1143 Book(s) Related to muted mate

On my eighteenth birthday, I didn't get a cake. I got a slap from my mother and my MIT acceptance letter crushed under her heel.

In their eyes, I wasn't a daughter—I was a walking blood bank, a spare part for my cousin Jennifer.

They took my blood, made me take the blame, even sent me to prison in her place.

In that car accident, my mother saved my cousin without hesitation and left me to bleed out in the wreckage.

"Save Jennifer first! That wretch is too stubborn to die!"

That's when I gave up on them.

But what truly broke me wasn't being sent to a mental hospital—it was the diary I found hidden in my mother's safe.

I got off work two hours early, hoping to surprise my boyfriend whom I had just bailed out for $30,000.
I pushed the bedroom door open. The surprise was on me—my stepsister Chloe was straddling Dorian. The same man who, just three days ago, sat crying on the police station floor swearing "I only have you," now slowly lit a cigarette and asked if I wanted to join them.
I thought that was the worst moment of my life.
I was wrong.
When the hand that had just been caressing Chloe gripped my throat and hoisted me into the air, I finally saw the truth. Dorian Vane, the guy who humiliated me at our high school prom ten years ago, hadn't changed at all.

Six days after Alexander lost all contact, I navigated my way alone to the Nightfall Gala to find him.

The guard's expression twisted into something peculiar when he heard my purpose.

"You're saying you are looking for your mate, Prince Alexander? And what is your name?"

"I am Cecilia."

The guard let out a harsh, mocking snort. "Stop causing a scene! A blind beggar trying to pull a scam? Don't think you can just impersonate her just because you know the name of the Prince's mate."

"Everyone knows the Prince just gifted Cecilia the millennia-old Abyssal Night Crystal to celebrate her pregnancy! What the hell are you?"

Just then, the giant LED screen cut to the Gala's live broadcast.

"Allow me to formally introduce my partner, Cecilia. Furthermore, she is expecting. Our family is about to welcome a new heir." It was Alexander's voice.

"Thank you all. This is the greatest gift Alexander and I could ever receive."

The moment that sweet, timid voice echoed through the hall, a string violently snapped in my brain. A sharp ringing pierced my eardrums.

—It was the voice of my twin sister, Elena.

Alexandre Bordeaux and Sophia Nomura have been close friends for years. Although they know a lot about one another, there is one thing that Alex doesn't know about Sophia. That she happens to be his Domme, Mistress Widow, that he sees on the regular to give him what he needs. Although he has feelings for Sophia, he doesn't think she can give him what he needs like Mistress Widow can. But after the reveal of who each other really are, their past sub and experimental Domme gets in the way and causes havoc.

Warnings: Sexual Content, Violence, Hardcore BDSM, Sexual Assault, Rape.

Age Suggestion: 18+

The Desire Trilogy: A Domme and Male Submissive Trilogy is created by Minette Enfers, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

19 year old Bellatrix finds herself exiled to an enemy pack priorn to the destruction of her pack. And to worsen things, the one who brought her into the world of misery, widely feared and known for his cruelty, Alpha Anslan Robertson, turned out to be her mate.
What was the way forward for this timid young lady who even found it hard to shift?

“I just gave you pleasure,” Valen skited like it was a great achievement to boast about. He felt no guilt for his earlier sin.
“I did not ask you to.” I retaliated. It was wrong of me to fall victim to his allure. It was purely Zeus’ fault. His wolf was nicer.
“You like it though.” His voice was low and throaty with a triumphant grin. Damn his ego! “You didn’t want me to stop before.”
Blood rushed to my face and I blushed in shame as he stared at me. I stretched for a pillow and sailed it at him. He caught it with a devious chuckle.

Alpha Prince Valen, the next in-line to be Alpha King, has been Raina's crush since childhood. For years she yearned for the attention that he never gave. She was ecstatic when Valen turned out to be her mate. He was hers.

Sadly, something’s wrong with the mate bond. The old books refer to them as unfortunate soulmates. This implied that the bond would never last.

Forced to reject her and sever the bond, the painful separation exposed Raina to numerous challenges and dangers. A glimpse of the future has left her torn between the desire for her mate and the doom of their fate.

Will Raina and Valen have their happy ending or did the moon goddess have something else in store for them? Should she fight for her mate or let the course of destiny unfold? - Find out as Raina embarks on a journey filled with heartache, revelation, and an uncertain future.
^-^
This is Book 2 from the Mates series. Can be read as a standalone, however, to understand the characters, you might want to read Book 1 - Mates: Regrets and Redemption
© All rights reserved.

For eighteen years, I had no idea I wasn't my parents' biological daughter.
Standing outside with the luggage they'd tossed out the door, I met the brother I'd never known—from the "poor family" I supposedly came from.
He showed up on a tractor, of all things!
But as the rickety tractor rumbled through the gates of an ancient estate, it hit me:
Finding my birth parents didn't make me any less rich—it just made me richer.
Now, can someone please explain why I suddenly have a fiancé?
And why he's my college professor?!

The car crash six months ago destroyed my body. I survive the agony only through the painkillers prescribed by my brother, Fletcher.
While shopping for my wedding dress, I simply swallowed a pill on schedule. My mother responded with a slap that made me spit blood. My father stormed in and kicked my ribs in without asking a single question.
I fled crying to my brother, only for him to grab me in disgust: "You are a disgrace to this family."
I called my fiancé. He rushed to the scene, took one look at the pill, and called the cops without hesitation: "The engagement is off. She makes me sick."
In just a few hours, I went from a bride-to-be to a death row inmate.
But as the gavel fell, I saw our family maid calmly swallow the exact same pill from the gallery…
I lunged at the railing, screaming at the judge. He leaned down, a chilling smile spreading across his face: "Linnea, this is all because…"

At the scene of the car accident, my parents frantically scooped up my sister—who only had a scraped knee—then kicked me aside as I lay there dying.
"Don't be a burden to your sister. Just wait by the roadside and croak!"
They drove off without a second thought. In that moment, my heart turned to stone.
What they didn't know was that I didn't die. Instead, I got adopted by a top-tier professor and became a math prodigy worth tens of millions.
Two years later, when my birth parents went bankrupt and got on their knees begging me for a handout, I smiled coldly and played the recording of their attempted murder...

Since marrying into the Sterling family, I've been pregnant three times. Not one of them survived.

Every time the DNA test report arrived, my mother-in-law would drag me to the clinic for an abortion.

They said the fetus had genetic defects. But I secretly went to an outside hospital for tests, and the report clearly stated everything was normal.

After my third miscarriage, I followed my in-laws to the basement I was forbidden to enter.

I held my breath and pressed my eye to the crack in the door.

In that moment, I finally knew why they had to kill my babies.

I once loved Ryan deeply and helped him become the Alpha, only to be rewarded with chains in a dungeon and the mocking laughter of him and his mistress.

Fate gave me a second chance—I woke up reborn on the morning of the mate selection ceremony. There he was, still ordering me around in front of everyone, expecting me to play the obedient servant.

Everyone tried to convince me that Ryan, the man who killed me, is the "right choice."

Yet I chose Connor—the man feared by the entire clan, the one who will bring ruin to the clan for the sake of his one true love.

This time, I refuse to be the stepping stone on Ryan's climb to power.

I'm going to make everyone see who truly holds the reins.

My mother was dying, and I—the fallen heiress of the Sterling family—had no choice but to ask my husband for the $200,000 stipulated in our prenuptial agreement, less than a week after our wedding.

He transferred the money without a word.

But that night, the way he looked at me changed.

"So the Sterling family is drowning in fraud scandals. I guess greed really does run in the blood."

From that day on, Theodore never looked me in the eye again.

He started openly parading other women at social events, letting everyone mock me as a gold-digger who only married him for money.

Today is my birthday. I'm sitting in the emergency room with unbearable stomach pain.

Meanwhile, Theodore is throwing a party for his new girlfriend.

Clutching the $185 emergency room bill, I call him.

"Theodore, let's get a divorce."

"Here we go again. How much are you trying to extort from me this time?"

"Come see our wedding invitations!" I excitedly held up the document folder I'd grabbed from ,my fiancé, Lorenzo's study, showing it off to his men in his private safe house on the Upper East Side.

Lorenzo and I had been running ourselves ragged this month preparing for the wedding.

Lorenzo's guys raised their glasses, waiting to see our custom-designed invitations. I eagerly turned the folder upside down—

Marriage certificates, wedding photos, and a property transfer document came tumbling out onto the floor.

Dead silence.

"Oh, these aren't our invitations..." I was still grinning foolishly. "Must be the wrong folder."

"Let me see which lucky lady is about to become a happy bride."

I looked down at the wedding photo. A beautiful brunette woman in an elaborate white gown smiled from the center of the picture, looking so blissful, so content.

When my eyes shifted to the groom beside her, my world collapsed.

It was Lorenzo. He wore a perfect black tuxedo, but he was tenderly embracing a woman I'd never seen before.

My boyfriend's mistress deliberately gave me a strawberry cake that I'm allergic to.
After I went into anaphylactic shock and had a miscarriage, I knew it was all over.
But when I left it all behind and went back to my hometown, he showed up at my door telling me to quit throwing a fit, that he still loved me.
This kind of love full of betrayal?
I don't want it.

Every July, my husband left for a business trip to France—so for seven full years of marriage, we never once got to celebrate our wedding anniversary.
This time, I flew all the way to France to surprise him, and mid-flight, I stumbled across a social media post.
My dream girl finally agreed to be with me. How do I make the frumpy, worn-out wife back home file for divorce on her own?
The OP poured out his grievances in the comment section:
When my dream girl suddenly moved abroad, I married her former best friend to keep me company through the hard times, just so I wouldn’t lose touch with her completely.
Now she’s finally said yes to being with me, and I’ve made enough to give her the lavish, privileged life she deserves.
I want my wife to find out about my affair herself so I can get a clean divorce without a fight, but she’s so painfully oblivious. I’ve come home reeking of my dream girl’s perfume on purpose, and every single July I fly here to France for our private time together, watching the lavender bloom in Provence with her. She never noticed a thing.
Perfume. July. France.
Those matching details made my fingers go numb. A deafening buzz exploded in my skull. A bone-deep chill washed over me, and I prayed with everything I had that it was all just a terrible coincidence.
Until I read the final line.
Just got a spending alert from her supplementary credit card—she bought a flight to France. I’m heading to pick up my dream girl now, might as well keep an eye out for her, just in case.
The plane touched down. When I stepped into the arrivals hall, I lifted my head almost instinctively.
There stood Shen Sinian, the man I hadn’t seen in two weeks, in a crisp, tailored suit, a bouquet of roses in his hand, locked in a passionate kiss with a woman with a stunning, willowy figure, her back to me.
He opened his eyes by chance, and through the crowd of travelers, his gaze locked directly with mine.

She thought she was sent away to get better. But really, she was sent into a secret that could destroy her.

After losing the only family she ever had, Cosette Zedler is forced to move to the hidden town of Elwood—a place deep in the forest, far from the busy city she grew up in. At first, Elwood looks quiet, almost forgotten. But Cosette soon learns it’s not normal at all.

The people act strange. The mansion she now lives in has an attic no one dares to enter. And there are whispers, always about him. The Alpha. A man with power, with shadows… and someone Cosette cannot escape.

The more she learns about Elwood, the more her old life falls apart. Each answer only leads to more danger.

In a town where nothing is normal…

Cosette must decide: uncover Elwood’s secrets, or be lost to them forever.

Warnings: Contains strong mature content.
"I'm sorry, master," Star shivered as the vampire slipped his finger into her wet slippery p*ssy.
"It's late for this. You broke a law, Princess. It's time to receive your punishment." He inserted another finger into her wet pink virgin hole.
"Ahh!" her cried out when he added yet another finger. "Please, stop-"
"Take it, whore. This is your punishment." He joined the fourth finger to the ones already inserted.


Who would have thought going on a hunt will bring these many problems for the young Princess?
Headstrong and arrogant, the young Princess was always ready to cause trouble. A headache to her father, and her mother's pride. She thought the world was hers to do as she pleases. But that was until she stepped foot into the forbidden castle, unknowingly awakening a Vampire Lord who was determined to make the feisty Princess, his pet.
What happens when miss arrogant meets an arrogant master? Read to find out!

At the parents' meeting, the daughter's diary was read aloud: "My father is the Grand Duke of the Night."
The room erupted in laughter.
The mentor, disregarding her daughter's dignity, tore up her diary, while the nouveau riche woman advised me , a liar, to "get out of this neighborhood."
I didn't say anything, I just stood up. Then, their knees were all shattered.

On my wedding night, I discovered the man in my bed wasn't my husband.
It was his twin brother—the one the family had exiled.
In my previous life, I exposed them in a rage.
My cheating husband came back, smashed my head open, and threw me into the ocean to be fed to the sharks.
But this time, reborn with a second chance, I cupped the face of the man in front of me—the face identical to my husband's—and slowly untied my wedding dress.
"Since he personally delivered you to my bed, then from now on... you're the husband."
This time, I'm going to raise up the loyal stand-in, and take everything from that bastard.

WARNING: This an extremely dark romance.


Shivers raced through my spine at the dark, heated stares from them —the brothers I was about to pledge my body to.
“Sweetheart, you need to know what you are getting into by joining the game,” Blue's voice startled me.
I gulped as my eyes went to Fred's. His mouth went up in a smirk as his dark eyes roamed through my body.
Desires and fear took hold of me as I glanced around their 'play house'
I know what I'm signing up for by consenting to be their toy. Yet, I willingly took that step, to freedom, desire, and, worst of all —pain.


As a journalist, Bella was determined to be the best. She was always taking jobs discarded or termed 'impossible' by others.
However, she doesn't know what she signed up for when she agrees to interview the Christophos brothers —wealthy men who live in a spooky old castle.
She thought it would be effortless despite the number of journalists who had failed to get any info on the brothers until she stepped foot into the compound.
Unknown to the unsuspecting woman, she was in for a ride of her life with brothers who might not be as human as they seem…
The game is about to begin... And it's the survival of the fittest...

"You are playing with fire, doll," he warned, eyes dark and dangerous.
"A very deadly fire." I looked at the chains on the bed again and pictured them clamped on my wrists, my tits and pussy in full display... Maybe deadly will do for now...


Harbouring feelings for someone older than me seems deadly especially when the said person is my uncle. Despite knowing this, the thirst for a drop from his hot-as-hell river of sexiness can't be quenched. Fantasies turned into cravings which in turn spurred the implementation of my devious plans to get him all to myself.
Will this blood barrier push him away from acknowledging this mutual feeling of lust, or will his fuel be poured on my burning coals?

"We can't keep doing this," he muttered, glancing around like someone might catch them any second.
She cupped his face, her thumbs brushing his stubbled jaw. "Tell me you don't feel this fire between us.”
"I don't!" he retorted, but his body betrayed him; his hard length strained against his pants.
"Liar,” she smiled coyly. “Your mouth says one thing, but this…” Her eyes dropped deliberately. “...says you want to break every rule for me.”


Isabella Damiano, the only daughter of a powerful New York mafia boss, has always been kept safe and locked away, but all she wants is a taste of real freedom.
Then one night she's kidnapped and rescued by Alexander Bradford, an ex-soldier, who is drowning in debt and desperate to save his dying mother.
Her father, Salvatore Damiano, offers him a deal he can't turn down: become Isabella's personal bodyguard. But the only rule? Keep her alive... or die trying.
Isabella hates him instantly; to her, he’s just another jailer in a suit. And to him, she's a spoiled rich girl who'll get them both in trouble.
But the more Isabella provokes him, the more their hate turns into something hot, dark, and dangerous. They can't keep their hands off each other — even though one wrong move could put a bullet in his head.
As Alexander struggles to keep Isabella alive, they discover that someone within the family wants her dead.
Can they figure out who the real enemy is before it's too late? Because one mistake won't just take away her freedom...
It will end in blood.

Warnings ⚠️
Contains strong mature content.


“I'm sorry, master,” Star shivered as the vampire slipped his finger into her wet slippery p*ssy.
“It's late for this. You broke a law, princess. It's time to receive your punishment.” He inserted another finger into her wet pink virgin hole.
“Ahh.” The princess cried out when he added yet another finger. “Please, stop—”
“Take it, whore. This is your punishment.” He joined the fourth finger to the ones already inserted.


Who would have thought going on a hunt will bring these many problems for the young princess?
Headstrong and arrogant, the young Princess was always ready to cause trouble.
A headache to her father, and her mother's pride.
She thought the world was hers to do as she pleases.
But that was until she stepped foot into the forbidden castle, unknowingly awakening a vampire Lord who was determined to make the feisty Princess, his pet.
What happens when miss arrogant meets an arrogant master?
Read to find out!
Note: This book contains strong mature content.

“I saved you, Shekina,” Azi appeared in front of me, standing tall as he looked down at me. “Now you live to serve me. Your life depends on me.”

I smiled back. “Serve who?” I winced when my vision spun.

“Can’t you just be glad I saved your life?”

I laughed. “I didn’t want to be saved.”

He froze but got himself together quickly. “Unfortunately, you’re still alive. And as long as you are, you’re tied to me. I decide when you’re free. As long as I have you, you have to do what I want. You are nothing but a pet of mine that I can get rid of anytime I want.”

Tears fell from my eyes.

“You turned me into a monster!” I screamed. “I’ll never forgive you.”

He tilted his head. “Monster?” he laughed. “Just because we drink blood doesn’t mean we’re monsters. And I don’t care if you don’t forgive me. Anyway, forget this dramatic talk. No matter what you do, you’ll serve me. You won’t die until I say so.”

With my last breath, I screamed, “You can have my life, not my choices, you beast! You can turn me into a monster like you, but someday you’ll regret it. You’ll regret that you saved me. You’ll regret that you met me!”

I sniffed… I couldn’t feel my body anymore.

“I have been living for centuries now, Shekina. That threat doesn’t work.”

I laughed even though I was confused, in pain, and angry.

“That’s because… you didn’t have me in those years.”

“Fuck me, harder,” I whispered. “Take me hard, I'm all yours.” **** I've loved my stepbrothers from afar. Being their cute little sister, they never treated me as anything more than such. I watched from the sidelines when they found their mate. I smiled like a fool while my heart was slowly being crushed by jealousy. I'm a human, so I couldn't be their mate. With that realization and the pain that came from seeing them with their mates. I left the pack, for the city, to complete my study. Five years later, I returned to the pack, to discover that my brothers' mate cheated on them, and rejected them. They were grieved, and I was the only one they could run to for consolation. I was determined not to let any woman take them from me. I will make my stepbrothers mine. Though they vowed never to fall in love, I was determined to show them that I'm the one for them, and have always been.

Alice and Robert belonged to important families, although they had known each other since they were children, they did not see each other again until they learned that they were engaged. Robert refused to marry her, as he neither loved her nor knew her. When Alice learned that Robert did not want that marriage, she was relieved, as she did not want to marry him either and loved another man, so she appealed to her parents to annul the engagement, but they refused, as if they refused it would seem that they were more important and powerful, so the Taylors had to honor that engagement. Everything went on until the day of the wedding and once celebrated, Robert vented his anger against young Alice for forcing him to marry her and not refuse as he did. But Alice tries to explain to him that she didn't want to marry him either, and even confesses to him that she loves someone else. But those words only make Robert angry, believing all the time that Alice feels superior to him and so he demands her to tell him who is the man she loves, but Alice can't tell him that, because he is Robert's best friend. Jared Sinclair

“What are you going to do with him? Take him back???" Brion demanded, his gaze incredulous. "Take him back?" I scoffed, a smirk coming over my face as I stared at the picture in my hand. "I have no plans to do that, BRION. I want him to fall for me, then push him down like he did to me. I want to make him feel the pain I passed through in his hands." I got to my feet and threw the picture on the floor. "It's time he dances to the tune of his music," I gritted out as I stomped hard on the picture. *** A loveless marriage wasn't part of Nova's plans for the future, but a one-night stand with a stranger changed her life forever. Bound to a man, who only saw her as a means to an end, Nova tried to salvage the relationship. However, things spiralled out of control with the return of his ex-girlfriend, and first love, and the realization that Nova was pregnant. Her life was threatened, but she survived with the help of her secret admirer, who took care of her for five years until she was ready to stand on her feet. However, a business deal took her back to the country she left years ago. With her return, Nova was ready to prove to the world that she didn't need her ex-husband by her side, but Dashiell was desperate. Knowing how much he loved her, he was reluctant to let go. But Nova wasn't ready to take him back, not until she had made him experience the heartache of those years ago.

As the most cold-blooded and ruthless Mafia don, Twain Hall had doted on me like the apple of his eye for ten years.
But on the very day we were discussing our wedding, the ring his subordinate delivered had another woman's name engraved on it—not mine.
I pretended not to notice and turned to Twain.
"Did they bring the wrong ring? Who's Dorothy? I've never heard of her."
Twain's expression didn't change. He pulled me into his arms with that familiar, indulgent look.
"My people weren't careful. Made a fool of themselves."
"I'll have them exchange it right away. Can't keep my queen waiting."
I smiled. But the moment I turned away, my face went cold. I dialed a number.
"Didn't you say you'd pay any price to marry me? Twain Hall betrayed me. I want his head!"

（Do not open this novel lightly, or you will become so engrossed that you won't be able to stop reading for three days and nights...）
Alia never dreamed that she would have a flash marriage with a man she had only met twice!
On their wedding night, she was pinned down and dominated by him.
The next day, the man transformed into the CEO of the company where she was interning.
Not only that, but he was also the next heir to the Mafia... "The Black Prince"!

When a baby unites two worlds, and a contract blossoms into love.

Monica , a mistreated Omega at the hands of her stepbrother, faces judgment and abandonment from her Alpha mate, Conrad. Seeking solace, she turns to the Governor, finding refuge from the nightmares of her past. Together, they embark on a vengeful mission to make Conrad pay for the pain he caused and seek justice for the Governor's deceased wife. Monica devises a plan to seduce Conrad and earn his trust, but the question remains: will her love triumph? Can she truly make him suffer and face his demise?

As a shocking revelation unfolds, Monica's world is turned upside down, forcing her to question her choices and decisions.

When Sarah is forced to accept a marriage proposal in place of her half sister, Veronica, she never imagined the man would be Edward Huxley.
Edward Huxley, the formidable owner of Huxley Airline and Shipping Company and the most eligible billionaire bachelor in the country, is shocked and enraged when he discovers that the woman in his bed is not Veronica, as he expected, but the unknown and seemingly bland illegitimate Maxwell daughter. Their encounter ends in an unplanned one night stand.
When Veronica learns of Edward's true identity, she decides she wants him for herself. Together with her mother, she accuses and humiliates Sarah.
Heartbroken and shattered, Sarah leaves the country. Four years later, she returns as a different woman with a successful career and her adorable twins, who share the unmistakable features of the country's billionaire heartthrob, Edward Huxley.
Edward is stunned by her transformation and finds himself falling for her all over again. Determined to win her heart, he sets out to rebuild their family. But will he succeed, or is he already too late with the enigmatic Benicio always by Sarah's side, his eyes filled with love and devotion?

The rules were simple: Play the wife. Take the money. Walk away ruined.

Vera Bennett is a woman fueled by a singular, desperate goal: keeping her younger sister, Lily, safe. After they flee the neon-lit hell of Las Vegas, she believes they could finally start afresh.

But a sudden health crisis shatters the illusion, and Vera is forced to accept Silas Rutherford's proposal—New York’s formidable businessman widower and a notorious casanova. His offer is as cold as his heart.

A two-year marriage contract to save his corporate reputation, but leaves her ruined. Penniless and pregnant from a night of horror she cannot remember, by a man she never saw, Vera saw the marriage as a lifeline.

​Their fragile peace shatters when a shadow from Vera’s past deals her a cruel stroke of revenge and Silas learns what she has been hiding.

“Your damn mistake cost me my wife and child!” he thundered.

The marriage takes a dark turn as desire curdles into a thirst for vengeance.
​
Now, the contract has changed.

The man who promised to protect her becomes her judge, jury, and executioner.

​His new rule? Be his wife by day, and his bedwarmer by night.

But as the lines between hate and heat blur, Vera surrendered herself willingly.
​
Feelings begin to change and memories forged in the dark are beginning to creep in— Vera is not the only sinner in the Rutherford mansion. In the end, Vera realizes she's the victim of the very people she is fighting to protect.

It may be late when Silas realises two things: The real monster isn't the woman in his bed. The deepest stabs come from those who share your name.

Does the truth set them free, or bury them both?

"Do you think you can walk into my bed, throw your body, and virginity to me as a distraction—steal from me, and get away with it?"
"Pl-please let me go, sir. I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know anything about any chip. I'm begging you," Olivia cried painfully.
Nero's hand left her hair and came to wrap around her slender, fair neck. 
He remembered peppering lots of kisses on this swanlike neck but would not hesitate to snap it if she continued in her attempt to fool him.
"Think very carefully about the next answer you're going to give me, because I would snap your fragile neck like a fucking twig if it's not satisfactory to me."


Olivia crossed paths with the ruthless mafia boss, Nero, on the day she planned to elope with her boyfriend, after her mother forced her to join the convent. She had no idea that she had left with more than his jacket. 
She escaped with a chip that contained the secrets of his business empire and his heir in her womb. Olivia is kidnapped and taken to Italy and into a world she never imagined... filled with danger, betrayal, lies, and death. 
Truths become lies and lies become the only true thing in the world of and Nero. 
Will love and trust ever be enough when survival and truth is paramount?

Five years into my marriage, I took off my Donna necklace at the Rossi family’s New Year’s Eve banquet and Noah still thought I could never leave him.
He stood by the long table with his mistress, Amelia, and said in front of every capo, “Some people will never measure up to her. Not even close.”
I didn’t cry. I didn’t make a scene. I just turned and walked away. On my way out, my cousin Lucas, my fixer, handed me a cup of coffee.
Three days later, he brought me two pieces of news.
Amelia was four months pregnant. And Noah was trading family territory to get his bastard child recognized by the family.
“What are you going to do?” Lucas asked.
I stared out the window, thinking about the red lipstick stain on Noah’s shirt. Thinking about the smug look in his eyes when he told me, “I only helped her because I felt sorry for her.”
“Wait,” I said. “Wait until they think they’ve won.”
What Noah didn’t know was I was still holding one last trump card.

In their eyes, my wife Emma—an Ivy League tenured professor in biological sciences—is ruthless, rational, and obsessively clean.
For seven years, even when she washed her hands, she would only ever touch the right-side sink—hers.
Until that night at 3 a.m., when I pulled a strand of sandy-golden short curl—hair that belonged to neither of us—out of my men’s shower loofah.
And around the neck of a pre-med student named Lucas, I saw the antique silver cross my dying father left in my hands.
When I confronted her, my always-icy wife protected the little homewrecker, slapped me across the face, and called me a jealous, controlling chauvinist.
She thought I’d swallow it like a coward.
But she forgot: as a top cardiothoracic chief, the thing I do best is cutting out tumors.