Sage Whitmore has always fought for what she loves. The Bluebird Café-a small, charming cornerstone of her hometown-isn't just a business. It's her mother's legacy, a place filled with laughter, memories, and the heart of her community. But when an unexpected financial disaster threatens to shutter its doors forever, Sage is left scrambling for solutions. Desperate to save the café, she finds herself staring down a deal with the devil: Damian Cross. Damian is the king of New York's corporate world-ruthless, brilliant, and infuriatingly charming. A billionaire who bends empires to his will, Damian is a man who values control above all else. When he acquires Bluebird Café as part of a larger investment portfolio, he makes Sage an offer: work as his personal assistant for one year, and in return, she'll have the chance to buy back her café. The terms are simple, but Damian Cross's world is anything but. Thrown into the deep end of high-stakes business, Sage struggles to keep up with Damian's demanding pace and cryptic rules. But the more time she spends in his world, the more she begins to see cracks in his steel façade-glimpses of a man haunted by his past and driven by secrets. Damian, too, is drawn to Sage's unshakable spirit, her refusal to be intimidated, and the fire she brings to his cold, calculated life. Yet their growing attraction is a dangerous game. As Sage learns to navigate Damian's power plays and manipulations, she begins to question everything: his motives, his business decisions, and the undeniable pull between them. When a shocking betrayal threatens to shatter everything Sage has worked for, she's forced to make an impossible choice. In a world where loyalty is bought and trust is a luxury, Sage and Damian must confront their deepest fears to find the one thing they never thought possible-love. Beneath the Steel and Silk is a tale of passion, power, and redemption-a story of two souls colliding in a world that thrives on ambition and secrets. Will Sage conquer Damian's games, or will she lose her heart in the process?
Sage Whitmore tightened her grip on the rusted doorknob of Bluebird Café and took a deep breath before stepping outside. The August sun was relentless, beating down on the cracked asphalt and glaring off the peeling sign above the café. The place had seen better days-so had Sage-but it was hers. Or at least, it had felt that way until this morning.
She'd read the notice three times before her brain had truly absorbed the words. "Property auction: foreclosure effective immediately. Bidding to begin Monday, 11:00 AM." Just like that, the place where she'd poured every ounce of her pride, sweat, and stubbornness was going to be sold off to the highest bidder.
Now, Sage stood in the shadow of her small dream, watching as black SUVs rolled into the parking lot. Her heart sank as she saw the men in tailored suits and sharp dresses emerge, talking into their phones, clutching leather portfolios as though they were weapons. These weren't people who cared about the smell of fresh-baked cinnamon rolls or the way the sun warmed the diner's windows in the mornings. They were sharks, and Sage was a small fish with nowhere to swim.
"Big day, huh?"
Sage turned to see her friend and coworker, Maggie, leaning against the café's doorframe, a cigarette dangling from her lips. Maggie had the hardened smile of someone who'd seen too much of life to be surprised by it anymore. Her greying hair was tied back with a bandana, and her apron bore coffee stains that refused to wash out.
"Big day for vultures," Sage muttered.
"Say the word and I'll toss sugar syrup on their fancy loafers," Maggie offered, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
Sage cracked a smile, but her insides knotted with anxiety. "Appreciate it, Mags. But I need someone to keep the place standing while I try to fight for it."
She patted the café door for luck-an old habit-and crossed the parking lot to the community hall across the street, where the auction would take place. Her old boots scuffed against the pavement, a reminder that she didn't belong in this polished, high-stakes world.
The hall was packed when she entered. Rows of folding chairs were already filled with bankers, developers, and men in slick suits who smelled like money and arrogance. At the front of the room, a podium stood beneath a massive banner that read "Summit Real Estate & Holdings." Sage knew the name-it was plastered on the notices pinned to the café's windows.
She forced herself to sit in the back row, feeling invisible among the wealth around her. She hated the way her hands shook in her lap, hated that she cared so much about a piece of property. But Bluebird Café wasn't just a business-it had been her lifeline.
The hum of conversation quieted as a man approached the podium. He was tall, his black suit flawless against the white of the banner. But it wasn't his clothes that caught Sage's attention-it was his presence. The air shifted when he stepped forward, like gravity itself was bending in his favor. His jaw was sharp enough to cut glass, his dark hair brushed back in a way that made him look untouchable.
But it was his eyes-ice-blue and emotionless-that held her captive. They swept over the crowd as if he were cataloging every person in the room, and for the briefest second, they landed on her. Sage shivered involuntarily.
The man spoke, his voice smooth and commanding. "Good morning. I'm Damian Cross, CEO of Cross Global Enterprises. Summit Real Estate, as many of you know, is a subsidiary of my corporation. Today's auction will proceed swiftly and efficiently. I expect no interruptions."
A murmur rippled through the crowd at the name. Sage felt her stomach drop. She'd heard of Damian Cross-everyone had. Billionaire mogul, destroyer of small businesses, and a man whose face graced magazines alongside headlines like "The King of New York" and "Cold as Steel, Rich as Sin."
So why was he here? Why would a man like Damian Cross care about a rundown café in a no-name Kentucky town?
The auction began with properties Sage didn't recognize. One by one, the names of buildings and lots were called out, and developers raised their paddles with robotic precision. The numbers being thrown around were absurd-five hundred thousand, a million, three million.
Sage clenched her fists. The café wouldn't go for anywhere near that. It wasn't worth it. But to her, it was priceless.
Finally, the auctioneer called the name she'd been dreading.
"Lot 12: 432 Sycamore Street-Bluebird Café."
Sage stood up before she could stop herself. "I object!"
The word burst from her mouth like a cannon blast. The room turned in unison, a hundred pairs of eyes locking onto her. At the front, Damian Cross raised a single brow, unimpressed.
The auctioneer blinked at her. "Miss, this is a legal foreclosure auction. You can't 'object.'"
"It's my café," Sage said, her voice clear despite the tremor in her chest. "I've worked there for five years, poured every penny I have into keeping it alive. I just-I need time."
A few people in the crowd smirked. Someone whispered something that sounded suspiciously like "pathetic."
Damian Cross didn't smirk. Instead, he tilted his head, studying her as though she were a particularly confusing math problem. "You're Sage Whitmore, I presume?"
She stiffened. "How do you know my name?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he glanced at the auctioneer. "Proceed with the bidding."
Rage boiled up in her throat. "Wait! I'm not done-"
"Miss Whitmore," Damian said, his tone clipped, "your sentiment is admirable, but business isn't won on feelings. If you want the café, then bid."
A ripple of laughter moved through the room, but Sage's cheeks burned. She turned to the auctioneer. "How much do I need to start?"
The man glanced at his papers. "Opening bid is fifty thousand dollars."
Fifty thousand. She didn't have fifty cents to spare. Sage's shoulders sagged as the first developer raised his paddle. "Fifty thousand."
"Seventy-five," another voice called.
"One hundred," someone else chimed in.
Damian Cross remained silent, hands steepled before him, gaze unwavering. He was watching her.
By the time the bids hit one hundred fifty thousand, Sage wanted to scream. This wasn't a competition-it was a bloodbath, and her café was the prize.
"One seventy-five," a sleek-haired woman said, holding her paddle up high.
The auctioneer's voice echoed. "One hundred seventy-five going once-"
"Two hundred thousand," Damian Cross said.
The room fell silent.
Sage's breath caught as every head turned to look at him. Damian didn't flinch. If anything, he looked bored, as though he were bidding on a paperclip instead of her livelihood.
The auctioneer glanced nervously at the other bidders. "Two hundred thousand. Do I hear two twenty?"
No one moved.
"Two hundred thousand going once... going twice..."
"Wait!" Sage blurted. "You can't just-"
"Sold," the auctioneer said, slamming his gavel.
The room erupted into murmurs, but Sage's ears were ringing. Damian Cross had just bought Bluebird Café.
For a long moment, Sage couldn't move. She stared at him as he stood and adjusted his cufflinks, exuding the kind of confidence that could flatten mountains. Before he turned to leave, he looked directly at her and said, "Miss Whitmore, meet me outside. We have much to discuss."
He disappeared through the double doors, leaving Sage trembling with fury and confusion. Her café was gone, snatched away by a man who already had everything. But she wasn't about to let Damian Cross win-not without a fight.
"What do you want from me?" she whispered under her breath as she followed him out into the sunlight, her heart pounding.
She didn't know it yet, but her life had just collided with his, and nothing would ever be the same.
In a kingdom torn by betrayal, Queen Margret hides a dangerous secret: her daughter Danielle has been raised as "Daniel," the male heir, after the tragic death of her son. For 20 years, Danielle has lived as the crown prince, concealing her true identity to protect her family and kingdom from her treacherous uncle, Kaelen. When war threatens, Danielle is sent as a spy to the rival Kingdom of Aldred, where she befriends Prince Adrian, who believes she is a man. Their bond deepens, and when Adrian discovers her secret, love sparks between them, despite their kingdoms being enemies. As Kaelen's schemes unfold and the truth risks exposure, Danielle must decide if she will embrace her destiny and fight for her kingdom-or lose everything to protect the man she loves.
Eira, a timid omega, spent her life enduring ridicule and rejection in the Blood Crescent Pack. The Mate Ceremony was supposed to change her fate, but her dreams shattered when her fated mate, Caden, publicly rejected her. Heartbroken and humiliated, Eira fled into the forest, only to be captured by ruthless slavers. Sold to the mysterious Alpha Triplet Princes-three dangerously powerful and alluring brothers-Eira is thrust into a world of dominance and desire she never anticipated. The triplets, known for their cruelty and insatiable appetites, see her as nothing more than a pawn in their games. But as Eira's fiery defiance sparks something unexpected in the princes, her role as their possession becomes far more complicated. As secrets of the past unravel and the triplets' true motives come to light, Eira must navigate a dangerous path filled with power struggles, dark desires, and forbidden emotions. Will she remain their captive, or will she find the strength to reclaim her destiny? In this steamy, suspenseful tale of betrayal, survival, and passion, Eira discovers that the bonds of fate are not easily broken-and neither is her spirit.
Five years ago, Samantha Grayson walked away from her marriage to ruthless billionaire Nathaniel Steele, heartbroken and pregnant, vowing never to look back. Betrayed by his cold neglect and devastated by a web of lies spun by his family, Samantha disappeared, leaving Nathaniel with nothing but regret and the ghost of a love he never deserved. Now, Samantha has returned as Scarlett Knight-a powerful lawyer with wealth, influence, and a single goal: destroy Nathaniel and the empire he sacrificed her to build. With secrets that could ruin him and an ally in his fiercest rival, she begins dismantling his life piece by piece. But Nathaniel is no longer the man she left behind. Haunted by his mistakes and desperate for redemption, he refuses to lose her again, even if it means unearthing the truth about her mysterious transformation. As Samantha's carefully orchestrated revenge takes shape, long-buried secrets unravel, and dangerous enemies emerge, threatening both their futures. When Nathaniel discovers Samantha's ultimate secret-their four-year-old daughter, Emily-he must fight not only for his company but for the family he never knew he had. Caught between love and vengeance, Samantha and Nathaniel are drawn into a high-stakes battle of wills. Will Samantha achieve her revenge, or will Nathaniel's regret and newfound love be enough to heal their fractured hearts? In this gripping tale of betrayal, passion, and redemption, revenge is just the beginning. ---
Evangeline "Eva" Woods thought a quiet life in the small town of Silver Mist would be her escape from the chaotic past that left her broken. But fate has other plans. On the eve of her 24th birthday, Eva discovers she is the long-lost Moon-Blessed, a rare being with the power to amplify a Lycan's abilities and bring balance to the supernatural world When Eva crosses into Lycan territory, she draws the attention of three powerful, possessive triplet Lycans-Dominic, Kael, and Lysander Graystone. Each brother is a force to be reckoned with, and they are bound to her by a bond deeper than blood. Dominic, the authoritative and protective eldest; Kael, the seductive and playful middle; and Lysander, the brooding and mysterious youngest-each one is determined to claim Eva for themselves. As the brothers' possessive love for Eva ignites, so does an ancient prophecy. The triplets must unite their fractured pack and confront a deadly threat-the rogue Lycans and a dark force tied to Eva's lineage. In the heat of battle and desire, Eva finds herself torn between the triplets, each of whom embodies a different side of the power, lust, and longing that bind them. But with danger closing in, Eva must embrace her fate. To protect the world they know, she must make a choice that could break her heart, or solidify the bond between them forever.
When struggling freelance photographer Sienna Blake wakes up in Las Vegas with a pounding headache and a billionaire husband, she assumes it's the worst mistake of her life. Xander Hawthorne, the reclusive tech genius and CEO, is equally horrified. Their drunken, impulsive marriage seems like a problem that can be solved with a quick annulment-until Xander's legal team reveals a shocking twist: a clause in his late grandfather's will forces him to remain married for six months if he wants to secure his family's estate. Desperate to fix their respective problems, Xander offers Sienna a deal: pretend to be his wife for six months, and in return, he'll pay off her mounting debts and fund her dream photography studio. Sienna reluctantly agrees, but the arrangement plunges her into the high-stakes world of billionaires, where every move is scrutinized, enemies lurk in plain sight, and her growing feelings for Xander threaten to upend their carefully crafted contract. As the two navigate media scandals, corporate sabotage, and personal insecurities, secrets from Xander's past and Sienna's present threaten to tear them apart. When a betrayal leaves their fragile trust in shambles, Sienna must make a choice: walk away with her independence intact or risk her heart to help Xander salvage not just his empire, but the future they've unintentionally begun to build together. In Accidentally Ever After, love and trust bloom in the most unexpected places, proving that sometimes, the biggest mistakes can lead to the happiest endings.
Selene has spent years running from her past-a lone wolf haunted by the sins of her fallen Bloodfang pack. Cursed with a reputation she never earned, she hides in the shadows, avoiding the hunters who would see her dead and the packs that would never accept her. But everything changes the night she crosses into Lucian Blackwood's territory. Lucian, the powerful Alpha of the Blackwood Pack, is relentless and untamed. When he discovers the rogue she-wolf injured in his forest, he feels the pull of the mate bond-a bond neither of them can afford. Selene wants nothing to do with him or his pack. She knows the truth: an alpha like Lucian can't be tied to someone like her, a wolf whose blood carries darkness. But Lucian refuses to let her go. As enemies close in and secrets unravel, Selene finds herself torn between the safety Lucian offers and the freedom she craves. The bond between them is undeniable, but their connection is forbidden. If Selene stays, she risks destroying the only chance of peace Lucian's pack has ever known. If she runs, it may cost them both their lives. Some bonds are fate. Others are a choice. And Selene must decide before time runs out.
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.
Her fiance and her best friend worked together and set her up. She lost everything and died in the street. However, she was reborn. The moment she opened her eyes, her husband was trying to strangle her. Luckily, she survived that. She signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and was ready for her miserable life. To her surprise, her mother in this life left her a great deal of money. She turned the tables and avenged herself. Everything went well in her career and love when her ex-husband came to her.
"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.
Kaelyn devoted three years tending to her husband after a terrible accident. But once he was fully recovered, he cast her aside and brought his first love back from abroad. Devastated, Kaelyn decided on a divorce as people mocked her for being discarded. She went on to reinvent herself, becoming a highly sought-after doctor, a champion racer, and an internationally renowned architectural designer. Even then, the traitors sneered in disdain, believing Kaelyn would never find someone. But then the ex-husbandâs uncle, a powerful warlord, returned with his army to ask for Kaelynâs hand in marriage.
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?
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?