Caught between the family she's just found, the gang she can't abandon, and the shadows of a violent past, Darcy must decide who to trust-and what she's willing to risk to survive. In a world where loyalty can kill and love can betray, Darcy will discover that family is never just the people you know, but the ones who fight for you when it matters most.

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.

Five siblings, catapulted into chaos. Striving hard to create a grounded foundation amidst a cruel world, hoping that building walls will protect them against the hungry hands trying to tear them into pieces. They only ever wanted to love and be loved but life carved its marks into their hearts. Poisoned people and a series of misfortunes left their souls tainted. 🌼 🌼 🌼 ❗❗❗ This book is a PREQUEL which means that the story takes place several years before the first book, 'FADED'. This work is a part of a backstory that focuses on the events that occurred before the original narrative. It is not necessarily required that you read FADED to understand this one, but I do strongly recommend it to get a better understanding of the characters and setting. 🌼 🌼 🌼 ⚠️ Trigger Warning! ⚠️ This is not some fairytale about falling in love and living happily ever after. This story is a reflection of reality, it's about real characters facing real hardships and struggles in life. RATED M (Please read the tags for more info about the story. No cliches, I promise.) 🌼 🌼 🌼 Book published June 2019. Book cover created with Canva. Disclaimer: I do not own any of the photos used in this story. Please note that all images and copyrights belong to their original owners. No copyright infringement intended. © All rights reserved All written works on this account are copyrighted by OopsyDaisy. Please refrain from duplicating or reproducing these books in any way, shape or form without the author's consent. Thank you.

Lily is happy with her life. She has a unique family that she can rely on as well as four great friends who support her - and vice versa. She doesn't mind school, loves to play soccer in her spare time and cannot say no to sweets. For as long as she can remember, it has always been just her and her brothers. There are no parents in the picture. The 12-year-old has never bothered to find out what actually happened to them and she has never even met them. Her oldest brother is her and the other minors' guardian. This is how it has always been, and Lily likes it that way. However, something seems to be changing. Three of her brothers suddenly move back home, or at least make plans to do so. The older ones start to act secretive and they appear more preoccupied than usual. Certain things don't add up anymore. Lily's curiosity is piqued. What is going on with her family? What are her oldest brothers hiding from her? Have they been lying to her? Who are her parents? And where are they? Join Lily on a journey that will turn her life upside down and that will put everything into a new perspective, as things slowly start to unravel.

****THIS IS A SEQUEL. To be able to follow this story, please read "Unravelling" first**** Lily has started into the new year with a mixture of confusion, curiosity, anticipation - and dread. Ever since her oldest brothers revealed some of the truth about their family's past, the 12-year-old soon-to-be-teenager is struggling to come to terms with all the new and partially heart-breaking information. For the first few months of the year, Lily has tried to stay true to her word and not dig any further into their past, at least not until Alex, her guardian, is willing to share more details with the younger kids. However, Lily's patience is slowly running out. So many things are occupying her mind. She is convinced that there is still a lot more to discover about her family, and she is not willing to wait much longer. What is their father's story and can she locate him? How did her sister die? When will she see Finn again? Why is Sean really moving back home? And what is the reason behind her brothers' weirdly secretive behavior? With the help from her friends and some of her siblings, Lily continues her journey of gradually unravelling her family's secrets. Will she be successful? Will the implications of her discoveries slowly dissolve her family or is she able to save these fragile relationships before it is too late? Join Lily once again as she juggles school, friends, family (meetings), the general challenges of growing-up, creepy stalkers, some tragedies and maybe even her first encounter with something akin to a crush in these rather eventful months of her life.

Olivia has been abused by her mother and her stepfather for as long as she could remember. It wasn't until they were killed in an accident, did she find out that she had five older brothers who have been looking for her ever since she was taken away from them. How will they react to finding out what her life was like before they got her back and will their sibling bond ever be the same as it was all those years ago before she was taken?

Amalia Romano is a selective mute. After years of enduring abuse from her step father, who has ridiculed and hurt her mercilessly, she doesn't want to talk, for fear of what might happen if someone doesn't like what she says. But then her step father--who's care she has been in for two years, ever since her mum died--passes away, and her father, who she was taken away from when she was three, agrees to take her in. But she isn't the smiley little girl she used to be. And the Romano men have secrets of their own, ones they want to keep their twelve year old princess away from. 1M VIEWS: Sunday, 12th March 2023 COVER BY: @sugarhighstoned

❝I think we've lost the meaning of family.❞ • • • A few years ago, we tragically lost our parents, and every day since then, my brothers and I have drifted apart. We have intense defense mechanisms and our own methods of survival in the adult world. Our house feels less like home, the city feels empty, and the stars seem more distant. Will we be able to heal as a family? Or will we go our separate ways as adults? ▫▫▫▫ ▫▫▫▫ ▫▫▫▫ Cover is made by me. Copyright © 2021 Josie Marie Any relation to other stories or characters is entirely coincidental and not intentional. Any credit for the #olderbrother trend goes to its appropriate writers/creators. All of my work is original, inspired by the #olderbrother trend, but based on my own life with four brothers.

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.