She was taken as leverage. He never expected she'd become his weakness. When ballerina Sienna Rosetti is kidnapped by infamous Mafia boss Dante Moreau, she's thrust into a world of violence, secrets, and seductive danger. Held captive in his secluded Sicilian estate, Sienna fights to reclaim her freedom-but the more time she spends with her captor, the harder it is to ignore the heat between them. As hidden betrayals rise and Dante's empire teeters on the edge, they must decide: will love save them-or destroy them both?
Rain drizzled against the glass like a soft percussion, rhythmic and steady, mirroring the dull ache in Aria's temples. It had been another sleepless night-her mother's cough echoing down the narrow hall of their small apartment, the bills stacked like a silent threat on the kitchen counter, and the gnawing worry about the flower shop's rent, which was now a month overdue.
She shifted the weight of the coffee tray in her hands as she stepped into the rush of a bustling Manhattan café. The scent of roasted beans and wet pavement filled her lungs, grounding her for just a moment.
"Double espresso for... Ethan?" she called out, scanning the crowd.
No one responded.
She turned to take another step and collided-hard-into a wall of a man.
Coffee. Everywhere.
"Oh no-oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Aria gasped, her eyes wide with horror as the tray hit the floor, the ceramic cup shattering, the dark liquid blooming across an expensive charcoal-gray suit.
The man slowly looked down at his soaked jacket. Then his eyes lifted to hers.
Cold. Piercing. Unforgiving.
"Do you always walk through life blind and uncoordinated, or is today special?" he said evenly, each word sharp as glass.
Aria's face flamed. "I-I didn't see you. I was calling a name. I didn't mean-"
He cut her off with a raised hand, not in kindness, but dismissal. "Save it."
Aria blinked, stunned.
"Let me pay for the dry cleaning-"
"That won't fix the suit." His tone was clipped, final.
Then, just like that, he turned and walked out into the rain, unbothered. Unapologetic.
Aria stood frozen, staring after him, the tray still trembling in her hands.
"What a jackass," the barista muttered behind her.
"No kidding," Aria mumbled.
She didn't know it yet, but that man-Ethan Vale-was about to become the reason her entire world turned upside down.
Three days later, Aria was elbow-deep in roses when Mr. Liu, the building manager, dropped the bomb.
"They sold it," he said, not meeting her eyes. "The building. New owners taking over by end of the week."
Aria nearly dropped the garden shears.
"What? You said the lease was secure!"
"I said I thought it was," he muttered. "Turns out the previous owner took a private offer. Some development firm. Big money. Sorry, kid."
"No, no, no..." she whispered, heart racing.
The flower shop wasn't just a job-it was her lifeline. It paid for her mom's medications, kept food on their table, and gave her a purpose. It was the one place she felt like she belonged.
"Who bought it?" she asked.
He scratched his head. "Some company... Vale Enterprises, I think?"
Her blood ran cold.
It couldn't be.
The suit. The coffee. The ice stare.
No. No way.
She went home that night numb. The apartment smelled like lavender and cough drops. Her mother was already asleep, curled up beneath a pile of worn quilts, the television humming low in the background.
Aria didn't sleep. She researched. Read every article she could find on Vale Enterprises. And there he was-Ethan Vale. Billionaire CEO. Real estate tycoon. Manhattan's youngest self-made mogul.
Cold-hearted. Unreachable. Known for tearing down anything in his path if it didn't match his bottom line.
But she wasn't going to let him bulldoze her shop. Not without a fight.
The lobby of Vale Enterprises gleamed like glass and chrome heaven. Aria walked in the next morning with her heart thudding in her chest, armed only with a folder of documents and a stubborn hope that maybe-just maybe-he wasn't as heartless as he seemed.
The receptionist didn't look up from her screen. "Do you have an appointment?"
"No. But I need to speak to Mr. Vale. Please."
"Mr. Vale doesn't take walk-ins."
Aria swallowed hard. "This is urgent."
Before the receptionist could respond, a familiar figure stepped out of the glass elevator. Immaculately dressed, same unreadable expression, same presence that seemed to still the air around him.
Ethan Vale.
He stopped when he saw her. For a second, his brow twitched in recognition.
"You again," he said. "Didn't expect to see you in my building."
"I didn't come to spill coffee," she said, chin high. "I came to talk about the flower shop in Brooklyn. The one your company just bought."
He regarded her, then gestured toward the elevator. "Five minutes."
His office was everything she expected-sleek, modern, soulless. He leaned against the edge of his desk, arms folded.
"Speak."
"I've worked in that shop for four years," she began. "It supports me, my mom-she's sick. I'm studying design part-time. This isn't just a job to me. It's my entire life."
"And?"
"I'm asking for a two-month extension. Just time to figure something out. Please."
Ethan studied her with the same expression he'd use to examine a spreadsheet. "The shop will be demolished in thirty days. That's already generous."
Her jaw clenched. "Don't you care about the people behind your decisions?"
"No," he said simply.
She blinked.
"Business is not about feelings, Miss..."
"Bennett."
"Miss Bennett. I make decisions based on value. Sentiment doesn't factor in."
She rose to leave, furious and humiliated, but something stopped him.
A photograph had slid from the folder she'd brought. A shot of her floral work-a wedding arch she'd designed last summer, lush with peonies and eucalyptus, backlit by twilight.
He picked it up. Looked at it again.
"You did this?"
"Yes," she said warily.
He glanced at her. "My company is launching a hotel in SoHo. We need a floral designer for the interiors and launch events. Your style fits the brand."
Her eyes narrowed. "What are you saying?"
"I'll offer you a contract. You handle all floral installations for the hotel. In return, I delay the building's demolition."
Her chest tightened. "So I work for you, or I lose everything?"
"I prefer to think of it as a mutually beneficial agreement," he said.
She stared at him. "You're unbelievable."
"And you're running out of options."
She hated him for being right.
But more than that, she hated how, despite everything-his coldness, his arrogance-part of her was intrigued.
She'd never met someone like Ethan Vale. And she had a feeling he'd never met someone like her, either.
"Fine," she said finally. "But don't think for a second I'm impressed by you."
He almost smiled.
"Noted."
Ethan Vale is the cold, calculating CEO who doesn't believe in love, only leverage. Aria Bennett is a struggling florist who spills coffee on his designer suit and ends up in his billion-dollar world. When her flower shop faces demolition, Ethan makes her a ruthless offer-design for his luxury hotel, or lose everything. But the deeper Aria is pulled into his icy world, the more she begins to thaw something buried beneath his perfect suits and brutal ambition. She's the warmth he never expected. He's the storm she never saw coming. This is not just a deal. It's the beginning of a love that could shatter them both-or finally set them free.
Isla Hemsworth is a pure, innocent, kind, and a loving daughter to her mother. She spent almost half of her life taking care of her sickly mother. She was deeply heartbroken when her mother suddenly passed away, living her all alone. She had a surprise of her life when she learned that her mother left her an island as part of her inheritance. Getting tired of the hustle and bustle of the big city, she decided to sell everything, and she isolates herself to Risona Island. As years goes by, Isla is now accustomed to living alone in the island. Her peaceful and quiet world suddenly turned upside down when an unconscious and helpless man has been washed ashore towards Risona Island. The big question is, who is this handsome stranger and why are they destined to meet each other?
Clarisse Marshall is a pretty and simple convenience store employee. She works hard for the money, and she has a pure and gentle heart, and she is more than willing to help anyone, and Michele Montserrat is just one of them. She saved Michele Montserrat's life, and as a result, the man fell inlove with her, fast and hard. Michele is a sweet, warm, kind and a gentle man, however, there's only one problem. He is the future "Godfather" of an organized mafia group which is called the "La Famiglia" which deals with drugs and weapons. Would she be able to set herself free from Michele's romantic pursuit towards her?
Serena Montana is a career woman who's working as a signed writer for a big publishing company in Brisbane, Australia. She received a great news from her Boss that her manuscript was handpicked by a famous production company, and they will have a television adaptation of her novel. Since 50% of the scenes from the novel is back in Walnut Creek, a small countryside area where she grew up, she needs to go back their and relieve the past with her first love, Paolo. Can she successfully finish her work without leaving her heart in Walnut Creek?
Lara Smith is a 30-year-old woman who has been living a dull and lonely life. She doesn't have a family of her own, she doesn't have her own savings, and she is working hard like a dog, just to make ends meet. She wished to be like Amanda Montserrat, a beautiful, rich and a powerful woman who owns Etoile Cosmetics company. The world is her oyster, and she lives a perfect live. She's a trillionaire, she's a genius woman running a cosmetic empire on her own and she is engaged to be married to Emmett Albreicht, who is an extremely famous hotel magnate. While on a company field trip, Lara was involved in a tragic accident, and she was in a comatose state for a year. As she wakes up from her slumber, she realized in horror that she is she's been trapped into a different body! She is now living the life of Amanda Montserrat and she doesn't have any choice but to live a different life while thinking on how to get back to her original body!
Dana Montecarlo woke up from a 5-year coma due to a severe traffic accident. She woke up from her hospital bed, with her loving husband on her side, Garrett Montecarlo. Dana was happy and relieved to know that her husband survived the car crash, and he's alive and well. But there seems to be something different about her husband, especially with his kiss. It wasn't that passionate as it used to be. She's wondering why her husband can't look at her straight in the eye. He's acting aloof and distant towards her, as if they were total strangers. What could've happened to her husband after the car crash?
Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms once at peace. The kingdom of Salem and the kingdom of Mombana... Until the day, the king of Mombana passed away and a new monarch took over, Prince Cone. Prince Cone, has always been hungry for more power and more and more. After his coronation, he attacked Salem. The attack was so unexpected, Salem never prepared for it. They were caught off guard. The king and Queen was killed, the prince was taken into slavery. The people of Salem that survived the war was enslaved, their land taken from them. Their women were made sex slaves. They lost everything, including their land. Evil befall the land of Salem in form of Prince Cone, and the prince of Salem in his slavery was filled with so much rage. The prince of Salem, Prince Lucien swore revenge. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 Ten years later, thirty-years old Lucien and his people raided a coup and escaped slavery. They went into hiding and recuperated. They trained day and night under the leadership of the fearless and cold Lucien who was driven with everything in him to get back their land, and take Mombana land too. It took them five years before they ambushed and attacked Mombana. They killed Prince Cone and reclaimed everything. As they screamed out their victory, Lucien's eyes found and pinned the proud princess of Mombana. Princess Danika. The daughter of Prince Cone. As Lucien stared at her with the coldest eyes anyone can ever possess, he felt victory for the first time. He walked to the princess with the slave collar he'd won for ten years rattling in his hand as he walked. He reached close to her and with a swift movement, he collared her neck. Then, he tilted her chin up, staring into the bluest eyes and the most beautiful face ever created, he gave her a cold smile. "You are my acquisition. My slave. My sex slave. My property. I will pay you in spades, everything you and your father ever did to me and my people." He stated curtly. Pure hatred, coldness and victory was the only emotion on his face. .
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
"Please trust me, I didn't do anything." "I don't believe you. I am rejecting you as my Queen and giving you the punishment of death." Alina was living outside her pack for five years. Her parents didn't try to contact her and always ignored her. Her best friend convinced her to go back to their pack and she agreed. But she had never imagined what was waiting there for her. She never thought she would meet her mate and had to face betrayal from everywhere. She had to pay for the crime which she never committed. Aaron Robertson is the king of Lycans. He is a very dominant and powerful King who not only rules Lycans but also rules other ranks of werewolves. Everyone is afraid of Lycans and he is the king of them. But who knew that he would get a mate who was just a simple Omega with no powers and strengths? He called her weak all the time but little did he know that his weak Omega would give him the biggest betrayal of his life for which he had to give her the sentence of death.
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!”
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.
Maria took her sister’s place and was engaged to Anthony, a disabled man who had lost his status as the family heir. At first, they were just a nominal couple. However, things changed when things about Maria were gradually exposed. It turned out she was a professional hacker, a mysterious composer, and the sole successor to an international jade sculpting master… The more that was revealed about her, the less Anthony could rest easy. A famous singer, an award-winning actor, an heir of a rich family—so many excellent men were chasing after his fiancee, Maria. What should Anthony do?