you were always a losing game

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Ericka, an orphan, maltreated from a young age, finally gets adopted by a prestige family but soon after, her perfect life turns disasterous after the sudden death of her foster dad. Her foster mother blames everything on her and soon after gets her married into one of the most successful family in the country. But what happens when Ericka finds out that the man she's about to marry is none other than her childhood best friend, who she had abandoned years ago?. Xander, her childhood bestfriend maltreats her because of this during their marriage.

For months Alex has watched Olivia as she calls out to every protective instinct he possesses. When Olivia's life hits rock bottom as a result of her mother's Alzheimer's, Alex sees his opportunity to insert himself into Olivia's life. Knowing how vulnerable she is, her acceptance of his proposal is inevitable; spend one year as his wife in return for paying off her debts and her mother's care fees. Unfortunately, the foundation of their marriage is based on a secret that Alex is determined to protect from both his family and Olivia; his BDSM lifestyle as a Dom. However, when Olivia uncovers Alex's secret, instead of the disgust Alex is anticipating, Olivia embraces his dominant side and slowly begins to explore her own sexuality. Unfortunately, their happiness is threatened by a plot between Alex's unstable ex-submissive and Liv's deadbeat alcoholic father who abandoned her and her mother when she was young. When they fail to extort Alex for money over his lifestyle, they turn to exposing Olivia and Alex's fake marriage to his mother. A final showdown between Olivia and Alex's ex-submissive finally exposes how Alex's mother was sent their pre-nuptial agreement and the key players in the plot are held accountable. Olivia also forces Alex to confront some home truths about his journey into the BDSM world. In the end, both Alex and Olivia find their happy ending by embracing both their love for each other and learning to love themselves.

Jessy Angelica Dimetri must be willing to replace Lenny Angela Dimetri, her twin sister who becomes David's wife. Lenny ran off with another man on her wedding day to David Lebron. The man Lenny has been dating for 6 years, a cool guy with a million charms who can conquer any girl's heart. David unexpectedly asks Jessy to be his wife, for at least a year. At first Jessy refused it but David begged and promised that their marriage would only be for a year, no more than that. Feeling sorry and at the same time not wanting David to be embarrassed by the way Lenny had left him on their wedding day. Jessy was really confused what should she do? On the one side she understood David's situation but on the other side she already had a boyfriend, Kyle. And after considering the pros and cons, there is no other choice Finally, Jessy was forced to accept David's offer, the offer to be the man's wife, Jessy decided to be the surrogate wife for a year Jessy feels that this is destiny that she must go through, because in reality nothing happens by chance in this world.

WARNING: Please, before reading this book, note that it contains: violence, abusive scenes, and mature scenes. "I was supposed to kill you, Cassius," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Do you think you can?" he replied, his gaze piercing. He gently took my hand, the warmth of his touch contrasting sharply with the coldness of the IV drip that fed into my arm. "I would shoot a bullet into your head if..." I started, but before I could finish, he sealed my lips with a kiss—soft yet filled with an urgency that took my breath away. **** Zara Singh, an undercover assassin, receives a contract to seduce and eliminate Cassius DiMarco, the most feared Mafia king who is known for his ruthlessness. But what would happen when she finds herself unexpectedly drawn to Cassius? And what would happen when Zara finds out Cassius had a hand in her parent's death? Would she be able to forgive him? #2

UNDER HEAVY EDITING. ***** He chuckled at her desperate attempt to make the lie believable. "Pretty little liar, your face betrays a lot, sadly" he placed his hand on her cheeks, his face dark "you can't run from me, Maya; no matter how hard you try to, I'll always find you. Even in the deepest part of hell, And when I find you, you get punished according to how long you were away from me, understand?" His tone was so soft and gentle it could have fooled anybody but not her. She could see through him, and She trembled under his touch. "Y-yes, maestro" **** Though her sister commits the crime, Maya Alfredo is turned in by her parents to be punished by the Ruthless Don Damon Xavier for selling information about the Costa Nostra to the police. Her world is overturned and shattered; she is taken to the Don's Manor, where she is owned by him and treated like his plaything, meanwhile knowing his intentions to destroy her. But then things get dark in the Don's Manor, with the presence of Derinem Xavier. Maya doesn't stand a chance in Damon's furnace. Will he destroy her and everything she loves for the sins he thinks she committed? Or does luck have other plans for her? Note— This is a dark romance. Not all lovey-dovey. ML is a psychopath. Trigger warnings!!! **** TO READ THE EDITED VERSION, PLEASE LOG OUT AND LOG IN AGAIN.

In the glittering world of wealth and power, where every smile was calculated and every gesture choreographed, Ann Sinclair is left wondering ‘what had she truly signed up for? Now that she was married to Lucas Montgomery, the internet giant. The game of marriage had begun, and neither of them knew just how dangerous it would become.

A liar gas has invaded the world permanently. Nobody can lie, else an instant . Ariyah has commited herself to remaining silent for the rest of her life. Her family thinks it is just because she is afraid of , but how can she hide the fact that she is bisexual now that she can't lie? Will she come out to everyone and move on with life or will she let the liar gas rule her world and make her a mute, till she actually dies?You can't lie!

Following the gruesome murder of his parents by his ex, Robinson as since made himself stoic, shutting off everyone from his life, except for Mariam. After an unsuccessful search for funding for her orphanage, Madeline finds herself standing in the doorway of the man who almost hit her days back, about to begin work as a nanny. There is no denying that Robinson is an arrogant idiot — even Madeline who sees good in people thinks so. Yet, beneath that cloak of arrogance and nonchalance for others is a man still carrying pains from years back. After realising she has fallen for him,, Madeline will begin trying to bring Robinson back to his former self, while Robinson will try getting back into his shell. Will Madeline succeed? Or will Robinson remain his arrogant self?

"Before you go, was there something I could have said to make it all feel better?"- Lewis Calpadi Economic hierarchy strips a twenty three year old accountant, Maria Crawford, of a five year relationship with trillionaire Mama's boy, Dominic Payne. Things get a tad bit dramatic when a body is found in Dominic's trunk and love scores again as Maria does everything she can to prove that her ex is innocent. The Good news; she has a best friend who's a good lawyer and actually the best in the state named Zack Osborn, who lucky for them is in town. The Bad; our lawyer friend once had a bruised cheek courtesy of Mama's boy. With pleas from Maria, Zack agrees to be Dominic's lawyer even as he still hates his guts. What could a simple accountant know about murder cases? Would she be throwing herself out too for the murderer to find, or will she leave all these unscathed? ©️ Hillary 2022 ®️All rights reserved