Every Summer After Novels & Stories

I never expected my husband, Tony Baldino, to confess that he had cheated on me again. Six months ago, I discovered his affair. The pain was sharp, but I had resolutely signed the divorce papers, only for him to tear them up in desperation, crying at my doorstep through the rain. He swore he would never hide anything from me again, begging for a second chance. Soaked and humiliated, the high-and-mighty don of the Baldino family looked like a child abandoned by his own. Seeing him and feeling the life growing in my womb, I softened and forgave him. However, only half a year later, he betrayed me once more. This time, before I could discover it, he confessed. “It only happened once with Jane. You’re still the one I love. Don’t worry, she won’t take your place as Mrs. Baldino.” His honesty was intact. He hid nothing from me. Yet he had forgotten one thing. When we reconciled, I had made him a promise of my own. “Tony, you should understand by now that I am decisive. Once I make a decision, I will never return. I’d even vanish from your life. This time is the only exception.” Since he refuses to divorce me, I will disappear in another way.

Poor or rich, Influential or infamous, there will always be moments that has left us downcasted; moments becoming memories that has created a habitual space in our hearts. 24 year old Linda Solanke, daughter to political juggernaut and a career-crazy lady battles with her past which has become a strong contender as she thoroughly thrive to attain success in spite of nightmares, regrets from her past and confrontations from those she perceive as malicious. What do the world expect from a 24 year old lady? Success? Is marriage a necessity? When the troubled Linda meets the striving young man, Bode Thomas after giving up on love, we wonder if she will assure herself that life is not really as cruel as she had thought but can Bode's fiery nature make her tick? Will Linda look past her fears and doubts by finally pleasing the world by agreeing to the basis that she really need a man afterwards? Won't her past haunt her once more when things get better and the unexpected happens? When trouble set in once more, what should be done? Read and discover in "Sought-After Peace" a new thrilling novel!

A Vanished girl. A broken boy. A word that haunts them all. When Summer disappears without a trace, Kai's world collapses into grief and panic. Ria loves him silently, forbidden by blood and circumstance. Jia mocks him, hiding her own scars. Lilith enters, fragile and haunted, her dreams echoing Summer's fate. On a campus where shadows whisper and rivalries burn, Kai is pulled into a web of obsession, betrayal and forbidden desire. Every chapter ends with cliffhanger, every chapter hides a secret, and one word binds them all: Until...

Olivia B. Lawson gave up her life for love. She married her college sweetheart Vincent, who grew colder by the day. ‘Sign these documents to give my mother a piece of your liver; she needs it!’ ‘Your mother? The same one who hates me?’ ‘Stop being selfish, Olivia! I didn't marry a selfish woman!’ To make matters worse, the best friend she trusted conspired against her and slept with her husband. With nowhere else to turn when her life is threatened, she relies on the kindness of a handsome stranger: ‘Help me, my husband wants to steal my organs. I promise to repay you when we get these divorce documents to court.’ Will Olivia regret her proposal when the handsome stranger turns out to be the ruthless and most feared among the 'new money': 'Billionaire' film investor Matteo D'Amico, a wolf in sheep's clothing?

I was born in the slums with nothing to my name, yet somehow, I once saved the most dangerous man in all of Sicile. In a crumbling shack, I treated his wounds while he patched the leaks in my roof whenever it rained. Later, he pulled me out of that miserable life and brought me into the heavily guarded estate of a mafia family. Together, we even had a son. However, seven years had passed, and he still had never publicly acknowledged either our child or me, all because my background was too lowly. Gabriele Carlos once told me that as long as our son proved himself exceptional enough, the family would eventually accept him. So even at only seven years old, my son pushed himself desperately hard to study languages, etiquette, and even firearms training. On his birthday, he was burning with fever, his little face pale, yet he still came out as the top student in his grade. Holding his award certificate tightly in his hands, his eyes shone brighter than I had ever seen. “Ma, Papa’s finally going to acknowledge me this time, isn’t he?” So, I took the certificate and went to look for Gabriele at his residence. However, through the heavy doors, I overheard him discussing a wedding with the daughter of another mafia family. They talked about the wedding date, the alliance between their families, and how the territories and profits would be divided afterward. Then, someone suddenly asked, “What about her and the child?” After a brief silence, Gabriele answered calmly, “Just keep them hidden.” Those words struck me hard. So the seven years my son and I had spent waiting meant nothing at all. We had only been fooling ourselves, believing things would change. Well, Gabriele might want us hidden, but unfortunately for him, I was done hiding.

He is the king of the Italian underworld. She is the woman fate marked with a deadly curse. Alessio De Luca, the ruthless head of the De Luca Crime Syndicate, has built his empire on fear. Cold, untouchable, and impossible to defeat, he has never believed in love… until an arranged marriage binds him to Seraphina Rossi, a woman whose beauty hides a terrifying secret. On their wedding night, one kiss changes everything. Blood stains Alessio’s lips. The doctors find no poison. No disease. No explanation. Then an ancient truth comes to light. Every time Alessio kisses the woman he loves… he moves one step closer to death. Determined to save his life, Seraphina pushes him away. But the more she runs, the more dangerously obsessed he becomes. As rival mafia families ignite a brutal war for the De Luca empire and a centuries-old curse begins to awaken, every kiss steals another piece of Alessio’s life. With betrayal lurking inside his own family and enemies waiting for him to fall, he must choose between his empire… and the only woman capable of destroying him. But some curses demand more than a life. They demand a love willing to die for the truth. When every kiss is a death sentence… will the Mafia King stop loving her, or will he kiss her until his very last heartbeat?

At one in the morning, the general manager posted the project assignments in the group chat and tagged everyone. I reviewed my responsibilities carefully, going through each detail to make sure I understood exactly what was expected of me. When I was done, I typed a simple "OK" and hit send. Two seconds later, my phone rang. It was him. As soon as I answered, his voice came through, icy and sharp, filled with unmistakable disgust. "Eric, I'm very disappointed in you. I must have been blind to trust you with anything important." My mind went completely blank. "What… what do you mean?" I asked, the words slipping out before I could stop them. What he said next was something I never could have imagined.

On the six-year anniversary of my relationship with my girlfriend, Sheila Loom, I buy some groceries with the intention to surprise her with a home-cooked meal. After I'm done, I head over to Sheila's place right away. That's when the reel I was watching automatically skips to the next one. It's a live stream where people call in to discuss legal matters. A familiar feminine voice drifts to my ears at that moment. "My boyfriend shelled out 500 thousand dollars to put me through school. I've already paid ten thousand back to him. "At first, I wanted to clear the debt before breaking up with him, but I don't want to wait any longer. If he insists on taking me to court after the breakup, can I still pay the debt off slowly?" Almost immediately, comments flood into the comments section, chewing her out and calling her a heartless wench. But the voice replies calmly, "If I truly were heartless, I wouldn't have paid him back to begin with. I no longer have feelings for him. Are you saying that I should sacrifice the rest of my life just so I can pay 500 thousand dollars back to him?" My heart skips a beat at that moment. It's true that I've spent 500 thousand dollars putting Sheila through school over the years. But I feel that I'm overthinking it, seeing as she's never brought up the matter of wanting to pay me back before. After I call Sheila repeatedly for half an hour, she finally answers my latest phone call. At the same time, the woman's phone call that's connected to the live stream is cut off. "It's my birthday today, Sheila—" "Have you secretly come looking for me again? Didn't we agree that we'll only meet up after you've successfully gotten into college?" I don't get to finish the rest of my sentence. Suddenly, I catch a glimpse of the notebook sitting on the corner of Sheila's table. The first page shows "debt repayment ledger". Some of the details are as shown. "The SAT study materials I bought for him: 188 dollars." "The Uber fees I've paid for him: 35 dollars." "The cologne I've gifted him on his birthday: 380 dollars." "Total: ten thousand dollars now paid."

I was adopted. They were so good to me that every night before I fell asleep, I prayed to grow up healthy and happy in this home. Then Mom got pregnant. I hid under my covers and cried all night, quietly packing the little suitcase I had arrived with. But they didn't send me away. They loved me even more. The day my brother was born, Mom took my hand and gently stroked my head. "Having an older sister," she said, "is why we have a younger brother." Dad lifted me above his head and spun me around laughing. "Lily is our family's lucky star — our most beloved baby!" I finally stopped dreading every single day. I thought I had truly become part of this family. Then my brother snapped my favorite Barbie in half. I pushed him. He stumbled, sat on the floor, stared for two seconds, and burst into tears. Mom panicked, shoved me aside, and pulled him into her arms, asking over and over if he was hurt. Dad came running. He grabbed my shoulders and slammed me against the wall, eyes blazing. "Is this what I raised you all these years for — to bully your brother? Believe me when I say I will send you straight back to—"

Two weeks before I stopped waiting, Ethan Hayes gave my island invitation to another woman. Her name was Mia Lawson. Twenty-six, pretty, soft-spoken, and always close enough to him that people had started pretending not to notice. That night, everyone at our table went quiet. Ethan didn't. He placed the envelope in her hand and said, "You've been working too hard. Take a break." Mia blushed like he had given her roses. I looked at the envelope, then at the man I had waited eight years to marry. That island was supposed to be ours. The beach, the villa, the ceremony site facing the ocean. All of it. Maya gripped my hand under the table and whispered, "Claire, say something." But I only smiled, because if I opened my mouth, I was afraid I would beg. And I was done begging. Two weeks later, on that same island, my phone kept lighting up with Ethan's name. I didn't answer. I was already wearing the white dress he had told me to return.