After enduring years of neglect and cruelty from her mother and stepfather, Ariana's life changes drastically when tragedy brings her under the guardianship of five brothers she's never met and they never even knew they had a sister. For her brothers, learning they have a sister is an unwelcome surprise. Suspicious and reluctant, her brothers see Aria as an outsider, a stranger disrupting the fragile balance of their lives. For Aria, their home is both a new beginning and a constant reminder of the family that left her behind. Haunted by the pain of her past, Aria struggles to adjust, her every action guarded and her trust hard to earn. As her brothers try to understand her, they begin to glimpse the scars she hides and the strength she carries. Little by little, resentment turns to empathy, and the walls between them start to crumble. But just as the siblings begin to find common ground, the secrets and trauma of Aria's old life threaten to tear them apart. Together, they must decide whether they can overcome the shadows of the past to forge a family and whether Aria can finally find a place to belong.

Eight-year-old Annelise doesn't remember her real name - or what it means to be safe. Taken from her family and trapped in a nightmare for six long years, she's finally rescued and returned to the people who have been waiting for her all along. The Beaumont brothers each carry their own scars from a past filled with loss and secrets. Together, they embark on a slow, tender journey of healing, trust, and rediscovery-where every unlocked door holds the chance for Annelise to reclaim what's been stolen from her.

Alessia has carved out a life in the shadows, helping other forgotten kids like herself. But when a failed theft lands her in the sights of a boy who looks exactly like her, everything changes. Torn between the harsh life she knows and a violent world of wealth, secrets, and control, Alessia must decide who she really is - and how far she'll go to protect the only family that ever truly mattered.

When Amalie and Evelyn move in with the fiercely protective Castellani brothers, they find themselves in a home full of strangers and secrets. Rebuilding trust after years apart won't be easy, especially when not everything in the Castellani house is what it seems. As the twins begin to learn the difference between survival and safety, they discover that some shadows are harder to outrun than others.

Nine-year-old Addison has known only darkness - locked away in a basement, her world has been one of silence, fear, and isolation. But when Addison moves in with the Harrington brothers - the family she never knew she had - she faces the daunting task of learning to trust, speak, and heal. Surrounded by love but haunted by her past, will Addison find the light she's been searching for - or will the shadows of her trauma keep her trapped?

𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐯𝐞. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝. 𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐭. . . . . . . . . . . Living in The Colony was all Josie knew. To the outside world it was a cult of brainwashed victims all under the spell of Kade Rogers, but to her it was home. That was up until a series of events that led up to her escape. If only fate wasn't so cruel as to lead her away from one monster and put her directly into the hands of another. Now, with a new sense of determination, Josie explores the world outside of The Colony and learns the hard way that trust is a dangerous weapon of destruction. Trying to lead a normal life starting college proves to be impossible after meeting Nico Blaine. He was everything she was suppose to stay away from. But when Josie lay's eyes on the tattooed beauty, she can't help it. What starts out as a innocent infatuation turns into a twisted tale of betrayal. .. . . . . . . . . . - Dark romance - Explicit sexual content - Mature themes - Criminal - Villain - Anti-hero #1 goodgirlxbadboy #1 darklove

#1st place in The Dreamcatcher Awards(Romance) Alexandria Winters is the heiress of multi-billion dollar empire, BW Empire. She's not been home in 8 years, having created her own company in London. Damien Black is the heir to BW Empire as well since his and Alex's dad built the empire together. Alex and Damien haven't seen each other in years, memories of their last meeting fresh in their minds. Then, Alex is summoned home to take over her father's place alongside Damien. Running an empire and leading black op missions for the US government is no easy feat, especially when you can barely stand your partner. So, when Alex's past comes back to haunt her and with the rising of a new underworld gang threatening to destroy everything and everyone they love, can the Ice Queen and Stone King steer this ship together or will they fall victim to a dark cold reality, losing to their inner demons and quite possibly, falling into a black winter?

Arcadian (adj.) idyllically innocent; simple and untroubled by fear or worry. Harper Flores is the human embodiment of a ray of sunshine. She's kind, understanding and always willing to put other's needs in front of her own. To the outside world Harper is seen as naive and innocent, without a care in the world but she's hiding a secret. The girl that loves everyone unconditionally hates herself. Her mother, not wanting to deal with Harper's declining mental health ships her across the country to a secluded boarding school in the small village of Cartmel, England. Due to her late arrival half way through the school year, Harper is forced to stay in the boy's dorm and share a room with six roommates. Keeping a low profile is almost impossible, especially when she catches the eye of all six boys. Lucian Cruz, an arrogant, rude fuckboy who feels no remorse for the girls he's used and ignored. After being sent to Willow Hall Academy with his twin brother Emilio two years ago by his parents who were trying to protect them from the dangerous realities of being involved in the mafia, Lucian's behaviour takes a rapid downfall. Ignoring school work to party and smoke, Lucian really has no care in the world. That is until a bubbly ball of sunshine moves into his room, disrupting his peace.

Alessia has never spoken a single word in her life. Stolen as a child by a ruthless gang, she grew up in captivity, taught to believe that pain was a lesson and obedience was survival. Forced to work as a servant, she endured years of mistreatment, never questioning the twisted reality forced upon her. Despite the cruelty, she remains kind, her innocence untainted-but dangerously unaware of the true depths of evil in the world. Until the night she escaped. Lost in the dark streets of Naples, she collided into Matteo De Luca, the cold and merciless head of the most powerful mafia family. Matteo is a man feared by all, a king in the underworld where blood and loyalty rule. He has no patience for weakness. No room for softness in his life. But when he sees the mute, trembling girl looking up at him with wide, trusting eyes, completely unaware of who he is, something inside him snaps. She doesn't fear him. She doesn't know he's a monster. And for the first time in his life, Matteo feels the dangerous urge to protect instead of destruction.

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)