Dove Genovese, daughter of the second in command of the Italian mafia boss, has one sole purpose in life. That's to never dishonor her mafioso father. Marry, bring peace, and money: those are his demands. Meeting those demands comes at a high price, though. She's betrothed to an abusive man from another notorious Italian family. He's the last person she wants to spend her life with, but there's no way out. Her life is in the gilded, golden cage with strict rules and even harsher punishments. Gedeon Sokoloff wants revenge. The vindictive Russian mob boss has made it his mission to avenge his mother's brutal murder. There's nothing he wouldn't do to assert his power. When one of Genovese's henchmen breaches his territory and slaughters one of his men, Gedeon brokers a deal: war or Dove's hand in marriage. Dove should hate and fear Gedeon, because of his feared reputation. Yet, the infuriating man that enjoys teasing her and making her feel things she never felt before offers her one way to earn her freedom. Win him in a game of chess. Will Dove get the freedom she had been longing? Or will she stay as Gedeon's caged little bird in his games? _____ WARNING: Story contains rape, self-harm, suicidal ideation, physical/sexual abuse, violence, mature themes, sexual content, strong language. Ranks: #1 in Violence #1 in Adult-Romance #10 in Mafia #95 in Romance out of 1.7 million

COMPLETED// Clarence Wilson is a 19 year old girl, who has just graduated high school and is now onto college, which is basically the real world. She thinks she'll go through college without no twisty situations, but that all changes when she meets a guy, in a bar, who surprisingly turns out to be her English professor.

|| Featured FREE story with exclusive paid chapters - previously a paid story || When Haley discovers the truth behind Xavier, whose silence holds a deeper meaning, she sets her mind on making his life better one small step at a time. ***** Haley Rosamond is happy with her simple life, content under the wing of her father. Well-protected, she has no idea of the darkness surrounding Xavier Hunt, with his all-black attire and infrequent presence in school-accompanied by his bruises and scars. That is, until Haley catches a glimpse of Xavier's reality and is made to question everything she knows about family and life in general. The truth, she realizes, couldn't be more different from everything she has heard. Supported by her father, Haley sets her mind on helping Xavier any way she can, and what begins with tutoring sessions, free food, and random acts of kindness blooms into friendship and something a little more. But when Haley's admission into her dream college and another tragedy in Xavier's life threaten to undo everything she has worked for, Haley needs to decide if she'll stick by Xavier or simply be another person in his life that disappears. [[word count: 80,000-90,000 words]] Cover designed by Holly Thurston