Claws Of Time
/1/132171/coverbig.jpg?v=584949ea5c9e495cc0c21608874afceb)
Your Humble Ex-Wife Is Gone
Three years of marriage, and Jayson Mccormick never once looked at me the way he looks at my sister. I told myself he was just cold. That if I loved him hard enough, he'd eventually love me back. Then I crashed his secret wedding. The bride was Kate-the daughter my parents kept while I was lost. The guests? My entire family. They all knew. They all helped. "She's dying," Jayson said. "Let her have this." So I let her have it all. The husband. The family. The life they built around her. I walked away with nothing-because I knew I could make it all back. After years of silence, the legendary perfumer and the financial genius have returned. They think I have nothing. They don't know that, where they never bothered to look, I've already built an empire of my own. It's time to bury the obedient wife.
Chapter 1 The Secret Wedding
It was exactly seven o'clock in the evening.
The private manor, nestled on the outskirts of the city, was brilliantly illuminated, its grand facade glowing like a beacon against the darkening sky.
Corina Logan stood at the towering wrought-iron gates, her attire glaringly out of place. She wore a simple, unadorned plain dress, the kind one might wear for a quiet evening at home, standing in stark contrast to the opulence unfolding before her.
Just two hours ago, the illusion of her life had still been intact. Her husband, Jayson Mccormick, had called her, his voice carrying its usual clipped, authoritative tone. "There's a critical board meeting tonight that's going to run late," he had said through the receiver. "I won't be coming home. Go to sleep early, Corina."
Yet, here he was. Not in a boardroom surrounded by executives, but in this lavishly decorated estate, preparing to hold a wedding ceremony with another woman.
Through the grand windows of the manor's main hall, Corina could see the head table. Sitting there, adorned in their finest evening wear and beaming with pride, were her biological parents, Arthur and Eliza Logan, alongside her older brother, Oliver.
The guests mingling on the manicured lawns and inside the grand hall were a familiar crowd. They were the mutual friends, business associates, and extended family that made up the social circle she and Jayson shared.
Yet she, the lawful wife, had been kept entirely in the dark.
As Corina took a step closer, the evening breeze carried a scent that made her breath hitch. It was a complex, intoxicating fragrance-a masterful blend of deep, velvety rose intertwined with the rich, smoky notes of agarwood.
This specific perfume was named "Surrender." It was a unique, one-of-a-kind fragrance that Corina had personally formulated and blended as a wedding gift for Jayson three years ago. It was meant to symbolize a love that was absolute, a yielding of the heart.
Now, this very scent, representing possession and ultimate surrender, saturated the air of a wedding where her husband was the groom, and the bride was not her.
Her gaze traveled down the pristine white carpet that served as the aisle. At the end of it stood Jayson, looking breathtakingly impeccable in a custom-tailored, pure white high-fashion suit. His usually cold, calculating eyes were currently filled with a profound, melting affection as he looked at the woman standing opposite him.
The bride was Kate Logan.
Kate was the fake daughter who had occupied the Logan family's nest for over twenty years. Corina, on the other hand, was the true daughter, only found and brought back to the family a mere three years ago. Because their grandfather and the patriarch of the Mccormick family had been comrades in the trenches, they had arranged a marriage pact for their grandchildren.
When Corina returned to the family, she fulfilled that pact, marrying the heir to the Mccormick empire, Jayson. It felt like destiny to her, because Jayson was the man Corina had desperately, silently loved for seven long years. He was the man who had once pulled her out of the darkest abyss of her life.
She had truly believed this was a match made by fate, that she was destined to be the happiest woman in the world. But reality had just delivered a resounding, brutal slap across her face.
At this moment, Kate, draped in a voluminous, sparkling white wedding gown, leaned weakly against Jayson's chest, looking so fragile that a strong gust of wind might blow her away.
As Corina stepped fully into the light of the entrance, the melodious strains of the "Wedding March" suddenly warped. The musician had spotted her, and his fingers slipped, producing a harsh, piercingly discordant note that echoed across the lawn.
Instantly, every pair of eyes in the venue snapped toward Corina.
The joyous smiles on the faces of the Logan family froze, replaced by expressions of sheer panic and guilt.
Whispers erupted among the guests, spreading like wildfire.
"Is that... isn't that Corina? Why is she here?"
"I thought everyone agreed to keep this an absolute secret from her!"
"Who leaked the information? This is going to be a disaster."
The hushed voices were deafening. She was his actual wife, yet in this place, surrounded by her own family and friends, she was treated as an unwanted intruder.
When Jayson's eyes finally landed on her, a flash of genuine shock crossed his deep gaze, but it was almost instantly swallowed by his habitual, chilling composure.
He lowered his head, whispering a few soothing words to Kate, before gently handing the bride's hand over to a bridesmaid. He then stepped off the altar, his long legs eating up the distance as he strode purposefully toward Corina.
As he neared, the familiar, crisp scent of cedarwood that always clung to him enveloped Corina. It was the scent she had once been so hopelessly addicted to.
"What are you doing here?"
Those were his first words. Not an explanation, not an apology, but a cold, hard interrogation.
Corina looked up at the face she had loved for seven years. The sharp, aristocratic line of his brow, the thin, cool lips she had kissed a thousand times. Suddenly, she found the entire situation utterly laughable.
"Shouldn't I be here?" Corina's voice was incredibly soft, as casual as if she were inquiring about the weather. "My husband is getting married here today. Shouldn't I come to offer my congratulations?"
Jayson's brow furrowed deeply, a clear precursor to his impatience.
He took a sudden step forward, his large hand shooting out to clamp down hard on her slender wrist. Without another word, he dragged her away from the prying eyes of the crowd, pulling her into the shadows of a secluded stone corridor.
Once they were enveloped in the dim light of the corridor, he stopped and released her wrist.
"Corina, don't make a scene," he commanded, his voice tight.
"Kate... she doesn't have much time left." Jayson reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket, pulling out a silver cigarette case. He extracted a cigarette but didn't light it, instead rolling it restlessly between his long fingers, a sign of his internal agitation. "Late-stage liver cancer. The doctors have confirmed she has, at most, half a month left to live."
Corina stood perfectly still, her eyes locked onto his.
"And so?" she asked, her voice devoid of inflection.
"Her final, greatest wish in this life was to wear a wedding dress and marry me," Jayson said, meeting her gaze with a look that suggested his actions were the most logical, reasonable thing in the world. "This wedding is entirely fake. I am simply putting on a performance for her, allowing her to leave this world without any lingering regrets. Do you understand?"
He paused, taking a breath, and when he spoke again, his tone softened marginally, sounding like a king offering a generous concession to a peasant. "Corina, it is merely a ceremony. Why must you be so petty and hold a grudge against a dying woman?"
Petty? Holding a grudge?
Corina's gaze drifted past his broad shoulders, looking out toward the distant, brightly lit lawn where the guests were still murmuring, their faces painted with a mix of celebration and nervous anticipation.
/0/73125/coverbig.jpg?v=b63fcdee0fa3ee7ef6d797224de6a6a0)
Of wings and claws
The walls here have ears The cells have souls The bars have hands The waters have voices Be afraid of the rain Be afraid of the sun Be very afraid of the man you think you trust... "I don't want you to just suffer, I want you to burn and learn what it feels like to walk on fire for somebody who
/0/71857/coverbig.jpg?v=4990a415aac36e2053090fb6d68469e3)
Claws of Deceit
Ava's world is shattered when she's kidnapped by Kai, a mysterious figure with a hidden agenda and a ruthless determination to exploit her powers. As she's forced to confront the darkness within herself, Ava must also face the evil forces that seek to control her. But she's not alone. Her family - R
/0/18540/coverbig.jpg?v=5d99e0f914284b8cee7ad7119a1319de)
Out Of Time
Not all marriages are about love. Not all choices are either right or wrong. This story of me and Robbie began with an ugly plot, directed and acted by none other than my mother herself. She mercilessly drugged me and put me on his bed, but in the end, I married his brother. That moment, I hadn't
/1/114194/coverbig.jpg?v=34c14c586aeaea7a154f61dcbe5f1657)
NEXUS: Heart of Time
When a global anomaly awakens dormant powers within them, a neuroscientist, a physicist, and an artist discover they are connected by a force that defies time itself. Mert sees the memories of strangers. Elena witnesses the fabric of reality crack. Kai paints symbols from a past he never knew. Throw
/0/3746/coverbig.jpg?v=0e6b4370ef1fe5f768306f4cf5653907)
Key Out of Time
Ashe Gordon and Ross Murdock, angry about the loss of their fellow agent Travis Fox on the planet Topaz, have travelled to the planet Hawaikan, a warm ocean planet, where they intend to set up a time gate. The world is so different from what they expected that they decide on a risky experiment: trav
/0/8551/coverbig.jpg?v=7223d728056d3547b7c9a7d3cd10421b)
The Time of Roses
Trajectory presents classics of world literature with 21st century features! Our original-text editions include the following visual enhancements to foster a deeper understanding of the work: Word Clouds at the start of each chapter highlight important words. Word, sentence, paragraph counts, and re
/0/38741/coverbig.jpg?v=4091215f5279457b58612b4194a2b11e)
IN THE CLAWS OF THE MAFIA
EMMA ANDERSON has everything in her life worked out.She has a perfect job in a Manhattan empire, allowing her to live a quiet, organised and safe existence. A necessity after a childhood filled with abuse, bad memories, and a mother who was less than useless.She’s worked hard to get where she is - a
/0/72349/coverbig.jpg?v=dbf9afa5698b1e8c7938e620a9bc5530)
Time of the Avenger
Sophie Clarke spent years sharpening the cutting edge of her revenge. The corrupt billionaire who destroyed her father, Ethan Hayes, is a man above the law-but below hers. Through deception and determination, she infiltrates his life, presenting herself as an artist seeking a sponsor. But the closer
/0/35210/coverbig.jpg?v=5ffe7fe4f6c12575babe21ceeccfee83)
Enigma of Time
She loves and adores him....but they never really met. Handsome, humble, stubborn, and fast on his way to becoming the heir of his grandfather's fortune, Shameer Shah came back to his childhood village, with beautiful memories of the past. When he stumbles upon a mysterious Haveli(mansion) he meets
/0/6584/coverbig.jpg?v=1741a2e4f3324496fab1eb67eb6afbd9)
/0/7668/coverbig.jpg?v=7d852143f5f717baa28a00fce7d94e97)
/0/1132/coverbig.jpg?v=6b8cf659b750ff7e2d9262758c5f1323)
A Hero of Our Time
In its adventurous happenings, its abductions, duels, and sexual intrigues, A Hero of Our Time looks backward to the tales of Sir Walter Scott and Lord Byron, so beloved by Russian society in the 1820s and '30s. In the character of its protagonist, Pechorin, the archetypal Russian antihero, Lermonto
/0/68965/coverbig.jpg?v=c508c5785ebb09aea7a5c3b38caec34a)
Reclaiming her Heritage: Silver Claws
Despite having been rejected by her first mate for not having a wolf and bullied by her pack, Aiofe isn't backing down. Greed and jealousy fuels the decision to send her to war to die in battle but there she finds herself, her past & her consolation from the moon goddess. What path will Aoife carve
/0/20332/coverbig.jpg?v=8ac2efb674e10a9a5810909d0620eb18)
Time
"There's something so fascinating about your innocence," he breathes, so close I can feel the warmth of his breath against my lips. "It's a shame my own darkness is going to destroy it. However, I think I might enjoy the act of doing so." Being reborn as an immortal isn't particularly easy. For Ros
/0/59847/coverbig.jpg?v=427809396835a0c1b76888b7753b0183)
Twist of Time Fated Union
Never regret this, Eric. I gave you every chance to turn back, but now... you've lost me.Krystle's voice trembled as she struggled to hold herself together,It's so hard to breathe... it hurts so much. I did nothing wrong,so why am I the one being punished?Moments later, the cold clang of prison door
/0/75011/coverbig.jpg?v=72690894801fab568f8ee1ad79eb31c2)
IN THE HANDS OF TIME
"What do you think you're doing?!" Raye asks the moment the door closes behind them, her vision glazed with controlled fury. The corner of his mouth tilts to a smile, unfazed by her outburst "Getting you back". ~~~ Raye and Kohen are childhood friends turned lovers, but obstacles threaten their a
/0/32577/coverbig.jpg?v=5e0340f04c3835eab345c5b2b7b45e89)
Love In Time Of Outbreak
Unless they can stop the deadly virus from spreading. Sergeant Deanver Magallon and doctor Thalia Ricafort are hand in hand just to find out the root of the said virus, and how they can prevent its spread. But their undeniable attraction to each other is a huge threat to their mission. And because
/0/80126/coverbig.jpg?v=7c6e2bbcc055f1cbc70f4b59991f2606)
Beyond the threads of time
In a world where love transcends even death, Keet and Elias's bond is tested by fate. After a heart-wrenching sacrifice, Keet's grief awakens Elias, and they reunite in a poignant reunion. As they rebuild their lives, friends and loved ones navigate their own journeys: Monty embarks on a new path
/0/22971/coverbig.jpg?v=20211228145000)
Time Pause
During their past life, they already know that will come to an end, this two soldier didn't confess or yet express their feelings with each other even it seems that the love is in the air, even though they fallen in love, due to some rules of being a soldier it became impossible. a bad luck they end
/0/79364/coverbig.jpg?v=00be0768965323218369fc55a8a9b583)
Love in the time of chaos
Love in the Time of Chaos In a fractured world rebuilding itself from the ashes of ecological collapse and war, Love in the Time of Chaos tells the story of a people trying to reimagine what it means to live, love, and lead after catastrophe. Set in a vibrant, dream-infused future, the novel follow
