Mask Beneath The Shadows
- Reads 1,199
- Votes 97
- Parts 79
MatureComplete Fri, Feb 13, 202614h 34m
In a city veiled by shadows, Ava's quiet life is shattered by an unseen force-her stalker, who watches her every move with an obsession that's as dangerous as it is consuming. Asher Rake, a hardened mercenary who lives by his own ruthless code, hides behind a perfect boyfriend facade. But as their worlds collide, Ava discovers hints of his sinister side, bringing her face-to-face with a man both irresistibly alluring and terrifyingly dark. Caught between fear and fascination, she must decide if the price of falling for him is worth losing herself-or saving him from the shadows he calls home.
All Rights Reserved
Join the largest storytelling communityGet personalized story recommendations, save your favourites to your library, and comment and vote to grow your community.
You may also like
COMMITMENT | MAFIA ROMANCE 18+ ✔️ Book One
Nia: He's a broken soul with a dark past. He's a fearful man who sees nothing but red in the world. I want to hug him. I want to, dare I say, love him. But will he let me? Apollo: She's a ray of sunshine that burns my eyes with every smile. A flower with poison hidden beneath her petals. I want to break her and uncover her hidden dark desires. There's something about her and I can't let go even though I know I should. A world like mines isn't a place for her delicate soul and I fucking hate that. ~~ "Submit to me." He repeats, harder this time as he steps closer to me. "I am not some puppy you can command to do as you say. Who in the fuck do you think i am? Kali?" His frown deepens at my tone and in a second his cold rough hands are wrapped around my neck. I whimper at the sudden move and my body goes tense when he squeezes. "Apo-" "I said to fucking submit! Do you need me to force you to?" He growls in my face. His scent suffocates me more than his hands are and I remain silent, fearing that I will say the wrong thing that'll end in me buried six feet under. "What? Cat got your tongue?" He taunts with an evil smirk on his face. He's trying to scare me into submission. I refuse. If me dying saves my dignity then so be it but I will not let this evil man think he can control me. "I am not yours to submit to, Apollo," I say as loud as can with his hands still choking me. "I am not your pet. If you want to hurt me, then hurt me but I refuse to be the woman to fall at your every command. You tried that once, remember? And where did that get me? In the hands of your enemy. I fucking. Refuse." I used all of my strength to shove him away from me with heavy force.Complete
Crimson Obsession
Lila is a quiet yet deeply disturbed high school girl, harboring an intense obsession with her classmate Gabriel. Her feelings for him are all-consuming, and she believes they are destined to be together, despite their lack of connection. Gabriel, popular and kind-hearted, is oblivious to Lila's fixation, often surrounded by other girls who are drawn to him. As Lila's infatuation grows, so does her paranoia. Every time another girl gets close to Gabriel, Lila sees it as a threat to their bond. Her once shy and withdrawn nature starts to twist into something darker, as she begins to sabotage any girl who seeks his attention. Subtle at first, her acts of cruelty escalate-manipulating and turning violent. When a few of the girls who dare to get too close to Gabriel mysteriously disappear, rumors swirl about the strange coincidences surrounding their disappearances. Lila, consumed by jealousy and desperation, feels invincible in her pursuit of Gabriel, believing that each act of violence brings them one step closer to fate. But as her actions become increasingly erratic, the line between love and madness blurs. Lila's obsession spirals out of control, and the school starts to close in on her, unaware of the extent of her twisted affection. In a world where her heart rules her every move, Lila is willing to sacrifice everything-including her own humanity-to make Gabriel hers.Complete
Catch me first
He's always closer than she thinks... but is it real, or just her mind playing tricks? Some games are deadly. Some hunters are invisible. Some fears are real... and some are only in your mind. Evelyn Harlowe thought she had escaped the worst of life-until the night her husband, son, and daughter vanished without a trace. Their bodies were never found, but the horror didn't end there. Now, a brilliant and terrifying predator is playing a twisted game with her. Shoes, photographs, a lock of hair... each item a cruel reminder that someone is always watching. Someone who knows her family intimately, someone who takes pleasure in fear and grief. But Evelyn's mind is not always a reliable guide. Premonitions, fleeting visions, and the shadows of her trauma blur the line between reality and imagination. In the heart of New York City, every dark alley, every abandoned building could be a trap-or just another trick of her mind. As obsession, desire, and terror collide, Evelyn must confront her past, her fears, and the predator who is closer than she could ever imagine. Warning: Contains mature content, including psychological manipulation, violence, and adult themes. Not intended for readers under 18.Complete
Watching Tessa
Tessa's life is far from easy. At twenty, she balances university, work, and paying her own way through London, all while trying to make sense of a past that took her parents too soon. Her days are ordinary, her nights quiet...until someone starts watching her. Always there, in the shadows, in the streets, in her thoughts. Obsession can be dangerous. And sometimes, it's closer than you think. A dark, slow-burn thriller about desire, secrets, and the fine line between protection and possession. Cover photo @anngelseyess Background picture from Pinterest.Complete
𝙲𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚈𝚘𝚞(𝐴 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑘𝑒𝑟 𝑅𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒) #1
Ava is a woman leading a normal life, unaware that someone is watching her every move, obsessing over her every detail. Jae-Min's fascination with her began long ago, and now he's closer than ever to making her his-by any means necessary. With every glance she takes, with every breath she makes, he's there in the shadows, waiting. Her life is his to watch, her every step, his to control. When Ava's simple day-to-day existence collides with his suffocating desire, Jae-Min's patience is tested. But Ava has no idea. To her, he's just another face in the crowd. Until the day she starts to feel it-the eerie sensation of being watched, of someone lingering just beyond her reach. But Jae-Min won't wait forever. And when he finally gets what he craves, nothing will stop him from making her his own.Complete
BloodBound: A Love Written In Ruin
In a city drowning in fog and sin, Maldern-a centuries-old predator-has never known love, only hunger. That is, until he meets Asher, a man who does not flinch beneath his gaze, a man who seems to welcome the darkness he brings. Their passion is raw, brutal, and consuming, but what begins as a dangerous game soon twists into something far more treacherous. Because Asher is not just a lover-he is a hunter. And Maldern is his prey. When the truth comes to light and a silver dagger is pressed to Maldern's throat, both men are forced to confront the inevitable: love and destruction have always been intertwined. Will they succumb to the violence that binds them, or will their obsession lead them to a fate worse than death? A tale of desire, betrayal, and blood-soaked devotion, Bloodbound is a dark romance where love is not salvation-it is damnation.Complete
Caged By Him
"WHY CAN'T YOU GET IT INSIDE YOUR HEAD?" He trapped my trembling body between his arms and slammed his fist into the wall. I flinch at the sound as I feel tears forming in my eyes. "I'M SICK AND TIRED OF YOUR CRYING. JUST ACCEPT THE FACT THAT YOU'RE NEVER LEAVING. THIS IS YOUR LIFE NOW, WITH ME" He spits, anger consuming his voice as I push myself further against the wall. Shutting my eyes closed and turning my face to the side as I do. Moments later, I feel his rough hand on my waist and his finger grazing my cheek. "Look at me, love." His hand grips onto my jaw, his thumb playing across my lower lip. He turns my face to meet his as I lower my gaze to the floor. He lowers himself to my level and I feel his breath fanning my cheek causing my breathing to become unsteady. "I love you so much, darling. But you need to learn. You need to learn that you won't be going anywhere. You're mine." With that being said, his other hand slides down to my waist "Your entire body, your mind, your soul. All mine." All I could do was tremble at his touch. How can someone so beautiful be so heartless? ~~~~~~~~~~ All a 19 year old Aurora Shaw wanted to do was work to make a living and volunteer at the orphanage. Unfortunately for her, ruthless and cunning 26 year old Mafia leader and billionaire Tristan Black had other plans for her. He's been waiting for the perfect moment to kidnap her and finally make her his queen after 2 years of watching and stalking her every move. He'd kill anyone who gets in the way of getting what he wants. What will happen when he ruins everything she wanted and forces her to marry him? Will she escape and resist him? Or will she submit and accept her fate?Complete
Loving Rory
What did I do to end up in this situation? A marriage I had no say in, to a man I've never met before. I didn't even know his name... until the moment my world crumbled. I'm paying for an accident I never should have been part of, an accident that stole everything from me, even the ability to breathe. Now, I'm trapped in this forced marriage with a stranger, with no way out. He's a man I barely know, and yet I can't say no. I'm bound by the circumstances, caught in the web of his world, and I can't escape. But maybe, in time, I'll learn to survive this... and perhaps, even find something I never expected. ♡︎♡︎♡︎ Aurora D'Angelo, an Italian mafia princess, is trapped in an arranged marriage with a man colder than stone. She doesn't want him, she hates him, yet could time turn their forced union into something more?Complete
My Obsessed Husband
After a brutal car accident wipes five years of Evelyn's memory, she wakes up in the arms of a stranger - a man who claims to be her husband. Ryan, a man feared by many for his ruthless nature, has only ever shown Evelyn his gentler side - the side that worships her. Now, with her memories lost and her emotions overwhelming her, Evelyn sees Ryan as nothing but a stranger. Determined to win her back, Ryan fights to rekindle the love they once shared - but will her 5 year old self willingly accept her today's choice ,to him.........to know more dig into "My Obsessed Husband".
SINISTER OBSESSION - ADREANNA'S REVERIA
FOR ADREANNA, A QUIET YET FIERCE DREAMER, LIFE TAKES A SINISTER TURN WHEN HER ENEMY'S OBSESSION WEAVES HER INTO A WEB OF SECRETS, BETRAYAL, AND DESIRE. HAUNTED BY CRYPTIC MESSAGES AND SHADOWY FIGURES, SHE MUST UNCOVER THE TRUTH BEHIND THE ENIGMATIC FORCES PULLING HER INTO DARKNESS. AS PASSIONS IGNITE AND DANGERS LURK, ADREANNA DISCOVERS THAT SOME OBSESSIONS ARE MORE POWERFUL AND MORE PERILOUS THAN LOVE. WILL SHE ESCAPE WITH HER SOUL INTACT, OR WILL ATHAN'S OBSESSION CONSUME HER COMPLETELY? ENTER A WORLD OF MYSTERY, ALLURE, AND SUSPENSE IN THIS GRIPPING TALE WHERE EVERY HEARTBEAT THREATENS TO BE YOUR LAST.Complete
The Esztar Code | A Mafia Romance Thriller |18+|
• BOOK 1 OF THE ESZTAR SERIES • Reaching upstairs, he hurled me inside his room and closed the door harshly. I stood there shaking with fear. He looked scary. Extremely scary. He tilted his head, forming an evil grin on his face. I couldn't move. I stayed riveted to my spot silently begging him for mercy. Everything went wrong tonight. He was going to take out all the aggression on me. He always did that. To make it worse, no one was there in the house to save me. I opened my mouth to speak but was roughly slammed against the wall in a heartbeat. It happened in less than a second. My chest was pressed against his and my hands were pinned above with his one hand clasping both of my wrists while the other hand snaked around my waist, holding me in place. "What are you doing?" I let out an incredulous whisper. "Showing you the right way to dominate." And with that, he smashed his lips over mine. ~~~ Life is perfect. Until it all goes downhill. For Vittoria, it was when four insanely hot mafias kidnapped her. Vittoria Andress, a normal girl finds herself thrown into the world of mafias. Now left all alone, without her brother, her only family, she has one big task- survive. And it was anything but easy, especially with the obsessive mafia boss having hots for her. Will the merciless turn of events crush her beneath it's weight or will she rise from there ashes? WARNING : Strong language, graphic violence, abuse. May act as a trigger. #1 IN MAFIABOSS #1 IN DARK ROMANCE #1 IN HATELOVE #1 IN CRIME #1 IN SASSY #1 IN CONSORTIUM #2 IN HOT #5 IN KIDNAP #7 IN OBSESSIONComplete
When You Finally Look
⚠️ FULL STORY CONTENT WARNING: This story contains graphic and sensitive material throughout, including: • stalking, harassment, and obsession • severe psychological manipulation and gaslighting • childhood abuse, neglect, and domestic violence • murder and violent assault (graphic) • blood, injury, and disturbing scenes • mental breakdowns, trauma flashbacks, and dissociation • character death • language & mature content Reader discretion is strongly advised. He's been watching her for a year - studying her laugh, her habits, the way she moves through Tokyo's neon haze. Sera doesn't know him. Not yet. But when a stranger tries to hurt her, Renji steps closer to the edge - and sees the darkness hidden beneath her smile. She isn't what he thought. And that only makes him want her more.
All Yours
"Please," I whisper, my voice trembling as tears prick the corners of my eyes. "Please don't hurt me." The words barely escape my throat, fragile and desperate. He studies me for a moment, tilting his head slightly, almost as if he's amused by my plea. Then he scoffs, the sound sharp and mocking. "Why would I want to do that?" he murmurs, his voice smooth but carrying a dark undertone that chills me. He takes a step forward, and instinctively, I step back. "I've just found you..." He pauses, his gaze dragging over my face like a predator sizing up its prey. "And now you're mine." Aurora Evans leads a life of simplicity. Eat, work, sleep-her unchanging regimen is her sanctuary, and she has no intention of altering it. But what unfolds when a shadowy figure, lurking beyond her windows, takes an insidious interest in her? One glance at her in a café ensnares him, rendering him captivated, his singular ambition becoming clear: to claim her as his own. Aurora's attempts to escape his shadowy games are futile, especially in the cloak of night when he emerges, weaving his spell under the cover of darkness. He teases, entices, and pushes her perilously close to her breaking point. Her resolve is to distance herself as much as possible. Yet, fate has a cruel sense of irony. When she is abruptly dismissed from her previous job, she unwittingly lands a position working for him-as his assistant-entangling her in a web she can no longer evade. *A STALKER ROMANCE* #1 in "assistant" 12/23/24 #1 in "criminal" 3/8/25Complete
The Whispering Cipher
Evana Carter seems to have it all: a loving husband, a quiet home, and the life of a devoted wife. But when Ryan leaves for work each morning, Evana steps into a hidden world no one suspects-one where encrypted messages, unsolved cases, and coded murders pull her deeper into the shadows. Now, a new string of killings has begun. Victims are left with cryptic numbers carved into their flesh-dates, times, symbols that whisper of patterns only Evana can see. Each clue drags her back to the case that first defined her career, a case she thought she had buried forever. As the murders escalate, Evana finds herself caught between the safety of her home and the secrets of her past. The closer she comes to decoding the killer's game, the more she realizes the truth isn't buried in the case files at all... it's closing in around her.Complete
Nia: He's a broken soul with a dark past. He's a fearful man who sees nothing but red in the world. I want to hug him. I want to, dare I say, love him. But will he let me? Apollo: She's a ray of sunshine that burns my eyes with every smile. A flower with poison hidden beneath her petals. I want to break her and uncover her hidden dark desires. There's something about her and I can't let go even though I know I should. A world like mines isn't a place for her delicate soul and I fucking hate that. ~~ "Submit to me." He repeats, harder this time as he steps closer to me. "I am not some puppy you can command to do as you say. Who in the fuck do you think i am? Kali?" His frown deepens at my tone and in a second his cold rough hands are wrapped around my neck. I whimper at the sudden move and my body goes tense when he squeezes. "Apo-" "I said to fucking submit! Do you need me to force you to?" He growls in my face. His scent suffocates me more than his hands are and I remain silent, fearing that I will say the wrong thing that'll end in me buried six feet under. "What? Cat got your tongue?" He taunts with an evil smirk on his face. He's trying to scare me into submission. I refuse. If me dying saves my dignity then so be it but I will not let this evil man think he can control me. "I am not yours to submit to, Apollo," I say as loud as can with his hands still choking me. "I am not your pet. If you want to hurt me, then hurt me but I refuse to be the woman to fall at your every command. You tried that once, remember? And where did that get me? In the hands of your enemy. I fucking. Refuse." I used all of my strength to shove him away from me with heavy force.
More detailsContent Guidelines