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Trapped between an abusive middle-aged billionaire husband, and a harsh stepson, Lana, a twenty-two years old circus dancer, finds solace in a massive hall in her husband's island mansion. The gramophone and the gentle caress of sweet country music it gave, resuscitated her dancing spirit, and offered her the love of a secret admirer, her stepson, Diego, who own the secret hall. Both young stars are plunged into a steamy romance after discovering each other in the hall, but would they have a long-lasting relationship under the watch of Lana's billionaire husband and Diego's father? Would their romance broom into something really meaningful, with the return of Austin, who had come to pick what she left behind and many fingers waiting to pull the trigger?
I was late. Again.
The dwarfs playing trolls and demons were already in their hideous costumes, their laughter echoing as they poked fun at one another. The three old ladies, who could easily pass for the witches from Sleeping Beauty even without makeup, were assembled on stage, practicing their lines with a grim air.
"Seriously?" I muttered under my breath, tiptoeing toward the backstage door, praying no one noticed me. The dwarfs especially-they loved to jeer at me whenever they could. But as I shoved the heavy velvet curtain aside, my fingers brushed against cold, unforgiving metal.
"Lana."
I flinched at the sound of Rogan's voice. Of course, it was him. Rogan, the so-called prince charming of the show. "You're late. Again."
His tone dripped with condescension, and I quickly pressed a finger to his lips. "Not so fast, Rogan," I whispered with forced confidence, trying to stifle the pounding in my chest.
Rogan stepped back, a look of disgust crossing his perfectly sculpted face. "Your hand smells like... spices!" he spat, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
I blinked, then sniffed my fingers, wincing. Oh no. I'd forgotten to properly wash my hands after serving one of my mom's restaurant customers earlier. The lingering smell of garlic and cumin clung to me like a shadow. It was just one more reminder of where I came from-a world so far removed from Rogan's privileged life.
"Sorry," I mumbled, tucking my hands behind my back. "Is the director here?"
Rogan raised a brow, folding his arms across his chest in that annoyingly superior way of his. He came from money-a world where people paid their way into the circus, not because they needed it, but because they could. And they despised people like me, who begged for roles to make ends meet.
"She's been looking for you," he said, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I warned her about your inconsistency. Guess she'll understand now."
"Good for you," I shot back, walking past him with as much grace as I could muster. "Just don't tell her I was late."
As I made my way through the crowded backstage area, the frantic buzz of preparation surrounded me. The costumiers were rushing to finalize props and outfits, barely acknowledging my presence as I scurried over to the white gown that had been commissioned for tonight's performance. It hung on a nearby rack, pristine and gleaming under the dim backstage lights.
"Where's the costumier?" I called, trying to catch someone's attention.
"Lana, where have you been?" The chief costumier appeared from the other side of the room, hands on her hips. She eyed me like an irritated schoolteacher who'd had enough of her most troublesome student. But her questions, as always, were rhetorical. She didn't expect an answer-just action.
"Let's get to work," she commanded.
Within thirty minutes, I was transformed. The gown wasn't exactly the traditional princess attire I'd imagined. It was more of a ballerina's costume, delicate and graceful, yet with a certain ethereal quality that made it feel special. The soft tulle floated around me, and though I barely glanced at the mirror, I could feel how it changed me. For a brief moment, I was a princess.
With a deep breath, I danced toward the door, excitement bubbling inside me. But before I could even savor the moment, I crashed into someone.
It was the director.
I froze, my heart sinking as I looked up at her stern, no-nonsense expression. She was in her forties, with a face that seemed permanently etched with the weight of responsibility and stress. I could tell by the tight line of her mouth that I was in trouble.
"Rogan told me." She said, her voice cold and sharp. "You're late again."
I had no defense. There was no point in lying Rogan had already made sure she knew the truth. And now I was caught.
"Come with me," she ordered, turning on her heel.
I followed her without a word, trying to ignore the pit of dread forming in my stomach. As we passed by the other performers, I braced myself for the usual jeers and mocking glances from the dwarfs, witches, and anyone else who felt superior. But instead, they just stared-silent, watchful.
Once inside her office, the director motioned for me to sit. Rogan was already there, of course, lounging in the chair next to mine with that same smug expression plastered on his face. He shifted slightly as I sat down, making a show of moving away from me. As if I was beneath him. As if I didn't belong.
"You were supposed to be here at dawn," the director began, sitting behind her desk and fixing me with an unwavering gaze. "Look at the time."
I met her eyes but said nothing. I knew it wouldn't help. The truth was the circus wasn't just a job for me-it was a lifeline. And sometimes, life pulled me in a dozen directions. Serving tables at my mom's restaurant, running errands, dealing with customers. It was never just about this. But none of that mattered to her.
"You know how I feel about lateness," she continued, her voice hard. "It's unprofessional. And I expect more from you."
Rogan leaned forward, ever the opportunist. "Evelyn would've been a better choice for tonight's performance," he said, the smugness thick in his tone. "She's never late."
The director's gaze flicked to him, unamused. "Evelyn isn't a performer," she replied, her voice firm. "Lana is. And tonight, Lana is your princess. Whether you like it or not."
Rogan opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off with a raised hand. "This isn't about what you want, Rogan. It's about what's best for the show."
The tension in the room thickened. Rogan glared at me, his jaw clenched, but I refused to look away. I wasn't going to let him get to me. Not tonight.
"Now, go," the director said, dismissing us both with a wave of her hand. "The show starts soon."
***
The sound of the choir warming up filled the air as we made our way back to the stage. The Ivan Choir from Saint Petersburg had been specially invited for tonight's performance, and their voices blended beautifully as they rehearsed their first piece. The audience, filled with high-profile guests and oligarchs, buzzed with anticipation.
Backstage, the first act was about to begin. A group of young college boys, dressed in crisp military uniforms, prepared to march onto the stage. They were here to showcase the strength of our country-Russia's power and pride on full display.
"Did you see that?" Kirian, one of my favorite dwarfs, asked as he sidled up next to me.
I smiled down at him. Kirian's small, twisted frame barely reached my waist, his bent arms and legs giving him a fragile appearance. But there was nothing fragile about his spirit. "They're showing off our nation's might," I said with a smile.
Kirian nodded solemnly. "It's always been my dream to join the army."
Before I could respond, a voice from behind us cut through the moment like a knife. "Not when you're the size of a grenade."
We turned to see Rogan, fully decked out in his princely armor, smirking down at us.
"By the way," he added, his grin widening, "it's settled. Evelyn's going to be the princess tonight. Not you, Lana."
BLURB Aurelia was weak. Despite being born with a beta bloodline, she didn't manage to awaken her wolf. Living with her stepsister and stepmother was hell especially whenever her dad travelled. One day her sister offered to make dinner, she had been grateful to be helped with the chores for once. Soon her sister brought in her dinner and Aurelia happily took the plate of pasta. But by the third swallow she quickly discovered something was wrong. "Do you feel uncomfortable? I guess the poison has set in. That's what you get for trying to steal my man" her sister Scarlett said smirking. Aurelia's eyes widened in disbelief "I didn't, he was mated to me, besides he already rejected me" Aurelia said gasping for breath with tears in her eyes. "How could..." she tried to say looking at her sister in disbelief. "Shut up!" Scarlett roared and slapped her. "You useless thing that can't even awaken your wolf. Slutty brat, you are a disgrace to this family. You are better off dead" Scarlett said as Aurelia coughed up blood. Scarlett quickly dragged her unconscious body to a river and dumped her in the deep end that flows into the sea. Aurelia opened her eyes weakly and stared as her sister as she was pushed in, her eyes pleading for mercy. She can't swim and she's poisoned too. Her sister has sentenced her to death. The water soon covered her head, and she was carried by the currents toward the sea. She closed her eyes as tears streamed down her face waiting for the inevitable. She was already at the seabed, however just as she was slipping into endless darkness, she felt a strong pair of hands around her. It was the Lycan king!
COALESCENCE OF THE FIVE SERIES BOOK ONE: THE 5-TIME REJECTED GAMMA & THE LYCAN KING BOOK TWO: THE ROGUES WHO WENT ROGUE BOOK THREE: THE INDOMITABLE HUNTRESS & THE HARDENED DUKE *** BOOK ONE: After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate-bonds. To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. What’s worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself. She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner. King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldn’t thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him. He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesn’t seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that he’s different; and a chance to love her. But when not-so-subtle crushes, jealous suitors, self-entitled Queen-wannabes, an old flame, a silent protector and a past wedding engagement threaten to jeopardize their relationship, will Lucianne and Xandar still choose to be together? Is their love strong enough to overcome everything and everyone? Or will Lucianne resort to enduring a sixth rejection from the one person she thought she could entrust her heart with?
Aria never wanted to marry Kael, the arrogant playboy her father forced her to accept as her fiancé. But Kael had his own twisted motives-he only wanted her because she was the one girl who refused him. When Aria rejected his demand to sleep with him a week before their wedding, Kael tried to take what he wanted by force. His drunken pursuit ended in tragedy when he was struck by a car, leaving Aria caught in the crossfire of blame. Zander, Kael's elder brother and the soon-to-be Alpha King, believed Aria was responsible for his brother's death-and promiscuous to boot. To prevent war between their packs, Zander agreed to marry her, but only for revenge. His plan? Ruin Aria's life for a year, then cast her aside and divorce her. But Zander's scheme begins to unravel when his ex-best friend Asher returns, determined to take Aria for himself. As secrets from the past resurface, Zander discovers betrayal, lies, and truths he never wanted to face. Was Aria truly guilty, or was she just another pawn in a deadly game of power and revenge? Asher laugh and say, "You're a fool; she never wanted to come. I told her you were with Lyra, so she came. And now I've achieved my goal: I ruined your marriage." Zander feel foolish, asking, "But why? I never did anything to you! You were my best friend. I should have killed you when you slept with my ex fiancée, Lyra!" Asher respond, "You knew I loved her, but you stole Lyra from me. She was my true mate, but she refused to marry me because you were soon to be the Alpha King! She never loved you. She loved me but wanted to be the queen of werewolves; that's all." Zander would realize how foolish he was. Yet, he still believed Aria wasn't innocent because she slept with his deceased brother before the wedding.
She was hurt. She was bullied and made fun of. And the only hope that kept her going was finding her mate. She has always been weak. Weak to the world. Why? Because she was a lantern. She didn't have a wolf. That's what everyone thought about her. When she found her mate, he wanted her to be his slut and not a wife. She might be an omega, but it doesn't mean she will take disloyalty and betrayal lightly. So she did something that no one in history ever did. She rejected an Alpha. "I, Alexis Clark, reject Brandon Sterling, the alpha of Black mist pack, and consider myself a free soul until I decide so."; Were her last words before she left that torturous place and became a rogue. A rogue that everyone was fearing and finding. Why? Because she was the rogue that has become one of the biggest problems of almost all the packs in the country. She was Alexis Clark. A rogue that rejected an Alpha, stealth food, kill other rogues, and more than that was living with humans and studying with them. What will happen when her case is given to the world's most dangerous alpha, Sebastian Sinclair, who has taken it upon himself to punish this rogue. The one who hated rogues and omega to a level that was beyond understanding. Why? Because his mate was an omega, who betrayed him with a rogue before dying. How will Alexis tackle this alpha, in whose College she was studying and living under hiding for almost a year? What will Sebastian do when he finds out the new girl he had been talking to is none other than the rogue omega that he had decided to kill? "To love you with all my might was my only wish, but you were the only one who gave me endless suffering. So today, I promise myself to not fall for anyone."; A simple saying that both Alexis and Sebastian had vowed upon. Will they be able to find their love amidst all these problems?
In the previous life, Maggie Johnson was so cowardly, gullible and stupid that she was coaxed by her fiance and stepsister and then broke her legs and lost everything including her fortune, love and even life. However, she was so lucky that she was reborn in the year before everything happened. Since her life restarted, how could she repeat a previous tragedy? Therefore, in this life, she took the opportunity to improve herself and take revenge on the ones who had ever insulted her. Facing the people who had humiliated her previously, she became smart and experienced to break their frames and tricks that had caused her to hurt in the previous life. Finally, no one could stop her pace to amaze the world any more.
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
Five years ago, Alessia La Rosa's life took a drastic turn when, suffering from memory loss, she wed to Dominic Carter under her grandfather's mysterious arrangement. But their marriage was a facade, bringing her only humiliation and heartache as Dominic showed no love, and she couldn't conceive. Upon discovering Dominic's infidelity, Alessia sought liberation through divorce. Yet, fate had more in store for her. Five years later, spurred by an anonymous email hinting at her lost child's whereabouts, she returns to the city with her twin babies in tow, determined to uncover the truth. As she navigates the tangled web of her past, a surprising twist awaits. Dominic, upon meeting her again, finds himself drawn to the woman she has become, unaware of her true identity as his former wife. Little does he know, the woman he's falling for is not only his ex-wife but also a powerful Doctor and Master Hacker.