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 7
The Bath holiday ended quietly.
No dramatic goodbye.
No emotional speeches.
Just packed suitcases and tired smiles.
Maya stood at the airport beside Josh, her hands tucked into the pockets of her coat. Sophie hugged her tightly, whispering how much she wouldn't wait to stay with her. Lucas stood a little apart, hands in his coat, eyes on Maya but saying nothing.
They hadn't spoken privately since that night outside.
The kiss.
The confession.
Lucas had told her he'd been watching her since school.
Every debate.
Every presentation.
Every time she stood up to teachers and classmates alike.
He had said he would go to sleep repeating her name.
Maya tried not to think about it.
She told herself it meant nothing.
She had a boyfriend.
She was loyal.
She was not that kind of girl.
Josh kissed her forehead before boarding.
"I'll come see you in London soon," he promised.
Maya nodded.
She believed him.
Lucas watched from a distance.
She didn't look back.
Back to Reality
Maya flew back to London.
Josh returned to Bath.
At first, things seemed normal.
Josh called every night.
Texted during lunch breaks.
Sent heart emojis and voice notes.
But something had shifted.
He was distracted.
Sometimes he forgot what she told him the day before.
Sometimes he went silent for hours.
Whenever Maya asked, he blamed meetings.
Deadlines.
Stress.
She told herself not to overthink.
She buried herself in medical school.
Classes.
Hospital rotations.
Night shifts.
Lucas stayed away.
He respected her relationship.
Only checked in occasionally.
Hope you're okay.
Short.
Neutral.
Safe.
But Maya felt him everywhere.
The way her coffee tasted was different.
In the way, silence felt heavier.
In the way Josh's voice no longer reached her heart.
Weeks passed.
Josh cancelled two planned visits.
"Work emergency."
He stopped asking about her exams.
Stopped asking about her day.
But whenever Maya brought up emotional distance, Josh flipped it.
"You're always busy."
"You don't make time for me."
"You don't understand how hard my life is."
She apologised.
Every time.
The Cracks Widen
They argued more.
Mostly about intimacy.
Josh complained she wasn't available.
That she didn't make him feel wanted.
That she prioritised school over him.
Maya tried explaining.
She was exhausted.
She was training to save lives.
She needed patience.
Josh always ended the calls abruptly afterwards.
One night, Maya stayed awake till 2 a.m., waiting for his reply.
It never came.
Her chest felt tight.
She began noticing things.
Josh no longer sends selfies.
Stopped answering video calls.
Changed topics when she asked about his weekends.
Her instincts whispered.
She ignored them.
Nadia
It was Nadia who shattered everything.
Maya had just finished a long hospital shift when Nadia called.
Her voice was strange.
"Maya... where is Josh today?"
Maya frowned.
"He said bath."
Silence.
"Maya, he is in London."
Her heart skipped.
"I just saw Josh."
Maya froze.
"With who?"
Nadia hesitated.
"A girl. Blonde. Very comfortable with him."
Maya swallowed.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. They were holding hands."
Her world tilted.
Nadia continued softly.
"I followed them. They checked into a hotel together."
Maya sank onto a bench outside the hospital.
Her ears rang.
She called Josh immediately.
Voicemail.
Again.
Nothing.
She texted.
Where exactly are you right now?
No reply.
She opened Instagram.
Josh had posted a coffee photo.
Location tag: Bath.
Lie.
Her chest burned.
When Josh finally called hours later, Maya didn't cry.
She didn't scream.
She just asked:
"How long?"
He exhaled.
"It's complicated."
"How long?"
A pause.
"Since before Paris."
Her hands shook.
Before Paris meant before Bath.
Before he told her he loved her.
Before he asked her to be exclusive.
"So you've been cheating the entire six months?"
He didn't deny it.
"I'm a man, Maya."
Her heart cracked.
She hung up.
Blocked him.
And walked into the cold London night.
Lucas Again
She didn't plan to go to Lucas.
Her feet just took her there.
He opened the door in a sweater and jeans.
"Maya?"
She collapsed against him.
Lucas held her.
Let her cry.
Let her break.
She told him everything.
He listened.
Anger darkened his eyes.
"That man never deserved you."
That night, Maya didn't feel alone.
She didn't feel disposable.
Lucas didn't pressure.
Didn't rush.
He simply stayed.
And eventually, they crossed the line they had been circling since Bath. Made love like she didn't know sex feels.
She was with her first love
Not out of revenge.
Out of connection.
Three Months
Maya officially ended things with Josh, graduated from medical school and was in the best relationship she could ask for.
No explanations.
No closure.
Lucas became her quiet constant.
He picked her up after shifts.
Made dinner.
Waited after work to take her home
They didn't announce anything publicly.
But everyone knew.
Three months of soft laughter.
Three months of healing.
Three months of Maya slowly falling.
And Sophie watched.
From the edges.
Learning.
Planning.
Waiting.
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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.