Layla Harding thought that her life was pretty complete. A college junior, she had the internship of her dreams in Los Angeles, two best friends that always managed to pull her out of her shell, and a bright future ahead of her. Sure she had some rocky family history, but who didn't? Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing, something that would make her whole. On a seemingly normal night of clubbing, Layla accidentally witnesses the elusive Hunter Michaelson commit a crime, and she soon becomes the target of his interest. Hunter can't let her go free, now that she has information that must stay quiet. He intends on keeping Layla under his control to hide his secret, but he soon realizes there is much more to this alluring angel. Layla wants nothing to do with the dangerous criminal that is Hunter Michaelson, but over time, she comes to notice the man underneath, and lines begin to blur. Could they make each other whole? 3/17/21: #5 in chase 5/12/21: #4 in chase 5/16/21: #1 in chase

Going through my pictures, I went to the one that I had just taken, and the phone slowly slipped out of my grasp. What had escaped my notice before is that the couch I had taken the picture on was against a window, which showed the backyard of the house. But in this picture, it wasn't an empty backyard. No, behind my smiling face was another one, outside the window. It was his face. Covered with a black ski mask, watching me. *** All 19-year-old Layna wanted to do was forget about the guy that broke her heart, and move on with her new boyfriend Brian. But instead, she unwittingly attracted the attention of a stalker. Someone who had been watching her every move for a month, plotting and planning for the perfect moment when he could take her. What Layna never would have expected was that when he finally kidnaps her, she would have to undergo "The Test". The Test that the girls before her had gone through. The one they failed, and payed heavily for. Will she pass The Test or will she die like the others?

She's rich, the perfect student, and graduating early. He's a heathen, a heartbreaker, and well he may never graduate... These all might be true, but with every fact, there is a detail to be explained. When people can be seen below the surface of their persona your whole view of them and their lives change. Axel thinks he's a hardass, huh? Well so does Victoria. So which one knows - How to Steal a Heart? ╰┈➤ a taste "I'm a mess," I shake my head, "Apparently a mess only you can see," "Only because I'm looking," He gestures to his eyes. "I see you, there's nothing wrong with seeing you." I completely shift myself to look at Axel. I sat in front of him as he looked down at me. This is the Axel that has me wrapped around his finger. Not the fighter, not the bad boy. The compassionate, well-spoken, devoted, Axel Stone that is sitting in front of me. So when the story comes out of my inevitable demise - know that it was Axel Stone's words that slain me. Not his persona or his larger-than-life muscles -even though those are very nice- it was the way he cared for me. The way he set a fire in my soul, a flame to my heart. The way he anchored me.