Between Heartbeats
8.9 / 10.0
Share
Celeste Moreau vanished from CEO Jae-won Choi's world three years ago, stealing critical research and a secret: his daughter.
When their child falls ill, Celeste is forced to return to Seoul and strike a desperate deal with the man she betrayed: her medical expertise for their daughter's life. Trapped in his corporate fortress, their past becomes a volatile war of bitter resentment and forbidden attraction.
As corporate sabotage threatens everything, Celeste must decide if the secret she protects is her greatest curse or her only remaining power, and if the man who wants to destroy her is the only one who can save their child.
Between Heartbeats Chapter 1
CELESTE
I woke before the sun touched the rooftops of Montmartre, my eyes snapping open like they did every morning, searching for a danger that wasn't there. The name slipped from my lips before I could stop it.
"Clara Dupont."
My chest tightened. I hadn't been Clara in three years, but she still lived somewhere inside me, whispering in the dark. I turned my head on the pillow and found Luna curled beside me, her small body rising and falling with each peaceful breath. Her dark hair spread across the white pillowcase like ink in water. I watched her sleep, counting each breath like a prayer.
She's safe. She's here. She's mine.
The morning light crept through the curtains, painting everything gold. I didn't move. These moments, these quiet, stolen moments before the world woke up, they were sacred. Fragile. Like holding water in my hands, knowing it would slip through my fingers no matter how tightly I held on.
Luna's eyelids fluttered. "Maman?"
"I'm here, mon cœur." I brushed my fingers through her hair, and she smiled without opening her eyes.
"Pancakes?"
"Always pancakes."
She giggled, and the sound filled every dark corner of my chest. I would burn the world down to keep hearing that sound.
We moved through our morning routine like dancers who knew every step by heart. I measured flour while Luna dragged her stool to the counter, chattering about the dream she'd had-something about flying cats and chocolate rivers. I poured batter into the pan, watching it bubble and brown, then cut the finished pancakes into stars with a cookie cutter.
"One, two, three, four, five stars!" Luna counted, her finger hovering over each one.
"Five wishes," I said, sitting beside her at our tiny table.
"What should I wish for?" She looked up at me with those eyes-his eyes-dark and endless.
My throat closed. "Anything you want, baby."
"I wish we could stay here forever." She bit into a star, syrup dripping down her chin.
Forever. Such a big word for such a small mouth.
"Me too," I whispered, wiping her face with my thumb.
After breakfast, we dressed for our walk. Luna chose her yellow raincoat even though the sky was clear, insisting that puddles might appear. I didn't argue. I never argued about the small things anymore. The small things were all we had.
We stepped onto the cobblestone streets, mist still clinging to the buildings like ghosts refusing to leave. Our footsteps echoed through the narrow alleyways, and I held Luna's hand tighter than necessary.
"Maman, you're squishing my fingers," she complained.
"Sorry." I loosened my grip but didn't let go.
Nina's café sat on the corner where our street met the main square, its red awning bright against the gray morning. The bell chimed as we entered, and Nina looked up from behind the counter, her face breaking into that warm smile I'd grown to depend on.
"Mon Dieu, you're early!" she called out. "The croissants are still warm."
"We couldn't wait," I said, and it was true. This place, this safe, warm place that smelled of butter and coffee, had become our anchor.
Nina slid two croissants across the counter and poured me a coffee without asking. She knew. She always knew what I needed before I did.
"Luna, ma chérie, I saved you the chocolate one," Nina said, winking.
Luna bounced on her toes. "Merci, Tante Nina!"
We sat by the window, and I watched Luna eat while I pretended to drink my coffee. Really, I was watching the street. Always watching. Looking for faces that didn't belong, cars that slowed down too much, shadows that moved wrong.
"Can we go to the park today?" Luna asked, chocolate smeared across her cheek.
"Of course."
The park was three blocks away, tucked behind iron gates that squealed when I pushed them open. Luna ran ahead, her yellow coat a burst of sunshine against the green grass. Other children played on the swings, their mothers chatting on benches. Normal people living normal lives.
I sat on our usual bench, the wood worn smooth from countless mornings just like this one.
Luna ran in circles, her arms spread wide like wings. "Look, Maman! I'm flying!"
"I see you, baby!" I called back, my chest aching with a love so fierce it felt like dying.
She spun faster, laughing at the sky, and then...
She stumbled.
Not a normal stumble. Not a trip over her own feet or a rock in the grass. She went down hard, her knees hitting the ground, and when she pushed herself up, I saw it.
Her hand.
Her little right hand, shaking. Trembling like something inside her was breaking loose. The tremor was violent, uncontrollable, her tiny fingers jerking in ways fingers shouldn't move.
I was running before I realized I'd stood up.
"Luna!"
Three seconds. That's how long it lasted. Three seconds that felt like three hours, three years, three lifetimes. Then it stopped.
Luna stared at her hand, her eyes wide and confused. "Maman, what... what happened?"
I dropped to my knees in front of her, grabbing her shoulders. "Are you okay? Does it hurt?"
"I don't know." Her voice was so small. "It felt funny. Like... like buzzing."
My blood turned to ice. Cold, sharp ice that cut through every vein in my body.
No. No, no, no.
"Let's go home," I said, pulling her to her feet.
"But we just got here..."
"Now, Luna."
I didn't let go of her hand the entire walk home. I couldn't. If I let go, she might disappear. She might shake apart. She might...
That night, I tucked her into bed early. She fell asleep quickly, exhausted from crying when I wouldn't tell her what was wrong. I sat beside her in the dark, watching her breathe, and waited for a sleep I knew wouldn't come.
When it finally dragged me under, the nightmare was waiting.
Not Jae-won. Not his fury or his fists or his promises to find us.
My father.
His voice cutting through smoke and flames: "Protect the work, Cee. Whatever happens, protect the work."
I woke up gasping, my arms wrapped around Luna's sleeping body, my face wet with tears.
The walls of our safe world weren't just cracking.
They were already broken.
Continue Reading
Between Heartbeats of Contents
Chapter 1 Ch. 1Chapter 2 Ch. 2Chapter 3 Ch. 3Chapter 4 Ch. 4Chapter 5 Ch. 5Chapter 6 Ch. 6
Chapter 7 Ch. 7
Chapter 8 Ch. 8
Chapter 9 Ch. 9
Chapter 10 Ch. 10
Chapter 11 Ch. 11
All Chapters all
New Release Novels
8.0
BLURB
She had fought so hard to be able to bear her husband a child for years but all her efforts proved abortive and just when she thought that all her problems were finally over.
She was faced with a brutal betrayal from her husband, taking away her family company, cheating on her and most especially tied her in the marriage.
But everything takes a drastic turn when she realizes the baby she is carrying doesn't belong to her husband, rather a cursed werewolf who could never have a child.
Thrown into the world of the werewolves, Daisy realizes she is more than she thinks, but will she be able to navigate the challenges that awaits her?
7.2
Betrayed by her sister. Killed by her husband.
Reborn, Sarah returns with one goal-revenge.
This time, she won't be the fool.
And with the Knox, the most dangerous man by her side...
she'll ruin them all, and take back everything that belongs to her.
Promotional line: They killed me once. This time, I'll destroy them first.
8.1
Born into luxury, Hermione Watson-Pierce has always felt like merely a pawn in her parents' ruthless game of power. She learned to suppress her emotions, earning herself the title of the "Ice Queen."
Just then, Aiden Mendes bursts into her life-a charming playboy known for his reckless reputation. Aiden chooses to cope with his inner turmoil through a lavish lifestyle, using his charisma and striking looks to keep others at bay.
A looming threat forces them to face a contracted marriage or risk losing their inheritance. When they first meet, Aiden is struck by an unexpected attraction, as if it were love at first sight. Yet, his notorious reputation precedes him, and Hermione makes no effort to hide her disdain.
As their contractual marriage evolves into a battle of wills, Aiden must work to melt Hermione's icy heart, proving that he is more than what meets the eye. But can he persuade her to rise above her prejudices and bravely pursue love?
9.2
Rebirth with a Twist.
Fawn Jones doesn't get a chance to resolve the issues with her marriage. No, she gets murdered in her own bathtub. Drowned by the husband she hated after he had moved his mistress into their bed, Fawn's last lucid thought is a promise before death. "I will not stay weak. I will make you pay. If not in this life, then the next." Then she wakes up. Different room. Different body. Different life. Cassandra Huntington – rich, infamous, beautiful in a way Fawn never had been. Cassie had been in a coma for six months after a car crash. Her billionaire husband, Blake, had just signed the paperwork to turn off her life support when she suddenly started breathing on her own. Now everyone thinks Fawn is Cassandra. The media calls it a miracle. Blake calls it complicated. The woman wearing his wife's face is softer, sharper, funnier... and so tempting he hates himself for wanting her. Fawn calls it an opportunity for revenge. Her killers are still out there. Her old body is in the ground under a lie. And the only weapons she has now are Cassandra's money, Cassandra's reputation... and Cassandra's husband. So, she plays the role. Learns to walk in six-inch heels. Smiles for the cameras. Seduces a man who once couldn't stand his wife and now can't seem to stay away from her. While she quietly buys into the company that ruined her old life. While she gets close enough to the man who killed her to watch him crack. They drowned the wrong woman. Now she's awake. And she's not done.
7.7
BAD REPUTATION
7.7
It was her hair that fascinated him. The reddish-brown mass was parted high to one side, windswept almost. And then there was her make-up, neutral save for the liner around her eyes and the bold lip colour... was that purple?
His gaze narrowed over it and she must have sensed his attention, her eyes flickering in his direction. "You know, it's rude to stare."
Her voice was husky, a crisp edge that rasped along his spine and sealed her appeal. Derek was hooked. Her eyes were back on the doors, her lack of interest obvious.
He should've taken it as a sign, but since when had he backed off from anything he fancied?
8.3
I was the long-lost Donovan heiress, finally brought home after a childhood in foster care. My parents adored me, my husband cherished me, and the woman who tried to ruin my life, Kiera Reese, was locked away in a mental facility. I was safe. I was loved.
On my birthday, I decided to surprise my husband, Ivan, at his office. But he wasn't there.
I found him at a private art gallery across town. He was with Kiera.
She wasn't in a facility. She was radiant, laughing as she stood beside my husband and their five-year-old son. I watched through the glass as Ivan kissed her, a familiar, loving gesture he’d used with me just that morning.
I crept closer and overheard them. My birthday wish to go to the amusement park had been denied because he’d already promised the entire park to their son—whose birthday was the same day as mine.
"She’s so grateful to have a family, she’d believe anything we tell her," Ivan said, his voice laced with a cruelty that stole my breath. "It's almost sad."
My entire reality—my loving parents who funded this secret life, my devoted husband—was a five-year lie. I was just the fool they kept on stage.
My phone buzzed. It was a text from Ivan, sent while he stood with his real family.
"Just got out of the meeting. So exhausting. I miss you."
The casual lie was the final blow. They thought I was a pathetic, grateful orphan they could control.
They were about to find out just how wrong they were.
![[Dubbed Version]The Unforgiven Blood](https://v.melolo.com/b1265344voduse1318177724/5d3a51995145403706031760529/xlqumTrWXDIA.webp!15491.webp!15491.webp)
