"You promised." He hisses. "I did promise not to ghost you again and I didn't! The rest is nothing you get to control." A sly smirk appears on his face as he presses his lips to my ear and whispers, "We will see about that." Grabbing my body as if I were made out of cotton candy, he lifts me off the floor. He presses my back fully into the cold wall once again, standing between my legs, and bites into my neck, having me mewl lowly. "What the hell are you doing? The cameras, Ru. The cameras!" I panic, freeing myself from under his teeth. His eyes capture mine as he looks back up at me. "This is my building, remember? The security guards are instructed to delete the tape. And to not call for help or check on anyone stuck in the elevator." *** Ginevra and Ruggerio are meant to hate each other. As heirs to rival families, they have been taught nothing else. As they spend the night together at a masquerade ball without recognizing each other, they ignite a series of events that are as dangerous as they are tempting. Now it's up to them to decide. Stand by the rules of their families. Or give in to their forbidden desire. ⚠️ TW: explicit and foul language, steamy scenes, abuse, SA ⚠️
Ginevra
The sun beams are the gentle cause I wake up. Stretching in my bed, I get up groggily and get into my in-suite bathroom. After collecting my long black locks into a loose bun, I wash my face quickly before putting on some make-up. I love to highlight my dark-brown eyes with eyeliner, especially as it makes me think that it hides my nose that I perceive as too big. Checking my phone shortly, I crack up at my best friend's text about her walk of shame back home she had to do this morning. I get out of my room and close my door behind me. Like my room, the entire home where I live with my family is designed in earthy colors, typical for a Mediterranean display. The amount of natural light streaming through the spacious rooms and the archways in eclectic tiles give the immense property the feeling of a cozy vacation home.
Unfortunately, it is not.
I pass the textured stucco walls decorated with expensive and utterly boring artwork and walk down the marble stairs of my home to get to the kitchen. A maid is already working to set the table and I pass her to make myself a cup of coffee.
"Ginevra, what are you doing? We are eating in about 20 minutes!"
My grandfather stands in the door to the kitchen, looking at me with his dark brown eyes sparkling. He is dressed in one of his signature tailored suits and has a large newspaper clamped under his right arm.
"I just got up, Nonno. I need a coffee and I'm not going to kill my appetite because of it." He steps up to me and pinches me in my cheek playfully.
"Ah, you have to learn to get up sooner, or you'll lose any winning margin you could have against your enemies." I chuckle before taking a sip of my coffee, soothing my nerves.
Enemies! Right!
My grandfather is old school and was born in a territory controlled by the Camorra. He always had some trauma he carried around, even if he had long gotten out of that kind of situation and was living far away. As he came to live here in New York all over from Naples situated in the south of Italy and built a billion-strong group in the building industry, he achieved what many others dream of. He slowly started living more peacefully even if he never lost his usual paranoia. I guess not even an ocean separating you from a problematic place you come from can give your soul some peace.
"I have Fede, he is up early enough for both of us."
He laughs while wiggling his finger at me.
"Give your brother some credit. He works hard for the family."
I smile, sipping my coffee.
Sure, and he got the job I was supposed to have because he is a man.
My family is horrendously traditional, even if emigrated. I'm the first born but my younger brother is the first-born male, hence he is the primary heir. I'm just supposed to marry well and have a lot of children. Actually, as the first born, I'll have to exceed in any marriage choice compared to my younger siblings, as they expect a lot from me.
Hurray me.
As my grandfather receives a phone call, I walk out of the kitchen to get to the small living room facing the large gateway leading to my family's mansion. I'm just in time to see my sister's car drive up the driveway, the gravel scrunching under the tires. She drives around the big round flower bed which constitutes the center of the gateway in front of the house and halts in front of the main entrance. I observe her getting out of her car and waving at me with a big smile. She ties her long black hair in a loose ponytail and proceeds to get my baby-nephew out of the car. As she balances her son and a diaper bag in her arms, our butler runs to her with one of our manservants by his side to help her carry her bag. She doesn't give her son out of her hands though, she never would. I can't see her husband with her, must be on a business trip once again. In my humble opinion I think he is sketchy as hell, but my parents love him, so good for her. If I was a tad more malicious, I would say he is with his second family. Good thing I'm not. As she climbs the stairs to the entrance, I begin walking to the foyer to say hello. She walks in with Rupert and Armin wearing a big smile, flashing me her flawless white teeth.
"Hey, baby-sis!" I shout in a singsong while opening my arms to her.
It looks as if we haven't seen ourselves for years, rather than 2 days ago. But that's what it is with my family, it stands over everything.
"Ginny, hi." She flashes me a happy smile and is about to walk into my hug as she gets interrupted.
My sister is 5 years younger than me and the pride of the family, after Federico, of course. That's not because she got an awesome degree or a special high honored award, but because, at the tender age of 21, she is already married and has gifted my family with another male descendant. As soon as she is through the door and about to hug me, she gets attacked by two little rascals appearing like a summer storm.
"Roberta, Roberta!"
My two twin brothers hug her at each side shouting her name out loud. She laughs as she ruffles Gioele's black hair.
"Let me say hello to Ginevra, you two ankle-biters."
She finally gets to free herself to hug me, and I squeeze her tight.
"How are you doing?" I whisper, caressing her back.
"Alright, a bit lonely." She sighs and I squeeze her arm gently with a sad smile before leaning down to my nephew.
"And how is our baby boy?"
I'm tickling my nephew in her arms as my grandmother appears under the archway separating the foyer from a small reception living room reprimanding us like she, and she unfortunately does, owns the place. Her dark gray eyes move down to the cup in my hand in disgust.
"Say that you hate me!" "Say that I hurt you and that you fear me just like everybody else in this dumb pack." The rage dripping from his voice tears a hole in my heart that hurts more than the fire he just burned my skin with. But I know him too well to not recognize the pain in his eyes. "Why can't you just be like everybody else?!" I know him better than anyone and I know that he is just being mean because he wants me to drop him for his twin. But as soon as my wolf will finally awaken, I'll show him that I'm fated to be with both of them.
Nerthus goes by many names. Hiding from an unpleasant past, she keeps her true identity a secret while working as an escort. As she covers an appointment with a mysterious new client for a sick colleague, she thinks it will be a one-night thing as he is known to never book an escort twice. Until he books her again. When her other clients start mysteriously canceling their appointments, she suddenly finds herself in a tricky, but quite alluring situation. She tries everything to resist his irresistible temptations that threaten getting her fingers burnt. But she risks it anyway. Will Nerthus realize her mistake too late? And will she be able to resist her forbidden desire for her mysterious new client? *** TW: explicit and foul language; frequent sex scenes; violence; SA ***
"I, Riccardo Saviano, future Alpha of the Grey Shadow Moon Pack, reject you, Artemisia Guerrieri, Daughter of Alpha Franco of the Blood Moon Pack, as my mate and future Luna." One single sentence. One stupid single sentence was all it took to disintegrate my life. And the day of my birthday, on which this sentence was audaciously uttered to me, I lost the love of my life, my future mate, and my wolf, all at once. As I'm still assembling the pieces of my shattered heart years later, there they come. Like lightning out of a crystal blue sky. My Mates. But wait... If I am mated to triplets, how come I'm about to be mated to 5 gorgeous men? *** TW: explicit and foul language; spicy content; explicit sex scenes ***
After spending a night with a strange man on the day before her wedding, Arianna left the country to start her life afresh. The 22-year-old Arianna Jason lived her life pleasing those she loved the most, without knowing that she was simply a prey being nurtured for the day of her ruin. Her life has tasted the butter pill of betrayal. She wants to give back to the world what she's got but how can she change her good, innocent personality to fit into a cruel society and world? Can her sweet nature be contaminated, or will she make it through, paddling on the right path?
As a simple assistant, messaging the CEO in the dead of night to request shares of adult films was a bold move. Bethany, unsurprisingly, didn't receive any films. However, the CEO responded that, while he had no films to share, he could offer a live demonstration. After a night filled with passion, Bethany was certain she'd lose her job. But instead, her boss proposed, "Marry me. Please consider it." "Mr. Bates, you're kidding me, right?"
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins—a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. “It's time to reveal your true identity, darling.”