Eight-year-old Annelise doesn't remember her real name - or what it means to be safe. Taken from her family and trapped in a nightmare for six long years, she's finally rescued and returned to the people who have been waiting for her all along. The Beaumont brothers each carry their own scars from a past filled with loss and secrets. Together, they embark on a slow, tender journey of healing, trust, and rediscovery-where every unlocked door holds the chance for Annelise to reclaim what's been stolen from her.

At six years old, Ava Carter lost her brothers to divorce. At sixteen, she loses everything else. With both parents gone, Ava is forced to move in with the brothers she hasn't seen in a decade - and the life she doesn't recognize. She's grieving. Guarded. Holding onto secrets that could change everything. Then she meets Blake. Her brother's best friend. Off-limits. Complicated. Dangerous in the quietest way. Falling for him was never part of the plan. But neither was losing her entire world.

Anastasiya has been alone since before she could remember. She's used to abuse, to torment, to being a victim to bullies and their nasty ways. She doesn't have a family, and she's okay with that. That's the way it's always been. Until it isn't. She's pulled out of her school lesson on the day of her thirteenth birthday by her new guardian: her oldest brother. She's thrusted into a new life - although it doesn't differ from her last one too much. Surrounded by a family she feels doesn't care for her and other children who make it their personal mission to ruin Anastasiya's already terrible days, she's forced to deal with a whirlwind of emotions that plague her as well as combat the plethora of problems that come to her while being completely alone, with nobody by her side.

Saudade- a nostalgic longing to be near again to something or someone that is distant, or has been loved, then lost; "the love that remains" Marlowe Wanless, just 11-years-old has spent the better part of her life that she can remember in the house of her abusive and drug addicted stepfather. After he has been arrested for possession of illicit substances, Marlowe's custody has been shifted to her 7 terrifying older brothers who are surrounded by rumors regarding their line of work. The Valente's now juggle healing a mentally destroyed child while simultaneously sheltering her from lurking rival business' that will stop at nothing to harm the littlest Valente. Have the rival businesses just brought more danger then her stepfather? Who can be trusted? Or the bigger question, who can't?

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?

"I love you" she says and kisses my jaw tenderly. "I love you too baby" I reply stroking her still damp hair. We were sat in a dirty McDonald's car park. We could be sat in a fucking pile of trash and I wouldn't care. Because I would be with her. As long as I'm with her, nothing else matters. -------------------------------------------------------- After all he had known was anger and hatred she was like a breath of fresh air to him. With just one look into her mesmerizing chocolate eyes and one listen to her angelic voice he knew he was ruined. He despised this feeling. He felt helpless. No matter how much he tried to stay away he was drawn to her and he knew he was playing a very dangerous game. Leaving the pain of her past behind her she starts a fresh in a new town with her older brother. Meeting the towns bad boy was not on her agenda but every time she saw him she was intrigued. He was rude and had a terrible attitude, but his eyes didn't show anything but pain which is something she knew all too well. They are complete opposites but have one thing in common. They are both broken, maybe just maybe they could be the cure to each others pain. ⚠️ this story contains mentions of abuse and alcohol so if you are not comfortable with this please do not read my story.

Elara has spent her entire life hiding in the quiet spaces between shadows. When she and her brother Caleb are sent to live with half-siblings they barely know, they must relearn what family truly means. Together, they find strength in silence, healing in unspoken bonds, and hope in the softest colours of quiet.

The cold man fell in love with the kind girl because he knew that she deserved the world and that he wanted to be the one who gave it to her. ♡ Alette Faye was a sweet girl. She was exceptionally kind and had an air of simplicity. Between her part-time job at the bakery, her classes, her time spent tending to her flowers and walking in the fields, she didn't get the opportunity to experience much. Her past created fears in her that she seemingly couldn't overcome, and then she met him. For when she meets him, she should have run away in fear, but she stayed. She stayed and she opened her big heart for a man who found his heart, just for her. ♡ This story is a little cliché, a lot unedited, and super simple.

⚠️ CHAPTER 41 - 100 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. ── ─ ┈┈┈┄┄╌╌ ⚠️ Trigger Warning: This story contains sensitive and emotionally distressing themes, including emotional abuse, manipulation, disturbing family dynamics, morally corrupt characters, sexual assault, rape, psychological trauma, and mature content. Reader discretion is advised. © 2026 [CherylZielle]. All rights reserved. Do not copy or distribute the story without permission.

PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS "The softest place to fall" "Who did this to you?" The question hangs in the air between us. I can't look at him. I stare at my hands instead. "Ella." His voice breaks on my name. "Please. Talk to me." "I- " The word comes out as barely a whisper. "I can't." "You can. Whatever it is, you can tell me. I'm not going anywhere."