Fifteen-year-old Isabella Marino disappears on the walk home from school. It's the same route she's taken every day of her life. She even texts one of her brothers to say she's on her way. She never makes it home. Her father and brothers search relentlessly, tearing through enemies, allies, and shadows for answers-but years pass with no trace of Isabella. Then her father dies, taking what little hope they had left with him. Six years later, Isabella is found. Alive. Broken. And held just miles from the home she was stolen from. Now twenty-one, Isabella is returned to the brothers who never stopped looking for her-but coming home doesn't mean the darkness lets go. The girl they lost is not the woman who came back, and the past refuses to stay buried. As old enemies close in and secrets surface, the Marino brothers will do whatever it takes to protect what's theirs. Because Isabella was taken once. And this time, they won't lose her again.

[Free Until End Of Story] ── ─ ┈┈┈┄┄╌╌ Lowly. Illegitimate. Disgraceful. Amaryllis bore the weight of whispers and stares, a child born out of debauchery. She was raised behind iron gates and velvet curtains, in a family whose name was spoken only in lowered voices. A mafia dynasty, steeped in blood and loyalty. Yet even within that empire of power, she remained a shadow in the presence of her brothers, seen but never truly known. However her heart, vast and unyielding, loved them unconditionally. But life is both fragile and cruel. When terminal illness claimed her, she carried it alone behind fragile smiles, unwilling to darken the days of those she adored. Only one wish bloomed before the end, "I hope their feelings might change, even if it's temporary." And when that time comes... Please bring flowers to my funeral. ── ─ ┈┈┈┄┄╌╌ ⚠️ Trigger Warning: This story contains sensitive and potentially distressing themes, including psychological trauma and mature content. Note - The terminal illness described in this story is entirely fictional and included solely for storytelling purposes. - Update: will start updating in the middle of April 2026 - Cover: Canva © 2026 [CherylZielle]. All rights reserved. Do not copy or distribute without permission.

Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. - Harper Lee. Willa Parks is a young, sensitive girl, whose heart has hardened greatly over the course of her life. At almost 14, the universe does not seem to be on her side. Suffering through grief, anxiety, and trauma, she struggles day by day. Not to mention, the presence of her striking 7 older brothers, all who hide their own secrets.. Can their presence be enough to extricate sweet, darling Willa from the darkest depths of her mind? Or will their secrets push her right over the edge? In a world where family is the top value, are secrets really all that worth it? Will they just cause the inevitable crash and burn? The time is now for Willa to unlock her tenacity. The question is whether or not she can do it. Random updates :))

Content to live in his superstar twin's shadow, Evan Reed never expected to join the volleyball team-or fall for his brother's best friend. But one accidental collision sets off a whirlwind of spikes, secrets, and unexpected feelings that just might pull him into the spotlight for good. *** Evan has spent his entire life living in the shadow of his twin brother and volleyball prodigy, Ethan Reed. And to be honest? He likes it there. No expectations, no pressure, just quiet. That is, until one day he trips and falls into a boy, and subsequently triggers a highly dramatic series of events that starts with him reluctantly joining the volleyball team, and ends with him dating his brother's best friend. (And unfortunately, after all of it, he's still on the volleyball team.) *** NOW COMPLETED

Kidnapped at the age of two, the twins were torn from the warmth of their family and thrust into a world of chaos. Years passed, shaping them into complete opposites-one a storm of ice and shadows, the other a beacon of light and innocence. She is feared. Ruthless. A ghost in the night who leaves no enemies standing. He is soft-spoken. Gentle. A boy who still dares to believe in kindness despite the darkness they've endured. Yet, despite their differences, they share an unbreakable bond. He wishes for someone-anyone-to melt his sister's frozen heart before it's too late. She only knows how to destroy, convinced that love is a weakness she can't afford. But fate isn't done with them. When they are reunited with the family they never knew, the battle isn't just against old enemies-it's against the walls she has built, the ghosts that haunt them, and the question that lingers in the air... Can they bring her back before she's lost forever? Can they protect the boy who still holds onto hope? And in the end, will blood prove to be stronger than the scars of the past? Find out in "Dangerously Innocent Twins."

𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘳, 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥. Cinder ˈsɪndər -The remains of something that has been burned or destroyed, often with a sense of something lingering or fading. ___ Bullying, Brothers, Dysfunctional Family

Aria Costito has spent most of her life in a form of captivity. She was kidnapped at the age of 6 by her parent's greatest rivals because of their position as leaders of the Italian mafia. Aria spent most of her life believing she was happier hidden away- until now. When her captor suddenly discards her, Aria learns what real love and care feel like, all while continuing her dance career, her one form of true freedom.

Sixteen-year-old Olive Monroe has never known freedom. Trapped in a dimly lit corner of a crumbling Arizona house, she's kept under the watch of her cruel stepfather, Rex. She dreams of sunlight, open skies, and a life beyond the shadows-but dreaming is the closest she's ever come to escaping. When Rex is arrested, Olive learns a shocking truth: she has five older brothers. Men who command respect with the click of a heel. Men who have spent fifteen years searching for the sister stolen from them. For Matteo Conti, the night the phone call comes is the first time he's been able to breathe since that day. Now, his baby sister is finally coming home. But the girl he finds is not the one he remembers-she's quiet, skittish, and flinches at the smallest sound. As Olive navigates a new world of power, protection, and overwhelming family love, she faces a choice: keep her past locked away, or trust her brothers with the truth. And for the Conti brothers, the question becomes-can the most influential men in the world learn how to be gentle for the one person they'd burn it all down to protect?

London Hawthorn wasn't your average thirteen year old. Though physically he was perfectly normal, brown wavy hair and ice cold eyes that made girls go wild. But what set him apart from other boys his age was the fact that at only thirteen years old, he was already solving a murder case. However this wasn't just any murder case, it was the twisting, terribly sad, and downright confusing case that belonged to his own blood. His mother. When things begin to unwind and reveal itself, London is tasked with finding his father-a man who is supposed to be dead. And with his father comes his siblings, six of them. All tall, strong, and absolutely gut wrenchingly terrifying. With voices that could send shivers down the bravest of souls. As London sets out to find his father, with only a backpack and a locket, he also begins to find clues. Clues to what? Well, that's for London to know, and for you to find out. Will London ever find his father? What will happen when he does? Will this terrifying man even bother with his thirteen year old son. And what will happen when these clues begin to reveal themselves? Will London finally find the culprit behind all his years of hurt, or is it as it seems?

Valda Giordano has moved on with her life. Healed from her illness, living with her father and brothers. And looking forward to the future she never had, plans for college and taking up a career in law enforcement, and living like the teenager she was. But life has a way of stealing and giving; when the only boy she has ever loved shows up a year later, with him comes psycho uncles, unfortunate incidents, and disapproval. Valda has never been the one to run, but will she be able to stay even as her very life becomes jeopardized by the very boy she can't let go? This is the second book in The Hidden Tears series.