"You want to act reckless? Fine. But don't think for a second you're not being watched. This city is full of men who'd love to carve a message into you just to make a point." "And what message would you carve?" I whispered. He reached out. Brushed the back of his knuckles down my jaw, rough and slow. "Mine." It wasn't sweet. It wasn't romantic. It was a brand. And then he dropped his hand. "You have ten minutes to get out of here before I make a fucking scene." ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Massimo Bianchi is ruthless, the kind of man who leaves blood in his wake and never looks back. At 29, he's the trusted enforcer for one of the most feared mafia bosses in America - my father, Lorenzo DeLuca, the ghost I never knew but can never escape. I, Francesca DeLuca, have spent my life in the shadows of wealth, too blind to see the truth behind my family's fortune. But when I confront the mysterious man who's been following me, I'm thrown into a world of blood and betrayal, where loyalty is bought and sold like a commodity. Massimo is everything I should fear - cold, dangerous, and bound by an oath to my father. But there's something in the way he looks at me, a dark hunger he refuses to acknowledge. I should hate him, push him away, but the deeper I fall into my family's twisted legacy, the harder it is to resist the pull. But loving a man like Massimo is a risk, and in our world, mistakes are paid for in blood. So the question is - will I be his downfall, or will he be mine?

𝐀 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝'𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 Book Two in The Bittersweet Series. Created: 04/01/20 Published: 05/01/20 Completed: 14/11/20 Rewriting: start 26/01/23

Copyright © 2024 by xphoenixo BEAUTIFULLY DESTROYED ELIXIR SERIES | BOOK 1 ××× Everything around her was chaotic. Lights were flickering on and off, casting wild shadows across the room. Sparks flew from broken wires, and the stench of burning plastic filled the air. But through it all, she heard the sound of slow footsteps approaching her. A pair of black boots stepped into her blurry line of vision. She tried to lift her head, but it felt like it weighed a ton. All she could do was lie there, soaked and shaking, staring up at the figure that loomed over her. He crouched down, his cold dark eyes gleaming with a twisted kind of pride. The one who smiled when she screamed. "Finally," he whispered, his voice smooth and calm, like he was congratulating her on passing a test. "My beautiful creation... ready to take on the world." Evelyn's heart pounded in her chest. She wanted to move, to fight, but she was too weak. The power that had burst out of her was gone, leaving her empty and drained. All she could do was glare up at him, her vision fading as exhaustion swallowed her whole. The last thing she saw before the darkness took her was his cruel smile, and she knew - this was far from over. He had won this time. But deep inside her, there was still a spark. And one day, that spark would become a fire that would burn him and all the monsters like him to ash. But for now, all she could do was survive. And wait. Because she has nothing to lose but him?

GRAYSON ASTOR. New York City's most eligible bachelor was given an ultimatum-get married and earn the CEO position of his family company or remain single and lose an empire. An already difficult decision is made worse when a woman knocks on his door and claims she's having his baby. KALANI DEPRADINE. She lives the simple life of any average person in the city-perfect friends, perfect job, perfect family. But her life is flipped upside down when she discovers she's pregnant after a one-night stand and he drags her into his much more complicated life than he originally led on. • Interracial @itsmariammusa

Natasha Greers lives off of her daddy's money lavishly but strips on the side for her own enjoyment. One night she notices her new favorite customer by the name of Jackson Whitman, and finds herself in a world she tried to get a break from... Contains: mature language/ drug use/violence/sexual content

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐑𝐚𝐲𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐈𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢. Book One in the Bittersweet Series. Created: 27/12/18 Published: 16/02/19 Completed: 03/01/20 Edited: As of March 2022 Completed rewrite: 25/01/23

Thandi's entire life has been built on a decade-long lie. The truth is a devastating blow: her parents are not buried-they were stolen, kidnapped by her own uncle, the ruthless Bongamusa Khumalo, whose hunger for power destroyed her family and shattered her childhood. Now, the quiet grief that defined Thandi is replaced by a fury that threatens to burn the world to ash. Her only ally is Luciano, the lover who promised salvation-but to find her family, they must ignite a war that will tear the criminal underworld apart. In a world where deceit, betrayal, and violence speak louder than words, Thandi stands on the edge. She must decide: let the last flicker of her innocence die to save those she loves-or cling to the purity that leaves her vulnerable, risking everything. Her innocence echoed Her innocence came with a price. Will this finally be the fall of it?

Love and hate get tangled in sheets when Vaughn and Claire enter into a marriage of convenience that defies a fragile and bloodthirsty family rivalry. *** Rich and spoilt, Claire's perfect life takes a turn when her father tries to force her into a marriage to pay for his debts. Claire's only escape lies in her father's worst enemy and business rival: Vaughn Jackson. To make matters more complicated still, Vaughn is the man responsible for her brother's death four years ago. However, their marriage will protect her and - sweeter still - show her father once and for all that he does not own her. It seems like the perfect plan. But Vaughn is burdened by dark secrets and vengeful desires. Can six months be enough to fire their passion? Or is the man she turned to for protection, the man she is starting to love, the greatest danger of all? With a killer on loose and love in line, bed sheets aren't the only thing tangled in this game of hearts. *** WATTPAD HQ EDITOR'S PICK - January 2023 Contains descriptive sexual content, strong language and violence. (18+)

He's the billionaire heir who has everything. She's the scholarship girl who has nothing. I was content with my quiet life. I asked for nothing and expected even less. Then Adrian Hawthorne set his eyes on me. He decided I was his. His new project. His unwanted obsession. He says he'll ruin me. He promises to tear down my world until he's the only one left. What he doesn't know is that I'm already broken. And he might just be the one to shatter completely. A dark billionaire romance with a possessive hero, a "touch her and you die" vibe, and secrets that could destroy them both. "His to Ruin" is a standalone dark romance novel. It is part of the book series "The Hawthorne Legacy #1" ______ "I'm going to ruin you for anyone else, Lilia. When I'm done with you, the memory of my touch will be a brand on your skin. The sound of my voice will be the only thing you hear in your dreams. You will crave me. You will beg for me." My breath hitched, my entire body frozen in a state of horrified paralysis. He leaned in, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear, the contact sending a bolt of pure, unadulterated electricity through me. "And the best part?" he breathed, his voice a silken, venomous promise. "You're going to love every second of it." He pulled back, his eyes blazing with a triumphant, predatory fire. He had seen the flicker of response in my eyes, the traitorous shiver that had run down my spine. He knew he had struck a nerve. That was what finally broke the spell. Rage, pure and absolute, surged through me, burning away the fear. I yanked my hand back, my palm connecting with his cheek with a sharp, satisfying crack that echoed in the silent aisle. He didn't even flinch. He just stood there, a slow, terrifying smirk spreading across his face as he gently touched the reddening mark on his cheek. "There's that fire," he murmured, his voice filled with a dark, appreciative hunger. "I can't wait to taste it."

This is book two in the Lost&Found Series but can be read as a stand alone. *** I heard the bag drop on the table before he grabbed my elbow and spun me around. His hand cupped my chin as he made me look in his eyes. "So much anger, piccola raggazza." he said as his eyes darted back and forth between mine. My lips parted as I looked in his grey orbs which he inherited from his father. Sharp, defined jaw and pointy noise with his upper lip thin and bottom, thick. "I'm not angry at you. Your presence and absence are of little importance to me." I stated and looked away. "You grew up in my arms, I know you like the back of my hand." he told as his thumb applied pressure on my jaw to tilt my face towards his. I blinked and looked at him blankly not wanting to give away the fact that I was literally melting in his arms like a puddle. "You're not worthy of my any emotion or feeling. You're mistaken if you think I care." I stated in a matter of factly tone. *** Returning home after four years, Sylvia Mancini will encounter a lot more than she has anticipated. Her life's about to take a complete 360 turn and Adrian Knight just so happens to be the reason why. WARNING: MATURE CONTENT, GRAPHIC VOILENCE, RAPE, MATURE LANGUAGE AND SEXUAL SCENES. #50 in Italian (09/15/21) #1 in Drama (10/03/21) #69 in fear (10/21/21)