Seventeen-year-old Elena Romano has spent her life staying out of trouble. Growing up in the shadows of a powerful mafia family, she knows the rules: keep your head down, don't ask questions, and never get involved. But when she accidentally overhears a secret she was never meant to know, she becomes a target. Luca DeLuca is the heir to one of the most feared crime families in the city. Cold, untouchable, and dangerous, he doesn't believe in love-only loyalty and power. But when Elena's life is put in jeopardy, he makes a risky choice: to protect her. Thrown into a world she swore to avoid, Elena doesn't know who to trust-especially not Luca, whose reputation is built on deception. Yet, the more time she spends with him, the more she realizes that beneath his icy exterior, there's something even more dangerous than his enemies... his heart. But in a world where alliances shift like shadows and betrayal is just a heartbeat away, Elena will have to decide: walk away before it's too late, or risk everything for the boy she was never supposed to love.
The dim glow of the bar's neon lights flickered as Elena Vasquez wiped down the counter, exhaustion settling deep into her bones. The place was nearly empty, save for a few stragglers nursing their drinks. She glanced at the clock-just past midnight. Another long shift, another night of barely scraping by.
Then the door slammed open.
Elena's heart jumped as two men in black suits strode inside, their presence suffocating. They moved with a quiet menace, their eyes scanning the room before locking onto her.
"Elena Vasquez?" one of them asked.
Her grip on the rag tightened. She didn't need to ask who they were-she already knew.
"I-I think you have the wrong person," she stammered, stepping back.
The taller of the two men smirked. "No, sweetheart, we don't." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small black notebook. Flipping it open, he read aloud, "Luis Vasquez. Twenty-six years old. Gambler. Druggie. And as of last week, owes the Castellano family fifty grand."
Elena's stomach twisted into knots. Luis. Her brother.
She had tried so hard to keep him out of trouble, to protect him from the streets that had swallowed so many others. But once again, he had made a reckless choice-one that now had deadly consequences.
"I don't have that kind of money," she said, voice shaking.
The second man, Matteo, leaned against the bar, his dark eyes unwavering. "We know. That's why the boss wants to see you."
"The boss?" she whispered.
The Castellanos were the most feared mafia family in the city. Their name alone sent shivers down spines. And at the top of their empire was Luca Castellano-the heir, the king of the underworld, and a man rumored to be as ruthless as he was untouchable.
Elena shook her head. "I'll talk to my brother-"
"Your brother is gone," Matteo cut in. "Disappeared. Probably running. That means his debt falls on you now ."
Her heart pounded. This couldn't be happening.
"Come quietly, Elena," the taller man warned. "Or we drag you there. Either way, you're seeing Luca tonight."
Elena took a shaky breath. She didn't have a choice.
As the men led her out of the bar and into the black SUV waiting outside, one thought echoed in her mind.
She was walking into the lion's den.
In the heart of the African savannah lies the village of Ndomo, where Amina, a young girl with a mysterious heritage, discovers an ancient artifact linked to her ancestors' forgotten power. The artifact, long buried in the earth, holds immense energy capable of shaping the future of her people and the land itself. As Amina comes to understand her connection to this force, she is torn between embracing its power to protect her village or resisting its dangerous influence, knowing that the same power led to the fall of her ancestors. Amina's journey is fraught with internal and external conflicts, as rival clans seek the artifact to control the land, and Amina grapples with the temptation to wield its strength. Betrayal, self-doubt, and the weight of legacy shadow her every step. The artifact's power, a force that once corrupted and destroyed her ancestors, now seeks to possess her, forcing Amina to make choices that will define her future-and the future of Ndomo. As the darkness returns, Amina must confront not only the external threats that endanger her people but also the dangerous pull of the artifact within her. The line between good and evil blurs as she faces the ultimate question: can she control the artifact's power, or will it consume her like it did those before her? With a suspenseful cliffhanger, the novel explores themes of identity, the burden of legacy, the corrupting influence of power, and the courage to make difficult choices for the greater good.
This story is about a young lady coming from an average to almost a poor background. How would she pay her fees, what will also happen in her love life would she end up with her crush or will she get married to someone else? Find out.
The story is about the king who was looking for a wife but later saw but she was accused of poisoning him did he later marry her?? He had a daughter was she really his daughter? Did his wife have an affair was there a conspiracy find out
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
June Rivera was divorced by her husband after three years of marriage because he wanted to be with her sister who was pregnant for him. Kicked to the curb with a divorce and rejected by her parents,she struggles to make ends meet and get a job until she saves Luis Ambrose from an accident - the only child of Rafael Ambrose, a widowed man and the CEO of Ambrose Corporation. When little Luis asks to have her as a nanny, and Rafael's mother pressures him to get married, they draw a contract. To be Luis's nanny and his fake wife for one year in exchange for 50 million dollars!
Natalie used to think she could melt Connor’s icy heart, but she was sorely mistaken. When at last she decided to leave, she discovered that she was pregnant. Even so, she chose to quietly leave his world, prompting Connor to mobilize all of his resources and expand his business to a global scale—all in a bid to find her. But there was no trace of Natalie. Connor slowly spiraled into madness, turning the city upside down and leaving chaos in his wake. Natalie finally surfaced years later, with wealth and power of her own, only to find herself entangled with Connor once again.
The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?
"You're a creepy bastard." His eyes smolder me and his answering grin is nothing short of beautiful. Deadly. "Yet you hunger for me. Tell me, this appetite of yours, does it always tend toward 'creepy bastards'?" **** Widower and ex-boss to the Mafia, Zefiro Della Rocca, has an unhealthy fixation on the woman nextdoor. It began as a coincidence, growing into mere curiosity, and soon, it was an itch he couldn't ignore, like a quick fix of crack for an addict. He didn't know her name, but he knew every inch of her skin, how it flushed when she climaxed, her favourite novel and that every night she contemplated suicide. He didn't want to care, despising his rapt fascination of the woman. She was in love with her abusive husband. She was married, bound by a contract to the Bratva's hitman. She was off-limits. But when Zefiro wanted something, it was with an intensity that bordered on madness. He obsessed, possessed, owned. There'd be bloodshed if he touched her, but the sight of blood always did fascinate him. * When Susanna flees from her husband, she stumbles right into the arms of her devilishly handsome neighbour with a brooding glare. He couldn't stand her, but she needed him, if she was ever going to escape her husband who now wanted her dead. Better the devil you know than the angel you don't. She should have recalled that before hopping into Zefiro's car and letting him whisk her away to Italy. Maybe then, she wouldn't have started an affair with him. He was the only man who touched her right, and the crazy man took no small pains in ensuring he would be the last.
Rejected by her mate, who had been her long-time crush, Jasmine felt utterly humiliated. Seeking solace, she headed to a party to drown her sorrows. But things took a turn for the worse when her friends issued a cruel dare: kiss a stranger or beg her mate for forgiveness. With no other choice, Jasmine approached a stranger and kissed him, thinking that would be the end of it. However, the stranger unexpectedly wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, "You're mine!" He growled, his words sending shivers down her spine. And then, he offered her a solution that would change everything...