Alessia Ferrari is the Don of the Italian Mafia. Whip-smart and dangerous, she is a woman in a man's world, surviving against all odds. Born and raised to become a lethal killer, even the ground she walks on bows at her feet. She has it all, until that is, her father gives her hand away in marriage. Ace Hernandez is the boss of the American Mafia. He's a cold cruel hearted monster. He knows the game all too well and does whatever it takes to win and if that means breaking someone, he could do that with his eyes closed. Fate is vicious when the two are forced to marry. Will two monsters find solace in each other's arms or will they kill each other? ---------------------------- "I don't recall signing up for strip poker." She replied. Her full lips frowned softly but her eyes were filled with amusement. She knew she couldn't beat me, not at this game. "Are you quitting? Are you a quitter?" I mocked getting under her skin. Her lips twitched before she pursed them tightly. The blues of her eyes deepened and she threw me a dangerous smirk. She shuffled and pulled off one of her sandals. Fuck. So we're doing this the long way. She raised it in the air, dangling it off her finger before tossing it aside. She raised a brow at me, she challenged me. I knew I got under her skin. Just as I had anticipated. -------------------------- BE AWARE: Trigger warnings: MATURE CONTENT 18+ (SMUT) SWEARING VIOLENCE/GUN VIOLENCE SELF HARM/SUICIDE (REFERENCES) EXPLICIT LANGUAGE REFERENCES TO RAPE SMOKING/ALCOHOL/DRUGS BLOOD/DEATH/GORE ©️ All rights reserved ™️ The Walnut Tree BOOK ONE OF THE MAFIA SERIES

✧ 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 #2 𝐢𝐧 '𝐇𝐈𝐒' 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 :- Some marriage may not begin with love but, they end with it. ••••••••• "I hope you realized you made the worst fucking decision of your life." I could feel his cold icy honey brown eyes piercing through my soul. "Mahir..." He slams both of my wrists against the wall as I winces from the pain from my wrists. Tears threatening to fall down from my eyes when he tightened his grip on my wrist. "You'll never have a place in my life, let alone in my heart, do you understand?" His voice rises as he clenches his jaw tightly. I whimpered, he leans in close enough to the point where our lips were inches apart, I shuddered. "I said, do you fucking understand?" I immediately jumped in fear nodding my head. "Y-Yes."

NOTE: Some chapters here are missing and scenes are altered. For the full and complete version, visit BookSQuash PH. Ako si Calix. Pangalawang anak nina Mommy Glyzel at Daddy Amiel. Si Kuya Clyde ang panganay-John Clyde Veroza. Ako si John Calix Veroza. Pero kung iniisip mong close kami, nagkakamali ka. Hindi kami magkaibigan. Hindi kami magkabarkada. Magkapatid lang kami-at halos araw-araw, nag-aaway. Si Kuya? Palaging mahigpit. Palaging galit. Overprotective daw sabi ni Mommy... pero sa'kin, parang kaaway ko siya. Lagi akong mali sa mata niya. Lahat ng kilos ko, may mali. Minsan nga, nagdasal pa akong sana mawala na lang siya. Pero hindi ko alam... Na pwedeng mangyari 'yon. Na isang araw, mawawala nga si Kuya. And that was the day everything changed. The day I couldn't take back the things I said. The day we lost Kuya Clyde. Hindi ko alam na mas masakit palang mawalan ng taong akala mong galit ka... kaysa sa mawalan ng taong alam mong mahal mo. Ngayon, wala na si Kuya. At ako? Ako yung naiwan-bitbit ang lahat ng galit, tanong, at pagsisisi. This isn't just a story of grief. This is a story of everything we took for granted- Until it was too late.

NOTE: Some chapters here are missing and scenes are altered. For the full and complete version, visit BookSQuash PH. I'm Jeffrey Mendones. At kung may isang bagay akong hindi in-expect sa unang araw ng klase ko sa Tagum National High School... 'yon ay ang makita kung paano ako literal na natulala sa tingin ng Mathematics teacher kong si Sir Calix Veroza. Noong una, akala ko may muta lang ako or baka may dumi sa polo ko kaya gano'n siya tumitig. Pero habang tumatagal, nararamdaman kong parang may malalim siyang dahilan. Malungkot. Parang may dala akong multo mula sa nakaraan. I found out later na may kuya pala siyang namatay-eleven years ago. Kuya Clyde, ang pangalan. At ang sabi-sabi... kamukha ko raw. Kaboses. Pati kilos. May mga ugaling sobrang weird na pareho kami. Hindi naman ako reincarnation (promise, hindi 'to fantasy). Pero bakit gano'n? As the days passed, parang naging silent mission ni Sir Calix na kilalanin ako. Naging protective siya. Minsan, parang sobra na. Pero hindi lang siya-si Jude, 'yung bunso nilang kapatid, ay unti-unting napalapit din sa akin. Tinuring nila akong parang kapatid... kahit hindi ko alam kung kaya ko ba silang ituring na pamilya. Pero paano kung unti-unti ko na ring maramdaman 'yung connection na hindi ko maintindihan? Na parang... dati ko na silang kilala? Minsan iniisip ko, sino ba talaga si Kuya Clyde? At bakit parang habang mas nakikilala ko siya, mas nawawala naman ako sa sarili kong pagkatao? This is a story about grief, healing, and finding unexpected pieces of the past in the present. And me? I'm just trying to figure out where I truly belong.

Kian Lancaster. They call him the Paranoid Grim Reaper. He trusts no one. He's impulsive, ruthless, and in the night he comes alive. But, what is a King without his Queen? Ellieandra Starr. She's everything Kian would never trust. She's too smiley, too carefree, and too much of sunshine. Yet, somehow he sees something in her that binds them together. And, although he will never trust her, he can't help but be drawn to her. To see what she hides.