Familiar Stranger

Samantha, a photojournalist covering an elite engagement party in New York, is struggling to keep her composure. Behind her calm professional mask hides Sanjana—the identity she left behind after a devastating accident that nearly killed her. Once a spirited singer from Kashmir, Sanjana had fallen deeply in love with Liam Turner, a charming and passionate young man who shared her dreams and her melodies. But their love was torn apart when she was caught in a fatal accident and declared dead. What no one knew was that she had survived—her face disfigured, her life upended, and her heart shattered. After months of painful surgeries and recovery, she was given a new face and a new identity. She became Samantha. And now, fate had brought her face-to-face with the man she once loved. Liam is the groom at the engagement she’s assigned to photograph. As Samantha lifts her camera and focuses through the lens, her hands tremble. There he stands—tall, familiar, unchanged—his arm draped around his glamorous fiancée, Rose Carter. Liam doesn’t recognize her. Not with this new face. Not after all these years. And when Rose rudely snaps at Samantha, Liam quietly defends her, asking Rose to apologize. It stirs something in Samantha—proof that the man she loved still exists somewhere beneath the polished exterior. But as she’s forced to watch them pose, laugh, and even kiss for the camera, her heart begins to crack under the pressure. Fleeing to the restroom, she breaks down in front of the mirror. The woman looking back at her is a stranger. She reminds herself she is no longer Sanjana. Yet the pain refuses to be buried. To make things worse, she is hiding another truth—she is pregnant. The child she carries is Liam’s, conceived the night they had last been together, just days before the accident. She had tried to move on, tried to erase him from her life. But the baby growing inside her has kept his memory alive in the deepest corners of her soul. Liam, sensing something strange in her behavior, follows her and gently asks if she’s okay. He hesitates, looking into her eyes. “You seem familiar,” he says. She brushes it off with a practiced smile, but inside she’s trembling. Over the next few days, she continues her assignment while carefully avoiding personal interaction. She visits her doctor in secretas she doesn’t want Liam to know about his child. But Liam’s presence gnaws at her resolve. There are moments when his gaze lingers too long, when her voice or a small gesture seems to stir a memory within him. Tom, her longtime colleague, begins to grow suspicious and concerned about her emotional state. As the wedding festivities continue, a traditional Kashmiri song is played at one of the events. It was their song—hers and Liam’s. She sings softly to herself, and Liam hears it. He freezes. That voice. That tune. The way she sings it—only one person ever did. He corners her later, demanding the truth. In a flood of emotion and grief, she finally reveals everything: her real name, the accident, the pain, the surgeries, the silence, and the baby. Liam is stunned. Torn between disbelief and heartbreak, he walks away, leaving her reeling in fear that she has lost him a second time. Rose, sensing her hold on Liam slipping, tries to manipulate him into thinking Samantha is lying for attention. But Liam can’t shake the feeling in his gut—the truth in her voice, the pain in her eyes. He begins investigating, speaks to doctors, confirms her medical history, and realizes Sanjana had never betrayed him. She had suffered alone. He calls off the engagement with Rose, much to her fury, and returns to Samantha—not just for closure, but to start again. They meet in a quiet café, where Liam places a trembling hand on her belly. He breaks down. They embrace. He apologizes, and she forgives him. Months later, Sanjana gives birth to a healthy baby. Liam is there through it all, never once leaving her side. In time, they visit Kashmir once again, standing under the old almond tree that had once witnessed their love and their promises. With their child in his arms, Liam proposes again—not with grandeur, but with truth, love, and the vow of never letting her go again.

Chapters

Chapter 1

Samantha Pov

The hall glittered with fairy lights, champagne flutes clinked, and soft music echoed through the laughter of the elite. Samantha adjusted her press badge, letting the camera hang heavily around her neck—a perfect mask for the storm brewing inside her.

She had covered dozens of high-society events before, but never one that threatened to break her piece by piece.

“Come on, Sanjana. You can do this. You’ve handled so many assignments,” I whispered under my breath. “You’re not Sanjana. You’re Samantha. Leave the past in the past. It’s buried in the snow-peaked mountains of Kashmir.” I was so engrossed that I didn't realise when I reached inside.

My colleague nudged me. “There he is. The groom-to-be. Handsome, isn’t he?” I followed her gaze. There he stood.

Liam. My Liam.

My heartbeat staggered.

He was surrounded by glittering guests and flutes of sparkling wine, but all I could see was the man who once played the guitar beneath the almond tree, singing with me, as petals floated down around us like confetti. It was music that had brought us together, and now it mocked me through the violins playing in the background.

He still looked the same , dark tousled hair that I traced with my fingers. The same tilted smile that once accelerated my heartbeat . Maturity suits him well .

He stood tall in a tailored navy suit, talking to guests with that effortless charm that used to make my knees go weak. But the arm he had around his fiancée’s waist wasn’t meant for someone else. It had once been mine.1

I lifted the camera slowly. The lens offered the distance I needed, a fragile barrier between my heart and the truth. My hands trembled as I zoomed in. I clicked the shutter too forcefully.

The sound made him glance my way.

He looked directly at me—and smiled politely. A tight, impersonal smile. The kind you give to strangers.

Of course he didn’t recognise me. Not with this face—a stranger’s face, reshaped by surgeons after the accident had stolen everything.

“You, okay?” someone asked.

Yeah,” I lied. “Just light-headed.”, I blinked. Tom, my colleague, handed me a glass of water. “Here. You look pale. Take this , it will help .” Tom spoke while he handed a glass of water

I needed to focus. Do my job. Pretend I wasn’t standing there watching the man I loved celebrate a future that didn’t include me. Pretend I wasn’t alive when the world believed I had died. Pretend this wasn’t killing me.

“Samantha, where are you lost?” Another voice snapped me back.

“The bride-to-be, Miss Rose Carter, wants an exclusive shoot with her fiancé, Mr. Liam Turner. It’s your assignment. They’re waiting for you in the back garden.” I nodded, unable to trust my voice.

Why does this always happen to me? Why is destiny always against me? First, I lost him in the accident. Then I lost my face, my identity. And now I’m going to watch him do all the things with someone else that I once dreamed of.

“Hey, Miss Photographer, where do you think you’re going? You have to take our pictures. These days, people are so unprofessional,” Rose snapped as I approached.

I froze, her voice sharp as glass. As I stepped forward, I felt more than heard a shift beside me.

“Rose,” Liam said, his voice firmer than I expected. “That was uncalled for.”

“What?” she turned, confused.

“She’s doing her job. There’s no reason to speak to her like that.”

“I just—”

“Apologise,” He said quietly but clearly.

“ Sorry. Long day.” She gave a tight-lipped smile .

I nodded. I didn’t have the strength to respond.

I guided them through the poses. Rose laughed a little too loudly; Liam smiled dutifully. But all I could see were shadows of the man I once loved. The one who’d promised me forever beneath a starlit sky in Kashmir. The one who never came looking for me after the fateful accident.

Then came the final blow. “I want a picture of us kissing,” Rose said, pulling Liam close. “It has to be dramatic.”

I barely managed to steady the camera as their lips met. My chest felt like it would crack open.

Even if I told him who I was—would it matter? Would he believe me? Would he even care?

“I—excuse me,” I mumbled, pretending to need the restroom, and fled.

I locked myself inside and leaned over the sink, gripping the counter. My reflection stared back. The face here is refined, repaired, but not mine, with only the eyes that are familiar. The pain behind them more so.

Tears welled up like a broken dam. What are you doing, Sanjana? Crying over a man who never searched for you? Who left you behind when you needed him most? My inner voice was screaming now. He left scars—not just on your face, but on your soul.

Still, my heart ached for him.

The memories flooded in—sirens, blood, the cold metal of the hospital table. The moment I realised my old life was gone. The moment I knew I’d become a ghost, even for the man who had once held my world together.

I wiped my face and reapplied my makeup with trembling hands. I had to be strong. I had to finish the job.

As I capped the lipstick and straightened up, the door creaked open.

“Are you okay?” came a voice that was quite familiar.

Continue to next part

The divorce papers hit the marble coffee table with a sound like a gunshot. I didn't flinch. My fingers remained steady on the page of my book—some thriller I'd stopped reading three paragraphs ago. The penthouse living room stretched around us, all glass and steel and cold white surfaces that Mason's decorator had insisted screamed "modern sophistication." It had always felt like a mausoleum to me. "Clara." Mason's voice carried that particular tone he used when he wanted to sound both regretful and noble. The Prince of Manhattan, they called him in the society pages. The man who'd pulled me from the wreckage of my family's bankruptcy five years ago and made me his wife. His project. His proof of concept. I set the book down and looked at him.

Billionaire Modern Romance

9.3

Claimed By The Three Hockey Alphas

9.3

"You think you can hide behind that mask, Fireheart?" Logan snarled, his breath hot against my throat. Sabastain's hand pinned my wrists above my head, while Zane leaned in close enough that I could feel his pulse match mine. "We know what you are. And we’ll never let you go." Their bodies cage me against the cold locker room wall, heat radiating off them like wildfire. They should terrify me. They should repulse me. But they don’t. Because the truth is, I was born to burn for them. And they were born to tame me. I only wanted one thing—to play hockey. But in a world where girls aren’t allowed on the ice, my dream was shattered the night I rejected Alpha Marcus Blackwood’s obsessive claim—and was banished with my family. Now, with my hair cut short and my identity hidden, I enrolled at Crescent Moon Academy as “Frederick Sterling,” just another boy chasing glory on the legendary Wolves hockey team. But three powerful alphas are about to complicate everything. They’re not just teammates. They’re predators. And they’re bound to me. The question is—will they tame my fire, or will I burn them all?

Modern Romance Werewolf

8.4

Falling For My Father's Best friend

8.4

A fresh out college mess decided to have a few harmless drinks before going to see her father. Well, a very irresistible stranger wasn't so harmless so why not risk it. Little did she know that he was someone close to her father. Her father's best friend. *********** “Tell me what you want,” he demanded. “You,” I gasped. “Harder. Please.” He gave it to me. Relentless. Possessive. One hand pinned my wrists above my head; the other gripped my hip, angling me exactly how he wanted. “You’re mine tonight,” he said against my throat, teeth grazing skin. “Say it.” “I’m yours,” I breathed, lost in him.

Billionaire Modern Romance

8.3

Flash Marriage To The Billionaire CEO

8.3

She wanted stability. She found Adrian Blackwell—dominant, dangerous, and determined to make her his. After catching her boyfriend of three years cheating, Elena Carter swore never to fall in love again. On a reckless whim, she walked into a blind date arranged by her family—and impulsively proposed a flash marriage. All she wanted was a quiet, dependable man. What she got was Adrian Blackwell—a ruthless billionaire known for crushing rivals with a single glance. Cold to the world, dangerously charming behind closed doors, Adrian doesn’t ask. He takes. From the moment she slips on his ring, Adrian makes one thing clear: “You’re mine, Elena. No man touches what belongs to me.” But as whispers of his past lovers surface, Elena’s heart twists with emotions she swore she’d buried—jealousy, heartbreak… longing. Then, a brutal accident unearths a forgotten memory: a reckless one-night stand years ago… with the same face as her husband’s. Everything falls into place. Every twist, every detour— It was always Adrian.

Billionaire Modern Romance

9.4

My Boss's Costly Game of Love

9.4

For five years, I poured my soul into my career and my secret lover, my boss Hudson. But for the fifth time, he gave the promotion I bled for to my incompetent rival, Kaitlyn. My world shattered when I overheard him callously admitting our entire relationship was just a "cost-effective strategy" to keep me motivated without the director's salary. The humiliation didn't end there. He physically forced me into a deeper bow before Kaitlyn, re-injuring my back. When I finally quit, his revenge was swift: an assignment to a notoriously dangerous remote site. That night, I was brutally attacked. My desperate emergency call to Hudson went straight to voicemail. A notification later revealed why: he was on stage at a company party, singing a love duet with Kaitlyn while I was fighting for my life. The man I loved had left me to die. After I cut all ties and finally started to heal, he showed up at my parents' door, begging for forgiveness. This time, I wouldn't just walk away. I would make him face every lie he ever told.

Action Modern Romance

8.0

My Mate Wanted Our Son’s Marrow to Save Him

8.0

The last customer had left an hour ago, leaving only the scent of lavender and sage lingering in my apothecary. I moved methodically through the shop, counting the day's earnings and organizing the herbal remedies I'd prepared. Five years of building this life from nothing had taught me the value of routine—of knowing exactly where everything belonged. As I turned the key in the lock, a chill crept up my spine. Something wasn't right. I froze, my hand still on the doorknob. The street outside was quiet, with only the distant hum of Seattle traffic breaking the evening silence. But there was something else—something that made my wolf stir uneasily within me. An aura. Familiar.

Modern Romance Werewolf

Familiar Stranger

Chapter 1

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