⚠️ CHAPTER 41+ ARE PAID CONTENT VIA KO-FI ⚠️ ── ─ ┈┈┈┄┄╌╌ The De Luca brothers reign supreme in the underworld, holding dominion over the ruthless realm of the Italian Mafia. They are cold, merciless, driven by madness, their loyalty solely to blood. Yet, their lives take an unexpected turn when they discovered their thirteen years old little sister. *** "When she was choking me, is that... love?" she whispered, her voice barely audible, each word trembling as if afraid to leave her lips. Her eyes, wide and glassy, searched mine desperately, seeking a truth that she couldn't grasp amidst the fog of confusion and despair that clouded her mind. My heart seethed with rage, a torrent of emotions crashing against the walls of my restraint, threatening to betray the stoic facade I had carefully constructed. I wanted to scream, to shake her out of this misguided belief. Hestia, my little sister, stared back at me. Her innocence tainted by the cruel hands of someone who had twisted the meaning of love into something unrecognizable. She couldn't differentiate the painfully obvious truth, the clear distinction between love and control, kindness and cruelty. It was as if the very essence of her spirit was being suffocated, just as her breath had been. ── ─ ┈┈┈┄┄╌╌ [⚠️ Chapter 41+ are paid content via Ko-fi ⚠️] ⚠️ Trigger Warning: This story contains sensitive and potentially distressing themes, including abuse, sexual assault, rape, psychological trauma, and mature content. Note: - Update: Random - Cover by Canva © 2026 [CherylZielle]. All rights reserved. Do not copy or distribute the story without permission.

[2024 WATTY WINNER][18+] When global pop sensation, Maisie Rhodes, accidentally reveals her love songs are about someone close to her, she agrees to fake-date her best friend, August, to keep the truth buried. But with six weeks of pretending and nine years of unspoken feelings between them, she's forced to choose between protecting their friendship or risking everything for the one person she's never stopped wanting.

Brynn Kingslee has spent a third of her life protecting herself from her stepfather as fiercely as a twelve year old can. Only to find, after his death, she has seven fiercely protective older brothers who didn't realise that not only would they be protecting her from their work, but also protecting her from her past, too.