We have known each other for more than ten years. Long enough for him to become the older brother I never had—Maya’s brother, the one who was always too far ahead, too careful, too off-limits. Long enough for me to grow up under the weight of a distance he never let close.We learned the art of restraint together. Of looking away before the glance could mean something. Of keeping our voices steady when the air between us grew too heavy. Of telling ourselves it was nothing, over and over, until the lie started to taste like truth.But restraint only works until it doesn’t.Now every careful step back only sharpens the wanting. Every unspoken word only pulls the space between us tighter. We were never supposed to want this. Not after a decade of being everything we were never meant to become.So how long can we keep holding the line… before the wanting finally wins? •°•°•°•°•°•°°•°•°°•°•°•°•°••°•°•°°°^•°•°•°•°°•°•° For years I have hidden my quiet crush on Ethan— my best friend’s older brother, the guy I’ve called for rides just to steal five more minutes of his time. He’s always just been the steady, teasing presence in my life, both of us too scared to ruin what we already have to say what we really feel. Until one messy house party, when a locked upstairs bedroom finally tore down the wall between us. All the years of hidden glances and unspoken want spilled over, and when I walked back down the stairs together with him, Ethan didn’t let go of my waist. He didn’t bother hiding anymore. What followed was a year of soft, warm, unhurried joy: lazy Sundays starting with burnt pancakes and quick kitchen detours, a new home we christened one room at a time, a backyard wedding under string lights, and a honeymoon spent talking about all the years we have left. Ethan has always dreamed of this: golden retrievers, sticky kid handprints on the walls, and me, right beside him, every single morning. All those years of waiting weren’t just a wait—they led straight to the perfect, sweet life we both always deserved. ---

What would you do if the man you were forced to marry was the most dangerous man in the city? Run? Fight? Or stay and pray he never turns that danger toward you? I thought I knew what fear felt like. Then I married Damien Cross. His name alone was enough to silence a room. People knew better than to question him, betray him, or stand in his way. He was powerful. Cold. Unpredictable. And surrounded by enemies who would do anything to bring him down. Unfortunately for me, becoming his wife made me a target too. At first, it was little things. A stranger watching me from across the street. A message with no name attached. A car that seemed to appear everywhere I went. Then things became harder to ignore. Someone was getting closer. Someone knew where I lived. Someone knew things about my marriage that even I didn't know. And the terrifying part? Damien seemed to know exactly who was behind it. But he wouldn't tell me. Instead, he became more protective. More watchful. Every time danger came near, Damien was already there. Every time I thought I was alone, I discovered I wasn't. And every time I demanded answers, he gave me the same warning: “You don't know what you're involved in.” But what exactly had I been involved in? Why was I chosen to become Damien Cross's wife? Why did certain people seem terrified of our marriage? And why did Damien look at me like protecting me wasn't an obligation anymore... but a choice? Then came the night everything changed. A secret from Damien's past surfaced. A secret powerful enough to destroy his empire. A secret that connected him to the people hunting us. And a secret that made me question the one thing I had started believing: Could I really trust the man everyone else feared? Because the more dangerous the world around us became, the safer I somehow felt beside him. The man I once wanted to escape became the man I ran toward. The husband I never wanted became the person who stood between me and every threat. And somewhere between the fear, the secrets, the arguments, and the battles we never expected to fight together... we fell in love. But love doesn't erase secrets. And it certainly doesn't make enemies disappear. So when the final truth comes knocking at our door, will Damien choose his empire... or choose me? Will I discover that the man I married really is the monster everyone warned me about? Or was the real monster hiding somewhere much closer than either of us realized? And after everything we've survived... will our love finally be enough to give us the happy ending we were never supposed to have?

From the outside, Amaria has everything anyone could want.A beautiful home.A loving family.A life that appears almost perfect.But appearances can be deceiving.Because the moment the doors close, Amaria’s world changes.There is a secret buried inside her family’s home—one she has been forced to carry alone. The person everyone trusts is not who they believe him to be, and Amaria has learned the hard way that speaking the truth can be more dangerous than keeping it hidden.She begins to question everything.Who can she trust?Who is watching her?And how far will they go to make sure she stays silent?As the walls around her begin to close in, Amaria realizes that someone may already know what she has been trying to hide.Then something happens that changes everything.Amaria has only two choices: remain silent and risk losing herself, or expose the truth and risk destroying the family she once called home.But what if leaving isn't as simple as walking through the front door?What if the person she fears is already one step ahead of her?And what happens when the secrets behind closed doors finally come to light?Amaria thought the truth would set her free.She was wrong.Because sometimes, discovering the truth is only the beginning of the nightmare......