The Most Powerful Man In The Russian Mafia Died Eight Years Ago, And Everything Has Been Chaos Since. Valentin Dominik Was The Very Cause Of This, With His Cruel, Heartless Uprising Of Schemes And Crimes. With No One Brave Enough To Challenge Him, He Thought He Was The Only King. What He Doesn't Expect, Is For The 'Alleged' Heir Of The Former Mafia King To Do Just That, With Her Claims Of Having A Right Way Of Running A Mafia. And When Their Paths Cross, Everything Changes.
The low mumble of reporters on the television was drowned by the downpour outside on the cool September evening.
It was an hour before closing time at the diner, though there was barely anyone in today. It had been raining all day, so the regular customers either didn't come by or stopped only for a minute.
Coffee was the most in-demand today. Everyone wanted to stay warm in the cold, wet weather, and coffee offered comfort that only the loyal customers of S&T Diner would know and appreciate. Every cup, after all, was brewed to perfection, with the right amount of each ingredient. People from in and around the city flocked there, not only for the beverage but also for their famous chocolate muffins. Only two had been sold today, though, but that was understandable, considering the slow business.
Five o'clock rolled around faster by the second, and Sapphire was on her third table, rubbing away the round coffee rim stains that sat on each surface. She hummed to her favourite song, appreciating the peace of the weather.
As she returned to the counter, D'Andre eagerly pointed at the small television screen as he stuffed a piece of his muffin in his mouth.
"Have you been listening to the news?" he asked eagerly as he reached over the counter to pull on her apron, seeing that she was attempting to escape him.
Sighing, Sapphire dried her hands in a paper towel as she turned to face him. "No, I have no interest in politics. The only reason why the station remains the same is that you demand that it does."
"Well, it's interesting," D'Andre defended. "And I think you'll like what it is saying too. Turn it up."
Though it was against her better judgement, Sapphire grabbed the remote and cranked up the volume on the TV, enhancing the reporter's squeaky voice.
". . . Reports of continuous activities in the illegal drug trade have increased here in Moscow, Russia. Anonymous sources shared claims of a rise in criminal activities, which have spanned to the livelihood of residents. Sources believe that the Russian Mafia-"
The reporter's statement was cut short when Sapphire switched it off in a swift action.
"Hey!" D'Andre protested. "I was watching that."
Huffing, Sapphire spun on her heels to face him, sending him a steady glare that had him shrinking back. "Don't you have a house?"
"Yes, but I am waiting for you to finish working. I'm taking you home, remember?" He didn't receive a reply from her simply because he knew he had upset her.
They both knew why he insisted on watching international relations so often. It was because he wanted Sapphire to actually consider inheriting her father's wealth.
"Sweetheart, I am sorry," he said, reaching over to hold her hand. "You know I only want you to be happy."
"And I am happy," she told him for the umpteenth time. "I opened this diner with Tiffany because I want to. I work because I want to. Don't you think I know I can leave the staff to take care of the regular day to day operations and do whatever else with my free time? But this brings me joy, okay? And I hope I don't have to explain it to you another time."
D'Andre knew he messed up again.
Since the very day Sapphire told him of her past and who her father was, he knew that she didn't have to work. In fact, the fortune that was waiting for her after her father passed eight years ago was enough to buy this diner a hundred times over.
But Sapphire saw it as dirty money and wanted no part in it. It was hard for her to learn who her father was and what he did for a living when she was only fifteen years old. She remembered it like yesterday, when he found out of her existence, how he tried to get her to accept his way of life.
She studied him, though, and learnt his weaknesses and strengths. Even though he adored her as his baby girl, Sapphire never returned the affection. In fact, she despised everything about him.
Being the king of the Russian Mafia had its benefits in wealth, and after his death, Sapphire learnt that all that wealth had automatically fallen to her name. However, she has never used a single dime. In her view, she was doing quite fine without him before her mother died, and even after the pain of her mother's passing that ultimately led her into her father's path, she vowed to be better than him.
Her mother raised her to be good.
"You can go, D'Andre," Sapphire said after a while, as the clock struck 4:30. "I'll catch a cab home."
"In this rain?" D'Andre gaped at her as he looked between her and the glass window, showcasing the very distinct view of the cats and dogs pouring outside. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I swear I won't upset you again."
"You're my boyfriend," she said with an exaggerated eye roll. "Of course you'll upset me again."
"But-"
"It's okay, really," she insisted. "I'm not mad. I just need to think. Maybe a walk snuggled in my raincoat will help."
D'Andre wanted to know what was on her mind but figured he upset her enough. He didn't mean to get her flustered every time he brought up the topic. He could see that there was much more to her story that she didn't tell him. In fact, all she told him was that her father, Enrique, was a Mafia boss, who died eight years ago in an explosion at one of his compounds, and he left a ton of money and property in her name.
In D'Andre's mind, Sapphire could do great things with it no matter how the money was made. She was always a woman of moral values, and her love for people was far beyond his understanding. It's one of the reasons he liked her so much. But perhaps he should give the topic a break, seeing how much it bothered her.
Besides, she made quite a decent dollar from her diner with her best friend. Her father's wealth would only be a plus.
"Are you sure you want me to go?" D'Andre asked as he grabbed his coat and umbrella. All he got in response was a nod as Sapphire kept her eyes downcast, wiping away an invisible smudge from the coffee machine.
Sighing in defeat, D'Andre rounded the counter towards her, where he leaned down for a kiss but found his lips landing on her cheek instead. She had turned her head away at the last minute.
He nodded to himself, accepting that it was nobody's fault but his, before mumbling a quick' later' and leaving her in the empty diner.
Sapphire plopped down on an empty stool with an exaggerated sigh, rubbing the evident fatigue from her eyes as a slight pound started in her head. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the sparkling silver of the coffee machine. Her skin was paler than usual, and even her fiery red hair seemed a bit duller than usual. Perhaps the gloom of the day reflected in her mood, yet she knew that wasn't the reason.
In some sense, Sapphire regretted disclosing such a deep part of her life to D'Andre. But they had been together for six months, and he was growing quite curious of who she was behind her cheery smile, green, playful eyes and sharp tongue.
She thought that maybe it was indeed time to let someone else in. The only people who knew her, was her best friend, Tiffany, and the people who took her in after her mother died and she escaped her father, or in other words, when he died.
There was also Aella and Mason, who were like older siblings to her. In fact, they were the ones who saved her life all those years ago, when she was an equivalent to a prisoner in her father's domain. But apart from them, no one knew what she had been through.
Interacting with people daily brings her joy. The very conversations that she would be engaged in with people who stopped by for coffee or moms who came to grab a muffin for their toddlers made her job most enjoyable. They would always remind her of the beauty of life.
Being in a diner really depicted a clear image of life. The busy, always rushing businessman who gets a cup 'to go', or those who send their assistant to fetch their daily dose of caffeine captures that end of the society. Then, there are the students who would grab a beverage and sit by the window, being immersed in whatever assignments laid on the screen in front of them. And her personal favourite, the very random passerby, who sits by the counter and orders something small, but in truth, they're seeking someone to share a story with.
It was those very conversations that provided Sapphire with the feeling of normalcy. In fact, D'Andre was one of those same people. He had stopped by an evening after work, looking for a meal that wasn't dipped in oil or cost a fortune. Luckily for him, Sapphire had just the thing. Homemade lasagna, precisely the way her mother used to make it, always did the trick for men who came by, who had obviously had a rough day.
He spent an entire hour ranting about his day to her, and she nodded and hummed throughout it all, even though she was serving other people. D'Andre was captivated by her interest in a mere stranger then, and Sapphire was dazzled by his vivid imagery of storytelling. He kept coming back every day from that day on, until one day he invited her to share a meal with him, somewhere other than the diner.
A smile tugged at her lips at the distant memory as if it was yesterday. D'Andre might've had better skill at talking rather than listening, but he was somehow the first man in all her adult years that stirred any sort of emotional attraction in her. So, he must've been special, right?
Yet, after he learnt of her net worth, he seemed like a different person, and it scared Sapphire. All he speaks about is the Mafia as if he wants her to live like her father did. In fact, he made it his personal duty to find every and any news article of the Russian Mafia and deliberately left it in her path. Sapphire took back her keys yesterday when she went home to find a newspaper lying on her kitchen island, with the big, bold headline 'Russia in a State of Panic at the Rise in Organized Criminal Activity'.
The operations of what had happened in Russia after Enrique died weren't even brought to her attention until recently. Enrique was a cruel man, but it seemed as if whoever was in charge now was a hundred times worse.
She didn't believe D'Andre wanted her to get directly involved with it, but he certainly made it evident that he saw it as a waste to have that much wealth sitting around, not being used. Even when she opened the diner two years ago, Sapphire's portion of the start-up was from loans. It was simply against her nature to indulge in such criminal activity and violation of basic human rights.
So, why has it been bothering her this much?
Trying desperately to get rid of the thought, Sapphire grabbed the remote and jammed her finger on the bright, red button, completely forgetting that she had switched it off while it was still on the international channel.
It seemed like a constant mockery to her, as if rubbing it in her face that she simply cannot live like an average person, like the hundreds of people she interacts with weekly. Was this entire façade only an excuse or effort to live a somewhat typical, mundane life? Why must her father's past come haunting her every time she believes she is getting past it?
Tiffany got past it. So did Aella and Mason. So, why can't she?
Without even thinking too hard, Sapphire knew the answer. Because they weren't Enrique's children. Only she was.
The picture, now plastered on the flat screen above her, showed hundreds of people who stood by the Russian Federation Government House holding placards. As her curiosity piqued, Sapphire increased the volume once again to hear what the reporter was saying.
"On Monday morning, hundreds of people turned out to the Russian White House, as a united action to plead with the government to take action against the Organized Crime Unit that had taken over the country. Protesters showed up in masks to protect their identity in fear that they and their families will be harmed later on, as most of these people are victims of extortion in their various business establishments."
"Oh my gosh...." Sapphire couldn't believe her eyes. Was it this bad? That people had to be protesting in masks to protect themselves?
"With little to no help from the police and government, residents are left asking the same question: who will help them?"
The screen went black again.
Sapphire could no longer watch it. If D'Andre didn't start bringing it to her attention, she would've never known that things in Russia were that awful.
She could remember memories when Enrique took her to Russia on some of his trips. The way he operated was sneaky, evil and inhumane, but there was never a great uproar in the economy like this. In fact, even being in his house, everything was always so organized. Even though people were being taken advantage of and the crime was evident, Enrique had some sense of order.
He never ran his 'business' so intentionally and unapologetically like this new boss. Whoever was in charge now was nothing less than a monster. People were so sick of him that they were pleading with the heads to take action, while at the same time, he-whoever he is-evoked so much fear in them that they didn't even want to show their faces.
As much as she is a born and raised American, Sapphire hated that a country was in such distress because of one person. And to how it seemed, there isn't one person who dared challenge him. Maybe Enrique would if he was still alive. Indeed, Enrique would've taken command of his empire with so much of the snap of his fingers. She knew it, and maybe the current boss knew it too.
Sapphire sauntered to the door with a huff, turned the sign, and closed the shop's door as the clock struck five.
As she got ready to leave, only one thought lingered on her mind, and she hated that it had found residence in her subconscious. But as bad as he was, perhaps if Enrique was still in charge, things wouldn't have been so terrible.
Well, too bad he isn't here anymore. And definitely, no one could command authority of an entire Mafia like he did.
No one who didn't have his name, that is.
Take it off slowly, inch closer, tease and make 'em believe you're all theirs--Make it perfectly estatic. Abigail's code was as simple as they come, and had worked impeccably for years with her one and only rule: No touching. But when she pisses off a snob who didn't like it very much, it was up to a certain billionaire to save her from his covetous hands. Except, he isn't quite ready to let her go just yet.
Does life have to be so complicated? Zoey didn't think so, that is, until she receives a certain letter. When Zoey initiated her first shift on her 18th birthday, her life took a bizarre turn for what seemed like the better and the worst. She learnt something about herself that had been dangling over her head all her life, but she never understood until that moment. She vowed to learn the whole truth but she couldn't do it all alone, which left her at a dead end once again. Coincidentally not long after, she learns that her mate was the Alpha of the Truemoon Pack who automatically took a promiscuous adoration towards her. Niall helps his lost mate through all possible challenges and mountains, just so she could find those missing fragments about herself and be happy. But when she finds out the truth, will she be?
Four years ago, a 13 year old blackmailed me into friendship by holding my doughnut captive. We've been close ever since. But then, I noticed that I wanted to be more than just friends. I was in love with my best friend. Sadly, he didn't feel the same way. I thought my world was over. I was crushed. But to my utmost yet most delighted surprise, I just happened to fall into the arms of a certain bad-boy. Literally. He didn't just save me from what could've been a hell of a concussion that night. He saved my heart too. But hey, let's not get in over our heads now. It wasn't that easy. Not even close. After all, when two opposing worlds clash for the very first time, we cant just expect it to be all rainbows and sunshine. Now do we?
One mansion on the coast. One man. One woman. And something she thought could have never been. And it all started with what some might say was an ill-fated kidnapping. Every villain has a story; and his? Well, it captured her heart.
My name is Roxy Gilbert and I'm apart of The Silent Moon Pack. When I was two years old, we were attacked by a stronger and more powerful pack. They took our home, our people, our land and our dignity... And I'm getting it back. *** Roxy and her twin brother, Aiden, have been training their whole lives to go undercover as spies in the pack that overthrew them. Their aim is to figure out the pack's weak spots, get enough information as possible about them, and attack when they least expect it. What Roxy doesn't know is that her mate was the new Alpha of that very pack, which leaves her torn between betraying her pack or her mate. Who will she choose? Let the tests of trust, love and loyalty begin....
Luka was the best Alpha the Brightwater Pack ever had. That is, until he loses his mate and everything comes crashing down. Having lost everything he loved and his one real reason for living, he attempts suicide on a human territory, when Victoria intervenes and ruin his plans. She makes it her duty to help the man that 'couldn't be saved' after he constantly refuses her help. What happens when she uncovers his secrets one by one? Will Victoria give up on him, or will she surprise them both? Who would've thought that she could save him just in the nick of time? Or does she...
Loraine was a dutiful wife to Marco since they got married three years ago. However, he treated her like trash. Nothing she did softened his heart. One day, Loraine got fed up with it all. She asked him for a divorce and left him to enjoy with his mistress. The elites looked at her like she was deranged. "Are you out of your mind? Why are you so willing to divorce him?" "It's because I need to return home to get a billion-dollar fortune. Besides, I don't love him anymore," Loraine replied with a smile. They all laughed at her. Some believed that the divorce affected her mentally. It wasn't until the next day that they realized she wasn't fibbing. A woman was suddenly declared the world's youngest female billionaire. It turned out to be Loraine! Marco was shocked to the bone. When he met his ex-wife again, she was a changed person. A group of handsome young men surrounded her. She was smiling at them all. The sight made Marco's heart ache severely. Putting his pride aside, he tried to win her back. "Hello, love. I see that you are a billionaire now. You shouldn't be with suckers who just want your money. How about you come back to me? I'm a billionaire too. Together, we can build a strong empire. What do you say?" Loraine squinted at her ex-husband with her lips curled in disgust.
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wifeâs countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. âLetâs get married again.â
Eight years ago, Eleanor was a pampered and arrogant young heiress, while Andreas was just a nameless talent from a humble background. Although she had taken him in, she never treated him with any warmth. Their fates flipped, and now Andreas was a business titan feared by all, while Eleanor wallowed in shame and despair after her fall from grace. Upon their reunion, he pinned her with a venomous glare and declared, "It was my hatred for you that drove me into becoming what I am today."
The kiss grew more passionate as he felt her warm supple body pressing against his chest. He couldn't believe how soft she was. He was gentler this time, making love to her with a slow, languorous pace, pausing now and then to check the expression on her face. Kira was. transported. She no longer felt the fabric of the sheets underneath her. One moment, she was floating in the air, cuddled by cotton candy clouds. The next, she'd become one with a dinghy, bobbing up and down with the undulating waves. His scent enveloped her. He was on top of her, using his arms to support his weight and avoid crushing her. She snuggled up closer to him, safe and snug, cocooned in his warmth. Kira had always marvelled at Austyn's stamina, but he outdid himself tonight. In the midst of overwhelming rapture, Kira still had the presence of mind to broach the subject she'd been meaning to bring up. 'My dad's medical bills.' Austyn paused. He frowned as he looked into those beseeching eyes. 'It'll be taken care of by the end of business day tomorrow,' he said with a bit of an edge in his voice. Kira breathed out. ****** She is a 21-year-old college student who dreams of becoming a journalist. He is the heir of the McCarthy family and president of a business empire. She is bright-eyed and vivacious, a glass-half-full kind of gal. When life throws her a curveball, she knocks it out of the park. He is the archetypal alpha male, aggressive and domineering. Endowed with both brains and brawn, he steamrolls over his enemies and rules his company with an iron fist. The two would never have crossed paths if not for a cruel twist of fate. Kira's world was turned upside down when her father was hospitalised after a car accident. The medical bills were astronomical. Austyn McCarthy offered her a way out. The price: becoming his contract wife. At night, he consummated their marriage but called out another woman's name. Who was she? Why did Austyn marry Kira if he was in love with someone else? Kira was his lawful wife, but she had no right to ask these questions. Then one day, the woman showed up in front of her.
For three years, Jessica endured a loveless marriage while her husband pretended to be impotent. His lies unraveled when a pregnant mistress surfaced. After six months of secretly collecting proof, Jessica threw him out and built her own billion-dollar empire. After the divorce, she transformed into an irresistible figure, attracting admirers. As she left her office one day, she met Kevan, her ex-husband's brother. He stepped in, confronting her. "Was I just a tool to you?" Jessica's lips curled into a calm smile. "How much compensation do you want?" Kevan's voice softened. "All I want is you."
Eight years ago, she thought he was a Money Boy at the club, and accidentally had a one-night stand with him because she was framed by her stepsister. Is $100 enough to buy a Money Boy for one night? The next morning, she casually dropped $100 and ran away. Eight years later, she returned with her genius son. Little did she expect to be "deceived" into the Noblefull Group by her beloved son. Her immediate boss turned out to be Mr. $100 from eight years ago! ... "Bad girl, how dare you humiliate me eight years ago, this time you will pay the price!" "Bad girl, one billion dollars, I buy your whole life!" "I just want to be a secretary. You already have several lovers. You are not my type." "But, I only have feelings for you, only love you." However, their relationship was not smooth. Due to a property dispute, his brother deliberately caused a car accident in an attempt to kill her and their son. Due to past grievances of the previous generation, his father held deep hatred towards him and sent assassins to kill them. There were also plots and attempts on their lives orchestrated by his girlfriend. On top of that, they faced oppression from rival factions of the mafia... This is a romantic novel about a billionaire and his secretary, involving several generations of love, hatred, and complicated relationships, and also involving the mafia, revenge...