Chapter: BOOK 3 - Chapter 16: Leo's Discovery ~ LEO POV ~The cursor blinks at me from the computer screen like a judgment. I've been staring at this background report for twenty minutes, and my coffee's gone cold in the mug beside my keyboard. The fluorescent lights in my office buzz overhead, casting everything in that harsh white glow that makes secrets feel uglier than they already are.Isabella Moretti. Age 23. Current address, employment history, educational background. All clean, all perfect. Too perfect.I lean back in my chair, the leather creaking under my weight. Twenty years in military intelligence taught me that when something looks too clean, you dig deeper. When Alex Walton asks you to run a background check on someone, you dig until your fingers bleed.The problem is, He loves her.That's not supposed to matter. I'm head of security for the Walton family now. My job is to protect their interests, their reputation, their empire. Personal feelings don't factor into the equation. Which makes what I'm about to find
Last Updated: 2025-07-12
Chapter: BOOK 3 - Chapter 15: The Gallery's Shadow **Alex POV**~ Few Days Later ~The last champagne glass clinked against the marble counter as I watched the final guest disappear through the gallery doors. Success. The word should have tasted sweeter on my tongue, but all I could think about was the way Isabella had looked at Austin during his speech tonight. Like he'd hung the fucking moon."Hell of a night." Austin's voice cut through my thoughts. He stood near the controversial centerpiece, the painting Isabella had chosen despite every advisor telling her it was career suicide. The piece that had somehow become the talk of the entire opening.I turned, loosening my tie. "Yeah. Hell of a night."My brother looked different in the dim gallery lighting. Softer somehow. His usually perfect hair was mussed from running his hands through it, a habit he'd picked up whenever Isabella was around. When had I started cataloging his tells?"The Times critic loved it," Austin continued, hands shoved deep in his pockets. "Said Isabella had '
Last Updated: 2025-07-11
Chapter: BOOK 3 - Chapter 14: Nora's Warning The apartment door slams behind me harder than I intended. My hands are still shaking from the taxi ride, from Aria Walton's words echoing in my head like a curse.*History has a way of repeating itself in this family.*"Bella? That you?" Nora's voice comes from the kitchen, casual and warm. Normal. God, I need normal right now."Yeah." I drop my purse by the door, kick off my heels. My feet are killing me, but that's nothing compared to the knot in my stomach."You're back early. Thought you'd be off having fancy brunch with Prince Charming." Nora appears in the doorway, coffee mug in hand, wearing an old Northwestern sweatshirt and pajama shorts. Her dark hair is piled in a messy bun, and she looks so beautifully ordinary that I almost start crying."Which Prince Charming?" The words come out bitter.Nora's expression shifts. She sets down her mug, studies my face. "Okay, what happened?"I can't answer. I just stand there in our tiny living room, surrounded by mismatched furniture f
Last Updated: 2025-07-10
Chapter: BOOK 2 - Chapter 13: Family Dynamics “I want…” I start to speak, then realize I don’t know how to finish that sentence. What do I want? Alex’s passion and intensity, or Austin’s gentleness and idealism? The safety of choosing neither, or the terrifying possibility of having to choose between them?“You want?” Austin prompts, stepping closer.Before I can answer, my phone buzzes with a text. Without thinking, I glance at it.Coffee? I have some ideas about the next exhibition. - AlexAustin sees the message, sees the name on the screen. Something shifts in his expression, hardens.“Right on schedule,” he says quietly.“Austin, it’s not…”“It’s fine.” But his voice suggests it’s anything but fine. “I should get you back to your hotel. I’m sure you have important business to discuss.”The easy warmth from earlier is gone, replaced by something cooler, more distant. As we walk the final blocks in silence, I realize that whatever this is between the three of us, it’s moving faster than I can control.And I’m not sure any of
Last Updated: 2025-07-10
Chapter: BOOK 3 - Chapter 12: Austin's Counter-Move ~Next Morning~I'm still thinking about Alex's words when my phone buzzes at seven thirty the next morning. The caller ID shows Austin's name, and I debate letting it go to voicemail. After last night's dinner, after the way Alex's confession left me spinning, the last thing I need is more complications.But I answer anyway."Good morning, sunshine." Austin's voice is warm, cheerful in a way that shouldn't be legal before eight AM. "Please tell me you're a morning person.""Depends on your definition of morning person." I sit up in bed, pushing hair out of my face. "What time do you normally call people?""When I'm excited about something? Way too early." There's rustling in the background, like he's moving around. "I have an idea. How do you feel about playing hooky?""Hooky?""From whatever responsible adult things you had planned today. I want to show you something."I think about my schedule. I need to review contracts for the gallery, return calls from three different artists, an
Last Updated: 2025-07-09
Chapter: BOOK 3 - Chapter 11: The Business Dinner ~ Few Hours Later ~ The Plaza's restaurant gleams like something out of a movie. Crystal chandeliers cast warm light over pristine white tablecloths, and the soft murmur of conversation mingles with the gentle clink of expensive china. I feel underdressed despite wearing my best black dress, the one I saved for special occasions back when I could afford special occasions.Alex is already seated when the hostess leads me to our table. He stands as I approach, and I'm struck again by how he commands attention without even trying. The other diners glance our way, recognizing power when they see it."You came," he says, pulling out my chair."You doubted I would?""After this afternoon? Yes." He settles across from me, his dark eyes studying my face. "You hung up on me."Heat creeps up my neck. "I didn't hang up on you. I said I'd call back.""And did you?"I reach for my water glass instead of answering. Because no, I didn't call back. I spent the afternoon with Austin, drinking coffee
Last Updated: 2025-07-09
UNSPOKEN BOND
- MY FIRST BOOK - - A LOT OF GRAMMATICAL ERRORS- - AND THE STORY LINE MESSED UP - - SO YOU CAN READ MY SECOND BOOK WHICH IS AVAILABLE NOW - #ADVICE FROM THE AUTHOR Lila Emerson walks through the crowded corridors of Willow Creek High School in silence, a persistent target of criticism and mockery due to her inability to communicate properly. Among her tormentors is Caleb Matthews, the embodiment of popularity and arrogance, whose vicious remarks echo through the halls. However, fate intervenes when they are unhappily assigned to the same study group.
Caleb's initial hatred for Lila's perceived vulnerability begins to fade as they are forced together. Despite his initial resistance, he begins to see past her silence, uncovering perseverance and inner power that defy his assumptions. Each meeting creates a tenuous bond between them, forcing Caleb to examine his own biases and beliefs. understanding that could change their lives forever.
Caleb and Lila must decide whether to give in to the opinions of their peers or to accept the deeper understanding that brings them together.
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Chapter: 76The library had settled into its usual afternoon lull, the air thick with the musty scent of aging paper and the soft rustle of turning pages. Lila sat hunched over her laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard as she transcribed her latest research notes. So engrossed was she in her work that she failed to notice the looming presence approaching her table until a shadow fell across her screen.Glancing up with a start, Lila found herself face to face with Caleb's towering bulk. Her muscles tensed instinctively, body coiling as if readying for fight or flight. The last encounter with this lumbering bully still burned fresh in her memory - his sneering disdain, the casual cruelty as he'd snatched away her notebook filled with painstaking calculations and schematics.But something was... off. Instead of the usual sneer twisting his features, Caleb's expression seemed almost sheepish. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, hands shoved deep in the pockets of his varsity jacket as he r
Last Updated: 2024-07-15
Chapter: 75The echoing silence stretched unbearably as Caleb's hulking form loomed over Lila. She remained frozen, muscles coiled tightly, awaiting the inevitable belittling remark or physical intimidation tactic from the lumbering brute.Instead of lashing out verbally, Caleb simply stared her down, pale eyes drilling into her with an intense, unblinking glare. The seconds ticked by agonizingly until Lila had to fight the urge to squirm under his domineering scrutiny. Finally, he broke the oppressive silence by jutting his thick neck forward, the cords of muscle straining beneath his skin as he fixed her with a callous sneer."Give it here," he growled, the gravelly timbre of his voice reverberating through the stillness.Lila's brow furrowed slightly as she met his imperious glare, refusing to be cowed so easily despite her growing trepidation. She tilted her head in an exaggerated questioning expression.Caleb responded by leaning down until his meaty face filled her field of vision, hot bur
Last Updated: 2024-07-15
Chapter: 74The library had settled into an industrious hush, the only sounds the occasional creak of chair legs against tile or the muffled clacking of Lila's fingers flying across her laptop's keyboard. Dylan pored over a sheaf of printouts, lips pursing in concentration as he made notations in the margins with a stubby pencil.Mia broke the silence with a jaw-cracking yawn, slumping back in her chair as she stretched her arms overhead. "Well, I don't know about you two, but my brain feels like an overstuffed piñata about to burst after cramming in all those thermospheric equilibrium models."Lila shot her a sidelong glance, the ghost of a smirk playing about her lips as her hands articulated a response. Dylan watched the deft weaving of her fingers with a hint of envy, wishing he could fully grasp the nuanced expressiveness of that rich, silent language.Mia snorted, translating Lila's gestures with a rakish grin. "She says no one ever claimed saving the world would be easy, especially when th
Last Updated: 2024-07-15
Chapter: CHAPTER 73CHAPTER 73Mia studied a stack of printouts and sketchy diagrams, her brow wrinkled with concentration. Lila's fingers flew across the screen of her laptop with fluid ease, signing a complicated stream of gestures interspersed by brief bursts of typing. Dylan watched the spectacle with a genuine sense of pleasure and satisfaction. Just a short time ago, this ragged company was on the verge of implosion, split between petty power battles and pointless outbursts of ideological grandstanding. However, once their focus moved to actual, concrete goals in pursuit of the Scholsemann Sustainability Scholarship, a perceptible rebirth of synergy emerged.Dylan felt the same explosive spark that had first attracted them together rekindle as he assessed his co-conspirators' single-minded focus on the mission at hand. He cleared his throat, the gravelly rasp cutting through the charged silence like a tuning fork vibration. "Alright, people - I think it's time we regroup and see what kind of big-
Last Updated: 2024-05-31
Chapter: CHAPTER 72CHAPTER 72***NEXT DAY AT SCHOOL ***The library's hushed ambiance felt like a taut wire, barely containing the simmering tensions that crackled between them. Lila swept her gaze across the secluded study nook, taking stock of her unlikely crew bound together by shared trauma and a singular purpose.Mia radiated tightly-coiled fury, her lithe frame tensed like a spring awaiting release. Though defiant fire still burned in those dark eyes, the mottled bruises marring her skin served as a visceral reminder of the price they'd paid for resistance. Beside her, Dylan settled into his chair with measured movements, as if afraid any sudden gestures might rekindle the powderkeg hostilities. His jaw was clenched, eyes tracking the others with a wariness born of recent betrayals.The heavy tread of boots against tile announced Caleb's arrival. The towering jock swaggered in exuding nonchalant arrogance, but the corded muscles bunching along his thick neck betrayed the menacing undercurrent sim
Last Updated: 2024-05-15
Chapter: CHAPTER 71CHAPTER 71The front door let out a deep, familiar groan of protest as Lila shouldered it open and stepped across the threshold into the Hawthorne home. The entrance stretched out in front of her, tiny but neat, a true reflection of her father's practical principles and workmanlike pride.She scuffed her trainers against the bristly welcome mat, releasing the grit and debris that had gathered throughout the day on their rubber soles. The regular shucking noises resonated hollowly along the front hall, as Lila went about her daily practice of making herself at home.Her backpack thudded on the floor with a muffled whump, spreading its contents in a tangled sprawl of notebooks, textbooks and stray pens. She'd worry about resolving that issue later; for now, the enticing draw of escape into the digital ether called with its siren song of consequence-free distraction.Lila retrieved her smartphone from the chaos, flicking her thumb across the lockscreen in a single practiced flick. The sc
Last Updated: 2024-05-13
Mafia Bride: From Pawn to Rebel Queen
“He made her his bride to break her… but underestimated the fire he’d ignite.”
Elena Romano was never meant to rule. Promised in marriage to the ruthless Luca Valenti, she was nothing more than a bargaining chip in a deadly alliance between rival mafia dynasties.
But the night her brother is murdered, and secrets buried in blood rise to the surface, Elena begins to see the truth—she’s not a pawn. She’s a ticking time bomb.
Now trapped in a mansion of marble and shadows, bound to a man who wears cruelty like a crown, Elena must play the obedient bride while plotting her revenge in silence.
But Luca Valenti is more than a monster—he’s dangerous, brilliant, and utterly intoxicating.
And falling for him may be her greatest betrayal yet.
Betrayal. Power. Obsession.
When a pawn learns to play the game, even kings fall.
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Chapter: Chapter 23: Shattered Walls (Continued) The sound of the front door slamming shut echoes through the marble halls like a gunshot. I freeze in the library, my fingers gripping the spine of a book I'd been pretending to read for the past hour.He's back.Heavy footsteps pound against the floor—uneven, stumbling. Something crashes. Glass shatters. A string of curses in rapid Sicilian fills the air, words so vicious they make my skin crawl.*Don't go to him.*But my feet are already moving.I find Luca in his study, standing over the ruins of what used to be a crystal decanter. Blood drips from his knuckles onto the Persian carpet. His white shirt—or what's left of it—hangs in tatters, soaked crimson across his chest and shoulders."Jesus Christ." The words slip out before I can stop them.His head snaps up. Wild eyes lock onto mine, pupils dilated with something that might be pain or rage or both. "Get out."I don't move. Can't move. Because i am finally getting use to Luca mixed emotions, Today he might be Sweet, calm and Lov
Last Updated: 2025-07-07
Chapter: Chapter 22: Shattered Walls "Three years, Luca. Three fucking years."I'm pacing the marble floor of our bedroom, my heels clicking like gunshots. He's sitting on the edge of the bed, still in his tuxedo from tonight's event, watching me with those unreadable dark eyes."Elena—""Don't." I whip around to face him. "Don't you dare try to explain this away. I met her tonight and you even came over saw us together. Your beautiful, perfect mistress who knows more about you than your own wife."He stands slowly, and there's something dangerous in the way he moves. Predatory. "What exactly did Bianca tell you?""That you've been lovers for three years. That you dream about me." My voice cracks on the last part, and I hate myself for it. "That I should watch out for your uncle." I said angrily not even caring about anything coming out of my mouth.His expression goes cold. Arctic. "She said what about Matteo?""Answer my question first." I step closer, close enough to see the muscle ticking in his jaw. "Is it true? Abo
Last Updated: 2025-07-06
Chapter: Chapter 21: The Other Woman *At House Party*I'm adjusting the clasp on my earring when she walks into the powder room. Red lips, black hair swept into a chignon that probably cost more than most people's rent. She moves like she owns every room she enters.Which, apparently, she does."You must be the wife."Her voice carries the kind of smoky confidence that comes from never having to wonder if you belong somewhere. I catch her reflection in the mirror—perfect posture, designer everything, and eyes that are cataloging my every flaw."and who the fuck are you to banged into my bedroom without even knocking?" I yelled at her"Bianca Russo." She steps closer, and I catch her perfume—something expensive and sultry. "Though I suppose Luca hasn't mentioned me."The name hits like a slap. I've heard whispers, seen the way certain women at these events watch my husband with knowing looks. But having her standing here, flesh and blood and gorgeous, makes it real in a way that churns my stomach."Should he have?"She la
Last Updated: 2025-07-05
Chapter: Chapter 20: Secret Messages I woke to the sound of water running in the bathroom.Luca's side of the bed was already cold, the sheets barely wrinkled where his body had been. Like he'd been careful not to disturb the space between us, even in sleep.The shower shut off. I lay perfectly still, feigning sleep, as he moved around the room with practiced silence. The soft whisper of fabric. The quiet click of his watch clasp. The barely audible brush of leather soles on marble.He paused at the foot of the bed.I could feel his gaze on me, heavy and unreadable. My skin still bore the marks of his hands, his mouth. Evidence of what we'd done in the dark, when anger and desire had finally consumed us both.But morning light had a way of making everything seem like a mistake.The bedroom door closed with a soft click.No words. No acknowledgment of what had shifted between us. Just silence and the lingering scent of his cologne on the pillow beside me.I pressed my face into the silk, breathing him in despite myself, a
Last Updated: 2025-07-04
Chapter: Chapter 19: Dangerous Attraction ~ few days later ~“Everyday one dinner to the other, am getting tired already. I whispered to Luca.He didn’t even utter a single word as he dragged me downstairs for the dinner. The Rosselini dinner was supposed to be routine business.I sat beside Luca at the mahogany table, the tracking necklace heavy against my throat—a constant reminder of Marcella's surveillance. But I'd learned to use it. Let her listen. Let her think she had control.Sometimes the best weapon was the one your enemy thought they held."The shipping routes through Naples need restructuring," Rosselini was saying, his thick fingers wrapped around a wine glass. "Too much attention from the authorities."Luca nodded, but I caught the slight tension in his shoulders. He didn't trust Rosselini completely. Smart man."I would begin teaching my wife our legitimate shipping concerns," Luca said smoothly. "Perhaps you could discuss the details with her."I looked at him shocked, speechless. Don’t even know what to say.
Last Updated: 2025-07-04
Chapter: Chapter 18: Poisoned Gift After what happened early this morning, I went to sleep without even bothering or caring about Luca. That demon deserves to be sad for believing a mere rumor about my father.Before I could get up from the bed, Maria walked in with a silver tray which contains a necklace and my usual morning coffee.I stared at it through the steam rising from my cup, the antique pearls catching the Mediterranean light streaming through the breakfast room windows. Delicate. Expensive. Beautiful.Wrong."From Signora Valenti," Maria said, setting down the card with careful fingers. Like she was handling a snake.*Oh maybe they must had called her after hearing Luca sobbing at his study room* I thought to myself The cream cardstock bore Marcella's elegant script: *For the newest Valenti woman, since I haven’t gave you a gift since you married my son. May you wear our family's legacy with the honor it deserves.*My stomach clenched. Nothing from Marcella came without poison.I lifted the necklace, feeli
Last Updated: 2025-07-03
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