She looked up, tears drenching her dark eyelashes. She sees him in the obsidian shadows of the room. A scream is stuck in her throat, unable to erupt from her mouth. She tries to turn and run, but as she moves her feet and takes a step, muscly arms encircle her waist. She feels her body lift above the ground, and seconds later her back slams against the wall. His fingers dig into her wrists, making her feel a stinging pain shoot up her arms. Her eyes are shut tight. 'Open your eyes'. She keeps them shut. 'Open your eyes, angel'. Her head is twisted to side, wanting to melt into the wall. His broad chest pressed up against every inch of her skin. He slams her against the wall again, making her yelp in pain, 'I SAID OPEN YOUR EYES!' She opens them slowly and looks at his face. She can see his eyes, black pools of emotion. Obsession. Lust. Possessiveness. Desire. Love. Dominance. Angelica Ziva Kareem. A beautiful, young woman, who aspires to complete her degree in Medicine. Her dream? To travel the world, to be free and to help those in need. Gabriel Dominic Rodrigo. Handsome, dark, possessive. Rich and hard working to the world above. Monster to the underworld. His life? What he wants, he gets. And he has his eyes set on little Angelica.

COMPLETE Let me make this crystal clear, because you don't seem to understand," he said, his voice deceptively calm, but laced with venom. "I paid for you to be my wife. That means you do what I say. You're mine now." He flicked a check toward me, and it fluttered to the ground between us. I couldn't look away from him, though my chest tightened in panic. My hands shook as I fought back tears, refusing to let him see me break. But he wasn't finished. "What did you expect?" he scoffed, eyes narrowing. "This is what gold diggers like you get. Money has a price, and now you're paying yours. Enjoy it, wife." Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing in the massive, empty living room-speechless, breathless, and drowning in disbelief. I never expected this. © MaryRose 2018. All rights reserved. Content Disclaimer: This story contains scenes of physical and verbal abuse. Reader discretion is advised. My intention is not to romanticize or condone abusive behavior but to present a fictional story for entertainment purposes only. If themes of violence, toxic relationships, or power imbalances are triggering, please proceed with caution or choose a different story. This is a work of fiction and should not be taken as a guide to real-life relationships. Offensive or disruptive comments will be removed to maintain a positive reading experience for all.

Playboy billionaire Aiden Grayson is being blackmailed and when he meets his handsome new bodyguard, Julian, he's slowly overcome by feelings he can't deny. ***** Aiden Grayson is a child of privilege. He's a bachelor and a billionaire who's never had to work for anything. However, he's left a trail of destruction in his wake and someone from the past is coming back to haunt him. He's being blackmailed, and soon he's assigned a new bodyguard: the handsome, Julian McAndrew. At first, the two men are opposites, forced to work together, but after a drunken kiss, Aiden can't deny his feelings. He throws himself into his vices, trying to sort himself out, while Julian continues to keep him safe. With a blackmailer one step ahead, can Julian protect Aiden from danger? Or more importantly, can Julian protect Aiden from himself? [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]