Novels by E. M. Dobbs

The sound of the auctioneer’s voice lingered in my mind even after I left the estate. I couldn’t shake the way Luca’s gaze had pinned me in place, even as he’d said nothing more than a polite goodbye. There was something in his silence—curiosity, maybe, or suspicion. Either way, he was watching me closely, and I knew I couldn’t misstep.The following morning, I woke to a stream of sunlight spilling through the cracks in my curtains. My body ached from the tension of the previous night, and as much as I wanted to dive headfirst into my notes and piece together everything I’d learned so far, I decided to clear my head first.Running had always been my therapy. The rhythmic sound of my sneakers hitting the pavement helped untangle the mess of thoughts in my head. My usual route took me through a quiet park near my apartment, its winding paths lined with oak trees. The crisp morning air stung my lungs, but I welcomed the burn.As I ran, I replayed every moment of the night before—the flic

The weight of last night lingered like an unfinished thought, refusing to dissolve no matter how I tried to push it away. Luca Del Vicchio was more imposing up close than I’d imagined—calm, controlled, and watching me like a predator deciding whether to pounce. The sharp flicker of suspicion in his eyes replayed in my mind, a warning I couldn’t afford to ignore.I wasn’t sure what unnerved me more: the danger he represented or the fact that part of me wasn’t afraid.I burned through the morning with futile attempts at distraction. A jog through the park, an overcooked breakfast, and a half-hearted review of my notes all failed to keep Luca out of my head. His name was there, scrawled between headlines about missing persons and whispers of criminal syndicates. Two weeks of opulent charity events, all curated by him, were a façade for something darker. I just didn’t know what yet.By noon, my phone buzzed, dragging me back to the present.“Auction tonight. Private estate. Dress sharp. H

The next morning…The alarm cut through the silence at 6:30am, harsh and unforgiving. My body begged for sleep, but I couldn’t afford to waste the morning.A quick run. That was my routine. The cold air bit at my skin as I laced up my sneakers, stepping outside to the quiet, empty streets. It helped clear my head—helped me focus. There was too much uncertainty swirling in my thoughts, and I needed to outrun it, even if just for a little while.By the time I returned to my apartment, sweat clinging to my skin, I felt slightly more in control. The steam from the shower felt like it was washing the fog of the night away. I stepped out of the bathroom, my mind still clouded with the thoughts of Luca—the way he looked at me, the questions lingering in the back of my mind.I stood in front of the mirror, pulling on a blazer, trying to push those thoughts aside. Today was another day. Another chance to get closer to the truth.But something about last night stuck with me. I couldn’t quite sh

When I finally got the text from my contact confirming my invitation to the gala, I felt my stomach twist.The black dress I’d bought was way out of my budget, but it was perfect. It hugged my figure in a way that made me self-conscious, the plunging neckline running deeper than I was used to. I spent the rest of the day studying myself in the mirror, adjusting my posture, trying to see what Luca would see.The makeup wasn’t heavy but nothing like I was used to, the heels very tall but I could still comfortably walk in, the dress hugging my figure so tight I couldn’t recognize myself but it didn’t matter. I wasn’t trying to be me tonight. I was trying to be her—the kind of woman he couldn’t resist.‘You’re walking into the lion’s den, Renee. You sure about this?’ I thought to myself and I applied the final touches to my look. I wasn’t sure how exactly I wanted this night to end but for safety reasons I didn’t drive. I called a taxi and headed to the venue thirty minutes past the time

The newsroom smelled like burnt coffee and desperation. I sat at my desk, staring at the file that had been haunting me all day. Disappearances. Deaths. A string of lives snuffed out, and not a single solid lead. Every page I flipped through felt heavier than the last.Alex’s words echoed in my mind: “You wanted a big story, Renee? Well, here it is. Find the truth.”When my editor handed me this assignment, he’d smiled like he was doing me a favor. “This is it. But don’t get cocky. People don’t come back from this kind of story.”But I wasn’t just anyone.I’d promised myself I wouldn’t get in too deep. Just follow the leads, connect the dots, and let the story speak for itself. But no matter how many leads I chased, none of them were enough. If I wanted answers—real answers—I’d have to get close to Luca.Luca Del Vecchio. His name had been whispered in every corner of this city—the billionaire who threw extravagant charity galas by day and ran the city’s underworld by night. No one sa