The reporters and paparazzi swarmed towards me as soon as they spotted me, "Mr Antonio, Mr Antonio, any words about your recent divorce process?" one reporter asked. Yeah, go to hell! "Mr Antonio, can you say something about the rumours circulating about your divorce this time around?" Another asks. Ask Chloe, I am sure she has a lot to say! "Mr Antonio, what do you have to say about the allegations circulating about you on the internet?" Yet another asked, pointing one of those tiny microphones in my face. "Mr Antonio, is it true that you were born as a woman and underwent transitioning alongside cosmetic surgery to become a man?" "That's a new one!" I muttered to myself, with a smile. "Mr Antonio, why aren't you ever the one who files for a divorce, is it true it's because you are impotent?" another reporter said and it took all my manpower not to punch the idiot in his face. The nerve of these reporters! The questions kept coming from all directions, and they all kept flashing their lights to catch a picture of me for their front pages. The flashes of their cameras will surely earn me a migraine later. My guards tried to ward them off, but they were so fucking persistent. "Mr Antonio, are the rumours about you lacking a penis true?" one of them asked. That made me stop in my tracks. I wanted to get a glimpse of the reporter's face and make sure he could never work in America again, but they kept flashing their cameras violently, eager to get everything they could from my frame. I said nothing and turned, ignoring my prior plan. "Lucky bastard," I hissed as I continued into the building. ****************************** Damien Antonio Don-Russo is the CEO of Don-Russo Empire, he is a cold and heartless man who battles with childhood trauma and dilemma which is coupled with social rumours, drama, and trolls about how a rich, successful, and handsome young billionaire like himself is incapable of maintaining and sustaining any of his past marriages. As if that is not enough, he has to deal with his overbearing, condescending, and selfish father who cares about no one else but himself, and a rival cousin who he just cannot stand. To raise his social status as a political and public figure, Damien's father forces him into yet another arranged marriage with Missy. (Melissa Cole), a complete opposite of Damien's personality and nature, with an equally self-centred mother. In a world of power, deceit, betrayal, unhealthy affairs, and competition, it's up to these two to make this marriage work! The question is, after Damien's already three failed marriages, would they be able to? Even more so, when Missy discovers a shocking truth about Damien, would they be able to leave it all in the past and move on? Read on to find out.
DAMIEN
Relaxing in the sun's warmth, I briefly basked in the radiant sky through the car window before redirecting my attention back to the newspaper in my hands, it was yet another article about my divorce.
"Tsk, these fucking reporters and their insatiable lust for gossip," I muttered, tossing the New York Times news updates through the window.
The car made an abrupt stop and John, my chauffeur, shot a concerned look in my direction before peeking through the car's window.
"Ugh! Can't I get a fucking break?" I hissed, tossing my phone beside me, I brought my attention back to John.
"How bad is it?" I inquired.
"Terrible sir," he replied and out of habit, I reflexively drew on my wristband, the pain completely oblivious to me as I did not even flinch from the effect. John opens the door and I get down, proceeding to walk into the building.
Thousands of reporters and paparazzi swarmed towards me as soon as they spotted me.
"Mr. Antonio, Mr Antonio, any words about your recent divorce process?" one reporter asked.
Yeah, go to hell!
"Mr Antonio, can you say something about the rumours circulating about your divorce this time around?" Another asks.
Ask Chloe, I am sure she has a lot to say!
"Mr Antonio, what do you have to say about the allegations circulating about you on the internet?" Yet another asked, pointing one of those tiny microphones in my face.
"Mr Antonio, is it true that you were born as a woman and underwent transitioning alongside cosmetic surgery to become a man?"
"That's a new one!" I muttered to myself, smirking.
"Mr Antonio, why aren't you ever the one who files for a divorce, is it true it's because you are impotent?" Another reporter said and it took all my manpower not to punch the idiot in his face.
The nerve of these reporters!
The questions kept coming from all directions, and they all kept flashing their lights to catch a picture of me for their front pages. The flashes of their cameras will surely earn me a migraine later. My guards tried to ward them off, but they were so fucking persistent.
"Mr Antonio, are the rumors about you lacking a penis true?" one of them asked. That made me stop in my tracks.
I wanted to get a glimpse of the reporter's face and make sure he never worked in America again, but they kept flashing their cameras violently, eager to get everything they could from my frame.
"Lucky bastard," I cursed, entering the building.
When I'm done with Chloe, she's gonna curse the day she met my father. Fucking gold digger!
"S-Sir! Sir! Sir!," Tagoe, my father's assistant, came running towards me. I sighed heavily and reluctantly stopped.
"Don said to come see right away." He spoke carefully as if his life depended on it.
"Tell dear father that I have more important things to take care of. I'll see him later."
"H... He insisted that you see him immediately, sir. it's u...urgent," Tagoe stammered, avoiding eye contact.
"Relax, man, I am not my father. You don't always have to get so tense when speaking to me." I teased, earning a timid nod from him.
"Anything else?" I inquired, with my hands pocketed.
"N...no, sir." He replied, immediately turning and practically running away. I shook my head and scoffed.
Classic Tagoe.
I heaved a sigh before reaching for the band on my wrist once again drawing at it uncontrollably. I turned to the guard behind me and signalled him to take the lead to my office without me.
Here goes nothing.
"You asked for me?" I inquired, closing the glass door behind me, my father lifted his head to meet my gaze and I noticed the newspaper article in his hands.
Shit!
I instinctively attacked the band on my wrist again and stood aloof. My father throws a disgusting look at the band on my wrist, before angrily throwing the newspaper on the floor, causing me to flinch.
On impulse, I glared at the newspaper, a glare actually meant for its owner. The room fell quiet, only the sound of the band I was fidgeting could be heard.
"I gave you one job Damien. One job. And, of course, your dumb, useless ass had to mess it up again. So, is it true? You're getting divorced for the third time huh? Do you have any idea how hard it was to get Chloe's father to agree to that marriage in the first place?" He yelled, running his hand through his hair, while I kept my head down and said nothing.
Knowing Chloe's father it probably wasn't as hard as my father was making it out to be.
"All you had to do was get married, make it work, and boost our social reputation! Is that so hard? When are you going to grow the fuck up?" He paused, running his hand through his semi-gray hair.
"You know I don't need this kind of scandal right now. The re-election campaign for town Mayor is just months away, and now Dean, (my father's campaign manager) is saying things aren't looking good for us thanks to your fucking incompetence. I must have offended a lot of people in my past to get a son like you. Find a way to fix this!" he boomed, waving me away with his hands.
I walked out of my father's office and almost collided with a woman. I quickly apologized and made my way to my office. I guess today was one of those 'bring your whores to work' days.
Classic Victor!
I walk into my office to find Rafael, my best friend, entertaining some women in skimpy clothes. Sometimes I wonder how this idiot became my best friend.
"Disgusting!" I muttered under my breath.
"What's the meaning of this?" I barked out, startling the ladies.
"Ho, ho, ho there he is, the latest bachelor in town." he hooted.
"Who are they?" I replied, pointing at the ladies.
"They are your guests, I brought them to you, they cost a fortune so you owe me one, man," Rafael said, raising a glass at me as I threw him a disgusted look.
I sway my head in the ladies' direction, my stern, cold, and intimidating gaze piercing deep into them, enough to get them tripping over in a haste to leave my office.
"Come on, you're such a party pooper," Rafael said, opening his arms. I couldn't make out if he was drunk or just high, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was.
"Really Raf? You bring hoes into my office?"
"Extremely expensive h**** and, you should loosen up and have some fucking fun for a change man. Don't kill yourself over some article or social scandal." He says and I shake my head, taking a seat in my chair.
"You should have been there this morning Raf, they're saying I got no dick, no balls, one even went as far as calling me transgender it's all over the fucking internet. Can you imagine that shit!?"
"Yeah, yeah I totally can," Rafael mocked and burst into laughter. "I'm sorry, that's hard man, but you can't entirely blame them for coming up with these crazy theories, I mean you are one of were forbes' hottest man and are a fucking heartthrob, but you cant seem to keep a wife so its only natural that people assume shit about you butt saying you aint got a dick is just harsh me!" He laughed again, pulling out a cigar and lighter. I throw him a deadly stare and he tosses the latter quickly away.
"You must be out of your fucking mind if you think im gonna let you smoke a joint in my office, out now!" I yelled and he laughed, before raising up to make his way out of my office.
"Try not to kill yourself, man, life's too good to be stuck on the past D." He laughed again and disappeared out of the office.
"Asshole," I muttered as I placed a call and James immediately entered my office.
"Get the car ready, there's something I need to take care of." James nods and leaves.
My phone chimes and I pick it up to find a text from my father.
"Give me feedback by evening!!!!"
I placed the phone down and relaxed into my seat, sighing and untightening my tie. I swallowed hard and inhaled sharply, reflexively drawing at the band again. Fuck my life!
"If you think that you have been living in hell all your life, let me break that illusion for you," Adrian said. He spoke slowly, his voice full of menace. "This place–this is true hell, right here, where I am. His statement, "In this place, death is not an escape, no matter how much you may yearn for it," was enough to make the audience shudder, but all that tiny figure did was raise her lifeless, dull eyes. "Then help me, so I can remain here." She replied, her voice barely above a whisper. There was a hint of a smile as she continued, "If I can't escape, then I should learn how to live in hell without getting burnt." ********************************** In a world ruled by loyalties and bloodlines, Kira, the first daughter of the strongest family in the American mafia, finds herself entangled in an unexpected twist of fate. She was betrothed since childhood to the second son of the Italian mafia's don, due to a blood alliance between both families. She was raised alongside him and always considered him as her everything, while joyfully waiting for the day they would finally get married. To her, their love story was set in stone. However, on the day of the wedding, Kira's world as she knows it comes crumbling down when receives a shocking revelation - instead of her betrothed, a different groom appears at her wedding. And to top it off, he was dressed in a prison uniform. What happens when Kira finds herself thrust into the clutches of Adrian Vasillos the infamous 'devil' of the Italian mafia? Will she be able to navigate this world of danger, intrigue, betrayal, tested loyalties, and forbidden desires where she must come face to face with her deepest fears? Or will she finally discover the true meaning of love and get her happy ending? Read on to find out more in this twisted romance series...
Nila Amanda Hendricks, a young lady, is a tech prodigy who is stuck working as a janitor in a high-profile company. Her true potential is hidden from the world. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she catches the eye of her boss, billionaire CEO Silas Hayes. What starts as a professional relationship blossoms into a deep, forbidden love, leading to marriage. But as fate would have it, their happiness seems to be short-lived by an unfortunate accident that leaves Nila in a coma. When Nila awakens, she finds herself thrust into a nightmare of betrayal and loss. Her world has turned upside down, as she discovers the unthinkable—her husband and her sister have betrayed her in the worst possible way. As she digs deeper into the mysteries surrounding her, Nila uncovers shocking truths that shake her to the very core. Each revelation is more startling than the last, leading to a dramatic confrontation that will determine her future. What happens when Nila tries to end it all but gains an unexpected ally? Will she finally find the courage to face her enemies or will she succumb to depression and despair? Read on to discover the treacherous bridges and bumpy roads that await Nila in this heart-pounding novel filled with betrayal, suspense, shocking twists, and an insatiable hunger for revenge.
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?
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?"
Elin spent twenty years deeply loving her husband, finally marrying him just as she'd always dreamed. But reality shattered her illusions—he wasn't the man she believed. Instead, he callously destroyed her family, crushing her heart beyond repair. At her lowest point, Ruben, equally betrayed that night, approached her steadily. "Marry me, Elin. I'll help you take revenge." Yet, after their wedding, she quickly discovered he was dangerously unpredictable. "I made a mistake. Let's divorce..." Ruben slid his arm possessively around her waist, whispering a chilling promise, "Only in death."
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
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!"
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."