Katie As we step aboard the ship, I take a long, satisfying look at the polished decks, the subtle sway of the ocean already humming beneath my feet. The salty breeze has that tang I adore, promising mischief and indulgence. Jack gives my hand a squeeze, a knowing smile pulling at the corners of his lips. He’s quiet as ever, but his eyes glint with that familiar, thrilling look. We’ve been talking about this trip for mont...

Chapter 5By mid-afternoon, we found ourselves wandering away from the town, away from the hotel, exploring the quieter parts of the island. The path led us past vibrant green hills, the sound of the ocean always nearby. The sky was still bright, but I noticed a few more clouds drifting across it now, casting soft shadows on the ground. But none of it mattered. All I could think about was Jack, his hand on my waist, the wa...

What you are about to read was written in a notebook found hidden in the lining of the anorak worn by eighteen-year-old Jennifer Charleston, who, in 1991, was found stabbed to death with a ballpoint pen through the throat behind the trash containers outside J.J. Gittes High School. These containers had recently been chained and locked together due to incidents of vandalism. The young girl was found naked except for the co...

Rattle, clunk. Every bump or hole that Carter couldn't evade made him wince. The noise coming from the front suspension of his battered Ford Edge could not be good. Any time now, the front wheels would fly off. He was sure of it. Carter cursed himself for not making the appointment sooner. He was too busy. It wasn't that big of a deal. It would go away on its own. All excuses to cover the fact that he really just didn't f...

Katie As the car slowly wound its way up the snowy mountain road, I leaned my head against the window and watched the landscape transform into a winter wonderland. Thick blankets of snow covered the trees, and the chalet came into view like something out of a postcard, nestled between towering pines, with its roof weighed down with fresh powder and smoke curling from the chimney. There was a quiet magic to it, a stillness...

It started like any other day—a busy morning filled with meetings. I was leading a presentation, reviewing numbers on the big screen, when my phone buzzed in my pocket. At first, I ignored it, trying to stay focused on the task at hand, but the buzzing continued—persistent. Figuring it might be something important, I discreetly pulled out my phone. The sender? “Battle Ax”—the nickname I affectionately gave my wife early i...

Brooke's heart pounded as she scanned the crowded tailgate, her eyes darting from one potential candidate to another. The sun blazed down, but she barely noticed the heat; her focus was laser-sharp. Each man she passed was scrutinized for height, build, and a wedding band. This was it—the perfect hunting ground for today's mission. She sauntered through the throngs of people, her Balenciaga sneakers silent on the grass, h...

When Kyle and I pulled up outside Liam and Ashley’s place, McKenzi had already been there for hours. We had selected the unspoken day that she normally visited her other family’s place for the day of our outing and agreed that she should go over first. It seemed to me a tacit understanding of the differences in our relationship—there was Kyle and I and there was us and Mack. That Kyle had drifted closer to me in the equat...

Chapter One “What the fuck…” I repeated for the twentieth time. It had become an unconscious chant at this point. I couldn’t stop myself from saying it as I scrolled through his phone, and I couldn’t think of anything else to say. I had never won anything in my life. Not a spelling bee, not a race to the car, nothing. Now, all of a sudden, I won half a billion dollars on a chance buy of a lotto ticket? “This can’t be real...