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On the night my dad kicked me out, I drank too much and slept with my “brother”It was a one night mistake. Yet, he proposed and claimed me as his mate, his luna.**“You have brought enough disgrace to this family.” His Alpha voice rising furiously.“Me?!” I let out a forced laugh. “I’m not the one sleeping with every woman who passes my presence. I’m not the one who murdered my mother!” I hissed.“GET OUT!!!” He ordered. “It was a mistake to have allowed you back in Ironclaw. You will leave and are forbidden to return.”**What have I done? He’s practically my brother. I had sex with my brother. “It wasn’t a mistake,” “What are you talking about, Jonathan?” I asked him. “Arina, you are my mate. You were born to be my luna,” he said. His face showed no signs of humor. “I wasn’t born to be anybody’s luna,” I shot back. “Arina, I love you…” he spoke softly, still staring into my eyes. I could feel the wolf in me stirring; something that I had never felt before. She was awakening; the fire that burned so deep inside of me was beginning to flare. “Love?” I heard myself saying. “There’s no such thing as love…” After everything I knew about “love”, what my mother went through when she married my father, love didn’t exist.“Give me a chance to prove you wrong. Marry me.” 


My name is Elle.I am a beta female, but I live like an omega. Sometimes I don't even know what's better for me. I hoped that when I turned 18 my life would change. But everything got worse. At the age of 18, every werewolf knows his wolf. My wolf did not appear. In the last year I was simply wolfless. My mate rejected me and he is my the biggest nightmare.But it is said that hope dies last, so until the last moment of my life I will believe that something good is prepared for me in this world as well.Like I said, I'm Elle Parker. In the eyes of some, the most insignificant omega. But is that really the case?QUICK PREVIEWI would like to believe that this is possible. Moon Goddess ... can I get my rejection back? Please...I take a deep breath, look up to the sky and hopefully say:"I alpha Brandon Taylor take back my rejection and accept you Elle Parker as my mate, as my luna, as anythig you want to be in my life. I TAKE IT BACK!"Then I fall to my knees crying. I feel a huge pain in my chest that seems to suffocate me, I lie down on the ground and close my eyes feeling how I slowly start to faint but not before hearing just like in a dream a warm and tender voice."I, Moon Goddess, accept your request!" 




I, Nadine Cross, transplant the nerves from my own hands to my boyfriend's "sister", who loses the use of both her hands in an accident.
With that, Irene Sawyer's painting skills improve tremendously.
However, I lose function in both hands. I can't even lift a glass of water.
My boyfriend, Thomas Graham, tearfully promises that he will forever be grateful to me and will take care of me for the rest of my life.
Because I love him, I silently endure the agony of rehabilitation treatments.
But one day, I accidentally discover that his so-called sister, Irene, is actually his lover.
I confront him, but they tie me up.
"Since your hand nerves work so well, your optic nerves should be good too. Irene's eyesight hasn't been great lately. If you're going to help, then you should help her all the way. Give her your eyes, Nadine," Thomas demands.
I fall into despair as I watch them approach me with surgical knives.
Thomas says, "Don't hate me. You've already lost function in both hands. Your eyes won't do you much good when you're in this state. I'm just making the rational choice."
Boundless darkness descends.
When I open my eyes again, I am back at the time right before the nerve transplant surgery.
This time, I get a dog's nerves instead. 


At seventeen, I made a foolish mistake: I fell in love with my father’s Beta, Glen.This secret affair lasted a whole year.When I mustered the courage for the fifth time to propose to him, I overheard his conversation with his pack brothers."After taking care of the Alpha's daughter for so many years, haven't you ever thought about forming a mate bond with her?"Glen's tone was icy. "A little girl eight years younger than me? I haven't gone that mad."Soon after, he accepted an engagement ring from a woman of his age.This time, I didn't cry. I didn't make a scene.From the three suitors my father had arranged for an alliance marriage, I selected—or rather, fate selected—the Alpha of the Crimsonmoon pack, the most notorious, Ethan.The wedding was hastily set for the next month, absurdly fast.At the engagement banquet, Glen, who was always composed and steady, stumbled in frantically.His eyes were glued to the ring on my ring finger, yet he couldn't utter a single coherent word. 

Stella Richard married Rene Kingston in the place of her sister Sophia due to some reasons. But from the beginning, she knows that her marriage was just a time-limit contract and once the time was up she had to go.For RK, this marriage was just a burden but for her, it was a gift from God. Because RK was the man who she had loved all her Youth...So, in the meantime of her marriage, Stella did her best so that this marriage may work out.But on the day she found she was pregnant, her husband gives her the divorce paper and said..."I don't want this child. Don't forget to abort."These words come out of his mouth, like a bomb for Stella, and changed her life...She signed her name on the divorce paper and left the house...Because she doesn't want to be with such a cold-hearted man...Five years later...RK bought the company In which Stella worked. But Stella did her best not to have anything to do with him...Because she had a child and she didn't want him to find out about him...But one day When Stella picked up her son from school he saw her...RK, "How dare you had a child with another man?"Stella, "I don't think it has anything to do with you."RK was about to say more when his gaze fell on the child beside her...His face looked as same as when he was young... 
After an accident, her life becomes entangled with the most revered man in Duskhaven. She's forced to leave after giving birth.Three years later, she runs into the man again. She does her best to avoid, hide, and stay away from him!To her dismay, he comes knocking on her door with their adorable child in tow. "You've already had my child, woman. Do you still want to flee?"Cynthia Lynch is rendered speechless.…He's Zachary Beaver, the king of an empire and someone feared by everyone. She thinks there's no chance of them ending up together, but he makes space for her in his heart and dotes on her to no end. He loves and protects her like she's a precious treasure!Then, he uses an alluring tone on her. "Do you want to consider having a second child, Mrs. Beaver?" 

At the most-awaited Mapping Ball, where fates are sealed, Lucianna's dream seems to come alive when she discovers her destined mate is Jacob, the alluring and powerful Alpha of the Shadow Pack.
But instead of love, she is met with a cold whisper of disdain.
"I despise weaklings like you," he sneers, a secret humiliation only for her ears.
Stunned and reeling from his venomous words, Lucianna, one of her pack's fiercest fighters, grapples with the cruel twist of fate.
"W-What?" Lucianna uttered.
"Weak and deaf, huh? Not a good combination." Jacob growled and left her in a blink.
'WEAK? I'm one of the greatest fighters in my pack! Who is this bastard calling as weak?!'
How can the mate she longed for see her as anything but strong? Dive into a tale of love, pride, and the challenge of proving one's worth. 
Book1 (Chapter 1~188, completed):“Please...come back to me, be my Luna again, Charlotte,” Hayden said.I sneered. “You don't even qualify to be my Omega. What makes you think I would want to be your Luna?”“Then let me be your slave,” the shameless mate who had rejected me begged.-------------------I had been claimed and married to my mate, Hayden for three years, but everything changed when his brother died. He began to ignore me and get closer to his brother’s widow, Sofia.Everyone could see how much he favored Sofia over his own mate, me.I turned a blind eye and endured it all because he was my destined mate and I loved him so much.But Sofia framed me for causing her miscarriage and everyone blamed me for it, not to mention my mate.My mate forced me to kneel and apologize to that bitch who had tried many times to drive wedges between me and my mate, with the help of his sister, Milla.Hayden didn't even want to listen to my explanations. He gave me a choice - apologize or divorce.I would never apologize for something I didn't do and thus I chose divorce.No one knew I was actually the next-Alpha-in-line of one of the most powerful packs. After the divorce, I went back to my pack and take over my birthright - becoming a powerful Alpha and showing Hayden that he was nothing to me and my life was better off without him!*******************************Book2( From chapter 189~287, completed):As the Alpha princess, I enjoy all the glory and wealth, but my heart only yearns for freedom and love.Much to my luck, I found my fated mate, Alpha Shawn Evander when I was nineteen.He is one the most eligible bachelors currently, but my parents, especially Dad is so against our mateship, he keeps urging me to break up with Shawn.Why should I break up with my fated mate? I love him too much and decided to make a bold choice - to marry him during my twentieth birthday party secretly.So, it should be a happy day, right?Nope.Imagine my shock when I saw my bestie and Shawn together, betraying me during what was supposed to be our wedding day!In the end, I didn’t get married to him and went to a bar to drown my sorrow when I stumbled across an Alpha who needed a mate to break his curse, and we decided to have a contract marriage between us.But when I went home and sobered up, I realized who that Alpha was - Alpha Maximillian Vestvertine, also known as the most ruthless and arrogant Alpha of all.However, I never ezxpect that this coldest Alpha would be so eagar to have me.... 


With a game of escape, Melissa Davis sniffed what she meant not to eat. Now her teeth were aching.________________________________________When Melissa, an 18 years high school student, a professional Sniper and the Heiress of the Whale Mafia family, received a call to come back to the City, she thought it was because of her crime in Germany, however, on her arrival to Mexico, Melissa realized her father had arranged for her an engagement to the Heir of the Shark Mafia family for collateral.To cancel the engagement and fulfil her last bucket list, Melissa ended up with Donald Don, the youngest Mafia Underboss whose true identity was hidden from humans. Hence, he became her hell… her nightmare… her misery and… also her heaven!With Donald Don, will Melissa ever achieve her aim? What more she didn't know about this young and handsome billionaire who had lived his life for one thing other than love? With Melissa beside him, will Donald Don ever be able to break his curse?F B : Author Elita RosePS: This is a Mafia Werewolf Romance Story. 
Adelaide Mill, a 24-year-old writer, chooses a new place to start over after breaking up with her boyfriend, moving to a new house with a new roommate.But what she didn't expect was that her new roommate was a man, Jeff Brook, who was also a very rude and irritable man. Adelaide hated him the first time they met, but after getting along for a while, Adelaide hated him. Ryder panicked and found that something was wrong with her, and she actually had a desire for this Jeff Brook. She refused to accept herself like this and chose to escape.Jeff Brook, a 29-year-old bachelor, is domineering and refuses to get along with anyone until one day, Adelaide breaks into his territory, this timid and stupid woman can always make him angry, but she Too stupid, he can only protect her for the sake of his roommate, otherwise what if he is bullied? Adelaide can only be bullied by him alone. 


At that night Anastasia was kidnapped by her enemies, a beast saved her. The Alpha King. Bourne.Since then, she was taken to his Pack and pointed by him as his Luna.But that's not what she wanted! She tried her best to escape from him, yet every time ended up being caught by him."Since you don't want to be my Luna, then be my breeding slave!" Finally, her escape angered him.After that, she could only survive by pleasing him in bed.She thought one day he would kill her, but the truth was, he always secretly protected her.She didn't know why he insisted on keeping her with him, until the day, she found the reason and the secret of his pack...which were enough to turn her whole world upside down. 
Alessandro Grayson is an CEO he is very rich and handsome, he can do everything he wants, left and right is the woman in his arm, many women cry, many try to turn him around but no one succeeds, for him the women are just a toy, A bitter incident came into his life, and ruined his perfect character, he had an accident and ruined his most careful Face. because of what had happened there was much fear of him. since that accident his habit made no difference to his Face.He's a Beast, Until he thought of buying A woman to be his wife, everything changed for him when he met the woman he bought.Alessandro is gradually falling for the one he chose to be his wife, will the woman also fall for him? 


⚠️ Warning: descriptive sexual acts, please refrain from reading this if you're below 18, forbidden love, sex. control, manipulation.He leaned in closer, his breath warm. "Is that what you call it when you wear that skirt?" he asked, his hand sliding down my back. "Or when you bend over, letting me see?"I struggled to find words to protest, but my body was reacting to him. "Please," I whispered. "We can't."He held me firmly, his gaze intense. "Can't or won't?" he asked. "I see it in your eyes, Emma. You want this."I tried to push him away, but he was too strong. "Mr. Hathaway, please," I begged, feeling confused by my own feelings.He leaned in closer, his breath hot. "Call me Alex," he said softly. "We're not at work anymore."Hearing his name sent a rush through me. Alex. It reminded me of the attraction I had been fighting. His hand moved up my thigh, and I couldn't help but respond. I moaned softly."You like that?" he asked, his voice thick with desire. 
Driven by love, Evolet, a weak Omega, joins the Luna's hunt to be with the Alpha who stole her first kiss. She does this against her mother's order, hoping her best friend, Fiona, would keep this a secret. But her trust is broken when Fiona reveals her devilish side, causing a rift between Evolet and her mother. She reveals her true desire to be the Alpha's Luna, mocking Evolet's inability to summon her wolf. Her words got to a desperate Evolet, who feels scared and ends up doing something she has never done before. She strikes a deal with the pack's enemy, a pervy rogue with a strange wolf ability, to become her wolf for the game.***"Do you know what you're saying? You want me to be your wolf?""Yes, I do. I... I want you. Please, be my wolf."**** Will Evolet succeed and defeat Fiona?* Is she doing the right thing by going against her mother's order and joining this hunt for the sake of a man?* What if she's wrong about the Alpha and the Royal Family?* What if the rogue isn't just her wolf... But more than that?Find out now. 
On her way to deliver the takeout, Vivian Donovan saved a man, who later to be found out Bernard Jacobson, the richest man in Westmoor. He is also a business tycoon with great influence, the rumor said he is ruthless and unscrupulous, he only cares about money. When Vivian saved him, he promised a reward of one hundred million dollars. But when she married Bernard, Vivian suddenly realized: "I want a one hundred million dollars reward, not you!" "You risked your life to save me, and I, Bernard Jacobson, can only repay kindness by marrying you." "Why? Did you ask for my opinion when you married me?" "Will you marry me?" "No" "Then let me marry you." Bernard, you are shameless. "" "I don't care, I just want my wife." "Then... I don't want your money anymore." "I have sent the money to your account, it's too late to change your mind now." Vivian was speechless. it's so hard to be a good person. She just wanted to save someone, now she became someone's wife. 
Sally Frank thought she had married a mere captain, but was left in shock when she stumbled upon a photo of a mysterious big-shot behind a mega company: her husband, Gabriel Hardy. The next day, while meeting a sponsor, she found Gabriel Hardy smiling at her. How versatile was he? Furious, Sally asked who he really was, to which Gabriel leaned in and whispered, "Your husband." Sally argued back, "A contract marriage doesn't count!" Their son, who had been listening, couldn't bear it anymore and said, "Daddy said contract marriages are made with bad intentions. You should accept your fate." 



At her graduation ceremony, Claire White eagerly awaited Adrian to finally make their relationship public. But to her horror, she watched as he got down on one knee and proposed to Nicole, the esteemed daughter of a powerful Alpha.Heartbroken, Claire drowned her sorrows at a bar, where she met a dangerously alluring man, Theo. Sparks flew between them, but just before they crossed the line, fate intervened desperate phone call about her father's sudden illness pulled her back to reality.With her father's life on the line and medical bills piling up, Adrian offered financial help on the condition that she became his mistress. Furious, Claire refused, only to find herself blacklistedand unable to secure a job.Just when she was at her lowest, an unexpected opportunity arose a high-paying position as the secretary to the CEO of a prestigious company. But upon stepping into her new workplace, she discovered a shocking truth her new boss was Theo. And worse still, he was Adrian' s father. 

Emma Cole, a nerd in high school and untouched all throughout her life at a community college, was abandoned by her birth parents and grew up in foster care homes all around New York. Whenever her name was mentioned, the people who knew her laughed and called her foul names, since she looked like the female version of Steve Urkel and was easy to pick on and belittle. She had no sense of style. All she wore were big dresses that hid her tiny figure underneath and glasses which didn"t do her eyes any justice. She owned one bag-- a beat-up leather she received as a gift from a spelling bee contest her freshman year in high school.Though she went to school, she had no friends, no family, and no one to teach her about becoming a lady. Emma had done everything by herself since she was one year old-- the age she was dumped by her parents into the foster system.At age twenty three, she lived in a very small apartment by herself. She wasn"t able to land a high-paying job to afford a good house, as of yet. Every time she applied to a vacant position she may have seen in a newspaper in the cafe, they would turn her down when she went to the interviews and the interviewers took one look at her. Appearance was more than her qualifications if she wanted to land a job as a receptionist or personal assistant at one of the big firms in New York City.Emma decided to stop hoping for a better job and stuck with being a waitress at Carl"s Cafe.Her hell on earth.Carl was the manager and owner of the cafe. A grown man, forty-five years old, who had experienced all the things he had chosen to chase in his pathetic life. He was a terrible boss and treated his employees as his personal slaves with low wages. One of his nasty habits was hitting on his female employees while on the job, but he never hit on Emma. Although she was a female, she just wasn"t his type and was too unattractive to even be bothered with. 
In pursuit of his crush and driven by vengeance, he thought it would be a triumphant revenge feast, tormenting Sienna by binding her to him for five long years.Sienna loved Adrian for fifteen years, turning her back on the Mckinney family and giving it her all, only to find out upon her return that a demon's heart could never be warmed.Sienna lost her child and her mother, and in that moment, she came to a sudden realization."Screw you, Adrian, I don't want to love you anymore."Adrian, soon to be an ex-husband, panicked in an instant."Sienna, I'll agree to anything as long as we don't get a divorce." 

Danica Waylon returns to California after three years, hoping to fulfill her younger brother's birthday wish. When she meets her crush since middle school, Troy Kingston, who is now a famous WhyNTuber and a celebrity figure, she decides to maintain a distance from him.
But when fate decides to bring Danica into the same mansion as Troy along with other celebrities, a prank goes wrong, and before long, their fans start shipping them. The ship name 'Tronica' became famous, and they had to start pretending to be in a relationship.
What happens when their reel and real lives get mixed? What will happen when the fans know that the couple they adored was never a real couple, to begin with? Most importantly, how will Danica control her big crush for Troy, now that she has got the fame by accident? 

"Evander Graves, I will never divorce you!"Before being reborn, she hated him, and would not hesitate to force her to die in order to leave him!It wasn't until she was disfigured by scumbags and sluts, and thrown into a cave to be tortured, that she knew that the man she hated the most had already loved her to the bone and became paranoid!In order to save her, he would give up everything!Once reborn, she will love him, pet him, and make money to support him!She wears countless vests and earns a billion dollars with a pair of adorable babies!Unexpectedly, he was wrapped in his arms, "One billion? It's not enough to coax me."In the next second, 10 billion was credited to her mobile phone."Take it and be my sugar mommy." 




Henry“I wish we could stay here like this forever.”“Soon, my love. Soon, I will be able to touch you, feel you, and completely devour you…”“I wish that day would hurry up already. I want you, Henry.”Mae“I’m not...mated to Henry?”“That’s impossible! Surely the Moon Goddess made a mistake.”“She never makes mistakes.”***Mae knows deep in her heart that Henry is her fated mate, her true love. They’re eager to start their lives together. But Circe, who’s had a crush on Henry forever, doesn’t want that to happen, so she enlists the help of a witch to get what she wants–Henry. Mae and Henry are forced to find a way to reverse the spell cast upon them and prevent war between packs so they can be together. When all seems hopeless and lost, will Mae and Henry be able to get their happily ever after? Or will their love for each other slip through the cracks?***Stolen Alpha Mate is created by Claire Wilkins, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author. 


She gave him her heart, her trust, and even her family's company.In return, he took her father's life - and tried to steal her kidney for her cousin.When Freya dies on the cold operating table, she wakes up... reborn - in another so-called useless orphan girl's body. But death left her with more than scars-Now, whispers of the future echo in her mind, guiding her revenge...Surrounded by greedy relatives and deadly schemes, she's ready to fight back.What she didn't expect?To accidentally fall into the bed of Leander-the nation's most feared, most unattainable billionaire. He's cold, ruthless, untouchable.But after that one night... he wants her.Her body. Her revenge. Her hand in marriage.Now, they're not just husband and wife by contract. They're partners in revenge. 


Kayla is a smart, focused, top-mark student in her last two senior years of high school in a private facility for rich kids in Florida. All she wants is to get accepted to Harvard and graduate with top marks to follow the career she has set for herself. Her entire life is about becoming an independent and successful vet. She has micro-managed it and planned it to the tiniest detail. Leaving no room for a social life or living her teen years like her peers. This year has had its ups and downs, with her stepbrother of almost ten years coming to live under the same roof after being raised apart after their parents married. The chaos and drama his appearance has brought since he despises not only his father but Kayla's mother too, has made home tense. He's a rude, defiant, and arrogant pain in her ass who is hellbent on causing trouble and listens to no one. Dane is the polar opposite in every way - Vain, oversexed, a playboy who takes nothing seriously except booze, girls, and his motorbike while he rebels in every way against his father for ripping apart his family. Looking like a teen idol, acting like someone who doesn't need to take accountability for anything in his life, Kayla honestly cannot stand him. She sees a loser who will live on daddy's money and drink away his youth while sleeping with every girl in the county. At 17, they have known one another most of their lives and never had any kind of friendly relationship. They have always been classmates but never friends and definitely not siblings. - but all that is about to change. 
Alora Dennison is an orphaned child from a shamed bloodline surviving in her families old pack. On the dawn of her transition pushing her into adulthood she imprints on the mate she will be bonded to for an eternity, in an unexpected turn of fate.
Only he isn't the man of her dreams. He is the only one in the entire state she would never have wanted to bond too.
Colton Santo is the arrogant, dominant son of the Alpha from a rival pack which is set to unite the packs and reign in one kingdom. In years gone by his disdain for her and any from her bloodline has been prominent. Her treatment by his pack has pushed her to live in near isolation, fearful for her existence and now before all assembled, on the dawn of her awakening, they all just saw her imprint on their future leader.
Fate has decreed it, but everyone around her is about to try and stop it.
Fate isn't about to make it easy on her either, as a long forgotten war erupts in their lands, bringing an age old enemy with a thirst for blood back into the forefront of lycanthrope life.
Will she survive long enough to ever find out why she has borne a black mark on her lineage her entire life? And why exactly, Colton's father is just so eager to see her dead.
Will Colton step up and honour the bond, or will he be the one to deliver the final blow? 
My name is Katia, and I am just trying to survive until my fated mate arrives. Which may be easier said than done.Rejectection is the last straw. Whispering my acceptance of his rejection.I run through the pack house, out across the manicured lawn into the forest. "I'm sorry, my sweet girl," I say to my wolf. I'm sorry you have been stuck with me and have had to suffer everything I have. She whispers," it's not your fault, Katia. We came to a cliff with a waterfall. The hurt keeps pounding at me. I need it to stop. My sweet girl, and I just want peace, I keep running and leap off the cliff. Spreading my arms wide, with tears streaming down my face, I fall, not making a sound, waiting for sweet oblivion where we feel nothing ever again. "I love you, my sweet girl! Until we meet again, "My wolf replied just before we hit the water, "I love you too, Katia. I have never regretted a moment with you."The Snow Moon pack is having their last barbecue of the summer next to the waterfall on their land. The adults are laughing and joking while watching the pups play. The alpha, beta, and gamma are swimming with some of the older children and playing a game of Marco Polo.Someone yells, “Oh my goddess, someone just jumped over the waterfall!" Everyone is frozen as they watch what looks to be a child falling arms spread wide, no one makes a sound. The small body hits the water like a plane crashing into the side of a mountain.The alpha, beta, and gamma, spring into action, swimming towards the area the person went under. The alpha is screaming his wolf is going crazy repeating, “Find her. Find her...find her!" They dive and the beta surfaces with a small person in his arms. Alpha takes the girl from his beta, laying her on the ground. The men are shocked by what they see. She is covered in scars and injuries. Her body is twisted and broken. The Beta asks, "Who could have done this to someone so defenseless?"Alpha drops to his knees, repeating, "MATE...MATE...MATE!" 
When Eloise Windsor is reborn, she finds herself back in the year 1989. She's 30 years old, while her husband, Sebastian Moore, is 35. Sebastian has just become the youngest academician at the Bostesh Academy of Sciences. He's a nationally recognized talent with a bright future ahead of him. They have a pair of 10-year-old twins. Everyone around Eloise calls her lucky. She married such a talented man and was blessed with twins. However, now that she's been reborn, the first thing she does is call a lawyer and draft two copies of a divorce agreement.When Eloise calls Sebastian's office, his assistant, Taylor Lopez, answers instead. Upon hearing Eloise's voice, Taylor says, "Mr. Moore is busy at the moment, Mrs. Moore."She decides to head over to the academy to look for him. However, the security guards stop her. "Sorry, ma'am. Mr. Moore isn't accepting visitors for the time being."After waiting for three days, Eloise takes the divorce agreement to Iris Jones, Sebastian's first love. Eloise slides the agreement to Iris and says calmly. "Figure out a way to get Sebastian to sign this divorce agreement. Once he does, he and the kids are yours." 


"Young lady, whose bastard is that inside you?"
"Don't you know any shame? Is this how I raised you?"
The living room was warm, yet a cold sweat broke out across my back. I stroked my swollen belly, looked at their outraged faces, and suddenly let out a low chuckle.
"You really don't know?"
Father crushed his cigarette butt savagely into the ashtray, sparks flying up before dying. "How would we know what shameful things you've been up to out there?"
"The kidnappers," I said softly, my voice like a snowflake landing on a hot iron plate. "Don't you remember? That year the kidnappers took both me and Liza. They wanted a 500,000 ransom. You only scraped together half, saying 'save the real child first.'"
My parents' faces instantly froze, like the surface of a frozen lake. They even seemed to forget to breathe.
"Later, you took Liza back. The kidnappers kept me for three more months." I touched my belly, fingertips registering a faint flutter of movement inside. "Did you really think I escaped on my own?"
But none of that mattered anymore. Because I was going to die.