one step too far lisa gardner

In a frozen apocalyptic wasteland, Elara harbors a deadly secret: her blood runs like liquid fire, making her the world's last living heat source. Kael, the Citadel's most lethal and emotionless cryo-assassin, is sent to eliminate her. But a desperate struggle permanently binds their fates, injecting her burning blood into his icy veins.Now, a lethal curse forces them together—if they step more than ten meters apart, his system will combust and she will freeze to death. To survive, this ruthless killing machine must do the unthinkable: keep his prey dangerously close.As the freezing nights force them into intimate, skin-to-skin embraces, Kael's cold survival instinct morphs into a dark, irresistible fever. He was built to feel nothing, but as he strips away his armor to absorb her heat, he realizes he would burn the entire world down just to keep her safe. She was his target, but now, she is his only cure.

After their guardian stone shattered, Zimmer Chapman begged ten-year-old Yarel Fisher—his clan's reincarnated ancestor—to return and restore their blessings. Yarel refused, choosing the Fisher family. There, betrayal and scorn led to his exile. Misfortune then plagued the Fishers,while Yarel faced disrespect from his Chapman descendants. Subsequently, the Fisher family was plagued by endless misfortunes. Their regret came too late, long after the damage was done.

Eva Klein, a star attorney in court and a gentle homemaker at home, has been concealing her professional identity because her husband disapproves of her legal career. After her daughter is killed in a car accident, she receives a commission from her husband to strip his wife of everything in a divorce. It is only then that she discovers that her husband has been cheating with her closest friend. Betrayal, she realizes, has framed her life far longer than she had known. As a top divorce lawyer, Eva intends to wield the law as her weapon and turn it against those who wrong her.

Finally, I've returned home from my business trip that has lasted for half a year. As soon as I step through the front door, my wife, Lila Hickman, rushes toward me eagerly. With anticipation glinting in her eyes, she tells me that she wants a baby.The sudden request makes my heart sink, leaving me with thoughts of doubt swirling in my head. After all, Lila and I have been leading a long-distance relationship for such a long time.Since I can't stay by her side all the time, it's only inevitable that I start being paranoid about her intentions.So, I've secretly installed hidden cameras at home. After that, I lie to Lila, claiming that I need to go on another impromptu business trip due to my company's sudden arrangements.Having checked into a room in a hotel across from my home, I start digging up Lila's secret via the live camera feed on my phone.

Wynne Yale, the sole Empress-Judge of the underworld, returns to the mortal realm in a borrowed body to avenge her family's unjust murder.She wakes to find herself wed to her childhood sweetheart, Carlos Shaw—now Lord Morvran. He, too, carries his own deep grudges, and is wary yet inexplicably drawn to this wife who rose from her coffin. Now, this formidable pair must join forces, turning the imperial court upside down in their quest for vengeance.

Karina's stepson's birth mother returns, threatening to take the boy Karina raised and helped heal from a congenital leg disability. After a heated argument, Karina realizes her husband and stepson saw her only as a free nanny. Desperate, she then discovers John, her silent protector, ready to help her restart her career and shine again as a cybersecurity queen. When her ex-husband and stepson regret it, it's too late.

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.

Steve Lawson is the world’s most powerful individual, but tired of being courted and fawned over by global elites, he disguises himself as a carefree,irresponsible playboy, living a seemingly frivolous lifestyle. However, when a rejuvenation formula he casually created puts his family in grave danger, his parents—unaware of his true capabilities—fear for his safety. They hire Melanie Graham, known as the “living demon”, to serve as Steve’s female bodyguard and protect him. Unbeknownst to Melanie, the seemingly helpless young master she’s been assigned to protect is far more formidable than anyone realizes, setting the stage for an unlikely partnership filled with hidden identities and misunderstandings.

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.

Clara is the biological daughter of her family, but her parents and brothers always blindly favored her adoptive sister, Emily. After years of torment, Emily finally murdered Clara at the age of 24… but now, Clara has the chance to be 19 again. In this life, Clara vows to never again be victimized by bullies. Though her brothers find out the truth from Clara’s diary, which plunges them into regret, it’s too late - Clara’s long past forgiveness.

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.

In her past life, Dahlia Whitmore—the precious heiress of the Whitmore family—was tortured to death by the three foster brothers she grew up with and the scheming scholarship girl, Chloe. After her rebirth, she cuts every tie with them and boldly enters a political marriage with Adrian DeLuca, the mafia heir who proposed to her ninety-nine times before finally winning her hand. Adrian treasures her like a queen—while the three brothers, too late, realize just how much they’ve lost.

Skyla Garrett, a girl with dreams of becoming a designer, and a wealthy heir, Zion Murray, fall quietly in love as teenagers, until a devastating fire changes everything. He rushes into the flames to save her and is left disfigured, forced to seek treatment abroad.When he finally returns, he finds her on the verge of engagement, not to him, but to his twin brother, whom she mistakenly believes rescued her that night. Unable to let go, and discovering his brother's hidden motives are far from pure, Zion weaves a careful plan to draw Skyla's heart back where it belongs. Their reconciled love not only heals them both but unravels years of silent tension between the brothers. Real love, it turns out, always finds its way home.

Sue's daughter has never attended a single kindergarten event. Her husband, Gary Lowe,always says he's too busy. But to fulfill her daughter's birthday wish, Sue decides to go anyway. There, she's shocked to see Gary with his childhood sweetheart and her son.Even worse, Sue and her daughter are mistaken for the mistress and illegitimate child.That moment shatters everything. Sue finally sees the truth and decides to divorce him, reclaim her company, and fight for the life she and her daughter truly deserve.

She is a world renowned designer born in a super-rich family with a prestigious background. In order to repay a life-saving favor, she got married with the vegetable patient and took care of him for many years! However, on the day her husband woke up, he kicked her out and married his dream girl! After the divorce, her true identity was revealed! She made the scum ex and the despicable mistress feel so ashamed. Her ex-husband regretted it so much, but unfortunately, it was too late. She was already dating a good-looking young man…

She is a world renowned designer born in a super-rich family with a prestigious background. In order to repay a life-saving favor, she got married with the vegetable patient and took care of him for many years! However, on the day her husband woke up, he kicked her out and married his dream girl! After the divorce, her true identity was revealed! She made the scum ex and the despicable mistress feel so ashamed. Her ex-husband regretted it so much, but unfortunately, it was too late. She was already dating a good-looking young man…

For eighteen years, I, Althea Quinn Calder, wanted nothing more than torn shorts, hiking boots, and a detector in my pocket. My family was known across the stars as a glamorous treasure-hunting team, but what most people never knew was that our real fortune came from finding alien artifacts hidden inside ancient ruins. At a charity gala on Sobek Space Station, I was forced into an elegant dress and high heels, only to discover that the night was not just another social event. Our old rival, Alistair Draven, appeared again, watching us like a predator and hinting that he already knew about the secret mission my father had planned. Even worse, my father had hired a new intern without telling me. His name was Kaelan Frost, a brilliant student with green eyes, a Capellan accent, and the most dangerous effect on my concentration. I hated the idea of adding anyone to our team—until he joined our next expedition to New Haven, where a dive into the wreck of the Queen Anne's Revenge led me to a hidden metal box, a ruby ring, and a cipher connected to the lost lover of the infamous space pirate Edward Teach. The clue pointed us from a sunken ship to a protected estate, then to a secret garden where another message revealed something far bigger: Teach had hidden not only pirate treasure, but the missing fortune of a destroyed Spanish treasure fleet. Every clue brings Kaelan and me closer, but it also brings Alistair closer to us. He has followed every expedition we ever took, and this time, if he discovers what I am carrying, the next treasure we uncover may become the one that gets us killed.

Nora gave everything she had to save her husband Elijah, and their son Ryan, both of whom pretended to be suffering from liver cirrhosis. She worked herself to the brink, only to discover during a part-time job that it was all a lie.The illness was fake, and Elijah was no poor, ordinary man. He turned out to be a powerful billionaire. It had all been a twisted game between father and son, with her love as the prize. Shattered by betrayal and humiliation, Nora walked away, determined to take back control of her life. But by the time Elijah and Ryan realize what they've lost, it may already be too late.