Aria Rossi was moments away from marrying into one of New York's most powerful crime families when she fled, leaving behind a devastated groom and a deadly vendetta. Five years later, she's built a new life under an assumed identity in the sun-soaked streets of Miami, believing she's finally safe. As the owner of a thriving art gallery, Aria has buried her past beneath layers of carefully crafted lies and exquisite paintings. But when a mysterious new client walks into her gallery, Aria comes face-to-face with her past-and the man she left at the altar. Lorenzo Caruso, now the head of his family's criminal empire, has never forgotten the woman who broke his heart and tarnished his honor. As old feelings reignite, so does the danger that forced her to run. With enemies closing in from all sides and secrets threatening to unravel everything she's built, Aria must decide: Can she trust the man she once loved with her life, or will their second chance at romance be her ultimate downfall? Just as she makes her choice, a shocking revelation changes everything-and nothing is as it seems. An intricate web of betrayal, hidden identities, and long-buried secrets begins to surface, forcing Aria to question everything she thought she knew about her past, her present, and the man she's never stopped loving. In a world where loyalty is everything and trust can get you killed, will Aria and Lorenzo's rekindled passion be strong enough to overcome the lies that tear them apart, or will their love become another masterpiece in her gallery of deception?
My heels tapped lightly on the gallery floor as I made the final touches. The moonlight streamed through the tall windows, making shadows stretch across the polished concrete. I adjusted a painting slightly, making sure it was perfect for the late-night client I was about to meet.
"Everything has to be just right," I whispered, smoothing down my white blouse.
It had been five years since I left behind the name Aria Rossi and everything tied to it. Now, I was Emma Collins, a respected gallery owner in Miami. I had built this life carefully, piece by piece, just like the art I curated.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. A text from my assistant, Mia: "Client's car just pulled up. Good luck!"
I took a deep breath. This wasn't just any client. The request had come through strange channels-hints of connections that made me uneasy. But the opportunity was too good to ignore, especially with the plans I had for the gallery.
The soft chime of the security system signaled the door opening. I put on my best smile and turned to greet the guest.
"Welcome to Lumière Gallery," I started to say, but the words got stuck in my throat when I saw who it was.
Time seemed to slow down. My heart pounded, each beat a painful reminder of a past I thought I had buried.
It couldn't be him. But there he was, looking as handsome as the day I left him at the altar. Lorenzo Caruso, heir to one of New York's most powerful crime families-the man I almost married.
"Hello, Aria," Lorenzo said, his voice sending shivers down my spine. "Or should I say... Emma?"
I tried to keep my face calm, my years of practice helping me stay composed. "I'm sorry, sir. You must be mistaken. I'm Emma Collins, the gallery owner. How can I help you tonight?"
Lorenzo's eyes locked onto mine as he walked closer, each step slow and deliberate. I stood my ground, even though every part of me wanted to run.
"Let's not play games, Aria," he said, stopping just inches from me. "Five years is a long time, but not long enough to forget the woman who was supposed to be my wife."
The smell of his cologne, a mix of sandalwood and something uniquely him, brought back memories I had fought to forget-stolen kisses, whispered promises, and the engagement ring I left behind.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "Mr. Caruso, I assure you-"
"Your eyes give you away," Lorenzo interrupted, brushing a strand of hair from my face. I flinched at his touch, and his expression hardened. "Even with the blonde hair and those contacts."
My carefully built world was falling apart. I took a step back, putting space between us. "How did you find me?"
Lorenzo's lips curled into a cold smile. "You're not as clever as you think, Aria. Did you really believe you could disappear without a trace? That I wouldn't find you?"
"You shouldn't have come," I whispered. "You have no idea what you've done."
"What I've done?" Lorenzo's eyes flashed with anger. "You left me at the altar. You disappeared, leaving me to deal with the fallout. Do you know what that did to my family's reputation? To me?"
Guilt gnawed at me, but I pushed it away. He didn't understand. He couldn't.
"I had my reasons," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Oh, I'm sure you did," Lorenzo replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "And I'm here to hear every single one."
I glanced towards the door, wondering if I could escape. As if reading my mind, Lorenzo moved to block my way.
"Don't even think about it, Aria," he warned. "We have a lot to talk about, and I'm not leaving until I get answers."
My mind raced, searching for a way out. I had been so careful, covered my tracks so well. How had he found me? And who else might know where I was?
"Lorenzo, please," I said, letting a hint of desperation into my voice. "You have to leave. You don't know what you're getting into."
He raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly am I getting into, Aria? What was so bad that you had to run from everything-from me?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but I saw movement outside the gallery's windows. A black SUV had pulled up, its tinted windows hiding whoever was inside.
Lorenzo noticed it too, his body tensing. "Expecting company?"
"No," I breathed, fear creeping into my voice. "We need to go. Now."
Before Lorenzo could respond, the gallery lights went out, leaving us in darkness. The security alarm blared, red lights flashing in the room.
"What the hell?" Lorenzo muttered, reaching into his jacket. I saw the glint of a gun.
The sound of breaking glass shattered the silence. I ducked instinctively, pulling Lorenzo down with me as bullets whizzed overhead, smashing the art around us.
"This way!" I yelled, crawling towards the back of the gallery. Lorenzo followed, firing back as we moved.
We reached the storage room, and I fumbled with the keys, my hands shaking as I tried to unlock the door. Lorenzo pressed against me, protecting me as more shots rang out.
"Any time now, Aria," he growled.
Finally, the lock clicked open, and we stumbled into the room. I slammed the door shut and locked it.
"There's a panic room," I gasped, pointing to a hidden door in the wall. "We should be safe there until-"
My words were cut off by a loud explosion from the main gallery. The floor shook, and I nearly fell, but Lorenzo caught me.
"Until what?" Lorenzo demanded, his face close to mine. "Until whoever's trying to kill us breaks in? Who are they, Aria? What have you gotten yourself into?"
I looked into his eyes, seeing the anger, confusion, and hurt I had caused him years ago. I knew there was no going back. My life as Emma Collins was over.
"Lorenzo," I said softly, barely audible over the chaos outside. "There's something I need to tell you. The reason I left... it wasn't what you think."
His grip tightened on my arms. "Then what was it?"
I took a deep breath, preparing to reveal everything. But before I could, the storage room door exploded inward, splinters flying everywhere.
Smoke filled the room as dark figures appeared, their guns aimed at us. Lorenzo shoved me behind him, his gun ready.
"Well, well," a familiar, chilling voice said through the smoke. "Isn't this a touching reunion?"
My blood froze as the speaker came into view. It was a face I had hoped to never see again-the very reason I ran all those years ago.
Lorenzo's sharp intake of breath told me he recognized the man too. "It can't be," he whispered. "You're dead. I saw you die."
The man's laughter echoed in the room, cold and heartless. "Oh, Lorenzo. In our world, death is often just another illusion."
As the smoke cleared and the full horror of our situation became clear, one thought filled my mind: The past I had run from had finally caught up with me, and there was no escape.
After her late husband's debts leave her poverty-stricken, Sarah Jenkins finds herself with no choice but to agree to her in-laws arranging her marriage to billionaire developer Lachlan Reid. Thrust from her struggling existence into his world of opulence and luxury, Sarah is overwhelmed by the drastic change in her circumstances. As she navigates high society events and lavish vacations, she discovers a side of Lachlan hidden beneath his cold exterior. Against all odds, an unexpected affection blossoms between them. But can Sarah truly trust her growing feelings, or is she merely swept up in the allure of wealth and security? Just as she begins to embrace her new life, a shocking revelation threatens to unravel everything...
Title: THE PLAYBOY CHALLENGE Genre: romance Trope: billionaire, play boy. Blurb: Lenora's life was going downhill quickly. From being fired at her work to being about to be evicted from her apartment, she is exhausted with her life of utter misery. The icing on the cake is when a dangerous man sends his two goon sniffing after her and her sister. They can either find a way to get five thousand dollars in three days or become shark food. A miracle comes in the form of a billionaire's daughter with a bruised ego. The plan is simple, if Lenora can keep billionaire playboy Ian O'Malley's attention for sixty days followed by a humiliating, public break up, she gets enough money to turn her life around. It's supposed to be a simple plan, and she's never meant to start feeling things for the charming billionaire. She can't mix business with emotions, but she's never felt this way before. What happens when a money making scheme with a looming end date begins to feel too real?
For ten years, Daniela showered her ex-husband with unwavering devotion, only to discover she was just his biggest joke. Feeling humiliated yet determined, she finally divorced him. Three months later, Daniela returned in grand style. She was now the hidden CEO of a leading brand, a sought-after designer, and a wealthy mining mogul—her success unveiled at her triumphant comeback. Her ex-husband’s entire family rushed over, desperate to beg for forgiveness and plead for another chance. Yet Daniela, now cherished by the famed Mr. Phillips, regarded them with icy disdain. "I’m out of your league."
Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms once at peace. The kingdom of Salem and the kingdom of Mombana... Until the day, the king of Mombana passed away and a new monarch took over, Prince Cone. Prince Cone, has always been hungry for more power and more and more. After his coronation, he attacked Salem. The attack was so unexpected, Salem never prepared for it. They were caught off guard. The king and Queen was killed, the prince was taken into slavery. The people of Salem that survived the war was enslaved, their land taken from them. Their women were made sex slaves. They lost everything, including their land. Evil befall the land of Salem in form of Prince Cone, and the prince of Salem in his slavery was filled with so much rage. The prince of Salem, Prince Lucien swore revenge. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 Ten years later, thirty-years old Lucien and his people raided a coup and escaped slavery. They went into hiding and recuperated. They trained day and night under the leadership of the fearless and cold Lucien who was driven with everything in him to get back their land, and take Mombana land too. It took them five years before they ambushed and attacked Mombana. They killed Prince Cone and reclaimed everything. As they screamed out their victory, Lucien's eyes found and pinned the proud princess of Mombana. Princess Danika. The daughter of Prince Cone. As Lucien stared at her with the coldest eyes anyone can ever possess, he felt victory for the first time. He walked to the princess with the slave collar he'd won for ten years rattling in his hand as he walked. He reached close to her and with a swift movement, he collared her neck. Then, he tilted her chin up, staring into the bluest eyes and the most beautiful face ever created, he gave her a cold smile. "You are my acquisition. My slave. My sex slave. My property. I will pay you in spades, everything you and your father ever did to me and my people." He stated curtly. Pure hatred, coldness and victory was the only emotion on his face. .
"Please trust me, I didn't do anything." "I don't believe you. I am rejecting you as my Queen and giving you the punishment of death." Alina was living outside her pack for five years. Her parents didn't try to contact her and always ignored her. Her best friend convinced her to go back to their pack and she agreed. But she had never imagined what was waiting there for her. She never thought she would meet her mate and had to face betrayal from everywhere. She had to pay for the crime which she never committed. Aaron Robertson is the king of Lycans. He is a very dominant and powerful King who not only rules Lycans but also rules other ranks of werewolves. Everyone is afraid of Lycans and he is the king of them. But who knew that he would get a mate who was just a simple Omega with no powers and strengths? He called her weak all the time but little did he know that his weak Omega would give him the biggest betrayal of his life for which he had to give her the sentence of death.
Their marriage was nothing but for the benefit of the two families. He could choose anyone to be his bride, but the moment he laid his eyes on her, he knew she was the one he wanted. However, their marriage didn't last for a long because of her indifference. Until the moment he signed the divorce agreement, he finally witnessed her true colors. It turned out that she also took advantage of him. Their divorce was not an end but the start of the real love game.
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
As a simple assistant, messaging the CEO in the dead of night to request shares of adult films was a bold move. Bethany, unsurprisingly, didn't receive any films. However, the CEO responded that, while he had no films to share, he could offer a live demonstration. After a night filled with passion, Bethany was certain she'd lose her job. But instead, her boss proposed, "Marry me. Please consider it." "Mr. Bates, you're kidding me, right?"