nepenthe (n.) medicine for sorrow; a person or thing that can aid in forgetting pain or sorrow 𖤓 Elodie is no stranger to sorrow, it was ever present in her life. At eleven years old she had learned that to try to rid of it was fruitless, and that once you stop fighting it becomes like a blackbird on your shoulder- present but not excruciatingly painful anymore. But when she is taken in by her biological family, her whole view on how she should live is forever changed. Or... In which Elodie is finally reunited with her family after eight years. However, like all things in life, she's changed. She isn't the only one keeping secrets,will these secrets finally air themselves out or will they continue to fester underneath the surface.

One minute, Clara was walking home. The next, she was gone. Kidnapped off the street by three strangers-Ezra, Silas, and Lucian-she wakes up in a mansion too perfect to be real. Every room is tailored to her. Every meal, every hobby, every word-they knew everything. And now they expect her to play along in their twisted version of a family. They wanted her. To them, Clara is the missing piece. The daughter they've been waiting for. The one they've been preparing for. Every room is made for her. Every rule is meant to shape her. And every smile hides something sick. Ezra. Calm, calculating, always three steps ahead. No matter how careful Clara is, he sees through her. Every lie. Every escape attempt. Every flicker of rebellion. Silas is distant and cold, but dangerous in his silence. Silas keeps his distance-but when he looks at her, it's like he sees straight through. And Lucian... Lucian's the gentle one.The one who brings her hot chocolate with extra marshmallows and brushes her hair. The one who says this is all for her own good. Lucian is soft-spoken and kind... almost like he wants her to believe this could be real. But it isn't. They don't want her freedom. They want her obedience. Her love. Her role. They call it family. She calls it a nightmare. But if Clara wants to survive, she might have to play along. Even if it means pretending to love her captors. _________________________________________ Author's Note: This is a story I've been wanting to post and now I've finally done it. I would really appreciate your support by voting on the chapters and by commenting, or just leaving suggestions you would like me to incorporate, I'm more than happy to read your suggestions. •Any pictures seen or used throughout this book is not mine, I used Pinterest to cultivate all my ideas. [All credit must go to the rightful owners] DISCLAIMER: This book is not a dark romance, mafia-related, intimate book, it doesn't contain themes associated with those genre

Book Two Valerius Armani would do anything for his daughter. He'd even sacrifice his own life for hers. But every sacrifice come with a price and Eleonora Armani had to pay for it. Ten years have passed since Eleonora Armani watched her father get dragged away by the person responsible for her pain. She's forced to learn her way around the world alone. As she gets older, she uncovers secrets about who her father actually is. Eleonora digs deeper and deeper until she finally finds him. Secrets are being kept, betrayals are around every corner, and nothing seems to be going the way she planned. Can their relationship return back to the way it was? Follow Valerius and Eleonora on their journey of finding each other once again.

Book One At the age of twenty five, the Mafia would be handed down to Valerius Armani from his father. Knowing what is soon to come.. he knows he has to finally admit his secret to the one he loved. The woman he hoped to marry. Although, Katerina Watson was horrified to learn the truth. So, during the night she ran and never looked back. . . she didn't know then that would be the biggest mistake of her life. Five years later, Valerius now lives a lonely life as Don. Cold and Emotionless. One night something changes. A small, frightened, girl runs into him. He can help but take interest. This turns his life around.. things get crazier, secrets are shared, enemies surface, arguments rise and this is only the start to their story. Both of them are broken to what they believe is beyond repair. Can they save each other?

Staying in one place was never mums thing. Talking about feeling was a no. Causing trouble, attention seeking, being a brat also a no. But you could! Cry your heart out silently as long as it wasn't loud as long as it wasn't embarrassing or tainting our reputation. So I did just that. Till I lost myself, till I couldn't figure out what was going on with me. "Oh yea you brother is coming home" mum said the minute I placed the first plate on the table. I nearly dropped the next one "What? Brother!?" "Honey don't do this now you know your brother that went to juvi years ago for killing those five men" Of course I remembered I had been bullied by the victims younger sister, course I remembered because it was the reason we moved even though I didn't even remember my elder brothers face I had been four when he got locked up. He was coming home??? .................................................................................................... 17 year old Addison Russo has been living her life a rollercoaster to many downhills which she's screamed her lungs off through with not enough uphills to let her catch her breath. Her mothers idea of a perfect daughter weighing down on her current problems even more. Her father someone she never met. Her older brother practically dead to her. Her old town a place she's escaped from. But what happens when everything she thought was over comes back to bite? What if the rollercoaster finally takes a turn that she's been waiting for but it's not what she expected.

12 year old Naomi has been living with her mother for most her life. Or so most people thought her mother wanting nothing to do with her since she decided to start her life from scratch only Naomi seemed to get in the way of her plans. From being sent to an Academy to Military school what happens when she's sent to live with her Brothers the one that had been sent to jail for five years the other ones that were never there for her the ones she barely remembered. Author: @ChildofChaos (T/W: this book contains scenes that may be triggering to some people so read at your own cost)

E·phem·er·al (adj.) Lasting for a very short time ִֶָ 𓂃˖˳·˖ ִֶָ ⋆★⋆ ִֶָ˖·˳˖𓂃 ִֶָ Aurora has spent her past thirteen years surviving, not living. Trapped in a broken home filled with cruelty and violence, every day has been a battle against the monsters she was forced to call family. Stained by her striking appearance--skin, hair, and eyes devoid of pigment--Aurora has always stood out. But one night, when flashing lights and sirens tear through the darkness of her world, everything changes for her. Her nightmares have been taken away in handcuffs, and for the first time, Aurora is free. Or so she believes. Swept away to a sprawling residence in New York, she's thrown into a new life with six mysterious older brothers she's never met, secrets buried in every corner, and danger that feels strangely familiar. As Aurora tries to rebuild, she begins to worry if the past is truly behind her, or if something even darker has been waiting all along. Wanting a future built upon more than merely scraping by, Aurora knows its time she fights for what was previously impossible. She's ready to live and claim her new life as more than Ephemeral. Even if it kills her. ִֶָ 𓂃˖˳·˖ ִֶָ ⋆★⋆ ִֶָ˖·˳˖𓂃 ִֶָ ⏾ The first couple chapters are short but get longer as you go. NO AI HAS GONE INTO EPHEMERAL.

Raised to be holy. Born into something far more dangerous. Seventeen year old, Evienne Ellery spent her life preparing for heaven. Sent away to a secluded boarding school in the Swiss Alps by distant, unfeeling adoptive parents, she was raised by nuns and priests to be obedient, submissive and small. Behind stone chapels and cold classrooms, Evienne learned early that love was conditional, punishment was holy, and suffering was something to be endured quietly Her future was simple: be good, be faithful, and one day do her duty-marry a man who would secure her family's interests. Her life was planned. Controlled. Perfect. Until it wasn't. When everything she knows collapses, Evienne is torn from the only world she has ever known and sent to live with her biological family-six brothers who are loud, vulgar, violent, and unapologetically criminal. They don't pray. They don't obey. And they certainly don't believe in God the way she was taught. They believe in blood. With them, she learns the truth of who she really is: The lost princess of one of the most powerful mafia families in the world. Her brothers have been searching for her for years, and now that they've found her, they refuse to lose her again. In their world of power, crime, and betrayals, Evienne learns that love doesn't always look gentle-and protection often comes with a body count. But as old family feuds resurface, enemies close in, and the past she was hidden from begins to reach for her, Evienne is forced to confront an impossible question: What happens when the people you love will never be welcome in heaven-and you're no longer sure you want to go without them?

Jodee has been living alone with her older brother and one of his friends for most of her life. The only problem is that Ace Chambers - her brother - is one of the most feared and dangerous men in the city. Ace is rarely home from work and when he is he doesn't say much nor engage in her life. His sister, however, is the opposite - Jodee is a shy and reserved 14-year-old-girl; always wanting to be out of the spotlight that her brother's mysterious life puts on her. She gets good grades, has a small friend group, and is content with her own company. Although the Chambers siblings are polar opposites they are very close. Jodee understands Ace like no other and Ace always has Jodee and her best interest at the top of his priorities. So what happens when her quiet - but different - life is turned up-side-down? Will Ace be able to protect her and save her innocence? Can Jodee handle this change? And most of all, will their little family stick together.

No one ever wanted Riley Knight: not her father, who made sure she didn't have any part in his or his families life; not her mother, who resented her for virtually everything; nor her step father, who has hated her since before she was born. Not even her own big brothers -- the ones who are suppose to love and protect her no matter what -- wanted her. Or so she thought. Riley is the product of an affair -- well her and her twin brother, Rome, are -- but she never had two parents. See, her father has always had "something against" the female sex and therefore, it is weak in his eyes to have a daughter. So he kept Rome and sent Riley away from the second the twins were born. He is the one responsible for turning his six sons against his youngest child and only daughter and, therefore, chaining her to a life of abuse and neglect. But did he succeed? Following her fathers death 7 years ago, Riley's brothers have taken a bigger interest in her and her quality of life, ensuring it was up to par. But all is still not perfect among the Knight siblings. Will Riley finally find her solace among her big brothers? Will they find out about the horrors she faces on a day-to-day basis? Can this family ever become one again ... or do the scars run too deep?