Between Heartbeats
Three years after vanishing with his child, Celeste must return to the ruthless CEO she betrayed. Trapped in a high-stakes billionaire romance novel, she strikes a desperate deal to save their daughter. Experience this contemporary romance of bitter resentment and forbidden attraction.
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46
Chapter
8.9
Rating
Synopsis of Between Heartbeats
Three years ago, Celeste Moreau fled from billionaire CEO Jae-won Choi, taking his crucial research and their unborn child. Now, a devastating illness forces her back to Seoul to make an impossible bargain with the man she wronged. Exchanging her medical skills to save their daughter, Celeste finds herself locked inside Jae-won's corporate empire. Amidst dangerous sabotage, their shared history ignites a fierce battle of lingering hatred and undeniable, forbidden desire.
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Chapter 1
CELESTE
I woke before the sun touched the rooftops of Montmartre, my eyes snapping open like they did every morning, searching for a danger that wasn't there. The name slipped from my lips before I could stop it.
"Clara Dupont."
My chest tightened. I hadn't been Clara in three years, but she still lived somewhere inside me, whispering in the dark. I turned my head on the pillow and found Luna curled beside me, her small body rising and falling with each peaceful breath. Her dark hair spread across the white pillowcase like ink in water. I watched her sleep, counting each breath like a prayer.
She's safe. She's here. She's mine.
The morning light crept through the curtains, painting everything gold. I didn't move. These moments, these quiet, stolen moments before the world woke up, they were sacred. Fragile. Like holding water in my hands, knowing it would slip through my fingers no matter how tightly I held on.
Luna's eyelids fluttered. "Maman?"
"I'm here, mon cœur." I brushed my fingers through her hair, and she smiled without opening her eyes.
"Pancakes?"
"Always pancakes."
She giggled, and the sound filled every dark corner of my chest. I would burn the world down to keep hearing that sound.
We moved through our morning routine like dancers who knew every step by heart. I measured flour while Luna dragged her stool to the counter, chattering about the dream she'd had-something about flying cats and chocolate rivers. I poured batter into the pan, watching it bubble and brown, then cut the finished pancakes into stars with a cookie cutter.
"One, two, three, four, five stars!" Luna counted, her finger hovering over each one.
"Five wishes," I said, sitting beside her at our tiny table.
"What should I wish for?" She looked up at me with those eyes-his eyes-dark and endless.
My throat closed. "Anything you want, baby."
"I wish we could stay here forever." She bit into a star, syrup dripping down her chin.
Forever. Such a big word for such a small mouth.
"Me too," I whispered, wiping her face with my thumb.
After breakfast, we dressed for our walk. Luna chose her yellow raincoat even though the sky was clear, insisting that puddles might appear. I didn't argue. I never argued about the small things anymore. The small things were all we had.
We stepped onto the cobblestone streets, mist still clinging to the buildings like ghosts refusing to leave. Our footsteps echoed through the narrow alleyways, and I held Luna's hand tighter than necessary.
"Maman, you're squishing my fingers," she complained.
"Sorry." I loosened my grip but didn't let go.
Nina's café sat on the corner where our street met the main square, its red awning bright against the gray morning. The bell chimed as we entered, and Nina looked up from behind the counter, her face breaking into that warm smile I'd grown to depend on.
"Mon Dieu, you're early!" she called out. "The croissants are still
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7.1
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8.8
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After being brutally rejected by her fated mate, Alpha Draven, a broken werewolf returns years later, stronger and changed. Now, Draven is desperate for a second chance, but her heart is guarded. Will she forgive his past cruelty, or will his regret come too late in this werewolf romance?
9.6
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Cast aside by her fated mate, a heartbroken werewolf must find her own strength. This emotional paranormal romance story follows her journey from a shattered rejection to claiming her true power. Will she accept a new path, or will the pack's alpha regret his devastating mistake?
8.8
Alpha Mate’s “Dead” First Love Came Back
In this heartbreaking dark romance, a mother is falsely accused of attacking her Alpha mate's first love. When Kael and their sons accidentally execute her brother in a cruel revenge plot, she severs all ties. Can a shattered pack ever find redemption? Read this paranormal romance to find out.
9.0