Taken from her family at the age of four, because of a deep grudge, Aria doesn't remember the place she used to call home. All she knows now, is silence and pain. All she has is her broken self, and the hope of being free one day. She's been called a curse, and she's been called worse- to the point where Aria doesn't know what is true or not. She'll never escape the hell she's in, she'll never have a home or a family, right? *Sneak peek* Aria: "BITCH! Where the fuck are you?" I wake up with a jerk on the cold floor of the kitchen's store. The rope that he used to keep me there when his friends were over, bit into my skin, and was now stained with red. He had forgotten. Again. But that was a good thing, because it means I didn't get beatings last night. I tired to move, but the pain from my ankle was sending vibrations to my brain, and I winced, my back hitting the wall hard. I closed my eyes, praying he won't find me- but luck is never on my side. He opens the door, and smirks as he looks down at me. His eyes were clear, he wasn't drunk. That was bad. He made it more painful when he wasn't. He undid the rope, and dragged me by the hair, into the kitchen. "You little bitch. Growing wings now, are we?" He threw me on the floor and kicked my ribs. Pain flared through me, but I shut my eyes tight. Don't make a sound. "Make me my damn breakfast right now. And I want it prepared next time or else." I nod my head, and get to my feet. But he dragged me towards him by the neck, my back to his front. His hand went under my shirt, the threat hanging in the air, and I squeezed my eyes shut. "Do you hear me?" I nod. His hand went up to my chest, and I swallowed the nausea rising up in me. "Yes who?" "Yes Daddy." I choked out. Then he pushed me towards the stove and walked out.

They used her. Branded her. Sent her back when they were done. Darya has lived her life in silence, a ghost in her own body. Passed from one cruel hand to the next. She's learned not to ask questions. Not to beg. Not to hope. So when a kind man appears, she doesn't feel rescued. She feels tricked. She doesn't understand him. Doesn't trust him. Doesn't understand why he's here now, after everything. Maybe he's just another man who wants something. Maybe he'll use her and leave like the rest. And she fears that this time she won't survive it. • This book includes sensitive themes of trauma involving a minor and may be difficult for some readers. Reader discretion is advised. • • All rights reserved. This book is copyrighted by the author and may not be used, reproduced, or distributed without explicit permission. Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution of any part of this book is prohibited and may lead to legal consequences. •

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.

8 years old Aarya was raised in silence, in fear, and in chains. She never knew a life beyond bruises and rules - where food was a privilege, smiles were sins, and love was just a myth. For eight years, she lived under the iron hand of her mother and her cruel boyfriend, taught to be invisible and obedient or be punished. She didn't know family, joy, or even her own worth. Until one day, everything changed. When her abusers were arrested in a drug bust, Aarya thought she was finally free. But freedom was a lie. Because this time she is captured by a monster even more dangerous, a ghost from the underworld, long thought dead. Where she learns a truth more unbelievable than fiction: she is not alone. She is the daughter of Satyaveer Malhotra - one of the most feared mafia dons in the country - and sister to three ruthless crime lords. Thrown from hell into a den of lions, Aarya finds herself in a world she cannot understand - a world of power, guns, secrets, and brothers who speak in bullets and silence. Cold, broken, and dangerous - they don't know how to love. And neither does she. But blood remembers. And somewhere beneath the scars, loyalty, and violence... a family begins to rise..........

⚠️ CHAPTER 41+ ARE PAID CONTENT VIA KO-FI ⚠️ ── ─ ┈┈┈┄┄╌╌ The De Luca brothers reign supreme in the underworld, holding dominion over the ruthless realm of the Italian Mafia. They are cold, merciless, driven by madness, their loyalty solely to blood. Yet, their lives take an unexpected turn when they discovered their thirteen years old little sister. *** "When she was choking me, is that... love?" she whispered, her voice barely audible, each word trembling as if afraid to leave her lips. Her eyes, wide and glassy, searched mine desperately, seeking a truth that she couldn't grasp amidst the fog of confusion and despair that clouded her mind. My heart seethed with rage, a torrent of emotions crashing against the walls of my restraint, threatening to betray the stoic facade I had carefully constructed. I wanted to scream, to shake her out of this misguided belief. Hestia, my little sister, stared back at me. Her innocence tainted by the cruel hands of someone who had twisted the meaning of love into something unrecognizable. She couldn't differentiate the painfully obvious truth, the clear distinction between love and control, kindness and cruelty. It was as if the very essence of her spirit was being suffocated, just as her breath had been. ── ─ ┈┈┈┄┄╌╌ [⚠️ Chapter 41+ are paid content via Ko-fi ⚠️] ⚠️ Trigger Warning: This story contains sensitive and potentially distressing themes, including abuse, sexual assault, rape, psychological trauma, and mature content. Note: - Update: Random - Cover by Canva © 2026 [CherylZielle]. All rights reserved. Do not copy or distribute the story without permission.

Nine-year-old Addison has known only darkness - locked away in a basement, her world has been one of silence, fear, and isolation. But when Addison moves in with the Harrington brothers - the family she never knew she had - she faces the daunting task of learning to trust, speak, and heal. Surrounded by love but haunted by her past, will Addison find the light she's been searching for - or will the shadows of her trauma keep her trapped?

Silenced by trauma, she returns to six brothers who blame her for their parents' death. Her voice stolen twice - by abuse and accusation. Can she break through their hatred without words?

Aurora's life had always been about survival, each day a quiet battle against fear and pain. When her stepfather was finally arrested, she thought the fight was over. But leaving one dangerous world meant stepping into another-one she didn't fully understand. Now, she's living with seven older brothers she barely knows, their lives a tangle of secrets and shadows they never speak of. Their house is loud, protective, and filled with rules she's afraid to break. For Aurora, it's a new kind of survival. For her brothers, it's a chance to keep her safe-no matter what it takes.

"She accepted the darkness not as punishment, but as home." 🌸🌸🌸 Anya has a father and three brothers. But they don't really care about her-they're just family by name. After Anya's mother died giving birth to her, the blame for her death was placed on Anya. Since then, the only things she has received from her father and brothers are blame, disrespect, ignorance, abusive words, and bullying-especially from her two elder brothers. They call her unlucky, a bad omen, a symbol of misfortune. They hate her. And over time, Anya has come to accept all of it. She has started to believe it herself-that she is cursed, that she brings bad luck. Anya is just 16 years old, but she's not like other girls her age. She has never lived a normal childhood-no fun, no laughter, no affection. Her whole life has revolved around just one thing: studying. Whether in school or locked inside her four-walled room, that's all she's ever known. She doesn't like facing her family. Deep inside, she believes she's the reason they're always upset, that her presence is a burden. She truly thinks she's not good enough to live under the same roof with them. Now, she's made a decision: after she turns 18, she will leave. Not to run away-but to protect them from herself. But what will happen when her family finds out what she's planning? Will they feel relief-or regret? Do they truly hate her-or have they just never tried to understand her? What will happen if they realize they were wrong to blame a child for something she never caused? What if they ask for forgiveness and beg her to stay? Will she stay? Or will she finally choose herself-for the first time in her life?

✧༺ 𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐕𝐈𝐊 𝐱 𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐑 ༻✧ Some stories begin with love. This one begins with finding a family. When Heer's world shatters overnight, she is thrown into a life she never imagined-a life filled with strangers who are suddenly her family, brothers she never knew existed, and a home that doesn't quite feel like hers. Lost, heartbroken, and carrying the weight of her mother's absence, Heer struggles to find her place among the powerful Raichands. But while she fears being unwanted, the truth is far different. Because somewhere between Rakshit's silent care, Rihaan's endless teasing, Kanishk's chaos, Priyansh's unwavering support, Arhaan's warmth, and Shaurya's fierce protection, Heer slowly discovers what it means to belong. And then there is Rutvik. The boy who falls first, The boy who waits. The boy who looks at her as if she is every beautiful thing the world forgot to name. What begins as friendship blossoms into a love story filled with stolen glances, soft confessions, inside jokes, forehead kisses, and a boy who never lets her doubt her worth. But life isn't only made of happy moments. Secrets surface. Hearts break. Fears return. Relationships are tested. And Heer must learn that family isn't always the one you're born into-sometimes it's the people who choose you every single day. Filled with sibling chaos, unconditional love, emotional healing, unforgettable friendships, heart-fluttering romance, and a heroine who finds her voice amidst the noise, Heer is a story about grief, belonging, and the kind of love that turns strangers into home. "THIS IS THE STORY OF HEER-THE GIRL WHO WAS LOVED SO FIERCELY THAT EVEN HER BROKEN PIECES LEARNED HOW TO SHINE AGAIN." ❀TROPES❀ High school romance 6 Protective Half brothers Bad boy x good girl Best friend's sister x Brother's best friend He fell first and harder No bullying 12th x 11th Rom-com Bold girl