She doesn't want anything to do with her past. He will stop at nothing to win her heart, even if it meant taking her back to her family. **** Two people with an intertwined past. A nasty secret that could cause everything to crumble down. And a former love rekindled. When the young tortured daughter of an ex mafia lord breaks off an engagement and runs away, hiding under a different identity. She believes that she's free from that shackle until she stumbles right back into the arms of the boy she left behind. Love is formed anew. Jealous flares and buried skeletons are being revealed. The question now is; Will Estella run away again before the storm catches up to her?
|TEN YEARS AGO|
I'd always been the odd one out of my family. And no, I wasn't talking about how I was the only person who loved to stay in the gardens although father had specifically warned me against it.
I meant how I looked different from my mother and sister, while they boasted of blonde hair and bright blue eyes with model like faces and body structure, I on the other hand, inherited frizzy chestnut colored hair and unnatural grey eyes. Father had always said that they reminded him of the sky when it was overcast but mother had directly told me that it was an ugly and murky color.
Either ways, I looked nothing like my mother and sister. Luckily, people always said that I had a great deal of resemblance to my father, that was the only assurance I had that I was not adopted or picked off from the streets.
"Come here, pompom," I cooed gently at the feline that had wrapped itself around the branch of the large tree in front of me.
Lately, the thought began to niggle at me. What if I was adopted? What if I was an illegitimate child? After all, I'd heard the whispers of the maids and other workers in the manor. They always looked at me the same, with pity.
"Oh, mama! I think this is beautiful!"
I recognized the voice instantly, turning my attention away from the stubborn cat and towards the walkway that led to the manor. I spotted mother and my sister, raising my hand to wave at them when I noticed the array of bags the maids carried as they trailed behind them.
The smile on my face fell slowly and my hands dropped to my side. I watched as my mother cooed and clapped at my sister. I watched as my sister twirled around, the sheer pink ball gown, that was undoubtedly new, she donned shimmering under the soft glow of the sunlight.
"You look gorgeous, my love!" Mother cheered in an ecstatic voice, her eyes filled with adoration for my younger sister, "Absolutely gorgeous!"
I remembered distinctly when I asked mother for a new set of clothes since I'd outgrown the ones I had and I could recall her response,
'If we bought clothes simply because we got too fat for our previous ones then we wouldn't have a roof over our heads, would we?'
Of course, like the good girl that I was, I nodded in agreement but now, watching them as they twirled and rejoiced over their new outfits I couldn't help the pain I felt in my heart.
My eyes slowly fell to the crème colored gown I wore, it was way past my knee, rumpled after having seen too many days and was too tight at the bodice, however it was the only decent wear I had. It was given to me by one of the maids when she saw how small my other clothes appeared on my body.
'You're a growing child,' She muttered with tears in her eyes and bitter frustration in her tone as she searched through her bags for a outfit, 'Of course, you need new clothes. What's Mr. Cruz doing anyways?'
Although she muttered the last part to herself, I caught it but pretended not to hear. I'd stopped wondering why my father never paid me much attention, maybe like mother he couldn't stand the sight of me.
I swallowed the lump that had somehow gotten stuck in my throat, lifting my gaze towards the sky to prevent the tears from falling.
"Pompom?" My voice shook as I called, lifting my arms towards my cat, "Please, come down."
You see, I would have put up with it. I would've ignored their harsh words and cruel treatment. I would've ignored the hitting and getting locked up in the cellar for days on end. I would've ignored everything because I desperately wanted to cling on to my family and because maybe deep inside, I had hope that one day, mother would look at me and smile too.
But it wasn't going to happen. I was never going to get that chance.
'You're getting married.'
My father had broken the news to me last night and the ceremony was scheduled to hold a week from now. I had no idea who the groom was or why I was going to become a wife at fourteen. But when I saw the cruel smirk on mother's face and the joyful grin on my sister's face.
I was convinced then. I didn't belong here, no matter how much I tried. I wasn't her daughter because no parent would treat their child the way mother did me.
"Good girl," I whispered when Pompom managed to untangle herself from the tree, jumping into my arms, "Very good girl."
As I stroked Pompom's soft fur, I decided in my heart then. I wasn't going to get married against my will and I wasn't going to put up with a family that didn't need me.
I was going to leave, run as far away as I can get and never look back. It was the only thing I could do to survive.
I doubted they would even notice my absence if I was gone. The only thing they would feel is embarrassment at having to cancel the wedding because of a missing bride.
"Come on, Pompom," I muttered to the feline and her ears perked in response, "We have a grand escape to plan."
The cat meowed in response, swinging her furry tail this way and that. I smiled at the reaction, stroking her fur and she snuggled closer to me.
"Where do you think we should go, Pom?" I whispered in a tone low enough for only our ears.
Pompom meowed again, stretching her back and then curling into a ball in my hands. My lips quirked and I looked upwards, gazing at the horizon in the distance.
"Well, I know where," I continued in a soft voice, my eyes drifting faraway, reminiscent of the place that I constantly marked on the globe back in my room, "America. Let's go to America, Pompom."
Pompom made a quiet sound and I took that as an agreement, my smile growing wider. It was settled then,
America, it is.
"I'll give you two options, the choice is yours to make." She scoffed, "And what is that?" A cruel smirk lit up his face, "Simple, either watch me rip off each of your brothers heads or you become my mate. The choice is yours." ****** All her life, Alyssa has only ever known the love and care given by her family and pack. She's never had a reason to be terrified for the future. When a self-proclaimed tyrant seizes their peaceful pack, everything changes for the worse. With her life and entire future in his hands, Alyssa must now decide; Either she dances with the devil or risks losing everything she cares about. Soon, she discovers that all roses come with thorns and this time, the sharpest one was aimed at her heart.
She stared at him with hooded eyes, heated breaths mingling in the air between them, "If you agree to this, there's no turning back." His fingers dug into the curve of her ass and she mewled helplessly, "So tell me, flower. Do you agree?" As she gazed into his dark orbs, a fiery passion ignited within her chest. She wanted this, wanted him. But most all, she wanted to forget. "Yes," She replied breathlessly, pressing her bare breasts into his hard chest, "Yes, I agree." *********** Aurora is the perfect little princess, or so everyone thinks. She is smart, beautiful, a ballet prodigy and is also from an affluent family. All her life, Aurora has always been told what to do, how to act and even down to what she should eat. Her overbearing mother constantly dictates how she should live her life. In the eyes of everyone, she is little miss perfect. But little did they know, she was hiding a secret. A big one. And it came in the form of a devilishly handsome boxer.
Maya Greenley has always been a hopeless romantic, or at least that's what her best friends tell her. Between acing her classes and preparing for post-grad school, Maya doesn't have time for 'romance'. That is until she sees Alexander Grey, a mysterious but swoon-worthy man with dark eyes and a wickedly charming smile. Maya knows she shouldn't feel anything towards him, it was wrong, forbidden even and he was absolutely off-limits. And it was because the charming man is not only years older than Maya, He's also her Psychology professor.
Jennifer Bennett, the rightful heiress to the Bennett legacy, fought hard for her family's recognition, only to be eclipsed by an impostor. Faced with false accusations, bullying, and public humiliation, Jennifer eventually gave up trying to win their approval. Vowing to rise above the injustice, she became the bane of those who wronged her. The Bennett family's efforts to break her only fueled her success, leading her to heights her rivals could only dream of. Someone asked, "Do you feel let down by your parents?" With a calm smile, Jennifer said, "It doesn't matter. In the end, power prevails."
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!"
Everyone thought Lorenzo truly loved Gracie, until the day of their daughter’s heart surgery. To Gracie’s utter shock, Lorenzo gave the precious organ needed by their child to another woman. Devastated, Gracie opted for a divorce. Fueled by her need for revenge, Gracie joined hands with Lorenzo’s uncle, Waylon, and orchestrated Lorenzo’s downfall. In the end, Lorenzo was left with nothing and consumed by remorse. He pleaded for a reconciliation. Gracie thought she was free to move on with her life, but Waylon held her back in a death grip. “Did you think you can just walk out on me?”
Eight years ago, Eleanor was a pampered and arrogant young heiress, while Andreas was just a nameless talent from a humble background. Although she had taken him in, she never treated him with any warmth. Their fates flipped, and now Andreas was a business titan feared by all, while Eleanor wallowed in shame and despair after her fall from grace. Upon their reunion, he pinned her with a venomous glare and declared, "It was my hatred for you that drove me into becoming what I am today."
It was a big day for Camilla. She looked forward to marrying her handsome groom. Unfortunately, he abandoned her at the altar. He never showed up throughout the wedding. She was made a laughingstock in front of all the guests. In a fit of rage, she went and slept with a strange man on her wedding night. It was supposed to be a one-night stand. To her dismay, the man refused to let her be. He pestered her like she had stolen his heart on that night. Camilla didn't know what to do. Should she give him a chance? Or just stay away from men?
18+, strong mature, and sexual content. Sneak peek: "W-what are you doing?" I asked, my breathing getting heavier as his warm fingers inched towards my bikini bottom. "You called me a coward earlier, remember?" He asked, his other hand wrapped around my throat and lips torturingly brushing over mine "So let's see how much you can handle if I break the boundaries." "I haven't said anything wrong," I breathed out, the collision of the heat of our bodies made the wetness between my thighs build more "Oh really?" He hooked my legs around his waist leaving me surprised I opened my mouth to say something but before any sentence could leave my mouth, sliding past my bikini bottom his fingers were there on my bare clit and the next second they thrust inside the very tight hole of mine leaving me to scream. But everything went silent as he pressed his hot lips upon mine just as I had been wanting since the first day I had ever seen him. **** I always knew the things I felt for Jacob Adriano were wrong in so many ways. He was my dad's best friend, totally out of bounds but I couldn't stop wanting him. And once in the event of my dad's destination wedding, I came across him after years...I lost every one of the boundaries I had and surely I planned to make him lose his ones too. After all Jacob Adriano, the sinfully attractive Italian was not unaware of my obsession with him. But little did know that forbidden relationships always bring havoc and demolition.....