one last word by nikki grimes

In Havenport, Xavier Shane has always been untouchable, shielded by his lawyer wife Zoey Gold, his fighter childhood friend Sarah Penn, and his brilliant younger sister Lydia Shane. But on his 29th birthday, his world shatters when Lydia is brutally assaulted in a dark alley and dies. The real blow comes in court, when Zoey stands for the killer, and Sarah forces Xavier to sign a settlement.Betrayed by the two women he trusted most, Xavier turns to the last thing his grandmother left him—a music box with a mysterious number. The moment he makes that call, the pampered prince starts to become something far more dangerous.

In Havenport, Xavier Shane has always been untouchable, shielded by his lawyer wife Zoey Gold, his fighter childhood friend Sarah Penn, and his brilliant younger sister Lydia Shane. But on his 29th birthday, his world shatters when Lydia is brutally assaulted in a dark alley and dies. The real blow comes in court, when Zoey stands for the killer, and Sarah forces Xavier to sign a settlement. Betrayed by the two women he trusted most, Xavier turns to the last thing his grandmother left him—a music box with a mysterious number. The moment he makes that call, the pampered prince starts to become something far more dangerous.

Lycan Gray has battled a stubborn case of anorexia for years, and his last hope lies in tracking down a mysterious chef known for healing through food. During his search, he crosses paths with Wendy Sable, an outer disciple from Woodabbey. When Lycan is caught sneaking food, Wendy mistakes him for a thief and kicks him off the mountain.Fate brings them back together in town. To dodge a politically arranged marriage,Lycan offers Wendy a hefty sum to pretend to be his girlfriend. What he doesn't expect? Wendy turns out to be not only his long-lost fiancée—but also the culinary genius he's been searching for all along.

Louise Jones was engaged to Kendall Patterson until Quinn Thompson lured him away with promises of godhood, ultimately destroying the entire Jones family.Consumed by vengeful fury,Louise storms the Heaven seeking justice, only to be cast down by the gods themselves. In despair, she leaps into the Styx river and awakens to her true identity—the demon god Taella. Together with her companion, she attempts to awaken Girgyn, but they're hunted by the gods and forced to flee into Girgyn's dreamscape. When Quinn and Kendall pursue them into the dream realm, their unresolved obsessions backfire and actually help awaken Girgyn. The three great demon gods—Taella,Girgyn, and Rhys—reunite at last, striking terror into the divine realm.

The elite special forces duo known as "Twin Wolves" are betrayed by their superiors. During their escape, Ilya survives only because his partner sacrifices himself to hold off the enemy. Fleeing to his partner's hometown of Belyovsk, Ilya takes on the responsibility of fulfilling his last wish—to protect his mother and sister. But the town is far from peaceful. Criminal gangs collect ruthless debts, and corrupt elites exploit the weak. As Ilya digs deeper, he discovers that the true mastermind behind it all is connected to his former command. With nowhere left to retreat, he decides to confront his fears head-on. Eye for an eye, blood for blood—he will bring justice for his fallen partner and for himself.

Louise Jones was engaged to Kendall Patterson until Quinn Thompson lured him away with promises of godhood, ultimately destroying the entire Jones family.Consumed by vengeful fury, Louise storms the Heaven seeking justice, only to be cast down by the gods themselves. In despair, she leaps into the Styx river and awakens to her true identity—the demon god Taella. Together with her companion, she attempts to awaken Girgyn, but they're hunted by the gods and forced to flee into Girgyn's dreamscape. When Quinn and Kendall pursue them into the dream realm, their unresolved obsessions backfire and actually help awaken Girgyn. The three great demon gods—Taella,Girgyn, and Rhys—reunite at last, striking terror into the divine realm.

Julie Scott, once the revered princess of Xandar, is brought down by the very emperor she served. Fearing her growing influence, he betrays her, setting a deadly trap within the palace walls. Surrounded and outnumbered, Julie fights to her last breath. By her side, her devoted husband, Paul Murray, chooses to die protecting her. When Julie opens her eyes, she's reborn as the wife of a wealthy modern heir who looks exactly Paul but is cold and distant. To make matters worse, a scheming mistress challenges her at every turn. But Julie won't be defeated—she's determined to tame the chaos, build her own fortune, and handle her distant "husband" on her terms.

I spent six months and over $20,000 to plan a family vacation. However, when my mate’s childhood sweetheart Victoria heard about our trip, she begged to join us. Alexander didn't hesitate. He cancelled my spot in the protected convoy and gave it to her instead. He forced me to travel alone through deadly Shadow Pack territory - a thirty-six hour journey where three wolves had died last month. The whole family supported Alexander's decision without a thought for my safety. So I changed my travel plans. I headed north instead of south. I spent three months enjoying myself, ignoring their mindlink message. That's when the family started to panic...

Fiona Simmons and Xavier Stanley were childhood sweethearts, but a devastating fire led Xavier to mistakenly believe that Fiona had intentionally refused to save him. Haunted by this grudge, He carried resentment toward her love throughout their three-year marriage.Deliberately picking fights, Xavier filed for divorce 100 times,and each time, Fiona swallowed her pride, pleading for forgiveness with undignified devotion. When Xavier filed for the 101st time and they walked out of the civil affairs office, his friends tripped Fiona and mocked her openly. Xavier watched coldly, ignored her injured knee, and left with his friend to attend a welcome party for Jenny Simmons. Heartbroken at last, Fiona decided to let go of their love forever and accepted a mysterious stranger's offer.

George, the heir to a wealthy family, was saved by Melody when they were children. He gave her a lucky necklace and promised to find her when they grew up and repay the favor. After years of searching in vain, George marries a woman with a crippled leg. He lets others bully her, even causing her to miss her mother's last moments. She asks for a divorce, and George discovers too late that she was Melody all along. Realizing how badly he treated her, George decides to get her back. But Melody also runs into trouble when she goes back to her father who always disliked her, and her tormenting stepmother and stepsister. Will Melody be able to get back what she deserves?

Fiona Simmons and Xavier Stanley were childhood sweethearts, but a devastating fire led Xavier to mistakenly believe that Fiona had intentionally refused to save him. Haunted by this grudge, He carried resentment toward her love throughout their three-year marriage.Deliberately picking fights, Xavier filed for divorce 100 times,and each time, Fiona swallowed her pride, pleading for forgiveness with undignified devotion. When Xavier filed for the 101st time and they walked out of the civil affairs office, his friends tripped Fiona and mocked her openly. Xavier watched coldly, ignored her injured knee, and left with his friend to attend a welcome party for Jenny Simmons. Heartbroken at last, Fiona decided to let go of their love forever and accepted a mysterious stranger's offer.

I spent six months and over $20,000 to plan a family vacation. However, when my mate’s childhood sweetheart Victoria heard about our trip, she begged to join us. Alexander didn't hesitate. He cancelled my spot in the protected convoy and gave it to her instead. He forced me to travel alone through deadly Shadow Pack territory - a thirty-six hour journey where three wolves had died last month. The whole family supported Alexander's decision without a thought for my safety. So I changed my travel plans. I headed north instead of south. I spent three months enjoying myself, ignoring their mindlink message. That's when the family started to panic...

In her past life, Myla Scott sacrificed the respect and dignity of being the eldest daughter of the Scott family to marry Shawn Ford, only to endure endless humiliation. In Halton, everyone knew that Shawn's true love was Susan Quinn, and Myla was nothing more than an afterthought. Shawn despised her, drained every last ounce of value from her, and left her to die a painful death on the operating table. But this time, in her second life, Myla is determined to take control. She focuses on rebuilding herself, striving for success in both her career and love life. What she doesn't expect is for her cold and indifferent ex-husband to suddenly change, becoming obsessed with winning her back. As their complicated relationship reignites, the truth behind her tragic death in her past life begins to surface.

I'm Isa Borgia, the daughter of the most powerful Don in Corvina. My father worries I'll marry the wrong man on a whim, so he arranges for me to be engaged to Luca, the rising heir of the Marino family. It's an arranged marriage, but that doesn't mean I've lost all my say. The very least I can do is choose a ring I genuinely like. So, I go to the mafia auction. When the diamond ring appears as the final jewel of the night, I lift my paddle. Just before the gavel falls, an arrogant voice comes from behind me. "A country bumpkin like you thinks you can compete with me? Do yourself a favor and leave." The auction hall goes quiet for a few seconds. The only sound comes from the camera shutters clicking around the hall. I turn and see a woman in a gold couture gown. Her mouth curves in a casual smile, as if she owns the place. Before I can say a word, the auctioneer rushes to close the bid.
"Sold! Congratulations to Ms. Sofia Lopez for winning the final lot, the Eternal Star!" My brows pull tight, and a hot spike of anger rises in my chest. "You ended the bidding early! Do you even follow the rules here?" Sofia turns around and gives me a once-over, her gaze sharp as a blade. 
"Rules?" She lets out a cold laugh. "Come on. I'm Luca Marino's favorite godsister. Around here, I make the rules!" I can't help but laugh. What a coincidence. So, she's my fiance's godsister. I pull out my phone and call him. "Luca, your godsister just snatched the engagement ring I picked out. How are you going to handle this?"

Haley Watson is a financially struggling college student who was supposed to be artificially inseminated with a sperm sample from her ex-boyfriend and professor, Ben Ferguson, but was mistakenly implanted with the sample of her longtime rival, Justin Crosby. According to the plan, Ben was supposed to give Haley a check after the procedure to help her save her brother, but he backed out at the last minute, claiming he would only fulfill his promise if Haley actually got pregnant. Under constant bullying from her classmate Regina and mounting pressure from Ben, Haley was pushed to her limits. At this point, Justin stepped in and actively helped her with kindness and generosity. Haley's perception of him gradually changed, and she began to develop feelings for him, but she never dared to tell him that the child was his. Can they overcome these challenges together and ultimately find their way to each other?

Five years ago, Rachel Anderson invited her fiancé's sister, Sharon Chandler, on a shopping trip. A sudden delay left Sharon vulnerable to an attack by three thugs, leading to her death. Joseph Chandler, Rachel's fiancé, was gravely wounded trying to save his sister. To save him, Rachel gave up her kidney—only to have the Chandler family blame Sharon's death on her.Blinded by grief and hatred, Joseph kept Rachel captive by his side for five years, tormenting her endlessly. Rachel's health crumbled until she developed kidney failure. Meanwhile, Yasmin Howard—who falsely claimed credit for Rachel's sacrifice—now demands her last remaining kidney.Broken and hopeless, Rachel walks into the operating room, ready to embrace the end. But when Joseph learns the truth, he must finally face the devastating consequences of his cruelty.

Yolanda's operational error during surgery left a patient paralyzed and triggered a heart attack in herself out of shock.Desperate,Yolanda's mother pleaded with Carolyn to take the blame and serve the prison sentence in Yolanda's place. Deeply in love with Yolanda's brother, Frazier, Carolyn agreed to the request but kept everything secret, intending to explain the truth to him after her release. However, while in prison, Carolyn was diagnosed with cancer. Thus, she chose to conceal the truth indefinitely rather than cause Frazier further pain. Then, she secretly dedicated her final days to supporting him—helping his company develop an anti-cancer drug, and even donating her heart to his sister after her death. But Frazier knew nothing about it and still had a misunderstanding of her even after her death. At last, overcome with regret, he chose to die.

Since childhood, Melanie Llyod has lived under the shadow of loss, her mother gone and her stepmother intent on securing a vast inheritance. Raised in a world of fragile comfort, Melanie grows weak and dependent. But after a sudden accident, Ashton Llyod reappears in her life, urging her to find strength and independence. The emotions they've suppressed for years begin to surface. Though they share no blood, they've lived as siblings for 18 years. But in the 19th year, everything changes… Kate Llyod, determined to steal Melanie's fiance, relentlessly tries to expose the secret connection between Melanie and Ashton. Amidst the growing misunderstandings, Melanie decides to bury her feelings and honor her engagement. Ashton, too, chooses to distance himself, focusing on his responsibilities. But when a twist of fate leads to a murder attempt, Ashton is left gravely injured and hospitalized. At last, both must confront their true feelings for each other. Yet, the challenges ahead are far from over…