Phoenix Gunnar, an assassin with no conscience, is forced to take on a mission she never wanted-to kill August Grey, the secret boss of a powerful underground faction. But when her target turns the tables and captures her instead, Phoenix is thrust into a world of power, dominance, and twisted lust. She may have been sent to kill him, but now she's trapped in his arms, torn between duty, vengeance, and a passion that's impossible to resist.
The echo of gunshots tore through the night air, followed by the frantic clamor of men shouting in unison, their rage palpable as they screamed, "There's an assassin!" The sound reverberated off the crumbling walls of the dark alley, a tight labyrinth of forgotten streets in the city's underbelly. Amid the chaos, a stealthy figure darted like a shadow, seamlessly blending into the darkness.
The assassin moved without a whisper, each step calculated, her breath steady despite the adrenaline that threatened to overtake her.
The men were fast, but she was faster. She weaved through narrow passageways, gliding across damp streets slick with grime and rain. Her pulse thrummed in her ears as she bolted around corners, expertly slipping into the deepest pockets of shadow. For now, she had the upper hand. But she could hear them-relentless, relentless like dogs on the scent of blood.
After what felt like an eternity of running, she slowed down, her senses honed on the sound of her pursuers. The voices-once dangerously close-were now distant, fading. The hunt had lost its heat.
She stopped. Her chest rose and fell with controlled, practiced breaths as she scanned her surroundings, making sure she was truly alone. A nearby shed offered sanctuary. She hurried inside, slamming the door behind her, her heart still pounding. She ripped off her strange mask-an eerie, stylized skull that concealed her identity. Her hands trembled slightly as the mask dropped to the floor, revealing the round, smooth face beneath. She wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, feeling the ache of tension in her shoulders. The mask fell to the floor with a dull thud as she peeled off her skin-tight suit and tossed it aside. A simple shirt and skirt, hanging from a rusty nail, were hastily pulled on. Her heartbeat slowed, but her mind remained sharp. Just when she thought she'd shaken them- A sudden shout pierced the silence.
"There she is!" a voice bellowed from the distance, and the furious pounding of footsteps began again. Phoenix spun around, fear flashing briefly across her face. Her breath caught, but she didn't panic. Instead, she pointed in the opposite direction, her hand trembling with just the right amount of convincing terror. "They went that way!" she gasped, her eyes wide with false fear. The men exchanged a glance, their desperation overriding logic. Without a second thought, they sprinted in the direction she pointed.
Phoenix's lips curled into a smirk. "Idiots," she muttered under her breath, turning away from the shed. She slipped out, her movements smooth and unhurried now. A battered scooter lay hidden behind a pile of discarded boxes. She mounted it, kicked it to life, and sped off, the engine humming softly as she disappeared into the night. By the time she reached her luxurious apartment, the adrenaline had worn off, replaced by an insidious pain creeping up her spine. She stumbled through the front door, her vision blurring momentarily. She barely made it to the bathroom before she was violently coughing. The sharp taste of metallic blood filled her mouth. Her body lurched as the fit overtook her, and she collapsed to her knees in front of the sink, one hand clutching the cold porcelain, the other pressed to her stomach.
Blood spattered across the white countertop, the dark red streaks a horrifying contrast against the sterile surroundings. "D*mn you, Gavin!" she spat, glaring at her reflection in the mirror. The face staring back was pale, haunted, and twisted with fury. Gavin, her ex-boyfriend, had done this to her. Poisoned her. And now she was nothing more than his puppet, dancing to his tune in exchange for the antidote. The only way to live was to continue doing his bidding, executing targets for him as if she were a mere tool.
Phoenix grabbed a towel, angrily wiping the blood from her lips. Her hands shook-not from fear, but from the rage bubbling inside her.
She couldn't do this anymore. Her fingers clenched around her phone as she dialed Gavin's number, barely keeping herself from smashing the device against the wall. The phone rang twice before his lazy, smug voice answered. "Phoenix, darling," Gavin drawled, his voice thick with amusement. In the background, she could hear the flirtatious laughter of women-multiple women-wrapped around him like the poisonous snake he was. "Miss me already? Shouldn't you be out doing what you do best?"
"I need the antidote, Gavin. Now," Phoenix's voice was cold, her fury barely restrained. "I did what you asked. The job is done." Gavin chuckled, the sound grating in her ears.
"Oh, Phoenix. You know how this works. You get your dose when I say so. You don't make demands here."
Her grip tightened on the phone. "I'm not your slave. I did what you asked. The target is dead. Give me the antidote."
There was a pause, followed by a mocking hum. "Tsk, tsk. I wouldn't call you a slave, Phoenix. I think of you more as... a very expensive pet. One that knows her place." She could practically hear the smirk in his voice. A wave of nausea washed over her, but it wasn't from the poison-it was from the sheer hatred coursing through her veins.
"Gavin," she hissed, "I'm not playing this game anymore."
"Oh, but you are." His voice dropped to a menacing whisper. "Unless, of course, you want the poison to eat through your body. I wonder, how long do you think you'll last without your weekly dose?"
Phoenix clenched her jaw, swallowing the venomous retort that threatened to spill out. He was right. She needed the antidote. The pain was already creeping back, her muscles tightening, her vision swimming. She couldn't risk losing control. "What's next, then?" she finally groaned out, her voice low and full of hate.
"Oh, I thought you'd never ask." Gavin's voice brightened with cruel delight. "There's one more target. And this one is going to be fun. Very fun."
Mia thought she had it all-until her husband shattered her world with a single signature. Replaced by his secretary, she's left with nothing but the sting of betrayal and the weight of her mother's crumbling estate. Just as her life unravels, Alexander Wolfe-her ex-husband's ruthless rival-steps in with an unexpected proposition. Alexander offers Mia a lifeline, but at what cost? Beneath his cold and calculating demeanor lies an agenda as enigmatic as the man himself. As Mia is drawn into Alexander's world of power, secrets, and seduction, she discovers that the price of survival may be more than she bargained for. When betrayal runs deep and love feels like the ultimate risk, can Mia uncover the truth before her heart becomes the ultimate casualty?
Emilia Harper never expected her life to turn into a soap opera. Married to Damian, a man who was supposed to marry her twin sister Isabella, Emilia's life is a web of resentment, betrayal, and cold indifference. Though she never loved Damian, she respected their union-until she found him in bed with Isabella for the fifth time and this time around on their wedding anniversary. Heartbroken and furious, Emilia seeks refuge in a karaoke bar, drowning her pain in the music and a night with a handsome stranger. The next day, she realizes she's made a mistake and flees the country. Five years later, Emilia returns, now a world-renowned designer and mother to two celebrity children. She has one goal: to divorce Damian and be free of her past. But fate has other plans. The man from that night turns out to be Alexander Donovan-Damian's powerful billionaire uncle, the real head of the Harper family fortune. Now Alexander has set his sights on the one woman who was always meant to be his. And he's determined to claim her for himself-while Damian watches everything he thought he owned crumble to pieces.
“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”
Due to the plight of her family, Phoebe had no choice but to embark on the path of selling herself. In an accident, she had a tangled night with Alexander. Everything began to derail, and even if she fled to the ends of the earth, she would still be found by him and entangled... *** Phoebe screamed in frustration, "What do you want from me?" What was this supposed to be? He raised an eyebrow wickedly. "What do I want? You'll find out soon enough." With that, he hoisted her up and carried her back into the office. The door slammed shut with a kick, and he cleared the desk with a sweep of his arm before laying her down on it, his body pinning hers in place, completely trapping her in his grasp. Every cell in his body was telling him he wanted her. He wanted to claim her again. This time, there would be no escape for her-he wouldn't let her slip away. Never again. If he had suffered for five years, then this woman wouldn't get off easily either!
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
Dear readers, this book has resumed daily updates. It took Sabrina three whole years to realize that her husband, Tyrone didn't have a heart. He was the coldest and most indifferent man she had ever met. He never smiled at her, let alone treated her like his wife. To make matters worse, the return of the woman he had eyes for brought Sabrina nothing but divorce papers. Sabrina's heart broke. Hoping that there was still a chance for them to work on their marriage, she asked, "Quick question,Tyrone. Would you still divorce me if I told you that I was pregnant?" "Absolutely!" he responded. Realizing that she didn't mean shit to him, Sabrina decided to let go. She signed the divorce agreement while lying on her sickbed with a broken heart. Surprisingly, that wasn't the end for the couple. It was as if scales fell off Tyrone's eyes after she signed the divorce agreement. The once so heartless man groveled at her bedside and pleaded, "Sabrina, I made a big mistake. Please don't divorce me. I promise to change." Sabrina smiled weakly, not knowing what to do...
Elin spent twenty years deeply loving her husband, finally marrying him just as she'd always dreamed. But reality shattered her illusions—he wasn't the man she believed. Instead, he callously destroyed her family, crushing her heart beyond repair. At her lowest point, Ruben, equally betrayed that night, approached her steadily. "Marry me, Elin. I'll help you take revenge." Yet, after their wedding, she quickly discovered he was dangerously unpredictable. "I made a mistake. Let's divorce..." Ruben slid his arm possessively around her waist, whispering a chilling promise, "Only in death."
For three years, Shane and Yvonne were wed, sharing heated nights, while his devotion clung to his ex. Yvonne strove to be a dutiful wife, yet their marriage felt hollow, built on desire rather than real warmth. All changed when she became pregnant, only for Shane to thrust her onto the operating table, warning, “Either you or the baby survives!” Broken by his cruelty, she vanished in grief and later returned, radiantly accomplished, leaving everyone awestruck. Haunted by remorse, Shane begged for another chance, but Yvonne only smiled and replied, “I’m sorry, men no longer interest me.”