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He has everything money can buy. She has nothing left to lose. Together, they'll break all the rules. When Maya loses her job and faces eviction, the last thing she expects is to cross paths with Damian Blackwood-the mysterious billionaire, with a reputation as cold as steel, he commands. Their worlds collide when Maya's clumsiness and also her artistic ability draws his reluctant attention, forcing both of them to confront the secrets they've been hiding. Damian lives by one rule: never get attached. But Maya's fiery resilience and refusal to bow to his wealth break away at the walls he's spent years building. As sparks fly and they start to fall in love, Maya is framed and Damian now sees her as a gold digger. He despises her and sends her away not knowing she's already pregnant. Can love bridge the gap between two people from such different worlds? Or will pride, betrayal, and the ghosts of yesterday tear them apart? In a game where hearts are on the line, can the billionaire be tamed-or will he lose her forever?
MAYA
The screeching alarm jolted me awake, its blaring tone a brutal reminder that sleep was a luxury I could no longer afford. I groaned, slapping at my phone to silence it, and sat up, staring at the peeling paint on my apartment ceiling. Another day, Another grinding.
My easel stood untouched in the corner of the room, a half-finished painting leaning against it. The swirls of vibrant blue and orange mocked me, a vivid reminder of the dreams I'd abandoned. Art used to be my world, the one place I could escape the chaos of life. Now, it was just another thing I couldn't afford to focus on.
The stack of unpaid bills on my kitchen counter seemed to grow taller daily, threatening to fall over. Rent, utilities, hospital debts from Mom's last days-they loomed over me like storm clouds. I grabbed a cold cup of coffee on the bedside table that I had been too lazy to throw out from yesterday, took a sip, and winced at the bitter taste.
"Let's do this, Maya," I muttered to myself.
I pulled my hair into a messy bun, threw on my worn sneakers, and headed out.
---
By the time I arrived at the venue, the magnificence hit me like a punch to the gut. The gleaming chandeliers, gold-trimmed walls, and polished marble floors all screamed money. The kind of money I couldn't even dream of having.
"Evans!" barked my manager as I stepped into the staff area. "You're late!"
"Sorry," I said, though I wasn't sure why I bothered. Apologies didn't mean much in this job.
He tossed me a tray of champagne flutes. "Get out there and don't embarrass me."
"Got it."
The event was some charity gala for the ultra-rich, but the irony wasn't lost on me. These people were here to "give back," yet most wouldn't blink at spending a fortune on designer clothes while others, like me, managed to live.
As I weaved through the crowd, offering drinks and dodging judgmental stares, I couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to belong to this world. To wear those shining gowns, sip expensive wine, and not have to count every penny.
I reached a table where an older man in a tuxedo gave me a disapproving once-over. "Watch your step, sweetheart," he said, his tone dripping with condescension. "We wouldn't want you breaking anything important."
I couldn't afford to lose this Job, not when I had bills piling up, debt collectors calling me like clockwork, and a landlord who wouldn't stop banging on my door
I forced a smile, swallowing the retort that burned in my throat. Rule number two: don't let the rich jerks get to you.
The night I dragged on, my tray grew heavier with every step. My back ached, my feet throbbed in the stupid black flats we were asked to wear, and the bright and cheerful exterior I'd plastered on my face started to crack.
And then, it happened.
I wasn't even sure how. One moment, I was balancing the tray with practiced ease. The next, my foot snagged on something, the carpet, and I stumbled forward.
Time slowed as the tray tilted, the glasses staggering dangerously before tipping over. The shatter of glass hitting marble was deafening, and champagne sprayed in every direction.
This was it. I had broken rule number one.
The words of Mr. Elijah, the manager echoed in my head like a broken record. ''Never spill anything''
A collective gasp rippled through the room.
I could feel a hundred pairs of eyes boring into my back
I froze, dread pooling in my stomach as I turned to see the damage.
And there he was.
The man I'd just soaked in champagne glared at me, his gray eyes sharp enough to cut steel. His tailored suit clung to him, dripping with the champagne.
In that moment, I knew my career was over. That one mistake would define me. To someone like Damian Greyson, people like me were nothing but errors to be erased. I hadn't even heard him approach, but before I could open my mouth to explain myself, his voice cut through the room's tension like a whip.
"Unbelievable," he muttered, brushing at his ruined outfit with an air of disgust.
I could see the contempt in his eyes
I flinched at the sound of his voice, my knuckles whitening as I gripped the tray., holding it to my chest like some makeshift shield. "I-I'm so sorry," I stammered.
I don't know what had come over me if it was all the pair of eyes now staring at me or the old gaze of the man standing in front of me that made me so nervous, that I stammered
"Sorry?" His voice was low, but the sharp edge in it silenced the murmurs around us. He stepped closer, fixing me with a cold stare he said "Do you even realize what you've done?"
"I" She looked down, my shoulders hunched involuntarily. I hated the effect this man had on me, the fact he could make everyone around him bend to his will and I mean even literally too, even me. "It was an accident" I murmured.
"I don't care if it was an accident," he snapped, cutting me off. "You've made me a spectacle in front of the most important people in this city. Do you understand how damaging that can be?"
Get her out of here," he said, the command icy and final. His gaze met mine briefly, and I could see the contempt in his eyes.
My manager, who had been standing nearby, didn't even hesitate. His face turned pale as he approached me, whispering urgently, "Maya, you're done. Mr Greyson wants you out. Now."
The words felt like a slap, but there was no time to process it. Before I could respond or even defend myself, I was ushered out of the room, my heart racing, and my mind spinning. The other guests barely noticed as I was led out, their conversations flowing effortlessly around me. But I couldn't focus on anything except the burning humiliation in my chest.
I had always kept my head down, but now it felt like the whole world was watching as I was discarded, just like that. A small, insignificant mistake-one that I could have easily fixed-had cost me everything.
________________________________________
I walked the streets after being escorted out, the reality of the situation setting in like a weight on my chest. The job. Gone. Just like that. I didn't even have the chance to explain myself.
As I entered my cramped apartment later that night, I threw my keys onto the counter, my hands trembling as I looked at the stack of bills sitting there, waiting for my next paycheck. The rent was due. Utilities were overdue. And now, with no job, I could not pay for any of it.
I sank into a chair, staring at the floor as anger and frustration swirled. Damian Greyson. How could someone like him wield so much power over my life? One small mistake and I was nothing. I wasn't even allowed the dignity of an explanation.
The thought of my mounting bills, `1of the rent that would soon be overdue pushed me to the edge. I couldn't just let this go. I wouldn't. I had worked too hard to let one man, one terrible night, ruin everything.
I had to confront him. I didn't know how, but I had to.
Kade is the Alpha of the Crescent Fang Pack, strong, respected, and feared by all. To strengthen his pack, he agrees to marry Cassandra, the daughter of the Nightshade Pack's Alpha. But Kade's life takes a shocking turn when he discovers his true mate isn't Cassandra-it's Selene, Cassandra's quiet and mistreated foster sister. Selene has spent her life living in the shadows, enduring cruel treatment from Cassandra and her family. When Kade takes her as his mate, he sees her as weak and unworthy of his status. His anger and resentment push Selene further into a life of pain, even though the mate bond pulls them closer in ways neither of them can deny. As Selene's hidden powers begin to emerge, Kade must confront the truth about his own prejudices and the dangerous enemies threatening both their lives. Can Selene find the strength to claim her place as Luna and heal the Alpha's broken heart? Or will Kade lose the one person who was meant to complete him? In a world of betrayal, power, and destiny, their love is tested in ways they never imagined. Will the bond of the Moon Goddess be enough to bring them together, or will it break them apart forever?
"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.
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?"
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. Whatâs 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 couldnât 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 doesnât seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that heâs 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?
She thought she was the love of his life, and he became the love of her life that fateful day she had seen him at the pack's party. Selene Grace was only a replica of Alpha Leo's real mate, and when he spotted her, Leo immediately claimed her as his Luna in order to suppress the rumors of him being mateless. Being unable to conceive turns Selene's marriage into a nightmare, and as if that wasn't enough, Alpha Leo finally reunites with his long time lover and mate, rejecting a pregnant Selene as a result. 5 years later, Selene, a now successful doctor, receives an invitation to the moon shadow pack in order to rid the pack of a deadly disease which has struck it. Will Selene return back to the pack which had caused her so much pain, and what would she do when she realizes that she is mated to the Alpha who had betrayed her in the past?
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
Daisy is the illegitimate daughter of Mr. Hubert. His company went bankrupt, so he asked for help from Drkov's house. They agreed to help Mr. Hubert but with one condition. One of his two daughters must marry their nephew - Atlas Drkov. Atlas Drkov is a billionaire but he is disabled and uses a wheelchair. Yaretzi - daughter of Mr. Hubert's official wife - does not accept marrying a disabled man. She and her parents made a plan. They kidnapped Daisy's mother, threatened her, and forced her to marry Atlas. To save her mother, she accepted. However, after getting married, she fell in love with this man, and so did he. Difficulties start from here.