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When seventeen-year-old Maya's mother remarries, she's thrust into a new life with her wealthy stepfather-and his devastatingly attractive son, Adrian, who happens to be the most sought-after guy at her new elite private school.
When seventeen-year-old Maya's mother remarries, she's thrust into a new life with her wealthy stepfather-and his devastatingly attractive son, Adrian, who happens to be the most sought-after guy at her new elite private school.
The moving truck had left three hours ago, and I was still staring at the boxes stacked in what was supposed to be my new bedroom. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the California sun painted everything in shades of gold that felt nothing like home. Nothing like the cramped apartment in Chicago where Mom and I had spent the last ten years scraping by. Now we were living in a mansion in Beverly Hills. Because Mom had married Richard Cross a man so wealthy he probably used hundred-dollar bills as napkins-and apparently, fairy tales do come true. Just not the kind I'd ever imagined.
"Maya, sweetheart, dinner's ready!" Mom's voice floated up the marble staircase, sounding happier than I'd heard her in years. I pushed off from the window seat and caught my reflection in the mirror across the room. Same boring brown hair, same unremarkable hazel eyes, same girl who'd spent four years perfecting the art of being invisible at Lincoln High. The girl who was about to start senior year at some elite private school where everyone probably had trust funds and summer homes. The dining room could have hosted a small wedding. Richard sat at the head of an obscenely long table, his salt-and-pepper hair perfectly styled even after a full day at his law firm. Mom beamed beside him, wearing a dress that probably cost more than our old monthly rent. "How's the unpacking going?" Richard asked as I slid into my chair. "Good," I lied, stabbing at my salmon. Everything in this house was intimidating, from the crystal chandelier hanging overhead to the actual Monet on the wall. "Thanks again for... all of this." "You don't need to thank me, Maya. You're family now." Family. The word sat strangely in the air. We'd been family for exactly six weeks-since the small courthouse wedding Mom had insisted on to avoid making a "spectacle." "Where's Adrian tonight?" Mom asked, glancing at the empty chair across from me. "Basketball practice ran late. He'll grab something when he gets home." Richard's expression softened when he mentioned his son. "You'll meet him tomorrow. I think you two will get along well." I nodded and smiled, but my stomach knotted. I'd successfully avoided meeting my new stepbrother for six weeks. Mom had mentioned he was my age, popular, and "very handsome"-which translated to exactly the type of guy who wouldn't give me a second glance at school. The type who made girls like me invisible. Better that way. My plan for senior year was simple: keep my head down, get good grades, and count down the days until college. No drama, no complications, no drawing attention to the fact that I was now living in the most expensive zip code in Los Angeles despite clearly not belonging here. After dinner, I escaped to my room and tried to focus on unpacking, but the silence of the enormous house was deafening. In our old apartment, I could hear Mrs. Peterson's TV through the thin walls and the constant hum of traffic. Here, the only sound was the distant splash of water from the infinity pool outside. Around eleven, I gave up on organizing and headed downstairs for some of those fancy cookies I'd seen in the kitchen. The house was dark except for the soft glow of under-cabinet lighting. I was reaching for the cookie jar when I heard the front door open, followed by footsteps and the soft thud of something dropping. "Shit," a low voice muttered. I froze. Adrian was home. The footsteps moved through the foyer and toward the kitchen. I could slip out through the back door to the pool area, circle around, and sneak back upstairs. Or I could act like a normal human being and just say hello. The footsteps were getting closer. I grabbed a cookie and turned around just as someone walked into the kitchen. And promptly forgot how to breathe. The guy standing in the doorway wasn't just handsome-he was the kind of beautiful that should have been illegal. Dark hair that looked like he'd been running his fingers through it, sharp jawline, and eyes so intensely blue they seemed to glow in the dim lighting. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and had the easy confidence that came with knowing you were the best-looking person in any room. This was my stepbrother. We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. His gaze traveled from my messy ponytail down to my oversized pajamas and bare feet, then back up to my face. Something unreadable flickered in his expression. "You must be Maya," he said finally, his voice deeper than I'd expected. "And you're Adrian." My voice came out as barely a whisper. He moved closer, and I caught the scent of his cologne mixed with something else-something uniquely him that made my pulse quicken in a way that should have been a warning. "Sorry I missed dinner. Coach kept us late." He opened the fridge and pulled out a water bottle, his movements fluid and confident. "How are you settling in?" "Fine," I managed, clutching my cookie like a lifeline. "It's... different." "Different good or different bad?" "Just different." A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Diplomatic answer." The kitchen suddenly felt smaller, the air thicker. I needed to get out of here, away from those blue eyes that seemed to see right through me. "I should let you eat," I said, edging toward the doorway. "Early day tomorrow." "Maya." The way he said my name made me stop. "Welcome home." Home. Such a simple word, but the way it rolled off his tongue made something flutter in my chest. I mumbled a goodnight and practically ran upstairs, my heart hammering against my ribs. In my room, I leaned against the closed door and tried to process what had just happened. This was bad. This was very, very bad. Because in thirty seconds, Adrian Cross had managed to shatter every wall I'd carefully built around myself. And tomorrow, I'd have to face him at school, where I'd undoubtedly discover that every girl at Westbridge Academy was just as affected by those blue eyes as I was. My plan to stay invisible had just become a whole lot more complicated.
In the heart of New York City, where danger lurks behind every corner, Lucian Volkov rules the night as a ruthless alpha werewolf and billionaire. His empire-a complex web of legitimate businesses and dangerous mafia dealings-is thrown into chaos when he is forced into an arranged marriage with the fierce and fiery Vera Moretti, the disgraced daughter of a rival crime family. Vera carries the weight of her family's legacy and a secret of her own-she is immune to werewolf bites, a rare genetic anomaly that makes her the most coveted prize in the supernatural underworld. As their worlds collide, Lucian's beast recognizes Vera as his fated mate, igniting an attraction that neither can deny, but old grudges run deep, and Vera's hatred for him blinds her to the truth of their bond. When betrayal strikes from within, pushing them further apart, Lucian must battle rival packs and unearth hidden truths, while Vera grapples with the power of her lineage that she never knew existed. The struggle for dominance and desire leads to an explosive climax-one that could either bind them forever or destroy them both. In a world of blood and betrayal, will Vera surrender to the call of the wolf, or will their love remain a forbidden bite?
"Lucien, let's get a divorce," I said in a peremptory tone that was long overdue, the most decisive farewell to this absurd marriage. We had been married for exactly three years-three years that, for me, were filled with nothing but endless loneliness and torment. For three years, the husband who should have stood by my side through every storm, Lucien Sullivan, had completely disappeared from my life as if he had never existed. He vanished without a trace, leaving me alone to endure this empty, desolate marriage. Today, I finally received his message: "I'm back. Come pick me up at the airport." When I read his words, my heart leapt with joy, and I raced to the airport, thinking that he finally understood my love and was coming back to me. But his cruelty was far worse than I could have ever imagined-he was accompanied by a pregnant woman, and that woman was Carla, my closest and most trusted friend. In that moment, all of my previous excitement, all my hope, and all of our shared laughter and tears turned into the sharpest of daggers, stabbing into my heart and leaving me gasping for air. Now, all I want is to escape from this place that has left me so broken-to lick my wounds in solitude. Even if these wounds will remain with me for the rest of my life, I refuse to have anything to do with him ever again. He should know that it was his own hand that trampled our love underfoot, that his coldness and betrayal created this irreparable situation. But when he heard those words, he desperately clung to this broken, crumbling marriage, unwilling to let it end-almost as though doing so could rewind time and return everything to how it used to be. "Aurora, come back. I regret everything!" Regret? Those simple words stirred no emotion in me-only endless sadness and fury. My heart let out a frantic, desperate scream: It's too late for any of this!
"Please believe me. I didn't do anything!" Thalassa Thompson cried helplessly. "Take her away." Kris Miller, her husband, said coldly. He didn't care as she was humiliated for the whole world to see. What would you if the love of your life and the woman you considered your best friend betrayed you in the worse way possible? For Thalassa, the answer was only one; she's going to come back stronger and better and bring everyone who made her suffer to their knees. Let the games begin! ***** "I hate you." Kris gritted out, glaring into her eyes. Thalassa laughed. "Mr Miller, if you hate me so much, then why is your dick so hard?"
"Maverick, you never loved me all these years, did you?" "Be good. You're just a substitute." ___ Never did Valencia expect that what her crush thought of her was a substitute for another woman. And never did she expect that the asshole would break the news to her after she gave herself to him a night before their wedding. Unable to take in the heartbreak, Valencia fled on her wedding day. Fast-forward to five years later; Valencia is now the anonymous owner of a company and the diligent mother of smart-ass quadruplets who think mom is the best and shouldn't be stressed. And the most important thing: Mom needs a capable boyfriend. Someone dared to attack their mommy? Mom will face-slap, and if Mom can't, Quadruplet will! A certain shameless man: 'Darling, relax; I'll properly beat them up for you. After the beating, what do you think we should have next-a triplet or a sextuplet?' Valencia: "...." Smartass quadruplets: Didn't you consider Mom to be a substitute? Scram. We don't recognize you!
Sawyer, the world's top arms dealer, stunned everyone by falling for Maren—the worthless girl no one respected. People scoffed. Why chase a useless pretty face? But when powerful elites began gathering around her, jaws dropped. "She's not even married to him yet—already cashing in on his power?" they assumed. Curious eyes dug into Maren's past... only to find she was a scientific genius, a world-renowned medical expert, and heiress to a mafia empire. Later, Sawyer posted online. "My wife treats me like the enemy. Any advice?"
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?"
Being second best is practically in my DNA. My sister got the love, the attention, the spotlight. And now, even her damn fiancé. Technically, Rhys Granger was my fiancé now-billionaire, devastatingly hot, and a walking Wall Street wet dream. My parents shoved me into the engagement after Catherine disappeared, and honestly? I didn't mind. I'd crushed on Rhys for years. This was my chance, right? My turn to be the chosen one? Wrong. One night, he slapped me. Over a mug. A stupid, chipped, ugly mug my sister gave him years ago. That's when it hit me-he didn't love me. He didn't even see me. I was just a warm-bodied placeholder for the woman he actually wanted. And apparently, I wasn't even worth as much as a glorified coffee cup. So I slapped him right back, dumped his ass, and prepared for disaster-my parents losing their minds, Rhys throwing a billionaire tantrum, his terrifying family plotting my untimely demise. Obviously, I needed alcohol. A lot of alcohol. Enter him. Tall, dangerous, unfairly hot. The kind of man who makes you want to sin just by existing. I'd met him only once before, and that night, he just happened to be at the same bar as my drunk, self-pitying self. So I did the only logical thing: I dragged him into a hotel room and ripped off his clothes. It was reckless. It was stupid. It was completely ill-advised. But it was also: Best. Sex. Of. My. Life. And, as it turned out, the best decision I'd ever made. Because my one-night stand isn't just some random guy. He's richer than Rhys, more powerful than my entire family, and definitely more dangerous than I should be playing with. And now, he's not letting me go.
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