How do you escape a past that refuses to die? And what if the very man who shattered your life holds the key to your future? On the day Anna Voss loses everything, she's taken by the ruthless Escobar twins. Forced into a nightmare marriage, her life spirals into betrayal and destruction when Carlo, one of the brothers, drugs her into his bed and leaves her abandoned and broken. Left for dead after a tragic accident, Anna is saved by a mysterious therapist who gives her a new face-and a second chance at life. Years later, Anna has rebuilt herself in the shadows, hiding her identity and raising her daughter in peace. But her past returns with a chilling force when she discovers her daughter's new teacher is none other than Carlo, the man responsible for her torment. He doesn't recognize her, but Anna knows the truth-and she's ready to make them all pay. But as dark secrets begin to unravel, Anna's quest for vengeance plunges her deeper into a deadly game where no one can be trusted. Will she be able to finish what she started, or will her hidden enemies destroy her before she can exact her revenge? In this world of betrayal, power, and deadly love, one wrong move could cost Anna everything she has left.
*Gunshots fire wildly as everyone inside the train takes cover*
"¡Ey! Get your ass to the ground, Now!" a voice boomed," his thick Mexican accent cutting through the panic. He fired wildly, bullets ricocheting off the walls and windows. "You don' wanna get hurt, huh? Then stay where you are!"
The passengers ducked lower, trying to avoid the spray of glass and bullets. His men stormed down the aisle, rifles spitting fire as they moved through the train, shooting without any mercy.
"Ay, mira, mira!" one of the gunmen yelled, grabbing a woman by her arm. "You tryin' to be a hero or what? Stay down, cabrona!"
One of the mafias lowered his gun, his sharp eyes scanning the crowd. He spotted his target, a man shaking with fear at the back of the train. With a smug grin, he signalled to his men with his head.
"Ese," he said with a nod, his voice cold. "That's the puppy, right there. Go on, grab him." he ordered.
Two henchmen yanked the trembling man from his seat, dragging him through the train as other passengers avoided eye contacts with the mafias.
The leader strolled up to him, slow and deliberate, the soles of his boots echoing in the sudden quiet. He crouched in front of the trembling man, a cruel smirk playing on his lips.
"¿Qué pasó, eh? You thought you could hide from us?" he sneered, his voice low and dangerous. "Bad move, compa. Real bad move. You got our boss really mad. Now he wants you" he said as he tapped the edge of his gun on the man's bowing head.
Suddenly, a woman yanked up from the seats to defend the man. She jumped on the Mafia Leader, shaking frantically in an attempt to fight back.
"¡Quitate de encima! Get the hell off me!", the leader groaned as he threw her off him in frustration.
Before she could regain her stance and recoil back at him, he shot her in the chest.
"¡Amor!", The man cried out in agony as tears broke out of his eyes, trickling down his dirt-stained cheeks.
"Ahh! That's your wife, huh?", he clicked his tongue, "She didn't wanna stay down papa. Not to worry compa, you're gonna join her soon." the Mafia leader said with fake sympathy .
"Let's take him to El jefe" one of the henchmen said to the leader who nodded in agreement.
"Get up puppy." they yanked the sobbing man up to his feet as he attempted to reach out to his bleeding wife, but they shoved him forward. Leading him outside the train.
They were two black jeeps parked by the side of the railway. Six men in black suits all holding guns surrounded the jeeps, standing in alert in case anything went wrong.
The henchmen dragged the man towards the car and one of them slapped the back of his head , "Get your damn knees on the ground, ahora mismo!"
He obeyed immediately as he fell to his knees in front of one of the jeeps.
The back door to one of the jeeps opened, revealing a six feet tall white-looking man with a well arranged slicked-back black hair resting on his head.
He had a well-groomed beard which added to his rugged appeal, accentuating his chiselled jawline. His high quality tailored black suit hugged his lean frame, emphasizing his muscular build.
"Vincent Escobar!" the trembling man on his knees said with dread in his eyes.
Vincent stood in front of him with a fierce and stern glare which could melt even the bravest of men. His eyes were as cold as steel as he gazed down on his captive.
"Where are his documents?" Vincent's voice came out cold and domineering, sending chills down his victim's spine.
"I have the papers in my bag. Here, You can take it. Just let me go, I beg you" the man begged with everything in him.
Vincent snapped his finger. As if his men read his mind, they stormed to the man and violently stripped his bag off his shoulders, searching frantically until they saw a file.
"Here it is boss", the henchman said, handing over the file to Vincent who collected it barely glancing at it as he fixed his cold gaze on his kneeling victim.
"Good, pa. You tried to ruin the Escobar legacy. You proved stubborn to our sovereignty, and even attempted to expose our dealings to the authorities. But you forgot one thing", Vincent stretched out his right hand and a guard placed a gun in it.
He placed the barrel of the gun against the man's forehead, "The Escobar name is greater than any law."
Vincent pulled the trigger, releasing the bullet straight into the man's head as the sound of the shot echoed into the thick bushes surrounding them.
He dropped to the ground with a thud, blood oozing out of the crater the bullet made through his skull.
"Father!" A feminine voice screamed in terror from inside the lifeless train which stood on its rails, in the middle of nowhere.
Vincent's head snapped up. His gaze darted up as his eyes scanned across the broken glasses of the train till he spotted a lady. She had her hands clamped tightly against her mouth in an attempt to muffle her scream.
"Get her!" Vincent commanded, pointed at the train.
"Aye! Let's go, boys." The Mafias wasted no time as they rushed back into the train.
The young lady tried to outrun the men who chased after her, but even if she could, there was no way she was going to escape the train without getting caught.
Other passengers who saw the chase knew best to stay out of the way as the Mafias chased down the lady across the train.
She ran into the restroom and locked herself inside, but it was of no use.
"Open up, muchacha, Or I'll shoot you. ¿Entender?", he screamed.
"Let me go, please!" She screamed from the other side.
"¡Rómpelo! Get her out of there!"
One of the heavier henchmen took a step back and ran into the door with his boots. The wooden door splintered open with great force, crashing into the restroom area like an explosion.
The young lady screamed as Vincent's men dragged her out. One of them picked her up on his shoulders, ignoring her frantic struggles as they stormed across the train until they reached the door.
No one dared stand in their way. After witnessing the gang leader shoot the dead man's wife without compassion, life at that moment meant nothing to the cold killers.
"Let me go, please!", The lady screamed as she struggled wildly, but they were too strong for her. She was taken straight to Vincent's feet and tossed on the ground beside her father's lifeless body.
"Shhh! Silent young lady", Vincent said. His voice was cold and deadly, yet calm and commanding at the same time.
The young lady shivered in fear, her blood ran cold as she too knelt in front of the man who killed her father. She knew best not to stir his anger, lest she too be killed.
He looked closely at her with stern yet calculative eyes which showed years of sheer determination and brutality towards his victims.
"What is your name?", he asked, his voice trailing off dominance and commanding respect from the environment.
She ignored his question as she gazed at her father's body. His blood was still fresh. It was barely an hour ago when he told her he loved her with everything. It was barely an hour ago her mother made fun of her hair and told her how messy she looked.
Now, they all laid in the pool of their own blood, all for a meaningless piece of document.
She found this new sense of anger riling up in her. Her fear of death slowly turned into hatred-immense hatred for the men who killed her parents, and for the man who pulled the trigger on her father.
"Do you not hear me?" Vincent's voice cut through the air, jerking her out of her thoughts and gutting anger. "What is your name?"
She hesitated a bit before replying, "Anna. My name is Anna", she said with no trace of fear in her. At this moment she cared less of what would happen to her. She already lost her world in one sitting.
"Anna Voss? Interesting." He leaned lower so that his face was directly opposite Anna. "You look pretty. I like pretty women"
"Fuck you!" Anna hissed at him with her eyes blazing hatred. Without warning, she spat on his face.
"¡Estúpido! How dare y..." One of the henchmen attempted to hit her with the back of his gun, but Vincent stopped him on time.
"Let her be!" He wiped his face with a handkerchief, his expression unreadable.
"Take her into the car." He said, standing up, "She's mine now." Vincent said with his gaze as hard as his cold menacing heart.
As the men dragged her to the waiting vehicle, Vincent gaze remained fixed on her, "You'll make a fine wife, Anna"
Betrayed and left for dead, Elara Valyria, the "Shadow Valkyrie," is reborn as Lira Voss in a shattered world teeming with ancient gods, warring realms, and dark prophecies. Armed with new powers and haunted by memories of her past life, Lira must unravel the mysteries of her rebirth while facing relentless foes and corrupt forces. As the prophecy of the "Shadow Empress" looms, Lira's quest becomes a battle for her soul-torn between light and darkness. With each enemy vanquished, she absorbs their strength, but risks losing her humanity. As allies fall and enemies rise, Lira faces the ultimate choice: to embrace her dark destiny or defy fate and reshape her world. *Echo of the Forgotten Realms: The Shadow of Valyria* is a gripping dark fantasy about redemption, identity, and the fine line between good and evil.
"You're my wife in name only, on paper only. My heart and love will never be yours." Edward made it clear to Daisy that she was nothing to him. They were both victims of family greed -- the marriage was arranged for them. Six years passed. She remained quiet, gaining a reputation in the army as a tough-as-nails colonel. When she walked into his life again, Edward fell in love with this woman, unlike any he had known. She surprised and delighted him. But will Daisy take him back? Can their son keep them together? Can the rift between them be healed? Pick this one up and find out!
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."
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.
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."