THE LIES BETWEEN US

THE LIES BETWEEN US

zainnyalpha · Ongoing · 326.4k Words

520
Hot
8.3k
Views
210
Added
Add to Shelf
Start Reading
Share:facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsappreddit

Introduction

His mouth claimed mine, fierce and unrelenting, stealing the breath from my lungs. My palms slammed against his chest, but instead of pushing him away, I found myself clutching at the hard lines of muscle beneath his shirt.

“You taste like sin,” he murmured against my lips before dragging his mouth down the curve of my throat.

“Damien—”

“Look at you, trembling for a man you swore you hated.” His fingers traced higher, stroking where I ached most, and I gasped, nails digging into his shoulders. “Say my name again. Say it like you need me”

Heat pooled low in my belly, my protest tangled with a moan. His fingers teased the hem of my silk slip, pushing higher until his hand found bare skin. I shook my head, the word caught in my throat as he pressed harder, drawing a desperate whimper from me.

I shouldn’t crave him. I hated him.

Our engagement wasn’t real,nothing but a transaction, a lie born of blackmail and secrets…

And still, when his lips crashed against mine, my body betrayed me with the one truth I could never speak aloud.

I wanted him.

*****

Damien Moretti doesn’t believe in marriage.

Not for love. Not for convenience.

But when a buried family secret puts everything his family built at risk, he’s forced to say yes to one thing he swore he never would:

An arranged marriage.

Brielle Lancaster is his last resort.

The polished, proud daughter of the man holding the blackmail.

He doesn’t want her.

He doesn’t trust her.

And yet, the longer she’s in his home, the more dangerous she becomes.. not to his empire, but to his control.

Because falling for her was never part of the plan.

But now that he’s started... he doesn’t know how to stop.

Brielle Lancaster has played her role for twenty-four years .. the perfect daughter, the quiet writer, the good girl.

But when she’s forced into an engagement with the cold, calculating Damien Moretti, everything unravels.

She doesn’t want the penthouse.

She doesn’t want the title.

And she certainly doesn’t want the man who looks at her like she’s a complication.

But behind his walls, she sees cracks.

And beneath the surface, she finds a man fighting demons no one else sees.

She wasn’t supposed to care.

But now she does.

And she’s not sure if it will save her or destroy them both.

Chapter 1

BRIELLE

One thing I hated more than soggy fries and getting shoved around in a crowded subway… was an impromptu phone call from Thomas Lancaster — otherwise known as my father–demanding I come home.

It never ends well.

I stared at the screen as his name flashed again, jaw clenched. Ten seconds of silence, then it stopped.

This was the third call in under five minutes. Which meant it wasn’t just a “drop by” situation. It was a life-altering one.

And with Thomas, life-altering usually meant I was about to lose something — freedom, choice, or whatever scraps of peace I’d managed to collect lately.

The cab jolted as we hit a pothole, dragging me back to reality. Rain tapped against the windows in a soft, steady rhythm, matching the dull throb behind my eyes.

The driver threw a glance at me through the rearview mirror. “You okay back there?”

I nodded, forcing a small smile. “Yeah...”

I didn’t say I’d rather be going anywhere but home. That part was implied.

I tucked my phone away and stared out at the city lights bleeding into the wet pavement. The closer we got to the Lancaster estate, the heavier my chest felt — like the air itself thickened the nearer I got to that godforsaken mansion.

I hadn’t lived there in years. Not since college. These days, I stayed at the apartment I shared with my best friend. I only went back when I absolutely had to. Holidays, guilt-tripped visits, the occasional check-in. Nothing more.

Maybe I was overthinking it. Maybe this was just another one of Thomas’s classic “family bonding” demands.

Sure. And maybe pigs fly first class.

I sighed and was about to pull out my phone again when the cab’s radio crackled to life.

“In other news, New York’s most elusive billionaire heir is officially back in town. Damian Moretti, the only son of international tech tycoon Alessandro Moretti, arrived last night via private jet after spending the last two years in Italy…”

My head turned slightly toward the speaker.

“…Sources close to the family say Damian’s return could signal major moves in the Moretti empire. The notoriously private heir has kept a low profile since disappearing from the spotlight in early 2023. But with his return, speculation is already swirling—”

I tuned the rest out.

Damian Moretti.

That name used to live on everyone’s lips. In gossip blogs, in boardroom whispers, in every girl’s fantasy who ever dreamed of marrying wealth and danger.

But not mine.

We’d never met. Our circles didn’t cross. And yet, somehow, hearing his name made my skin prickle with something I couldn’t quite place.

I shook it off.

This had nothing to do with me.


Twenty minutes in the Lancaster estate and I already regretted not canceling. I could’ve blamed it on a deadline. Told them I was drowning in edits. Maybe even faked a migraine and turned off my phone.

Instead, I was here. At this ridiculously long table. Eating overpriced, overcooked pasta and trying to pretend I loved it.

“You look lean, Brielle,” my mother said, her tone soft but carefully measured like everything else about her. She sat across from me, picture-perfect in her pearl necklace and tailored navy dress, her posture straight as a ruler. Her hair was pulled back in that classic chignon she always wore when she wanted to look "in control."

“Have you been eating?” she added.

I chewed slowly, resisting the urge to smirk. “Well enough,” I muttered. “I mean, when I remember.”

Her brows pinched slightly. “You really shouldn’t let yourself get that consumed. Writing is important, yes, but not at the expense of your health. A routine is key, darling. Even when you're...pursuing art.”

The way she said art made it sound like a hobby I’d outgrow.

I wiped my mouth with the linen napkin, swallowing the last of the soggy pasta. “Oh well, it’s work, I guess,” I said, voice flat.

My mother reached for her wine, pausing just long enough to cast a knowing glance at my father — who still hadn’t said a word. He sat at the head of the table, stone-faced, his phone face-down beside his wine glass, a folded newspaper stiffly pushed to the side.

“Still,” she continued, “you really shouldn’t push yourself beyond your limit. You used to love cooking. You barely post anything personal anymore. Are you sleeping well? Taking your vitamins?”

“I’m not seventy-five, Mom.”

She smiled tightly. “No, but burnout is real. And I worry about you.”

Liar.

Her version of “worry” was an occasional text and passive-aggressive comments about how pale I looked on Instagram.

I was about to change the subject — ask about her garden or that ridiculous charity fashion show she was probably organizing again when my father finally spoke.

“How’s your boyfriend?”

The question dropped like a hammer.

I blinked. “What?”

He didn’t look up. He was slicing into his steak like we were just discussing the weather. “The man you were seeing. What was his name again? Liam?”

My stomach turned.

“We broke up. Two months ago.”

That got his attention.

Finally, he looked up. His eyes were cool. Sharp. Assessing. Like he was calculating something in his head.

My mother made a small sound. “Oh, sweetheart, you didn’t mention…”

I shrugged. “It wasn’t serious.”

Thomas Lancaster hummed. That low, unimpressed sound he made when he already knew something and was waiting to use it against you.

“I see,” he said, sitting back slightly. “So you're not… emotionally attached. That simplifies things.”

My brows furrowed. “Simplifies what?”

He picked up his wine glass, swirling the red liquid once before meeting my eyes.

“You’re getting married.”

I blinked.

Laughed.

Then blinked again.

“I’m sorry… what?”

“You heard me,” my father said, as if he’d just informed me of a board meeting or a tax adjustment. “The arrangements have already been made. You’ll be introduced formally tomorrow at dinner.”

I stared at him like he’d grown horns. “Are you serious?”

Dead silence.

My mother kept her gaze locked on her wine glass like she could disappear inside it. That was confirmation enough.

“Oh my God. You’re serious.”

I shoved my chair back with a scrape that echoed across the room. “No. Absolutely not. You can’t just—just decide something like this! I’m not some pawn you can move around on your stupid power-hungry chessboard—”

“You’re being dramatic,” he cut in, voice flat. “Sit down.”

“No,” I snapped. “You don’t get to spring this on me and expect me to smile through it like I’m thrilled to be auctioned off—”

“You will sit down, Brielle.”

His voice didn’t rise.

It didn’t have to.

That cold, quiet tone was worse than shouting. It sliced straight through me, and I froze before I could stop myself.

Because no matter how old I got, no matter how far I ran or how many boundaries I tried to draw…

You don’t talk back to Thomas Lancaster.

Not without consequence.

“I’m not doing this,” I said again, this time softer, but still standing. “You can’t force me into marriage. What is this, the 1800s?”

“You’re not a child,” he replied. “You’re a woman. A woman of status, of family. It’s time you started acting like it.”

My chest tightened. “You mean it’s time I started obeying you again.”

“You are not getting any younger,” he said coolly.

“I’m twenty-four,” I snapped before I could stop myself.

His eyes flicked to mine—calm, hard, unblinking.

And just like that, the fight in me cracked.

The weight of that gaze. The unspoken threat beneath it. The reminder that my freedom had always been an illusion in his world.

I sank slowly back into the chair, my hands clenched in my lap.

“Who?” I asked, voice hollow.

Thomas took a sip of his wine before answering. “Damian Moretti.”

My blood went cold.

The name hit me like a slap.

Damian Moretti.

Last Chapters

You Might Like 😍

A Queen Among Tides (Book 5 in the Gods' Saga)

A Queen Among Tides (Book 5 in the Gods' Saga)

4.2k Views · Ongoing · ADB_Stories
One mistake centuries ago left Lemuel cursed by the Goddess Merlos and forced to wander the earth granting the wishes of those who touch him. Lemuel was looking at an eternity of loneliness until his unexpected soulmate plucked him right out of the sea.

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)
Aphrodite and the Cursed Mate Bond

Aphrodite and the Cursed Mate Bond

2.8k Views · Ongoing · June Calva
In a werewolf pack that despised weakness, Aphrodite learned to survive by staying quiet, keeping her head down, and enduring cruelty in silence. The Alpha heirs hated her. The future Beta and Gamma made her life unbearable. When she finally breaks and seeks freedom at the Moon Goddess temple, she does not find release.

She finds truth.

Aphrodite is not human at all. She is a rare white wolf, descended from an ancient Direwolf bloodline long believed extinct. The ritual meant to sever her ties awakens her wolf instead and with it comes the scent of five mates bound to her by fate.

The Alpha twins who once scorned her now cannot stay away. A human hunter walks beside her and proves that strength is not born of fangs or dominance. A cursed Wolf King holds the key to her past and her father’s imprisonment. And watching from the shadows is one who was never meant to interfere at all.

As gods fall, packs fracture, and war reshapes the world, Aphrodite must decide what destiny truly means. Is it submission to fate or the courage to choose her own path.

Love does not come in one form. Neither does power.

In a world ruled by gods and wolves, Aphrodite will become something neither ever expected.

Not a queen.

But the axis upon which the world turns.
The mafia princess return

The mafia princess return

903.5k Views · Completed · Tonje Unosen
Talia have been living with her mother, stepsister and Stepfather for years. One day she finally get away from them. Suddenly she learn she have more family out there and she have many people that actually love her, something she have never felt before! At least not as she can remember. She have to learn to trust others, get her new brothers to accept her for who she is!
Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother

Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother

2.8m Views · Ongoing · Harper Rivers
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.
Lightborn: The Demon’s Bond

Lightborn: The Demon’s Bond

5.1k Views · Completed · ngocvynguyen985
Valerie accidentally forms a bond with Maxwell, a light demon, and begins seeing the dangerous supernatural world hidden around her. As the two constantly bicker yet protect each other, Valerie gradually discovers her own light-based powers and confronts many dark forces, including a serial kidnapper, the dark demon Zane, and other malevolent entities. Maxwell, haunted by the death of his former lover Juliana, repeatedly tries to distance himself from Valerie to keep her safe, causing both of them pain. Yet every time Valerie is in danger, Maxwell returns to save her, and their feelings grow deeper. The climax comes when they face Mason, a fire demon who hunts human–demon couples; Valerie risks her life in battle while Maxwell nearly collapses from exhaustion. In the end, Mason is destroyed, the threats fade away, and Valerie and Maxwell can finally stay together in peace.
Avery and the Cursed Alpha

Avery and the Cursed Alpha

2.9k Views · Completed · Lyra Lupine
After losing her mother to cancer and drowning in crushing debt, Avery Wellesley is running out of options. Her house is about to be seized, her job is hanging by a thread, and every door she knocks on seems to slam shut in her face.

Then a mysterious billionaire offers her a deal that sounds too good to be true.

Alexander Ravenswood is powerful, wealthy, and feared throughout Tenebrous City. Behind his perfect public image lies a deadly secret. He is the Alpha of the Nocturne Pack, cursed by an ancient bloodline that is slowly driving him toward madness and death. His only hope lies in finding the legendary Aethon Orb—or the prophesied mate destined to save him.

When Alex discovers that Avery can draw symbols connected to the long-lost artifact, he offers her a contract she cannot refuse: become his fake fiancée for six months in exchange for enough money to erase her debts and save her home.

What begins as a business arrangement quickly becomes something far more dangerous.

As they search for the missing Orb, Avery is drawn into a hidden world of werewolves, ancient prophecies, and deadly pack rivalries. Powerful enemies want Alex's throne. A jealous Alpha heiress wants Avery gone. And a ruthless rival Alpha will stop at nothing to claim the Orb for himself.

But the greatest secret of all may be Avery herself.

Because the closer she gets to Alex, the more impossible truths begin to surface about her past, her strange abilities, and the destiny that has been waiting for her all along.

With a curse threatening Alex's life, enemies closing in from every side, and a forbidden bond growing stronger by the day, Avery must decide whether to walk away from the dangerous Alpha who needs her—or risk everything for a love written by fate itself.

In a city where secrets kill and destiny cannot be escaped, can a fake engagement become a love powerful enough to change the future?
The CEO's Unspoken Love

The CEO's Unspoken Love

228.4k Views · Completed · Lily Bronte
"You want my forgiveness?" he asked, my voice dropping to a dangerous timbre.

Before I could answer, he moved closer, suddenly looming over me, his face inches from mine. I felt my breath caught, my lips parting in surprise.

"Then this is the price for speaking ill of me to others," he murmured, nipping my lower lip before claiming my mouth in a real kiss. It began as punishment but quickly transformed into something else entirely as I responded, my initial rigidity melting into compliance, then active participation.

My breathing accelerated, small sounds escaping my throat as he explored my body. His touches were both punishment and pleasure, drawing shudders from me that I thought he felt reverberating through his own body.

My nightgown had ridden up, his hands discovering more of mine with each caress. We were both lost in sensation, rational thought receding with each passing second...

Three years ago, to fulfill the wish of his grandmother, I was forced to marry Derek Wells, the second son of the family that had adopted me for ten years. He didn't love me, but I had secretly loved him all along.

Now, the three-year contractual marriage is about to end, but I feel that some kind of sentiment has developed between Derek and me that neither of us is willing to admit. I'm not sure if my feelings are right, but I know that we can't resist each other physically...
From Substitute To Queen

From Substitute To Queen

1.6m Views · Completed · Hannah Moore
For three years, Sable loved Alpha Darrell with everything she had, spending her salary to support their household while being called an orphan and gold-digger. But just as Darrell was about to mark her as his Luna, his ex-girlfriend returned, texting: "I'm not wearing underwear. My plane lands soon—pick me up and fuck me immediately."

Heartbroken, Sable discovered Darrell having sex with his ex in their bed, while secretly transferring hundreds of thousands to support that woman.

Even worse was overhearing Darrell laugh to his friends: "She's useful—obedient, doesn't cause trouble, handles housework, and I can fuck her whenever I need relief. She's basically a live-in maid with benefits." He made crude thrusting gestures, sending his friends into laughter.

In despair, Sable left, reclaimed her true identity, and married her childhood neighbor—Lycan King Caelan, nine years her senior and her fated mate. Now Darrell desperately tries to win her back. How will her revenge unfold?

From substitute to queen—her revenge has just begun!
The Hunter and The Hunted

The Hunter and The Hunted

5.1k Views · Ongoing · Sashalouise Prior
My skin heats with each thrust of his fingers, and each forceful lap of his tongue, and i cannot stop the moans of pleasure tearing through my slackened jaw. My hand is wrapped in his hair, giving the impression that I have control, but I don’t. I control nothing, and I like it.
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?
Ruined : You will always be mine.

Ruined : You will always be mine.

45.4k Views · Completed · Nia Kas
I could feel him standing in front of me. He grabbed my legs and in one single move thrusted into me.
“Fuckkk”, I couldn’t help but scream.
“You need to learn to be obedient” he said as he kept thrusting into me. When I felt his hands on my clit my body shook.
“Asher please, it’s too much”.
“No. if I really wanted to punish you, I would give you all of me”, he said against my ears and my entire body froze. Suddenly he moved and I was standing again. This man was insane.
I felt him behind me. “Ten Lashes for your disobedience”, he said
“Asher please”,
“No”. His voice was cold and void of any emotion.

Asher was what I wanted , what I truly craved until it was too late. An orphan should never fall in love with someone out of their reach. I thought loving him was the right thing to do until he revealed his true identity and Ruined me. I was ruined for everyone one else . I could still feel his touch, it was as if it was etched into my skin. I tired to avoid him but fate wouldn't let it happen.
The Sterling's were the most powerful in Havenwood and Dorian Sterling was off limits.

As an orphan finding out you still have people looking for you is hard to take but when it turns out to be people of wealth and standing I took the other road and ran, but running led me right back to the place I was avoiding and the person I was avoiding.
Asher and Dorling Sterling one and the same. When his first love shows up and along with everyone that has set out to ruin me, I prayed that he could protect me.
Owned By My Cold-Hearted Psychotic Straight Boss

Owned By My Cold-Hearted Psychotic Straight Boss

8.6k Views · Completed · Evermore
“Please…” I whispered.

“Please, what?”

I ran my wet tongue through my dry lips. Voice barely above a whisper. “Please… please... please make me… make me… make me your little bitch.”

The words tasted bitter and filthy on my tongue. I hated myself for saying them. Hated how my cock twitched when I did.

“I can’t hear you, Jones,” He said, voice hard, low and commanding. “Louder.”

I swallowed again, eyes stinging. “Please make me your little bitch.”

“A little louder.”

My cheeks burned. I forced the words out stronger this time. “Please make me your little bitch.”

He smirked, slow and satisfied. The look in his eyes made my stomach flip.

“Good boy,” He murmured. “Now listen carefully, Jones. If you agree to this, you’re mine. Completely. You don't look at other men. You don’t think about them. You don’t even dream about them. Everything about you; your mouth, your ass, your cock, your body… even your thoughts, belongs to me. All of it. I get to treat and use you however and whenever I want. Rough. Gentle. Mean. Filthy. You take it all. And you praise me for it. Understood?”

I hesitated, heart pounding so hard I thought it was going to explode. The last bit of resistance flickered. My mind was screaming no; to get up, run and never look back.

“Well?” He urged, thumb still holding my chin.

I closed my eyes for half a second, detesting every inch of my being. Then I nodded, voice small. “Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes… I understand.”

“Good.”

...

Shane Blackwood is his name.

And he's a monster.

He's toxic, cruel and psychotic beyond your wildest imagination.

I knew all this.

And yet, I signed that stupid agreement.

And now... he owns me.

Completely.

There's no escape.

[This is a dark erotica MM. Rated 18+]
Vengeance of the Forsaken Luna

Vengeance of the Forsaken Luna

16.1k Views · Completed · Sherry
"How thoughtful."
"Bella." Ethan's tone shifted, taking on that warning edge I knew too well. "Faye is vulnerable right now. She's terrified you'll resent her, that this will divide the pack. The last thing she wants is for this baby to come between us."
"Then you shouldn't have done it." I met his eyes squarely, letting him see the ice in mine. "Go back to your son."
"For fuck's sake." He dragged a hand through his hair. "How many times—it was artificial insemination. They used my sperm, yes, but Faye and I never—"
Bella let out a cold snort. Such brazen lies. Her mate had an affair with his brother's partner, and his entire family helped force her out with nothing, all to make way for the mistress to take her rightful position. Poor fool—he thought she was just an unwanted adopted daughter, easy to dismiss and control. He never knew the computer genius he'd been searching for was his own Luna.
Since he'd tainted himself, Bella was done. She rejected him and reclaimed what was hers, rising to the top with help from Victor, who'd been secretly in love with her for years.
When Ethan tried winning her back: "You don't want our child growing up fatherless."
Bella smiled mockingly. "The child's father isn't you."