Watching My Family Burn

For ten years, I quietly loved Ethan Hayes, pouring my heart into him, always hoping. My vibrant sister, Veronica, lay in a coma, a silent, fragile presence in the hospital. Then, outside her room, I heard Ethan's voice, raw with devotion. He’d marry me, not for love, but only to be closer to Veronica. I was a tool, a mere placeholder. My world, like the coffee cup in my hand, shattered. Forced to save my bankrupt family and fund Veronica’s experimental treatment, I entered a cold pact: marry Marcus Thorne, a powerful, enigmatic billionaire rumored damaged. When Veronica awoke, she relentlessly sabotaged my life—my art, my future—leaving Ethan blindly defending her every cruel act. How could the man I adored betray me so utterly, while the feared "monster" I was forced to marry showed me a startling, unexpected kindness? Was my fate to be forever shadowed, misunderstood, and discarded? Yet, as Veronica’s manipulative facade crumbled and Ethan’s desperate actions turned tragic, I uncovered Marcus Thorne’s true self: a man with a hidden past linked to mine, not broken, but fiercely protective. Could this forced marriage be my unexpected path to reclaiming my life and finding a love beyond anything I’d imagined?

Tonight, I, Sarah Miller, stood ready to claim my birthright as a Moon Bay Guardian, destined to command the skies as a Storm Weaver. But my power died to a nervous breeze, and amidst the elders’ scorn, my fiancé Richard publicly rejected me, proposing instead to my adopted sister, Olivia. Humiliation burned, yet worse was the invisible force that slammed into me, stripping every last shred of my abilities, leaving me hollow. In my despair, the powerful leader, Ethan Blackwood, offered me his name, his protection—a lifeline I desperately grasped. But my savior was my ultimate betrayer. I soon discovered Ethan had deliberately sabotaged my Awakening, using me as a conduit to siphon Olivia's ritualistic burdens—her “Cleansing Curses”—so she could rise. His promises of love were cruel lies masking a sinister plot. Worst of all, Olivia, with a smirk, confessed she engineered my parents’ ritualistic deaths, and Ethan, the man who married me, had not only known but covered up her crime. He watched me suffer, using me as a shield, all for her. My entire life was a lie, a sacrifice for his twisted ambition for Olivia. Cold rage replaced my shattered heart. If they desired my end, they would instead find my beginning. I meticulously faked my own gruesome death, disappearing into the bayou's shadows. My tormentors believed me gone, but from the depths of betrayal, I would rise, no longer just Sarah Miller, but a force of nature reborn, ready to unleash a storm far more devastating than they could ever imagine. They wanted to strip me bare? Now, they would face the thunder.

My parents and brother were heroes, decorated with Medals of Freedom and a Medal of Honor for their profound sacrifice to this country. After their deaths, all my sister Isabella and I had was each other, and the fragile hope that she’d find happiness with her seemingly dependable fiancé, Ryan. But that hope shattered when a frantic call sent me to the ER: Isabella was brutally beaten, Ryan claiming she "fell," though the doctor confirmed blunt force trauma. The real horror began when Ryan’s wealthy mistress, Victoria Jenkins, confronted me, admitting she was Isabella’s attacker and gloating about her power. Ryan, the man who swore to protect Isabella, utterly betrayed her, backing Victoria’s "accident" lie and accepting her family’s blood money to dismiss the assault. The system failed us: police ignored my pleas, lawyers found their hands tied, and Victoria, untouchable because of her family’s influence, literally threw money onto Isabella’s bruised hospital bed, mocking her. Then came the kidnapping, the beating, the chilling blackmail: Victoria flaunted a vile video of Isabella and forced Ryan to confess an even darker secret—he’d previously pushed Isabella, causing a devastating miscarriage years ago. My sister’s spirit broke, extinguishing the last flicker of hope in her eyes, leaving me rage-filled and desperate for true justice in a system that seemed utterly rigged. How could the ideals my family died for be so easily trampled by the corrupt and powerful? But as I looked at our heroes' medals, a cold, unyielding resolve ignited within me; Victoria thought she'd won, but she gravely underestimated a sister with nothing left to lose. We wouldn’t disappear. We would make ourselves impossible to ignore, demanding this country live up to the sacrifices made for its freedom.

My brother Leo's medical bills were a crushing weight, pulling us both into a financial black hole. Then, a lifeline: a contract, presented by a lawyer with a voice dry as old parchment. My mission for the next year: transform the Kincaid children, Oliver and Chloe, into "presentable" figures for their prestigious annual gala. The payment was astronomical, the only hope I had to save Leo. I signed, ready to become the stern governess, Sarah Hayes. Stepping into the marble-floored entryway of the Long Island mansion, I faced two miniature tyrants. Oliver, thirteen, oozed practiced apathy, while Chloe, ten, clutched a tablet displaying designer logos. "Another one? How long you gonna last, lady?" Oliver sneered, followed by Chloe's contemptuous, "Do you even know who I am?" Their father, perpetually attached to his phone, was nowhere to be found, leaving me to face their immediate, blatant rebellion alone. My first command was simple: hand over the skateboard and the tablet. This unleashed an explosion of outrage. "This is child abuse!" Oliver shrieked, threatening to call his wealthy, absent father. Chloe's wail was operatic, as if I’d declared her streaks and followers dead. The contract had warned of testing, but the sheer entitlement was a shock, making every small step feel like a war. How was I supposed to achieve "significant improvement" when their every instinct was to resist and undermine me? The Kincaid money, critical for Leo's surgery and recovery, felt like a constant mockery against their spoiled lives. The weight of my brother's future pressed down, reminding me that I absolutely could not fail, no matter how impossible the task seemed. My quiet thought, "Managing these two? How hard can it be?" now echoed like the most foolish words ever spoken. I held out my hand, unflinching, for the skateboard and tablet. Their resistance was part of the job description, a challenge I had to overcome for Leo. This was my new regime, unyielding, strict, and it had just begun. My personal philosophy was simple: family first.

My life in Long Island seemed perfect: a loving husband, Ethan, a sweet daughter, Emily, and a home filled with warmth. But a year after my half-sister Chloe’s husband died, my mother, Susan, dropped a bombshell: she wanted *my* husband to impregnate Chloe, to provide a "blood connection" for the family. My horrified refusal was met with cold fury; I was imprisoned in my own home, my phone and laptop confiscated. Ethan, my husband, walked away into Chloe’s room, not looking back, becoming a puppet for their twisted agenda. For a grueling month, I listened to them "working" on their grotesque project, held captive in hell. The ultimate breaking point came when my vigilant daughter, Emily, bravely exposed their lie, causing Ethan to violently shove her, leaving her bleeding from a head wound. They twisted everything, painting *me* as the orchestrator of this perverse family scheme for an heir, even as my child bled from his casual cruelty. But their confidence was their undoing. As they planned to announce Chloe’s pregnancy as *mine* at Emily's birthday gala, a cold, hard rage solidified into a plan. I would make them pay. Every single one of them.

My daughter, Lily, just won the Grand Prize at the California State Youth Tech Challenge, securing a coveted spot at MIT’s summer program. Pure joy lit up her face after years of dedication to her "Eco-Clean Bot." But the applause died instantly as a woman, Jessica Hayes, announced her intention to buy the award for her son with a $500,000 donation. The organizer, citing a "sponsor’s priority clause," surprisingly agreed. Jessica and her smug son, Brandon, mocked Lily, sneering that her hard work was useless against their family’s money. Then, the man I trusted, Mark Olsen, CEO of *my* company and Lily’s father, brazenly sided with them. He publicly declared Jessica the "love of his life" and abandoned us, choosing his mistress over his daughter’s dream. My heart shattered watching Lily’s face crumple, seeing her future stolen by this betrayal. How could the man whose career I built, using my own money, so cruelly humiliate us both? But as he sealed his fate, denying his own family, I knew this charade had served its purpose. The time for the true power behind Nova Dynamics to step into the light, and exact a cold, precise vengeance, had arrived.

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?

Janice, the long-forgotten legitimate heiress, made her way back to her family, pouring her heart into winning their hearts. Yet, she had to relinquish her very identity, her academic credentials, and her creative works to her foster sister. In return for her sacrifices, she found no warmth, only deeper neglect. Resolute, Janice vowed to cut off all emotional bonds. Transformed, she now stood as a master of martial arts, adept in eight languages, an esteemed medical expert, and a celebrated designer. With newfound resolve, she declared, "From this day forward, no one in this family shall cross me."

"Please trust me, I didn't do anything." "I don't believe you. I am rejecting you as my Queen and giving you the punishment of death." Alina was living outside her pack for five years. Her parents didn't try to contact her and always ignored her. Her best friend convinced her to go back to their pack and she agreed. But she had never imagined what was waiting there for her. She never thought she would meet her mate and had to face betrayal from everywhere. She had to pay for the crime which she never committed. Aaron Robertson is the king of Lycans. He is a very dominant and powerful King who not only rules Lycans but also rules other ranks of werewolves. Everyone is afraid of Lycans and he is the king of them. But who knew that he would get a mate who was just a simple Omega with no powers and strengths? He called her weak all the time but little did he know that his weak Omega would give him the biggest betrayal of his life for which he had to give her the sentence of death.

It took only a second for a person's world to come crashing down. This was what happened in Hannah's case. For four years, she gave her husband her all, but one day, he said emotionlessly, "Let's get divorced." Hannah's heart broke into a million pieces as she signed the divorce papers, marking the end of her role as a devoted wife. Within Hannah, a strong woman awakened, vowing never to be beholden to any man again. Embracing her new life, she embarked on a journey to find herself and command her own destiny. By the time she returned, she had experienced so much growth and was now completely different from the docile wife everyone once knew. "Is this your latest trick to get my attention?" Hannah's ever-so-arrogant husband asked. Before she could retort, a handsome and domineering CEO pulled her into his embrace. He smiled down at her and said boldly to her ex, "Just a little heads-up, mister. This is my beloved wife. Keep off!"

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.

Maia grew up a pampered heiress-until the real daughter returned and framed her, sending Maia to prison with help from her fiancé and family. Four years later, free and married to Chris, a notorious outcast, everyone assumed Maia was finished. They soon discovered she was secretly a famed jeweler, elite hacker, celebrity chef, and top game designer. As her former family begged for help, Chris smiled calmly. "Honey, let's go home." Only then did Maia realize her "useless" husband was a legendary tycoon who'd adored her from the start.