the witching hour anne rice

In the second year after marrying Zac Jacobs, he finally became a hotshot in the business world.He was decisive and swift in the market, and no woman caught his eye.Everyone envied me.But only I knew that for two whole years, Zac Jacobs had never touched me.It wasn't until that evening at the business gala when he saw his beloved in someone else's arms, and his eyes turned crimson instantly.In front of everyone's gaze, he grabbed the girl and walked away from me, shamelessly yet passionately kissing her as if no one else existed.It was at that moment that I finally understood that Zac Jacobs's love had never been given to me even the slightest bit.I stepped forward, and with a smile of relief, I tossed the wedding ring to Stella Williams as if it were trash."Since you like him so much, Mrs. Jacobs's position is yours; I don't want it."

Lesley Hummer, my husband's sister, lies to me about being unable to conceive. She wants me to help her produce a child. To my shock and horror, my husband and mother-in-law agree with her! I refuse to give in, so they drug me and force me into bed with my her husband. When the pregnancy comes to term, I give birth to a daughter. My husband and his family go nuts because it's not a boy. They kill the baby before my very eyes! They even take away all my organs that can be exchanged for money. Then, they continue searching for a surrogate for Lesley. When I open my eyes again, I'm back to the day Lesley kneeled before me to beg me.

“Do you, Alex Snow, take Jennifer Walker, to be your lawfully wedded wife?” My soon to be husband looks at me with the eyes of a beast, ready to rip me apart at any second as he says tightly “I do” Although he just vowed to take me as his wife, to love and cherish, his ‘I do’ vowed something else entirely. It was an oath to make me suffer horribly at his hands. As soon as the words “I do” left my own mouth I was certain, I just sealed my own fate by marrying Alex Snow. In a small town called “Snow” known in all of Alaska for its huge illegal smuggling business on the border of America and Canada, Alex Snow; the new leader of the Snow clan that controls and dominates the smuggling territory, forces Jennifer Walker into marrying him against her will. After his father gets murdered by Jenny’s father, Patrick Walker, the Snow clan vows to take their revenge on the whole Walker bloodline. But killing the responsible man, sends both families into a blood feud as both clans vow to make the other one pay. The only way to stop that bloodbath from turning into a massacre, and claiming more innocent lives was a peace offering in the form of marriage from both families. Jennifer’s world turns upside down as she turns out to be the one Alex Snow asked to marry specifically in order to stop that war. Her only thought at that moment was “He is going to make my life a living hell” *The town Snow and everything it represents is real inside the world I created in this book. It’s as real as you believe it to be, but It doesn’t exist in real life*

Nine years ago, Charlotte Green willingly bound herself to a companionship system to save her sister. The system guided her to the side of Eric Lorvis, a man adored by fate and envied by the world. Her role, as dictated, was to pursue him under the guise of being mute. Before long, everyone in their social circle knew of the mute woman who loved Eric with a fervor bordering on madness. At a gathering one evening, he finally relented. "If you make yourself look like Emily, I'll allow you to stay by my side." Without hesitation, Charlotte borrowed money to undergo plastic surgery. She reshaped herself to resemble Emily Spencer—Eric's first love. With painstaking precision, she molded her preferences to match his, learned to cook his favorite dishes, and catered to his every need. Yet to him, she was no more than a housekeeper. He neither hid his disdain nor spared her his indifference. His insults, his cold stares—she bore them all in silence. She didn't care. As long as she fulfilled her task, the day would come when she could finally leave this world behind. However, when Charlotte truly died, the cold and aloof Eric, who had always appeared so composed in front of others, lost his mind...

Will grew up in a reality where men were not allowed to cry, express their feelings, or do anything that was considered too feminine. The son of a wealthy Thai family, he was raised to be his father's successor in business, but Will wanted to go beyond that, and became an actor. Everything in his quiet world was fine, until he was invited to act in a Boyslove series, alongside Nate, the guy with the intimidating eyes. Nate wasn't very sociable, always very quiet, didn't like much physical contact, and wasn't romantic at all, all this before he met Will, the boy who made him smile and made his day happier. Wil and Nate's world is no longer the same, everything they believed in has disappeared, and now fiction seems to invade reality, feelings are not only those of their characters, and they can no longer disguise what they feel...

Andrew is an Alpha Lupus, a prince who does not want to be King, much less marry an ordinary Omega like Lady Artanis. The Prince discovers a secret that could change the course of the kingdom, and runs off in search of clues that will lead him to find the true heir to the throne, the Lost Prince. Andrew's paths cross with those of Noah, a young man who awakens the Prince's most intense desires. Noah always thought he was different, he believed he was not Omega, Alpha, let alone a Beta, and that he was descended from the Witches. Everything changes in his life after a stranger is captured by the rebel army of which he is a part. The man awakens unknown feelings for Noah, leaving him completely lost, and trying to fight something he can't, the predestined connection between a Lupus Alpha and a Lunar Omega. Andrew must flee to find the Lost Prince, but he knows that there with the rebels, he has found something he has been waiting for for a long time, his Lunar Omega. Will Andrew be able to leave without taking his predestined one? Can their bond succumb to the social differences between them?

In the small town of Eastwood, the mysterious disappearance of 12-year-old Daniel from his abusive family had left a void that no one could fill. Over a decade later, Daniel, now a suave, enigmatic billionaire arms dealer, returns to Eastwood with two purposes in mind: to reconcile with his past, particularly with his beloved younger sister, and to wage a secret war against the dangerous underbelly of the town. His first encounter in town is with Kate, a beautiful waitress with a challenging life of her own. They're immediately drawn to each other, sharing a connection that neither can explain. But with this connection come complications: Kate is tied to a world Daniel is fighting against, with a looming arranged marriage to a millionaire who has dark secrets. As Daniel delves deeper into the town's affairs, he uncovers a network of narcotics trade, child traffickers, and corrupt officials. All the while, he keeps his true identity hidden, trying to get closer to his family without revealing himself. Kate becomes both his anchor and his weakness. Her association with the town's malevolent forces, especially her fiancé, threatens to tear them apart. However, as they grow closer, their combined strength becomes a force to reckon with. Throughout their journey, they'll face intense challenges, both from external enemies and internal demons. The town of Eastwood will witness a storm of love, action, betrayal, and redemption. But the question remains: can love truly conquer all, even the shadows of a tortured past?

"I'm coming for you. No matter how far you think you can run, I can assure you that you can't hide and I'm closer to you than you think." Cassandra receives this letter from her mailbox. It's the millionth time she's been receiving these threats on a regular basis and her entire life is at stake and the tragedy of her life puts not only her but her husband, Mustafa on the edge as well, as Sandra is curious as to who is planning to desperately to put her in bondage again. Who could want to put her in captivity? Could it be her ex boyfriend, Dan? No. He didn't love her. He only broke her heart and cheated on her severally so there was no way on earth that he would want her. Could it be the loan shark that enslaved her when she was nine? Or could it be her mother placing yet another risky gamble over her life?

My parents take me to court to get my heart and save my adoptive sister. The judge uses advanced technology to extract our memories. A jury of 100 people decides the verdict. If my parents win the case, my organs will go to them. They think I won't dare to show up for the trial because they think I'm evil. However, everyone is overcome by tears when they see my memories and the truth of what happened!

After the video exposing my sister Issa Acosta’s plot against me was revealed, my parents and my fiancé, Henry Nolan, stood firmly by my side, making me feel loved and safe. I confidently handed over all the evidence to them, trusting them to handle it. However, they told me that after Issa was kicked out of the house, she died in a sudden car accident, and I believed them. That was until five years into my marriage, when I accidentally saw Issa—the woman who was supposed to be dead. She was holding a little boy, clinging tightly to Henry’s hand. "Henry, if it weren’t for you and my parents, I’m afraid Zoe would’ve thrown me in prison. Thankfully, my parents destroyed the evidence and even opened a jewelry design studio for me. To avoid suspicion, you even sacrificed your own marriage. Thank you for everything in the past five years.” "Think of it as me atoning to Zoe on your behalf. As long as you and Bear are happy, that’s enough for me." So, what I thought was a happy family was nothing more than a giant lie—a scheme concocted by my parents and Henry. My parents, my husband, and Issa were the real family, and I? I was just the fool who had been deceived for five long years. Whether it was family or love, none of it was real, and I don’t want any of it anymore.