Georgia O'Neill's always been the strong one. Since losing her parents, she's been holding her world together - looking after her brother, working extra hours, pretending she's fine when everything's crumbling. She's not used to people staying. Not used to anyone caring enough to see past the mask. Then there's DJ Lynch - Tommen's golden boy. Loud, funny, full of charm. The kind of lad who makes life look easy. But when the laughter fades, DJ's left with thoughts he can't quiet, grades slipping through his fingers, and a fear that if anyone knew how bad it really gets - they'd stop looking at him the same. They're both pretending for different reasons. Both breaking in ways no one else can see. And somehow, they keep finding each other - after school, after work, after everything falls apart again. This is a story about two kids who don't know how to ask for help - and the quiet, unspoken love that teaches them how.

Perfect appearances, perfect grades, perfect manners. Anything less for Adelina Torres and her family kicks her to the streets until she can keep up with the family name. She never had a life of her own. Always studying, always going to business dinners with her parents, always seen as a failure to her family. Despite her bubbly personality, she has always struggled to make friends. What happens when she meets Aaron Hendrix, the leader of the most powerful mafia in the country? A moment to thank you beautiful readers for giving me these rankings among thousands/hundreds of thousands/millions of other stories with similar tags :) #1 in mafia #1 in protective #1 in abused #1 in sunshine #1 in grumpy #2 in innocent #2 in cold #2 in goodgirl #3 in cute #9 in badboy #42 in family #54 in love

Bonus chapters from my story 'Chiara Rose' 'Chiara Rose' must be read for these extras to make sense! TW's in intro.

She's a wild, free spirit who sees the good in everyone, and he's the hardened, bad-tempered loner who wants nothing to do with her-yet no matter how hard he tries to push her away, she's the one temptation he can't escape. *** He's never met someone with such a bubbly personality. Not to mention the wildness and odd phrases she says every five minutes. He hates it. He hates how he can't stay away from it. He hates what she does to him; it's not like him to chase after some girl. She gets under his skin like no other. She's never met someone with such a bad attitude. He's ill-mannered and menacing. The glare never seems to leave his face. Considering it all, she can't help but feel the attraction toward him. Dangerous attraction toward a seemingly dangerous man. Maybe it's the tattoos on his arm that gets her attention. Or maybe it's because she can tell there's hope for good under his rough exterior. And she's about to find it, whether he likes it or not. It's no secret that the two of them are complete and total opposites. *** "You like being called Sugar, don't you?" I tease, placing my toothbrush back after finishing. He does the same and gives me a side-eyed scowl. He grips my chin harshly and kisses me. My body temperature raises a good ten degrees and my right leg goes all wiggly. He pulls away. "You like it when I kiss you, don't you?" He teases the same way I did to him and I'm left blubbering. "I think both of our questions are rhetorical," I lower my voice up at him. His lip curls up into a smirk. *** #1 in Young Adult #9 in Badboy #1 in Cold #3 in Goodgirl #1 in Sweetheart #14 in Love *** *Warning* This story contains mature themes (language, scenes)

!SLOW UPDATES! When she was just two years old, Chiara Rose Bernardi was taken away from her family by her mother, to keep her safe. Taken to Sydney, Australia she lives under the name Chiara Wilson with her mother and her stepfather. Throughout her early life, she was abused by the two people she looked up to. Chiara had to grow up very quickly learn to fend for herself, and learnt lessons no one should ever have to learn. On the other side of the planet in New York City, USA the Bernardi family have been a living mess since their princess was taken away from them a long 14 years ago. When Chiara's mother and step-father 'unfortunately' pass away from a drug overdose, what will happen when the Bernardis finally find their princess and Chiara is sent to live with them? [in editing] TW - in this story there is mention of drugs, rape, sexual assault, violence, mature content, strong language, self-harm, suicide, abuse and degrading name calling, and intimate scenes. Started - 21st of September 2021 Finished - It will be at some stage.