Sofia Deluca's life took a dark turn when she fled her orphanage at 19, seeking refuge in the glittering yet seedy world of a strip club. Deceived into signing a contract binding her to the club's owner, Luca DeSantis, she finds herself trapped in a life of servitude and exploitation. But when she witnesses her boss being violently harassed, her path collides with Giovanni, a dangerous figure with a proposition that changes everything. Forced into a dangerous game of loyalty and survival, Sofia navigates a treacherous world of betrayal and violence, all while wrestling with her growing feelings for Giovanni. As their tumultuous journey unfolds, secrets are revealed, alliances are tested, and love blossoms in unexpected places. Will Sofia find the strength to break free from the chains of her past and embrace a future filled with hope and love?
Sofia's POV
"You think you can fool me? Play me around with my money, right!?" A deep baritone voice which rose over the high music from the club.
Suddenly gunshots rang from outside disturbing the still night air, there were shouts of fear and scampering feet as those outside ran inside quickly startling those inside the club.
"What is going on? What is happening." One of the strippers in the changing room asked, she must have heard the angry yelling first.
There was an uproar everyone began to run for safety. This was life in downtown Italy.
Everyone in the club will be drinking and partying and the next minute, a different deadly gang or a Mafia Lord would send everyone scampering to safety.
And this was what was happening now, this was a norm, something we had gotten used to. But I was quite sure this incident was slightly different in many ways than any other raid.
Meet me Sofia Deluca, I was orphaned when I was barely five after my parents died in a plane crash like I was told.
I was left in the care of an Aunt who died from cancer a year later.
I was taken to the orphanage where I had lived my whole life, but life in an orphanage can be so cruel in many ways than one, and a month ago I had ran away and was deceived by my boss Luca into becoming a stripper. I was convinced of a better life with this job, but such has not being the case so far. Don't get me wrong, I do see my share of daily bread from it, but I also get my share of shredded dignity at the end of the day. And the amount I get isn't worth it.
"What's happening?" One of the strippers asked again her voice shaking. I looked at her, fear in her eyes.
"We are dead that's for sure" A busty striper with dyed blonde hair whom everyone called Sarah looked at me a smile plastered on her lips as she chewed away blowing bubbles with the gum in her mouth.
Life in the orphanage was quite better compared to this, only that we didn't have enough to eat and the sisters there watched you like a hawk but here you have to do just as you are told like a kind of puppet.
The small room was crowded with five of us we were the next set of strippers to go to the pole, but I felt nervous a month was enough for me to be perfect in pole dancing. At least I was better than most of them, bringing more money for my boss Luca and this had made me an enemy to some of the other girls, welI I really don't really care. I guess I was a natural.
"What is this all about anyway?" I asked no one in particular "Are we not going dance tonight?"
"That's a very silly question to ask considering the situation at- the- moment. You can dance all by yourself Queen bee." Rosa a sworn enemy of mine said brushing past me almost knocking me off my feet.
From the changing room where we were, we could hear yelling and banging on the tables at intervals, glass crash to the floor and more yelling rose up, causing some of the people in the club to scream out in fear
"But three months haven't elasped yet, Lord Azrael". We could hear our boss stuttering
"Do I look like a clown to you? I gave you five minutes to go in there and bring back the money you stole from me including the ones I gave you, you can't keep deceiving me and still snitch on me to the police." A booming voice rang
"I swear on my grandmother's grave, I never snitch on you, it wasn't I, perhaps it was someone who looks like me."
"Then both of you will visit hell soon."
The last sentence made everyone in the changing room to stare at one another in fear. I wonder what was our fate tonight.
Tears were already streaming down Maria's face her heavy face makeup made her look like an old witch, her tears made her mascara run down into long dark lines.
I was so scared I almost passed out, I didn't want to go back to the streets and this wasn't what I bargained for when I signed the contract.
My heart tightening and I felt faint.
"Please don't shoot me.... Please don't shoot me, you can take anything you want from the club, you can take the wine, the strippers anything... Please don't end my life. I beg of you Lord Azrael."
A few silent seconds passed by and we heard a loud bang, I jumped out of my skin the rest of the girls screamed out of their lungs causing the men who had invaded the club to discover our location.
I was about peering through the curtains when the door was pushed open with so much ferocity, sending it flying across the room.
The half naked girls screamed out of the lungs and I tried to hide behind a chair.
"Wow, wow, wow, look what we have here ."
One of the men who had a long scar running down from his left eye to his jaw said looking seductively at all of us, he held a gun carelessly and I feared that a little mistake would send the bullets flying out.
Another man came up behind him short and ugly looking, he grinned like a Cheshire cat and made for Maria who was crying her eyes out. He reached out to touch her inappropriately and she moved away, angrily he gave her a hard slap on the cheek sending her to the cold floor.
"Bring them out to the boss now." He said to the first man.
Whimpering and shaking like wet leaves, we were being dragged out to the club, the light dancing overhead gave the whole place an erie feeling.
Everyone was lying face down and at the other end, our boss Luca was looking different, his face was puffed and red and his lips were bleeding, his white long sleeve shirts were torn at different places with stains of blood.
He wasn't shot like we feared, lying close to the door in a bit to escape was the the body of one of the club bouncers.
I was so scared to even look up, we were surrounded by about twenty men, all in clad black and I watched my life flash before me, this could be my end, I should'nt have run out of the orphanage .
"Don't play games with me Luca." The voice came again. "I gave you three more."
"But you said five minutes." Luca asked stupidly, he was rewarded with a kick in the stomach from one of the fierce looking men which sent him doubling over and groaning in pains
"Bring him closer." The voice commanded "He needs to be taught a lesson."
"Okay ...okay ... fine I'll give you two million." Lucas said.
There was silence as he looked from one of the armed men back to the boss who had his back turned to us all.
From where I crouched, I could see his towering authoritative figure, his hands were clasped behind him, slowly he turned around and I couldn't help but gasp, standing there looking so perfect and clean was the most handsome man I have ever seen.
His dark hair gave light to his big black eyes, his well chiselled jaw ran up to a smooth almost hollow cheeks, he was a handsome devil.
Immediately he turned our eye seem to lock for the briefest of moments before I looked away fearfully.
"You owe me 10 million, I'm quite sure you haven't lost your memory Luca.?
"No ..no ...no.. no.. no I haven't I must have drank too much today." He replied stupidly.
"Don't you think it will be a good idea if I send you to hell to continue drinking with the devil?"
He said coldly and then raised the metal in his hand.
"I will fill you with lead if you don't pay me up now and here. I've been hearing rumors of you snitching on me and if you don't do as I said everyone in this club will accompany you to hell."
There was muffled screams from everyone
"Silence! ." He bellowed.
"Pl... Please... Lord Azreal". At this point Luca seemed to say anything that popped into his head as long as it would prevent Lord Azreal from ending his life. And rightfully so, I think anyone in his current situation would do the same.
" I can pay you back, just give me more time " he completed.
Lord Azreal let out a menacing chuckle almost immediately like he read Luca's mind before he could finish. Still maintaining his authoritarian stance, hands behind his back. "Luca, if I'm not mistaken, you said that the last time I confronted you about this issue. And now I've run out of patience". He let out a huge sigh.
"If you kill me... Lord Azreal, if you kill me how then will I pay you back. Dead men can't make money " Luca spoke, this time with a lot less conviction.
"Hmmm. You know what, this is the first time you've actually made sense." Lord Azreal replied with a smirk across his face, his head cocked to the right. "Hmm. What to do... What to do" he finished.
"I will give you anything.... anything ...I promise.. please don't kill me."
"Anything...? ." He asked
"Yes anything even my soul ." Luca said
"Who wants your dirty soul?" Lord Azreal replied his expression immediately changing to visible disgust.
Just then one of the men came dragging in one of Luca's guards.
"Lord Azrael." The man called, his voice deep and rough ."We found this one trying to escape."
"Let me show him what I can do." Azrael said, the handsome devil and in a twinkle of an eye, he raised the gun in his hand and the next thing we heard was a loud boom.
Lying down there in the pool of blood was the guard dead and gone
"Is there anyone else who wants to join him?" He asked
I could feel the fear from everyone bouncing off against the walls. I was shivering, I was about to throw up I regretted ever coming to look for help here.
I could feel his eyes looking around and then settling on me and the rest of the strippers.
"You said I can ask for anything?" He asked.
"Anything." Luca replied without thinking.
An even before we could blink he said something which made my heart stop for a bit.
" I want her." He said coldly
Slowly Luca lifted his head and his eyes almost fell out of their socket.
" You... you said?"
"If I repeat myself one more time, it will go with a lead in your thick skull."
"Please not her... I beg you, there are lot of strippers here, thirty of them you can't choose her please."
"Shut your dirty mouth, this is the first I've seen of this." Lord Azreal pointed the gun at Luca.
"A beggar with a choice? Honestly Luca I don't know how you've survived for this long. Since you are hungry for hell, I can send you there now." Lord Azreal poised his trigger finger.
"Say Hi to Lucy for me ehh...?" He put his finger on the trigger and applied pressure.
Luca hooked his head like a baby, his teeth chattering and he broke out in cold sweat
I couldn't even feel my hands, my whole body felt numb, as Lord Azreal turned to settle his eyes on me.
I wanted to pass out, I wanted a spell to be cast to me so I could vanish forever. Up until that second, I hadn't any idea that Lord Azreal was referring to me when he said he 'wants her'.
My heartbeat seemed to seize as he approached me slowly, gun still being pointed at Luca. He looked down at me beneath his lashes like I was some kind of an orphaned rabbit.
"I want her and she is leaving with me tonight."
Like any other human, Aria has lived all her life dispelling the aged-long stories of werewolves—just bedtime stories told to scare little children. And nothing more. With nothing to her name, her only hope is to one day find herself in the arms of her true love. Well, her wish came true during an auction ceremony when she bumped into a man known for his name and reputation. Years passed, and Aria seemed to be living the happy life she had dreamt of. But her world is thrown into chaos when her dream husband turned out to be the most unlikely creature. A werewolf. **** Years of not finding a mate left Damien's wolf dormant. With decreasing strength and the legitimacy of his Alpha title in question, his only hope is to one day find his mate if he must survive the numerous enemies waiting to take his place. And years of waiting have diminished every hope. But when he bumps into a waitress during an auction event, his carefully constructed world is thrown off balance. His mate…but a human. An unfair card dealt by the moon goddess to a man of his status. And right now, he must protect his true identity as he navigates the uncharted waters. What happens when she finds out who he truly is?.
Bailey seems to be never destined to fit in, a little geeky, but under it all, a hidden beauty that so many seem to miss, but still not what her pack Alpha is looking for in a fated mate... so he is determined to reject her and make her life hell. Bailey, knowing her life will likely never be the same focuses on what she can control, her future, and heads off to study; becoming a teacher. Asher is the Beta of Autumn Valley Pack, a neighbouring pack. A broken man having suffered the loss of his mate after a rogue attack, Asher is slowly crumbling. Falling to pieces. A shadow of his former self, and not a man that anyone wants to be around anymore... Until, Autumn Valley Pack require a new teacher, and Bailey finds herself there and pushed together with the Beta. Is there a connection building or is that in their imaginations? And what will happen when Bailey's mate comes back to claim what is his?
Rachel used to think that her devotion would win Brian over one day, but she was proven wrong when his true love returned. Rachel had endured it all—from standing alone at the altar to dragging herself to the hospital for an emergency treatment. Everyone thought she was crazy to give up so much of herself for someone who didn’t return her feelings. But when Brian received news of Rachel’s terminal illness and realized she didn’t have long to live, he completely broke down. "I forbid you to die!" Rachel just smiled. She no longer needed him. "I will finally be free."
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?”
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
Life was perfect until she met her boyfriend's big brother. There was a forbidden law in the Night Shade Pack that if the head Alpha rejected his mate, he would be stripped of his position. Sophia's life would get connected with the law. She was an Omega who was dating the head Alpha's younger brother. Bryan Morrison, the head Alpha, was not only a cold-blooded man but also a charming business tycoon. His name was enough to cause other packs to tremble. He was known as a ruthless man. What if, by some twist of destiny, Sophia's path were to intertwine with his?
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!