Fresh out of college, Nora Hawthorne has one simple goal: savor a carefree Italian holiday before "real life" begins. Dragged into a glittering boutique by her friend, she collides-literally-with a woman who seems carved from steel and secrets: Victoria Rossi, the millionaire and the CEO of her own company, and whose name is whispered with awe and fear. Victoria is cold, commanding, and impossible to read-and yet, something in Victoria's gaze softens when it settles on Nora. Nora tells herself it was nothing. A strange, fleeting moment she'll never have to think about again. Until fate intervenes. She discovers that she's been hired at Victoria's company, forcing them to meet again. Can the warmth of one heart melt the ice around another? Or will the feeling Victoria felt towards Nora be able to tear down her walls before they even have a chance to crack?

Abigail, 17, has always lived in the shadow of secrets. Ever since that night, the one no one talks about, her world has been silence, stares, and scars. Going back to school after a quiet summer, Abby tries to keep her head down - and fails. Worse: her father just remarried a woman she barely knows. Evelyn. 33. Elegant, mysterious, and cold as winter. With her perfect black hair, her chilling smile, and her sharp words when no one's around, Evelyn quickly turns their shared house into a prison Abby can't escape. Forced to live under the same roof while her father's away on business trips, the two women begin a quiet war - of glances, insults, tension, and something else they both refuse to name. Something dangerous. Something that hurts. And yet... something neither of them can ignore. What will happen when forced proximity turns into something far more dangerous than hate? WARNING: this story contains mature themes including traumatic past, emotional manipulation, toxic dynamics, and age gap. 18+ content may appear. Highest rankings: #1 slowburn 22/07/25 #1 womensfiction 14/08/25 #1 womanxwoman 21/07/25 #1 girlxwoman 12/07/25 #1 mommy issues 10/08/25 #1 stepmother 26/08/25 #1 femxfem 01/10/25 #1 lgbt 04/10/25 #1 richgirl 12/11/25 #3 wlw 09/07/25 #5 love 28/07/25 © All rights reserved.