Hugo Raphael

Elena Romano has spent years trapped in a loveless, arranged marriage to Luca DeLuca, the ruthless heir of the DeLuca crime family. Her life is one of duty, deception, and silent suffering-until she finds herself drawn to the one man she can never have: Dante Moretti, Luca's best friend and right-hand man. Dante has always loved Elena from the shadows, but his loyalty to Luca has kept him from ever acting on his feelings. However, as Luca's paranoia spirals out of control, he assigns Dante as Elena's personal protector, forcing them into dangerously close quarters. With every stolen glance and whispered confession, their forbidden love becomes harder to deny. But Luca isn't blind. When an assassination attempt against him fails, he sets a deadly trap, suspecting not only a traitor in his ranks but an affair between his wife and his best friend. Just as Elena and Dante plan to escape, Luca unveils his final betrayal-he knew all along, and he forces Elena to choose: kill Dante, or watch him suffer. In a shocking climax, Elena turns the gun on Luca instead, ending his reign of terror. But instead of running, she makes a fateful decision-she will take Luca's throne and become the new queen of the DeLuca empire. As Dante watches the woman he loves embrace the power she once feared, he realizes their battle is far from over. With passion, betrayal, and a ruthless rise to power, this book sets the stage for an explosive sequel where love and loyalty will be tested beyond their limits.

Shadows of the Night She was never meant to be his wife. Now, she's the only thing standing between him and destruction. On the night of her arranged wedding, Seraphina Moretti vanishes, leaving behind a blood-soaked dress and a shattered empire. But escape is an illusion in the underworld-especially when the man hunting her is Enzo DeLuca, the ruthless mafia heir she was promised to. Forced back into a world she swore to leave behind, Seraphina learns that her disappearance ignited a war, her family is in ruins, and her father's enemies are closing in. To protect what's left, she must do the unthinkable-marry the man she betrayed. But nothing in the mafia is ever what it seems. Enemies lurk within, secrets unravel with every whispered vow, and love is the most dangerous game of all. In a world where loyalty is a weapon and betrayal is inevitable, Seraphina must decide: surrender to a man who could destroy her... or fight for a throne that was never meant to be hers. One choice will seal her fate. One lie could burn them all. And in the end, only one of them can rule.

The Price of Innocence Damian Cole has everything-wealth, power, and success-but in the ruthless city of deception, he's lost something far more valuable: trust. Betrayed time and again by the women in his life, he abandons the hollow glitz of the metropolis in search of something real, something untainted. His journey leads him back to his childhood village, where he meets Elsie, a woman untouched by the greed and ambition of the city-or so he believes. What begins as a love story quickly spirals into a treacherous game of manipulation, greed, and betrayal. As Elsie is drawn into the seductive world of wealth and power, her innocence becomes a dangerous illusion. Under the influence of her mother and a charming stranger, she learns that beauty is a weapon, and love is merely a means to an end. But every game has its price, and in the end, someone must pay. In this gripping tale of ambition and deception, The Price of Innocence explores the thin line between love and greed, trust and betrayal-and the devastating cost of getting everything you ever wished for.

Blurb: The Billionaire Husband No Woman Wanted Power. Control. Wealth. Elliot Sloane has spent his life mastering all three-ruthlessly expanding his empire, crushing competitors, and keeping his heart locked away. Love is a liability, and marriage? A cage he swore he'd never step into. But when his late grandfather's will delivers an impossible ultimatum-marry within six months or lose everything-Elliot finds himself playing a game he never wanted to join. No woman wants to marry the cold, calculating billionaire who sees love as nothing more than a business deal. The tabloids call him "The Husband No Woman Wanted," a man too rich, too ruthless, and too untouchable to be loved. His enemies laugh, his family waits for his downfall, and the clock is ticking. But Elliot doesn't lose. His plan is simple: find a wife, secure the inheritance, and walk away unscathed. No emotions. No complications. Just another transaction. Then he meets her. She's not looking for love. She has secrets. A past. A reason to say yes. The perfect deal-until desire ignites, past wounds reopen, and enemies move in the shadows. Elliot is about to learn that some contracts don't come with escape clauses. And the woman he never wanted? She might be the one thing he can't afford to lose. A high-stakes billionaire romance filled with power plays, deception, and undeniable passion. Perfect for fans of intense chemistry, ruthless billionaires, and thrilling twists.

The Wife Nobody Wanted A Psychological Thriller of Betrayal, Survival, and Revenge Olivia Sinclair has been many things-a wife, a widow, a fugitive. But one thing she has never been is wanted. Framed for a murder she didn't commit, hunted by a ruthless crime syndicate, and betrayed by the only man she ever trusted, Olivia is running out of time and allies. When a cryptic message leads her back to a past she buried, Olivia must unravel a deadly conspiracy before it consumes her. Secrets long thought forgotten are surfacing, and the truth is more dangerous than she ever imagined. Because in this game, survival isn't about who you trust-it's about who you outlast. As enemies multiply and shadows close in, Olivia is forced to ask herself the one question she has spent her life avoiding: If no one wants you alive, how far will you go to stay that way? Indefinite Sequel Expansions: Each installment in The Wife Nobody Wanted series will push Olivia deeper into a world of lies, deception, and danger. Whether she is hunted by the past, drawn into new betrayals, or forced to face the ghosts she thought she had escaped, one thing is certain-Olivia's fight is never truly over. Future Expansions Could Include: The Wife Nobody Could Find – Olivia disappears, but when a shocking crime bears her signature, the world asks: is she dead, or has she become something far worse? The Wife Nobody Could Forgive – A survivor of Olivia's past seeks vengeance, forcing her to face the sins she thought were buried forever. The Wife Nobody Saved – As Olivia's enemies close in, an impossible choice awaits: escape once and for all, or save someone she once swore to abandon. The Wife Nobody Could Kill – A final showdown against the crime syndicate that has haunted her-where every ally is a potential traitor, and every betrayal could be her last. In a world where trust is a weakness and survival is a gamble, Olivia Sinclair is the woman nobody wanted-until the moment they needed her dead.

Fools Rest in Pieces – A Tale of Murder, Betrayal, and Dark Transformation When dismembered body parts start appearing across Brooklyn in garbage bags, Detective Kenneth Wilson is thrust into a chilling investigation that leads him deep into the shadows of deception and brutality. The victim, Mary Jordan-a respected real estate broker-had unknowingly entangled herself in the deadly web of Vitro Matic, a manipulative cab driver with a sinister past. Vitro, a man with multiple wives and mistresses, had mastered the art of deception, but his twisted love triangle turned deadly when Aleksa, his jealous first wife, set a plan into motion. With Nadja, his second wife, caught between loyalty and terror, the night Mary vanished and the afternoon she was murdered and dismembered, became a day of unspeakable horror. But what Vitro and Aleksa never expected was that Nadja would escape-and that she would return as someone far more dangerous. Now living under a new identity, Sarah emerges from the ashes of her past, hardened by trauma and consumed by an insatiable hunger for vengeance. As the police close in on the truth, Vitro and Aleksa vanish into the night-but they are not the only ones lurking in the darkness. In a world where love turns to obsession and trust shatters into bloodshed, one question remains: Who is truly the hunter, and who will be the next to rest in pieces? A gripping psychological thriller where every choice comes with a price, and every secret is paid for in blood.

Sophie Clarke spent years sharpening the cutting edge of her revenge. The corrupt billionaire who destroyed her father, Ethan Hayes, is a man above the law-but below hers. Through deception and determination, she infiltrates his life, presenting herself as an artist seeking a sponsor. But the closer she gets, the greater the uncertainty. Ethan is not the cruel monster she had imagined. His niceness, his vulnerability, and what he keeps secret threaten to ruin everything she believes. But someone else is pulling the strings in the shadows. As Sophie learns the true mastermind behind her father's downfall, she realizes she might not be the only player of a deadly game. With betrayal on every hand, she has to decide-will she destroy Ethan, or will she save him? And if she makes the wrong choice, will it be her own destruction that she brings about instead? A breathless tale of revenge, betrayal, and forbidden passion, Time of the Avenger will keep you panting until the last page.

In a world where loyalty is a weapon and love a battlefield, Isabella Moretti is caught between two ruthless men. Raised in the gilded cage of her father's empire, she knows her duty: to obey, to marry for power, and to stay untouched by the dark dealings of the cartel. But everything changes when Alejandro Vega, the enigmatic heir to a rival empire, sets his sights on her. Alejandro is a man who takes what he wants, and what he wants is Isabella. To make that happen, he arranges a brazen kidnapping that exposes a war between the most feared cartels. Gunfire begins to echo in the streets and betrayal in every shadow, and Isabella is taken hostage into a life she never chose, torn between feelings of hatred and a growing, dangerous desire. With her father vowing vengeance and Alejandro determined to claim her heart as well as her freedom, Isabella must play a deadly game where love could prove her downfall-or her only escape. As the world burns around them, will she succumb to Alejandro's touch, or will she make her own move in this high-stakes game of power, passion, and survival? A breathtakingly amazing thriller packed full of obsession, deceit, and romance that will leave you reeling until the very last page.

"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.

Emilia's world is crumbling-her brother is in desperate need of a kidney transplant, and she's sold everything to keep him alive. She's on the verge of loosing it all when something unexpected happens at the hospital. Mistaken for the mother of a mafia lord's daughter, Emilia's life does a 180 turn.. Alaric Castillo, cold and commanding, demanded she became his daughter's nanny, and she agreed-on one condition. He'll pay for her brother's surgery. A tight bond forms between Emilia and the child. But the more time she spends with Alaric, the more she discovers a side of him that's buried beneath layers of control and power. What started as a reluctant partnership soon became something deeper, but in a world ruled by secrets and enemies, love is a dangerous game. Caught between her past, her present with Alaric, and the deadly feud that is trying to ruin them all, Emilia must decide-will she fight for her heart or walk away from the only family she's ever known?

No one who dared to mess with him lived to tell the tale. Angelo Fabian. Lord of the Underworld and the most dangerous Mafia Lord in the country. But somehow my father did. What's worse when I was offered to him as his plaything, his sexual toy, an experiment to fulfill all his sexual urges. I never knew my life could turn out to be more than the shit show it already was Angelo: In my world, traitors and snitches are a deadly sin. Unforgivable except through death. Until I met her, she was a perfect collateral for my stolen money and I plan to keep her, especially because she was proof that I can still perform and get aroused as a man.

Selina Jafarova was left to fend for herself after growing up with an abusive stepfather and a careless mother. Selina had to flee or be "taken care of" by her deranged stepfather, Paul after her mother passed away from a heroin overdose when she was sixteen. In the hopes of being free and able to have a regular life, she packed her luggage and ran away after having that notion. She was mistaken. Selina has worked as a maid from house to house for nearly four years. Being an 'item' was all she had ever really known, having been bought and sold by a variety of people, some sane and others insane. She is once again placed on the market to be purchased when her most recent owner decides to part with her. She had no idea that one of the world's most deadly men would be the next to purchase her. Sebastian Riccardo was the head of the Italian Mafia. Despite his divine appearance, he was menacing, domineering, controlling, and authoritative, and he got what he wanted. He was everything Selina was not. He wants Selina when she catches his eye during the bidding, and she gets what Sebastian wants. With her history haunting her thoughts constantly, will Selina be able to handle Sebastian's strong life, or will she decide to leave? Ultimately, she appears to be a maid. WARNING: This book contains a lot of strong language, mature content, and contents that may be triggering or upsetting to some readers. Read in discretion.

"I hate you." she whispered, as her voice trembled with anger and desire. "I know Clara but your body doesn't." he replied, his eyes gleaming with intensity. "Shut up and just leave from here!!!!!." she growled as her hand pressed against his chest. "why does your lips say one thing but your eyes say another??" he asked, his mouth inches from hers. He moved closer to her as they felt the warmness of their bodies. "After everything you put me through, you have the audacity to come here??? you are a fucking monster Arsenio!!" she breathed. "And you are mine." he said as he crashed his lips to hers. Their hate filled words were lost in the passion of their kiss and their bodies entangled in an angry embrace, a clash of love and hate, desire and repulsion. "I hate you Arsenio." she repeated as her voice muffled by his lips. "I Know but I love you and I am here to get you back." Clara Nivera, a beautiful, young and timid woman who is forced to live with her step Father and his family, gets maltreated by them but escapes one day after finding out about a ploy to kill her. The night of her escape, after withnessing a murder, she finds herself entangled in the dangerous world of the mafia when she forcefully becomes the mistress of the powerful and ruthless Arsenio Robert. As she becomes deeper embroiled into Arsenio's life, she falls in love with him but learns the dark secrets of his criminal empire and the truth behind her own troubled past. After a misunderstanding leads Clara to finds solace in the arms of another, the question is, who will she finally settle for?? and what lies in her past??.

Aleara Davis's peaceful life was destroyed when she had to replace Amanda Davis - her half-sister - to marry the ruthless mafia boss - Jayden Morgerston. From a good girl, Aleara suddenly had to become a bad girl in Jayden's eyes to have money to treat her mother's illness. But Jayden's hatred for the Davis family was something Aleara could not repay. She had to endure living under someone else's identity. Facing revenge that she should not have endured, trying to live just for a promise. But in the end, what Aleara got was a body full of wounds both physically and mentally. Unveiling the truth about Jayden and Amanda's hatred, exposing the hidden things about their origins, Aleara gradually transformed and changed... Jayden won in this marriage chess game but did not feel happy. "Jayden, I hope that in the future, if you think back to this moment today, you won't feel regret. Because even if you do regret it. I will never forgive you."

Ellie's life changes when she goes on vacation and stumbles on a drug deal that she's not supposed to see. She finds herself kidnapped and and smuggled across the border to Mexico. Her life is now in the hands of Tristan Russo a handsome and powerful cartel leader. Tristan promises to not kill her as long as she agrees to obey him, from the moment he lays eyes on her Tristan is drawn to Ellie and after he gets a taste of her he wants more and Tristan always gets what he wants.

Thinking she had finally broken free from her family's violence, Ariana has no choice but to attend the party her father had thrown for the man she has always hated. The ruthless mafia lord Matteo Donatelli, whom her family had taken under their wing when she was a teenager. Drunk and clouded by his new power, Don Matteo Donatelli unknowingly made love to his adopted sister. Moments later Ariana is Trying to hold back all the anger, emotions and tears when she sees the man who just stole her virginity, recklessly propose in front of the entire family to his outsider American girlfriend Becky Saunders. unexpectedly she slumps on her wedding day! But things take a surprising turn! Read on to find out!

He was dubbed the Devil's incarnate because of his fierce persona. After all, he was the feared, ruthless American Russian mafia Don Vladivostok Konstantin Kostya. Love wasn't meant for him, he had his demons until he met her. She was never enough, she was the thorn amid beautiful roses. Everything she wanted and had was taken away from her and she was ok with that, having only a boyfriend who loved her but soon that too was taken away. After she had just returned from a date with her boyfriend Zeus, she got the news. "Get ready Margaret. You'll be getting married tomorrow." Those were her father's words, he said them with coldness evident in his voice, no sign of compassion in his eyes. The moment she heard those words her world crumbled, and her heart ached as she felt her breath get stuck in her throat. And when she found out the identity of her soon-to-be husband she thought it was the end of her. Never did she think it would happen but she fell for him, the man she was supposed to hate!

"Alexander, this isn't right," Valentina whispered, her voice shaky as his hand traced the line of her jaw. He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. "It doesn't matter what's right," he said, his voice low and commanding. "It matters what's mine." Her breath caught as his fingers slid to the back of her neck. "And you think I'm yours?" "I don't think, Valentina," he murmured, a dark smile curving his lips. "I know." --- Valentina never expected her life to take such a dangerous turn. After her husband demands a divorce to marry his mistress, she finds herself entangled with Alexander-a powerful mafia Don whose reputation is as lethal as the man himself. Alexander doesn't just want Valentina; he needs her. When he discovers she's the daughter of Nico Vance, the man responsible for the tragedy that destroyed his family, his rage burns hotter. But instead of killing her, Alexander makes a chilling decision: Valentina will become his late wife, down to the last detail. Caught between desire and danger, Valentina must decide if she'll run from Alexander's dark world-or step willingly into it. Because once she does, there's no turning back.