Amidst the lethal shadows of the Mafia, Maria Giovanni, escapes the dark claws of her father's enemies who seek to claim her life. In her quest for survival, she falls in love with a mysterious man. She believes in a new beginning until she finds herself pregnant for another man. A ruthless Don. Marco, a mysterious man, who chooses a lone path outside of his father's shadows but soon realizes the need for his father's power to save a woman he falls in love with, ready to sacrifice anything to keep her. What happens when he finds out about her deceit and lies? The woman he loves dearly turns out to be his greatest enemy. Will their love survive the dangerous game of the Mafia, or will they be torn apart forever? What would be the fate of the innocent child born into danger and rivalry?
Maria
An almost flat phone battery, ripped wedding dress, and horror are all I have, as I stumble on the rusty iron gate that leads to my father's house.
I pull my way into the old mansion covered in darkness, pulling down the creeping stems that covered the front door.
Some group of people have been trailing me since the mysterious death of my father earlier in the day. Hanging on a tiny thread of hope for survival, the best place I could think of for an escape is an abandoned property.
My phone vibrates as I glance behind, forcing my way into the building. I pick the call and slam the door shut. Dust settling over me from the harsh impact of the door against the crumbling building.
"Where are you, Maria."
"I'm at Pentagon," I reply, my whole body trembling as I slowly walk In, my eyes weary of tears.
"You went back there?"
"I couldn't think of a better hideout."
"Okay. Do not leave the mansion. I'll be there soon," his thick voice assures at the other end of the line.
"No...No...you can't come anywhere close. They'll kill you," I sob, falling on my knees as the memories flood back into my mind. I desperately need companion, but I could not bear the thought of bringing him into such a world as mine.
I hoped for freedom, instead, a pack of power hungry factions are after my life.
The last thing I intended was to allow Elvis anywhere close to my father's dark world.
He's a sweet gentleman, deserving of something more. Certainly, not a girl like me. Daughter of a ruthless don. The wedding was his idea of giving me a new life. How stupid of me to think of such possibility?
It would never be safe for him no matter how good his plan sounds. What was I ever thinking...that a girl like me could lead a normal life?
We planned a perfect small wedding. A happy ever after, far away from the claws of my father and his world. Until I was kidnapped right in the cathedral.
What should have been a fairy-tale wedding, turned out to be a bloodbath.
Unlike Elvis, I am now a murderer, no different from my late father.
So soon. Too soon, my wild imaginations of a perfect life have brought only pain to the man I always loved and a few others that died at the chapel.
"I don't care what they are, Maria. I'm coming for you. If they really want you dead, then they'll have to pass through me first." A new text from Elvis.
I try to call back. To stop him from making the mistake of his life. But my phone shuts down.
The damned phone dies. What now?
There's no stopping Elvis. His kind of love could be what every girl wishes for.
But who are my kidding? Elvis is weak. He could never stand against men like these. Men, strong enough to subdue a man like my father. The great Giovanni.
I would never be able to forgive myself, if Elvis becomes another victim in this clash.
A prolonged creaky sound comes from outside.
I jerk up from the cold ground, wrapping my arms around my shivering body, backing away from the direction of the sound. My eyes are fixed on the entrance.
They are here. A weapon is useless for defense, even if I had one on me.
I only pray for a less painful torture.
And with the Mafias, it is an impossible wish.
"Don't hurt me!" I scream with my eyes shut right as the door gives way to a faint ray of the setting sun outside.
"Maria," i hear my name. It doesn't sound threatening. It's the same charming voice I fell for some two years ago. I open my eyes to my beloved, as he rushes towards me for an embrace.
I bury my face in his suits, in tears. He still looks as charming as he did when he stood at the altar before the awful incidence.
"I'm sorry, Elvis..."
"You stay quiet, honey. If there's anyone to apologize, it's me. I'm sorry I was late,"
He replies, raising my chin and placing a kiss on my trembling lips.
"Your beloved husband is here now. Nothing can separate us. Not even your father..."
I pull away from his embrace instantly, with eyes filled with tears. He didn't know about it.
"They killed him."
I try to fight the tears as I break the news. The news I saw on the news myself, disguised as suicide. I know my father too well to believe the media.
"I think they are after me because I'm the only heir. And then they'll come for you because you have me," I add.
Our eyes meet as i speak, backing away from him.
"This thing..." I point at Elvis and then myself, "...Can't work. We've got to go our separate ways. It's the only way you can be safe."
I can hear the shattering of my heart as I speak the words. But it's the only way out.
"You don't know what you're saying, Maria. I wasn't kidding at the altar when I made those vows. We have a plane to catch for our honeymoon. So would you keep quiet and stick to the plan?" He insists, closing the gap between us as he reaches for my hand.
"By the way I'm sorry about your father."
"The same plan that almost got me killed, Elvis. It's a miracle I escaped them."
I pull away again, "Don't you get it! Your life is in danger because of me. You have to go! Leave this town!"
"That's exactly what I'm doing, Maria. I'm leaving this town but not without my newly wedded wife. The cops are outside. We have their protection. Now, would you please..."
Tears escape the corners of his eyes as his words trail off. His sincerity, deep affection gives me a false sense of protection but I know better.
The cops are not enough to protect us. But, I let myself fall for the delusions as we walk out of the darkness into a fleet of cop cars.
The ground outside is covered in flashing siren lights, as some armed cops approach us to guide us into one of the convoys.
Just as Elvis reaches for the car door, a loud explosion blast into the night, suspending my senses for what seems like a minute as I find my body face-down to the ground, my hands clasped above my head.
Athena, a young Omega werewolf, hides in the shadows of a pack that despises females. But when the Alpha discovers her existence, she's forced to flee for her life. Captured by Dante, a Lycan prince, she expects death. Instead, a forbidden bond forms between them. A dangerous love affair with deadly secrets and mistakes. Will their love thrive or will their worlds tear them apart?
A sudden twist of fate connected Helena to a prominent and influential person. To onlookers, she appeared as a naive bimbo. In truth, she was a top-tier specialist, shrouded in layers of hidden identities. Charlie declared, “She’s quite delicate and easily hurt. Cross her, and you’re crossing me.” The elite families, outwitted by Helena's prowess, kept these truths from him. Helena eventually broke free from Charlie, sending him on a frenzied worldwide hunt. To him, she was a bird with dazzling wings, and his goal was to help her reach new heights.
She thought she was the love of his life, and he became the love of her life that fateful day she had seen him at the pack's party. Selene Grace was only a replica of Alpha Leo's real mate, and when he spotted her, Leo immediately claimed her as his Luna in order to suppress the rumors of him being mateless. Being unable to conceive turns Selene's marriage into a nightmare, and as if that wasn't enough, Alpha Leo finally reunites with his long time lover and mate, rejecting a pregnant Selene as a result. 5 years later, Selene, a now successful doctor, receives an invitation to the moon shadow pack in order to rid the pack of a deadly disease which has struck it. Will Selene return back to the pack which had caused her so much pain, and what would she do when she realizes that she is mated to the Alpha who had betrayed her in the past?
Candice's life took a strange turn on her wedding night. Her groom, Greyson, didn't show up to consummate their marriage. Instead, a stranger broke into her room and violated her. Marriage was hell for her. As she licked her wounds, her mother-in-law took every chance to make her feel less of herself. Greyson who was supposed to be supportive didn't give a damn about her. He brought his side chick into their matrimonial home. It didn't take long before she was kicked out of the house. Everyone thought that she was just a helpless weakling. They didn't know that she was an extraordinary lawyer. She dragged the stranger who raped her to court. She intended to make his life a living hell for ruining hers. In the course of this, she was stunned to find out that the rapist was actually the richest man in the city. He was a domineering and clean freak. Things soon went out of her control. This man tried every means to make her marry him. It dawned on her that she caused even more trouble for herself. How could she get this man off her back, while also bringing him to book?
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."
"Love is blind!" Lucinda abandoned her beautiful and comfortable life because of a man. She married him and slaved off for him for three long years. One day, the scales finally fell off her eyes. She realized that all her efforts were in vain. Her husband, Nathaniel still treated her like shit. All he cared about was his lover. "Enough is enough! I quit wasting my years with an ungrateful man!" Lucinda's heart was shattered into many pieces, but she summoned up the courage to ask for a divorce. The news caused a stir online! A filthy rich young woman recently got divorced? She was a good catch! Countless CEOs and handsome young men immediately swarmed to her like bees to honey! Nathaniel couldn't take it anymore. He held a press conference and begged with teary eyes, "I love you, Lucinda. I can't live without you. Please come back to me." Would Lucinda give him a second chance? Read to find out!
On their wedding night, Rogelio wrapped his fingers around Marian's neck and spat at her, "Congratulations! From now on, you live in hell!" The reason for his wrath was that he believed she was responsible for the death of his elder brother. So, he married her but refused to touch her, determined to make her suffer for the rest of her pitiful life! However, due to an unforeseen accident, Marian was forced to sleep with Rogelio in order to save him, and she ended up getting pregnant. Concealing her pregnancy, Marian lived cautiously under Rogelio's watchful eyes. He hated her and relentlessly humiliated her, yet he would never allow anyone else to lay a finger on her— "Mr. Bailey, your wife got into a fight with someone!" Rogelio secretly took action, eliminating that person completely. "Sir, your wife claimed that all of your family's wealth belongs to her!" Rogelio quietly transferred all the shares to her. Unaware of all this, Marian only wanted to escape, but Rogelio pulled her into his warm embrace, whispering, "Mrs. Bailey, where do you intend to go with our unborn child?"