When Arianna marries billionaire Zach Price to save her family, she doesn't expect to fall in love with a man who'd always consider her a second choice. An unexpected turn of events brings the couple closer together, but can a marriage based on lies and deceit ever survive? ***** When Arianna's older sister, Olivia, decides to run away on the day of her wedding, Arianna is forced to take her place to save her family from ruin. But her new husband is angry, heartbroken, and seems to hate her guts. The cold, elusive billionaire Zach Price has never quite struck Arianna as the kind of man she'd want to spend her entire life with. She was more than content with her sweet, thoughtful boyfriend Noah, but when circumstances force them together, Zach and Arianna's hearts get entangled in a way she never saw coming. As the couple grows closer, they must battle the demons of their past and of the lives they left behind - especially when Olivia returns and decides she wants Zach all for herself. Content/Trigger Warning: This story contains scenes of violence and sexual abuse, and mentions abortion and miscarriage. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]] Cover designed by Ren Tachibana

This is the sequel of Discovering Myself (https://www.wattpad.com/story/237094996-discovering-myself-18%2B). This work is intended for an 18+ audience.

Anastasia Vitalio. The Manipulator. Dante Rossi. The Killer. ... Anastasia: Some rise by sin, and some allow their sins to destroy them. In this world, I was the reckoning of those sinners and the salvation for their victims. My life danced on the fine line that divided the corrupted Upper East Side from the ordinary people of this world. Joining hands with the devils I knew was no more than a game of survival to me. Until Dante Rossi came along. Infamously known as one of the most ruthless killers and agents, Dante was a vicious man and a wicked genius. Someone lethal. He had the power to ruin someone at his will, and in this lifetime and every other, he chose me. He was the punishment for all my sins and the redemption for all my crimes. Bound together by the tangled threads of fate, I found flames ignited between us, set to burn us to the ground. Dante would either be my own reckoning or salvation. Perhaps, both. Every shade of all my sins so invitingly wrapped in one. Dante: Intelligence was the strongest weapon in a greedy world like ours. To control and survive in a ravenous city, I learned to make people bend at my will. The easiest way to have someone at your mercy was to find one single thing that could destroy their life. What I never expected was someone with the capability to destroy mine. That someone being Anastasia Cobalt Vitalio. Widely known as one of New York City's most fatal agents, Anastasia was a woman with an unbreakable mind and the allure of a temptress. With the power to make any man crumble at her feet, she was a woman anyone would worship at her command. She was never part of my plan, yet I found myself coming back to her each time I'd escape. She was the answer to all my prayers and the atonement for all my sins; the only one in this world who could make me kneel and repent. She was every shade of sin, all in one. TW: Violence & Murder

"WHY CAN'T YOU GET IT INSIDE YOUR HEAD?" He trapped my trembling body between his arms and slammed his fist into the wall. I flinch at the sound as I feel tears forming in my eyes. "I'M SICK AND TIRED OF YOUR CRYING. JUST ACCEPT THE FACT THAT YOU'RE NEVER LEAVING. THIS IS YOUR LIFE NOW, WITH ME" He spits, anger consuming his voice as I push myself further against the wall. Shutting my eyes closed and turning my face to the side as I do. Moments later, I feel his rough hand on my waist and his finger grazing my cheek. "Look at me, love." His hand grips onto my jaw, his thumb playing across my lower lip. He turns my face to meet his as I lower my gaze to the floor. He lowers himself to my level and I feel his breath fanning my cheek causing my breathing to become unsteady. "I love you so much, darling. But you need to learn. You need to learn that you won't be going anywhere. You're mine." With that being said, his other hand slides down to my waist "Your entire body, your mind, your soul. All mine." All I could do was tremble at his touch. How can someone so beautiful be so heartless? ~~~~~~~~~~ All a 19 year old Aurora Shaw wanted to do was work to make a living and volunteer at the orphanage. Unfortunately for her, ruthless and cunning 26 year old Mafia leader and billionaire Tristan Black had other plans for her. He's been waiting for the perfect moment to kidnap her and finally make her his queen after 2 years of watching and stalking her every move. He'd kill anyone who gets in the way of getting what he wants. What will happen when he ruins everything she wanted and forces her to marry him? Will she escape and resist him? Or will she submit and accept her fate?