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.
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?
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.”
For as long as Emily can remember, she has wanted to overcome her shyness and explore her sexuality. Still, everything changes when she receives an invitation to visit one of the town's most prestigious BDSM clubs, DESIRE'S DEN. On the day she chose to peruse the club, she noticed three men, all dressed in suits, standing on the upper level, near the railing. Despite her limited vision, she persisted in fixating on them. Their towering statues belied the toned bodies concealed by their sharply tailored suits-or so she could tell. The hair of two of them was short and dark, and the third had light brown-possibly blond-hair that reached the shoulders. The dark, crimson background incised their figures, exuding an air of mystery and strength. They stood in stark contrast to the unfiltered, primal energy that pulsed through the club. Shocked by the desires these men aroused in her, she was disappointed to learn that they were masters seeking a slave to divide and conquer. She couldn't afford the fee, and she also realized that they were outside her league. Emily hurriedly left the club, feeling disappointed and depressed, unaware that she had also caught the group's attention. A world of wicked pleasure, three handsome men. Over the years, they have lived a life of decadence, their lavish lair serving as a stage for their most sinister desires. But despite the unending parade of willing subjects, one woman sticks out. A mysterious stranger with white porcelain skin and a killer body, a slave, a name with no address, the first lady to attract their eye and they will go to any length to obtain her no matter the consequences.
Kaelyn devoted three years tending to her husband after a terrible accident. But once he was fully recovered, he cast her aside and brought his first love back from abroad. Devastated, Kaelyn decided on a divorce as people mocked her for being discarded. She went on to reinvent herself, becoming a highly sought-after doctor, a champion racer, and an internationally renowned architectural designer. Even then, the traitors sneered in disdain, believing Kaelyn would never find someone. But then the ex-husband’s uncle, a powerful warlord, returned with his army to ask for Kaelyn’s hand in marriage.
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
Natalie used to think she could melt Connor’s icy heart, but she was sorely mistaken. When at last she decided to leave, she discovered that she was pregnant. Even so, she chose to quietly leave his world, prompting Connor to mobilize all of his resources and expand his business to a global scale—all in a bid to find her. But there was no trace of Natalie. Connor slowly spiraled into madness, turning the city upside down and leaving chaos in his wake. Natalie finally surfaced years later, with wealth and power of her own, only to find herself entangled with Connor once again.