Pregnant For My Brother's Best Friend

There was blood on his hands, and something worse in his eyes. And it terrified her to death. --- Crystal Peterson's only crime was to fall in love with her brother's best friend, Jaden Astor. She thought he loved her, too. Until he came back home one day with Valerie, the woman he was going to marry in two weeks. Already pregnant and disowned by her adoptive family, Crystal ran away from home without even a word to Jaden. Five years later, Crystal and her son, who had a terminal illness, were barely surviving and trying to make ends meet when she answered a knock on her door one day and found the one man she would rather stay away from all her life standing there and begging for her forgiveness. But forgiveness was something Crystal never had to offer Jaden. Not when she had to sell one of her twins just to keep the other twin alive. Not after being disowned and mocked by her family and everyone she once held dear, loosing everything she ever worked for, including her education. But what happens when she finds out who had actually bought one of her twins four years ago? Does she have a place for Jaden in her heart anymore, or she'd rather stick to Noah, the only man who was ever there for her when her world crumbled to the ground? *** Obsession. Possession. Love. Betrayal.

Chapters

Chapter 2

CRYSTAL.

ONE MONTH LATER.

The nights were colder in the servants' quarters.

Maybe it was the wind slipping through the cracked window, or maybe it was just me feeling empty, feverish, and forgotten.

I was shivering so hard my teeth clattered. I'd been sick for almost a week now, and no one cared about me. No one even came to check on me, except Merilyn, one of the maids. Sweet, kind Merilyn - the only person in that entire house who still looked at me like I existed.

She told me she'll try to talk to Tessa about my condition, hoping she'd tell my parents, but I begged her not to. I didn't want their pity. I didn't want their disgust walking back through that door.

I'd called them for days - Dad, Mum, even Derek - no one picked up. It was like I'd died, and the world simply carried on without me.

The last time I glanced at the mirror, I couldn't recognize myself anymore. My eyes were dull, my lips cracked, skin pale and hollow. I'd lost weight, color, even the little bit of pride I used to hold in my spine.

I looked like someone who'd been erased.

But I kept telling myself that it was worth it. I kept checking the calendar every single day, and according to what Jaden told me before he left, he should be back any moment.

I was so certain he'd be happy about having our baby, too.

"Here, Crystal."

Merilyn's whisper dragged me back. She placed a small plate on the floor beside my bed - cold rice, some bread crust, maybe soup scraped from someone else's bowl.

"This is all I could get from the leftovers," she said softly.

I coughed.

Merilyn looked frightened.

"You should see a doctor," she murmured, wringing her hands.

I shook my head. "They won't let me." My fingers drifted to my stomach. "I just need to get better... for him."

I hesitated, then asked, almost afraid of the answer: "Is Derek home?"

If anyone could help me now, it was my brother. Even if he hated me, maybe he'd still care enough to save my child.

"No, dear. He went to see Jaden." Merilyn said, and my breath screeched to a stop.

Everything inside me froze.

For a moment, I thought I hadn't heard right.

My hand went still on my stomach.

"W... what did you say?" I croaked, my voice trembling.

She blinked, confused by my reaction. "He went to see Jaden. He came back about three days ago. Didn't you know?"

The air left my lungs.

Jaden was back?

He'd been back for three whole days.

And he hadn't come to look for me?

My heartbeat crashed against my ribs. The room spun. For a second, I thought I might faint, but instead I stumbled to my feet, clutching the side of the bed.

"Jaden's back..." I whispered.

I swear, I felt the urge to get upset and confront him about not reaching out to me since he returned. But the joy of even knowing he was back surpassed that anger.

Because, for the first time in weeks, I felt my heart beat for something other than pain.

I didn't even feel my feet hit the ground as I bolted out the door.

I could already imagine the moment we'd lock eyes, the shock on his face when he saw what I'd endured, the way his arms would wrap around me again, whispering, "I'm here, Crystal. I'm sorry."

He'd tell me he'd missed me. That everything was going to be fine now.

He'd tell me we'd raise our baby together, just like he promised.

I pressed a trembling hand over my stomach as I ran.

"Hold on, little one," I whispered. "Daddy's back."

When I finally reached the entrance of the Astor estate, my vision swam from exhaustion.

I slowed near the garden fence, catching my breath, and then I saw three people.

Derek.

Jaden.

And a woman I'd never seen before.

She was standing too close to him. Her hair gleamed like something out of a magazine, her dress hugging every perfect curve. She was radiant... She was everything I wasn't anymore.

And then Jaden laughed.

He actually laughed.

His arm slid easily around her waist, pulling her closer.

The woman tilted her face toward him, smiling, and he kissed her cheek.

Right there.

In front of Derek.

In front of God.

In front of nature.

My heart stopped.

The sound of my own pulse roared in my ears. My knees buckled.

I stumbled, gripping the fence so hard the splinters cut into my palms.

It couldn't be real.

No.

This wasn't my Jaden. This wasn't the man who swore he'd love me.

He was supposed to be mine.

He promised.

My vision blurred until the world melted into colors I couldn't name.

I shook my head slowly, as if that would fix what I'd just seen. "No," I whispered. "No, no, no..."

He looked happy. Genuinely happy.

"Hey!?"

I heard someone yell harshly from behind me. I turned sharply with a gasp and came face to face with one of the Astor maids.

She was staring at me like I was something filthy she'd found on her shoes.

She crossed her arms. "What are you doing here? Did anyone invite you?"

I swallowed hard, forcing out words through the lump in my throat. "That woman... who is she?"

The maid smirked, her tone dripping venom. "That's Miss Valerie. Mr. Jaden's fiancée. They're getting married next week. Everyone knows that." She scoffed, "Everyone except outcasts who live in the mountains."

The words sliced clean through me.

Fiancée.

Married.

Next week.

I froze. The ground beneath me tilted.

For a moment, I didn't even realize I was crying - until I tasted salt on my lips.

The maid's voice cut in again, cruel and casual. "You should really leave. You're not wanted here. Outcasts don't belong in this house."

I stared past her - at Jaden, still laughing, still holding her.

My chest tightened until I could barely breathe.

I wanted to scream.

I swear I wanted to rush to him, to slap him, and beg him to tell me it wasn't true.

But my legs wouldn't even move. My heart wouldn't stop breaking long enough to form words.

I shook my head, whispering to no one. "He promised me..."

The maid sighed impatiently. "You should go."

Something inside me cracked.

I turned and ran faster than I thought I could.

By the time I reached the door, I could barely breathe.

It hurt - God, it hurt so much I thought my chest might split open.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to the small life inside me. "I'm so sorry I brought you into this."

I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and stood, swaying a little as dizziness washed over me. My mind was already made up. There was nothing left for me here - no love, no family, no forgiveness.

I pulled my small bag from under the bed - the same one I'd used when they threw me out of the main house. There wasn't much to pack. A few clothes, a comb, and my toothbrush.

Merilyn had left a wool scarf on the chair one time; I took it, wrapping it tightly around my shoulders.

I crossed the room, glancing back one last time before stepping out into the night.

This had been my prison, my punishment, my grave.

And now, I was leaving it behind.

Love wasn't supposed to destroy you like this.

And if it did, then it wasn't love anymore.

Continue to next part

Title: 365: The Architecture of Yearning Five years. That's how long Sebastian Moretti has been a ghost, haunting the streets of London in search of the girl with green eyes who shattered his cold, Sicilian heart. To the world, Sebastian is the "King of Shadows"-a man of ice, blood, and absolute power. But in the silence of his private villa, he is a man hollowed out by a single, obsessive memory. He didn't just want a woman; he wanted the soul of the girl who didn't even know his name. When he finally takes her, he gives her a choice that feels like a sentence: 365 days to fall in love with him, or she goes free. Elara Vance was a woman of logic, a quiet architect building a life out of glass and steel in London. She never expected to be the centerpiece of a mafia king's obsession. She should hate him for the gilded cage he's built for her. She should run from the darkness that follows him like a shroud. But as the days bleed into nights, the lines between captive and queen begin to blur. Behind Sebastian's terrifying dominance is a raw, agonizing yearning that pulls at Elara's soul. In the heat of the Sicilian sun and the unfiltered intimacy of the midnight hours, she discovers that the man who stole her is the only one who truly sees her. As a Russian war looms and betrayals surface from within, Elara must decide: is she a prisoner of his walls, or the architect of his heart? In a world where every touch is a claim and every kiss is a battle, 365 days might not be enough. Because once the monster falls in love, he doesn't just want your time. He wants your forever.

Horror Mafia Romance

7.2

A Twisted Love: Betrayal's Bitter Taste

7.2

On my husband Heath's birthday, I sent him a gift: the preserved embryo of the child I had just aborted. It was my revenge. He had framed my father, driving him to prison and my mother to her grave, all for his mistress, Ember. When he stormed into our apartment, his face twisted with rage, he slammed me against the counter. "You monster! How could you destroy our child?" "You forfeited that right the moment you chose Ember over us," I spat back. But my defiance only led to more horror. He had me committed to a mental asylum where Ember, the architect of my family's ruin, tortured me with electroshock therapy, trying to break my mind. I feigned submission, then fought back, throwing both of us out of a third-story window. I survived; she was left in critical condition. Lying in my hospital bed, Heath came to me not with remorse, but with a chilling demand. "Ember needs a tendon graft. You're a match. The surgery is tomorrow." He thought he had me trapped, that he could force me to sacrifice a piece of myself for the woman who destroyed me. But as he left to comfort his mistress, I made a call. The next morning, as he begged me not to go through with the "surgery," I walked away, leaving him in the ruins of the life he had shattered. He didn't know this wasn't a surgery. It was my escape, and the beginning of his end.

Horror Modern Romance

8.1

My Shapeshifter Mate:Falling for My Cursed Superior

8.1

His second name is Death. Anyone who tries to get too close to him loses their life. He was cursed with the blood of his dead brother and till he finds the killer of his brother, he's forever bound with the curse. He's avoided like a plague, but he even loves it that way. He's so addicted to solitude and being alone. He is a bloody supernatural being, an unusual wizard. The only child born under Three Red Stars on a gloomy night 25 years ago. The demons fret at the smell of his scent, and evils flee. He has no shadow even in the dark. He is soulless-Orion Alaric, that's his name. The son of Duran Alaric, who owns Mystic Institute, a school for supernatural beings, located deep in the fogs of Mount Delos. Mystic Institute takes in over five hundred disciples yearly, and of the five hundred, Orion was determined to find his brother's killer that year, so he joined the school as a superior. There he sat on his throne, and as expected, she came. Samara Hercules, a whitehead witch who's the exact opposite of everyone around him. Unexpectedly she is not the one he's hunting for, but her white hair reminds him of the killer each time he sets eyes on her and that builds a toxic hatred in him for Samara. He was even ready to get rid of her so he wouldn't have to see her face anymore. Let's stop here.... Now are you ready to jump into the book and see how things go? Will Samara ever escape him and his tortures Will romance ever bloom between these two? Will his curse ever get lifted? Will the real killer ever show up? And are you in for the steamy romance, fights, jealousy, betrayal, and series of dramas between the supernaturals? Demons and dark forces? Join this rollercoaster ride, don't miss out.

Fantasy Horror Romance

7.9

Stalked To Be Desired and Damned

7.9

Content Warning : This story is not safe. It's addictive, explicit, and threaded with triggers that bite. It drags you through obsession, trauma, and the kind of desire that hurts as much as it heals. If you can't handle morally grey men, broken women, or the thin line between love and ruin, stop here. If you can... keep reading. I thought monsters only lived in the dark, until I was framed for a murder I didn't commit and dragged into a world that felt darker than any nightmare. Where he was. Where he's always been. Watching me. He doesn't love. He claims what's his and destroys anyone who touches it. I tried to run from the shadow that haunts me, but somehow, every time, I end up running straight back to him. He's danger wrapped in devotion. My curse. My obsession. My undoing. I should fear him. And I do. But fear doesn't stop the pulse between my thighs. Or the way my heart betrays me when he whispers my name like a threat and a prayer. They call it madness. I call it survival. Because in his darkness, I stopped being hunted. I became the desire. He's the shadow I was meant to run from, but the one who left his hunger burning deep inside me.

Horror Mystery Romance

8.7

Taming My Vicious Feral Wolf Slave

8.7

Kaylee woke up to the smell of rotting leaves and blood, realizing she had transmigrated into the grimdark fantasy novel she was reading last night. A robotic system in her head immediately delivered a death sentence: she was the tribe's vicious cannon fodder, and the male lead—a brutally tortured slave named Elijah—was currently dying on a totem pole outside. "If he dies, you will face instant soul-detonation." Kaylee rushed to the plaza, using her villainous authority to stop the execution and drag his mangled body back to her hut. But saving him was a nightmare. The original owner's sadism had traumatized him so deeply that her gentle touches and clean bandages only triggered his PTSD. His feral energy spiraled out of control, his golden eyes burning with paranoid terror as he waited for a new, twisted psychological game. To keep his energy from detonating and killing them both, Kaylee was forced to act like a monster. "I didn't save you because I care. A dead slave is useless to me." Only her cruel insults and threats of future torture calmed his broken mind. Adding to her despair, she stumbled upon the novel's supposedly innocent heroine in the forest, only to hear her system detect a terrifying anomaly. The fragile heroine had her own cheat system. Trapped with a paranoid future-tyrant and a rival player manipulating the tribe's strongest warriors, Kaylee shoved a bowl of hot stew at the bleeding slave with a mocking sneer. To survive this hell, she had to play the villain perfectly.

Fantasy Horror LitRPG

8.7

The Ghost Surgeon's Secret Billionaire Twins

8.7

Adelia thought she was just heading upstairs to rest in the hotel suite arranged by her caring stepsister. But her champagne had been heavily drugged. In the pitch-black room, her rational thoughts melted away as she was violently pulled into the darkness by a terrifying stranger. The next morning, the heavy suite door was kicked open, and blinding camera flashes shattered her world. Her fiancé stormed in, hurling their prenuptial agreement directly at her bleeding cheek. "You make me sick! Violating our agreement like this. You are a disgusting, unfaithful whore!" Her stepsister squeezed to the front of the crowd, crying perfectly rehearsed tears of horror for the tabloid reporters, while her eyes gleamed with pure, unadulterated triumph. Desperate and trembling, Adelia begged her father for help, explaining she had been framed. But her father, the family CEO, only cared about his plummeting stock prices. He coldly stripped her of her inheritance, froze her trust funds, and had massive security guards physically drag her out of Manhattan. She hadn't just been betrayed; she had been completely slaughtered by the people she loved most. As the elevator plummeted toward the lobby, her tears dried into a bloody, silent vow. Six years later, Adelia stepped out of JFK Airport, flanked by her terrifyingly smart six-year-old twins. She was no longer a disgraced, pathetic victim. She had returned as a legendary, untouchable ghost surgeon, ready to rip her family's empire apart. And her very first move involves saving the life of the ruthless Wall Street predator who ruined her that night.

Billionaire Horror Modern

Pregnant For My Brother's Best Friend

Chapter 2

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