Annabelle's life has been a nightmare, trapped under her stepfather's abuse and doing whatever it takes to protect her sister. With a weak mother who's too blind to notice the horrors at home, Annabelle knows she has to get out. But her escape plan takes a wild turn when she gets hit by Dante's car and wakes up with no memory of her past. Dante is the ruthless mafia lord of Acadia, who has grown even worse since he lost his fiancée. Now, everyone trembles at the mention of his name. When Dante sees Annabelle, he decides she's his-and he's not letting go. Everyone who dares to hurt her would pay dearly. *********** "I want nothing to do with you," Annabelle says breathlessly. "You are mine and that is final," He declares. ********** As Annabelle tries to escape her demons, she's caught in a dangerous game where Dante's rules are the only ones that matter. Will she find a way to break free, or will she be drawn deeper into Dante's dark world?
Annabelle has had it.
She was ready to make a break for it even if it killed her.
She was sure it would kill her anyway or at least someone else would suffer for it.
"I am sorry, Mum," she whispered in the dark.
She knew her mother would never understand why she had done it.
Just as she didn't believe her when Annabelle told her what he was doing.
She never had. And Annabelle had finally realised that she never will.
Her mother's dream man could do no wrong.
This was her only chance, and they would never escape if she didn't take it.
She couldn't do anything for her mother, but she could do something for Cathy.
Her breath caught in her throat when she heard the heavy footsteps nearing the door of the room she once shared with her sister.
He was the one who told her mother she needed her separate room now.
"She is a big girl now and deserves her privacy."
Like always, her mother agreed with him.
Then the nightmares had started.
Subtly at first.
Then it got worse
She started sweating as terror wanted to envelop her.
Images of many other nights like this came to her mind and she started shivering.
The shuffling feet got closer.
She knew he was doing it on purpose.
The bastard.
On other nights he had tried to be sneaky about it, but not tonight.
Tonight, he was sure that no one would be around to disturb him.
He believed she was all his, and she knew he would torment her with the fear of his approach even before he entered.
Over the years, she had learned that the fear turned him on more than any other thing.
He loved to see her trembling body just as much as he loved to ruin it.
Annabelle flinched as he kicked the door open.
A whimper escaped her before she could stop herself.
She bit her lips hard to stop her trembling body from giving her away.
She couldn't afford to fail now.
She had spent months planning this.
Failing now would spell doom for her.
And then for Cathy.
Still, bitter tears squeezed out of her tightly shut eyes as the stench of alcohol reached her long before she felt his shadow over her.
"What is this? Are you pretending to sleep, brat? Are you shy now, baby girl? I thought we were long past this," he added with a cruel chuckle.
She flinched as his ringed knuckle grazed her cheek so roughly that it left a sting on her olive-toned skin.
"That's what I thought," he said as he bent down and slurped at her face with his rough, alcohol-soaked tongue.
Annabelle shuddered visibly and that got him angry.
The sudden slap made the metal frames of her worn bed squeak loudly in the room.
The sound was like a gong in her tortured head.
She expected the hit. She always expected it.
Yet when it came, the pain was always worse than the last.
He hardly hit her face when her mom was around. Not that it would have made a difference, but he seemed bent on keeping up appearances.
But today, no one was there to hear her, even if she cried out loud.
He gave her another slap and Annabelle merely groaned through gritted teeth to avoid crying out.
He grunted and smashed the bottle in his hand against the headboard.
The piece of bottle stung as it pierced her back, yet she didn't cry out.
"Please, don't ask me to strip," she prayed with everything in her.
Not because she had not done it before, but because that would blow her cover.
Please, please, please. She pleaded to whatever powers were listening to her at that moment.
She heard the sound of his belt unbuckling in the silence.
She tensed as the belt switched in the air. The sharp crack as it landed on her back sent reeling pain into her brain.
"He is going to kill you."
The realisation dawned on her like a revelation.
For a moment, her battered soul almost welcomed the end.
Death would mean it was over and done.
But almost immediately, Cathy's face showed vibrantly in her mind.
The cheerful face so vivid that she blinked in the darkened room filled her despair.
"No, I can't let him do this to me. Not now," her momentarily cowered mind reared its head.
She must finish what she had started these past months.
He wouldn't be winning tonight. If she didn't die first.
There was a difference to the beating this time. He always gets to business after roughing her around for a while.
He always said he wouldn't want her to lose her strength for the duty she was to perform.
At first, all he would do to keep her quiet was to threaten to go to Cathy's room.
Then he started using his hands on her, even while bruising her body.
As the belt came down on her again, Annabelle knew she was done for this time.
This was different.
Yet she was afraid to do what she had planned to do all along.
She was sure he would kill her before she got the chance.
Then she would never be able to save Cathy from this hell.
"If only your godforsaken mother was any good," he grunted a moment later.
Annabelle's screaming nerves almost made her not notice the sound of the belt dropping.
He climbed the bed immediately.
"You know what to do, you whore. Strip before I get here. Yet you always make me say it. That was your punishment. You will know better next time."
He dragged her downward, making the pieces of the bottle on the bed pierce her arms.
Annabelle could feel blood ooze out of her arms as he roughly flipped her over.
The pain of the shard in her back launched her upwards as she automatically brought out the hand she had under the cover.
Before Tad Whitaker could react, Annabelle stabbed him in the chest with the toxin-coated knife.
Simon Andrews has spent his life as a poor, humble farmer in the remote village of Papaville, with the mockery that he was just an orphan with no future. But in a shocking revelation, Simon discovers he is the long-lost twin of the wealthiest family in the country. Thrust into a world of unimaginable wealth and power, Simon quickly learns that luxury comes at a price. Betrayal lurks in every corner, with scheming relatives determined to see him fail and a hate-filled twin who will stop at nothing to destroy him. As if that isn't enough, a series of threats turns his dream of reclaiming his identity into a dangerous game of survival. As Simon battles against betrayal, danger, and a high-society world that looks down on him, he must also protect the woman he loves from those who believe he's unworthy of her. Can Simon overcome the odds and reclaim the life that was stolen from him? Or will the forces of greed and hatred triumph? Follow Simon's journey of transformation, power, and resilience in this riveting tale where every twist will leave you breathless!
Tanya Darlington's well-planned future collapses when she catches her best friend and bridesmaid in bed with her fiancé the day before their wedding. Devastated and heartbroken, Tanya finds herself crying on a darkened street when a man, chased by armed men, rushes towards her. She impulsively unlocks her car to help him, making herself a target in the process. In their hideout, adrenaline-fueled passion ignites between Tanya and the mysterious stranger, leading her to throw caution to the wind for the first time in years. Only for her to learn the following morning that her famous musician fiance was determined not to let a "little" misunderstanding stop the wedding. It was meant to be the wedding of the year, and he wouldn't "allow" anything to ruin his good image. Furious and desperate, she makes a bold decision: she asks the stranger to be her groom for the day. Will he accept her proposal? What does he stand to gain? Who is this enigmatic man, and what are the consequences of such an impulsive choice? This story is filled with suspenseful plot twists, steamy moments, unexpected turns, and, of course, love. Enjoy!
Reyona's world shattered when she learned that her husband of eight years did not only have a mistress, but they had three children together! To top it off, her husband had been stealing from their joint account to leave the country with his other family! Reyona threw all her beliefs out the window as she set out to take revenge on the man who took her for a fool and everyone involved. Her plans got glitched when she became involved with Maxwell Rohan, the roguish stepbrother of her husband's mistress. Read as this hate-at-first-sight story unravels with lots of intrigues and unexpected plots, peppered with the antics of an entitled, shameless man!
"You have to hang on, buddy," Jordan shouted at his bleeding partner out of fright. "I am sorry, but...tell Aria to go far away. You too...It's not wort..." His breathing grew erratic, and Jordan watched life drain out of his partner's life. Sent away from his crime-infested country in his teenage years to avoid being sucked into the dominating crime rings in Baleria. Jordan Alarick is back after his father’s suspicious death. Hell-bent on making a change in a country that had become worse than his father ever imagined, Alarick set out to make a difference and bring his father’s killers to book. Faced with a force infiltrated by the drug lords, the death of his partner, and the realization that the walls indeed have ears everywhere in Baleria, even in the government, Jordan resigned to work independently to uncover the shady deals of the “rings”. Will this patriotic man succeed? Especially when his assistant happened to be the daughter of the man who wanted him dead the most? Welcome to Baleria. A world where the weak have no place.
Broke and desperate with a baby to care for, Marissa heard of a website meant for ladies to auction their virginity to the highest bidder! Impulsively, she signed up only to get a confirmation email. She had been selected by the highest bidder! Still reeling from it all but desperate, she went with her assigned agent to meet the man, only to see that it was Bernard! A man she hated on sight! Oh hell no! *************************** Read this story to discover how first impressions can truly be deceptive. A story full of intrigue, scheming, steamy scenes, and, of course, love
COALESCENCE OF THE FIVE SERIES BOOK ONE: THE 5-TIME REJECTED GAMMA & THE LYCAN KING BOOK TWO: THE ROGUES WHO WENT ROGUE BOOK THREE: THE INDOMITABLE HUNTRESS & THE HARDENED DUKE *** BOOK ONE: After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate-bonds. To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. What’s worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself. She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner. King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldn’t thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him. He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesn’t seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that he’s different; and a chance to love her. But when not-so-subtle crushes, jealous suitors, self-entitled Queen-wannabes, an old flame, a silent protector and a past wedding engagement threaten to jeopardize their relationship, will Lucianne and Xandar still choose to be together? Is their love strong enough to overcome everything and everyone? Or will Lucianne resort to enduring a sixth rejection from the one person she thought she could entrust her heart with?
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."
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!
As a simple assistant, messaging the CEO in the dead of night to request shares of adult films was a bold move. Bethany, unsurprisingly, didn't receive any films. However, the CEO responded that, while he had no films to share, he could offer a live demonstration. After a night filled with passion, Bethany was certain she'd lose her job. But instead, her boss proposed, "Marry me. Please consider it." "Mr. Bates, you're kidding me, right?"