Ashes and Echoes
- Reads 11
- Votes 0
- Parts 5
Ongoing35m
Last published Thu, Oct 9, 2025
Isabel was everything a person could dream of-at least, that's what she made everyone believe. With her fair skin that glowed like porcelain, her striking brown eyes that always sparkled with secrets, and lips shaped perfectly like a heart, she looked like she had walked out of a glossy magazine. Her curly hair framed her small face so effortlessly that it felt like she belonged to a world of luxury. To everyone who crossed her path, she was the definition of wealth and grace. A lady of high status, born into the finer things in life. But no one knew the truth-not even her closest friends.
She was far from rich. In fact, she sold cigarettes on street corners, in clubs, anywhere she could make a buck. But the lie? It was easy to maintain. She wore the clothes, spoke the words, and acted like she was part of that world. Isabel had mastered the art of pretending. What could she say? She had to, if only to escape the reality of her humble beginnings. After all, who would want to be friends with a poor girl when you could have someone who looked like her, someone who looked like they had everything?
All Rights Reserved
Join the largest storytelling communityGet personalized story recommendations, save your favourites to your library, and comment and vote to grow your community.
You may also like
Loving Mr. Cavalier
When Liliana signed up to become a private flight attendant, she believed she had a general idea of what the job entailed. Strictly professional. What she didn't expect was for the mysterious, strict, straightforward Mr. Cavalier to take an interest in her outspoken yet naïve nature. With a stubborn billionaire refusing to take 'No' for an answer, Liliana finds herself on a ride of a lifetime, filled with heated close encounters, daring conversations, not to mention a dash of drama. Will Liliana be able to withstand Mr. Cavalier's lusty and endless pursuit? Or will the outspoken hostess reject the hot billionaire once and for all? __________________________________ He didn't speak. He never spoke. I knew that he was able to speak, but whenever I was around it seemed that I was the only one speaking. He didn't seem to enjoy my presence, but then again that wouldn't be true given that he requested for me to host, on my day off. His eyes were not friendly, his jaw and lips that never smiled told me to always be on guard. I could always feel his eyes on me, and I know its him, or else my heart wouldn't be acting the way it was. ... And yet, here I am, patting down the wrinkles on my skirt, as his car approached the Jet. I was rather angry. It was my day off. I wasn't even on call. I told Jenna that I wouldn't come in today and that he'd have to find someone else. Apparently this man didn't take "No" for an answer. He had his personal body guard arrive at my door, and I wouldn't be too surprised as to how he got my address. The scary man was ready to drag me from my house, I was driven to his private Aircraft and now I had to play hostess. When he stepped out of the car, his eyes looked up to me. Had he smiled or even acknowledged my presence, maybe I would be free to assume that he was happy to see me.Complete
Bed of Lies
They broke her trust. They broke his mind. Now the past is back-and this time, it wants blood. Victoria learned early how to survive in silence. Grief became her shadow. Guilt, her constant companion. Because if she had died that night instead of her mother... maybe everything would have been different. But the past doesn't stay buried, and when it drags her back into a world she barely escaped, silence won't save her anymore. Xavier learned how to disappear behind scars, rage, and the monster his past made him. A man shaped by violence, and driven by retribution. Victoria was everything he should avoid- soft yet unyielding, broken but still standing. She had the kind of pain that mirrored his own. She saw too much, pushed too far and worst of all, she made him remember something he buried a long time ago. He hated it. Hated her. Because she made him feel. What exists between them isn't gentle. It isn't safe or healing. It destroys. And when the truth comes for them both, they'll have to decide: Run. Burn. Or destroy everything in their path.Complete
La Luna - His Future || Bruno Madrigal Fanfic || Book One
First-person story through OC, Post-Encanto journey where Bruno meets his destiny, NSFW soft smut ------------------ The war Alma and Pedro had escaped from raged on, burning everything in its wake and gifting those that had suffered at the soldiers hands their own miracles. It's been a decade since Luna saw Bruno through the connection of their gift and she's never stopped searching for the thread of magic that once pulled them together. But will they ever find the sanctuary of the Encanto and will Luna finally see him again... Snippet Bruno's POV: "Hey..", it was spoken so softly, "It's okay mi amor. I'm right here." She smiled a half smile with so much kindness in her eyes. Her wrists turning to grab mine. I hadn't realized I never let go of them. I was staring at her beautiful face, not able to speak. The corner of her lips turned up more and she reached her hand out, placing her palm to my face, brushing a strand of hair away and just holding it there. She was beautiful in a way I haven't seen before. Both wild and delicate, like a fire burning and dancing in the calmest of seas. Please let this be real. Please. "I'm here, mi corazón." she said as she kissed the back of my hand, the one holding ours by my heart. I don't know what to even say to her. If this is real, I must look pretty clueless. But I don't care. "I have to go now Brunito. This is all the time I could give you. I'm sorry. I'm so tired. Please wait for me, mi amor." she said it with so much sadness, tears falling down her cheeks. "Wait, please..", I called back as the light behind her seemed to swallow her, blinding me. She's out there. She has to be. She asked me to wait for her. I can find her. I will find her. ‐---------------- Cross posted on AO3 under @luna_de_encanto Art commissions by Kler Draws on Twitter + IGComplete
"Almost Green"
Strands of your mind cling together like web to a slippery leaf bathed in the morning dew. You have seen both heaven and hell, witnessed the atrocities of war firsthand, and imagined a better life in the deepest, most intimate corners of your dreaming spirit. The wishes for peace and certainty you have once so desperately longed for, now lay trampled underneath the might of your mind's vivid horrors. What was once so bright and lively, now cowers in fear, clinging to gone memories like a shipwreck survivor to some lowly piece of driftwood. From the depths of hell, you arrived victorious, grasping the laurel wreath high above your head. Unrecognizable, with your empty eyes telling a story of innocence brutally taken away from the child curling in shame in the depths of your empty soul. Almost green you are, curly head, having grown up with a rifle by your bedside table, never knowing peace and quiet. Out of the pan that was the Kazdel Civil War and into the scorching flames of Lungmen, where life flows by on its own accord, here, you must learn to live once more. So put on your best facade, Let the reuniting trumpets ring a wild, And allow the city to swallow you whole. Here we are, a continuation of my previous work "Goodbye Curly Head", which sprawled into quite the epistle (but it wasn't really a letter, it's just long :P). Summarized in the most basic way possible, it's a story about a twenty-year-old Kazdel Civil War veteran who goes to Lungmen and has some troubles acclimating to the steady life presented before him. Sprinkle in a too-good-to-be-true offer and a freshly established logistics company, and you get Andy trying to make it big for as long as his deteriorating mental state lets him. I'd say it works as a standalone story for anyone who doesn't want to bother reading the first part. For now, at least. As always, please, pwwease leave a comment, positive, negative, I LOOOVE reading and replying to comments!!Complete
Ashes of the Crown
She was born to be a queen. He crowned himself with her ashes. Selena Velcour, only daughter of the most powerful duchy, was destined to be the empire's crown princess. Raised in love, adorned in divine favour, and promised to the throne, she gave everything for the prince she adored.. including the sacred ore that shielded the kingdom itself. But Prince Pierre Caelus wanted more. More power, more status, more control. He took her love and used it to build his crown. When his ascension was secured, he cast her aside in a web of lies so cruel it destroyed her name, her title.. and ultimately, her life. Reborn on the day she first met him, Selena remembers everything. This time, she won't be the fool who fell for sweet lies in golden eyes. This time, she will be the storm he cannot control. Let the prince who played with fire learn what it means to burn.Complete
LOVE IN ALDEN
💫 Evelyn Carter > Evelyn Carter had never lived a life of luxury, but she carried herself like she belonged anywhere. Her family wasn't poor - just careful. Every trip, every new dress, every cup of coffee came with a quiet calculation behind it. But she had something money couldn't buy: warmth. Her laughter came easily, her eyes spoke before her lips did, and her kindness wasn't for show. She had the kind of face people trusted - soft eyes, calm features, the quiet beauty of someone who didn't know how lovely she really was. Evelyn was curious, thoughtful, and sometimes overthinking - a dreamer raised to be practical. Her mother was her safe place, her father her wall of rules. And now, with university days ahead and a new city to learn, she was standing somewhere between who she was and who she wanted to be. 💎 Christopher Sterling > Christopher Sterling had never known a life without choices. He was born into marble floors, vintage cars, and expectations that came dressed as politeness. Money had always been there - like the air he breathed - invisible but undeniable. To most people, he looked like the perfect gentleman: confident, charming, and effortlessly put-together. But underneath that practiced smile was a quiet loneliness - the kind that comes when people see your surname before your face. Christopher wasn't arrogant, just detached - too used to getting what he wanted to know what it meant to earn it. Yet when he met someone who wasn't dazzled by his world - someone like Evelyn - it made him question everything he thought he knew about worth, effort, and love. 💞 Together They were opposites in all the right ways - Evelyn, who found beauty in small things, and Christopher, who was surrounded by everything but still searching for something real. She grounded him; he challenged her. And somewhere between their friends circle and university corridors, they would find that love doesn't ask for balance - it creates it.
I am Isabel (published)✔️
Meet Isabel. She gets along with most people, not super popular but she's not a wallflower either. Isabel doesn't need anyone else in her life not to protect her and certainly not Derek and his crew. She lives with her brother and father . They share a secret that could land them in jail. She can fight almost anyone and win, this girl kicks a$$. Yet Isabel has a past that features in her nightmares, making her afraid to sleep alone. --- "Hey?" I heard but didn't reply. "Hey!" I still didn't reply. A hand grabbed my arm and I twisted out of it on instinct. There was a glimmer of surprise in his eyes as I faced the last of the Five in the now almost empty hallway. Derek. Almost as tall as Mac. Black hair like the twins with ice cold blueish grey eyes. Same fighters build, six pack and all but not as soft as Mac or as feminine as the twins beauty. He was more rugged. I did understand the appeal of these boys but there were a lot of good looking guys on the swim team too and I did go with Jarred when he had fights. "You know we wouldn't let anyone hurt you right? Even if Jarred isn't around, we'll be here to protect you." I blinked. I blinked again. Nope, he was still standing there with the same serious expression. Derek, the unofficial leader of the Five, the boy every guy would want to be friends with and every girl would love to sleep with, was offering me his protection. I did the only thing that made sense in that situation. I burst out laughing. I was laughing so hard that I doubled over and when I glanced up at him I just cracked up again. He stood through it all without any emotion on his face, there was barely a glimmer of anger in his eyes. If anything I might have seen some surprise. I patted him on the arm and winked. "You. Are. Funny! I don't need you idiots to look out for me. But thanks for the thought." With that I quickly made my way to class.Complete
RECLAIM TRUST
I've always been invisible. Not the kind of invisible where people pretend you don't exist. The kind where they see you, hear you, even smile at you but never really notice. Where your victories are someone else's spotlight, your efforts always falling just short of recognition. Where your life feels like a rehearsal, and everyone else gets the applause. That was me Erin Santos the shadow in every room, the extra in everyone else's story. Until that night. A night that should have been nothing. A night that changed everything. He appeared like a storm in the corner of a bar: tall, sharp, magnetic. Adrian Velasquez. A man whose presence demanded attention, whose gaze cut deeper than knives. One night. One mistake. One moment that would pull me from the shadows and thrust me into a world I didn't belong in a world of power, wealth, secrets, and danger. And just like that, my life became a public spectacle. Whispers, photos, scandals. Headlines calling me names I never thought I'd deserve. And through it all, he offered a deal: work for me, become my shadow, play my part... and maybe, just maybe, find a place in the light. But in the world of the Velasquez family, nothing is simple. Every smile hides a lie, every touch carries a warning, and every secret has a price. This is my story. The story of how the invisible girl finally stepped into the spotlight and discovered that sometimes, seeing isn't enough.
When Liliana signed up to become a private flight attendant, she believed she had a general idea of what the job entailed. Strictly professional. What she didn't expect was for the mysterious, strict, straightforward Mr. Cavalier to take an interest in her outspoken yet naïve nature. With a stubborn billionaire refusing to take 'No' for an answer, Liliana finds herself on a ride of a lifetime, filled with heated close encounters, daring conversations, not to mention a dash of drama. Will Liliana be able to withstand Mr. Cavalier's lusty and endless pursuit? Or will the outspoken hostess reject the hot billionaire once and for all? __________________________________ He didn't speak. He never spoke. I knew that he was able to speak, but whenever I was around it seemed that I was the only one speaking. He didn't seem to enjoy my presence, but then again that wouldn't be true given that he requested for me to host, on my day off. His eyes were not friendly, his jaw and lips that never smiled told me to always be on guard. I could always feel his eyes on me, and I know its him, or else my heart wouldn't be acting the way it was. ... And yet, here I am, patting down the wrinkles on my skirt, as his car approached the Jet. I was rather angry. It was my day off. I wasn't even on call. I told Jenna that I wouldn't come in today and that he'd have to find someone else. Apparently this man didn't take "No" for an answer. He had his personal body guard arrive at my door, and I wouldn't be too surprised as to how he got my address. The scary man was ready to drag me from my house, I was driven to his private Aircraft and now I had to play hostess. When he stepped out of the car, his eyes looked up to me. Had he smiled or even acknowledged my presence, maybe I would be free to assume that he was happy to see me.
More detailsContent Guidelines