Eighteen-year-old Isabella Stephens might seem like your usual, sheltered, and innocent girl, but she harbors a secret that could turn her life upside down. This secret isn't just any ordinary revelation; it has the potential to be truly life-changing. Isabella's hidden truth revolves around her intense feelings for someone unexpected - her dad's twenty-eight-year-old best friend, Dr. Rio Anderson. It's not just a simple crush; she's deeply and hopelessly in love with him. Little does she know, Rio also holds a secret of his own – he's in love with Isabella. Their emotions come to light after a magical night, but their story isn't a typical love tale where a boy meets a girl and falls in love. It's far from simple. Isabella's family is entangled in a cult that enforces arranged marriages for girls as soon as they turn eighteen, often with someone they've never met before. As Isabella approaches her nineteenth birthday in eight months, trouble looms over her. A new fiancé, arranged by the cult, enters the picture, pushing Isabella and Rio's relationship to its limits. When they find themselves in desperate need of each other, an unexpected turn occurs, forcing Isabella to confront decisions she never thought she would have to make. The complexity of their situation adds layers of challenges, making their journey far from the conventional love story.
I look at my floor-to-ceiling mirror at my reflection. Running my eyes down my tall, slender frame, I can't help but smile. I'm not normally this vain but I look really pretty.
My long locks of chestnut brown are slightly curled at the side of my face and my dark brown eyes are sparkling thanks to the mascara, that has made my eyelashes full and long.
I grab the fabric of my off-white cotton dress and pull it up a little higher, so it now sits at least an inch above my knee.
My father will kill me for having it so short but I will just remind him this is just a family and close friend-only dinner.
No one will look at me inappropriately.....
Well hopefully a certain someone notices me...
That certain someone is my father's twenty-eight-year-old best friend; Rio Anderson.
I have had the biggest crush on him, for as long as I can remember and that wouldn't be such a bad thing if I wasn't seventeen.
No one knows about my crush on Rio and I have to keep it that way. My parents are so old-fashioned and closely monitor my phone. We're also part of a religion that forbids any contact with men that aren't related unless you're married.
I'm not even allowed to have a boyfriend or guy friends. If they find out about my feelings for Rio, they won't let me see him again and that will literally kill me.
Plus my feelings for Rio are completely one-sided. Rio doesn't see me anything differently than "his best friend's kid."
It's so frustrating!
Walking away from the mirror, I look at the small clock on my bedside table; it reads, ten minutes to six. The dinner party will be starting soon.
Just after that thought, I heard cars driving up my driveway. I tilt my head towards the window as I hear the cars pulling up in front of my house then slamming doors followed by voices. I walk over to the window of my second-storey bedroom when I hear my favourite voice; Rio.
He is helping his seven-year-old daughter, Jenna, out of the car. Once Jenna is out of the car and Rio is holding her hand, he looks up to my window and catches me staring at him. I smile embarrassed at him as my cheeks flush pink but Rio just grins at me.
I use this short moment to look over my gorgeous crush. Standing just over six feet, with dark brown-almost black hair and chocolate brown eyes and his naturally tanned skin from his Italian background. Even though he spends his days indoors at the hospital being one of the best doctors in the state, his body is toned with his muscles rippling every time he moves.
Once I've looked over at him, I quickly look away and Jenna catches my eye. She waves excitedly at me, I smile at her as I wave back. I love Jenna, she is literally my best friend...well my only friend other than my brother, even though she is only seven.
Her mother Kim; Rio's ex died in a car accident just after Jenna's first birthday. So Jenna clings to me for a mother-type figure.
After waving, I take a step back away from the door then leave my room and quickly rush downstairs to greet the guests. I'm not usually this excited for my family's monthly dinners but this is the first time Rio is coming, so it's going to be worth it.
When I reach the entryway to my house, I walk over and stand next to my brother, Liam. Then we stand behind our parents. Without acknowledging us, our Father opens the door and greets the guests.
Around six guests walk through the door. Liam and I aren't allowed to say anything to them unless we are spoken to first.
Liam and I hate it but it's our family religion so we deal with it. Though most of my parent's friends ignore us, some do give us nods.
Rio, unlike the others, walks through the door with a signature wide smile. He shakes my father's hand and gives my mother a hug and a polite kiss on the cheek. Surprisingly both my parents are grinning as wide as Rio. No one will admit it but there is mutual love and respect between those three.
He says hello to Liam then turns to me with his adorable grin. "Hello, Isabella."
"Hello, Rio. Welcome," I say to him.
He opens his mouth to say something else when Jenna pushes past him, "Bella!!" she squeals as she jumps into my arms.
"Hey Jenna" I smile as I pick her up and hug her.
My father is giving me silent scowls as he shuts the front door, behind Rio's back but I ignore him. I couldn't just reject Jenna's affection, I'm not cruel like him. After a minute, I gently put Jenna down.
She holds onto my hand tightly then we follow my parents and Rio into the dining room, followed by Liam who is dragging his feet.
I let go of Jenna's hands once we reach her and Rio's seats, unfortunately, it's opposite to where I'm sitting and not even directly opposite so I'm stuck sitting across from one of father's friends.
Once everyone is seated, Mum and I start serving the food. Only four people including Rio, Jenna and Liam are the only ones that say thank you.
"I guess we have to act formally but there is no need to be rude!" I frown to myself as I plate the last food down, then return to my seat, next to Liam.
The dinner was pleasant but boring. Of course, Liam and I stay quiet throughout the whole thing, though in our silent and immature rebellion, we played foot-kick with each other under the table to amuse ourselves.
Unlike us, Jenna giggles and talks throughout the whole dinner. Even joining in conversations with the adults. I couldn't help but smile at her. She is so confident and absolutely gorgeous. Rio is a fantastic father and he loves Jenna just as much as she loves him.
I used to wonder why he and my father are best friends.
All I know about their past was that they have been friends since Rio was a child so I grew up with Rio.
My father is twelve years older than Rio and believes in old-fashioned values. Plus he forces my mother, Liam, and me to follow our religion right down to the last stupid restriction and rule.
Rio is just a lovely nice guy that everyone instantly loves and feels at home with even if they just met him, he never restricts Jenna and never teaches her to speak without being spoken to by an elder. I love him for that.
The dinner drags on and when it finally finishes, the men walk into the living room and spread out on the couches talking about politics and the latest religion meeting and drinking whiskey.
The wives go outside to sit on the balcony and talk about God knows what. But of course, Liam and I get stuck with the clean-up.
"I fucking hate this" Liam hisses as he picks up the dirty plates.
"Liam! Don't swear! Do you want to be grounded?" I frown at him.
"I don't care, Bella! They treat us like shit, ignore us, like we are dogs then expect us to clean up after them like slaves! I'm eighteen next month and I'm gone" Liam says as he finishes piling the plates.
"You're lucky" I smile at him.
Readers discretion is advised, the use of deadly weapons, slurs, violent languages, sexual assault and explicit sex is included in this novel. "I will not hesitate to bend you over my lap right here and give a raw spanking, so be a good girl and let's get the mission over with, sí?" He questioned but left no room for me to argue back. "Daddy chill." I joked while smiling, "but you already know this'll be easy." And with that both of us entered the club to get this mission over with. ************************************ Isabella Eva Alfonso, all alone growing up, after a terrible childhood she learned to become an assassin as well as being feared in the illegal world. She moved to Spain two years ago stayed low for a year and started growing her name again. She doesn't know who her family is but when she gets invited to the Italian ball in Italy, a lot goes down. Does she meet her family? What happens if she does? Damien Lorenzo capo of the Italian-American mafia. Every girls dream guy, but yet he's still ruthless, and hard to approach. What happens when he meets Isabella at the Italian ball. What challenges will they face living in two different places, will they even fall in love?
How deep does obsession run? Are there any limits that an evil man won't breach to possess the one he desires? For the Dark Royal Prince, there appear to be none. As the heir to a vast empire's throne, he is willing to go to any lengths to secure the one thing he covets the most—Diana. Whether it involves kidnapping her, coercing her into marriage, or even resorting to murder, he is blinded by his twisted version of love for Diana. Unfortunately, instead of experiencing care and affection, Diana finds herself subjected to relentless abuse. There seems to be no end to her torment as she exists in her personal Hell, unable to escape the demonic presence that always looms near. He claims to love her, but all she feels is hatred towards him. Is there any hope of escape for Diana? Will someone come to her rescue and free her from this monstrous captivity? Or is she fated to endure a life of coerced love? WARNING: This story carries an R rating due to its depiction of extreme abuse and sexual violence. If you are uncomfortable with such themes, this may not be a suitable book for you.
Chloe Miler, a naïve young woman, waits shyly to spend Valentine's Day with her boyfriend, but is betrayed on that day when she witnesses him entangled in bed with her own sister. Chloe's heart is broken when her heartfelt love for him is trampled on in an instant. *** Lionel Williams, the mysterious billionaire, the top of the pyramid, is handsome as hell. His eyes are set high, but he is drugged, has a one-night stand with a strange woman, and is humiliated by that unknowing woman with her money! His instincts tell him it's not that simple, and he's going to find her out!
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."
"I want a divorce!" Ryan demanded, despite the fact that he had cheated on her with his ex. ~ Serena is no longer the quiet, romantic lady Ryan Winters married and divorced five years ago. Now the CEO of Rocky's Designs, she is bright, unwavering, and unapologetic about her independence-a far cry from the woman Ryan remembers. When fate brings them back into one another's lives, Ryan is forced to confront the truth about their past, their newfound hot chemistry, and a surprising revelation; Serena has a daughter who may be his. But Ryan's girlfriend, Kate, isn't prepared to lose him again. She will do whatever it takes to keep Ryan in her grasp-even if it means destroying Serena's life and the corporate empire she has built. What happens when Serena's now peaceful life is being disrupted? Will Serena lose once again or will she seize this billionaire's heart?
"Miss Brown, I am the butler here at your service," the butler replied. "My master wants to buy the baby in your belly." "What?!" Does that mean the abortion didn't take place? Did they kidnap her from the operating table just to buy the baby? But why her? "You..." Alice was about to ask a question, but the man in front of her calmly continued, as if he had expected her question, "You're pregnant with his child, and he needs a child. That's all I can tell you." Alice was forced to sign a surrogacy contract and eight months later gave birth to two healthy babies. Fortunately, the man was unaware of her daughter's existence. It wasn't until five years later that fate brought them together again...
She thought she was the love of his life, and he became the love of her life that fateful day she had seen him at the pack's party. Selene Grace was only a replica of Alpha Leo's real mate, and when he spotted her, Leo immediately claimed her as his Luna in order to suppress the rumors of him being mateless. Being unable to conceive turns Selene's marriage into a nightmare, and as if that wasn't enough, Alpha Leo finally reunites with his long time lover and mate, rejecting a pregnant Selene as a result. 5 years later, Selene, a now successful doctor, receives an invitation to the moon shadow pack in order to rid the pack of a deadly disease which has struck it. Will Selene return back to the pack which had caused her so much pain, and what would she do when she realizes that she is mated to the Alpha who had betrayed her in the past?
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.