Blurb: When Valentina Russo registered at university under a different name, she felt she had left the stifling world of her family's terrible past. She hides from the demons of her past by blending into university life as a quiet librarian assistant. Her delicate calm is destroyed, though, when she is drawn back into the world she so nervously sought to escape-one governed by secrets, power, and blood. Then meet Luca DeLuca, cold, merciless, and hiding his actual identity as the heir to one of the most strong mafia families. Luca, sometimes known on campus as the friendly but enigmatic transfer student, keeps his double life secret and acts as an average student by day and mafia prince by night. Valentina becomes the key to strengthening a weak partnership between their warring families when he learns her actual name. Luca suggests a deal-a flash marriage neither of which she can escape-to rescue his enterprise. Valentina finds herself caught in Luca's perilous world after being compelled into a transactional marriage with a man she hardly knows. But her uncovering of Luca's secret identities causes their illicit attraction to blossom, transcending obligation and risk. Secrets threaten to pull them apart; enemies from both their families show up; and the line between love from betrayal gets blurry. In a game when loyalty kills, can Valentina survive long enough to take back her life and her heart? And will Luca stay faithful to the empire that made him, or will he give all to guard the lady he is beginning to love? Stakes have never been more in a world where love and power coexist. And just one can emerge victorious.
Valentina 's POV
The wedding dress felt too tight. Too constrictive.
I fixed my gaze on my mirror reflection-a girl I hardly knew peering back at me. Clung to my body, the exquisite white lace spoke for grace and purity. But I felt anything but pure. And grace? < That had gone through my fingers the instant I turned Luca DeLuca's offer down.
Marrying you will be a protection.
Those were not phrases I could get out of my thoughts. They kept coming back to me as I stood by myself in the changing room, heart thumping with every second. The wedding was about to start. This morning. Swift and frigid, like a deal. For that is all this was. a deal. Luca's kingdom was safe, thus I wouldn't be under Enzo Romano's hands.
But there was something else chewing at me-a persistent sensation in the gut. The way Luca had stared at me last night, the glitter in his eyes when he declared this was not a love story. It started me to question my depth of sinking.
"Tina" A gentle voice emerged from my thoughts.
Turning to find Maria, my childhood friend, standing in the doorway, I Her hands were wringing anxiously, her eyebrows wrinkled with concern. Maria knew some but not all of my story. She understood I had fled a perilous life, but she was unsure of the whole scope of what was hunting me. She was also seeing her best friend wed a man I hardly knew right now.
Quietly approaching, she murmured, "Are you sure about this?" "I mean, this is quite abrupt. Why would you wed someone you know just a few weeks?
Opening my lips to respond, the words caught in my throat. How would I justify that this was not essentially a marriage at all? That this represented survival, nothing more?
Maria, "I have no choice," I murmured, my voice hardly a whisper. "I am in need of this."
Her eyes looked at me, seeking for answers I provided her. But you adore none of him. Is there another route as well?
I shook my head, resisting the tears that may have leaked over. NO. Not is it.
Maria moaned; her shoulders slumped in loss. She knew me enough to realize I wouldn't be moved. She glanced one last time and left the room, leaving me by myself with her reflection.
The door closed and I was once more quiet. The only sound coming from the wall was the clock ticking away the minutes till I would be Luca's bride.
The ceremony itself passed for nothing. Luca stood tall and frigid next to me, his hand tightly clutching mine as we committed vows neither of which we intended. His eyes as keen as ever, absorbing every detail and every movement in the room, his face was unreadable.
His strength seemed to weigh me in the way he carried himself. He seemed to be manipulating the very air around us to suit him. And, as much as I detested to admit it, it had a really fascinating quality.
The words of the priest poured over me, merging into the background as I concentrated on Luca's hand still clutching mine. Though not delicate either, his touch was forceful rather than cruel. a call to memory the agreement we had negotiated.
When it was time to kiss, Luca leaned in close and just brushed my lips, enough to make the few witnesses present believable. But the kiss lacked flare and enthusiasm. simply cold need.
We were ushered into the reception as soon as it ended, a little gathering of people connected to Luca's world that I didn't know. Important faces I knew were missing. While muttering behind our backs, wondering why the strong Luca DeLuca had decided to wed a nobody like me, they congratulated us with false smiles and hollow words.
A few hours later, I was standing on the balcony of our new house-a large estate outside the city. Now it was only me and Luca; the wedding was finished, the guests had gone. By oneself.
Nothing helped to release the strain in my chest as the cool breeze stroked my skin. Luca tonight seemed different than what I had anticipated. Though we were united by marriage and had taken our vows, this was not genuine. Not least, not to me.
Behind me, I heard the gentle creak of the balcony door opening, then Luca's footsteps. Silent for a bit, he came to stand next to me as we both gazed out at the darkening sky.
"You did well today," he murmured at last, his voice low and steady. "Everyone suspects nothing."
As always, it was closely guarded; I looked at him, trying to interpret his emotions. "I don't care what they suspect," I said, sounding more sharply than I wanted. "This isn't for them.."
"No, it's not," he said, turning to squarely face me. That does not mean we can afford to be negligent, though.
I turned away, unable to hold his eye for too long. Something about Luca unsettled me, something deadly hiding just under the surface. He was chilly, analytical, and every word he said seemed to hold an unsaid threat. But there was another thing as well, something I couldn't quite identify. Maybe a flutter of sensitivity here. Or was I thinking of it?
More to myself than to him, I murmured, "I'm not sure how much longer I can do this."
Luca's knuckles went white as his fingers tightened the balcony railing. " Valentina, you are without options. You agreed upon a bargain. And I will keep up as long as you maintain your end.
His comments stung, a sobering reminder of the deal we had negotiated. I disliked this. I loomed over him. I couldn't deny, though, that he was my only shield from the Romano family at the same time.
" Why did you agree to this?" Suddenly I asked the inquiry out before I could stop it. "Why married me?"
Luca's jaw tightened, and for a split second I assumed he wouldn't respond. Still, he spoke at last following a protracted silence.
Quietly, he continued, "Because I need you," staring directly at me. "You are the secret to keeping everything I have created from disintegrating."
I scowled, perplexity knotting in my chest. "What do you imply?"
But a great crash from within the home broke the quiet between us before he could respond. As I whirled, eyes wide, my heart shot into my throat.
Luca's whole attitude altered quickly. His body stiffened, he was on great alert, staring into the darkness for any indication of threat. His voice low and menacing, he said, "Stay here."
He vanished into the house without waiting for a reply, leaving me on the balcony alone with terror slinking up my spine.
As I waited, seconds felt like hours and my imagination ran a million possibilities. Was the Romano family among them? Had they lately come upon us?
But then quietly followed the smash, exactly as fast as it had arrived. excessive silence.
I could no longer stand it. Ignoring Luca's caution, I entered and followed the faint sounds coming from the corridor, my bare feet lightly padding across the marble floor.
I stopped turning around the bend.
There was a man towering, broad-shouldered and threatening. Though shadows covered his face, I could sense the threat pouring off him in waves. Luca was facing him, his back to me, his body stiff as if a predator about to attack.
The man spoke softly, nearly like a growl. "Did you not realize you could never permanently hide her?"
My blood came cold. Their search turned up me.
Once more, Valentina's fragile life is disrupted as an unidentified menace confronts Luca in their new house. This unexpected incursion makes the reader wonder about the stranger, why Luca's defense is failing, and what this implies for Valentina's delicate feeling of safety. The chapter finishes suspensefully, preparing the next confrontation as danger closes in.
Blurb: I never believed in fate-not until the night he rejected me. It wasn't intended to happen this way. As the daughter of the Alpha's right hand, I got all I wanted. But when I was claimed by my mate, I felt nothing could destroy us-until he tossed me aside. Now, months later, I'm not only a rejected mate, but a mother. My life was meant to end, but fate has a strange way of keeping things concealed in the shadows. When the reality comes tumbling down, and I realize I have three hidden triplets, the world I thought I knew starts to disintegrate. They are powerful, deadly, and more than I can manage. But so is he. I never anticipated the same man who abandoned me to pop up in my life again, wanting forgiveness for his treachery. But there's more at play than I could've guessed. Powerful foes are closing in, wanting my children and the power they carry. I'll have to pick whether to trust the one who rejected me or risk everything on my own.
Years couldn't erase the love we shared, but will betrayal keep us apart forever? He seemed to me always as my forever-the one who saw, comprehended, and illuminated my life. But permanently broken the evening I came across his deception. I left behind a love as delicate as it was ferocious when I turned away Ethan Sinclair. I suppressed the hurts he left on my heart and lived without him for years. Fate now has brought us back together. He is colder, more forceful, and dangerously irresistible; he is no guy I once loved. But the same fire blazes in his eyes when he stares at me. Ethan claims he wants a second shot, but how can I believe the man who broke me? Love and hatred blurs when secrets fall apart and old betrayals surface. It is more difficult for me to recall why I left the deeper I slid back into his arms. But the truth has a way of undermining whatever we reconstruct. Are we meant to be split once more, this time permanently, or may we write another story?
A passionate meeting with Emma the gorgeous assistant of his toughest competitor, throws millionaire Wilson Sinclair's life upside down in the glittering centre of Las Vegas. One night of longing turns into a tale of secrets and treachery leading to Emma's return bearing twin sons she says are Wilson's. A great struggle results from Henry Carter's plot to use a contract marriage to manage the family secret. Emma tries to save her heart and her children as Wilson and Henry are embroiled in a high-stakes war for love, power and family. Can love overcome pride and dishonesty in a city where fortunes change quickly?
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
"You're a creepy bastard." His eyes smolder me and his answering grin is nothing short of beautiful. Deadly. "Yet you hunger for me. Tell me, this appetite of yours, does it always tend toward 'creepy bastards'?" **** Widower and ex-boss to the Mafia, Zefiro Della Rocca, has an unhealthy fixation on the woman nextdoor. It began as a coincidence, growing into mere curiosity, and soon, it was an itch he couldn't ignore, like a quick fix of crack for an addict. He didn't know her name, but he knew every inch of her skin, how it flushed when she climaxed, her favourite novel and that every night she contemplated suicide. He didn't want to care, despising his rapt fascination of the woman. She was in love with her abusive husband. She was married, bound by a contract to the Bratva's hitman. She was off-limits. But when Zefiro wanted something, it was with an intensity that bordered on madness. He obsessed, possessed, owned. There'd be bloodshed if he touched her, but the sight of blood always did fascinate him. * When Susanna flees from her husband, she stumbles right into the arms of her devilishly handsome neighbour with a brooding glare. He couldn't stand her, but she needed him, if she was ever going to escape her husband who now wanted her dead. Better the devil you know than the angel you don't. She should have recalled that before hopping into Zefiro's car and letting him whisk her away to Italy. Maybe then, she wouldn't have started an affair with him. He was the only man who touched her right, and the crazy man took no small pains in ensuring he would be the last.
In the previous life, Maggie Johnson was so cowardly, gullible and stupid that she was coaxed by her fiance and stepsister and then broke her legs and lost everything including her fortune, love and even life. However, she was so lucky that she was reborn in the year before everything happened. Since her life restarted, how could she repeat a previous tragedy? Therefore, in this life, she took the opportunity to improve herself and take revenge on the ones who had ever insulted her. Facing the people who had humiliated her previously, she became smart and experienced to break their frames and tricks that had caused her to hurt in the previous life. Finally, no one could stop her pace to amaze the world any more.
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."
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."