Beneath the Perfect Lie

Beneath the Perfect Lie

chi.evans.helen · Ongoing · 122.7k Words

632
Hot
952
Views
24
Added
Add to Shelf
Start Reading
Share:facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsappreddit

Introduction

New York City: She’s a lonely romantic who's finally met the perfect man… charming, intelligent, attentive, he seems like the answer to her prayers. But when women who look eerily like her begin to die under mysterious circumstances, her dream romance spirals into a waking nightmare. With every kiss, every whispered promise, she edges closer to discovering the horrific truth...

Is she dating a murderer, or is something far worse hiding behind that perfect smile?

Chapter 1

They say New York is the city that never sleeps. But at 3:17 a.m., even the sirens were quiet.

Camille sat by the window, curled up in a blanket, watching snow fall like ash under the orange glow of a streetlamp. Her tea had gone cold. Again. She hadn’t taken a sip since midnight. Not since that stupid dating app told her, for the fourth night in a row, “No new matches nearby. Try expanding your radius.”

“Yeah,” she muttered. “Why not just match me with a man on Mars at this point?”

The app stayed silent. Like everything else.

She sighed, tossing her phone on the couch beside her and pressing her forehead against the cold glass. Below, a cab splashed through a slush puddle and kept driving, its taillights fading like hope.

She hadn’t spoken to another human being all day. Well—other than the barista who called her name with a mechanical smile that didn't reach his eyes. And Lena, who texted at 10 p.m.: u good? don’t ghost me again, i swear. Camille never answered. Not because she didn’t want to. But because she didn’t know how to say, “I’m not good. I don’t remember how to be.”

“Camille?” Her mother’s voice echoed in her memory, soft and warm.

Camille closed her eyes. “I’m fine, Mom,” she whispered to no one. “Just tired.”

It had been eight months since her mom died. Breast cancer. A slow, cruel goodbye that hollowed out her home and her heart. Since then, everything felt faded. Muted. Her job at the publishing house. Her apartment. The books she once loved. The men she tried to date.

Especially the men.

First there was Adrian. Too charming, too fast. Then Mark, who disappeared after three dates. Then Ethan, who still texted “u up?” at 2 a.m. like a sad echo.

And through it all, Camille had smiled, nodded, tried. But nothing stuck. No one stayed.

She rubbed her arms, suddenly cold.

She missed warmth. Not the kind from blankets or heaters. The kind that came from being seen. Heard. Held.

She used to believe in love. Not the fairytale kind, but the slow kind. The kind you built over time. Like her parents had. Her father was gone too, long before her mother. But the way he used to look at her mom? Like she was a miracle.

Camille had never been anyone’s miracle. Not yet.

The next morning, her alarm rang at 7:00 sharp. She slapped it off and stared at the ceiling.

Another day of smiling at manuscripts, dodging awkward coworker questions, and pretending she was okay.

At 8:00, she was on the subway. Elbow to elbow with strangers, each lost in their own earbuds and dead eyes. At 8:42, she walked into the office.

By 12:00, she’d finished editing three chapters of a cozy mystery about a psychic cat.

By 3:00, she was back in her apartment, curled under the same blanket.

And by 5:00, she’d convinced herself to go outside. Just for a walk. Just to feel something.

The café on 9th and Ridge was her usual haunt. It had soft lighting, strong coffee, and a chalkboard menu that hadn’t changed since 2017. She liked the barista. He didn’t ask questions.

She slid into a corner booth with her latte and journal, trying to look like she belonged. Like she wasn’t just there because she didn’t want to cry in her apartment again.

That’s when it happened.

The bell over the door jingled, and someone walked in—coat dusted with snow, black gloves in one hand, a book tucked under the other arm.

Camille didn’t look up. Not right away.

She just heard the barista say, “Haven’t seen you in a while, man.”

And the man say, “Yeah. Needed some peace.”

His voice was low. Smooth. The kind that makes you want to lean in without knowing why.

He walked past her. Their eyes met.

Just for a second.

But it landed like a thunderclap.

He didn’t smile. Not exactly. Just a little curve of his lips. A flicker of awareness.

He sat down two tables away. Ordered a black coffee. Pulled out his book and started reading.

Camille stared at her journal, blank page glaring at her. Her pen hovered. Her heart beat faster than it should’ve.

She told herself not to look again. That it didn’t mean anything. Just a man. Just coffee.

But when she did glance back, she found him looking at her.

He didn’t look away.

“Do I know you?” he asked.

His voice was warm. Curious. Not pushy.

Camille blinked. “I… I don’t think so.”

“You looked familiar,” he said. “Like someone I used to know. That’s a compliment, by the way.”

She laughed before she meant to. “I’ll take it.”

He smiled, full this time. And God help her, it was devastating.

“I’m Daniel,” he said, offering his hand.

“Camille.”

He didn’t let go too quickly. “Pretty name. Classic.”

“Thanks.”

They stared at each other again. The kind of silence that buzzes.

“Sorry,” she said, flustered. “I’m just—uh—writing.”

“Oh? Are you a writer?”

She shook her head. “I work in publishing. I edit other people’s words. I just journal when I’m pretending I have something to say.”

He chuckled. “Well, I hope you write about this moment. You never know, could be the start of something.”

Camille raised a brow. “Smooth.”

He winked. “I try.”

They talked for twenty minutes. About books. Coffee. The snowstorm coming in next week. Nothing important, and yet, everything felt important.

His laugh was easy. His gaze intense. He asked questions and actually listened.

When he stood to leave, he pulled a pen from his coat pocket, scribbled something on a napkin, and slid it to her.

“My number,” he said. “In case you want to finish the conversation sometime.”

Camille took the napkin like it was made of gold.

He left with the same quiet calm he came in with.

She stared at the number for a long time.

Then wrote just three words in her journal:

He saw me.

And for the first time in months, she smiled for real.

But outside, the snow kept falling.

Soft.

Silent.

And somewhere in that gentle white haze, a shadow passed the window. Watching. Waiting.

Last Chapters

You Might Like 😍

The Billionaire's Mask (A Dark Steamy Romance)

The Billionaire's Mask (A Dark Steamy Romance)

4k Views · Ongoing · Margarette Grey
​"I am a monster, Miss Hart. You wouldn't want nor wish to see me..." He is mysterious and brilliant, wealthy and prominent, but no single soul has seen him in person. Well, no one should see him—that's one of his many rules. No one can touch him either; that's another rule. Except for me because I have broken every rule. Now I'm extremely drawn to him. His peculiarity is out of this world, and his beauty is beyond physical. But the Master has demons of his own and is being chased by his brutal past. Suddenly, we've become the reflection of each other's nightmares. I realize that the Master and I are not so different. Is this newly found bond just another uncertain fate that could deepen our wounds, or is it finally going to be our redemption?
Oops. My Boss Was Seventeen

Oops. My Boss Was Seventeen

4k Views · Completed · Selena Maeve
The Plan: Travel back in time to high school, identify my insanely intimidating future billionaire boss before he gets rich, and suck up to him so hard I secure a six-figure job for life.
The Execution: Perfect. I brought him coffee, cheered at his games, and basically operated as his unpaid teenage executive assistant. He’s totally buying it.
The Problem: I was trying to network my way into the C-suite. I think I just networked my way into his bed.
Mated To The Last Scribe

Mated To The Last Scribe

1.5k Views · Ongoing · Lyra Lupine
Every story Iris Vale writes comes true.

A missing woman is found exactly where her latest story said she would be.

A warehouse burns down hours after she publishes another.

Then anonymous messages begin appearing.

WE KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW.

The problem is that Iris doesn't know anything.

At least, she doesn't think she does.

When her stories attract the attention of billionaire Alpha Cassian Blackmoor, Iris is pulled into a hidden world of werewolves, secrets, and deadly conspiracies.

Cassian believes she may be connected to a mystery that has claimed the lives of powerful Alphas for years.

His wolf believes something else.

That she is his mate.

As enemies close in and events from her stories begin unfolding in real life, Iris must uncover the truth behind her impossible gift before she becomes the next target.

Because someone is watching.

Someone is waiting.

And someone will kill to keep the truth buried.
Accidentally Crossing the Tycoon

Accidentally Crossing the Tycoon

500.5k Views · Completed · Riley
My name is Audrey, and I'm the adopted daughter of the Bailey family.
Four years ago, the Bailey family faced a devastating financial crisis.
Just when bankruptcy seemed inevitable, a mysterious benefactor emerged, offering salvation with one condition: a contract marriage.
Rumors swirled about this enigmatic man—whispers claimed he was hideously ugly and too ashamed to show his face, possibly harboring dark, twisted obsessions.
Without hesitation, the Baileys sacrificed me to protect their precious biological daughter, forcing me to take her place as a pawn in this cold, calculated arrangement.
Luckily, in those four years, the mysterious husband never asked to meet in person.
Now, in the final year of our arrangement, the husband I've never met is demanding we meet face to face.
But disaster struck the night before my return—drunk and disoriented, I stumbled into the wrong hotel room and ended up sleeping with the legendary financial mogul, Caspar Thornton.
What the hell am I supposed to do now?
Let Them Kneel

Let Them Kneel

239.3k Views · Ongoing · My Fantasy Stories
Kaelani spent her life believing she was wolfless.
Cast out by her pack. Forgotten by the Lycans.
She lived among humans—quiet, invisible, tucked away in a town no one looked at twice.

But when her first heat comes without warning, everything changes.

Her body ignites. Her instincts scream. And something primal stirs beneath her skin—
summoning a big, bad Alpha who knows exactly how to quench her fire.

When he claims her, it’s ecstasy and ruin.

For the first time, she believes she’s been accepted.
Seen.
Chosen.

Until he leaves her the next morning—
like a secret never to be spoken.

But Kaelani is not what they thought.
Not wolfless. Not weak.
There is something ancient inside her. Something powerful. And it’s waking.

And when it does—
they’ll all remember the girl they tried to erase.

Especially him.

She’ll be the dream he keeps chasing… the one thing that ever made him feel alive.

Because secrets never stay buried.
And neither do dreams.
BROKEN TRUST

BROKEN TRUST

10k Views · Completed · O.J Thewriter
She broke their marriage. He walked away.

Neither of them knew she was carrying his child.

Emily’s affair didn’t just end her marriage—it erased the life she thought was guaranteed. Ryan left without looking back, carrying his anger like armor and leaving Emily alone with regret she would never outrun. Three years later, fate drags them back into each other’s world, along with a little girl who has Ryan’s eyes and a truth that shatters everything he thought he knew.

Old wounds reopen, grief masquerades as rage, and love refuses to stay buried. As parenthood binds them together and the past demands accountability, Emily and Ryan must face the question neither of them is ready to answer: is broken trust the end of their story… or the beginning of a love forged through loss, forgiveness, and brutal honesty?
The Billoniare's Fake Husband

The Billoniare's Fake Husband

3.2k Views · Completed · aitypearl207
Tyler has been through more than most, and life has never given him a real break. All he wants is to finish his job and figure things out—but one wild trip to Vegas changes everything. He wakes up married to Quin McKenzie, the same man who made his life miserable years back and probably doesn't remember.
Quin is wealthy, controlling, and desperate to keep his inheritance, so he offers Tyler a deal: stay married until he clicks thirty and get paid. Tyler doesn’t trust him, but he needs the money Quin was offering, so he agrees.
What starts as a fake marriage soon turns into something messy and real. Feelings begin to get involved and walls start to crack. Suddenly Tyler is risking his heart for a man he swore to hate.
Now, with secrets coming out and time running out, they both have to decide—is this just a mistake… or something worth fighting for?
Offside Temptation

Offside Temptation

1.2k Views · Completed · lovepaul429
Everyone thought we were hockey’s most violent rivals, but they didn't know I’ve spent seven years obsessing over exactly how he would look when he finally broke for me.

Ethan Ryder was a disaster waiting to happen. Hot-headed, reckless, and constantly one bad decision away from ruining his career. I was supposed to hate him. Instead, I memorized him. I learned exactly how to push his buttons on the ice just to see the fire in his eyes.

When he grabbed my jersey in that locker room and kissed me in front of twenty cameras, it wasn't a mistake. It was the moment the line between hatred and obsession finally snapped. The media called it a scandal. They called us a divorced couple. But they didn't see the way Ethan trembled when I cornered him in the hallway afterward.

"You're staring again," he whispered, his back hitting the wall.
"You're still here," I replied calmly, stepping close enough to feel his erratic pulse.

He thought I was cold. He thought I was controlled. He didn't realize that every time he looked at me, I was fighting the urge to completely destroy the distance between us.

Now, the league is forcing us to live together, train together, and smile for the cameras to fix our public image. But the more time we spend alone in my apartment, the harder it is to pretend I just want to play hockey...
From Substitute To Queen

From Substitute To Queen

1.8m Views · Completed · Hannah Moore
For three years, Sable loved Alpha Darrell with everything she had, spending her salary to support their household while being called an orphan and gold-digger. But just as Darrell was about to mark her as his Luna, his ex-girlfriend returned, texting: "I'm not wearing underwear. My plane lands soon—pick me up and fuck me immediately."

Heartbroken, Sable discovered Darrell having sex with his ex in their bed, while secretly transferring hundreds of thousands to support that woman.

Even worse was overhearing Darrell laugh to his friends: "She's useful—obedient, doesn't cause trouble, handles housework, and I can fuck her whenever I need relief. She's basically a live-in maid with benefits." He made crude thrusting gestures, sending his friends into laughter.

In despair, Sable left, reclaimed her true identity, and married her childhood neighbor—Lycan King Caelan, nine years her senior and her fated mate. Now Darrell desperately tries to win her back. How will her revenge unfold?

From substitute to queen—her revenge has just begun!
Where I End and She Begins

Where I End and She Begins

1.2k Views · Completed · Briana Wilson
Amelia is starting high school with her best friend Lola — confident, magnetic, fearless Lola — the girl who makes the world feel manageable. While Amelia juggles grief, an absent father, and the heavy responsibility of raising her younger brothers, Lola is her escape. Her courage. Her voice. The version of herself she wishes she could be.
But when a body lies at Amelia’s feet, and her hands are covered in blood that isn’t hers, one question echoes louder than the rest:
How did it come to this?
As the school year unfolds, cracks begin to show — in friendships, in family, and in Amelia’s own mind. The lines between loyalty and control blur. Between truth and perception. Between who she is… and who she thinks she needs to be.
Because some friendships don’t just shape you.
They consume you.
And when the illusion shatters, there’s always something left behind.
Kaged In

Kaged In

3.2k Views · Completed · BurntAsh3s
Kage enters the foster system in New York at the age of five. The reality of his life seems bleaker each day as his circumstances worsen, and he becomes closed-off, cold and distrusting of others. When he gets adopted at the age of sixteen, his belief in humanity has withered. Kage doesn't live, he exists, day by day. He has lost all hope, and he doesn't dare to dream of something better. Alexander Hawthorne gives him a new lease on life, a family and most importantly, hope. Kage has his own past trauma to deal with and he carries that burden with him when he gets drafted into the NHL. Hockey is his life, his passion and the only thing that is a constant form of happiness.
Follow Kage's journey as he tries to heal, falls in love and faces his inner turmoil.
Taste of Fate: The Vampire King's Human Mate

Taste of Fate: The Vampire King's Human Mate

7.9k Views · Ongoing · Miranda Carr
I never knew my blood could kill a king—until I met one. Sebastian, the ruthless and immortal King, rules with precision. For centuries, he's ruled with ruthless precision, his heart as cold as the stone throne beneath him. One moment, I'm nothing. The next, I'm his obsession. His touch burns like ice fire. His stare follows me through shadows. And when he feeds from me—God help me—it feels like drowning in darkness and craving more. He tells me my blood is unlike any he's tasted, that my scent drives him to the edge of madness.


He reached for the back of my head and pulled me up just enough to reach my neck. When his fangs slid into me, the pain was instant, electric. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. My hands found his shoulders, clawing for something to hold. My legs kicked. Tears streamed down my cheeks.

He moaned against my throat as he drank, and the sound was devastating.