
Sleeping With Secrets
Ekridah Éster · Ongoing · 108.7k Words
Introduction
Born into filth and abuse, Valencia Raine is nothing, and she has nothing except a burning hunger to disappear. She would do anything to escape the life she knows and be reborn into wealth and fortune.
So, when a dark offer comes her way, a million dollars on the line, she has to bury her morals so she can bury her past.
In a new city, with a bank account full of money, she is reborn as the untouchable Kendall McCarthy. At the top of the social ladder, with connections Valencia could only dream of, Kendall makes her dreams come true.
No one will ever know she was once a muddied and blood-splattered girl, picked up from an alley.
Except Lucien Sinclair.
The danger surrounding the man is far greater than she'd ever planned for.
Not only is he wealthy and powerful, he's also her best friend's father and a man who'd seen her when she was still Valencia.
Expecting him to remember and expose her as the fraud she was, Kendall is surprised to be welcomed into his family instead.
Lacking love and warmth for most of her life, her admiration for Lucien turns into a raging crush, and eventually the scandalous obsession becomes mutual, turning into a sizzling affair.
But Lucien hates liars.
And now, Kendall's past is catching up to her. Worse, the man who gave her this second life is Lucien’s deadliest enemy, and he wants her back enough to use blackmail.
With every lie unraveling, Kendall must face the truth:
The past doesn’t stay buried.
And love can’t save you when you're sleeping with secrets.
Chapter 1
“A million dollars. Just one night.”
Every word dripped with temptation, slithering into her mind and withering her every moral until all she could think about was the money.
She needed it.
She’d finally run away. After sixteen years of enduring abuse at the hands of her drug-addicted parents, Valencia Raine finally gathered the courage to flee.
They’d always tainted her life like a stain on a white shirt, making her ashamed of them wherever she went. There had been no escape for her. At school, she’d been an outsider, unable to make friends because everyone knew how messed up her family was. It didn’t matter to them that she was the smartest in class; that just made her more of a freak, apparently. When she tried to get part-time jobs, it was either her parents showing up to make a scene or the loan sharks they’d borrowed money from showing up to harass her. Every dollar she saved was taken from her, leaving her helpless.
Last night had been the final straw. The house, already cold because of all the broken windows, had been raided by thugs. Valencia had been dragged out of bed by the collectors.
Screams and gunshots had filled her ears as she was dragged through the dark. When she’d been brought to the living room, she’d been pushed to her knees in front of her parents, who, bleeding and bruised, had avoided her gaze.
“I told you, didn’t I?” the man sitting on the sofa had said. “Give me my fucking money. Or I’ll have your daughter tricking more than a circus clown.”
The combined effect of being jolted awake and having a gun pointed to her head had given her shivers, making her entire body tremble with suppressed panic.
With wide and desperate eyes, she stared at her parents, waiting for them to do something, to save her.
With a crooked smile, her father had looked at the loan shark. “R-right. Man, w-we’ll trade her,” he’d desperately offered, twitching feverishly.
Valencia had gone cold.
“Oh, yeah?” the collector had said, his eyes glimmering. “You think this little bitch is worth all the drugs and money you motherfuckers took?”
“She can be!” her mother had said, clinging to her husband. “Th-think about it. She’s sixteen, they’ll feast on her! If you keep her working f-for you for a few years, she could make you twice as much money!”
The collector had slowly turned his gaze over to Valencia, then, meeting her gaze.
A pale, gaunt face was what he saw. Her haunted green eyes stared at him, not a sound coming out of her mouth as tears streamed down her face.
He saw the fresh and old bruises on her body, and it was obvious to him. She had no value. Her parents would probably give her out for half a line of coke. He’d scoffed.
“Take her.”
A terrified whimper had left Valencia’s mouth, her face twisting with fear as hands grabbed her, tugging her to her feet.
“N-no, wait…” she’d cried.
“Shh!” her mother had hissed. “Just do it, or we’ll die. What’s the big deal about sex?!”
“Please!” Valencia started screaming then, digging her heels into the carpet. “Take the money! They have money!”
“Wait.” The collector raised a hand.
The thugs paused.
Breathlessly, she broke out of their grips and scrambled against the wall.
“Money?” the collector tilted his head, turning to stare at her parents. “Money?”
Bucky and Didi were clutching each other, desperately avoiding the man’s eyes as they glared at their daughter.
“Ahaha, she’s just a stupid little bitch, don’t listen to her!” her father had hissed, saliva spraying past his cracked lips as his bloodshot eyes glared at Valencia.
“This morning, they robbed a convenience store a few streets away,” Valencia said shakily. “There’s a loose brick behind the bathroom sink, they put the cash in there.”
“Shut the fuck up!” Didi screamed, jumping up to leap at her daughter, but was held back by one of the thugs, who shoved her to her knees.
The collector looked at one of his men and nodded. The man rushed off to the bathroom.
Once they’d found the money, the situation de-escalated. It wasn’t even close to paying the magnitude of debt the two had, but it was enough to let them live another night.
The killers slowly filed out of the house, and, trailing behind, the collector had stared at Valencia for a long time. With a lopsided smile, he’d then walked to the door. “Next time, kid.”
She’d been trembling violently when he’d left, the promise of those last three words leaving her cold. She knew what he meant. Next time, there wouldn’t be a secret stash of cash to save her. Next time, he would be leaving with her as payment. It was only a matter of time before she fell into his hands.
Bile rose up her throat, but before she could even calm herself down, a stream of curses shattered the silence, and a heavy fist slammed into her nose.
Blood sprayed out as she crashed onto the floor. They weren’t done.
“I’ll kill you!” her father raged, beating any part of her his fists could reach.
Valencia covered her face with her arms as she usually did, quietly crying as she was beaten.
Behind him, she could hear her mother cheering him on, begging him to kill her.
Pain exploded throughout her body, making her dip briefly into unconsciousness. The blows came endlessly, Valencia thought she would die.
“We gotta go!” Bucky was hissing, making his wife jump up and start grabbing their few things. While she was packing, he started pacing, throwing up random things as he searched for something. “I’m gonna teach this brat a lesson,” he growled. “Didi! Where’s the fucking wrench?!”
“I don’t know!” Didi yelled back, grabbing her needles so they could run. If the dealers came back, they were dead.
When Valencia’s eyes briefly opened, her blurry vision only allowed her to see for long enough to understand what her father was doing. He was looking for a weapon to finally kill her. She knew he was high, he would probably do it.
When he swore and disappeared into the bathroom, Valencia pushed herself onto her knees. If she stayed here any longer, she would die.
She started crawling, pushing herself toward the door. The stench of urine and smoke clung to the peeling wallpaper like mould. She tasted blood and rot. Her blood.
“Where’s the fucking gun?” Bucky was muttering in the bathroom. “Didi?!”
“I don’t know!” she screeched back from the bedroom.
Gritting her teeth against the pain exploding through her body, Valencia grabbed the wall and pulled herself to her feet, limping toward the door.
She was dizzy, her vision was blurry and every inch of her hurt, but somehow she got outside.
“Where the fuck did she go?” she heard her father growling inside the house.
Desperation fuelled her steps, and she pushed herself to run, feeling every sharp prickle of the gravel beneath her bare feet as she limped through the dark night.
She wanted to sniffle but knew it was better to let the blood out than take it back in where it could clot. The cold air iced the tears she cried, drying them on her face. She didn’t know where she was going, she just knew that she had to get away. She had to escape, not just her parents, not just this house, or this town, but her life. She had to escape Valencia Raine and all the curses that came with being her. What was the point of being such a pathetic girl? A girl so unloved and without value? Someone they could throw away like a broken crack pipe or toss around like an old shoe. It was a worthless life to live.
So, what else could she do? What could she do when she was being offered the deal of a lifetime? Or rather, of a brand new life?
Last Chapters
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He Never Loved Me, Until I Left
I put away the divorce agreement with a wry smile.
When he and my son completely disappeared, he finally panicked.
Three months later .
He knelt down on the streets of Chicago in despair, begging me to remarry him.
My six-year-old son looked coldly at his biological father and said, "Get lost, you bad uncle! You don't deserve to be my dad!"
When I Disappeared, He Regretted It
The moment the screen lit up, my entire world came crashing down.
The woman on the bed was Calista - that girl who grew up with us since we were kids. And that hand caressing her skin was wearing the wedding ring I had personally put on Matteo's finger.
"I've missed you so much..."
"You drive me crazy, baby..."
Those sweet words I knew so well completely destroyed me.
Everyone said we were the perfect couple, but who knew this marriage was built on nothing but lies?
Since he's so good at acting, I guess it's time I gave him a show of my own. I'm going to make sure everyone sees what this "perfect husband" really is...
I Loved You in Silence, You Betrayed Me in French
At my birthday party, my husband whispered to his mistress in French that he missed her. His voice was low, but I heard it all—the black lingerie, the bit about how pregnancy makes you more sensitive. His French clients around us were laughing. He turned and put his arm around me, claiming he was just helping his clients come up with sweet nothings.
He doesn't know I understand every single word. Just like he doesn't know that inside my body, I'm carrying his other surprise. And his mistress—she's pregnant too. Two wombs, one secret.
Confrontation would be too cheap. Tears are worthless. I quietly started cataloging the hidden networks my father left behind, activating the Swiss accounts.
In seven days, Zoey Smith will cease to exist. And what will my husband's reaction be?
Alpha Nicholas's Little Mate
What? No—wait… oh Moon Goddess, no.
Please tell me you're joking, Lex.
But she's not. I can feel her excitement bubbling under my skin, while all I feel is dread.
We turn the corner, and the scent hits me like a punch to the chest—cinnamon and something impossibly warm. My eyes scan the room until they land on him. Tall. Commanding. Beautiful.
And then, just as quickly… he sees me.
His expression twists.
"Fuck no."
He turns—and runs.
My mate sees me and runs.
Bonnie has spent her entire life being broken down and abused by the people closest to her including her very own twin sister. Alongside her best friend Lilly who also lives a life of hell, they plan to run away while attending the biggest ball of the year while it's being hosted by another pack, only things don't quite go to plan leaving both girls feeling lost and unsure about their futures.
Alpha Nicholas is 28, mateless, and has no plans to change that. It's his turn to host the annual Blue Moon Ball this year and the last thing he expects is to find his mate. What he expects even less is for his mate to be 10 years younger than him and how his body reacts to her. While he tries to refuse to acknowledge that he has met his mate his world is turned upside down after guards catch two she-wolves running through his lands.
Once they are brought to him he finds himself once again facing his mate and discovers that she's hiding secrets that will make him want to kill more than one person.
Can he overcome his feelings towards having a mate and one that is so much younger than him? Will his mate want him after already feeling the sting of his unofficial rejection? Can they both work on letting go of the past and moving forward together or will fate have different plans and keep them apart?
Omega Bound
Thane Knight is the alpha of the Midnight Pack of the La Plata Mountain Range, the largest wolf shifter pack in the world. He is an alpha by day and hunts the shifter trafficking ring with his group of mercenaries by night. His hunt for vengeance leads to one raid that changes his life.
Tropes:
Touch her and die/Slow burn romance/Fated Mates/Found family twist/Close circle betrayal/Cinnamon roll for only her/Traumatized heroine/Rare wolf/Hidden powers/Knotting/Nesting/Heats/Luna/Attempted assassination
The Human Among Wolves
My stomach twisted, but he wasn’t finished.
"You're just a pathetic little human," Zayn said, his words deliberate, each one hitting like a slap. "Spreading your legs for the first guy who bothers to notice you."
Heat rushed to my face, burning with humiliation. My chest ached — not from his words alone, but from the sick realization that I had trusted him. That I had let myself believe he was different.
I was so, so stupid.
——————————————————
When eigteen-year-old Aurora Wells moves to a sleepy town with her parents, the last thing she expects is to be enrolled in a secret academy for werewolves.
Moonbound Academy is no ordinary school. It's here young Lycans, Betas and Alphas train in shifting, elemental magic, and ancient pack laws. But Aurora? She's just...human. a mistake. The new receptionist forgot to check her species - and now she's surrounded by predators who sense she doesn't belong.
Determined to stay under the radar, Aurora plans to survive the year unnoticed. But when she catches the attention of Zayn, a brooding and infuriatingly powerful Lycan prince, her life gets a lot more complicated. Zayn already has a mate. He already has enemies. And he definitely doesn't want anything to do with a clueless human.
But secrets run deeper than bloodlines at Moonbound. as Aurora unravels the truth about the academy - and herself - she begins to question everything she thought she knew.
Including the reason she was brought here at all.
Enemies will rise. Loyalties will shift. And the girl with no place in their world...might be the key to saving it.
Surrendering to Destiny
Graham MacTavish wasn't prepared to find his mate in the small town of Sterling that borders the Blackmoore Packlands. He certainly didn't expect her to be a rogue, half-breed who smelled of Alpha blood. With her multi-colored eyes, there was no stopping him from falling hard the moment their mate bond snapped into place. He would do anything to claim her, protect her and cherish her no matter the cost.
From vengeful ex-lovers, pack politics, species prejudice, hidden plots, magic, kidnapping, poisoning, rogue attacks, and a mountain of secrets including Catherine's true parentage there is no shortage of things trying to tear the two apart.
Despite the hardships, a burning desire and willingness to trust will help forge a strong bond between the two... but no bond is unbreakable. When the secrets kept close to heart are slowly revealed, will the two be able to weather the storm? Or will the gift bestowed upon Catherine by the moon goddess be too insurmountable to overcome?
Shattered Girl
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Was that too much?” I could see the worry in his eyes as I took a deep breath.
“I just didn’t want you to see all my scars,” I whispered, feeling ashamed of my marked body.
Emmy Nichols is used to surviving. She survived her abusive father for years until he beat her so severely, she ended up in the hospital, and her father was finally arrested. Now, Emmy is thrown into a life she never expected. Now she has a mother
who doesn't want her, a politically motivated stepfather with ties to the Irish mob, four older stepbrothers, and their best friend who swear to love and protect her. Then, one night, everything shatters, and Emmy feels her only option is to run.
When her stepbrothers and their best friend finally find her, will they pick up the pieces and convince Emmy that they will keep her safe and their love will hold them together?
After the Affair: Falling into a Billionaire's Arms
From first crush to wedding vows, George Capulet and I had been inseparable. But in our seventh year of marriage, he began an affair with his secretary.
On my birthday, he took her on vacation. On our anniversary, he brought her to our home and made love to her in our bed...
Heartbroken, I tricked him into signing divorce papers.
George remained unconcerned, convinced I would never leave him.
His deceptions continued until the day the divorce was finalized. I threw the papers in his face: "George Capulet, from this moment on, get out of my life!"
Only then did panic flood his eyes as he begged me to stay.
When his calls bombarded my phone later that night, it wasn't me who answered, but my new boyfriend Julian.
"Don't you know," Julian chuckled into the receiver, "that a proper ex-boyfriend should be as quiet as the dead?"
George seethed through gritted teeth: "Put her on the phone!"
"I'm afraid that's impossible."
Julian dropped a gentle kiss on my sleeping form nestled against him. "She's exhausted. She just fell asleep."
Goddess Of The Underworld
When the veil between the Divine, the Living, and the Dead begins to crack, Envy is thrust beneath with a job she can’t drop: keep the worlds from bleeding together, shepherd the lost, and make ordinary into armour, breakfasts, bedtime, battle plans. Peace lasts exactly one lullaby. This is the story of an orphan pup who became a goddess by choosing her family; of four imperfect alphas learning how to be better. Steamy, fierce, and full of heart, Goddess of the Underworld is a reverse harem, found-family paranormal romance where love writes the rules and keeps three realms from falling apart.
The Prison Project
Can love tame the untouchable? Or will it only fuel the fire and cause chaos amongst the inmates?
Fresh out of high school and suffocating in her dead-end hometown, Margot longs for her escape. Her reckless best friend, Cara, thinks she's found the perfect way out for them both - The Prisoner Project - a controversial program offering a life-changing sum of money in exchange for time spent with maximum-security inmates.
Without hesitation, Cara rushes to sign them up.
Their reward? A one-way ticket into the depths of a prison ruled by gang leaders, mob bosses, and men the guards wouldn't even dare to cross...
At the centre of it all, meets Coban Santorelli - a man colder than ice, darker than midnight, and as deadly as the fire that fuels his inner rage. He knows that the project may very well be his only ticket to freedom - his only ticket to revenge on the one who managed to lock him up and so he must prove that he can learn to love…
Will Margot be the lucky one chosen to help reform him?
Will Coban be capable of bringing something to the table other than just sex?
What starts off as denial may very well grow in to obsession which could then fester in to becoming true love…
A temperamental romance novel.
The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates
"Let me go," I whimper, my body trembling with need. "I don't want you touching me."
I fall forward onto the bed then turn around to stare at him. The dark tattoos of Domonic's chiseled shoulders, quiver and and expand with the heave of his chest. His deep dimpled smile is full of arrogance as he reaches behind himself to lock the door.
Biting his lip, he stalks toward me, his hand going to the seam of his pants and the thickening bulge there.
"Are you sure you don't want me to touch you?" He whispers, untying the knot and slipping a hand inside. "Because I swear to God, that is all I have been wanting to do. Every single day from the moment you stepped in our bar and I smelled your perfect flavor from across the room."
New to the world of shifters, Draven is human on the run. A beautiful girl who no one could protect. Domonic is the cold Alpha of the Red Wolf Pack. A brotherhood of twelve wolves that live by twelve rules. Rules which they vowed could NEVER be broken.
Especially - Rule Number One - No Mates
When Draven meets Domonic, he knows that she is his mate, but Draven has no idea what a mate is, only that she has fallen in love with a shifter. An Alpha that will break her heart to make her leave. Promising herself, she will never forgive him, she disappears.
But she doesn’t know about the child she’s carrying or that the moment she left, Domonic decided rules were made to be broken - and now will he ever find her again? Will she forgive him?












