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Apollo was an artist who has had several muses in his life, so many that he may not even know how to count on his fingers and not even remember more of all that were due to his supposed "curse"; but maybe, just maybe... love would reach him for the first time, near those beautiful eyes of Amazonita enchanted him on an ordinary afternoon; but isn't that exactly how the first loves happen?
Paint.
There were so many colors and options available in that store that had in itself the fragrance of new materials and in the middle of it all...
Eyes.
Eyes are green as amazonite, bright as moonlight, and graceful as a feline.
Apollo couldn't look away and stop thinking about how he would paint that pair of eyes again and again if they allowed him to.
He didn't know if love existed, but inspirational muse at first sight? Well, in this case, he could not even dare to question.
Apollo was a simple person, so to speak; he would see a striking feature, become obsessed with it in specific, and try to convince the person to pose. It had been this way with all his other inspirations, which were never limited to color, size, or anything else.
Noses, hands, mouths, eyelashes, freckles, and hair - usually separately - made that beautiful young blond man approach.
A young blond man who... considered himself cursed.
Yes, cursed.
He could sustain himself with his paintings, sketches, or even anything he set his mind to, but there was always a catch.
All his muses never survived after the second painting.
Was this because of some macabre ritual? Some strange position, or even because of mistreatment?
No.
It was simply fate, bad luck, so to speak; they sometimes even suspected that his name had brought all the evils that had befallen the Greek god who had once carried it.
Well, that's what he used to joke about since there was no other logical explanation, but in the end... maybe the next one would survive.
He still had hope.
"Excuse me..." surprisingly, the green-eyed woman approached him without any outside influence. "Can you help me? I am color-blind and... I really wanted to give a gift to a special person..."
"Unexpected," the blond didn't help thinking; he also didn't help to have in his little head that maybe the universe was smiling at him again.
"Yes, of course," a gentle smile filled his lips, "what do you intend to give him as a gift? Paints?"
"Oh..., no..." the girl spoke as she looked confusedly at the paints in her hand, "I'm going to paint a picture for him, but I need to get colors that match."
A color-blind girl painting a picture? In Apollo's mind, this was a rather unusual combination that would make a significant disaster or a great work of art.
"Well, you can take these if you want a more sober painting," he took a few options and handed them over, "or you can take these if you want something more cheerful and lively..."
"Something lively!" Her eyes twinkled with excitement, "I want the gift to give good feelings and memories to him."
Cute.
That had been entirely and extremely cute.
"So here it is," the golden-eyed man just handed over the paint tubes, "I hope you have luck with your gift."
"Me too," the girl replied with a soft laugh, "you never know the outcome in my case."
"I can help you if you want," Apollo soon offered, "there are some easels over there on the balcony part."
Yes, besides a store for art supplies, that place also had a part just for artists to unleash their imagination and gifts.
No wonder that was Apollo's favorite place.
"Are you going to help me?" The young woman still looked incredulous at the proposal, "What do you want in return?"
"Be my muse," he replied without shame, "your eyes caught my attention as soon as I saw them."
"I am flattered," she tried to emulate a pompous tone. "Then I believe I will be your inspirational muse, my dear sir," she bowed slightly, wanting to satirize the old ways.
"Easy like that?" The blond didn't help but wonder since the previous times he had to try to convince and even practically beg.
"Easy like that."
It was different, strangely different.
So different that Apollo could hardly resist the instinct to pinch himself to see if this was just a dream, which would be rather cruel if he woke up.
I fell madly in love with a man I was forced to marry, but I didn't expect his heart to be as cruel as it was. "You don't have to be around him," my husband's trusted man told me after seeing me crying after a dance where I was humiliated, "help me, Alyssa... and let me love you as you deserve." He told me, and it took me by surprise. I didn't know what was going on, but the Goddess seemed to be merciful to my soul finally.
The duchess who succumbed to madness, that would be the title she would be remembered by, Ethel didn't need any more of this, didn't want any more of this, didn't want to continue on that mortal plane that would keep taking her to a bottomless pit. But, someone brought her back, and promised her a second chance...what would she do with such a miracle?
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
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."
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."
Life was perfect until she met her boyfriend's big brother. There was a forbidden law in the Night Shade Pack that if the head Alpha rejected his mate, he would be stripped of his position. Sophia's life would get connected with the law. She was an Omega who was dating the head Alpha's younger brother. Bryan Morrison, the head Alpha, was not only a cold-blooded man but also a charming business tycoon. His name was enough to cause other packs to tremble. He was known as a ruthless man. What if, by some twist of destiny, Sophia's path were to intertwine with his?