance, he catches me from a sudden fall.

Bliss. Delight. Contentment. Euphoria. Elation. Joy. Glee. Felicity. Jubilation. These are all words synonymous to the word happiness. But what is true happiness? Happiness is that feeling of butterflies fluttering around in your chest, trying to break out. Happiness is that invisible fluid rushing in your veins, making you shiver in the most wonderful way. Happiness is the force that pulls your cheeks up into the widest smile and makes your eyes twinkle. Happiness makes you light-headed and giddy, it is in fact like alcohol. Well then, I am utterly and completely drunk. When you're happy, everything feels amazing. Even small insignificant things like getting up in the morning. The golden hue of sunlight streaming in through the curtains feels like a soft caress from the hand of a lover. The birds seem to chirp sweetly outside, a melody to which the leaves sway as if mesmerised by their music. The curtains tango with the wind beautifully. Every little thing seems perfect. And that's a word I'd use to describe my life. Perfect. To give you a little introduction about me, let me start by explaining the most important aspects of my life. I have a loving family. There's my sarcastic, yet surprisingly sweet brother, my beautiful mother (both in looks and spirit) and my stern, yet humorous father. I have the best best friend, Charlotte and I have an amazing boyfriend, Theo. I'm quite beautiful and popular too which I'm not saying to brag, I'm just stating the truth. So that is my life. The life of Tia-Jade Garcia. *** What she didn't know was that every high has a low and that the higher you rise, the lower you fall and the more painful that fall is. Follow her story as she loses everybody she ever cared for and thereby her happiness. See her fight all of her demons by herself. Watch her fall in love...with herself because the only person's love you'll always need is yours. This is her self-love story.

"You're unbearable!" He kicks her with utter contempt. "Please tell me where I'm wrong, causing you discomfort was not my intention," she said crying, causing him to hit her against the ground again. "Do you think you can live with good intentions? Didn't you have all the time you wanted to change and learn? You still dare to ask for more!" He yells at her with hatred, he blamed her for being the one will cause a woman to be beaten; He didn't want to be that kind of man. However, what he lived with her caused him to bring out what he hated the most about himself from within. -Forget it love- said a woman who was next to her- it's not worth it- this dog was supposed to be her friend, she was supposed to support her just like she did; however he managed so that he and she hated each other and thus be able to steal it. The woman on the floor does not know how much she was framed and harmed by her naivety, nor did she know that this was the beginning of her misfortunes. Because of that woman she did not stop suffering, wherever she went she suffered verbal or physical abuse and everything was orchestrated by this woman; she didn't know until she was about to faint. "Why?" She asked this unarmed woman without knowing why she hated him so much. She never did anything to hurt him. She just laughed viciously without answering him, she didn't have to waste her time with an insect; leaving La to die imprisoned in the house where she was kidnapped. "Answer me!" She got up from her bed screaming "Eh? This looks like my room; Did I reincarnate myself in the past?" She ran to the bathroom just to see that her assumption was correct. She thanked the heavens for this second chance by promising that she wouldn't be fooled a second time.

"I want a divorce." And just hearing him say that my whole world that seemed to revolve around him stopped. Gathering myself I barely managed to speak in a voice that even I could not recognise. I couldn't comprehend anything going around me. "Wh..hy?" As soon as the words left my mouth he threw the file and the photographs spread across the floor. And those photographs had me in compromising positions with not one but several men. Looking at those photos I looked straight into his eyes. Disgust and hatred. The only emotions I could see. Taking a deep breath I composed myself and tried to keep my face void of the emotions I felt at that moment. Hurt and immense pain. If he didn't trust me then he has no right to see me vulnerable too. "Is this the only reason why you want to divorce me? No other except this?" It was foolish of me to ask him but I had to make sure. Also for me trust comes before love. If he doesn't trust me I don't even want to save the relationship. "Is this not enough you whore? What else can I expect from a slut and a gold digger like you! I knew it from the start that all you showed was just a facade. Your innocence, kindness, it was all fake. I just don't believe how can I be so dumb." Was I hurt? No I was broken beyond repair. My heart ached. I felt like I was seconds away from collapsing. I had far exceeded the limit of hurt and pain. I was so powerless in that moment that I couldn't even fight with him. Love makes you strong. I have heard and felt that countless times but they always forget to mention what comes after that. Love makes you weak too. I couldn't shout at him because I loved him. But I had to be brave. For myself. ************************************************** Is love enough for two people to be together or is there something more important than love? This is story of Xander and Sophie who loved each other but still couldn't be together. Because more important than love is trust. © All rights reserved

My breathing was ragged, and my heart pounded wildly, a mixture of anger, confusion, and hurt churning inside me. "I didn't kiss her. She kissed me." A sarcastic laugh escaped me. "How nice for you! You don't even have to chase after women; they just throw themselves at you. Why don't you stay with her, then? Leave me alone!" "I like bothering you," he replied calmly, his voice infuriatingly smooth. "I like it when act like this. Feisty and hot." He sat on the edge of the bed, watching me. I paused, his words striking a chord. "Shut up!!" I snapped, trying to convince myself as much as him. He sighed, his gaze softening. "Stop being mad. I didn't kiss her." "Oh, but you flirted with her, right? Just like you flirted with me? Is that your game? Getting under my skin until you're bored?" I rolled my eyes, feeling the irritation and hurt I'd buried begin to rise again. He reached for me, but I shoved him back just enough to see his face. His eyes held mine as he sighed again. "No." "What then? Am I not enough of a challenge for you anymore? Is that why you keep another girl around?" [Twelve years ago, she crashed her dad's car while trying to escape, nearly killing the love of her life in the process. Since then, a part of her has been lost. She promised herself that if they ever met again, she would never do anything to hurt him again even if that means, she has to pretend to be nobody in his life. But what if, despite her every attempt to push him away, he continually breaks down her walls? What if those very walls she built are what's keeping him alive? What if she makes a mistake once more, putting his life in danger? What if...]

-- PROLOGUE "Let me get this straight. We have nothing in between us, except for the deal we made that day" he spoke in a monotonous tone. "I am the one carrying your name behind me; we are married. how can you say we have nothing in between us? Huh" She yelled at him, tears blurred her vision, and she spoke her heart to him. "For god's sake, this marriage was to save you! Can't you get that? I did not do it willingly, I do not love you!!" He yelled back at her, shattering her heart into pieces. "Why can't you just love me?" She spoke, as she cried the tears of hurt, and pain. Her heart thumped loudly due to the shivering sensation She felt all over her body. "I never made a commitment to you, or gave you any false hope, neither did i say that i love you. Did i?" He asked her, in a very cold tone. She looked at him through her teary eyes. It's getting difficult for her to even breathe. "It was your eyes, the damn eyes. Who gave me the false hope. They say, "Eyes speak the truth," but what about mine? Couldn't you feel the sincerity within them, expressing my deep affection for you? Why didn't you see the love shining in them? Was it too complex to understand? Couldn't you notice the warmth as they gazed at you? They search for you in every corner, If only you realized how they silently echoed the emotions I couldn't articulate. They say, "Eyes never deceive." But what about yours? They played a trick on me when they met mine, painting a facade of a world that wasn't real. They made me feel loved, Leading me into a belief that crumbled, louder than your spoken promises. Why did they betray me? Was it your eyes or you that masked the truth?" He stayed still, not moving or saying anything at her statement. --

He took wild steps towards her..pushing her fragile body on the walls and forcing his lips on her.... He was kissing her hungrily...his cold heart was not allowing her tears to melt him...he bitted her lip....she yelled in pain.. hitting his chest with her tiny hands... He left her due to lack of breath...he started giving wet kisses on her neck... Move...she pushed her forcefully... Please move... You promised that you will give me space until I feel comfortable with you.... Then why..???? She said sobbing between her hiccups... hugging her knees... I am your husband damn it I have the right to kiss you.... I waited for 6 months ..why you are punishing me...you have married me with your will then why....what's stopping you??? Can't you see my love for you in my eyes.. Answer me...he yelled gripping her shoulders... searching for an answer in her eyes... You are not the person who stole my heart..she said falling on the ground crying... But you are the person who stole my heart..he said in a broken tone

(Book #4 in the series) (Can be read as a stand-alone) HER A mystery. So very complicated. An enigma. A puzzle with so many missing pieces. Add one of the above ingredients into my plate and call me intrigued. Enter him. He is all of them and more...much more. He claims to be a monster. He doesn't believe in redemption. He is too vague and too dark for me to read. But it's my job now. To help him, figure him out, to find all of his missing pieces, arrange them together and finally obtain the final picture. It's my job, to find his deepest darkest secret. It's my job, to unravel the beast he claims to be and finally see the man behind. HIM Lost. I've been lost for way too many years. I thought it was over. I wanted it to be over. I had nothing to live for anymore. I've killed, I've destroyed and obliterated. It was enough. My role in the story should've ended there. I was too big of a monster to be tamed. Too dangerous to be kept alive. Enter her. Too loud. Too obnoxious. Too naive. Innocent, so very innocent. So intent on aiding me, redeeming me. She is unaware, she is opening a door that was shut down with a broken lock. I am scared. Terrified even. She is too white against my inner darkness. Too pure to be tangled with the devil living within me. We don't mix. We should never mix. Instead of pulling me out of that room, she might just get herself stuck inside as well. She wants to unravel the beast and meet the man behind, but I am scared that if she succeeded, she'll find nothing behind.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐨 "𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝" 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞. ••••• "Look into my eyes and tell me you don't love me," he challenged. "I don't love you," I declare, my voice steady but my resolve wavering. He smiled at me, though his expression was tinged with pain, tears pooling in the depths of his eyes. "I knew it, you still love me so much." I was rendered speechless by his declaration, my efforts to conceal my emotions proving futile as he effortlessly deciphered the truth written in my eyes. "Say it, just once, that you love me, my Sweetheart. Just once, please," he pleaded. I finally surrendered, tears misting my own eyes as all rational thoughts scattered, "I love you. I never stopped loving you." "And I love you infinitely more," he declared, leaning closer towards my lips. I placed a trembling hand over his mouth, halting him in his tracks, and shook my head slowly. "We can't. It's wrong. We can't betray our partners." *** Two hearts, torn apart by the cruel hand of fate, find themselves face to face after 4 long years. Once college sweethearts, they have now transformed into business partners. People have come and gone, circumstances have shifted, choices have been made, and personalities have evolved. Yet, amidst the upheaval, one thing remains unchanged: their undying love for each other, a relentless longing that consumes them day and night, a yearning to finally claim each other as their own. However, the path ahead is far from simple. Bound by commitments, every move feels like a forbidden dance. Will they muster the strength to resist their burni

"Why don't you let something cross that face of yours?" This guy was tough work. And that made me even more determined. "Do you have any idea how humiliated I felt to wake up in an empty bed and find out from a guard that you left for God knows what?!" I shouted into his face. His eyes turned into literal slits that only the grey could be seen. A menacing dark look crossed his features, too strong and harsh that I started to doubt my own actions. I was slammed against the wall, with Ace looming over me. His angry face came up close, making my breath hitch. The grey eyes stared into mine, his strong hands stopping me from moving my wrists that were pinned against the wall beside my head. His lips were in a thin line as it came near me, hovering over my lobe. "You will break yourself trying to break me. We don't want that now, do we?" ###### #1 - husband #1 - wife #1 - romance #6 - humor #16 - arrangedmarriage #1 - billionaire #3 - featured #2 - sadromance #5 - dramaromance #1 - past #1 - emotionalrollercoaster