Silvio Salvatore He was the kind of man who made power look effortless, like it was stitched into his skin. His voice carried quiet authority, smooth but with an undertone that could make even the boldest man hesitate. Behind the calm exterior was a mind built on precision and patience, the kind that dismantled empires one calculated move at a time. Silvio Salvatore didn't raise his voice; he didn't have to. His silence alone could make people confess things they hadn't even done. He wasn't cruel for pleasure, only for purpose. And when purpose demanded hardness, he delivered it without hesitation. He had built an empire out of loyalty and respect both equally earned. There was nothing he hated more than mysteries. And she was the greatest one of all. The Black Swan. The shadow everyone spoke about but no one had truly seen. Every lead faded before it reached the truth. Until one day, she decided to let him find her. --- Ariana Sinclair She smiled at everyone, her sarcasm easy, her laughter infectious-almost harmless. She was the Black Swan, a name carried through whispers. A ghost in a world that lived on secrets, moving with purpose and precision, leaving nothing but questions behind. Nobody knew her, nobody caught her, and nobody crossed her path without her permission. Silvio found her not by chance, but by her choice, on her terms. Beneath the charm lay a past that shaped her into everything the world feared and admired. Beauty was her lure, innocence her disguise, but her eyes told the real story, sharp, aware, and unyielding. And in the game of shadows they were about to play, one truth remained: nothing would be the same again.

Every morning, Serenity shows up to the office before anyone else - including Ezra Langford, her infamously cold, calculating, and annoyingly attractive boss. She brings him coffee, not because he asks, but because she wants to - always with a handwritten quote on the cup, something cheesy, optimistic, and completely not his style. Or so she thinks. Because while Ezra never says thank you, never even cracks a smile... he's kept every single cup lid with her notes. Hidden in the bottom drawer of his desk, they're the only bright spot in his otherwise grayscale life. But when Serenity's warmth starts to get under his skin - and into his heart - he'll have to decide if he's brave enough to step out of hiding and tell her the truth: She's not just his coffee girl. She's the only reason he still believes in good things. »»-------¤-------«« "So, uh... any regrets on the merger yet?" "Only that Chase ordered shrimp from that place on 8th again." I laugh, too hard and too quickly. "You didn't like it?" "It tastes like regret." I grin. "That's what he said about your budgeting spreadsheet." Ezra's mouth twitches. Not a smile, not really. But close. I should say something professional. Something normal. Instead- "Do you really read them?" I ask softly. He looks up. "The quotes," I clarify, nervous now. "Do you actually read them, or... just collect them?" His eyes hold mine. There's no teasing in them. No cold, hard CEO mask. "I read them," he says. »»-------¤-------«« Word Count: 26, 074

"Your really are the biggest pain in my ass." "I'm glad you've given me such an amazing roll being down that end. Wouldn't want to be a pain in your feet." Elena and her brothers best friend, Charlie, have never gotten along and always bicker and fight. But Elena's brother, Enzo, surprises them both with leaving them for a month and Charlie is put to take care of Elena. How are these two stubborn hockey captains ever going to get along and get over this petty little hatred? Read for more 🥰 I LOVE YOU ALL

"Are you alright?" "I'm fine." "You don't look fine." "Then stop looking." Her best friends older brother helps her when she deals with a heartbreak. They get closer now more than ever and he can't conceal his feelings anymore. Meanwhile her best friend is going behind her back with a certain someone..

𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 2 𝚘𝚏 𝙾𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚞𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚢 When Eden moves into a new flat, the last thing she expects is a neighbour who's as cold as ice-while she's the complete opposite. James is immediately irritated by his new neighbour. Her loud footsteps, constant singing, and endless energy drive him mad. Eden, on the other hand, finds his grumpiness amusing-and loves to annoy him with her sarcastic tricks. Soon, their bickering and banter turns into friendship. And before they know it, they start catching feelings they didn't expect. But both of them think the other doesn't feel the same way. Can two completely different people realise they're meant for each other before it's too late? S T U C K W I T H Y O U

Adeline Hart and Alexander Harrington couldn't be any more opposite from each other. She seeks a soul consuming love and he seeks a thrill in life that keeps him moving around. Both are slapped with the reality of their bad habits. When Adeline's best friend calls her out on the way she throws her heart out to any man she deems suitable, Addie suddenly doesn't want to be that girl. She vows to wait for the love she seeks. Taking a break from men, in the romantic sense anyway. Addie wants to focus on her career, on herself, on her sisters wedding and definitely NOT on her sisters best friend with the pretty smile. When Alexander's best friend calls him out on his commitment issues, he discovers that he might actually like someone. Sure, she's his best friends sister but he actually likes this girl. Xander wants to try. He can commit to something, right? When he imagines what it might be like to be with Adeline, he can't really imagine anyone else. He wants to try. He wants her. He just might be too late.

"𝙃𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙣. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙣. 𝙏𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙." 𝐋𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐲 has always been invisible-the quiet girl who learned to survive by staying small. She knows how to keep her head down, how to hide the bruises, how to pretend everything is fine. But when she's forced to start over at Elite High-her father's perfect school for perfect people-her world collides with his. 𝐍𝐨𝐚𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐊𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 is the golden boy. The mayor's son. The flawless heir to a spotless legacy. Everyone loves him. Everyone needs something from him. Until he meets the girl with sad eyes and trembling hands-the one person who looks at him and sees straight through the shine. She's all soft edges and quiet defiance. He's all sharp smiles and restless guilt. And when their worlds intertwine, something beautiful-and dangerous-begins to bloom. Because love doesn't always heal. Some hearts are just built to break. - 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: golden boy × broken girl · high school angst · slow burn · trauma healing · "who did this to you?" · found comfort · small-town secrets · protective love · pain-turned-tenderness · emotional intimacy - #1 in firstlove 22/04 #1 in hurtcomfort 22/04 #1 in brokengirl 22/04 #1 in lonelygirl 22/04 #1 in protectiveboy 22/04

Rosie Moving to New York was my fresh start, a chance to get away from my disaster of a hometown, and maybe learn how to breathe on my own. Romance? Not on the itinerary. So when I meet a charming, overly confident guy at a bar with golden-blond hair and too many dimples than should be legal, and way too much flirt - I don't expect to see him again. Then I do... on the ice, the very next night. Dylan I've met plenty of girls in bars. Most of them know who I am, Rosie didn't. And maybe that's why I couldn't stop thinking about her. She was introverted and blunt and completely unimpressed with my attempt at a pick up line, which was honestly kind of refreshing. Seeing her in the stands at my game felt like fate. Running into her again afterward? Game on. A sweet, slow-burn hockey rom-com about unlikely connections, quiet confidence, and falling for someone who sees past the spotlight.

Vince Hunter. The rich, famous, and world-known hockey player and my asshole of a boss. People see his charming smiles and game moves on the ice. I see his tantrums and irresponsibility. What I never imagined happening between us was a drunken one-night stand. And even worse? Getting fired because of it. But now, six miserable months later, he's back to ruin my life and he's at it again except this time he needs me to play the picture-perfect girlfriend. As it turns out, our scandal left his reputation more damaged than mine and if he can't redeem it, he can kiss his spot on the team goodbye. The worst part of it all? I'm stuck with him, bound by contract, until... forever? . . . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of parental abuse

Brooklyn Scott, High School outsider, and little miss bookworm. An abusive father, unquestioning reason why he hates her so much, and an opening senior year to her world. Finding her way throughout the halls, trying not to be noticed, Kadence Lepar seems to. Kadence Lepar is the girl that everyone wants to be with, the rich girl on the team, and the one who everyone notices. Little does she know that everything will fall into place with one look. One wrong turn by finding out secrets and misfortune and the word can lead to tragedy within a blink of an eye. Except can she be fast enough to save Brooklyn? Will Brooklyn get stuck between the web of lies? Brooklyn tries to unfold the story and read between the lines but Kadence didn't expect to see the outcome of what was going to happen...