Sarah thought she had the perfect marriage-until one devastating moment shattered everything. The man she trusted most has betrayed her in the cruelest way, and the pain of witnessing it with her own eyes leaves her questioning everything she's ever believed about love. Broken and desperate for healing, Sarah returns to her childhood home, where familiar comforts and family support help her begin to piece herself back together. But she doesn't expect to find Eric-the boy she once loved and the one who let her go-still waiting in the background of her past. Eric knows he made the biggest mistake of his life when he lost Sarah. Now he'll do anything to prove that she deserves more than heartbreak... and that second chances aren't just for fairy tales. Will Sarah find the courage to dream again-and can Eric finally give her the love she's always needed?

**A Blue Beard retelling** Based on Charles Perrault's fairytale, this YA Historical Fantasy short story set in Victorian England mixes romance, magic and mystery. After agreeing to an arranged marriage to escape her greedy relatives, 18-year-old heiress Amelia moves into her husband's manor determined to start a new life. But the gothic mansion's forbidding surroundings, the servants' strange demeanour and her husband's mysterious past soon awaken her suspicions. If Amelia truly wants to become the lady of the house, she'll have to discover what secrets lie beyond closed doors and unravel the mystery of the old house's forbidden room. But sometimes secrets are kept for a good reason... HIGHEST RANKING IN HISTORICAL FICTION # 44 Copyright © 2017. All works posted here are the property of EM Castellan. Please do not use without permission. Any duplication or reproduction of all or part of the work without explicit permission by the author is illegal. Cover artist: @seventhstar

"Luci I wanted to-" "Don't f*cking call me that," Lucifer interrupted, speaking in a monotonous voice, whilst staring intently at the marbled floor beneath his feat. "It suits you though!" Dior defended in a giggly tone, but his expression did not change. "I said don't f*cking call me that." "You can even give me a silly nickname if you'd like," she proposed. Silence "Eh, you'll learn to love me one day." Little did she know, he already did. ------------------------------------------------ After the kidnapping and torturing of Dior Delilah Hamilton, the only daughter of the biggest mob boss in New York, Dante Hamilton, her father had no choice but to hire a full-time bodyguard for her, otherwise known as : Lucifer Alistair. Dior Delilah Hamilton Despite how the world has treated her, the contagious smile on her face never faltered. Bringing joy to those around her was her addiction, and the innocent aura surrounding her can never go unnoticed. With 3 older brothers, and a mafia man for a father, she was protected beyond belief. Or so they thought... Lucifer Alistair. His name itself causes the strongest of men to shiver in their boots. And boy did he live up to his name. He'd been let down all his life and learnt to never expect anything from anyone, because everyone will leave you in the end. His mind was set. He was to be a lone wolf til his last breath. Broken, misunderstood, heartless, soulless even, Lucifer could not be fixed. That was until Dior slithered her way into his shattered heart, and vowed to make it whole again. ---------------------------------- I don't own any pictures used in this story All rights reserved, do not copy my work