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THE CASTLE OF LOST SOULS

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Summary

My name is Isadora, but you can call me Isa-everyone else does. This is the story of my life, though I wouldn't call it a fairytale. I'm twenty-three years old, married to a man in his late thirties, and before you ask-no, it wasn't for love. I was sold to him. My father, once a kind and gentle man, became a stranger after my mother died. Within months, he remarried-the devil in silk and pearls, my stepmother-and she brought along her two wicked daughters. Overnight, my home turned into a cage. My father drank himself senseless and gambled until there was nothing left but debts and empty bottles. When we lost our home, I thought we had already fallen to rock bottom. I was wrong. Desperation drove him to bet what little we had left on a horse race. He trusted a friend who turned out to be a con artist. And the man he owed money to wasn't just anyone-he was Ambrose Blackwell, a name whispered like a curse. An assassin. A monster. A man who killed for pleasure and profit. When my father realized he couldn't repay his debt, he offered the only thing of value he had left-me. You'd think he would have pawned one of my vain stepsisters, but no. Ambrose refused them. He wanted me, and me alone. That's when I learned the truth: Ambrose had orchestrated everything. The bet. The loss. The debt. He had set the trap long before I even knew his name. All because, for reasons beyond my understanding, he wanted me in his world-his shadowed, merciless world. Now I'm bound to a man I should fear, but who watches me as if I'm the only thing that keeps him tethered to life. And though I try to hate him, I can't help but wonder-did the devil truly steal my freedom, or did he save me from a fate far crueler than his touch?

Status
2h ago
Chapters
11
Rating
n/a
Age Rating
18+

Acknowledgements

To the dreamers, the believers, and the magic makers, this book is for you.

First and foremost, I want to thank my parents. Your love, strength, and unwavering support have been the roots of everything I’ve grown into. You encouraged my imagination, believed in my stories even when they were scribbled in notebooks, and reminded me that I could do anything if I kept going. This world, these characters, and this dream come true would not exist without you.

To my friends and family, thank you for cheering me on during every late night and rewrite. You held space for my silence. My chaos and my creative storms.

To the readers, thank you for stepping into this world with open hearts. I hope these pages gave you adventures and escape. And maybe a little wonder.

And lastly, to the child I once was. The one that stayed up reading under the covers with a flashlight, who believed in magic and monsters and heroes with broken hearts. You made it. We made it.

With all my gratitude,

Esmeralda.

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