"Look at me, Melina!" And they were beaming with lust for him. "I will never let you go. You're tied to me forever and nothing will come between us. I swear, nothing. Do you understand that, Melina?" He felt a shiver crawl all over her skin. "No! Never..." She closed her eyes, but her voice failed when he showered her face with feather light kisses, trailing down her jaw, his scruffy beard grazing the soft skin of her neck, sending her into a vortex of emotions, making her body ablaze for him. "Your body doesn't agree with you." He grunted in her ear, pressing himself even more into her. "I'm tired of chasing after you, I'm tired of being the nice guy and waiting for you, Melina," he said, giving little bites on her throat and swirling his tongue on her warm skin as electricity coursed through her body and jumped to him.
The man was there in a suit, with his briefcase in hands and another bag by his feet, scrunched up amid hissing cats, howling dogs and even a screeching parrot. Nia was sure he felt like a fish out of the bowl, and by the annoyed expression on his face he wasn't fond of animals. But Mondays and Tuesdays were the busiest days since they followed the weekend, and today was no exception.
"Good afternoon," she said half an hour later. He got his belongings with a bit of clumsiness from the floor and headed towards her. "May I help you, sir?" She looked from his face to his briefcase with an inquisitive look. He wasn't there for a pet appointment, nor did he look like a medical supplier.
"Yes please, I'm here to see Ms. Melina Karagianis."
"You mean Melina Calimeris. The doctor is in surgery right now. She won't be available for the next hour, but Dr. Gabriella is on. Where's your pet?" She shot an apprehensive glance at him.
He got a big envelope, and with a dark expression on, he checked it twice, and as magic, his face softened up a little and he let go of his breath.
"Sorry, I have to see her, it's a critical matter."
"Can I take the message?" She looked at the envelope and then at the man.
"No, in this kind of business, the person itself has to sign it. I'm from the Courthouse in Athens..." He almost jumped out of his skin when an angry growl came from the front door, as a guy dragged an enormous dog inside. He glared in the pair's direction and turned back to the girl. "I have to deliver this envelope in person and be on the next flight back to the continent, so please, if you can check with her?"
"Courthouse? What for?" She widened her eyes and cocked her head, just like the dogs in the clinic.
"Look, young lady, I have a long list of people I needed to see by tomorrow evening, and I can't afford to miss the flight out of Santorini. So please, help me out here."
She nodded to him, and the anguished look he gave her made her stand up like a robot. "Give me a minute." After that, she disappeared inside the clinic, coming back shortly after. "Doctor Calimeris, asked if you could give her fifteen minutes, and she'll be out, so her assistant can take over and finish for her."
"Thank you!" And with consternation he went back to his seat between two cats and their owners, looking sketchy to those evil aliens spitting and hissing. He wasn't an animal lover, it was written all over his face, and the animals were getting into his nerves.
About twenty minutes later, a petite woman in a light green uniform, full of paw prints patterns on it, showed up in the reception. Nia could see his eyes light up with hope.
"Nia? Where is he?" But before the girl could answer she found him, staring at her as if she was an oasis in the desert and squirming in his seat. He was a middle-aged guy, too skinny and jumpy to her taste, and something told her he didn't bring good news. "Can you bring him to my office, please?"
"Sure, Miss Calimeris." He came quickly once Nia signaled to him. "Please, the doctor will talk to you in her office. Follow me!" She opened a door and showed him inside, then excused herself and left.
"Ms. Karagianis." He couldn't help but notice her surprise at the mention of her last name. It seemed she rarely used it. "I just need you to sign here and I'll be on my way. I'm from the Family Court, and you've been served," he said, handing her the envelope and pointing where she should put her name.
"By whom? What is this about?" He felt sorry for her, and then he saw the strain lines on her face. He could see she was tired, and he was there to add to her burden. Not that it was his fault, no. that was his job, and sometimes he had to deliver bad news to good people.
He also noticed by the way she chewed on her bottom lip, she got nervous with the news. But hey, who wouldn't? She seemed a pleasant person, those kinds of beings that bring you peace. You feel good just by sitting in their company. Such a beautiful lady with those warm, chocolatey eyes. So whatever it was, he hoped she would be fine.
"I'm sorry, I don't have that information, but everything you need it's inside the envelope." She gripped it from him and signed with shaking hands. "That's all ma'am, thank you for your time." Before she said anything to him, he took off in a hurry, leaving the anxious woman and those pesky animals behind.
Melina sat back in her chair, staring at the envelope as if inside it was her passport to hell. From all the scenarios she could assume, there was only one that came to her mind, and it would be disastrous. Her life was about to take a nasty turn, and she didn't know if she was ready to face all the changes that it would follow.
She had made a life for herself on the island, and she didn't want to give up or leave everything behind. She made a home there, had her business, volunteered and helped in the local animal shelter. Now everything she fought so hard to achieve could crumble in a second.
With a loud sigh and dreading to even touch the damn thing, she reached for it. Her trembling worsened, and she dropped it twice on the desk, unable to hold still, so she left there and grabbed a small letter opener, ripping through the brown paper and dragging the contents out of it. The document had a few pages attached, and she didn't fix her eyes anywhere in those papers on purpose. She got afraid to see the inevitable, as if it would do her any good.
Melina gathered up her courage and skimmed the document. She didn't need to read the whole thing just to find what she looked for. As much as she wanted to remain calm, her lunch from earlier rolled like waves in her stomach, and she was sure she would be sick. Two lawyers signed the papers, and their names were familiar to her, but she couldn't place at the moment. The name and stamp on the paper were from Athens Courthouse, Family affairs section, and another from New York City Family court annexed, requesting her presence in Athens in two weeks.
Earth froze in space and the air around stalled as Melina's heart plunged into her stomach. Once her eyes settled on the name of who filed the petition for sole guardianship and custody of the minor, Evangeline Karagianis, her daughter. That wasn't fair. Eve was her strength and happiness. Why this shit now? It gave her the impression life hated her for some mean reason.
She felt her head swimming, and everything spun like a carousel. In a quick move, she put her head down between her knees, and without even noticing drops of tears puddled on the floor. But she wouldn't faint. It wasn't an option; she had to be alert and think about what she had to do.
"Mel? What's wrong, you're white as a sheet of paper!" She jumped in her chair when she heard Gabriella's concerned voice by the door.
"He found me, Gabs! He found me!"
"I will always find you no matter where you are! There's no escape, Alizandra." I turned her to face me and the terror stamped on her beautiful face made me weep inside. She looked at me just like the devil I was, and that didn't sit well with my heart, but I got so angry at that moment and so confused. Anger, pain, grief, fear, and God knew what else assaulted me at that moment. I didn't think of anything else, but to teach her a lesson for being disobedient, for abandoning me. So I showed her the monster I was. I didn't hide from her. I knew my eyes were glowing, and I exposed my fangs. What are you? she said in a whisper, then her eyes changed, and what I saw in those lavenders took me by surprise. There was compassion for a troubled soul like mine, even though she feared me. But those lavenders didn't lie. She always had the power to see my darkened soul. The world around me ceased to exist when her fingertips roamed over my face like she was seeing the real me, like a veil had lifted from her eyes after all those endless years. I leaned on her hand, feeling the warmth of her palm, but I didn't take my eyes from hers, not even for a second. I had to see the emotions playing on her face. "Why so lonely and tormented eyes? Who are you?" "I'm the devil who loved you for centuries."
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
In her previous life, Kimberly endured the betrayal of her husband, the cruel machinations of an evil woman, and the endless tyranny of her in-laws. It culminated in the bankruptcy of her family, and ultimately, her death. After being reborn, she resolved to seek retribution against those who had wronged her, and ensure her family's prosperity. To her shock, the most unattainable man from her past suddenly set his sights on her. "You may have overlooked me before, but I shall capture your heart this time around."
Loraine was a dutiful wife to Marco since they got married three years ago. However, he treated her like trash. Nothing she did softened his heart. One day, Loraine got fed up with it all. She asked him for a divorce and left him to enjoy with his mistress. The elites looked at her like she was deranged. "Are you out of your mind? Why are you so willing to divorce him?" "It's because I need to return home to get a billion-dollar fortune. Besides, I don't love him anymore," Loraine replied with a smile. They all laughed at her. Some believed that the divorce affected her mentally. It wasn't until the next day that they realized she wasn't fibbing. A woman was suddenly declared the world's youngest female billionaire. It turned out to be Loraine! Marco was shocked to the bone. When he met his ex-wife again, she was a changed person. A group of handsome young men surrounded her. She was smiling at them all. The sight made Marco's heart ache severely. Putting his pride aside, he tried to win her back. "Hello, love. I see that you are a billionaire now. You shouldn't be with suckers who just want your money. How about you come back to me? I'm a billionaire too. Together, we can build a strong empire. What do you say?" Loraine squinted at her ex-husband with her lips curled in disgust.
"Ahh!" She was in a moaning mess. She did not want to feel anything for this man. She hated him. His hands began to move all over her body. She gasped when he pulled down the back chain of her dress. The chain stopped at her lower waist, so when he zipped it off, her upper back and waist were exposed. "D-Don't touch m-ummm!" His fingers rolled around her bare back, and she pressed her head against the pillow. His touches were giving her goosebumps all over her body. With a deep angry voice, he whispered in her ear, "I am going to make you forget his touches, kisses, and everything. Every time you touch another man, you will only think of me." - - - Ava Adler was a nerdy omega. People bullied her because they thought she was ugly and unattractive. But Ava secretly loved the bad boy, Ian Dawson. He was the future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack. However, he doesn't give a damn about rules and laws, as he only likes to play around with girls. Ava was unaware of Ian's arrogance until her fate intertwined with his. He neglected her and hurt her deeply. What would happen when Ava turned out to be a beautiful girl who could win over any boy, and Ian looked back and regretted his decisions? What if she had a secret identity that she had yet to discover? What if the tables turned and Ian begged her not to leave him?
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.