Rayne_Rue

Jason sank to his knees as smoke swallowed the sky, the color of it an angry crimson, like the world itself was bleeding. The house before him, her house, collapsed in slow motion, boards shrieking and crumbling as if mourning their own destruction. His chest caved with a ragged sob, the kind that seemed to come from somewhere deeper than his lungs, deeper even than his body. Everything around him blurred—faces, sirens, flames—until all that remained was the ash. He should have looked away. Should have closed his eyes. But he didn't. He couldn't. The paramedics moved solemnly through the smoke, their silhouettes stark against the firelit haze. The stretchers were draped in white sheets—too still, too final. He counted them without meaning to. One... two... three. Jason didn't flinch. His heart was hollowed out, like something had been carved from within him with a hot blade. It should've been him. Not Selena. "No," he whispered hoarsely, his voice splintering. "No, it can't be." He stumbled backward, eyes wide, brain refusing to bridge the gap between what he saw and what he believed. Reality came in slow waves, each one more unbearable than the last. And then he was moving, sprinting toward the stretchers with a desperate, raw urgency. A rescuer with no one left to save. "Selena," he choked, reaching trembling hands toward the nearest form. The heat of the fire still lingered in the air, as if the world itself was scorched. He lifted the sheet with shaking fingers. What stared back at him was no longer her face—just blackened skin, unrecognizable. His mind rejected it. It can't be her. It isn't.

I crept forward, heart thundering, grabbing the fire iron from beside the hearth. I edged toward the curtains and yanked them back. Nothing. Just the city. Just the rain. Just the reflection of my pale face and wide hazel eyes in the glass. I almost laughed. Almost. Until the lights behind me flickered. Until I turned around and he was there. Kade. Standing in my living room like he belonged there. Like he'd always belonged there. I didn't scream. I swung the fire iron hard, with all the strength in my body, and he caught it midair like it weighed nothing. His fingers wrapped around the metal, eyes glowing gold in the dark. "I knocked," he said softly. "I live six stories up," I hissed, yanking the rod from his grip and backing away. "You climbed the wall?" He didn't answer. Didn't need to. I knew. "You don't get to just show up," I snapped. "This is my home." "I needed to know you were safe." "I didn't ask you to protect me." "No," he said, voice low. "But you will." There was something terrifying about how calm he was. Like violence simmered just under the surface, waiting. He moved like a shadow, soundless, fluid and too graceful to be entirely human. And when he stepped forward, I didn't back away. I should've. But I didn't. "I told you not to follow me," I whispered. "You didn't," he said, tilting his head slightly. "You said 'try.'" I flushed. Damn him. Damn me. "You said you might kill me." "I won't," he said, stepping closer. "Not unless you make me." I glared. "That's not comforting." "I'm not trying to comfort you." His voice was rough and ragged, like gravel and silk. He stood close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body. My pulse thrummed in my throat, and I hated how badly I wanted him to touch me again. Not gently. Roughly. Like he meant it. "Why are you really here, Kade?" His jaw clenched. "Because I can't stay away. Because ever since I saw you, I haven't been able to think straight. I've waited thirty-two years, Elara. I've lived through things that would kill most men. I've lost control of everything except this. You're the only thing the curse didn't take from me. Not yet." I swallowed. "And if it still does?" He stared at me, something raw in his eyes. "Then I'll burn with it." His lips crashed against mine before I could answer. And gods help me, I let him.

After losing both of her parents in a tragic car accident, Karla Smith, a determined young Australian woman, leaves everything behind and moves to New York City, the place where her late mother was born and raised. Armed with ambition and heartbreak, Karla sets out to rebuild her life and pursue her dreams of working in digital marketing. Landing an internship at one of the biggest and most prestigious marketing firms in NYC, Karla finds herself in a world of power suits, ruthless deadlines, and billion-dollar campaigns. At the helm of it all is Dominic Vale, a strikingly handsome, wildly successful CEO who seems to have the world at his feet. Admired, envied, and borderline worshipped, Dominic is used to getting what he wants... except for Karla. To Karla, Dominic is just another arrogant boss, until sparks begin to fly. But with her focus set on survival, juggling long work hours, university tuition and rent, she has no time for distractions, especially not from a man like him. Tension rises and lines blur between ambition and attraction. Karla must decide what she's willing to risk for her dreams and for a love she never saw coming.

Emma Griffin a 23 year old, 3rd year student is left heart broken after she finds her long term boyfriend Emir Gonzalez a multi billionaire proposing to someone else. Despite all of Emma's attempt to escape her past and put her ex betrayal behind her, she was never able to. Seeing his face on popular magazines and bulletin boards made it even more difficult to forget him. The nightmare of her past continues to torment her and it goes even worse when she comes face to face with Emir after 9 months, however Emir tries to get Emma back by trying to make her realize his mistakes in the past. But will Emma be left in peace or will she take revenge on him, or will their fate keep bringing them together? Follow Emma and Emir on this whirlwind of adventures filled with, pain, lies, betrayal and passion. [ Caution :Rated 18]