Experience the heat of desire, the sting of betrayal, and the triumph of love as you follow the enthralling tale of the Don and his beloved Thalia. Don't miss out-start reading now and immerse yourself in this scorching story of forbidden love and redemption
Standing sentinel at my office window, silhouetted against the renaissance splendor of Florence, I indulged in a moment of quiet triumph. A sinuous wisp of cigar smoke curled languorously into the air, a silent partner to my introspection. Commanding the room's attention was my latest acquisition, "Eternal Echoes" by Antonio Russo, a vibrant chaos contained within a frame that challenged the viewer to look deeper, to find order in the abstraction.
Indeed, the canvas swirled with hidden meanings, its forms and figures teasing the eye, inviting a closer look. A spectral figure at the center seemed almost alive, a perpetual motion captured in silver, beckoning the onlooker to explore the depths of their own uncharted imaginations.
This artwork, a masterful symphony of colors-deep, introspective blues yielding to the vivacity of reds and oranges-had eluded me for over two years. But determination has always been a trademark of mine, irrespective of whether it concerned the ruthless world of finance or the pursuit of fine art. Flown in from Italy, this soul-stirring masterpiece now hung in my domain, a memento of the land of my birth and of the achievements my wealth could secure.
My contemplation broke at the intrusive creak of the door, a herald of the impending tempest. Antonella, my former wife, with the swift and commanding entrance of one accustomed to upending tranquility, stepped into the room. Her entrance, as swift and inevitable as a winter storm, bore down upon me before I could even see her face.
"Dominic Angelo Romano, where is my damn check for this month?" she barked, her tone slicing through the smoky calm with the precision of a knife. Each word was steeped in frustration, a reminder of the continuous grievances she paraded before me.
I faced her calmly, a counterbalance to her tempest. I interlocked my fingers and allowed them to rest upon the desk-a monument to the wealth I'd accumulated. This ritual was familiar, as if the desk itself provided strength, reinforcing the foundation of the empire I built and the image I maintained.
"Antonella, darling," I began, my voice dripping with feigned tenderness, "rest assured, the check is navigating its way through the serpentine channels of financial institutions. But would you care for a drink in the meantime?" Behind me, an anthology of aged spirits caught the light, a shimmering testament to my lavish lifestyle.
Yet, her scornful gaze cut through the pretense. She declined my offer with a controlled poise and strode with measured steps to the chair before my desk-as if every action was yet another move in our endless chess game.
"I'm not here for your theatrics," she replied coolly. "This is about Micola. She requires more than the empty gestures of an absentee father. She needs you, Dominic."
Her words lingered between us, suspended in the stillness of the room. Antonella had always possessed a cutting clarity, seeing through my defenses to the man beneath-the man who had once captivated her with passion and now provoked her with absence.
"Antonella," my voice softened, revealing an unexpected seam of vulnerability. "My dedication to my ventures is unwavering, but perhaps misplaced where Micola is concerned. She is more than an heiress to my fortunes, she is our child-flesh of our shared flesh-and deserves not to feel like an afterthought."
We sat in contemplative silence, weighing the gravity of acknowledgment and the paths it might pave. "Tell me then," I implored, leaning forward with genuine urgency surfacing in my usually steady tone. "What does she require of me as her father-beyond the trappings of wealth and prestige?"
Antonella's expression shifted subtly, laden with a cautious hope mingled with lingering doubts. Slowly, carefully, we began to unravel the intricate knot of our disrupted family tapestry, seeking amidst the discord a way forward, for the child we both cherished in the raw heart of our conflict.
"Now, please, enlighten me-what does our daughter truly need from me?" I asked, eager to bridge the chasm that material abundance could never span, to reclaim a bond frayed by time and neglect, and to offer more than the hollow echoes of a distant, wealthy patriarch.
Holden Sterling, CEO of Sterling Grand Hotels, meets Eriola Coleman, an architect with a troubled past and a talent for innovation. Drawn to her brilliance, Holden wants her for a new hotel project. However, Eriola's history is entangled with the rival Covington family, who seeks to control her. As Holden falls for Eriola, he's torn between love and loyalty, knowing their connection could spark a battle with dangerous consequences.
P-please, I beg you. Come let's go tell Christian I had no hand in whatever happened, p-please." I clutched the lapel of his jacket desperately. "Let's go. You need to tell my husband you were paid." "Young lady, you're harassing me." His tone was cold and his stare granite. But I could care less. "You harassed me first! You had sex with me without my consent, my husband knows and now I'm pregnant with this child he doesn't want. You ruined my marriage! I-I hate you!" ************************************ Caught by her husband with another man on their matrimonial bed the morning after her birthday, Hailey Codza could not defend herself. As though it's not enough, she gets pregnant. Her enraged husband decides to pay her back for her infidelity by having an affair with his ex-girlfriend - Denise Kellers, the family Hailey never knew she had. Losing her family's wealth and company to her husband and his ex (now girlfriend), she is devastated, homeless and penniless as all her credit cards are blocked by her husband. She sees the man who is responsible for her pregnancy. The man she has no idea how he'd found his way to her matrimonial bed - Jared Johnson. Jared is annoyed when this strange woman disrupts his meeting and accuses him of ruining her life, marriage and impregnating her. It affects his business deals and having no choice, he marries her to calm the public whilst engaged to someone else. But he loathes her and allows his family treats her badly. Hailey who has fallen in love with Jared is broken when she can no longer take the humiliation. She signs the divorce papers and leaves, only to arrive six years later to the country as a self-made, secret billionaire and a mother of twins. Now her two ex-husbands are begging to have her back...
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
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.
Natalie used to think she could melt Connor’s icy heart, but she was sorely mistaken. When at last she decided to leave, she discovered that she was pregnant. Even so, she chose to quietly leave his world, prompting Connor to mobilize all of his resources and expand his business to a global scale—all in a bid to find her. But there was no trace of Natalie. Connor slowly spiraled into madness, turning the city upside down and leaving chaos in his wake. Natalie finally surfaced years later, with wealth and power of her own, only to find herself entangled with Connor once again.
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."