Introduction
When my adoptive father demands that I marry one of his business partners, Karlin Makarova, my dream becomes nothing more than that - a dream. Karlin is a vile monster, a nightmare for any woman he crosses paths with.
I dread the time I have to spend alone with Karlin and hide the bruises that fill me with deep shame.
But then my beloved brother steps in and arranges a marriage with one of his best friends.
Armani De Santis is known to be coolheaded, aloof, and calculative. Sure, he's heartbreakingly attractive - emphasis on heartbreakingly - but it's clear he sees me as his friend's little sister that's become his problem.
Then again, I'd rather have my heart broken by Armani De Santis than be Karlin Makarova's punching bag.
And so, my dream of a happily ever after turns into a cold-blooded war between the two men, and I find myself praying that somehow I'll survive.
But life has taught me prayers are never answered.
Chapter 1
Tiana
Armani De Cantis; 24. Tiana Petrov; 21.
The world I live in is a cruel one. Nothing has ever been easy.
I don’t remember my biological parents or what happened to them. My earliest memory is of Misha, my older brother, holding me tightly to his side while the harsh winter cold froze our bodies. A door creaked as it opened, and we finally got to escape the ice and wind. It was the day the orphanage took us in, but it never felt like home.
We spent five years amongst other abandoned children, but I had something they didn’t have – Misha.
My brother was and is my everything.
Glancing out the window as the vehicle drives us toward St. Monarch’s, where we’ll meet the D’Angelos, I feel a sense of intense loss.
Misha is getting married to an Italian mafia princess.
After the wedding, Misha will no longer be mine. Aurora D’Angelo will become his wife and my sister-in-law. She’ll be the most important person in his life.
Is she kind? Will she give Misha the love he deserves? Will she be home to him?
Will Misha be happy?
I always knew he’d get married at some point, but it’s still a shock.
The car drives through massive iron gates, and my gaze locks on the old castle that’s been converted into a resort and training center for the criminals of the world. It’s the only neutral ground where no killing is allowed.
I’ve heard St. Monarch’s also offers various services like tracking someone, assassination contracts, and things I’d rather not think about.
It’s also where Misha and Alek have been training for the past three years.
The place terrifies me.
My stomach clenches, and a wave of emotion threatens to push tears to my eyes. It’s all happening too fast for me to comprehend. In a matter of three months, Misha fell in love and a marriage was arranged between him and Aurora. I only learned about this a couple of weeks ago.
It’s hard to share the only person who is truly mine.
Misha and I were adopted by the Aslanhovs, and even though they took care of us and never abused us in any way, I never quite felt like they were my family.
Blood is thicker than water.
But nothing is stronger than love.
It’s hard to explain, and I don’t want to sound selfish, but Misha is the only ‘real’ family I have. I know he’d die for me in a heartbeat.
After the wedding, Aurora will become his priority.
After the wedding, I won’t have anyone who’ll put me first. It’s a sobering thought.
And a frightening one.
Living in a world governed by the bratva and mafia, a woman is an easy target when she doesn’t have someone to look out for her.
Ugh. I’m being overly dramatic. It’s not like Misha will stop protecting
me.
Be happy for your brother. You’re gaining a sister, which is something
you’ve always wanted.
The car comes to a stop, and Mrs. Aslanhov pats my hand. Even though I call Mrs. Aslanhov Mama, she’s more like a favorite aunt to me. I call Mr. Aslanhov Papa, out of respect, but there’s no real relationship between us.
Misha still calls them Mr. and Mrs. Aslanhov. He never felt comfortable referring to them as Mama and Papa. Misha bonded with Alek, their youngest son, and they’ve become best friends over the years, seeing as they’re the same age.
Their oldest son, Vincent, didn’t interact with us much because of the age gap. That was before he was killed, which is something we never talk about.
After Vincent died, everything changed. Mr. Aslanhov threw himself into work. Mrs. Aslanhov grew quiet, the loss of her son drowning her in sorrow.
And Alek…it broke him.
The past three years have been challenging, but somehow we all managed to get through it.
Taking a deep breath, I push the car door open and climb out.
When Alek and Misha come out of the castle to meet us, a rare smile forms on Mrs. Aslanhov’s face. I swear she’s aged twenty years since Vincent’s death, and the sorrow only seems to lift in Alek’s presence.
Maybe this wedding will do everyone good.
My eyes lock with my brother’s, and the moment a smile curves his lips, I dart forward, slamming into the wall that’s his solid chest. Misha’s arms wrap around me, and I bask in the safety only he can make me feel.
Home.
“I missed you,” I whisper, happy to be reunited with my brother.
“Not half as much as I missed you,” he chuckles. “Let me take a look at you.” He pushes me back, his hands resting on my shoulders as his eyes
lock on mine.
I’ve never been able to hide anything from Misha, so I’m not surprised when he tilts his head. “What’s wrong?”
Shaking my head, I brighten my smile. “I’m just nervous about meeting Aurora.”
“Don’t worry about it. You’re going to love her,” he assures me.
Misha lets go of me to greet Mr. and Mrs. Aslanhov while Alek comes to give me a hug. “Hey, T. Miss me?”
Pulling back, I smile as I tease, “A little.”
“A little, my ass,” he grumbles. His eyes sweep over me then he frowns. “What happened to the jeans and sneakers?”
I glance down at my black stiletto-heel ankle boots, the tight black pants, and the off-shoulder lace-up-front top I’m wearing.
Lifting an eyebrow at Alek, I smirk, “I’m not a teenager anymore and have to dress the part of a bratva princess.”
He pulls a disgruntled face. “I liked the jeans and sneakers better.”
“I agree,” Misha says as he joins us. “Every asshole in this place is going to stare at you.”
“Don’t gang up on me,” I pout playfully before linking my arm with Misha’s. “When will I meet Aurora?”
“Now.” His eyes, the same color blue as mine, tighten with a serious expression. “I love Aurora.”
Reading between the lines, I say, “I’ll do my best to welcome her to the family.”
I can see he means it when he replies, “Thank you.”
Misha leads me into the castle, and I glance around as we walk past a grand staircase. There are murals of old battles painted on the ceiling, and the air feels tense and ominous.
Last Chapters
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I Loved You in Silence, You Betrayed Me in French
At my birthday party, my husband whispered to his mistress in French that he missed her. His voice was low, but I heard it all—the black lingerie, the bit about how pregnancy makes you more sensitive. His French clients around us were laughing. He turned and put his arm around me, claiming he was just helping his clients come up with sweet nothings.
He doesn't know I understand every single word. Just like he doesn't know that inside my body, I'm carrying his other surprise. And his mistress—she's pregnant too. Two wombs, one secret.
Confrontation would be too cheap. Tears are worthless. I quietly started cataloging the hidden networks my father left behind, activating the Swiss accounts.
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When I Disappeared, He Regretted It
The moment the screen lit up, my entire world came crashing down.
The woman on the bed was Calista - that girl who grew up with us since we were kids. And that hand caressing her skin was wearing the wedding ring I had personally put on Matteo's finger.
"I've missed you so much..."
"You drive me crazy, baby..."
Those sweet words I knew so well completely destroyed me.
Everyone said we were the perfect couple, but who knew this marriage was built on nothing but lies?
Since he's so good at acting, I guess it's time I gave him a show of my own. I'm going to make sure everyone sees what this "perfect husband" really is...
The Family Sacrifice
I simply said one word: "Okay."
My parents and Gilbert were stunned. They rushed to have me sign the voluntary donation form, afraid I’d change my mind.
Some days later, they sent me to the operating room.
Dad said, "Yvonne will finally be saved. We're so proud of you."
Mom said, "After the surgery, we'll make it up to you."
Gilbert looked tenderly at Yvonne and said, "When you're better, where should we travel?"
What they didn't know was that the day I agreed, I'd just received my diagnosis, stage four cancer. Three months to live.
As I lay on the cold operating table, as the anesthesia began to take effect, I only wanted to know one thing:
If I die on this operating table, will they regret it?
He Never Loved Me, Until I Left
I put away the divorce agreement with a wry smile.
When he and my son completely disappeared, he finally panicked.
Three months later .
He knelt down on the streets of Chicago in despair, begging me to remarry him.
My six-year-old son looked coldly at his biological father and said, "Get lost, you bad uncle! You don't deserve to be my dad!"
He Thought I'd Never Leave
When he said he was being bullied, I believed him. When he kissed me on that rooftop, I thought he felt the same. When he asked me to transfer schools with him, I said yes without hesitation.
Then I heard him bragging to his friends: "She'd save her first time for me. Hell, she'd still be thinking of me on her wedding night."
The bullying was staged. The kiss meant nothing. He just wanted me gone—so his new girl could feel more comfortable.
He thought I'd beg. He thought I'd cry. He thought I'd never actually leave.
I left the country.
And ran straight into his stepbrother.
I Died While They Threw Her a Party
Their real daughter came home. She'd only been back two years. That's all it took to erase twenty-four.
When kidnappers grabbed us, I used my body as a shield. They beat me until something inside me ruptured. I was dying from internal bleeding, but no one could tell.
My parents wouldn't even look at me. "This is your fault! None of this would've happened if it weren't for you!"
"Get downstairs and apologize to your sister. If you can't, pack your things and get out."
They threw her a party at a downtown hotel while I died alone in my room.
I thought they'd be relieved. Maybe even glad. I thought they'd just move on like I never existed.
But when they finally learned the truth, they fell apart.
Bury Me in His Regret
The kidnapper pressed the gun to my temple and asked, "Choose your wife or your sister-in-law?"
Zachary didn't hesitate. "Let Valerie go," he said.
He actually chose to save his sister-in-law! In that moment, even the baby in my belly seemed to stop kicking.
Later, they locked me in the basement. Drugs to delay labor were pumped into my veins over and over. Zachary wanted to save the "firstborn son" status for his sister-in-law's child.
When warm blood finally soaked through my skirt, I dialed the number I knew by heart with shaking hands.
"Zachary," I whispered into the phone, "our child... can't wait any longer."
The Kidney That Killed Me
A few months ago, my sister was hospitalized with kidney failure. The doctor said she needed a transplant. My family's first thought was me—the backup daughter they'd kept around all these years.
When my husband Allen took my hand with tears in his eyes and said, "Only you can save her," I agreed without hesitation.
When the doctor explained the surgical risks and potential complications, I smiled and nodded my understanding.
My parents said I'd finally learned what sisterly love meant.
Even Allen, who'd always been cold to me, held my hand gently and said, "The surgery's safe. You're so healthy, nothing will go wrong. When you recover, I'll take you to Hawaii."
But they don't know that no matter how the surgery goes, I won't be around to celebrate.
Because I just got my own test results—I have terminal brain cancer. I'm going to die anyway.
After the Affair: Falling into a Billionaire's Arms
From first crush to wedding vows, George Capulet and I had been inseparable. But in our seventh year of marriage, he began an affair with his secretary.
On my birthday, he took her on vacation. On our anniversary, he brought her to our home and made love to her in our bed...
Heartbroken, I tricked him into signing divorce papers.
George remained unconcerned, convinced I would never leave him.
His deceptions continued until the day the divorce was finalized. I threw the papers in his face: "George Capulet, from this moment on, get out of my life!"
Only then did panic flood his eyes as he begged me to stay.
When his calls bombarded my phone later that night, it wasn't me who answered, but my new boyfriend Julian.
"Don't you know," Julian chuckled into the receiver, "that a proper ex-boyfriend should be as quiet as the dead?"
George seethed through gritted teeth: "Put her on the phone!"
"I'm afraid that's impossible."
Julian dropped a gentle kiss on my sleeping form nestled against him. "She's exhausted. She just fell asleep."
Alpha Nicholas's Little Mate
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Please tell me you're joking, Lex.
But she's not. I can feel her excitement bubbling under my skin, while all I feel is dread.
We turn the corner, and the scent hits me like a punch to the chest—cinnamon and something impossibly warm. My eyes scan the room until they land on him. Tall. Commanding. Beautiful.
And then, just as quickly… he sees me.
His expression twists.
"Fuck no."
He turns—and runs.
My mate sees me and runs.
Bonnie has spent her entire life being broken down and abused by the people closest to her including her very own twin sister. Alongside her best friend Lilly who also lives a life of hell, they plan to run away while attending the biggest ball of the year while it's being hosted by another pack, only things don't quite go to plan leaving both girls feeling lost and unsure about their futures.
Alpha Nicholas is 28, mateless, and has no plans to change that. It's his turn to host the annual Blue Moon Ball this year and the last thing he expects is to find his mate. What he expects even less is for his mate to be 10 years younger than him and how his body reacts to her. While he tries to refuse to acknowledge that he has met his mate his world is turned upside down after guards catch two she-wolves running through his lands.
Once they are brought to him he finds himself once again facing his mate and discovers that she's hiding secrets that will make him want to kill more than one person.
Can he overcome his feelings towards having a mate and one that is so much younger than him? Will his mate want him after already feeling the sting of his unofficial rejection? Can they both work on letting go of the past and moving forward together or will fate have different plans and keep them apart?
Omega Bound
Thane Knight is the alpha of the Midnight Pack of the La Plata Mountain Range, the largest wolf shifter pack in the world. He is an alpha by day and hunts the shifter trafficking ring with his group of mercenaries by night. His hunt for vengeance leads to one raid that changes his life.
Tropes:
Touch her and die/Slow burn romance/Fated Mates/Found family twist/Close circle betrayal/Cinnamon roll for only her/Traumatized heroine/Rare wolf/Hidden powers/Knotting/Nesting/Heats/Luna/Attempted assassination
