In a chaotic world where predictability was far-fetched, the bullet of one man had killed thousands. I stared into his eyes, his facade giving nothing away, but darkness whirled in his eyes as they could pierce right into my soul. Damon Antonio, a mysterious man who sought no other woman except me, an ordinary orphan with a traumatic past, when my scars were visible and invisible. It was unclear why it was me he wanted, but his dark eyes gave nothing away. Having been sold by my uncle, to a man that held so much authority, I had to do whatever he told me to do. I had to follow his principles, I had to submit to him. I was terrified of him, being that he was so unpredictable. It turned out that Damon Antonio had bought me in order to marry me. I wanted to scream, to say no, but his presence alone choked all the words in my throat. I was just a weakling to a man who dealt with his enemies like they were nothing but animals. Drug dealing was his major, his wealth was extreme, and he owned clubs in states and countries. I turned out to be the wife of one of the most dangerous men in the world. And he had only one target, his brother. After his brother had killed their parents, Damon sought nothing but revenge. Damon was a man of mystery and power battling with his demons as they sought to be unleashed upon his brother one day. Derek Antonio, the silent killer. It was a battle between two brothers, one who was despised and the other filled with hatred. The answers had to be given, why had Derek killed their parents? Why did he seek to kill even Damon, his own brother? Could it be power? Or was it something else? Damon dragged me into his own world, using me as his bait to get to Derek Antonio. But along the way, Derek Antonio seemed to grow fond of me and that was when all hell broke loose. It caused me to wonder, had Damon fallen for me? He never revealed it, all he ever did was use me for his own pleasure. I was torn between two brothers now and didn't know how it would end. This was a world I never wanted to be a part of. And the worst part, is Damon never ceased to reveal his brutality. Living in his world was chaotic...with this man, there was only danger lurking, but my heart spoke other languages, fear, curiosity, and lust...with this man, it was different, especially when he swore to break me.
ELENA'S POV;
"So innocent. His icy blue eyes pierced into mine. "And submissive like a sheep to the slaughter." His hand traced my jawline right in front of my uncle. I shuddered out of fear. "So trusting." I gasped as his two fingers tightened on my jaw. " I could break you if I wanted to." He whispered into my ear, his breath hot against my neck. "Your innocence blares like a red flag." His grip tightened as his eyes darkened. I tried to shrink, I really did but his eyes kept me still. I was afraid to speak. I dared not. "I could make you do anything I wanted." He said. "Isn't that so Leo?" He asked my uncle.
"It sure is so Antonio. You can have her all to yourself." My uncle stated. I felt tears sting my eyes, feeling like a slave. "She's no use for me anyways. Her father and mother left her with me, and I'm in no state to take care of another child."
"Hmm." Antonio thought considerably. My body stiffened under his dark gaze. Then he smirked. "You don't know the things I would like to do with this little body of yours mi amore." He said pulling me closer to his body. "How much for her?" He asked in his thick Italian accent.
"It's a very high price, Mr. Antonio."
"Name it!" Antonio gave my uncle a harsh glare.
"Three hundred thousand pounds."
"Leonardo, settle him. You can keep the change." He took me by the hand and let me out of the house. I was as obedient as a sheep led to the slaughter indeed. He glared at me when he noticed my hesitance and I shrunk backward. "Get in, now." He opened the door, while I shakily entered. Leonardo was out in a moment. "Settled?" Antonio cocked a brow while Leonardo winked. I knew something wasn't right, but I dared not say anything. Antonio entered and immediately turned my face towards him. "Make sure you cooperate darling. If not, I will design your skull with my bullets." His fingers brushed my lips.
"Where to?" Leonardo asked from the passenger seat.
"Home, I still have a retard to deal with." Then he turned to me. "And perhaps, I might get a little pleasure as well." I shifted fearfully away from him but he only chuckled darkly. From the rear mirror, I saw Leonardo's smirk.
His massive mansion was dark, just like him. Well structured and constructed but with no life.
We highlighted from the limousine, and what caught me was the fascinating and expensive cars that he possessed. Everything about him screamed dread, wealth, and murder.
He grabbed me by the hand and I jumped but obliged as he escorted me into the mansion.
His pace was fast and I had to keep up. His grip was rough and unmerciful. He opened the door to a room with four walls. There was a man seated, looking tortured, nearly to death.
"Pass me the chain Leonardo and the gun." I moved to the wall as I tried to look away from what was about to happen. "Tell me something Francesco, are you proud of yourself?" He questioned, but Francesco seemed too weak to even reply. "That's what I thought. I would have handed you over to my men, but I will personally deal with you and torture you." He stated darkly. "And if you don't speak, you might as well just die, I have no need of you anyways."
"You can't get what you're looking for. If I tell you the truth you'll kill me anyways. Isn't that the way of the mafia? We're all merciless. Since you have no need of me, you might as well just kill me already." Francesco stated and Antonio moved back a little with cocked brows, slightly impressed at this man's boldness.
"You still haven't learnt your lesson I see. But you're right, our golden rule is ruthless. Perhaps I should show you just how merciless I can be." I noticed Francesco visibly tremble but tried to hide it behind a nonchalant face.
"Do your worst Antonio. You won't ever hear about his whereabouts from my lips."
"You've really told me how useless you are." He stretched his hand towards Leo who placed a knife in his hand. Leo went behind the man and held his head so he wouldn't move. I watched with terror. "Since you say I won't hear it from your lips, then it's useless, isn't it? And there are your tongue and teeth. How about I make them completely useless?" Fear flashed in the man's eyes. "Your death would have been less painful if you just told me where he was."
"Bu...buh... but you know who your brother is. A seasoned criminal, even detectives, have been searching for him for years. He's anonymous, how would I know where to find him?"
"Lies spilling from that tongue of yours. I have all the evidence to prove that you are closest to him. And you dare lie to my face?" Antonio's eyes flashed with anger as he questioned. Francesco's fear was beginning to reveal itself.
"I...re...really don't know where he is?" He stuttered.
"Hold him still." Leo obliged. "Only an idiot doesn't listen to me. Only an idiot."
I watched as the knife got closer through this man's lips and the way he instinctively shook on the chair.
I screamed as I slid down the wall down to the cold floor. I noticed Antonio's eyes shifted sideways in my direction and I covered my lips.
He instantly rose and shot the man over and over again.
The blood that slashed on his body made me unconsciously gag. I couldn't stand the sight of blood.
Leonardo glanced at me, his expression giving nothing away but I knew he didn't appreciate my interruption.
I visibly shook because this was worse, far worse than what I'd been through. It was adding more intensity to my trepidation.
"Take her upstairs." He ordered.
Leo wasted no time walking over to me and pulling me off the floor. I instinctively screamed out of fear but he tightened his grip on me.
"Please, please... please." I trembled.
Antonio tilted his head with interest and then walked over to me, I tried to shift away from him. I was terrified to the core. My heart pounded loudly in my chest.
His eyes stayed on mine for a little bit longer and I felt myself shrink even more. He motioned to Leo who pulled me out of the torture room.
Tears stung the corner of my eyes as he didn't give me time to keep up with him.
When we got to the door, he opened it and tossed me inside. I landed on the carpet, hands on the tiled floor.
"Coward," Leo said before shutting the door behind him. I looked around with shaky breathing.
I even feared getting up from this carpet because he could appear behind my back at any time.
My entire body was shaky. Unable to move. Then the door opened and I scampered backwards.
I looked up, staring into the icy blue eyes of Antonio himself.
"I don't think I introduced myself properly to you." He studied my movement and smiled as he bent down to my level. His grin is more devilish from this angle. "You can call me Damon. The most deadliest mafia in the world. Care to know more?"
I shook my head vigorously. And his grin got wider.
"You've seen nothing amore. Just wait till you hear the whole truth about me." I observed as his eyes darkened. "Then you'll understand why they call me the deadliest."
After witnessing her father's death and being forcefully taken away from her family and sold into prostitution at a young age, Bella never had seen or hoped for a better life outside what she was, let alone find love, but fate had betrayed her once more, giving her an enemy in disguise of a lover. She found love in the arms of Leonard, a saviour who rekindled her hope. Reuniting with her long-lost mother was a flicker of light in her darkness. But just as the tides turned, tragedy's shadow loomed. Her friends met the same chilling fate that had stolen her father and family, igniting a firestorm of fury within her. With vengeance in her heart, she set out to track down Drago, the one responsible. But what she discovered shook the very core of her existence. Betrayed, used, and burdened with the weight of disrespecting the memory of her father and lost friend, Bella stood at the precipice of an unthinkable choice. Could love and revenge coexist, or had Bella been pushed to the brink of darkness beyond return? Will her love for Leonard overthrow her quest for revenge?
Vanessa finally broke free from the clutches of her obsessive and abusive ex, Cane Carnegie. ‘ "I own you, B*tch! You'll never be free." Cane's haunting words echo in her mind.’ The trauma still lingers, casting a dark shadow over her new marriage to Dale. Struggling to understand her pain, Dale finds himself ensnared by the seductive charms of his colleague, Valerie. ‘Valerie gets down from the desk, adjusts his chair and sits on his legs in a cowgirl position, then carries his both hands around her waist placing them on her ass as she looks into his eyes and says "Tell me you don't want this and I'll walk away, never to disturb you again.” ‘’ ***** "You deserve so much better than a damaged woman like Vanessa," Valerie whispers, her voice dripping with deceit. As Vanessa seeks solace in therapy and a chance at true love with a stunningly handsome Billionaire with a dark and Evil past, her past comes roaring back with a vengeance. Cane, the sociopathic ex, is determined to reclaim her as his own. His obsession is as unyielding as his physical strength, and he'll stop at nothing to dominate her once more. As Cane's aggression escalates, Vanessa must confront the darkness she thought she'd left behind. But her attempts to fight back only awaken a greater evil, threatening to destroy everything she holds dear. Can she survive the maelstrom of terror that surrounds her and reclaim her life? Or will she remain forever trapped between the horrors of her past and the terrors of her present? Her life and salvation is at the mercy of a man she barely knows.
Ariella is left with no choice other than taking Juanita to a new boarding school so she could go back to work. She encounters Maxwell on one of the trips and that's how what seemed like a love story began. They bonded over the death of Maxwell's daughter. Found comfort in each other's arms even though they never talked about their broken home and spouses. They kept intersecting unplanned at the airport and subsequently wanted to meet up because they missed each other and found each other comforting. However, things took another turn when Madison (Maxwell's Wife) and Paulo Gustavo (Ariella's Husband) discovered what was going on between these two.
6 years ago, Lydia suffered a brutal betrayal orchestrated by her own husband and step-sister, who drugged her and framed her. In a twist of fate, she ended up having a one-night stand with a stranger. Don't even remember what he looked like. Later, in the throes of death, she discovered the truth about her mother's death all those years ago. In the blink of an eye, she lost everything. 6 years later, Lydia returned with her genius son, vowing to exact revenge on all her enemies! Little did she know, she encountered an incredibly familiar man at the airport! *** The man was briskly pushing open the door to the restroom, heading to the urinal. Even with such a mundane action, he did it with unparalleled elegance and grace. Lydia, following him in a daze, saw his fierce lower body and suddenly snapped back to reality. She let out a high-pitched scream, instinctively covering her eyes with her hands, her cheeks flushed, and stood there stiffly, unsure of what to do. Lambert furrowed his brows slightly but remained calm as he continued to relieve himself. The sound of water hitting the urinal made Lydia's face even redder. She angrily shouted, "You pervert!" Little did Lydia know that Lambert, seeing her in this state, had a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Memories from many years ago flashed through his mind, and his heart couldn't help but stir. It was her!
Three years ago, Cecilia was left battered and alone by the man she loved most, Alston, yet she bravely completed the wedding ceremony while pregnant. Three years later, although they were married, they grew apart over time. Cecilia focused on her career, no longer foolishly believing in love. But her transformation instantly threw Alston into a panic... And what is the secret from 11 years ago that Cecilia has always been reluctant to reveal? *** "She went to a law firm, met with a lawyer..." A lawyer? Is Cecilia suing someone? Who? Is there any recent litigation against the company? Alston suddenly chuckled coldly, "Who could she sue? I'm the CEO of this company. How come such a matter doesn't come to me first?" The assistant swallowed nervously, speaking softly, "Sir, there's no litigation against the company. She met with... a divorce lawyer."
Everyone thought Lorenzo truly loved Gracie, until the day of their daughter’s heart surgery. To Gracie’s utter shock, Lorenzo gave the precious organ needed by their child to another woman. Devastated, Gracie opted for a divorce. Fueled by her need for revenge, Gracie joined hands with Lorenzo’s uncle, Waylon, and orchestrated Lorenzo’s downfall. In the end, Lorenzo was left with nothing and consumed by remorse. He pleaded for a reconciliation. Gracie thought she was free to move on with her life, but Waylon held her back in a death grip. “Did you think you can just walk out on me?”
**This book contains a trigger warning. Mention about rape and torture in this book. Please read with caution** "Our marriage is nothing but a deal," he said looking at the girl, her green eyes met his cold silver eye, and both of them glared at each other. "For any rules you break, I will claim any part of your body," his gaze grew dangerously darker at his word. Ashley Harlow was at the top of the world, living the perfect and luxurious lifestyle as the legitimate daughter of the well-known Daniel Harlow. But sadly, a one-night stand put an end to that and brought her life upside down and that of her family's name to the ground. To restore his family's reputation, she was forced into marrying Damien Albrecht, a young, ruthless, obnoxious, brutal billionaire and the head of a mafia gang in exchange for her father's company.
Belinda thought after divorce, they would part ways for good - he could live his life on his own terms, while she could indulge in the rest of hers. However, fate had other plans in store. "My darling, I was wrong. Would you please come back to me?" The man, whom she once loved deeply, lowered his once proud head humbly. "I beg you to return to me." Belinda coldly pushed away the bouquet of flowers he had offered her and coolly replied, "It's too late. The bridge has been burned, and the ashes have long since scattered to the wind!"
"The entire wealthy circle in Seattle knew how much Stella Carlson loved Aaron Malone. People watched the childhood sweethearts grow from inexperience to maturity, finally getting married in a grand wedding ceremony. On the day of the wedding, despite the alliance between the Carlson and Malone families, the groom ran away. Stella knew that Aaron had rushed to L.A. to take care of his ex-girlfriend, who had attempted suicide. Unwilling to become the laughingstock of all Seattle, she gritted her teeth and dialed the number of her adversary, her tone almost commanding, "Ethan, come and marry me now. This is your only chance for revenge." On the other end, Ethan Powers raised an eyebrow as he gripped his phone, staring at the floor littered with cigarette butts. "Did the groom run away?" he asked. "My darling."