Novels by JacqueAuthor

Mina I was in the delivery room about to bring my baby into this world, and who knew it hurt like hell? Mmh! I was very lucky and very grateful to have my husband here with me. He kept holding my hand, telling me sweet things, and encouraging me when the doctors told me to push. He pushed with me, breathed with me. It was kind of crazy. I don't know, maybe after I was done here I would think about this moment and laugh about it. It was a moment in my life when I really needed him, and I was so, so happy and so grateful to have him here beside me. The two doctors that Mr. Emerson insisted on having here were top in their fields. He didn’t care, he had to fly one in as long as I got everything and I was in great hands. The doctors were great, they were encouraging. I just wanted this moment to be over and for my baby to come into this world so I could hear their cry. We were still in the dark; we didn’t know if we were having a girl or a boy. I was just waiting for that moment wh

EmmersonThe next morning, I decided to handle things myself. I know Mina’s already been through enough trauma with her family, so I don’t want to involve her in this. She’s still asleep, and I slip out quietly to deal with Eric.I find him at the hotel, slumped over, still asleep. I nudge him with the toe of my shoe, the force making him stir. Slowly, his eyes flicker open, and the haze of sleep and alcohol makes him groggy. He rises, blinking and groaning, his hand clutching his head."Wake up, Eric," I tell him as I open the curtains, letting the bright light flood the room. He immediately shields his eyes, groaning louder."My head... hurts," he mutters, his voice thick with a hangover. He grabs the bottle of water on the bedside table and gulps down a large portion in one go."Last night," he laments, "I didn't like how your men dragged me out of that nightclub.""You call that a nightclub? It was a strip

EmmersonOh yeah?” Mina’s voice is a little high-pitched.And then Rita says something that makes my blood cold.“Of course,” she replies, her voice dripping with arrogance. “I mean if I could take Eric from you so easily before… When you weren’t this heavily pregnant, and we weren’t even living in the same house. Just think how simple it would be to take his father from you now.”Her voice is low and suggestive. Mina scoffs, maybe out of shock, but Rita doesn’t stop.“I mean, look at you,” she continues, mockingly. “You’re pregnant. You can’t even walk properly without someone holding you. You have to be carried just to get around.” She chuckles,“And me?” she adds. “I’m just getting started. The exercises I’ll do, the maintenance I’ll keep up… You know I won't be breastfeeding, right? This baby is feeding from the bottle. Nothing is messing up this....hot body.”In my mind, I can already picture her motioning to her bo

Emmerson By nightfall, the police have already paid us a visit. It’s all over the news. Madeline had a little accident on the highway. Her car hit the side of a bridge and went down under. She suffocated. But I know the truth. Let her feel what it’s like to lose air. Anyway, the point is—she’s dead. The police came because, after her attack on Mina, there was already a record of her actions. They were just here to deliver the report. To tell us that she was gone. That also settled the issue with Rose. Mina had never been convinced that Rose was behind it, and now that Madeline was out of the picture, it was clear she had been wrongfully accused. Mina was shocked with the news, I never thought she would actually be upset after everything. Even though there’s still sadness in her eyes, I can see the difference. She’s no

EmmersonAfter I had taken Mina home, I gave her a bath, making sure she was okay and taken Care of. She was reluctant to eat at first, but I insisted. “You need nutrition,” I reminded her. “I know you don't want to but do it for the baby. You’re pregnant, you're doing it for our baby.”She sighed, but eventually gave in, taking small sips of the warm soup I had prepared. I watched her closely, ensuring she had everything she needed. Then, I sat her down and gently caressed her hair.I kept talking as I did it—about everything and nothing at the same time. Just filling the silence, making sure she felt covered and safe. My voice was low and comforting. I caressed her head, feeling the softness of her scalp, letting her know she wasn’t alone.And then, she fell asleep.Once I was sure she was deep in rest, I finally allowed myself to feel it all—the anger, the frustration, the overwhelming sense of failure.How could I h

As Emerson's voice continued on the phone, offering words of comfort, trying to calm me, I felt my tears flow faster. I couldn't hear him clearly anymore over the noise in my head, the panic, the certainty that I was going to die. I just listened to him, letting his voice be a thread tying me to something.Then, the banging stopped.I hadn't even realized it.Instead, a knock. A soft, reassuring knock."Mina, Mina, come on, open the door," Emerson's voice came through the phone, clearer now.I still didn’t understand what was happening. My mind was so clouded by fear, but hearing his voice… it soothed me in ways I couldn’t explain. I was barely aware of his words, just the sound of him calling my name, telling me it was okay."Emerson, is that you?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper."Yes, it's me. Open the door, Mina."The reality of it hit me. I had been trapped in a nightmare, my heart frozen with terror, bu

Asher exhaled sharply, his entire body tensing beneath me. "For fuck’s sake," he cursed, shoving me off his lap so suddenly I nearly stumbled back into my seat.Before I could react, he was already out of the car.I watched in shock as he ran a hand through his hair, pacing in the dim glow of the car lights. He cursed under his breath, his hands clenching into fists before he spun on his heel stalked toward the trees and disappeared into the darkness.I sat there, frozen.Confused. Scared.And then suddenly, tears started spilling down my cheeks.I don't know how long he was gone or how long I cried Before I even realized it, he was opening the car door.I hadn’t seen him pass by, hadn’t heard his footsteps. But there he was—pulling me into his arms, holding me close as I shook with silent sobs. His hand moved over my back, soothing me."Stop crying, please," he murmured against my hair. "Just stop. I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you, Ariella. I swear, I’m not mad at you."I clung to his

Five Years Ago That night, I cried until my body ached. My mind kept racing, searching for a way out. How do I stop this?I couldn’t tell Asher. If I did, my parents would die. My father, my family—so many innocent lives were on the line. I loved my dad. I couldn’t be the reason he gets killed.So what do I do? What do I do?I spent the whole night searching. Google, TikTok, Instagram—I went through everything, looking for ideas, stories, and anything that could help me. But no one had a guide on how to escape an arranged mafia marriage to your boyfriend’s father.By the time morning came, I hadn’t slept at all. But I had an idea.I forced myself to act normal when Asher called me. I laughed, joked, and pretended nothing was wrong. I told him about a little diner outside the city—one of my favourite places. I loved their pancakes, and the cook was the sweetest old man.Asher was surprised I wanted to go all the way there, it was far from the city but it wasn’t anything suspicious. So

Five Years Ago"I'm sorry, honey, but you're going to marry the Don." The world around me blurs. "You mean Asher's father?" My voice was barely a whisper. "You mean the father of the man I have been spending all this time with? The man you allowed me to date? The man I’ve fallen in love with? The man who loves me? The man I want to spend my life with? That man's father?" Neither of them spoke. I took a step back, shaking my head. "Is that what you're saying?" My mother exhaled as if she was explaining something to a child. "Ariella, listen, this is good for our family. We’re moving up the ranks. Your father will gain power. Our family will gain respect. Your children will be royalty." "Shut up, Mom!" I snapped, my voice cracking. She gasped as if I had slapped her. Okay, maybe I had—just not physically. I turned to my father. "Does Asher know?" He wouldn't look at me. "Does Asher know I'm supposed to marry his father?" My hands were trembling. "Did you at least have the dece

Five years AgoAs we waited for the outcome, my mother and I sat together in silence. Then she spoke, her voice laced with curiosity."It’s strange," she murmured. "The Don coming to our home? Even if you were the one getting married, it should have been your father who went to his house. This… this is a sign of great respect toward our family."I glanced at her, surprised. My mother and I had always had a complicated relationship—a love-hate dynamic, a result of the fact that she had always wanted a son. Instead, she got me. That disappointment lingered in her, always somewhere beneath her words, her glances, and the way she treated me.But ever since talks of my engagement to the Don’s son began, something shifted inside her.For the first time in my life, she actually paid attention to me.She started giving me approval, she even acted interested in my life. It was little things like helping me pick out dresses for my dates with Asher. She would sit beside me, actually interested i

Five years AgoThat must have been, the end for us. I tried calling him. He never picked up.And so, I did what everybody said—I moved on.It was just a prom date. He just took me because, maybe, he probably felt sorry for me or whatever. I didn’t know his reasons. But that didn’t mean we were ever getting close, and it definitely didn’t mean we were getting married any day soon.So, I tried to forget him.Of course, there was still news about him. Stories about his arguments with his father, because supposedly, he blamed his father for his mother’s death. And then, there was the talk of him coming back every now and then.When I turned 18, he was 21.I had just turned 18, and a lot of our friends—had either been proposed or already had arranged marriages. I didn’t have any prospects yet. I didn’t know if I even wanted any.~~~~We were at my cousin’s wedding. She was 19, and this was my first wedding. My mother told me I needed to attend so I could be prepared, and maybe someone migh

Five years AgoAsher then announced, but he wasn’t just talking to me—he was talking to the crowd.“All right, sweetheart. What’s your name?”“Ariella.”“Ariella? What’s your family name?”“My father’s Antonio... Antonio Costa.”“I don’t think I know them.” He said it like he was trying to work his head around it like he couldn’t place us. He wasn’t going to get it. My family was so low in rank, we wouldn’t have even crossed his mind.“When’s this prom thing again?”“Next month. The 14th.”“Okay, I’ll be there. Don’t worry. I’m a good date. I’ll bring the flowers and all that shit.”And with that, he walked into the toilet, leaving me there.My eyes were wide, and the people around me? Their eyes were wide too. Most of us went to the same school and knew the same people, and everyone was in shock.Was that real?My friend Francesca came towards me, her eyes nearly popping out of her head "Was that real? pinch me."“I don’t know,” I said, pulling her away from the scene. I didn’t wa