when hope is not enough serum

Nora Lloyd, bitter about her illegitimate status, hates her loving father and flees abroad, where she becomes the renowned Scarlet Monarch. When she receives news of her father's death, she returns home filled with grief and regret, only to discover her half-siblings being bullied by other branches of the family. She decides she has had enough of staying silent.

Nora Lloyd, bitter about her illegitimate status, hates her loving father and flees abroad, where she becomes the renowned Scarlet Monarch. When she receives news of her father's death, she returns home filled with grief and regret, only to discover her half-siblings being bullied by other branches of the family. She decides she has had enough of staying silent.

Fiona Smith hides her true power behind a small fish stall, hoping to give her daughter Sherry a quiet life. But when Sherry becomes the target of Lily Howard, the heiress of a wealthy family, the harassment spirals out of control and nearly destroys her.At Sherry's breaking point, Fiona finally reveals who she really is. One phone call is enough to turn the tables, leaving Lily's father Yosef in fear as the truth comes to light.

Leroy was the concubine's son — the one the family never truly accepted. Banished to the graveyard, he became the apprentice of Madam Gibson, the Grave Keeper. At the Martial Arts Tournament, Leroy's brilliance finally blazed forth, only to draw the ire of Fairy Ember, Elder of the Ebonveil Sect. When despair swallowed all hope, Madam Gibson revealed a power that shook the heavens. With a single sweep of her hand, she silenced the crowd, her sword aimed at the sky: "In all this world, who dares to harm my disciple?" And so began a battle that would span the Three Realms—a clash of fate, pride, and divine power.

Leroy was the concubine's son — the one the family never truly accepted. Banished to the graveyard, he became the apprentice of Madam Gibson, the Grave Keeper. At the Martial Arts Tournament, Leroy's brilliance finally blazed forth, only to draw the ire of Fairy Ember, Elder of the Ebonveil Sect. When despair swallowed all hope, Madam Gibson revealed a power that shook the heavens.With a single sweep of her hand, she silenced the crowd, her sword aimed at the sky: "In all this world, who dares to harm my disciple?" And so began a battle that would span the Three Realms—a clash of fate, pride, and divine power.

Fiona Smith hides her true power behind a small fish stall, hoping to give her daughter Sherry a quiet life. But when Sherry becomes the target of Lily Howard, the heiress of a wealthy family, the harassment spirals out of control and nearly destroys her.At Sherry's breaking point, Fiona finally reveals who she really is. One phone call is enough to turn the tables, leaving Lily's father Yosef in fear as the truth comes to light.

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.

My girlfriend was a police officer. One day, I got kidnapped, and the explosives on my body were ten minutes away from detonating when the kidnappers ordered me to call her. Instead of worry, all I got was relentless scorn and a tongue-lashing. "Caleb, are you seriously doing this right now? How could you be so petty and jealous when a life is on the line?! Lucas' cat is in danger. It has been stuck on a tree for three days, and that cat is as important to him as his own life! "If I don't save them in time, you'll be the one at fault!" Over the line, I heard the voice of a young man that sounded, to my ears, anything but genuine. "Thank you Jamie, you're the best!" That man was my girlfriend's childhood friend, Lucas White. Before the bomb exploded, I sent her a final message. [I hope we never see each other again. Not in this life, and not in the next.

Six years ago, Luke Kranz gave his life to protect Ava Ewing. Ever since, she has carried the weight of both her family and career alone, tirelessly struggling to save enough for her daughter Ellie’s heart surgery. Just when she thought she had no time for anything else, Evan Foster returns after years abroad, reentering her life with unresolved resentment and buried emotions. Unable to let go of the past, he keeps pushing her, testing her boundaries, and stirring up everything she tried to leave behind.

Cherry grew up in the mountains, possessing the rare ability to revive the dead. By chance,she was adopted by the Gordon family,showered with love and affection.Then,she used her extraordinary healing arts to break the century-old curse that had plagued the Gordons for generations. Through her love and power, she became the hope that secured their happiness for all the days to come.

The doctor said I only had three days left to live. Acute liver failure. My only hope was an experimental clinical trial. It was extremely risky, but had the faintest sliver of a chance to survive. But my husband, David, gave the last available spot... to my adopted sister, Emma, also my daughter’s godmother. Her condition was still in its early stages. He said it was the "right decision," because she “deserved to live more.” I signed the papers to forgo treatment and took the high-dose painkillers prescribed by the doctor. The cost? My organs would shut down, and I would die. When I handed over the jewelry company I’d poured my heart into, along with all my designs, to Emma, my parents praised me, saying, “Now that’s what a good big sister should do.” When I agreed to divorce David so he could marry Emma, he said, “You’ve finally learned to be understanding.” When I told my daughter to call Emma ‘Mom,’ she clapped her hands and said, “Emma is such a gentle and kind mother!” When I gave all my assets to Emma, everyone in the family thought it was only natural. No one noticed anything was wrong with me. I’m just curious. Will they still be able to smile when they find out I'm dead?

Everyone thought Wynne Lynch was Nolan Griffin's simp, shielding him from drinks and knives, willing to be the most humble secretary by his side. In truth,Wynne got close to Nolan only because she saw him as a stand-in for her late lover, Nathan Griffin, and also to fulfill his dying wish: to take care of Nolan for seven years. During those seven years, Nolan allowed Rowena Sutter to humiliate and hurt Wynne without restraint. From life-or-death races to high-altitude skydives, Wynne repeatedly risked her life for Nolan. Yet when Nolan finally realized his own feelings, Wynne had already accumulated enough disappointment and resolved to leave.

Everyone thought Wynne Lynch was Nolan Griffin's simp, shielding him from drinks and knives, willing to be the most humble secretary by his side. In truth,Wynne got close to Nolan only because she saw him as a stand-in for her late lover, Nathan Griffin, and also to fulfill his dying wish: to take care of Nolan for seven years. During those seven years, Nolan allowed Rowena Sutter to humiliate and hurt Wynne without restraint. From life-or-death races to high-altitude skydives, Wynne repeatedly risked her life for Nolan. Yet when Nolan finally realized his own feelings, Wynne had already accumulated enough disappointment and resolved to leave.

David Ashcroft has spent his life training on Tempest Peak under a master who turns out to have one very specific weakness: he needs three million for renovations and isn't above bending the truth to get it. Conned off the mountain and broke, David answers what looks like a generous job listing and finds himself face to face with Aria Blackwood, a CEO who has just invented something powerful enough that foreign interests have put a bounty on her head. David neutralises the first assassination attempt almost by accident. He's hired on the spot. When a rival moves in under the pretense of romance to steal her technology, David dismantles the scheme in public.The rival is not gracious about it.

When the apocalypse hits, the university campus turns into a zombie nightmare. Carson Langster, just an ordinary education major, gets betrayed by his ex-girlfriend Linda Larrow and his rich so-called friend George Tarren. Nearly dead, his roommates sacrifice themselves to save Carson—only to turn into a zombie.But Carson awakens the Dorm Manager System,giving him the power to control zombies and build bases. He turns the dorm building into his headquarters and brings his zombified roommates—Finn, John Nestle,Rowan, and the others—under his control. Carson builds a full apocalypse survival base with a cafeteria,livestock operation, and factories. His only goal:collect enough cores to upgrade the system and turn his buddies back into humans.

I'm lying here, my body burning from within as the wolfsbane spreads through my veins. Meanwhile, my Alpha mate, Ryan, is giving the antidote I discovered to his childhood sweetheart, Vivian. With what little strength remains, I beg him to spare just a portion of the cure—enough to keep me alive for a few more days while I search for another remedy. Ryan doesn't even glance my way. He snarls, "I can't believe you're faking illness when Vivian is fighting for her life! Control your jealousy before I lose all respect for you!" Under his command, I'm confined to my quarters to "contemplate my sins." In the end, the wolfsbane consumes me completely. When Ryan discovers what he's done, he digs my grave with his own hands, howling with regret that comes too late.

Five years ago Melissa Gill and Lewis Sharp share one night together and she vanishes before dawn without a word. Five years later he engineers her return, traps her into signing a three year marriage contract, and makes absolutely clear he has no intention of letting her disappear again. By day he runs cold and sharp, pulling her close enough to make her heart stutter then pushing back just enough to keep her off balance. She carries secrets and guilt she hasn’t found a way to say out loud, and she lets him circle her without quite letting him in. Neither of them calls it love. Both of them know exactly what it is.

My stepsister falsely accuses me of causing her allergies to act up. My three brothers stuff me into the cramped cellar and chain the door shut. I pound on the door and beg them to let me out. My eldest brother, an outstanding businessman, snaps, "It's bad enough that you keep bullying Lori. How could you make her eat seafood when you know she's allergic to it? Isn't that just murder? Stay in there and reflect on your mistakes!" My second brother, an award-winning singer, and my third brother, a genius painter, scoff contemptuously. "It's unbelievable that someone as evil as you is making excuses to garner pity. You can stay in there and repent for your sins!" After that, they take our shuddering stepsister to the hospital. The oxygen in the cellar soon runs out, and it gets difficult to breathe. Ultimately, I die in there. My brothers only remember me three days later when they bring our stepsister back from the hospital. Unbeknownst to them, I've already died of asphyxiation.