
Introduction
Chapter 1
The morning light streaming through the tall windows of Meridian Gallery made everything look perfect. I stood in the center of my domain, coffee in hand, watching dust particles dance in the golden beams. After fifteen years in the art world, I still got that little thrill seeing my gallery like this—quiet, elegant, waiting for the day to begin.
"Elena, the Times critic is here early," Thomas called from the front desk. My assistant's voice carried that nervous edge it always got when important visitors arrived unannounced.
I smoothed my black blazer and walked toward the entrance. Margaret Chen from the New York Times stood studying our featured piece—a haunting oil painting of Ophelia drowning, her pale dress billowing in dark water. The artist had captured Shakespeare's doomed character with such raw emotion that viewers often stopped mid-sentence when they first saw it.
"Ms. Chen, what a pleasant surprise," I said, extending my hand. "I didn't expect you until this afternoon."
"I wanted to see the collection without the opening night crowd," she replied, her sharp eyes never leaving the painting. "This piece is quite... intense. Tell me about your curatorial choices for this exhibition."
I moved to stand beside her, seeing the painting through fresh eyes. "Classical themes of tragedy and beauty have always fascinated collectors. There's something about these timeless stories that speaks to our deepest emotions. This particular piece explores the thin line between despair and transcendence."
"And you're not concerned about the subject matter? Given recent events in the news?"
I frowned. "I'm not sure what you mean."
"The Canvas Killer case. Surely you've been following it? The FBI released new details yesterday about how the killer poses his victims to recreate famous paintings. Some people might find it unsettling to see tragic classical scenes right now."
My stomach tightened. I'd been so focused on preparing for the exhibition that I'd barely glanced at the news lately. "I don't see any connection between celebrating classical art and some madman's twisted crimes. Art shouldn't be censored because evil people exist."
Margaret nodded thoughtfully, making notes in her phone. "Of course. Can you tell me about this Rothschild piece in the corner? The documentation says it's on loan from a private collector."
I led her to the smaller canvas—a dark painting of Judith holding Holofernes' severed head, her expression both triumphant and haunted. "Dr. Julian Rothschild has been my mentor since graduate school. He has an extraordinary eye for finding these hidden masterpieces. This piece was recently authenticated as being from the workshop of Artemisia Gentileschi."
"Rothschild... the name sounds familiar."
"He's written several books on classical mythology in Renaissance art. Brilliant man. He's been like a father to me since I started in this business."
We spent another twenty minutes discussing the exhibition. Margaret asked thoughtful questions about each piece, and I found myself relaxing into the familiar rhythm of talking about what I loved most. When she left, promising a positive review, I felt that familiar surge of satisfaction. Another successful show, another step forward in building my reputation.
Thomas appeared at my elbow with a stack of messages. "Dr. Rothschild called twice this morning. He sounds excited about something. Also, that Russian collector, Natasha Volkov, wants to schedule another appointment. She's very interested in acquiring more pieces with mythological death scenes."
"Good. Schedule her for next week. And call Dr. Rothschild back—tell him I can meet him for lunch if he's free."
The rest of the morning flew by in a blur of client calls and paperwork. I was reviewing insurance documents when Thomas knocked on my office door, looking pale.
"Elena, you need to see the news."
He held out his tablet, and I found myself staring at a headline that made my blood run cold: "Canvas Killer Claims Fifth Victim—FBI Releases Crime Scene Details." Below the headline was a photograph that stopped my breath entirely.
The victim, a young woman with dark hair, had been posed exactly like the Ophelia painting hanging in my gallery. Every detail was perfect—the flowing dress, the flowers scattered in her hair, even her peaceful expression. It was as if someone had used our featured piece as a blueprint for murder.
"My God," I whispered, sinking into my chair.
"There's more," Thomas said quietly. He scrolled down to show additional photos. "The article mentions that investigators are looking into connections between the crime scenes and known artworks. They think the killer might be getting inspiration from gallery exhibitions."
My hands were shaking as I read the article. The FBI was asking the public to report any suspicious interest in classical paintings depicting death or tragedy. They wanted to hear from gallery owners, museum curators, anyone who dealt with this type of art.
"This is just a coincidence," I said, more to myself than to Thomas. "Millions of people know that painting. It's been reproduced in art books for centuries."
But even as I said the words, I felt a chill running down my spine. The resemblance was too perfect, too exact. Someone had studied our painting very carefully to recreate it so precisely.
My phone rang, startling me. Dr. Rothschild's name appeared on the screen.
"Elena, my dear, have you seen the news?" His familiar voice was filled with concern. "I'm worried about you. This terrible business with that madman copying classical paintings—people might get the wrong idea about your gallery."
"Julian, I just saw it. What should I do?"
"Stay calm. This has nothing to do with you or your work. Art has always been copied by disturbed individuals. Remember when that man in Europe was imitating Van Gogh? These things pass. Don't let fear destroy what you've built."
His steady voice helped calm my racing heart. Julian had guided me through every major decision in my career. If he wasn't worried, maybe I was overreacting.
"You're right. It's just shocking to see something so close to our exhibition."
"I'll come by this afternoon. We should discuss whether to make any changes to the show, just to be safe. In the meantime, don't talk to any reporters about this. Let me handle any inquiries."
After hanging up, I sat staring out the window at the busy Manhattan street. People walked by, going about their normal lives, unaware that somewhere in this city, a killer was using classical art as inspiration for murder.
I had no idea that my name was already on an FBI list.
Last Chapters
#52 Chapter 52: The Mission
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#51 Chapter 51: The Network
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#50 Chapter 50: The Warning Signs
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#49 Chapter 49: The Lesson
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#48 Chapter 48: The Aftermath
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#47 Chapter 47: The stance
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#46 Chapter 46: The Choice
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#45 Chapter 45: The Network
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#44 Chapter 44: The Escape
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#43 Chapter 43: The Test
Last Updated: 1/27/2026
You Might Like 😍
The Dragon's Last Fae Queen
“Prince? Dickhead? Asshole? Or stalker?” A slow, dangerous smile curved his lips. “Maybe I should show you the one title I want you to use.” Before I could react, his hand closed around my chin, tilting my face up. His lips crashed into mine, hard, claiming, breath-stealing. When he finally pulled back, his voice was a rough whisper against my lips. “You could call me yours… because you are mine.”
Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother
"What is wrong with me?
Why does being near him make my skin feel too tight, like I’m wearing a sweater two sizes too small?
It’s just newness, I tell myself firmly.
He’s my boyfirend’s brother.
This is Tyler’s family.
I’m not going to let one cold stare undo that.
**
As a ballet dancer, My life looks perfect—scholarship, starring role, sweet boyfriend Tyler. Until Tyler shows his true colors and his older brother, Asher, comes home.
Asher is a Navy veteran with battle scars and zero patience. He calls me "princess" like it's an insult. I can't stand him.
When My ankle injury forces her to recover at the family lake house, I‘m stuck with both brothers. What starts as mutual hatred slowly turns into something forbidden.
I'm falling for my boyfriend's brother.
**
I hate girls like her.
Entitled.
Delicate.
And still—
Still.
The image of her standing in the doorway, clutching her cardigan tighter around her narrow shoulders, trying to smile through the awkwardness, won’t leave me.
Neither does the memory of Tyler. Leaving her here without a second thought.
I shouldn’t care.
I don’t care.
It’s not my problem if Tyler’s an idiot.
It’s not my business if some spoiled little princess has to walk home in the dark.
I’m not here to rescue anyone.
Especially not her.
Especially not someone like her.
She’s not my problem.
And I’ll make damn sure she never becomes one.
But when my eyes fell on her lips, I wanted her to be mine.
The Deadly Mafia Princess
Her gang take the matter in their own hands, to try to save their leader from the horror of her home. What none of them know, they wasn’t her real parents, and now Ro will be sent away to live with her real family. That makes her closest members in her gang pack up and move as well. They don’t want to be far away from their leader.
The Hunter and The Hunted
Mihai’s hand slowly slides up my stomach, his fingers wrapping around my neck as he cuts of my ability to breathe, black spots clouding my vision, and yet, I am not afraid. I want more. I want everything that he can give to me.
He slowly inserts a third finger, the intense fullness that I feel teetering me over the edge of a cliff I cannot even see, and then he sucks and pulls at my clit. Sparks erupt throughout my body, the orgasm shaking my soul, and destroying what was left of my resistance.
She was the Daughter of a Hunter, he was one of the creatures that her family had sworn to destroy, what could possibly go wrong?
When their worlds collide, who will be left standing, will it be the hunter or the hunted, and which is which?
Glimmerdrop: The Crownwake Series
"This is your last chance to push me away."
At the fiercely hierarchical Haldorian Academy, magic-less commoner Hettie just wants to remain invisible. But Zadok, the academy's most untouchable elite, backs her into a corner she can't escape.
His fatal obsession sparks ruthless revenge: Dana, a high-tier wind mystic, turns paper into deadly blades during combat class, nearly blinding and disfiguring Hettie in a bloody attack .
The massive class divide and brutal bullying force Hettie to draw a line, demanding their romance be kept strictly underground .
That forever unattainable golden boy pinned her against the tree trunk, his scalding and aggressive kiss accompanied by a hopeless surrender: "You're going to be my doom ."
Worse still, Hettie discovers her parents’ dark secrets are dragging her into a deadly conspiracy of betrayal . Survival clashes with forbidden desire. In this deadly, cross-class temptation, whoever gives in first is doomed!
Rise of the Banished She-Wolf
That roar stole my eighteenth birthday and shattered my world. My first shift should have been glory—blood turned blessing into shame. By dawn they'd branded me "cursed": cast out by my pack, abandoned by family, stripped of my nature. My father didn't defend me—he sent me to a forsaken island where wolfless outcasts were forged into weapons, forced to kill each other until only one could leave.
On that island I learned the darkest edges of humanity and how to bury terror in bone. Countless times I wanted to surrender—dive into the waves and never surface—but the accusing faces that haunted my dreams pushed me back toward something colder than survival: revenge. I escaped, and for three years I hid among humans, collecting secrets, learning to move like a shadow, sharpening patience into precision—becoming a blade.
Then, under a full moon, I touched a bleeding stranger—and my wolf returned with a violence that made me whole. Who was he? Why could he wake what I'd thought dead?
One thing I know: now is the time.
I have waited three years for this. I will make everyone who destroyed me pay—and take back everything that was stolen from me.
From Sacrificed Slave to the Dragon King's Obsession
His fangs glinted as he gripped my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. Dragon scales shimmered along his neck, breath scorching my skin.
"Your Majesty... I beg—" He shoved me onto the bed. Silk tore with a sharp rip, cold air rushing over my exposed body.
"Scared?" He smirked, palm sliding down my waist, fingers tracing slow, burning circles. "Yet you shiver... not from cold."
I lunged for the candlestick, but he caught my wrist, pinning it overhead. His knee forced my legs apart.
"When your father gave you to me," his lips brushed my ear, voice a dark rumble, "you were already mine."
On the eve of freedom after ten years of servitude, Lina Valeria stood one night away from reuniting with her betrothed. But Dragon King Augustus condemned her to the Abyss Mines on false charges—a trap forged from obsessive desire.
Augustus Ashenwing, Supreme Sovereign of Skyhold Citadel, is ruthless and feared by all races. His obsession stems from ancient grudges and dragonkind's most dangerous instinct: possessive desire. He demands her submission, binding her to his throne as his consort.
From prisoner to queen, Lina battles him through court intrigue and twisted passion—fighting for her mother, her freedom, her dignity.
Yet this cold-blooded tyrant reserves all tenderness for her alone. He indulges her temper, bends his pride, compromises without limit—anything to see her smile. Gradually, her heart wavers. But loving him means betraying Kain, who waited eleven years. Torn between duty and desire, she drowns in agonizing guilt.
Love and hatred intertwined—a forbidden dragon romance in a realm of oppression.
Lightborn: The Demon’s Bond
A Queen Among Tides (Book 5 in the Gods' Saga)
Shocked to find he's been bound in more ways than one to Sebastian, the future King to the Kingdom of Atlesper, Lemuel resists Sebastian's advances at every turn, believing this may be one pairing Goddess Zarseti got wrong.
Lemuel will have to face his past in hopes of starting a new future, but an overly flirtatious King is the least of his worries when he learns Sebastian's parents are convinced that a conniving usurper disguised as a curvy blonde, is the future king's true soulmate.
A Queen Among Tides is the 5th book in the Queen Among Series/The Gods' Saga. This is an interconnected series. To see how it ends, I recommend reading the full series.
Books in the series order:
A Queen Among Alphas - Book 1
Bite-Size Luna - A Queen Among Alphas Prequel (available under book 1)
A Queen Among Snakes - Book 2
A Queen Among Blood - Book 3
A Queen Among Darkness - Book 4
Whole Again - A Queen Among Alpha's spin-off (available under book 1)
A Queen Among Tides - Book 5
Valor, Virtue, and Verve - Tides Prequel Spin-off (will be available under book 5)
A Queen Among Gods - Book 6
Runaway Empress - A Queen Among Snakes Prequel (will be available under book 2)
A Queen Among Tempests - Book 7
Dark Vocation - Darkness spin-off (will be available under book 4)
A Court of Arcane Souls Anthology (side character short stories exclusive to Ream)
Royal Shadow Series (Next Gen Coming Soon)
The Rogue King II
Under the weight of his grief and pain, along with of the uncertainty of the new mate bond forged between Silas and Nate, Silas decides that he needs help. The weight of being Alpha that nearly just lost his pack if his little sister hadn’t been there, Silas decides to push everything away to be a better and stronger Alpha. Using magic is father gave him, Silas loses so much more than his way.
Nate, struggling with the mate bond, what the bond means for him, has continued to fight Silas, his Alpha, his best friend, and now his mate. When their fight goes too far, both Silas and Nate must deal with the consequences. It both pulls them together and tears them apart. Eventually leading to a full break in any relationship they had ever had.
On his own, Silas has to navigate through the next chapter alone. Coming to realize his actions, the consequences, and just how much it’s going to take to repair the damage he has done.
Nate, also on his own, works through what it means to step up in more ways than one. Somehow, even after her death, Aelia is still reaching out and helping Nate navigate the world on his own. He vows to grow and step up into the wolf that she knew he could be.
Book 2 in The Rogue Kings following immediately after The Rogue Kings I - Solaris' Reign. Trigger Warnings. Rated 18+.
Mates: Regrets and Redemption
With my heart in pieces, I sought solace in the last place I expected—my Alpha's arms. One night turned into a dangerous entanglement, and now my Alpha refuses to let me go. As the Alpha’s obsession grows, I'm caught in a web of desire and fear.
Curtis, the boy I once loved, still holds a promise I made, but the Alpha’s powerful presence pulls me deeper into his world. Should I forgive Curtis and keep my word, or should I risk everything for a chance at something wild and unpredictable with the Alpha who won’t take no for an answer?
“There are no limits between us,” he chuckled, the mirth sparkling in his gorgeous eyes. “And all of this stems from the night you gave me both pain and pleasure. I’m simply returning the favor.”
He took two steps forward, and I stepped back. “But…” The memory of what I had done filled me with fear, and I knew I had to get out of there. “I…”
“No, Firecat.” He placed an index finger on my lips. “This will take your mind off that son of a bitch.” His strong hands pulled me by the waist until I felt his hard manhood.
The Family Books 1-3 (A Mafia romance)
The saint to my sinner. with her innocent eyes and devilish curves.
A Madonna that was meant to be admired but never touched.
Until someone took that innocence from her.
She left.
The darkness in my heart was finally complete.
I avenged her, I killed for her, but she never came back.
Until I saw her again. An angel dancing around a pole for money.
She didn’t know I owned that club. She didn’t know I was watching.
This time I won’t let her escape.
I will make her back into the girl I knew.
Whether she likes it or not.
2/ Judge and Jury- I can’t stop watching her.
I’m not even sure I want to.
Taylor Lawson, blonde, beautiful, and totally oblivious to how much dangers she’s in.
She’s also the one juror in my upcoming murder trial that hasn’t been bought.
The one who can put me behind bars for a very long time.
I know I should execute her.
After all that’s what I do.
I am the Judge.
I eliminate threats to The Family.
And Taylor is a threat.
But I don’t want to kill her.
Possessing her, making her love me seems like a much better plan for this particular Juror.
3/ Rags and Ritches-












