BITTER HERBS AND COLD IRON
- Reads 415
- Votes 16
- Parts 70
Lyra blackwood. The name whispers through the underworld like a ghost-a chilling legend of a Mafia Donna who controls ten territories with an iron, unseen fist. No one has seen her face since she inherited her father's empire. She attends the annual meeting of the Dons and Donnas, finally stepping out of the shadows, but her silence and stoic demeanor only deepen the mystery surrounding her deadly reputation.
Yet, behind the formidable facade is a woman privately battling a hidden war. Her scars of pain are deep, unhealed wounds that the demands of the syndicate repeatedly tear open.
Her world violently collides with that of Nico, a charming and passionate chef from a small, unassuming restaurant. When fate-or perhaps a contract-brings them together, Nico is completely oblivious to the empire she commands. He only sees the woman beneath the tailored clothes, the quiet sadness in her eyes, and the intriguing strength she possesses.
As an intense, unexpected connection ignites between them, Nico's genuine affection begins to warm the ice around Lyra heart. But their fragile bond is threatened by the very foundation of her life. Can a man whose world is defined by flavor and finesse truly fall for a woman whose life is ruled by blood and betrayal? And when he inevitably discovers the truth-who she is, what she does, and the horrific cost of her power-will his love be enough to heal the scars that the mafia keeps tearing open?
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
OUTLAWED
Elara, a young girl born into a broken world, where the royal family holds absolute power and mages-those with the ability to manipulate the elements-are hunted to the death. After witnessing the brutal murder of her father at the hands of the royal family, Elara's mother hides her daughter's identity, pretending to be the mage in order to protect her. But when the royal family learns of a new mage bearing a powerful mark, they arrive at Elara's home, and her mother sacrifices herself to save her daughter. With her mother's death haunting her and the royal family's forces hot on her trail, Elara flees into the woods, unveiling the magic she's kept hidden for years. In the depths of the forest, Elara discovers a hidden group of mages-boys and girls, families-each with their own elemental power: fire, water, earth, air, blood, metal, and ice. For the first time in her life, Elara is not alone. But her refuge is fragile. As the royal family intensifies its search, Elara must decide whether to stay hidden in the shadows or rise up with these newfound allies to reclaim her life and bring justice to those who destroyed her family. With vengeance in her heart, Elara's journey becomes a fight for survival, and a rebellion against the oppressive rule that has outlawed her very existence.
VEIL OF OBSESSION
In a world ruled by power, blood, and unrelenting loyalty, Sofia Greco is an outsider. All she wants is to escape her family's criminal legacy and start fresh, but her plans crumble when she crosses paths with Adrian DeLuca-a cold, ruthless mafia heir with a reputation for making his enemies disappear. Adrian is a man bound by duty, but when Sofia unknowingly threatens his empire, he takes her captive, determined to uncover her secrets. What he doesn't expect is the fire she ignites within him-a dangerous obsession that threatens to destroy the control he's fought so hard to maintain. Sofia should despise Adrian, but as she glimpses the man beneath the monster, her hatred begins to blur. With enemies closing in and betrayal lurking in the shadows, Sofia and Adrian are forced into a deadly dance where love and survival are at war. In a world where trust is a luxury and love is a weakness, will they destroy each other, or will their obsession be the key to their salvation?Complete
Empire of Shadows (Book 1)
Y/N, a young and talented artist, lives a life of vivid colors and quiet solitude, her days spent lost in canvases and her nights dreaming of a world beyond her own. When she's approached by a wealthy businessman, Simon Riley, who offers to commission her work, she thinks it's a chance to push her art to new heights. Simon is charming yet mysterious, and while his generous patronage seems like a dream, his enigmatic aura feels like a storm looming on the horizon. But Simon "Ghost" Riley is no mere businessman. Behind his tailored suits and polite demeanor lies one of the most powerful mafia bosses in the city, ruling an empire built on secrecy, fear, and shadows. For years, he's kept his personal life and his underworld reign separate, trusting no one and needing no one. But meeting Y/N stirs something he thought long buried-feelings that could make him vulnerable in a world where weakness is fatal. As Y/N delves deeper into her work for Simon, she begins to notice the cracks in his facade-the lingering looks, the hushed conversations, the shadows that follow him. Curiosity leads her to uncover the truth, placing her directly in the crossfire of his deadly world. Soon, she finds herself faced with an impossible choice: leave behind the life and love she's found with him or stay, risking everything for a man whose empire may crumble if his enemies discover the one person he truly cares for. *In a world where trust is scarce and love is a dangerous game, will Y/N and Simon's connection be their salvation or their undoing?*Complete
𝐃𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐲'𝐬 𝚮𝐨𝐦𝐞 | 18+
❝𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩, 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚.❞ Olivia groaned and crossed her arms, standing her ground. "Don't tell me what to do. You're not my dad." Amusement filled Santino's gaze as he stood up, abandoning the papers he desperately needed to read and sign. Yet, all that was forgotten as her bewitching lips protruded. "I might not be your dad but," a midnight lock of hair was pinned behind her ear, "I can be your papi." Shuddering, her body drew closer to him, betraying her mind. "You're sick." Taking the nape of her neck, Santino leaned down, his lips brushing against her ear. "Yet you still dream about my touch, don't you, principessa?" ❦ When Santino Adriano discovers that the Bratva has betrayed their neutrality by secretly working with his family's enemies, he's determined to send a brutal message that cannot be ignored. His target? The Bratva kingpin's sister, Olivia Morozov-a sheltered girl who knows little to nothing about the dark underworld her family controls, having been shielded from the darker truths of her family's empire her entire life. Fresh out of boarding school and blissfully oblivious to the power struggle boiling beneath her feet, Olivia is suddenly whisked away from everything she's ever known and thrust into a world where loyalty is weaponised and power is the ultimate prize. As secrets and long-buried lies unravel around her, she realises she's caught in a game where the unrelenting fight for power holds more value than human lives-including her own. Santino is cold, calculating, and relentless - everything Olivia should fear. Yet, she is intrigued by by his deadly nature. The line between fear and attraction is thin, and like a moth to a flame, she seeks him out, unafraid of the burn it may cause. She's never known anyone like him-an older, dangerous man who makes her question everything she thought she knew about desire. Olivia just didn't expect her captor to be so handsome.Complete
The Mafia Boss' Secret Maid
She didn't believe in makeup, manners, or mafia men-until she was forced into his mansion. Elara Khan is no damsel in distress. With combat boots instead of heels and sarcasm sharper than any blade, this tomboy chef-in-training doesn't bow to anyone. But when her foster family's debt drags her into a dangerous deal, Elara ends up working as a maid in a mansion that screams trouble. Enter Damian Moretti-infamous mafia boss, devilishly controlled, and used to obedience. What he doesn't expect is a girl who talks back, breaks his rules, and somehow manages to make his bulletproof heart skip a beat. She's chaotic. He's calculated. She's hiding from her past. He's drowning in his. But when a murder ties their fates together, Elara is forced to stay under his roof... and under his protection. She may mop the floors, but she's about to clean house-with fists, fury, and a fearless heart.Complete
possessive psychopath
That encounter was supposed to be ordinary. Just a girl showing pity to a wounded stranger in a dark alley. But for Alex, it was fate. When Bella rescued him and brought him to her apartment, she had no idea that the man she saved wasn't just a victim-but a monster with a dark past and a deadly obsession. At first, Alex appeared weak, hurt, and distant. But after Bella treated his wounds, something inside him shifted. He saw her as his. Only his. No one else was allowed to touch her, approach her, or hurt her-except himself. Behind his handsome face and piercing gaze, lay a damaged soul, haunted by trauma... and an unnatural kind of love. Bella never imagined that her act of kindness that night would trap her in a story filled with pain, blood, and possessive love. ---Complete
sweet Revenge
After losing her parents to the brutal hands of a ruthless mafia gang, a young girl is left to fend for herself in a world that shows no mercy. Hardened by grief and fueled by vengeance, she dedicates her entire life to mastering martial arts, preparing to infiltrate the very organization that tore her family apart. Years later, her plan is set in motion. She earns the gang's trust, climbing the ranks, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. But when she witnesses the gruesome execution of a traitor, she realizes the deadly cost of betrayal. Still, her resolve remains unshaken. However, fate intervenes in the cruelest of ways. As she inches closer to vengeance, she finds herself unexpectedly drawn to the son of the mafia boss-a man she should despise, yet whose warmth and kindness begin to melt her hardened heart. Now, torn between love and revenge, she must choose: destroy the man who unknowingly took everything from her, or risk it all for a future she never thought possible.Complete
"The Bride He Couldn't Let Go"
She was just 21-fragile, sick, and silent. An introverted girl with a tired soul and no strength left to fight the world. He was 30-feared, ruthless, and deeply broken. Istanbul's most dangerous mafia don, a man known for his cruelty, his cold blood, and the enemies that hunted his name. He never planned to keep her. One look, and he knew she deserved a gentler world-one without blood on its hands. So he let her go.... thinking it was the kindest thing he'd ever done. But destiny is never that merciful. Because sometimes, no matter how far you run or how cruel the world may seem, **some souls are meant to find their way back to each other.** When he saw her once again -soft, quiet, and unlike everything he had ever known-he couldn't walk away this . So he didn't. Instead, he **forced her family to marry her off to him**, threatening everything they held dear. But she was too ill to fight it. Too weak to stand at the altar. Too unaware to even know her life had changed forever. A love born in shadows. A marriage sealed in silence. And a story that proves even the coldest hearts can burn with love again. ---
His Addiction ✓
This book can be read as a standalone, however, I advise you to read His Possession first. This would help you understand the context and not spoil the first book if you choose to read it after this one. ~~~~~~~~ One year has passed since Adena Madden left Italy and her past behind. One year since she left the man she fell in love with. She lived away from everyone she once knew. She wanted to take a break. One that let her enjoy the freedom and live like a regular person. Perhaps the lavish life that Nico offered her was too much for a girl like Dena. Except her life was never going to be simple. She was the weakness of the ruthless Italian mafia don. One that had more enemies than any person on the planet. She was the one thing people could hold against him. One thing that would make him do anything in return for her safety. She thought that her relationship was left behind. Yet she never thought she could be so easily fooled into thinking no one would eventually take advantage of Nico's biggest weakness. Nico Savellini has gone through a lot in his life. He never thought that a girl would hurt him more than a bullet. After a year of her absence, he tried to move on and yet no matter how much he tried, He couldn't. But he never thought that the Russian mafia don would be smart enough to use her against him. No matter how much he should've expected it, he hoped he could protect her. His father told him he can never be with her, but can you really tell the heart what to do? And now that she's in danger, He has to get her back. Even if he has to put his life and empire at stake. ~~~~~~~~~ Trigger warnings: includes sexual content, mature language, mature/sensitive themes, scenes with weapons, violence and murder.Complete
HIS OBSESSION
He stepped even closer so close that our nose was touching and I could feel his minty breath on my face. Oh no wrong move. "I was just cleaning it" I said and gulped hard. "Um can you pl-pls mo-move back a little" I said stuttering. He smirked and moved even closer to me if that was even possible. "Why do I make you nervous" he said with his smirk widening. Yes. "Pls let me go" I pleaded. He just smirked and moved closer to me and....... Ethan Anderson is a waiter he works in a café. Taking care of his sick grandmother is the first thing Ethan will do. He's extremely shy. Due to his past he has some trust issues that doesn't allow him to trust people easily. But with someone entering his life again, ethans gonna have a hard time trusting that someone. Alexander knight is someone you don't wanna mess with.He too has a past which he doesn't share with anyone but when he meets Ethan all of a sudden he is someone alex wants to tell his past to. The leader has his eyes on Ethan and now he wants him and he will get him after all whatever the king wants he gets it. When love turns into a lovely obsession. Pls follow, vote and comment cause it matters.Complete
Elara, a young girl born into a broken world, where the royal family holds absolute power and mages-those with the ability to manipulate the elements-are hunted to the death. After witnessing the brutal murder of her father at the hands of the royal family, Elara's mother hides her daughter's identity, pretending to be the mage in order to protect her. But when the royal family learns of a new mage bearing a powerful mark, they arrive at Elara's home, and her mother sacrifices herself to save her daughter. With her mother's death haunting her and the royal family's forces hot on her trail, Elara flees into the woods, unveiling the magic she's kept hidden for years. In the depths of the forest, Elara discovers a hidden group of mages-boys and girls, families-each with their own elemental power: fire, water, earth, air, blood, metal, and ice. For the first time in her life, Elara is not alone. But her refuge is fragile. As the royal family intensifies its search, Elara must decide whether to stay hidden in the shadows or rise up with these newfound allies to reclaim her life and bring justice to those who destroyed her family. With vengeance in her heart, Elara's journey becomes a fight for survival, and a rebellion against the oppressive rule that has outlawed her very existence.
More detailsContent Guidelines