/0/67931/coverbig.jpg?v=d120edfc595220e29f599bab7a546f88)
In the towering glass skyline of New York, one billionaire, driven by power and haunted by secrets, finds himself entangled in the lives of two remarkable women. Each holds a piece of his heart, and yet, each carries a truth that could either shatter or save them all.
The sun had just dipped below the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow over the sprawling city of New York. From the penthouse of Hartley Industries, Alexander Hartley stood in silence, staring out at the city below. It was his kingdom-an empire he had built on control and precision. But tonight, it felt more like a prison.
At 28, Alexander had more money than he could spend in ten lifetimes, more power than most could imagine. Yet, it wasn't enough. There was an emptiness he couldn't ignore, no matter how many deals he closed or accolades he received.
He let his fingers trail over the glass, the cool surface grounding him. It reminded him of who he was-a man who kept the world at arm's length, who never let anyone close enough to see the cracks in his carefully constructed armor. And yet, in the last few weeks, he had felt that control slipping.
His phone buzzed on the desk behind him, breaking the silence. He glanced at the screen: Sophia. His chest tightened, though he wasn't sure why. Sophia Hartley had been part of his life for as long as he could remember. She was his closest friend, his confidante-the only person who truly understood the darkness he carried. She never pushed him to talk about it, but he always knew she saw it.
Still, it wasn't her call that unsettled him tonight. What set his nerves on edge was the message waiting for him from Emily.
Emily had crashed into his life like a hurricane-sharp, unpredictable, and impossible to ignore. She was brilliant, self-assured, and stunning, but there was something about her that made him uneasy. Her eyes, dark and piercing, seemed to hold truths he wasn't ready to face.
He sat down at his desk, ignoring Sophia's call, and picked up his phone. The message from Emily was simple:
We need to talk.
His fingers hovered over the screen, indecision gnawing at him. What could she possibly want now? He had been avoiding her, mostly because of how much space she had started taking up in his mind. For a man like him, letting anyone get close-especially someone as unpredictable as Emily-was dangerous.
But Emily wasn't like anyone else. She had a way of slipping through the cracks in his armor, a way of breaking down walls without even trying. And that terrified him.
He exhaled slowly, hit Call, and waited as the line rang.
---
Emily's apartment, one block away.
Emily sat cross-legged on her couch, staring at her phone. She had been pacing all night, rehearsing what she was going to say. Her message had been short, but the conversation ahead wouldn't be. There was no way around it anymore. The truth had to come out, even if it destroyed everything.
She'd seen Alexander a few times since their last meeting, and each time, she noticed the way he pulled back. It was the same way he dealt with everyone-keeping his distance, never letting anyone get too close. But she had seen past that facade. She had glimpsed the man behind the armor, the one he tried so hard to hide.
The truth she carried wasn't just hers. It was his too. And tonight, she couldn't keep it to herself any longer.
Her phone buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts. She took a deep breath and answered.
"Emily," his voice came through the line-smooth, calm, but with an edge she couldn't place.
"Alexander," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. "We need to talk. It's about us."
---
Alexander leaned back in his chair, gripping the phone tightly. There was something unsettling in her tone, something final. Normally, Emily spoke with measured confidence, every word deliberate. But now, there was a rawness in her voice that threw him off.
"You know how I feel about this," he said, keeping his voice even. "You know what happens when things get messy."
"I know," she said quickly. "But this isn't about us. Not in the way you think."
He frowned. "Then what is it about?"
She hesitated, and for a moment, he thought she might hang up. But then she spoke, her voice quieter.
"I can't keep pretending anymore," she said. "There's something you need to know. Something that could change everything."
The air in the room seemed to thicken. Alexander felt a strange pull in his chest-an unfamiliar mix of fear and anticipation.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice low but tight.
"I'm not who you think I am," she whispered.
The words hit him like a punch to the gut. He sat up straighter, his body tense.
"What does that mean?"
"I'm not just some lawyer," she said, a bitter laugh slipping out. "I wasn't sent here by accident. My family... my father... he's tied to yours in ways you don't understand."
Alexander's mind raced. His father. The man who had built Hartley Industries from nothing. What could Emily possibly mean?
"You're not making sense," he said, though unease was creeping into his voice. "What are you trying to tell me?"
"I'm saying," Emily continued, her voice breaking, "that I was sent to keep an eye on you. To protect your interests. But somewhere along the way, I started to care about you. And now... now I don't know how to fix what I've done."
His breath caught. "You... you were spying on me?"
"It's not like that," she said quickly. "It's more complicated than that. My father's company has been trying to broker a deal with Hartley Industries for years. When I found out about the arrangement, I thought I could control the situation. I thought I could stay professional. But then I met you, and everything changed."
Alexander didn't respond. He couldn't. The revelation hit him like a tidal wave, threatening to drag him under. He had always known Emily was hiding something, but this? This was a betrayal he hadn't anticipated.
And yet, there was something in her voice-a vulnerability that struck him. She wasn't just confessing a secret. She was admitting that, despite everything, she had real feelings for him.
Before he could say anything, a knock on the door broke the silence. He froze.
---
At the same time, across the city, Sophia Hartley stood at the entrance to Alexander's penthouse. Her hand lingered on the doorknob as she debated whether to knock again. She had known Alexander her whole life, and she could sense that something was wrong. There was a heaviness in the air, an unspoken tension she couldn't ignore.
Sophia had always believed there was something special between them-a bond no one else could understand. But lately, her feelings had grown more complicated. Deeper.
Taking a steadying breath, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
---
The stage was set. The past was catching up with them all, and soon, the secrets that bound them together would either tear them apart-or force them to confront the truths they had been avoiding for far too long.
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”
"You were about to cum in me." I said and sat up. That's when I felt a stinging pain across my ear as my hand caressed my face, then the realization hit me- he had slapped me, Lee had just slapped me. #Sex. Lies. Money. Power. *** Jessie, after finding out her fiance had married another woman, decides to have a one-night stand with his uncle, only to find herself married to him. But despite being married to his uncle, she was still attracted to him, so she started secretly seeing him. Well, the uncle wasn't willing to give her up now, not after he vowed to always be by her side; now she had two men fighting for her. And the woman her ex-fiance married wasn't just going to give up on him. Will Jessie realize old flames can never be and live a peaceful life with her new billionaire husband, or will Jade succeed in winning her back?
Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins—a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. “It's time to reveal your true identity, darling.”
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?
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
"I'm going to tell you what I have in mind," he murmured. "First you're going to strip down until you're completely naked," he whispered against her ear. "Then I'm going to tie you up so you're completely powerless and subject to my every whim." "Mmm, sounds good so far," she murmured. "Then I'm going to insert a plug to prepare you for me. After that I'm going to spank that sweet ass of yours until it's rosy with my marks." She shivered uncontrollably, her mind exploding with the images he evoked. She let out a small whimper as he sucked the lobe of her ear into his mouth. God, she could cum with just his words. She was already aching with need. Her nipples tingled and hardened to painful points. Her clit pulsed and twitched between her legs until she clamped her thighs together to alleviate the burn. "And then I'm going to f**k your mouth. But I won't cum. Not yet. When I'm close, I'll flog you again until your ass is burning and you're on fire with the need for relief. And then I'm going to f**k that ass. I'm going to take you hard and rough, to the very limits of what you can withstand. I won't be gentle. Not tonight. I'm going to take you as roughly as you can stand. And then I'm going to cum all over your ass. Are you ready to be completely and utterly dominated?"