Bound by Secrets: Before the Lies. Before the Secrets. There Was Only Them.

by Stephanie Thompson

What if the moment that made you feel most alive was the one that ruined everything?

Clare wasn’t looking for connection—certainly not the kind that shakes your world and leaves it changed forever. She had Lisa, a steady relationship, a predictable future. Jackson had a wife and a crumbling marriage. But when they met, something ignited.

What began as fleeting moments and stolen conversations quickly spiraled into something deeper—something neither of them could resist. In four emotional, intimate chapters, follow the journey that lit the match before the explosion. This is the beginning of everything—the spark that set fire to the life Clare thought she’d chosen.

Love. Longing. Regret.

This novella is a raw, unfiltered glimpse into the affair that triggered a chain of betrayal, obsession, and danger. Dive into these life-altering moments, and experience the emotional stakes that built the storm.

66 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 28, 2025

About the author

Stephanie Thompson is the literary love child of two creative minds—Stefanie Bervoets and Tom Thijs. It’s a classic case of "two heads are better than one"—except in this case, it's two writers, one pseudonym, and possibly a slightly baffled audience trying to figure out who is writing what. (Spoiler: We’re not telling.)

Stefanie and Tom have spent a lot of time perfecting the fine art of collaboration, a partnership that started somewhere between caffeine-fueled brainstorming sessions and spontaneous debates over whether their fictional characters should have more “emotional depth” or just “blow stuff up.” They might not always agree on everything (Tom is still insisting that there’s *definitely* a place for MacGyver-scenes in their book), but together they make it work.

When they’re not making up imaginary worlds, Stefanie and Tom can be found arguing over the proper use of semicolons, and debating whether or not cats are, in fact, the true rulers of the household. They may be two separate people, but when it comes to their writing, they are united in one glorious, literary cause—creating stories that readers can get lost in and laugh with.