In a world where loyalty is tested and love is both a weapon and a shield, two young men find themselves caught between family feuds and unbreakable bonds. Luca, the heir to a powerful mafia family, struggles with the weight of expectation and the burning desire for freedom. Adrian, fiercely loyal and willing to do whatever it takes to protect his friend, faces a heartbreaking decision that could shatter their world. When a betrayal rocks their foundations, they must navigate a treacherous landscape of deception and danger. As lines are drawn and alliances are tested, will they sacrifice everything for their love, or will the shadows of their past consume them both? The delicate balance between loyalty and love in a world where power is everything, and trust can be the deadliest weapon of all.
The night was thick with heat and the scent of cigars, curling lazily through the dimly lit back room of Romano's, one of my family's high-end restaurants.
The golden glow of chandeliers dripped from above, casting shadows that stretched like dark tendrils across the polished mahogany table. I sat in the middle of it all, feeling the weight of centuries of tradition pressing down on my shoulders like a heavy mantle.
Across from me sat Vincenzo Romano, my father. His face was etched with the lines of age and power, a man who had built the Romano empire with ruthless precision.
He watched me with the same cold detachment as always, eyes dark and sharp. Around him, his most trusted men lingered like shadows, their faces unreadable, but I could feel their gazes piercing through me.
Every move, every word had become a test. I wasn't just Luca-the son. I was Luca, the heir. The next in line to carry the Romano legacy. And if I faltered, even for a moment, they'd tear me apart.
Family was everything, but in the world we lived in, it could be your greatest enemy. Tonight, though, felt different. Darker. The tension was thicker, heavier, as if the room itself was holding its breath.
"Your uncle's been getting sloppy," my father finally said, his voice a low growl that cut through the silence like a knife.
"Someone's been feeding information to the Ferraras. If it isn't him, it's someone close. I want you to handle it.
The Ferraras. A family name whispered with venom in the streets of Verona. The Ferrara and Romano families had been locked in a bitter war for generations.
A war that had no victors, only survivors. Each move was a chess piece on a bloodstained board, and right now, it seemed one of ours had betrayed us.
My stomach twisted at the thought of Uncle Rocco. He'd been with us for as long as I could remember. Loyal. Or so I thought. But loyalty meant nothing in this world unless it was proven every day.
And the whispers... those goddamn whispers... they had started to get louder.My father pushed an envelope across the table, its edge catching the dim light.
"I had my guys do some surveillance. He was last spotted at the airport, heading to New York. You'll get on the next flight. My contacts there will take you to where he was last seen," he said, his voice cold and matter-of-fact. I swallowed hard, fighting the knot tightening in my chest.
The duty was clear. Rocco needed to be reminded of where his loyalty lay-or he would meet the consequences. This wasn't just a family squabble. It was a test of my ability to act without hesitation.
And in our family, hesitation was as good as a death sentence.I sat up straighter, keeping my expression neutral even as doubt waged war inside me.
"What do you need from me?" His eyes gleamed with something dark, something calculating.
"Rocco needs a reminder of where his loyalty lies. Make sure he gets it." The words were like lead, sinking into the silence between us.
I understood the unspoken order. If I showed any weakness, if I hesitated, I'd lose more than my place at the table. I'd lose everything.
Without another word, I pushed my chair back and stood. My father's voice, calm but as cold as ice, followed me.
"Prove you belong at this table, Luca. Show me what you're made of."
The night air hit me like a wall when I stepped out onto the streets of Verona. The city, with all its ancient beauty, glittered under the moonlight.
But to me, it felt like a cage-a gilded prison that I could never escape from.I pulled out my phone, dialing the one person I could trust: Marco Rossi, my best friend and right-hand man.
He picked up on the second ring, and the first thing I heard was the noise of people, loud music booming in the background.
"Where are you?" I asked, pulling the phone away from my ear as the volume spiked.
"Out with friends," he slurred, clearly intoxicated. I pinched the bridge of my nose, shaking my head.
Marco's love for partying was no surprise to me anymore, but tonight wasn't the night for distractions.
"Meet me at home. We have someone to find."
The line went silent for a moment. When Marco spoke again, his voice was sharp, precise. All traces of intoxication gone.
"Who crossed the line?"
I hesitated for a heartbeat, but then the words spilled out like a confession.
"Uncle Rocco." Silence again. Marco understood what that meant. In our world, betrayal wasn't a word thrown around lightly. It was treason. And treason was punishable by death.
By the time I got to the house, Marco was already waiting for me, his tall figure standing like a sentinel in front of the building. He was wearing a long dark coat, and his face was set in a grim line.
We didn't need to speak. We both knew what had to be done.Inside my apartment, we grabbed what we needed-cash, knives, guns. Each item felt heavier than the last as I packed it away.
I couldn't shake the feeling of dread crawling up my spine, but I buried it. If I showed weakness now, my father would send someone else to finish the job.
And that would make me look weak. Unreliable. I couldn't afford that-not now. Not ever.
"Are you sure you're up for this?" Marco asked, breaking the heavy silence.
He was leaning against the doorway, his eyes dark with something close to concern.
I paused, sharpening one of the knives, letting the weight of it settle in my hand.
"I'm named heir. If I don't do this, who will?"
The flight to New York was long and torturous, the hum of the engines doing little to quiet the storm raging in my head.
The city was a world away from Verona, but the weight of what I had to do followed me across the ocean like a shadow.
We landed just after midnight, the city's neon lights flickering in the distance as we made our way to a small bar downtown. It was a hole-in-the-wall, the kind of place where people disappeared into the crowd and stayed invisible.
Marco slipped inside first, and I followed, scanning the room with quick, practiced eyes. That's when I felt it-the brush of a shoulder against mine.
A man, dark-haired and lean, moved past me, his gaze focused ahead, but something about him made my pulse quicken.
It was only a moment, a fleeting glance, but there was a charge in the air, like we'd just crossed paths with destiny. I pushed the thought aside.
I couldn't afford distractions. Not now. Uncle Rocco was holed up in a dingy apartment on the edge of the city, a place so far removed from the luxury of our world that it felt like another lifetime.
When we finally found him, he was sitting alone, a bottle of whiskey half-empty in his hand.
He looked up when we entered, his eyes bloodshot and full of something that wasn't quite regret-but close enough.
"You've made a mistake, Uncle," I said quietly, my voice carrying the weight of what was about to happen.
He looked at me, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of recognition, of understanding. Then he nodded, slowly.
"I know." The silence stretched on, heavy and thick, until finally, I raised the gun.
Marco stood beside me, watching, waiting.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, though I wasn't sure who I was apologizing to-him or myself.
And then the shot rang out.
Mate. Something every werewolf looks forward to. The thought of finding someone tailor-made by the moon goddess for you alone in the entire world is exhilarating. At least it was for me. For a while. I waited for what felt like forever. Everyone finds their mate once they turn eighteen. I'll be eighteen in a few days. I wanted to keep myself for my mate. To be pure but who was I kidding. Nobody could have prepared me for who my mate was. Not even my adoptive parents. The alpha's son. Maverick Tatum. The same boy I used to think of as a scum after watching how he treats the female in the pack. That same boy was my mate. I'm Ares Powers. My parents said they found me in the woods with my name engraved in the wood of the beads I was wearing. They have tried taking off the beads multiple times when I was growing up. They couldn't. They took me to the pack seer and he said only my true mate can help me remove the beads and unlock my wolf's highest potential. I wonder why my birth parents would want to keep my powers locked. The day I found out Maverick was my mate was the same day he rejected me. In front of everyone. The next day, I was banished from the pack. I swore to get my revenge then. But until then, I have to find a way to unlock my wolf's full potential because my mate turned out to be unreliable.
⚠️ WARNING!⚠️ This book contains mature contents,vulgar words,violence,toxicity, and age gap differences, which may be triggering to some readers. ---- He added a second finger into her pussy and she let out a muffled moan."You sure you don't want this?Your pretty little pussy seem to be betraying your words", She gripped the edge of the counter and shut her eyes tight,managing through gritted teeth."I hate you,murderer", His jaw hardened and he stopped his movements with his fingers inside her."Say it again", She wanted his fingers to move in her so badly,as pathetic as it may sound.She gritted her teeth again and let out."I said I hate you,murderer!I wish you would just die and-ahh!",She yelped the minute his fingers left her panties and grabbed her to bend her over his knees as he sat on the tall stool there."What are-ahh!",She yelped when his palm made a harsh contact with her bare ass. "Count!",He growled.
In Lothlann Continent, talent in martial arts won cultivators respect. Darren Chu, a mediocre talent in martial arts, was deemed a loser by everyone. His status changed when a fireball fell from the sky and hit him on the head. He cheated death. Empowered with the ability to assimilate other creatures' talent, Darren sought to better himself and seek vengeance against those who had wronged his family, including his little sister. "You will kneel in front of me one day," swore the future lord of martial arts.
She thought he was the villain. He was only trying to save his soul. Rena lives in a world of sunshine, sweets, and simple dreams. Until one reckless decision drops her into a dark realm of secrets, curses and werewolves. Kidnapped, heartbroken. She doesn't know who to trust anymore especially not Logan, the arrogant, cruel Alpha who's keeping her as a hostage. Until she discovers his dark secret. He's been hearing her thoughts all along. Now the walls between them are crumbling. And when feelings grow where hatred once lived, a curse demands that blood becomes a love that demands sacrifice. But how can she give her heart to the one who might need it to die?
He told her to call him Daddy. Not because he earned it, but because he fucking owned her. The moment she signed that contract, she stopped being a woman with dignity and became his filthy little plaything. His holes to use. His mess to ruin. He didn't just fuck her, he rewired her. Stripped her clean of boundaries and filled her with sin. Every punishment made her scream. Every game dragged her deeper into his twisted world. And the way he praised her... Good girl. She should've run the first time he said it. But Daddy doesn't let his toys leave. He breaks them until they beg to stay. ** Mia's life changed the night she let a stranger ruin her. One night. She never expected to see him again. Until she walked into her new job... and her boss turned around. Ace.Her one-night sin in a thousand-dollar suit. Only this time, he wasn't asking her to be his assistant. She was to be his wife.
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."
Chandler Su who had cheated by her boyfriend then got drunk at a bar. To take revenge, she grabbed a man randomly and took him to the room. After a crazy night, Chandler found the strange man was a super handsome guy the next morning. Shy and shocked Chandler run away after leaving 150 RMB and scorning the man of his poor bed skills. However, she never thought the story would become so dramatic as the next day, she found out that the new coming president of her company was exactly the man she slept the last night! Worse than that, this new boss seemed very narrow-minded as he asked Chandler to come to his office on the first day.