Tiara meets Leandro just as her life seems to be falling into place. She's a confident young artist who recently opened her own art studio in the heart of New York City. One night, Leandro saves her from an attack, and everything she thought she knew about her life starts to unravel. She knows he's dangerous, but she can't resist the pull of the mysterious, captivating man. There's something about him that fascinates her-and he may hold secrets about a past she never even knew existed. Leandro, on the other hand, was only looking for a front to hide his illegal weapons trade when he stumbled into Tiara's gallery. Falling for the bold, dark-haired artist was never part of the plan. Yet, despite his belief that women are only weaknesses in the life of a Mafia Don, he finds himself drawn to her fiery spirit and unable to let her go. Can their love survive the chaos of Leandro's criminal world, or will Tiara become another casualty of his dangerous life? Book contains strong language and mature themes.
A/N- Welcome lovelies, I hope you like this book, there are a few discrepancies which I'd correct, but if you're in a hurry, note that Mila is Annie and also Hannah, so you don't get confused. If there's any other thing you're confused about, I'll be in the comment section.. Xoxox lovelies.
Tiara
Sign it.
Just sign the paper.
"It's perfect, Tiara. Absolutely stunning. I can already envision it hanging in my dining room." Mr. Jackson said, bypassing the pen I had handed him and pulling his own out of his shirt pocket.
Then sign it already!
As I sat across the table from him, I tried to will the pen to move with my mind. Everything was settled; I only needed his signature to seal the deal. We were so close, if only he would hurry up and sign the damn thing.
Since deciding to branch out on my own and open the gallery, this would be my first sale of my work. So far, we'd been surviving off the profit from other artists and photographers we housed, but this one would be mine. It felt like so much more than a sale to me. It was the validation that I had done the right thing. That taking this chance and following my dreams was the right move-despite the protests I had received from nearly everyone in my life. It proved that I could do it, and that people liked my work. That maybe, just maybe, I was good at this.
The particular painting he was purchasing was like a child to me, and as anxious as I was to make the sale, it would be hard to let it go. For months, I had slaved away at it, tweaking and reworking it over and over again. No matter how many hours I put into it, it never looked done to me. Even as it hung in the gallery for the viewing tonight, it still rubbed me the wrong way. It wasn't my best, and that was why it surprised me it was my first piece to go. Mr. Jackson, however, had fallen in love with it and, for the steep price of thirteen thousand dollars, it was now his.
My breath hitched as I watched the pen sweep across the bottom of the paper with his signature.
He'd signed it. He'd done it. He'd bought my painting.
"Well, Tiara, I am certain this won't be the last of our deals. I look forward to seeing what else you come up with. Who knows? I might be in the market for another Tiara Ross original." He shot me a wink and slid the check across the table.
Thirteen thousand dollars. My hands nearly shook as I picked it up and held it in my hands. I had never possessed that kind of money before. When I graduated with my degree in art history, neither my mother nor I ever thought I would have a career that would generate this kind of income. This was completely surreal, and I kept waiting for someone to jump out from behind a corner and tell me it was all one big prank.
Not wanting to appear as overwhelmed as I was, I gave Mr. Jackson a confident smile and stood up, smoothing my dress out.
"I'm so glad it's going home with you, Mr. Jackson. It's been a pleasure working with you." Over the last few months, we have become good friends. He'd visited the gallery frequently, and would thoughtfully study every piece we had on display. He appreciated art of any kind, but for whatever reason, it was my work that he was drawn to. I spent hours letting him pick my brain, talking about how each piece came to fruition. Whenever he was in, he always insisted on coming back to look at what I was currently working on. A lot of times, clients didn't care about the backstory behind a piece, but that seemed to be what Mr. Jackson loved the most. And as an art collector, his interest in my work was flattering.
"It was a pleasure working with you as well, and I appreciate all the time you spent with me. It means so much more knowing where your vision came from." He said. "Now, please, go enjoy the rest of your evening. It seems I'm not the only fan of your work."
I followed him out into the gallery. Tonight, we were having a special viewing of some of our newer pieces, and it attracted quite the crowd. Live piano music filled the space and champagne and appetizers were being survived by the tray. A few of our resident artists had shown up to talk with potential clients, and so far, everything was going well. This was exactly the type of event I envisioned when we rented this space, and seeing it in action was indescribable. The night had barely started, and I was already walking on clouds.
My best friend and business partner, Jane, was flitting from one group to the next, handing them brochures with our featured pieces and answering any questions that they had. Her energy was contagious, and she had a special way of getting everyone around her excited about whatever she was excited about. She was so good at the personal aspect of this, and we made a good team. Business had flourished over the last few months, and if things went well tonight, we'd be well on our way to becoming one of the most successful up-and-coming galleries in all of New York.
It had been born out of humble beginnings, though, and that was what made nights like tonight so difficult to wrap my mind around. I met Jane when we were both in school at USC in California, and we were literal opposites in our personalities to our appearances. With her messy blonde hair and icy blue eyes, she was whimsical and quirky and had chosen an art degree because it required the least amount of science classes. She was only dependable to those she loved, and the girl wouldn't know the concept of a schedule if I hit her over the head with it. I, on the other hand, lived and died by my planner, and had been obsessed with painting for as long as I could remember. She was impulsive, and I always thought about the consequences. I was a people pleaser, and Jane always told it like it was. We were good for each other, and when we talked about making the move out to New York, it was an easy choice.
It hadn't been easy, though. New York was tough to survive at any rate, but this industry was even more cutthroat than most. We'd go weeks with barely a customer or two, and as rent spiked, we agonized over whether we'd even be able to keep the door open at all. We'd fought hard, though, and tonight was proof that those days were behind us.
"Thank you again, Tiara. I will see you again soon." Mr. Jackson leaned down and kissed my cheek before disappearing out the front door.
Before I could get my bearings, Jane appeared out of thin air, throwing her arms around me and squeezing so tightly I thought she might break my neck. "Oh my god, Titi. You did it! Your first painting!"
"Can you believe it?" I couldn't help but smile. This had been my dream all of my life. "It still doesn't feel real. I thought I was going to have a heart attack before he signed it."
"Well, get used to it! It's just the beginning." Jane grinned, grabbing two small glasses from a tray and handing one to me.
"Is this champagne?" It suspiciously smelt like something stronger.
"God, no." She scoffed. "It's tequila! But I can get you some champagne as a chaser."
"This seems like a terrible idea."
"Tequila is never a terrible idea." Jane rolled her eyes.
As another server passed by, I grabbed a glass of wine and put the shot glass of tequila on his tray.
"I think I better take it slow tonight. I already feel so nervous I could puke right here."
"Fine." Jane conceded. "But once all of this is over, we're going to celebrate the right way."
Jane disappeared as quickly as she came, and I stood at the back of the gallery and scanned the growing crowd. I recognized a few of the faces, but most of them were new. The front door opened and the crisp, fall New York City air hit from across the room. I glanced up, watching as four men came inside.
Just with their presence, they commanded the attention of everyone in the room, and several people were stealing glances and whispering amongst themselves. Everything about them was intimidating, from their dark hair and partially hidden tattoos to the heaviness of the air they carried, and their perfectly tailored suits looked wildly out of place here.
One of them seemed to be the leader, and he moved through the room with a confidence so loud it was deafening. He seemed oblivious to the attention he was drawing like it was just an ordinary day for him. The attention didn't seem to bother him one bit. He enjoyed it. The other men followed him from painting to painting before eventually breaking off and browsing on their own. Eventually, the infatuation wore off, and everyone else went back to their conversations.
The tallest man had his back to me and had been standing in front of one of my paintings for several minutes with an undeterred stare. For a brief second, I thought about going over to see if I could answer any of his questions, but Jane interrupted me.
"That's Leandro Diaz." She pointed over my shoulder at the man who had been standing at my painting. "He's one of the biggest real estate investors in the entire city. He looks like an Italian Hercules."
"The cartoon?" I held in my laughter, pressing the wineglass to my lips. I had never been one to get giddy or love-struck over a boy. That was another glaring difference between Jane and I. She was always quick to fall in love, and unfortunately, just as quick to get her heart broken.
She rolled her eyes, slapping my shoulder.
"Why don't you go give him the brochure?" I suggested, nudging her forward.
"Right. I should do that." She had been dying for an excuse to go talk to them, and I had given her one.
I took another sip of my wine, enjoying the show as she introduced herself, handing a brochure to the first man, and another who had now joined him. She was talking a hundred miles an hour, pointing toward the painting and then turning toward me.
The two men turned toward me as well, and my eyes locked with the one who had been standing there the longest. This was the first time I was getting a good look at him, and I immediately felt unarmed. His eyes were as dark as his hair and felt like they were piercing right through me. Even from across the room, I could feel the intensity in his stare, and a fiery blush blanketed my cheeks. His attention was unwavering, and it only made me feel uncomfortable. Why did it seem like he was already angry with me?
Wanting to escape the tense moment, I turned toward another group of women and immersed myself in their conversation.
"Oh Titi, this is just to die for." One of our regular clients beamed as I walked towards them.
"Isn't it lovely Maria Corsen? This is from one of our new artists. She is so..." I started to delve right into my speech when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I whirled around to find Jane standing right behind me.
"Titi, those men over there. They're interested in your painting." Her tone was giddy. She moved in between Maria Corsen and me, not giving me much of a choice."I'd be happy to tell you about this one, Maria Corsen."
Reluctantly, I headed toward the group.
"Don't defy me Nessa submit yourself to me." he said in a threatening voice. She was shocked at how stubborn he is and not even trying to understand her vulnerability. "No I'll never do this. I don't want this, please." She cried out this time joining her hands in front of him and also trying to clutch her dress. "You have to because I bought you and I can do whatever I want with you." He evilly smirked while gazing up and down at her and her gaze again went to her cleavage and now she was looking like a irresistible temptress to him without doing anything. "Please you are not my soulmate, my forever love." she said sobbing out again trying to make him understand. 'What is this nonsense soulmate or forever love?' he thought and scoffed loudly. These things are nothing to him and now it will not matter for her too because he the one who will matter for her now. He strode towards her and held her jaw in a tight grip and gritted his teeth. "There is nothing like that. Forever is a lie and even there is something like this I'll be that for you. " He spat at her aggressively not even liking a bit that she will be with someone else. "No leave me please I beg you." she pleaded him again and now it made him go crazy knowing why she is resisting him because she thinks he is not his soulmate or his lover. Even if any soulmate of her is out there he will not let him be alive. He will kill him with his own bare hands and give him that much painful death that any man will think hundred times to even lay their eyes on her. "Yes you will beg me to don't stop after I'll fuck you till your submission." He said and left her jaw throwing her on the bed. *** An innocent girl Vanessa Orwell is abducted and sold to the Italian mafia boss. Morgan Price the Italian mafia boss bought and kept her with him without her will. But her everything starts attracting him towards her. What will he do when suddenly he starts feeling something for her?
"Stay away from me; I'm not the man for you." How did those words transform into "I can't live without her"? Dive into this unique love story to uncover the truth. Vivian Carter is forced into an arranged marriage with a man she's never met, under the threat of devastating consequences to the only person she truly loves if she disobeys her controlling father and stepmother. Mario Houston, a billionaire with his own empire, embodies the classic bad boy who always gets his way. But when Vivian enters his life and starts calling him out on his behavior, will he rise to the challenge and become a better man-or spiral even further into his dark ways?
"Kill me," she rasped, her voice hoarse. It was confusing; didn't she want this, didn't she want me? What an actress. My laughter turned bitter. "That would be too easy," I smirked before letting go of her neck and dropping her to the floor. I crouched down, grabbed her chin, and forced her to look at me. "I’m going to torture you, destroy you, but never kill you. After all, you'll have to sleep with me eventually. You are my wife now," he mocked me cruelly. Jennifer Nelson, the fearless Russian capo's perfect and pure daughter, finds her life changed when she's married off to form a treaty. Her new husband, Alexander Alfonso, is known worldwide, especially to her. The treaty wasn't the only reason he married her—he wanted revenge. Eight years have passed; has anything changed? She didn't expect to last long in the marriage. How far will she go to survive? Does she even want to? Alexander Alfonso, the ruthless Italian capo, is known for his cruelty. After something devastating happens to him, it haunts him for eight years until he gets the perfect chance to make the person responsible pay. He thinks he knows everything about her, but all his studying might be wasted when she reveals her truth. Even the most evil people have a traumatic story that shaped them. How far will he go to make her pay? Does he even want to after learning the truth? TW: This story contains triggering topics of many sorts.
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.
After being kicked out of her home, Harlee learned she wasn't the biological daughter of her family. Rumors had it that her impoverished biological family favored sons and planned to profit from her return. Unexpectedly, her real father was a zillionaire, catapulting her into immense wealth and making her the most cherished member of the family. While they anticipated her disgrace, Harlee secretly held design patents worth billions. Celebrated for her brilliance, she was invited to mentor in a national astronomy group, drew interest from wealthy suitors, and caught the eye of a mysterious figure, ascending to legendary status.
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
Janice, the long-forgotten legitimate heiress, made her way back to her family, pouring her heart into winning their hearts. Yet, she had to relinquish her very identity, her academic credentials, and her creative works to her foster sister. In return for her sacrifices, she found no warmth, only deeper neglect. Resolute, Janice vowed to cut off all emotional bonds. Transformed, she now stood as a master of martial arts, adept in eight languages, an esteemed medical expert, and a celebrated designer. With newfound resolve, she declared, "From this day forward, no one in this family shall cross me."
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"