When broke and desperate Olivia tried to hack her way out of financial hell, she didn't expect to land in the lap of luxury - or the crosshairs of a ruthless mafia boss. Enzo's got a reputation for being merciless, but Olivia's got skills that could make her a valuable asset... or a dangerous liability. Kidnapped and thrust into a world of crime and deception, Olivia must navigate the dark side - and her own twisted desires. Who knows that a game of cat and mouse can lead to more secrets waiting to be unraveled?
Sorbonne University, France. 2023.
A young lady with black hair with a red tip which sprawled around her restless sleeping-face laid on a pillow. The pillow's case, a faded dark blue, clashed with the vibrant green bedspread she's laying on- a mismatch that reflected her turbulent thoughts.
The soft glow of the afternoon sun peeking through the blackout curtains near her bed, casted a warm glow on her freckled face.
Suddenly, the tranquil silence... if it can be called that, was shattered by the shrill beep of her phone, lying inches from her pillow. The loud notification sound from her phone made her eyes flutter open and she gazed round the room wildly in alert before her slender fingers landed on her phone which is plugged directly to a socket near her bed, the charger's wire extending to her bed, making her open to explosive and fire hazard, not that she cares.
Inhaling deeply as if to calm her frantic nerves, she grasped the phone and double tapped the screen twice, then thrice, but it refused to come to life. She sat up right, grabbing and positioning her pillow behind her to support her back. She then forcefully pressed the power button, and the phone came to life.
The light emitted from the phone's screen cast an eerie glow on her freckled face, illuminating her ivory skin with an otherworldly light. She hurriedly swiped the phone's screen downwards and the light reduced. Her black curious eyes scanned it with parted lips and a furrow of her brows until it came to a stop and her brows furrowed more deeply.
"Update on scholarship revision programme?" She muttered, her eyes still scanning the screen of her phone.
"Dean of student affairs..."
She said to no one in particular since she's the only one in the room. Her voice was laced with a mix of annoyance and trepidation. She had been dreading this moment for weeks ever since the rumors of scholarship revision started circulating around campus.
She continued reading the mail she had received before she forcefully pressed the power button of her phone again and flung it to her side before standing up. The body of the mail was brief and to the point, stating that she had to meet with the dean before the end of the day.
She had received no details, no explanations, just a stern command in the form of a cold email. Her mind raced with different thoughts making her release a shaky breath before she stood up. She hurriedly moved to her locker and unlocked it.
Her locker can't really be called a locker since her limited cloth barely filled it. She grabbed a black baseball cap and turned back to her reading table which is near her bed.
Grabbing her tote bag which she had hanged on the back rest of her reading chair, she hurried to her bed, and lowered herself onto the bed with a sense of urgency. Her hand instinctively reached out, stretching towards the familiar shape of her shoe, hidden away beneath her bed for safekeeping.
She grabbed the worn black leather combat boots which looks like it had been through a war, its leather exterior cracked and worn with deep grooves etched into the surface like scars, the entire boot seemed to be held together by sheer willpower and a drop of luck, defying gravity and logic. It looked like a ticking time bomb that will disintegrate the moment someone dared slip their foot inside.
Nevertheless, the raven red head beauty slipped her slim feet inside the boot. After a while, she sat upright, as if contemplating a decision she had made, her eyes fixed on the door.
The room she's in is like a stark testament to contradictions, Its walls like two vastly different worlds. One side was adorned with a soft, gentle pink paint. It was as if the very essence of luxury had been instilled into that particular side.
In stark contrast, the opposite wall where the lady sat, wore a faded chapped yellow, like the peeling skin of a forgotten sun flower. The paint was cracked and worn, revealing glimpses of the dull gray beneath. The room is a poignant reminder that wealth and poverty often coexist in the most unexpected ways.
Another sigh escaped the raven red head beauty before she carried her tote bag and slung it over her shoulder. As she stepped out of her room, a desolate hallway welcomed her. It is nearing evening so most of her hostel mates are either taking a nap in their rooms or attending their last lecture for the day.
She finally stepped out of her dormitory building. The sun was setting over the campus, casting golden glows over the buildings. She quickened her pace as she moved towards a huge building that looks to have existed since medieval times, its tall spires reaching towards the sky like the tip of skeletal fingers.
She ascended the weathered stone stairs and pushed open the door, the creaking of the hinges echoing, alerting a woman sitting behind the desk who seems to be in her late thirties. The woman's eyes narrowed lightly as she took in the raven redhead beauty's disheveled appearance.
"Olivia, you are here for the meeting with the Dean, right?" The woman asked, her voice firm, but not unkind. Her eyes drifted downward, her gaze scanning the cluttered surface of her table with a hint of desperation.
Olivia nodded, quickly stretching out her hand as the woman handed her a clipboard.
"Fill this out please."
She took the clipboard, her hands shaking slightly as she moved towards a set of chair, sat, and began to fill out the form. The question were routine for Olivia -name, student ID number, programme of study- her face assumed a blank expression.
"Olivia."
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the receptionist called her name, making her spring to her feet, the clipboard clutched to her chest like a lifeline. She walked towards the receptionist and gave her the clipboard with a thank you.
The receptionist collected the clipboard, signalled to Olivia with her left hand to wait, then grabbed the telephone on her table. After some minutes of exchanging words with the person on the other line, she signalled her to climb up with her hands.
Clenching her teeth tightly, Olivia turned and moved towards the stairs leading to the top and started to climb. After some minute, she reached the dean's office. On the door, the name 'Rachel Thompson' was engraved. She knocked twice even though, the door was open. The dean was sitting behind a huge mahogany desk on a black leather high backed chair that looked too big for her petite frame, her eyes fixed on a black Dell laptop placed on her huge shiny table.
As Olivia walked in, the dean's head jerked up, her eyes locking unto the approaching Olivia. Her glasses perched on the end of her nose slipped slightly askew as she tilted her head. The frames, thin and silver, glint in the light, matching her slightly pale skin.
"Olivia, thank you for coming." She said, her voice warm as she pushed her laptop slightly to her right. "Please, have a seat." She added, pointing to another black chair opposite her.
Olivia had known Mrs Rachel since her first time at Sorbonne and since that time, she'd come to the conclusion that she treats her better than her own mother does.
She sat down with her heart in her throat, and when the dean began to speak, her words hit Olivia like a punch to the guts, leaving her breathless and reeling.
"We've had to revise the school's scholarship terms, especially yours. You will now need to pay 25% of your tuition fees yourself."
Olivia felt like she'd been hit by a truck. 25% of her tuition fees? She knew it was impossible! She couldn't afford it! She can barely afford two meals a day, so what made Sorbonne thinks she can pay 25% of fucking thousands of dollars?!
"What?! No way! That's impossible." She protested, her voice shaking with anger and fear. "I was promised a full scholarship."
Olivia had done everything, risked everything, just for the scholarship, for a better future for herself, but her goddamned university is about to put an end to her promise to herself, her promise of a better future, of an escape.
However, the dean's expression was unyielding. "I understand your concerns, Olivia. But the university is facing financial constraints, we've decided to make adjustments."
Olivia didn't understand if the university made adjustments to her scholarship terms because of a financial constraint or because of her being her. Had a school as prestigious as Sorbonne university fallen on hard financial times or had her own thoughtless words and her being her, somehow reached the wrong ears and led to this sudden reversal of fortune?
"I refuse to accept this." She stated coldly, her voice firm.
Graduating Sorbonne with flying colors is her only hope for a brighter future. Not when she's so close to grasping it.
Mrs Rachel's eyes narrowed slightly, her expression unyielding as she placed her hand on the desk and intertwined her fingers.
"I am afraid this decision is final, Olivia. You need to accept it and move forward. Now, get out of my office." She added dismissively.
Olivia let out a shaky breath as a wave of desperation washes over her. She knew she couldn't give up now, not when she's so close to reaching the light at the end of her dark tunnel.
Dejected, she stood up, bowed lightly and with a snort, walked out of Mrs Rachel Thompson's office, and slammed the door loudly.
Calantha, a weak vampire princess, knows all too well the fate that awaits her; a life of servitude as a blood bag or a loveless marriage... just like her parents, but when her kingdom faces a shortage of humans to feed on, she's cast aside like a sacrificial lamb, forced into marriage with a neighbouring kingdom. *** When Calantha, a vulnerable vampire princess is sacrificed to appease an ancient dragon, she discovers a dark secret: her blood holds the power to unbind the beast. Maybe it's just a 'Calantha' thing to be used as a sacrifice... But one thing is clear, she won't back down without a fight!
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."
She was a diamond covered by ashes.... King Dakota was known as the most Powerful Alpha King of all times - more powerful than any other King that had ruled from his lineage. He was cold hearted, introverted and dangerous in anger. Cursed by the Moon goddess, King Dakota had to get married to three wives all in search of a male child that would become his heir, but it was impossible as the curse would only let his wives bear she -wolves. But on a different day, the King meets a lady who offends him and as a punishment, he took her home as his fourth wife. Her name was Shilah. Shilah was a powerless wolf and as a result, was disregarded and intimidated by all. But, when she begins to do things that the King had never felt for years, he began to wonder who she really was. Slowly, she crawled her way into his icy heart and turned out to be something nobody ever expected - a storm.
Katie was forced to marry Dillan, a notorious ruffian. Her younger sister mocked her, "You're just an adopted daughter. Count your blessings for marrying him!" The world anticipated Katie's tribulations, but her married life unfurled with unexpected serenity. She even snagged a lavish mansion in a raffle! Katie jumped into Dillan's arms, credited him as her lucky charm. "No, Katie, it's you who brings me all this luck," Dillan replied. Then, one fateful day, Dillan's childhood friend came to her. "You're not worthy of him. Take this 50 million and leave him!" Katie finally grasped Dillan's true stature—the wealthiest man on the planet. That night, trembling with trepidation, she broached the subject of divorce with Dillan. However, with a domineering embrace, he told her, "I'd give you everything I have. Divorce is off the table!"
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!
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."
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?