the crystal palace & its dark secrets

**Dez** Dezmond woke in a cold sweat. The ache in his heart was worse than ever before. It had been growing more intense over the past few weeks. He got out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash his face. He didn't bother looking in the mirror, he knew what he would see. His face would be white and his eyes haunted with the need to find answers. Dezmond needed to know why he was being tormented in his dreams. He was never supposed to dream again. "I can't take this anymore." said Dezmond gloomily. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ **Ruby** Ruby couldn't focus in class, another night of tossing and turning. Seeing the flames consume her house. Hearing the screams as her family slowly died, knowing there was nothing she could do. It had been almost three years since the incident. The day she lost her family in the fire. She was the only one who wasn't in the house. And she relived that horror every night in her dreams. Though recently her nightmares felt different. More like a warning rather than a memory. "Rough night?" whispered Haven. Haven had been friends with Ruby since they were little kids. "Yeah, they started happening again." Ruby whispered back. They never really stopped. "Have you talked to anyone about it? Ruby, you can't keep it a secret forever." This is the same discussion they had just after the incident.

ATTENTION: don't read if you don't want to stay glued…! Ava, nursing a heart wounded by betrayal, had embraced the single life for two long years. That is until a masked encounter at a fateful party unveils a passionate night, leading to an unexpected consequence – she's now pregnant, with the enigmatic stranger as the father. In a frantic quest to discover the man behind the mask, Ava and her loyal best friend set off on a rollercoaster journey, only to face a series of dead ends. With seemingly no options left, Ava bravely chooses to embrace single motherhood. Fast forward two years, fate reunites Ava with her masked lover, Ethan. But their path is littered with obstacles, including Ethan's disapproving, influential mother, who believes Ava doesn't meet their standards. Can love conquer all? Will they defy the odds stacked against them and build a life together, or will the pressure tear them apart?

Naomi; A fiery, fierce, sexy and top class Lawyer who's good at her job received a case from an entrepreneur who knows exactly what he wants when he sees it . And Daniel Ferguson's eyes were set on Naomi from the very first time they met. Her passion towards her work made it hard for him to talk to her and even harder to wholly portray to her his feelings, but he wouldn't stop until he gets the chance to unfold the darken part of her heart. He tried even when she gave him no hope and he didn't give up when he found out that his best friend was after her too. The battle had been hard from the beginning and now other obstacles has come between him and his damn woman!!!

Athena was many things; gorgeous, a killer, an assassin, a psychopath but above all, a Romano. And that was her biggest secret. Nobody knew that except her brother, Alessio Romano who also happened to be the Russian Mafia Leader. Sean Blackwood had reached his breaking point. He lost his entire family to the mafia, he has learnt that there was no happiness when you're in that business let alone leading it. He was known to be cold, a ruthless killer who hated wasting his time giving his enemies a painful death, so he would kill them instantly without blinking or thinking twice. What happens when they cross paths?

After being fired for a small mistake, Sabrina’s luck changes when she becomes the secretary to a billionaire CEO…and discovers that Atlas Collins is the handsome stranger that tried to save her job. Though they’ve only met once, Atlas seems familiar to Sabrina, a feeling she can’t shake. Can Sabrina trust the man Atlas has become, or will the CEO’s secrets be too much to handle? Without warning, Atlas begins unbuttoning his shirt. I knew that Atlas had a gorgeous face and wonderful personality; now I’ve been blessed with seeing his sculpted body. Atlas clears his throat and I’m forced to tear my eyes away from him. When I see the flirty smile on his face, I realize he caught me staring. “I know you would love to stand here all day and look at my body,” he teases, moving towards the door, “But we have a lot of work to get through.” The CEO’s Secrets is created by Chloe Higgins, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

In the dimly lit alleys of a bustling city, a secret society of supernatural spies lurked in the shadows, tasked with protecting the fragile balance between humans and the supernatural world. Among them was Aurora, a fierce and cunning werewolf with a keen intellect and unmatched stealth skills. Aurora had always been dedicated to her mission, but her resolve was tested when she crossed paths with Vincent, a charming vampire. Despite their opposing natures, they found themselves drawn to each other, their forbidden love sparking tension within the spy group. As Aurora grappled with her feelings for Vincent, she embarked on a dangerous mission to infiltrate a rival faction of werewolves. This infiltration leads to daring exploits led by the enigmatic pirate, Captain Sterling. Known for his thirst for treasure and secrets, Captain Sterling was rumored to possess ancient artifacts imbued with powerful magic. Caught between her duty and her heart, Aurora found herself entangled in a web of intrigue and betrayal as she delved deeper into Captain Sterling's world where she uncovered long-buried secrets about her own lineage and her true nature. Just as Aurora thinks she had everything figured out, fate intervened in the form of a ruggedly handsome pirate werewolf named Caleb. With his roguish charm and unwavering determination, Caleb swept Aurora off her feet, igniting a passion she had never known before... except with Vincent. How can she be so seriously drawn to two different males of different species? It's as if they are both her mates.. but is that even possible? Together, Aurora and Caleb - with the help of Vincent and his connections - embark on a thrilling adventure across the globe, hunting for hidden treasures and solving ancient mysteries. Aurora has to make a choice between duty and her two loves.

She stared at him with hooded eyes, heated breaths mingling in the air between them, "If you agree to this, there's no turning back." His fingers dug into the curve of her ass and she mewled helplessly, "So tell me, flower. Do you agree?" As she gazed into his dark orbs, a fiery passion ignited within her chest. She wanted this, wanted him. But most all, she wanted to forget. "Yes," She replied breathlessly, pressing her bare breasts into his hard chest, "Yes, I agree." *********** Aurora is the perfect little princess, or so everyone thinks. She is smart, beautiful, a ballet prodigy and is also from an affluent family. All her life, Aurora has always been told what to do, how to act and even down to what she should eat. Her overbearing mother constantly dictates how she should live her life. In the eyes of everyone, she is little miss perfect. But little did they know, she was hiding a secret. A big one. And it came in the form of a devilishly handsome boxer.

I was a keeper of many secrets, and I have been for a long time. Secrets that I can't ever share with the world because if I did, it would not only put me in danger but everyone I care about. I had given up the life that had taken so much from me, well, so I thought, but when the man that ruined everything for me showed back up, I don't have a choice but to get back into it. One more target and I will be free, that is what I keep telling myself. I have done this before; it won't be the first life that I have taken. I was hoping it would be the last. If I knew at the time, my target would be the man I was slowly falling for. I would have found a way to get out of it. But now I was in too deep, and I can't do anything about it, well so I thought. It turns out I am not the only one with dark secrets, and between us, it would be those dark secrets that would help change both our lives forever. Co-wrote with Emma-Louise

When fate brings Zara and Ryland back together, they must confront the lies that drove them apart and the prophecy that binds them together—will their love be enough to overcome the danger that threatens to destroy them?

Dark Romance; A spoiled girl’s game leads her into the arms of an attractive, no-nonsense man. Logline: After playing a reckless game, a spoiled and gullible girl did not expect to find herself in a serious relationship with an intriguing and no-nonsense guy who starts to discipline her. Excerpt: She listened as he stepped forward with his belt, moving closer to her and crowding her with the musky scent he was wearing. She fought to hold back her fear as finally, he came to stand behind her. She felt his fingers gently combing her hair down over her shoulders. Then he started speaking slowly, his deep voice starting to shake her demeanor as he talked to her."You didn't marry a soft knight in shining armor that will cuddle, ignore and pet you every time you choose to deliberately get out of line. I will punish you thoroughly for your disobedience..." WARNING! This is Dark Romance. Do not read if you find the theme offensive.