Seraphina Esposito is a mafia queen.. cold, ruthless, untouchable. At twenty-five she rules an empire built on fear, wielding power like a blade and believing feelings to be nothing but weakness. Love, family, softness.. those are luxuries she's burned out of herself. Or so she thought. Then comes Elowen Morgan. Beautiful. Too emotionally intelligent. Kindhearted. Too pure for a world like hers... and yet, impossible to ignore. With honey-brown eyes that see too much and a quiet defiance behind her smile, she unsettles everything Seraphina thought she knew. Seraphina doesn't do love. But desire? Obsession? The urge to claim what should never have been hers? That, she can't seem to resist. What happens when a woman who feels nothing meets the one person she can't stop feeling?

Amara Alonso is 22 years old and is in her final year studying English literature at NYU. She's smart, kind and gentle, she always has been. But she carries a quiet sadness that most don't see. After losing her mother and sister in a tragic car accident 8 months ago, she was left with an alcoholic father who she blames for their death. She promises herself to push through her last year of college but soon falls into a cycle- skipping classes, tear-stained eyes, and an empty stomach. Emilia Zayed is a 29 year old creative writing professor. Emilia is poised, intelligent and emotionally guarded. She keeps everyone at arm's length- students, colleges, friends, and especially family. She doesn't trust people and shows no intention to. She shows no interest in anybody around her, until a soft brown eyed girl enters her lecture with a look of hurt deep in her eyes that she can't seem to stop thinking about. Emilia notices Amara's writing first. There's something about her work-so raw, so aching, so lonely. It touches something in Emilia she thought she'd buried. Never has a student's piece of writing made her feel this way. They shouldn't get close. They can't get close. But they do. And it's slow, quiet, and deeply emotional. It's Amara showing up during Emilia's office hours not just to talk about writing but about life. It's Emilia realising Amara needs more than feedback-she needs someone who sees her. And it's Amara finally finding someone who doesn't leave. The two form an unspoken bond they can't explain. It's forbidden in the eyes of everybody else. But they can't help but feel softer around each other. Will they ever act on it? Will Amara's hurt or Emilia's closed offness prevent them from ever truly opening up and giving in?

Mariah Jade Grey is 21 years old, freshly graduated, and trying to figure out what comes next. She's stylish, sarcastic, and guarded- always has been. After losing more than she ever talks about, she's learned not to get too close. Love doesn't stay. People don't stay. So she keeps herself safe: with ambition, independence, and the quiet ache of something missing. Kyra Reyes is 30 years old, the kind of woman with a camera in one hand and someone new on her arm- easy, unattached, free. Nothing ever sticks: not the girls she leaves tangled in her sheets, not the art that never quite feels finished, not the whispers about her being a player. But when it comes to Mariah, everything sticks. Every glance. Every laugh. Every moment that isn't supposed to mean anything, but somehow means everything. As their best friends build new lives and the city around them quiets down, Mariah and Kyra find themselves circling each other, drawn together by late nights, unspoken truths, and the weight of everything they won't say out loud. It's there in the way Kyra looks at her. It's there in the way Mariah never quite lets her go. And when the silence finally breaks, it changes everything. What they have isn't just friendship. But it isn't love. Not yet. Maybe not ever. Almost. But is almost ever enough?

Victoria, cold and heartless when it comes to the way she runs her mafia. She's precise, full of secrets and doesn't let anything get past her. Some even say she has no heart. And that's the truth. Or it might as well have been the truth up until she meets Arabella. A soft dainty girl who has the biggest heart. But she harbours her own secrets. They have a calculated encounter that could shift everything they know. Through the trials and tribulations they face, through the lies and secrets can they open up to each other, learn to love through it all? [THERE ARE ERRORS in this book! So many errors & they will get fixed soon enough. I just write for fun & none of it is professional. Please beware of these before you read further!]

"Am I too close?" I whispered, referring to our first conversation. Times were different now, we were different now. I watched as she fluttered her eyes closed, the sound of the music officially become background noise to the tension. It was giving in just as we did. Just as she did. "Maybe I want you to be..." - Blaine's love life is turned upside when she comes across a relentless Delta. Tatted like a notorious gangster, Niy'Asia makes all the effort to show Blaine how much she actually cares, despite constantly having to put her own feelings aside.

Two girls that are the complete opposite of eachother but just can't seem to stay away from one another. Juliet baldwin the hottest and richest girl in riverside high, a private school for the richest families. She's the captain of the cheer squad and is dating the co-captain of the football team Liam, your typical high school sweethearts. little did everyone know juliet has a secret that she herself might not even know. Ellie crawford a popular girl who is intersex that got a scholarship to riverside high. She's a somewhat of a nerd but the co-captain of the football team but still could pass as the hottest after juliet. She's a player and very cocky, ellie has trouble at home, being at school is her escape yet no one knows what she goes through except for one of her best friends. Mentions of : - bullying - abuse - smut - alcohol addiction - homophobic slurs

ꜱᴏᴘʜɪᴇ ɢᴀꜱᴘᴇᴅ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴀᴛᴀʀᴀ'ꜱ ꜰɪɴɢᴇʀ ʜᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴄᴀʀꜰ, ᴘᴜʟʟɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ꜰᴏʀᴡᴀʀᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴜɢɢɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴀ ʟᴇᴀꜱʜ. "ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ʀᴜʟᴇ," ᴀᴛᴀʀᴀ ᴍᴜʀᴍᴜʀᴇᴅ, ʜᴇʀ ʟɪᴘꜱ ꜱᴏ ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇ ꜱᴏᴘʜɪᴇ ꜰᴇʟᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴀɪɴᴛ ʙʀᴜꜱʜ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇʀ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜ, ᴇʏᴇꜱ ʟᴏᴄᴋɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀꜱ ɪɴ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ. "ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ᴀᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ꜱᴘᴇᴀᴋ." ꜱᴏᴘʜɪᴇ'ꜱ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ʀᴀᴍᴍᴇᴅ ᴀɢᴀɪɴꜱᴛ ʜᴇʀ ʀɪʙꜱ. "ʏ-ʏᴇꜱ, ᴍᴀ'ᴀᴍ," ꜱʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴀᴍᴍᴇʀᴇᴅ. ᴀ ʜᴜᴍ ᴠɪʙʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴀᴛᴀʀᴀ'ꜱ ᴛʜʀᴏᴀᴛ, ʟᴏᴡ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴇᴅ. ꜱʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴏᴡᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀ ᴇʏᴇꜱ ꜱʟɪɢʜᴛʟʏ, ꜱᴛᴜᴅʏɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ɢɪʀʟ ᴄᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ɪɴ ʜᴇʀ ɢʀᴀꜱᴘ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ... ꜱʜᴇ ɪɴʜᴀʟᴇᴅ, ꜱᴍᴏᴋᴇ ꜱᴘɪʟʟɪɴɢ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʜᴇʀ ʟɪᴘꜱ ɪɴ ᴀ ʀɪʙʙᴏɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙʀᴜꜱʜᴇᴅ ᴀɢᴀɪɴꜱᴛ ꜱᴏᴘʜɪᴇ'ꜱ ᴄʜᴇᴇᴋ. ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʜᴇʀ ꜱᴍᴇʟʟᴇᴅ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟɪᴀʀ. ʜᴇʀ ꜰɪɴɢᴇʀꜱ ᴛɪɢʜᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ ʙʀɪᴇꜰʟʏ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴄᴀʀꜰ ᴀꜱ ʜᴇʀ ʙʀᴏᴡꜱ ᴅʀᴇᴡ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ. "ᴅᴏ ɪ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴡʜᴇʀᴇ?" ᴀᴛᴀʀᴀ ᴀꜱᴋᴇᴅ, ʜᴇʀ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴛɪʟᴛɪɴɢ, ᴄᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴄᴜʀɪᴏꜱɪᴛʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴᴛʏ. ɪᴄᴇ ꜰʟᴏᴏᴅᴇᴅ ꜱᴏᴘʜɪᴇ'ꜱ ᴠᴇɪɴꜱ. ɪ'ᴍ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. ꜰᴜᴄᴋ.

𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐓; "𝘛𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯. 𝘕𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭; 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧*𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘦𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯." 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐖 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐀 𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐄; "𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘐'𝘮 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘐𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦." || 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐃 || --- #𝟏 𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍 (𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓)

! warning G!P ! Camilla, a woman of power, mystery, and a commanding presence, finds herself in need of protection. By order of her mother, she is to be shadowed 24/7 by her new bodyguard. Curious and unyielding, Camilla sees in Ace a familiar spark she yearns to reignite, embarking on a wicked game of seduction to draw her in. Unaware of the true intentions of her boss, Ace finds herself caught in a toxic dance of jealousy and manipulation. Little does the mafia princess know, they share an underlying past with each other. But she is unprepared to confront a past she thought she had buried. Once the truth is uncovered, every encounter is a calculated move by Christina to claim Camilla. To make her crave a touch she believes she despises.

Grief is a funny thing. It can make you desperate, reckless - but for Revina, it made her hungry. Hungry for an escape, for something different. She tried to find it in drugs, in alcohol, in other people's beds - desperate to sneak herself into someone else's version of normal. Ameira wasn't normal. She was trouble. And to Revina, she was exactly what she needed: a contract promising wealth, power, and freedom...to any girl brave enough to step inside. But in Ameira's world, nothing comes free - and some prices are higher than they ever imagined. Then there's Noura-Ameira's partner in crime, and the kind of gang leader people whisper about. Dangerous, magnetic, loyal to no one except her own... until Revina - so it seems. Revina has a choice: return to the life that's nearly destroying her, or enter a world of power, pleasure, and danger she barely understands. What she doesn't know is that once she chooses them - Ameira and Noura 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡- there's no going back.