

While they slice me apart, I desperately call my brother, Nathan Slade. He finally picks up as my consciousness starts to slip and answers in an annoyed voice, "What now?" "Nathan, help—" I don't get to finish before he cuts me off. "Can't you ever go a day without drama? Gemma's graduation is at the end of the month. Miss it, and I swear I'll kill you!" Then, he hangs up without a second thought. The agonizing pain swallows me whole, and my eyes close for good, tears still trailing down my cheeks. Well, good news, Nathan… You won't have to kill me because I'm already dead.

Five years ago, on a blood moon night, Ruth, a hotel maid, stumbled into the room of Arthur, the Vampire King. Bound by the pull of soulmates, they shared one night, and Ruth fled the next morning. Now, Ruth is a desperate single mother whose half-vampire son, Leo, suffers from a rare ""photophobia"" illness that requires a fortune to treat. When a chance encounter brings her to Arthur's castle for a high-paying job, he instantly recognizes his mate. Furious at her disappearance, he coldly torments her, but she endures it all for her son's life. When Ruth's greedy aunt sells Leo to the extreme ""Exorcism Courtyard,"" Arthur, sensing his bloodline in danger, arrives just in time to witness Ruth shielding their son with her own body. He shatters their defenses with a roar: ""Who dares touch my son!"" The family is united. From protecting his wife and child from a jealous noblewoman to showering them with absolute devotion, Arthur proves that for the ones he loves, he will destroy anyone who stands in their way. Their story ends in a grand wedding and a long-awaited happily ever after.

Upon discovering she had only three months to live, Charlene finally realized she had been used by those around her and resolved to live for herself at last. So, she confronted her colleagues, exposing the dark side of her workplace, completely cut ties with her parents, who favored her younger brother, and ended her relationship with her unfaithful fiancé. In her final days, she agreed to Elbert's pursuit, making him her last boyfriend...

Finn Kennedy carries a blood curse that drives him mad every 13th of the month, making him violently dangerous. Only the blood or intimacy of a "Maiden of Pure Soul" can ease his suffering and break the curse. Without finding her, Finn faces death by age 30 or falls victim to his half brother Jax's schemes. When Finn meets Lucia Owens, the curse transfers to her. Though this should have been fatal for Lucia, the combination of Finn's daily acts of kindness, their true love, and the birth of their second child finally breaks the curse completely.

In a devastating fire, a stepmother and her stepdaughter become trapped in an elevator, and Evelyn sacrifices her life in a desperate attempt to save Heidi. Unbeknownst to her husband, Vincent Clarke, Evelyn's tragic death occurs while he stands by the side of Heidi's biological mother, Fiona Lawson. Grief-stricken, Heidi cries out, "I only have one mother, her name is Evelyn Glover!"