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Being the daughter of the Mafia King always had its disadvantages and its advantages. Leah is going to be Queen and she has some problems to deal with. She falls in love with one of the mafia bosses and they have to fight to be together.
Do you believe in destiny? That connection between two souls who were meant to be before... and now. "Lightning never strikes the same place twice." Let me prove you wrong... because destiny always finds a way to strike twice.
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I followed the maze of halls leading down to the only open stairwell. Jogging down the steps, the temperature, and the noise level grew the closer I got to the basement. I pulled open the door and the smell of sweat and blood mixed with the dustiness of the usually vacant building hit me. The sounds and smells of a fight surrounded me. Every smack of skin against skin was met with extreme applause and shouts for more.
"Boss," Chris shouted over the loud crowd.
"What's going on?" I scanned the room. "Where's Lucas?"
"We have a problem with one fighter," he says. "Lucas is dealing with it."
"Cazzo." Pushing through the crowd, I brushed past my security and walked into a long hallway. I pushed open the temporary locker room to see Lucas and Ben in a deep and heated conversation.
Ben looked embarrassed as he looked at me. "Man I told them it wasn't a big deal. Just a stupid thought."
I had no fucking clue what he was talking about, but I wasn't about to tell him that. "Still a thought you had. Which means it's something I need to know. Now I want to hear it from you. Where's your head at?"
"This man, he comes in here telling me I could make more at other fights. He said I could go more often. Every day, if I wanted. Then he flashes me some cash and says my signing bonus would be even more. My ma works her ass off, taking care of my little brother and sister. I help, but it isn't enough."
I fought to keep my temper. Despite only being nineteenth, Ben was new to the circuit. He had a gift, fancy footwork, giving him an edge and a nickname. "You know why you fight once a week?" He shook his head. "It's because your body needs time to heal. If you fight every day, you'll get ripped apart within a couple of months, and that'll be it." He mumbled something as he looked down. "You need more money. You tell Chris about it. If he thinks you're earning it, he'll make it happen. But don't believe the bullshit lies some jerkoff is spouting."
"That's why it was just a thought," he says. "I get offers like that; all the time, but this guy seemed different from the others. He said his name was James Costa. He even gave me his business card."
My patience with that man was running low. "Where's your manager?" The man who's in charge of stopping anyone from talking to my fighter.
He shrugged. "No clue."
"All right kid, you're up soon, so we'll let you get ready." I opened the door and Lucas followed me out. Taking a few steps, we passed another door.
When I heard a small noise, I took a big step back and opened the door. "Fuck," I yelled, wishing I had some bleach to throw in my eyes. Looking up, I shook my head. "Is there a reason you're not in there with your fighter?"
"He said he wanted some alone time," he lied. "I was just... I mean, I figured."
"Wait!" The woman said, no longer having her mouth full. "You said Ben wanted me to... you know, but only if I was good." Not looking back into the closet, I looked toward the locker room.
When Chris opened the door I yelled, "You ask dickhead here to go get you a girl?"
Ben stepped into the hallway as he wrapped his hands, shaking his head. "No. I don't fuck on fight night."
I looked into the room. "Try again."
"You fucking pig," the girl screamed, throwing herself at him.
Lucas walked into the closet and grabbed her. Her eyes met mine. "Get lost." She ran out of the closet. Turning back to Ben again. "You attached to him?"
He shook his head. "Nah. He ducks out early and shit."
"Fire him."
Shrugging, Ben turned to him. "You're fired." He started his excuses, but Ben returned his attention to me.
"Chris will find you a new manager, a new trainer, all that shit. If you have issues, you go to him. Or if you need to, you contact Mr. Moretti or me. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," he said with a nod.
"If I catch you at any of these fights, you're going to regret it," I promised him. "You're out of this circuit. You don't leave one of my fighters alone for someone to approach him. Especially if it's so you could get off using his name."
"You can't do that!" He screamed before catching himself and stepping back.
"The thing is, I can do that. I can also make sure that you're out of all the circuits in the city. Actually," I started before pausing. Unbuttoning my suit coat, I leaned in the doorway with my hands in my pockets. I knew my gun was visible by the way his eyes dropped and shot back up; his face turned pale. "I can make sure no one sees your face again. You'll be a whisper of a has-been, eventually forgotten." I straightened up and took a step closer. "Are we clear?"
"Yes," he said as he sank to the floor.
"Good." Turning, I walked out of the closet. "Find Costa." When we reached the fight room, we split up. I made it to the other side before I found him. "What are you doing here?"
"Just checking out the competition," he says as he takes a sip of his beer.
"Finish your beer and leave." I walked away before he can say anything else.
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..." But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
For three years, Shane and Yvonne were wed, sharing heated nights, while his devotion clung to his ex. Yvonne strove to be a dutiful wife, yet their marriage felt hollow, built on desire rather than real warmth. All changed when she became pregnant, only for Shane to thrust her onto the operating table, warning, “Either you or the baby survives!” Broken by his cruelty, she vanished in grief and later returned, radiantly accomplished, leaving everyone awestruck. Haunted by remorse, Shane begged for another chance, but Yvonne only smiled and replied, “I’m sorry, men no longer interest me.”
Elodie took a deep breath and knocked, the sound echoing in the quiet corridor. A moment of silence passed, broken only by the pounding of her heart. Finally, the door snicked open, revealing a surprised Dashiell. 'Can't you see the Do Not Disturb sign? We don't want-' His initial frown quickly morphed into confusion at the sight of his wife. 'What are you doing here?' he demanded. 'Your girlfriend invited me,' Elodie replied, her voice laced with icy calm. She tried to peer past him, but his broad frame blocked the view. A saccharine voice chimed in from within the room. 'Elodie? Oh dear, we didn't mean for you to find out this way. It's just that-' Elodie cut her short. 'Oh please, Selene. Spare me the fake apologies. You wouldn't have sent me all those texts if you didn't want me to know.' Dashiell shifted uncomfortably, his face a mask of annoyance. 'What texts?' Elodie stepped past him, taking in the luxurious suite with a sardonic smile. The king-sized bed, the scattered rose petals, the lingering scent of sex – it all painted a vivid picture of their betrayal. She looked up at Dashiell, her gaze unwavering. 'I want a divorce.' ****** Dashiell lived a life of luxury, surrounded by the best things money could buy. But when a car accident left him vulnerable, he met Elodie, a seemingly ordinary woman who nursed him back to health. Mistaking her for just another employee, Dashiell entered into a loveless marriage with her solely for convenience. However, fate had a different script in store. Elodie, the 'ordinary nurse,' held a secret more precious than any diamond: she was the sole heiress to Northstar, a vast and powerful enterprise. Unaware of her true identity, Dashiell cast her aside when his ex-girlfriend returned, leaving Elodie humiliated. But Elodie was not one to be easily broken. She shed the facade of the meek nurse, reclaiming her rightful inheritance and stepping into the role of Northstar's CEO. Now, the woman Dashiell discarded was the one holding the reins of power. As Elodie thrives in her new role, Dashiell is consumed by regret. He finally sees Elodie for the extraordinary woman she truly is, realising the depth of his mistake. But will his remorse be enough to win back the heart he so carelessly discarded?
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."
"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.
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”