Waiting in the shadows
Maya Bennett never expected to cross paths with Lucas Thoreau again not after high school, not after life pulled them in different directions, and certainly not inside a corporate boardroom years later.
Their reunion is cold. Professional. Controlled.
But beneath the silence lies unfinished history.
Now a medical student struggling to build her future, Maya finds herself caught between her steady boyfriend Josh and the dangerous pull of Lucas the powerful CEO whose presence awakens everything she tried to bury. What begins as coincidence slowly spirals into betrayal, obsession, and devastating secrets.
When lies surface, friendships shatter, and one woman's jealousy turns deadly, Maya is forced into a nightmare she never saw coming losing her freedom, her reputation, and almost her unborn child.
Lucas must confront the consequences of his silence. Sophie hides a truth capable of destroying lives. Josh's loyalty is tested by greed and temptation. And Maya must learn that survival sometimes means letting go of the man you love.
In a world of wealth, deception, and broken trust, Waiting in the Shadows is a gripping story of first love, second chances, and the painful cost of believing the wrong person.
Because sometimes, love doesn't save you.
Sometimes, it leaves you waiting in the shadows
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Chapter 4
The winter sky over London was a pale silver as Maya boarded the plane to Bath. She was tired from weeks of hospital rotations, exams, and freelance work, but her excitement to see Josh was undeniable. Six months of dating, yet this was their first proper holiday together a chance to reconnect, to escape the stress and distance that had marked their relationship.
Josh had been persistent, sending reminders, teasing messages, and even insisting that Sophie, stay with her in London after the holidays so he could feel at ease. Sophie was already in Bath to meet Josh.
Josh was literally the sweetest soul one will think of more gentle and always there to make me happy but sometimes I feel he loves me a little too much like I love him.
Whenever he tries to come close to me, I feel so awkward that I can't open myself up to him. Maybe he is suspecting I'm cheating which I'm not , I believe sex should happen when one is ready , it is literally all that Josh cares for at this point ,he talks about it always I am tired.
Maya first met Josh during her hospital internship. She was assigned to a surgical rotation, balancing exhaustion and fascination, while Josh was completing a management internship at the hospital. He was kind, confident, and had a quiet charm that didn't try to dominate her attention but he was persistent.
Their first conversation had been over a spilt cup of coffee in the hospital cafeteria. She had been flustered, and he had offered her a napkin with a teasing smile. From that moment, sparks had been subtle but undeniable.
Over months, their interactions had grown study sessions turned into walks in the park, late-night calls after long hospital shifts, and the sharing of small, intimate details of their lives. Josh's patience had been remarkable. And yet, there were gaps, unspoken tensions. Maya had been focused entirely on her career, often too tired or preoccupied to meet his emotional or physical needs.
By the time they arrived in Bath, the tension between them was palpable. Josh's longing, paired with Maya's stress and suppressed desire, had been simmering for months. That first evening,
Hey," he said, pulling her into a hug. "You've been working too hard."
"I know," Maya replied softly. "It's just... rotations, studies..."
Josh's hand traced hers. "I know, but this holiday, you and me. No distractions. Promise?"
Maya nodded, leaning against him. Safe. Predictable. Grounded.
Dinner with Josh and Sophie, his sister and Maya's best friend, brought warmth and laughter. Sophie teased Maya lightly about Josh's obsessive planning for the holiday.
"Honestly, Josh, you act like Christmas won't happen if you don't micromanage it," Sophie laughed.
Josh shot her a mock glare. "Someone's got to make sure she's pampered."
Maya smiled, shaking her head. She enjoyed Sophie's teasing, the easy camaraderie. It made Bath feel like home, after a quiet dinner with Sophie, Maya felt herself melting under Josh's gaze.
"I've missed you," Josh whispered as they walked through the frost-lit streets.
"I missed you too," Maya admitted softly.
He stopped and cupped her face gently, his eyes searching hers. "I can't wait anymore," he said, voice low. "I want you."
Maya hesitated, the words of caution echoing in her mind. She had been careful, patient not ready to give herself fully. But Josh's intensity, his sincerity, the months of longing, and the ache she felt from missing him overwhelmed her.
That night, after months of restraint, she gave in. Josh broke her virginity, carefully, tenderly, with whispered reassurances. She had resisted at first, unsure, frightened even, but the longing she had for him, the connection they shared, made her surrender. The slow kisses and touching and carelessness of her breast made her wet in no time, every inch in her froze, By the time the night ended, Maya felt a mix of exhaustion, relief, and intimacy she hadn't known before. The sex made Josh more attracted to Maya, so he couldn't stop touching her lips
The holiday had begun, and for the first time, she allowed herself to completely forget her past with Lucas Thoreau
Two days later, the calm of Bath shifted. Lucas Thoreau arrived unexpectedly, stepping off a private flight, impeccably dressed, calm, and commanding in a way that made the air around him tense.
Josh, unaware of Lucas's history with Maya, casually introduced him during the evening gathering:
"Lucas, meet Sophie, and... Maya. My girlfriend.
Lucas: yeah I have actually met Maya and of course i know Sophie. Maya she has a temporary job at my company didn't know you guys were together
Time froze. Maya's mind blanked. She looked at Lucas and remembered the blurred memory from that first night in Bath, a moment she had long buried. The man who had been a shadow in her past was now here, observing her again.
Lucas's eyes scanned the room. Then he noticed Josh's subtle tension, the way his jaw tightened slightly, the flicker of possessiveness in his gaze. Lucas smiled faintly not maliciously, but reserved
Josh tried to maintain casual conversation, but his jealousy was evident. Lucas was polite, charming, and intelligent, and Maya couldn't help but notice it, though she tried to suppress her memories. Publicly, she kept her distance, not giving Lucas the warmth or adoration he might have expected from their past encounter.
Lucas, however, was patient. He observed. He noted every glance, every smile, every hesitation. His fascination was no longer just professional.
Later that evening, after a minor argument with Josh over plans, Maya stepped outside for some air. The cold winter night bit at her cheeks, and she leaned against the balcony railing, exhaling slowly.
Lucas appeared quietly, his presence commanding yet subtle.
"You shouldn't be out here alone," he said softly.
Maya's heart skipped, her mind flooded with memories she hadn't thought about in years.
"Lucas..." she whispered. "I... I forgot..."
He took a step closer. "I know. That's the point."
Then he grabbed her by the neck and gave her a forceful kiss.
It was deliberate, unhurried, consuming. The kiss was a mixture of past and present all the debates, the arguments, the observation of her through high school, and the years of quiet attention he had paid to her.
"I've watched you," he whispered after, voice low. "Every debate. Every conversation. Every moment I could. And I've adored you all along."
He repeated the words softly, almost to himself: I adore you. I adore you...
Maya felt torn between memories, guilt, and desire
Meanwhile, Sophie, always sharp and observant, noticed Lucas's quiet attention. She laughed at his subtle jokes, tried to catch his glance, and found herself drawn to him more than she had expected.
Unbeknownst to Maya, the holiday triangle had begun forming: Josh, Lucas, Sophie. Tensions, obsessions, and desire all mingled in the festive glow of Bath.
By the end of the night, the calm holiday Maya had anticipated was gone. She was caught between past and present, desire and guilt, while Lucas silently watched, calculated, and waited.
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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?
8.8
I discovered I was pregnant with twins from my marriage to Ell Steele, the ruthless CEO of the Steele Group. But he saw me as a gold-digging nobody, unworthy of his heir.
He stormed into our penthouse with his lawyer, slamming down abortion consent forms and a divorce NDA, offering five million to terminate and vanish. "You're not fit to carry my child," he spat, gripping my jaw.
I refused the abortion, signed the zero-payout divorce to keep my company insurance for my dying mom's ICU bills, but stayed on as an admin assistant. Brittany, his mistress, spilled coffee on my reports, got me demoted to the dusty sub-basement sorting old files.
She framed me for attacking her, security dragged me out, slamming me into doorframes that cramped my belly. Trapped in a sabotaged freight elevator, I nearly miscarried in the dark, gasping for air while Ell rescued me—only to find my prenatal pills and rage.
At the gala, I warned Brittany the Angel's Tears necklace—Georgina's flawed design—was cracking. She accused me of theft; Ell ordered me stripped and searched publicly. It snapped anyway, shattering the diamond, but he blamed me, firing and blacklisting me on the spot.
Beaten down, humiliated, body aching from their cruelty—how could my husband, who I once loved, destroy me without a shred of doubt? What made him so blind to my pain?
Dragged from our home in the rain, a black Rolls-Royce Phantom pulled up. The butler bowed: "Madame Aura, your suite awaits." As Ell watched from his Maybach, I initiated the hostile takeover—time to bankrupt them all.
7.1
It was supposed to be her sister's wedding. But in an instant, Aurelia was forced to take her place becoming the bride to a man she barely even knew.
To pay off her family's debt and protect her parents' dignity, Aurelia spoke her vows to Gian, a cold man who never wanted her there in the first place.
Without love, without the blessing of her own heart, Aurelia married Gian Alvaro, the man who was meant to be her sister's husband. The frigid reception, the disappointed looks from Gian's family, and a silent wedding night marked the beginning of a life she never wished for.
Their marriage began with obligation. But as Gian's gaze slowly softened and the walls around him began to crumble, Aurelia found herself facing an unsettling truth. Love doesn't always come easy... and the secrets behind this marriage are far from fully revealed.
8.0
After divorcing my cheating husband, I thought I had found my savior in his powerful business partner, Cole.
For three years, he pampered me like a queen, building a perfect, golden cage of devotion.
But on the day I happily discovered I was pregnant, I overheard him talking to my ex-husband's mistress.
"Elinor is just a convenient tool. If she gets pregnant, I'll fake a paternity test and annul the marriage so she leaves with nothing."
My entire marriage was a meticulously crafted lie to secure his position and protect the woman he truly cared about.
Before I could quietly escape, Cole orchestrated a brutal attack.
I was dragged into a dark alley, beaten until my ribs fractured, and my unborn child was violently ripped away from me.
As I lay bleeding out in the freezing rain, my heart shattered into dust.
I didn't understand how the man who kissed me every morning could coldly order his thugs to beat me to death just to appease his real lover.
They left me there to rot, thinking they had finally erased the naive fool who got in their way.
Three years later, the world still believes Elinor Marsh died in a tragic car accident.
But when Cole and his elite circle attend a high-profile Interpol reception, they don't expect the new Chief Liaison Officer to step onto the stage.
I am Helena Fu now, and I have returned to burn their empire to the ground.
9.0
For eight years, Riana Regalia played the perfect Luna.
Loyal wife. Elegant hostess. The silent shadow behind the powerful Alpha Wesley Winters.
When she walked down the aisle, it was for duty, not love.
Her husband gave his heart to another, his fated mate, and her half-sister.
Her own daughter grew to adore the woman who stole her place.
***
The day she signed our divorce papers, she stopped hiding.
The struggling fashion label he mocked? Now a global empire.
The lonely Luna he had ignored became his most powerful rival.
Alpha Wesley thought he was freeing himself from a gold-digger.
He never imagined she'd become the number one threat to his empire.
***
Now, he wants a second chance. His pack is in chaos. And his so-called fated mate is scrambling to salvage his reputation.
But this Luna doesn't answer his calls anymore. She's too busy counting her billions.
He underestimated the quiet wolf.
Now the world will learn who the true Queen is.
9.2
I discovered the dark secret my stepmother Beatrice had been hiding for years.
When I threatened to expose the truth to the mafia, my half-brother Angelo and step-sister Carmella locked me in an abandoned Brooklyn warehouse.
Carmella stood there in my mother's expensive silk dress, her voice sweet and venomous as she confessed how she had meticulously stolen my life and my father's love.
Angelo looked at me with cold indifference, pouring gasoline over my feet before striking a match.
"You're insane for threatening to break the code of silence," they laughed, leaving me to burn alive to protect their stolen thrones.
My own father turned a blind eye, letting his trueborn daughter turn to ash just to maintain the illusion of his perfect family.
The smell of charred flesh filled my throat. Until I died, I didn't understand. I had bled for our survival, even taking a bullet for the terrifying Moretti Matriarch.
Why did my father let the bastard children of a Chicago bootlegger steal my inheritance and murder me?
Opening my eyes again, the phantom heat of the inferno faded into a cool New York afternoon.
I was seventeen again, sitting in the backseat of a Cadillac, just returning from my three-year exile in Switzerland.
This time, I wouldn't just scream. I would marry the terrifying Prince of New York and watch my stepmother's entire bloodline burn.