when did half life 2: episode 2 come out

Louise Trent's life is a complete mess. In college, she sells adult products to make ends meet, deals with a wicked stepmother and sister, and now she's stuck fighting with her cold fiancé. Oh, and let's not forget about his handsome uncle—who seems to be taking more than an interest in her. Tensions rise as her fiancé seethes over her growing closeness to his uncle, while the uncle, possessive and unapologetic, refuses to back down. Caught between the two, Louise can't help but wonder—when did her life become such a chaotic mess?

Just because I forget to bring my mate's lover back—leaving her alone in the wilderness for three hours—he flies into a rage and throws me into an abandoned well in the desolate countryside. "You need to experience the torment that Belinda was put through." The well is deep and narrow, forcing me to curl up in my wolf form. I struggle to breathe. I plead for mercy and beg for forgiveness. However, all he does is tell me off icily. "Stay there and repent for your sins. You'll only understand the dignity required of a Luna once you learn your lesson from this." He orders his men to seal the well with a large boulder. I let out anguished howls and roars as I claw my way upward. However, I only fall back down over and over again. The walls of the well are covered in my claw marks. I continue like this until I can't make a sound through my parched throat. … Half a month later, my mate's heart softens when he sees the birthday gift I've prepared in advance for him. He decides to end my punishment. Unbeknownst to him, worms and snakes have already gnawed my body beyond recognition at the bottom of the well.

Yasmin Cole loses everything to the stepmother and stepsister who spent years quietly dismantling her life from the inside. Her own father throws her out. She survives years of displacement with one thing intact, which is the intention to come back. When she does, she is ready. The moment she sees her stepsister on the arm of her former fiance Shaun Wyatt, she doesn't flinch. She recognizes it immediately for what it is—the perfect opening. They handed her exactly the weapon she needed to take everything back.

Nora's world flips when she finds out she's a werewolf, diving into academy life, power discovery, and a whirlwind romance with Alpha Prince, Isaac.

In his previous life, Felix Quick was neglected by his family and killed by his foster brother Harold. Before his death, Felix felt disheartened by his family, but when he woke up again, he found himself back on the day of his twelfth birthday, ten years ago. At the age of twelve, Felix was adopted by the Quick family, thinking he finally had a family, only to realize that they valued another foster son, Harold, much more, leaving him with only coldness and misunderstanding. In his previous life, Harold falsely accused Felix of adding an allergenic jam to the cake. This time, Felix did not deny it; instead, he cut ties with the Quick family on the spot and ran away from home.

In his previous life, Felix Quick was neglected by his family and killed by his foster brother Harold. Before his death, Felix felt disheartened by his family, but when he woke up again, he found himself back on the day of his twelfth birthday, ten years ago. At the age of twelve, Felix was adopted by the Quick family, thinking he finally had a family, only to realize that they valued another foster son, Harold, much more, leaving him with only coldness and misunderstanding. In his previous life, Harold falsely accused Felix of adding an allergenic jam to the cake. This time, Felix did not deny it; instead, he cut ties with the Quick family on the spot and ran away from home.

Joe Holt, the fearsome legend of the mafia underworld in the past, has recently gotten released from prison after serving his sentence. He washes his hands of his sinful past and decides to become a law-abiding citizen so that he can spend the rest of his life with his wife, Lily Archer, in peace and quiet. He even finds himself a job as a delivery trucker in order to earn honest money.One day, Joe happens to come across an owner of a BMW, who's used to bullying others in his daily life. The owner wastes no time in jeering and humiliating Joe verbally.When Joe's old friends receive word of the incident, they hurry over in an attempt to back him up, but Joe merely waves a hand calmly and refuses their help. He intends to stick to his principles by not causing any chaos and conflicts.Joe is bent on severing all ties with the mafia underworld as well as his past. All he wants to do now is protect his family and live out his life in peace and stability.

Joe Holt, the fearsome legend of the mafia underworld in the past, has recently gotten released from prison after serving his sentence. He washes his hands of his sinful past and decides to become a law-abiding citizen so that he can spend the rest of his life with his wife, Lily Archer, in peace and quiet. He even finds himself a job as a delivery trucker in order to earn honest money.One day, Joe happens to come across an owner of a BMW, who's used to bullying others in his daily life. The owner wastes no time in jeering and humiliating Joe verbally.When Joe's old friends receive word of the incident, they hurry over in an attempt to back him up, but Joe merely waves a hand calmly and refuses their help. He intends to stick to his principles by not causing any chaos and conflicts.Joe is bent on severing all ties with the mafia underworld as well as his past. All he wants to do now is protect his family and live out his life in peace and stability.

A family conspiracy put Molly’s life in danger, but mafia boss Jack helped her survive and rise from the ashes. Little did they know, a greater conspiracy was awaiting them...

In her past life, Tracy Harper faced a chilling demise—buried alive by her own husband, Ian Lander, and her sister, Lucy Harper. But fate offered her a second chance when she awoke, thrust back three years in time. Desperate to escape Ian's clutches, Tracy's path collided with Troy Smith, her former fiancé who had once shattered their engagement. Little did she know, Troy too had been reborn. In his previous life, Troy met a tragic end at the hands of Megan Horris, the woman he loved, and her lover. Consumed by a seething hatred towards Megan, Troy found unexpected solace in Tracy's compassion during his final moments. The two, granted a new lease on life, saw their affection grow as they made the scoundrels who had killed them in their past lives pay the price.

Karissa was the true heiress of the Beltran family, who had been lost and later found. However, she was then kidnapped by Ivy, the family's adopted daughter. In a bid to prove who their family truly cared about, Ivy set fire to the warehouse they were in. In her moment of peril, Karissa found that her parents and brothers chose to save Ivy, abandoning her to her fate. Just when her life hung in the balance, she saw Luis, someone she had once lived with, come to her rescue. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself reborn three years earlier. This time, Karissa was determined to change the course of her life.

Charlie guards the Demon-Sealing Tower for 1,000 years, holding back three top-tier Beast Kings and hordes of Soul Beasts that all tremble at his blade. The Sky Kingdom royal court frames him as unfit for the post and forces him to abandon the tower. Half a day after he leaves, the tower shatters, and billions of Soul Beasts flood the Human World.

I was eight months pregnant and had just gone into labor, but my Alpha mate, Damien, locked me in a silver cage in the basement to delay my labor. When I cried out for help, he just told me to wait. Because his late brother's mate, Victoria, was also giving birth that day. The Pack Seer had foretold that only the firstborn pup would be blessed by the Moon Goddess and become the future Alpha. "The title belongs to Victoria's child," he said. "She lost Marcus. She has nothing. You already have all my love, Elena. The silver cage will make sure you deliver after her." The contractions were torture. I begged him to take me to the clinic. He grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. "Stop pretending. I should've known you never loved me. All you've ever cared about is wealth and status!" "To force your labor early, just to steal what belongs to my nephew… You're truly wicked." Pale and trembling, I whispered: "The pup is coming, I can't stop it. Please, I'll make a blood oath. I don't care about the inheritance. I only love you!" He scoffed."If you loved me, you wouldn’t have forced Victoria into that contract to give up her pup’s birthright. I'll come back for you after she delivers. After all, that's my pup in there, too." He stood guard outside Victoria's delivery room. Only after he saw the newborn pup in her arms did he remember me. He ordered his Beta to release me. But the Beta's voice trembled. "Luna… and the pup… they're dead." And in that moment, Damien went feral.

Due to an arranged engagement, Marie Hodge marries a scumbag, Sean Logan, in her previous life. Sean steals her university acceptance and gives it to his mistress, Brittany. For fifty years of marriage, Sean secretly takes half his salary to support Brittany while Marie works herself to death managing the household for family and husband. Neighbors call her a virtuous wife, but when his first love dies, Sean doesn’t hesitate to follow her in death, leaving a will to be buried with his Brittany and giving his property to Brittany’s daughter Kimberly. Getting another chance, Marie secretly intercepts the acceptance letter. With the wedding approaching, Marie only prepares for university enrollment, waiting for the wedding day to stand up the groom, kick Sean to the curb, and welcome her new life.

On a stormy night at eighteen, a young man lit up a girl's darkness, leaving a dazzling memory she would never forget. After ten years of love, she lost the ability to have children while saving his life, making him her only anchor. But over time, he strayed to other women and even fathered a child. When she was diagnosed with a terminal illness and given only a month to live, her heart broke beyond repair, and she finally left in despair. Only after losing his true love did he awaken to his mistakes—but can he ever earn redemption?

Forced into a loveless marriage to settle her father's debts, Luna Fiona's life spirals when she finds out about her fiancé's betrayal and the cancellation of their wedding. Amidst the chaos, a mysterious call boy with a royal secret enters her life, igniting a thrilling and perilous romance that could either save her pack or plunge her into even greater danger.

Before my boyfriend, August Cadwell, marked me, we went to register our mate bond at the Pack Affairs Department. Without a word of explanation, he unexpectedly had someone throw me out of the office. Then he walked in with his childhood sweetheart. He didn’t even blink when he saw me sitting there on the ground, shaking with disbelief. "Hailey's pup needs to be part of the Aurelis pack. The best and quickest method is for her to register a mate bond with a werewolf from the Aurelis pack. As soon as we sever the mate bond, I'll form a mate bond with you." Everyone assumed the lovesick version of me would wait just one more month for him. After all, I'd already waited seven long years. But that night, I did something unexpected too. I accepted my parents' arranged mate bond and quietly left for the Lymerian pack, disappearing from his life entirely. Three years later, I returned to my original pack to visit my family. My mate, Ryder Weyland, was now the lycan chairman. Because of an urgent council meeting, he arranged for someone to collect me from the airport. I never imagined that “someone” would be August. The moment he spotted me, his eyes immediately landed on the sparkling bracelet on my wrist. "Isn't this a knockoff of the bracelet Ryder Weyland, the lycan chairman, spent two million dollars on for his mate? Didn't expect you to turn this vain after just a few years. "You've caused enough chaos, haven't you? It's time to return. Hailey's pup is now of school age. You can take on the responsibility of pick-ups and drop-offs." I gently ran my fingers over the bracelet on my wrist. Little did he know that this was the cheapest one Ryder had ever given me.

Ava Montague was once the most beloved heir of the powerful Montague family. But after her father, Gabriel, vanished with no memory of who he was, Ava was betrayed by her stepmother Regina and her stepbrother Kieran. Framed as unstable and dangerous, she was locked away in a prison isolation cell and treated like a psycho. She lost her voice. She was beaten, broken, stripped of her dignity. Even her last meal became another weapon used to humiliate her. Then, after four years missing, Gabriel suddenly returned, and pulled Ava back from the brink of death. But the girl he saved was no longer the naive daughter she used to be. Haunted by what she endured, Ava sets out to reclaim her inheritance and destroy everyone who betrayed her. Yet no amount of revenge can erase the darkness the isolation cell left behind. And then a man enters her life, dangerously handsome, sharp enough to see through every mask she wears. He touches the wounds she’s spent years trying to bury. But can the part of Ava that once believed in love, the part she thought died long ago, ever come back to life?