The Spook Who Sat By The Door

When sixteen-year-old Ruby Cole’s life gets uprooted from her sunny hometown to the loud streets of New York City, she expects the worst. New school, new rules, new people—total disaster. But she didn’t expect him. Kai Kingston. Her next-door neighbor. The loud, ridiculously handsome, rich boy who throws parties that last until 3 a.m. The boy every girl wants… …except Ruby. Because Kai is rude. Arrogant. Annoying. A certified heartbreaker. And after she accidentally embarrasses him on her first day of school, he decides to make her life miserable. But the more they clash, the more Ruby realizes that Kai’s smirk hides loneliness… And the more Kai pushes her away, the more he finds himself drawn to the one girl who refuses to worship him. Enter: A charming boy at school who actually treats Ruby right. A jealous Kai who hates how much he cares. Secrets, late-night rooftop confessions, family drama, heartbreak, and a love that neither of them expected. Because sometimes the boy she swore she hate… …is the one her heart can’t let go of. Welcome to the loudest, sweetest, most confusing year of Ruby’s life. Read to find out what happens

A stunning married woman came to me, asking to share an apartment. She could not afford the rent, so she offered to pay with her body instead. I thought I had conquered her both body and soul, but it turned out she had other intentions. What I had believed was a moment of passion turned out to be a dangerous trap, as this woman was a black widow. She snuggled up to me, laughing softly. "Don't you know that lust is a double-edged sword?'"

My stepbrother, Terence Norman, had one goal in life: finding a way around the SAT and getting guaranteed admission. To pull it off, he deliberately staged an accident on the first day of the SAT, sending the daughter of the richest family in the country over the side of a bridge. The girl nearly drowned. Terence jumped into the river pretending to be the hero, even missing the SAT because of it. Not only did I not stop him, but I even contacted the media myself and made sure the story spread everywhere. Because in my previous life, after overhearing Terence's plan, I tried to talk him out of it. I told him the Lawsons might be the richest family around, but there was no way they could change SAT policy. That, and the Lawsons hated being manipulated more than anything. Terence listened to me. When the scores came out, he ended up dead last in the school. On the surface, he acted like he had accepted his fate. During the celebration for college admissions, he stabbed me to death. His face twisted with rage as he screamed at me. "If you hadn't stopped me, I would've saved the Lawson heiress and become her hero! They would've paid to get me admitted somewhere for sure. And maybe Mr. Lawson would've seen what a good person I was and made me his son-in-law! You ruined my life!" When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the SAT. This time, I wanted to see what would happen after Terence nearly killed Kendall Lawson, the girl most likely to become the top SAT scorer.

Kate Adams spent her childhood watching her mother raise the boy next door like he was her own. Leon Romano. The heir, the golden child, the one who got everything Kate never did. Now he's at the center of a scandal that could ruin his billionaire family. The PR team comes up with a stunt to divert attention. Their solution? Marry him off to a “respectable girl” from humble beginnings. Kate was never supposed to be that girl. But Leon made sure she was. Her father took the money. She got the ring. And now she's living in the home that used to make her feel invisible, with the man she swore she'd never forgive. But Leon isn't the boy she remembers. And no matter how much she resents him… he's not making it easy to hate him still. Because Leon doesn't just want to clear his name, he wants her. And suddenly he's not the boy next door anymore.

Across time and continents, a mysterious violet Door appears to those in their darkest hour. It is not just an escape; it is a summons. In modern-day Tanzania, Resipicius ("Ressi") is a young man crushed by poverty and aimlessness. When the glowing portal tears through the wall of his crumbling hut, he steps into the void, leaving his world behind. But the mystery of the Door began long ago. In 1921, twins Mwanamalundi and Mwajuma were born with the power to command the storm and the earth. Destined to protect their people, they built a sanctuary against colonial oppression. However, their rise provoked Baraka, a jealous rival who betrayed them to German forces. In the ensuing battle, Baraka found redemption in a sacrificial death, but tragedy struck the twins. Mwajuma fell into the Chozi la Ardhi—a mystical pond that defied gravity to become the very first Door—and vanished into the stars. Now, the Door has opened again for Ressi and others across the globe. The prophecy foretold that help would come from other worlds. The scattered heroes are being gathered, and the true war is about to begin.

After three years of living with my wife’s family, everyone thought they could treat me like a pushover. Me? I’m just waiting for her to hold my hand before I can give her the world.