zachary stein lifeguard where were the parents

In her first life, set against the backdrop of 1970s, Josie Cole married a dependable, simple man who rose to become a respected cultural official, and she stood faithfully beside him. Her cousin Gracie Hill, meanwhile, married into wealth, watched it crumble, fell into ruin, and in a fit of bitter envy, ended up murdering Josie. Reborn on the very day the marriages were being arranged, Josie watches Gracie steal her original match. Josie ends up with the one everyone wrote off as a spoiled playboy, but she’s lived a whole life already; she knows how to read people. Josie and Sam Jordan agree to a cold, transactional marriage and leave it at that, until they don’t. She helps him rebuild his family’s fallen fortune; he becomes someone worth keeping. This time, Josie wins, not by fighting for what she had before, but by building something better.

"Upon discovering I was pregnant, I excitedly rushed to my husband’s company to put our baby down as our insurance beneficiary. However, I was shocked to read my husband’s file. Partner: Victoria Winston Children: Jack Hudson, Sophia Hudson. I froze. The HR manager said the woman was his legally wedded wife and the heiress to the largest hotel chain on the East Coast. Their children were already seven years old. It felt like my world was crumbling down around me. If she was his wife, what was I? His mistress of five years? His friend with benefits? Even more absurdly, I was now pregnant with his child. A child who would never be acknowledged by their father. An illegitimate child. I nodded dazedly. My whole body felt weak. The man I considered my husband was never mine. Even after death, his gravestone would not have my name!"

In a world where humans and dragons coexist, dragonkind—though capable of taking human form—are inherently violent and must rely on the magic of human women to suppress their frenzy. To secure power and compete for the throne, Dragon Lord candidates enter marriage pacts with women from powerful magical families. Anastasia, born into one such family and gifted with immense magic, once devoted her life to helping her husband Dmitri rise to the throne—only to be betrayed by him and her own sister, and die a tragic death in prison. On the brink of death, she casts a forbidden spell and is reborn on the eve of his proposal. This time, she refuses to be a pawn—she will rewrite her fate and take revenge on those who destroyed her.

Reborn into a cybernetic world where "synchronization rate" determines everything, I was once a overworked office worker who died from exhaustion. Now, even as the strongest being, I choose to live as an F-rank "trash" who spends his days flirting with beautiful women and enjoying a laid-back life. But trouble keeps coming for me anyway—my ex-wife demands a share of my fortune, my family forces me into an arranged marriage, a brother dies protecting me, and even my own elder brother wants to drag me down with him. Fine. If you won't let me rest, I won't pretend anymore. One punch per problem—until everyone learns their place.

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?

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.

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.

The night before high school graduation, Ethan Luciano pulled me into his bedroom. His hands were rough, his touch demanding, yet my heart overflowed with a decade's worth of unspoken longing. I'd loved Ethan for ten years, and finally, it seemed my silent wishes had come true. Afterwards, as we lay tangled in his sheets, he whispered that he'd marry me after graduation. Once he took over the Luciano family's empire from his father, he'd make me the most cherished woman in the family. I believed him. The next morning, I sat curled up against his bare chest as he casually told my foster brother, Lucas, about us. My cheeks were flushed, and my heart raced, still clinging to the sweetness of the night before. However, then their conversation shifted into Italian. Lucas smirked, leaning back against the doorframe. "Not bad, Young Boss. Your first time, and the school's 'it girl' just threw herself at you. So, how's my little sister taste?" Ethan gave a lazy chuckle. "Looks like an angel, but a freak in the sheets. Who would’ve thought?" The room erupted in low, conspiratorial laughter. Lucas raised a brow. "So, should I call her my little sister or my future sister-in-law?" Ethan’s tone darkened, his arm tightening around my waist for a moment. Then he let out a sigh. "She’s nothing. Just practice," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I’m trying to hook up with the cheer captain, Sylvia Dawson, but I don’t want her thinking I’m clueless in bed. Cynthia Saville’s just a warm-up." He paused. "But don’t tell Sylvia. I don’t need her getting all emotional." They didn't know that I’d spent months secretly learning Italian, preparing for the life I thought I’d share with Ethan. I didn't say a word. Later that day, I quietly withdrew my early decision application to Caltech and applied to MIT instead.

Jess Willis gets sucked into a novel set in the 1980s where she's the villainous ex-wife of a disabled big shot who dies early. She's stuck with a "villain system" that says she has to stir up drama and be awful to everyone before she can go home. Jess's like, "Play the villain? Hell no!" But then she's like, "Actually, you know what? Villains have way more fun!"She rolls up her sleeves and starts living her best chaotic life—except she doesn't know her whole family can hear her thoughts. The family grows closer than ever, and even her disabled husband recovers and becomes completely devoted to her!

Jess Willis gets sucked into a novel set in the 1980s where she's the villainous ex-wife of a disabled big shot who dies early. She's stuck with a "villain system" that says she has to stir up drama and be awful to everyone before she can go home. Jess's like, "Play the villain? Hell no!" But then she's like, "Actually, you know what? Villains have way more fun!"She rolls up her sleeves and starts living her best chaotic life—except she doesn't know her whole family can hear her thoughts. The family grows closer than ever, and even her disabled husband recovers and becomes completely devoted to her!

Noah Linsey wakes up in a world where humans form bonds with magical beasts, and he's one of the beasts.He is a lowly F-rank spider, promptly abandoned by the girl who contracted him when he proved too weak to be worth keeping. Left for dead, something inside him activates. A system that lets him devour other creatures and evolve without limit. Noah crawls out of that near-death experience and never stops climbing. Shadow Lair, demon beasts, Overlords, all fall before him or kneel to him. When foreign species begin invading and ancient mythological monsters descend on his homeland, Noah has become something that rewrites the definition of power. No one crosses his country and walks away.

Harper Allen is born in Prosperity Village, where women possess a special constitution that produces multiple babies per pregnancy.Because they have too many children, the village is desperately poor. Harper is chosen by the villagers to work in the city and bring hope to everyone—and she just happens to run into the Lauren family patriarch offering a fortune for a grandchild.Perfect timing! With the old man’s arrangement, Harper marries Spencer Lauren, the aloof CEO cursed by his family bloodline of “Any woman who bears a Pierce heir will die.” But the prideful CEO refuses. What to do? No job is too difficult for a hardworking woman—she has plenty of strength and methods! That very night, she ties up the struggling Spencer and tosses him into the bridal chamber...

Grace, the heiress of the Murdoch Group, falls in love with Mike, a poor young man, and becomes pregnant. However, due to their differing family backgrounds, her father, Warren, disapproves of their love. When Mike nearly dies trying to save Grace's life, Warren lies to Grace, claiming that Mike and their son died in a car accident.  Years later, Grace encounters Mike's son, who is begging someone to save his dying father. The two of them don't recognize each other, and it gets to the point where Grace begins accusing the young boy of theft and fraud, but following a series of unfortunate events, Grace finally realizes the boy is actually her son. However, in the meantime, Mike goes missing after pushed off a cliff on Warren's orders...

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...

For six years of marriage, Winona Smith was kept in the dark—until she discovered her husband,Yale Gunson, was sheltering his lover abroad. Her heart shattered the moment he failed to show up while their daughter lay critically ill. Devastated but resolute, she ended the marriage. Picking up her career where she left off, Winona transformed from a homemaker into a luminary in scientific research—her papers graced top international journals, her breakthroughs earned global accolades. Just as she prepared to embrace a new life filled with happiness, the once-indifferent Yale completely broke down. Desperate and unhinged, he fell to his knees, begging her to come back.

On their wedding day, Betty Gibson, an architectural designer, was shown a video of her groom Justin Norton cheating with her best friend. She broke off the engagement on the spot. To get back at him, she decided to marry Justin's disabled uncle, Jason Norton. After marriage, Betty learned that Jason had trouble walking and lived in poverty, so she worked hard to support him. In reality, Jason was the CEO of the famous Morgan Group, pretending to be disabled to investigate a fire ten years ago. Though it was a contract marriage, he walked a tightrope every day to hide his identity. As they overcame various crises together, Jason became increasingly drawn to Betty, and love began to blossom. However, as their relationship deepened, the truth about the fire ten years ago was revealed. The mastermind was none other than Jason's brother Jeff Norton, and the person who saved Jason's life in that fire was Betty herself. In the end, the villains were brought to justice, and the two lovers who cherished each other finally found happiness.

My father's adopted daughter was only locked in the cramped storage closet for around fifteen minutes, yet he punished me by tying me up and throwing me inside. He even sealed off the ventilation with towels. "As Wendy's older sister, if you can't take care of her, then you should also experience how scared she was," he declared coldly. He knew I was claustrophobic, but my desperate pleas for mercy, my terror, were met with nothing but heartless reprimands. "Let this be a lesson on how to be a good sister." As the last sliver of light disappeared, swallowed by the oppressive darkness, I struggled helplessly. A week passed before my father finally remembered my existence and decided it was time to end my punishment. "Let's hope this week served as a good lesson for you, Jennifer. If this happens again, you will no longer be allowed in this house." He would never know that I had already taken my last breath in that suffocating room. My body had begun to rot in the darkness.

Noah Linsey wakes up in a world where humans form bonds with magical beasts, and he's one of the beasts.He is a lowly F-rank spider, promptly abandoned by the girl who contracted him when he proved too weak to be worth keeping. Left for dead, something inside him activates. A system that lets him devour other creatures and evolve without limit. Noah crawls out of that near-death experience and never stops climbing. Shadow Lair, demon beasts, Overlords, all fall before him or kneel to him. When foreign species begin invading and ancient mythological monsters descend on his homeland, Noah has become something that rewrites the definition of power. No one crosses his country and walks away.