18+ Angelina Stewart has just experienced a breakup moments before her scheduled wedding. Distressed, she flees and becomes disoriented in the enchanting and romantic city. However, her fortunes change when she encounters a charismatic French man who is immediately captivated by her. "My name is Angelina," I managed to utter through teary eyes. His deep, brown gaze met mine with an intensity that unsettled me, as if he could see into the depths of my soul. He softly repeated my name, accompanied by a gentle smile. "What a beautiful name. So perfect. Your husband is a fortunate man indeed," he remarked. These words reignited a wave of emotions within me, causing my heartache to resurface. The floodgates of tears opened wide, and I couldn't prevent their release. Right before this stranger's eyes, I burst into uncontrollable sobs. To my astonishment, his arms immediately embraced me, and he began murmuring comforting words in French while cradling my head against his chest. In that brief moment of hesitation, I allowed myself to surrender to the solace he offered-a chance to shed tears in someone's embrace, an opportunity to break down and find solace because, strangely, he was there to help mend the shattered pieces of my heart.
It was my wedding day. I was sitting on a velvet upholstered stool after getting my makeup done by a celebrity makeup artist who flew in this morning specifically for me and my impending bliss. I was wearing a custom Vera Wang bridal gown with a gossimer veil draped around my shoulders. My veil had also been customized with inlaid Swarovski crystals that trailed around elven sentences from my favorite book, The Lord of The Rings.
From my window inside the Shangri-La Hotel, I could simply look out and see the lit-up Eiffel tower in the distance. It was a beautiful, cool evening in summer and nothing could possibly be more perfect.
Except, nothing was perfect. Everything was all very, very wrong.
My exquisite makeup was in black smears beneath my eyes and on the pristine white of my satin, elbow-length gloves. I was sobbing like a little bitch in front of the man of my dreams as he sat on the stool in front of mine with his hands in his lap, looking completely poised, calm...and perfect.
"I know. You have every right to be angry with me. It's just...I really don't think it's the right time to be getting married. I feel like there is so much left for me to discover and learn about the world and--"
"Wait, wait! Did this epiphany occur to you before, or after you cheated?" I interjected with a bitter scowl, making me appear even more...radiant.
"Come on, Angelina, don't be like that."
My fiance, Viru drew back with a sigh. Was he serious right now? Ten more minutes and we were supposed to be walking down an incredibly lavish wedding aisle covered on either sides with his family and friends, and my one relative; my mom.
How did I find myself here? I began to ask myself. I didn't consider myself to be the dimwit who couldn't tell if her boyfriend loved her or not, but I guess cheaters came in all shapes and sizes, wrapped in pretty bowties and spouting articulate promises of love.
Five years...I had been with this perfect, amazing man for five years. We had created an entire life itinerary around our goals, our future kids, our fucking dream chateau in France!
I had met Viru through a blind date set up by my friends. He was an investor, a talented one at that. He could talk circles around anyone on wall street about what was hot and what was a dead end. He could snap his fingers and have several start-up businesses flourishing. He was intelligent, cunning, incredibly handsome in that blue blood sort of way with the clean cut blonde hair and striking blue eyes.
I, on the other hand, was an author. Albeit a successful one, but also an incredibly outspoken, artsy-fartsy, nonfiltered one. Thinking about it now, it's hard to even guess why he would take one look at me. Just nearing height at five'three, I wasn't exactly a super model. More like a step up from one of the munchkins in that old Wizard of Oz movie complete with the never-ending mouth. My hair was dull brown, straight and mortal enemies with all curling irons. My eyes were probably my most attractive feature about me. They were violet. It was an unusual color, but it was my color and I loved it.
Except now, they were red, puffy and surrounded by big, grotesque black circles of mascara.
"You're serious...you're completely serious." I muttered, staring at him in dumbfounded shock.
He sighed again, making me want to reach out and slap his perfect, handsome face. He looked back at me in...pity?!
"I'm sorry, Angelina, I really am. It's just...your mother and I..."
Excuse me, what?
"What about my mom?" I whispered as I could feel the blood quickly draining from my face. He stood to his feet and walked to the window, gaining safe distance from me. Smart man.
"Angelina...I hate to tell you this way. I waited way too long. God, I'm so sorry." He said on another fucking sigh. I was beginning to lose my sanity at this point and I snapped at him while standing to my feet.
"Just say it! I've got nothing left to lose, right?!
He looked at me with big, blue sad eyes. When his mouth opened, my mind flew away like the birds skirting around the Eiffel Tower.
"I'm in love with your mother. We...we've been in love for a long time and I wasn't sure how to tell you. I realized I couldn't live a life with you while I wanted her the whole time. It just wouldn't be fair...to either of us. Hey, are you okay?"
I was out the door in seconds. My head was pounding with inner screams of rage and mortification as I marched down the lavish hallway of the Shangri-La in my wedding dress.
Nearing the double doors that led out to the courtyard where all our guests were waiting for the ceremony to begin, I raised both my hands and braced them against the doors before swinging them wide open and stomping down the aisle. The entire walkway was lit up with twinkling lights overhead, casting a romantic golden glow over the ceremony.
I could hear the murmurs and alarmed whispers from people all around me, yet my eyes were fixated on only one person. Sitting in the front row of white fold-out chairs, my lovely mother- the exact opposite of me in every way- perched prettily in her seat, flicking a silken lock of her white blonde hair over one slender bare shoulder. I was wondering why she had decided to wear white today as well...
When she heard me approach, she looked back at me with a smile plastered across her cherry red lips. Although, the smile quickly fell from her face when she noticed the look of rage on mine.
"HOW COULD YOU?!" I screamed in her face as I shoved my bouquet into her chest, scattering orchid petals everywhere. She raised her hands in defense with a wild look of terror. The other guests began talking loudly then, one of the older gentleman sitting across from my mother stood to his feet to intervene. I didn't give a shit.
"Sweety, hold on, just listen." She started to say in that annoying high-pitched voice of hers. I had no mind to listen to anything that came out of her mouth. She was my only living relative. I had trusted her, been close to her as much as a black sheep, ugly author of a daughter could be to a glowingly beautiful mother who was the height of society.
She was a clothing designer. She even helped me design my own wedding gown for crying out-loud! This was betrayal to the highest standard and I was ill-equipped to handle it.
"Shut it, you slut-faced old bat! Don't ever speak to me again, do you understand?! God!!!! Oh my god!!!" I was reeling, flailing my hands and sobbing right in front of hundreds of our wedding guests.
The one man who had stood to intervene seemed to have taken a few steps backwards, probably realizing it wasn't the brightest idea to approach a crazed, golemn-faced bride.
I couldn't stop screaming, until I did. Then I punched her.
The guests erupted into shouts of alarm, Viru was running down the aisle with a look of panic and my mother was currently toppling over backwards into the throng of fold-out chairs.
"Angelina!" Viru called out. I roared in anger and immediately felt like a wild woman in her element. Fuck society! Fuck these mother fuckers!
I picked up one of the fold-out chairs and threw it at him with all my strength. To my happy surprise, it rammed into his nose, sending a spurt of blood down his perfectly trimmed tuxedo. The men in the crowd started to run towards me then. I flipped them all a middle finger while tearing across the manicured lawn towards the half stone wall. Picking up my heavy skirts and kicking up dirt in the grass with my white heels, I leapt over the wall and went crashing onto the sidewalk on the other side. I nearly fell into a jogger as they were going past, causing them to shout and stumble out of my way.
"Move it, asshole!" I screamed in crazed anger as he tried to help me to my feet.
"Geez okay, wow." He said, stepping away with both hands raised. I gathered up my dress again and began to run down the sidewalk of Paris. I had no idea where I was going, no clue what I was even doing. All I knew was that I had to get out of there, away from everyone and everything.
The lights of the city were glaringly bright in the night and cars were rushing past me, honking and weaving through heavy traffic. I could barely see any of it thanks to all the tears blocking my vision. I turned a corner and ran down another sidewalk away from the bustling traffic. I ran until my lungs felt as if they would burst. I ran into my legs were heavy and shaking. I ran until I couldn't run anymore, being blessedly stopped by a large gaping river.
I slumped to the ground in my wedding dress right there next to the stone edge that separated me from the murkey depths. The only light visable now was from the dim glow being cast down by the street lamps.
I couldn't believe my life had turned out this way. What horrific deeds must I have done in a past life to deserve this monstrosity I now found myself in. I was even more enraged about my own mixed feelings. A part of me was enraged at Viru and my mother, yet another part of me was absolutely terrified to be without him. I wanted to run back and beg him to stay with me, to love me and continue living a happy, fake life full of insane, fake, bullshit. That wasn't an option though. I was just scared to be alone. In Paris, France. With no one to turn to.
Warning: This book is really dark, filled with imaginations of darkness you can can think of. If you're below the age of 18. I advise you that you read with discretion. He stared at me with cold, dark eyes. Pushing me against the wall with his hand around my throat, he growled, "Do you know the ways I could fuck the answer out of you? The things I could do to you, can you imagine it? I'll ask you again, what did you see in my black bag?" His dark eyes were scary but the thought of fucking the truth out of me was entertaining, I replied confused and scared "No-, Nothing" Maximo, a scary-looking bulky guy and the leader of the most feared Mafia on earth fell victim to a prank which I do occasionally, especially to scary-looking people. It's like a test to know how much power I have as a woman but this time it went south as the man I decided to prank one rainy Friday night became a bone stuck in my throat for the rest of my days, I could not get him out. My lovely sharp bone. Aurora, a lovely girl, gentle on the outside but wild on the inside, plays men like cards but she can't to this man, Max Lucado. He was everything she wanted in a man
Juliet Avery's life took a drastic turn when she went from one confined existence to another. Forced into marriage with her father's business partner, Jamie Santos, she found herself bound to a man known for his immense wealth and striking good looks. However, beneath his charming exterior lurked a dark and sinister nature - Jamie was a ruthless Colombian Mafia Boss with a cruel streak and an unhealthy obsession with Juliet. Jamie's devotion to Juliet knew no bounds; he was willing to commit any atrocity, from mass killings to setting the world ablaze, at her mere request. But Juliet had no desire for this kind of life. His lavish lifestyle and the luxurious cage he provided were not what she had envisioned for her future. All Juliet yearned for was freedom, not to be shackled to a man consumed by insatiable desires. She found herself trapped in a gilded prison, longing for escape from the clutches of a beast whose affections she could never reciprocate.
"If I were to kick the bucket, would you make a pilgrimage to my grave?" I quipped, motioning to the open graveyard around us. His lips curled into a wicked smirk, revealing flawless, pearly whites—a sinister expression that, by all accounts, should have prompted me to bolt in the opposite direction. Yet, it didn't. "If you ever found yourself six feet under, Beverley," he said, pausing to let his eyes roam over me, "trust me, I'd be right there in the damn plot next to yours." Bev My life had been charted out before I drew my first breath. I was thrust into the seedy realm of organized crime and illicit trade. After enduring torment and being left for dead, I finally secured my escape. I ran. Freedom was mine. And then my brother messed it all up, dragging me back into this warped version of hell. And then there was Shady, the devil in the most tempting guise. Shady I held the throne in the Boka Civente, the epitome of violence and corruption. In my world, there was no concept of losing. Down in the underground, the rules remained the same. Always had, and when your life was at stake, debts were settled accordingly. Her brother owed me, and if that debt went unpaid, someone would meet their end. And she, she was simply a means to an end. Right?
"Bria's destiny is closely connected to the Alpha, and the red mark on her hand is clear proof of their special bond. Her tough journey began when the human government took her away when she was young. They trained her to be a weapon against the wolves. She knows her job well, and she's eager to go undercover as a failed kidnapping attempt to learn the wolves' secrets and hurt the Alpha. But, she didn't expect to meet an Alpha who would change everything she thought she knew. This Alpha tells her a different story from what she was taught, and introduces her to a community that goes against everything she believed."
Warning- This rated R, sexually explicit and gun and knife violence, reader's discretion is advised It all started when he was 19 and she was 17, teenagers in love who bared their souls without judgement from one another. Innocently, they thrived purely on love, but unknown to them, their families had other plans. Rather than letting them naturally thrive in true love, Danni had already arranged for Ghost at her tee that when she's older and a woman enough, she will become Ghost's wife. Giuseppe Giordano, popularly known as Ghost, was an heir had he had the time and has become ruthless and violent in approaching things that he doesn't trust, and Daniella Lopez is the innocent, beautiful woman who was betrayed by the Mafia boss. The Lopez and Giordano families had an agreement since their kids were young that they were going to give each other's children to one another once they came of age to strengthen the bond between both families. By the time she was of age, Ghost was invited to come and get his bride, despite the aggravations of her brothers, but it was to no avail. The union was rocky at first, as Ghost, who's been trained throughout his life to be cold-hearted and viscious, was to be married to the innocent and easy-going Daniella. Daniella didn't find Ghost any good for her, as he was never gentle with her and always treated women like commodities, but as time unravelled, she started to see him and see the Angel that was hiding behind the devil. This was the inception of a forever love story as Ghost, despite his shady and dark ways, became Daniella's knight in shining armour as she gradually shaped him to see the world and women differently.
"The King of Grita once found himself in a life-threatening situation, saved by a mysterious woman whose identity remained concealed, save for her enchanting deep green eyes. However, as quickly as she had appeared, she vanished overnight, leaving the King in a state of restlessness. On that fateful night, he owed his very life to her, and those captivating green eyes had stolen his heart. Years later, circumstances compelled the King to enter into a marriage arrangement with the daughter of a prominent general. To his astonishment, this young woman had the same bewitching green eyes that had haunted his memory since that life-altering night. The mysteries began to pile up. Two different women with the same mesmerising eyes—questions filled the King's mind. Who was that enigmatic woman who disappeared from his life years ago? Could it be possible that these two women were one and the same, and if so, why did they possess different appearances? As the King grappled with these unanswered questions, he embarked on a quest to unravel the secrets hidden behind those deep green eyes. Would he finally unveil the truth and solve the mystery that had haunted him for so long?"
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."
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
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...
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
After being kicked out of her home, Harlee learned she wasn't the biological daughter of her family. Rumors had it that her impoverished biological family favored sons and planned to profit from her return. Unexpectedly, her real father was a zillionaire, catapulting her into immense wealth and making her the most cherished member of the family. While they anticipated her disgrace, Harlee secretly held design patents worth billions. Celebrated for her brilliance, she was invited to mentor in a national astronomy group, drew interest from wealthy suitors, and caught the eye of a mysterious figure, ascending to legendary status.