They say everyone has a past and sometimes it's what can define your future and make you the person you are today. To tell our story I must first finish there's. In book one you met my mom Stacia and my dad Darius. You read how they met and fell in love and that was when my twin brother and I had a sneak peek. In book two you read about how my aunt Tigra met her true love that was also my mother's doctor and took care of all of us as babies. She got pregnant and had my brother's best friend and our cousin Junior. You also got to see how my mom's best friend Serenity and my dad's best friend Ethan found each other got married and had Echo. You'll hear more about Echo and me further into this book. I'm Aniyah and book three is my turn to tell you all about myself and the boy I have grown up loving but will of course end up breaking my heart. You'll get to know my twin brother Andre, our cousin Junior, and Echo, but before you can hear my future you need to have more glimpses of the past. So, buckle up because this is sure to be the best book yet.
Prologue
The Past
"Stacia is everything ok?" Darius asked.
"Darius it's time the babies are coming."
Darius grabbed the hospital bag and helped me out to the car. I called my OBGYN and told her my water broke. She told me that we needed to hurry and get to the hospital because with twins it could mean more complications. I told her we were already on our way and she told me to come straight to labor and delivery when we got there and that she would have a room waiting for us.
Today we were becoming parents. I was so scared but also very excited all at the same time. I was in so much pain and my contractions were coming faster and faster with no time in between them it seemed. I was starting to get scared I wasn't going to make it to the hospital in time. Darius looked over at me and he looked just as worried as I was.
I felt a sense of relief when we finally pulled up to the hospital. Darius ran in to get a wheelchair for me and came right back out and helped me into it. A guy from Valet came over and said he would park the car and gave Darius a stub for us to be able to get the car once we needed it again. So, we were off to labor and delivery and not a moment to soon if you ask me. My contractions were so bad that I could barely breathe. I was feeling a lot of intense pressure and the need to push. Once we got up to labor and delivery, I told the nurse and she hurried me into a room and helped me into a gown and hooked me up to a monitor that monitored my contractions and the twins' heartbeats.
Brailey has always been what some would call an empath or a little bit psychic it runs in her family, but it isn't something she likes to share, and she never really had issues with it until him. Now she sees every little move he makes as if they were one. This must mean something right?
Nakia was the kind of woman other women thrived to become. She had a successful career and a beautiful home that she bought, and she was always on point. At thirty years old, she thought she had it all figured out, but boy was she wrong. Her mama always taught her that you need to be the woman a man wants and not the woman you want to be. Every day Nakia lives to prove that theory wrong. Through her so-called weakness, she has found a strength she never knew existed. Don't ever let someone's negative opinion of you become your reality.
Aiden was good and safe. Everything Josie should want, and everyone thought she needed. Yet he was not the one she craved. She was tired of always playing it safe. So, when she met Bryce, he set her world on fire. He was bad with a capital B. Everything she was missing in her life. The only problem was that Bryce would only end up breaking her heart. He was the love-on-them and leave-them type always looking for the next best thing. She knew that Aiden could give her the type of future she would need but was that even enough?
What would you do if your father hated you so much that he sold you off to a group of alpha werewolves? That's the very thing that happened to poor little human Fiona. Now she is forced to live with six sexy shifters and sleep with the four remaining single brothers and whoever gets her pregnant first not only gets land, but they will also become her mate. Who even does that? There was no way she wanted to be a part of any of this...
Willow lost her mother before she could even remember her or get to know her. It was just her dad and her brothers along with her. She started to see a lady riding a horse down by the lake but no one else but her ex Ethan could see the woman so everyone called her crazy. Is she really going crazy or was it someone trying to warn her of incoming danger?
Niko has always strived to be nothing like his Mafia crime boss father even leaving and falling love with a woman and having a son he named Noah. His father hated that so much that he had the girl killed and kidnapped Noah all to bring Niko back to him. All Niko wants to do is get his son Noah and little brother Nikolas away from his father but he knows the only way to do that is a fight to the death....
Elodie took a deep breath and knocked, the sound echoing in the quiet corridor. A moment of silence passed, broken only by the pounding of her heart. Finally, the door snicked open, revealing a surprised Dashiell. 'Can't you see the Do Not Disturb sign? We don't want-' His initial frown quickly morphed into confusion at the sight of his wife. 'What are you doing here?' he demanded. 'Your girlfriend invited me,' Elodie replied, her voice laced with icy calm. She tried to peer past him, but his broad frame blocked the view. A saccharine voice chimed in from within the room. 'Elodie? Oh dear, we didn't mean for you to find out this way. It's just that-' Elodie cut her short. 'Oh please, Selene. Spare me the fake apologies. You wouldn't have sent me all those texts if you didn't want me to know.' Dashiell shifted uncomfortably, his face a mask of annoyance. 'What texts?' Elodie stepped past him, taking in the luxurious suite with a sardonic smile. The king-sized bed, the scattered rose petals, the lingering scent of sex – it all painted a vivid picture of their betrayal. She looked up at Dashiell, her gaze unwavering. 'I want a divorce.' ****** Dashiell lived a life of luxury, surrounded by the best things money could buy. But when a car accident left him vulnerable, he met Elodie, a seemingly ordinary woman who nursed him back to health. Mistaking her for just another employee, Dashiell entered into a loveless marriage with her solely for convenience. However, fate had a different script in store. Elodie, the 'ordinary nurse,' held a secret more precious than any diamond: she was the sole heiress to Northstar, a vast and powerful enterprise. Unaware of her true identity, Dashiell cast her aside when his ex-girlfriend returned, leaving Elodie humiliated. But Elodie was not one to be easily broken. She shed the facade of the meek nurse, reclaiming her rightful inheritance and stepping into the role of Northstar's CEO. Now, the woman Dashiell discarded was the one holding the reins of power. As Elodie thrives in her new role, Dashiell is consumed by regret. He finally sees Elodie for the extraordinary woman she truly is, realising the depth of his mistake. But will his remorse be enough to win back the heart he so carelessly discarded?
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
Melanie married Ashton out of gratitude, but she quickly found herself entangled in a web of relentless challenges. Despite these struggles, she stayed true to her commitment to the marriage. In the hospital room, Ashton indifferently attempted to draw her blood, disregarding her discomfort. This callous act was a harsh revelation for Melanie, awakening her to the grim reality of their relationship. Resolved to prioritize her own welfare, she decided to sever ties. With newfound resolve, Melanie filed for divorce. In the process, she unveiled her concealed identities, leaving everyone in shock. Throughout these turbulent times, Melanie realized that Derek, Ashton’s uncle, had been discreetly protecting her all along.
Chloe Miler, a naĂŻve young woman, waits shyly to spend Valentine's Day with her boyfriend, but is betrayed on that day when she witnesses him entangled in bed with her own sister. Chloe's heart is broken when her heartfelt love for him is trampled on in an instant. *** Lionel Williams, the mysterious billionaire, the top of the pyramid, is handsome as hell. His eyes are set high, but he is drugged, has a one-night stand with a strange woman, and is humiliated by that unknowing woman with her money! His instincts tell him it's not that simple, and he's going to find her out!
It's true what they say about marriage: one partner's always happier than the other. ~~~ Julie's world is shattered when her husband, Ryan, reveals that he wants an open marriage. His reason: he needs a child as they've been unable to have one. Julie reluctantly agrees to save her marriage. The next day, Ryan returns home with his secretary, confirming Julie's long-held suspicion that their affair was taking place behind her back. Julie, heartbroken and enraged, seeks solace in a bar, where she meets a fascinating stranger named Luke, who changes the game. Julie confides in Luke over drinks, and he proposes a risky plan: he will act as her "boyfriend" to turn the tables on Ryan. Julie agrees, setting off a chain of events that will challenge everything she thought she knew about love, loyalty, and herself.
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.