
Introduction
To the world, Cassius is a broken heir… a powerless joke hidden behind inherited wealth.
To Marionette’s family, he is the safest place to dispose of the daughter they never valued.
But Marionette quickly learns that rumors are the most dangerous lies ever told.
Behind Cassius’s cold composure hides secrets powerful enough to shake the underworld itself. And Marionette soon realizes she wasn’t chosen by accident. She carries a forgotten medical legacy tied to a legend the world believes is dead.
Their marriage is meant to be a transaction, a calculated alliance between two people bound by necessity.
Instead, it becomes something neither of them planned.
Cassius needs her because of the legacy he believes she carries.
Marionette needs him as leverage against the life that tried to bury her.
As enemies close in and buried truths begin to surface, Marionette finds herself drawn to the only man who sees her strength without pity. And Cassius begins to realize that the woman he married out of strategy may be the only person capable of saving him in ways neither power nor medicine ever could.
But love built on secrets is fragile.
And trust is far more dangerous than betrayal.
Chapter 1
Marionette Vale knew something was wrong the moment she stepped into the banquet hall.
Her family was smiling at her.
Her father, stepmother, and stepsister stood near the center of the room, watching her approach with identical warm expressions.
For a brief moment, Marionette considered turning around and walking straight back out.
They had never smiled at her before.
Not in private.
Not in public.
Not once in the ten years since her mother died.
Her mother had been the only person in the Vale household who had ever treated her like family. When she died, warmth disappeared from the mansion like the last candle being extinguished in a dark room.
Eleanor Vale approached her first, elegant in a cream-colored gown that probably cost more than most people earned in a year.
She took Marionette’s hands with practiced affection.
“There you are, my dear,” Eleanor said sweetly. “You look beautiful tonight.”
Marionette forced a polite smile even though every instinct in her body warned her that something was wrong.
Earlier that afternoon, Eleanor had personally delivered the gown Marionette was wearing.
That alone had been shocking.
Not because the dress was beautiful, but because Eleanor had never bought her anything before.
The gown had been labeled custom couture, but Marionette recognized it immediately.
It was one of Vivian’s discarded dresses.
Still, she had accepted it.
She had nothing else to wear.
What Marionette did not understand was why this banquet was happening at all.
Vale Group was collapsing. Their stock prices had crashed, creditors were circling like vultures, and the banks were already beginning to close in.
Yet tonight, the hall overflowed with Monaco’s wealthiest families.
Before Marionette could think further, Vivian appeared beside her and linked their arms together as if they were loving sisters.
“You were late,” Vivian said with a smirk disguised as sweetness. “Father was starting to worry.”
That alone was disturbing.
Richard Vale had never worried about her a single day in his life.
“I’m here now,” Marionette replied calmly.
Across the room, Richard lifted his champagne glass.
The music softened.
Conversations gradually died away as dozens of curious eyes turned toward the Vale family.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Richard began smoothly, “thank you all for attending the thirteenth anniversary celebration of Vale Group.”
Polite applause followed.
Then his hand settled heavily on Marionette’s shoulder.
“There is another joyful announcement I would like to make tonight.”
Eleanor’s grip tightened around Marionette’s hand.
Vivian’s smile widened.
A sudden sense of dread crawled slowly down Marionette’s spine.
“My daughter, Marionette Vale,” Richard continued proudly, “will be getting married.”
A ripple of surprise moved through the hall.
Marionette went completely still.
Her blood turned cold.
Married?
To who?
Richard raised his glass higher.
“And not just to anyone,” he added. “My daughter will be marrying Cassius Volkov.”
The reaction was immediate.
The name struck the room like a gunshot.
Even the musicians hesitated.
Whispers erupted across the hall.
“Cassius Volkov?”
“The cripple?”
“The one in the wheelchair?”
“They say he’s insane.”
“I heard he’s dangerous.”
“They say he never leaves the estate.”
Marionette stood frozen while the murmurs spread around her like wildfire.
Then something strange happened.
One of the television screens mounted near the bar flickered briefly.
For half a second, she thought she saw the outline of a man seated in a chair.
Watching her.
Then the image vanished.
When she looked again, the screen had gone black.
No one else seemed to notice.
And in that moment, Marionette understood everything.
She had not been invited to this banquet.
She had been displayed.
Presented and sold like an asset placed before potential investors.
Something inside her went frighteningly quiet.
The applause that followed sounded distant and uneven.
Marionette could feel people staring at her, their curiosity crawling across her skin.
“Smile,” Eleanor whispered beside her.
“You’re a bride now.”
Marionette turned slowly and glared at her.
The rest of the evening blurred together after that.
Marionette stood near the tall windows with a champagne glass in her hand, barely aware of the conversations around her.
Something about this arrangement did not make sense.
Richard Vale was laughing comfortably with a group of investors, looking more relaxed than he had in months.
Like a man who had just closed the most profitable deal of his life.
Exactly.
This was not charity.
It was a transaction.
Which meant Cassius Volkov wanted something in return.
And if there was one thing Marionette had learned growing up in the Vale household, it was that people never spent that much money on something they did not intend to use.
The ride back to the Vale mansion was silent.
The moment the car stopped, Marionette stepped out without waiting for permission and stormed toward the staircase.
“Marionette!” her father barked behind her.
“Get back here!”
She ignored him.
“Marionette, I said come back here!”
Her hands trembled with rage as she reached her bedroom door and shoved it open.
Then she froze.
The room was empty.
Closet doors stood wide open, shelves had been stripped bare.
Even the framed photograph of her mother that always rested beside her bed was gone.
Two suitcases stood neatly in the center of the room.
Perfectly packed.
A white tag hung from one handle.
M. VALE.
Marionette stared at it.
Then a broken, maniacal laugh tore out of her throat.
“What a loving family,” she murmured.
Still laughing, she grabbed one of the suitcases and dragged it behind her as she stormed back downstairs.
The moment she reached the bottom, her eyes were blazing.
“Why?” she demanded. “Why would you do this?”
Richard Vale stood beside the dining table.
Without answering, he slid a thick folder toward her.
“Read it.”
Marionette snatched it up and flipped it open.
Strategic Partnership Agreement.
Between Vale Group and Volkov Group.
Her eyes skimmed rapidly across the pages.
Capital injection.
Debt clearance.
Equity protection.
Board stabilization.
Then she found it.
Clause Seventeen.
In exchange for the financial rescue of Vale Group, Marionette Vale will enter into a legal marriage with Cassius Volkov.
Her chest tightened painfully.
“Oh my God,” she whispered.
Then she looked up at them.
“You sold me.”
“This marriage will save everything,”
Richard replied coldly.
“What about me?” Marionette demanded.
“Did any of you even consider what I wanted?”
"What you wanted?," Eleanor scoffed. “Do you have any idea how much money your marriage just brought into this family?”
Vivian smirked lazily from the sofa.
“At least you’re finally useful.”
Marionette stared at them in disbelief.
“You all are monsters."
Before anyone could respond, headlights swept across the windows.
A black car had just entered the compound.
At the same moment, her phone vibrated.
Unknown Number.
A message appeared.
'I apologize for your family’s lack of manners.'
Marionette’s fingers tightened around the phone.
Another message appeared.
'They were not supposed to empty your room yet.'
Her phone buzzed again.
'You are leaving with me tonight.'
'I promise you won't regret it.'
One final line appeared beneath it.
Cassius Volkov.
Marionette s
tared at the screen for several long seconds.
Then, slowly, a real smile appeared on her face for the first time that night.
Maybe this marriage would not bury her after all.
Maybe it would hand her the perfect battlefield.
And the Vale family had unknowingly given her the first weapon.
Last Chapters
#55 Chapter 55 On His Knees II
Last Updated: 9/3/2026#54 Chapter 54 On His Knees
Last Updated: 7/30/2026#53 Chapter 53 Restocking
Last Updated: 7/30/2026#52 Chapter 52 You've Become Troublesome
Last Updated: 7/31/2026#51 Chapter 51 Obviously
Last Updated: 7/30/2026#50 Chapter 50 A Few More Hours
Last Updated: 7/30/2026#49 Chapter 49 I'm In Trouble
Last Updated: 7/30/2026#48 Chapter 48 Tonight, Let Me
Last Updated: 7/30/2026#47 Chapter 47 Beyond Control
Last Updated: 7/25/2026#46 Chapter 46 Permission
Last Updated: 7/25/2026
You Might Like 😍
The Spy Who Left
"I still can't believe she actually did it. Aria Hart, filing for divorce. Who saw that coming?"
"How long do we think it'll take before she comes crawling back?" Another voice joins the conversation.
"Three days," Victoria declares. "Five at most. She has no money, no skills, no family. Where's she going to go?"
When Aria Chen divorced billionaire Leon Hart, New York's elite sneered, betting she'd crawl back within days. She never did.
Three years later, the world is rocked when Dr. Aria Vale, CEO of a revolutionary cybersecurity empire, steps into the spotlight. The mysterious genius who built a billion-dollar company from nothing is none other than Leon's discarded wife, the woman everyone thought was just a pretty ornament.
Now, every powerful man wants the queen Leon threw away a renowned scientist seeking partnership, a financial titan proposing an empire, and an actor offering devotion. Each sees the brilliance Leon ignored.
Then Leon discovers the truth: Aria's sacrifices, her secret double life, and the daughter she's been raising without him. For the first time, the man who once took her for granted must fight for her love. But can he compete with men who valued her from the beginning?
A story of love, betrayal, and power where the king must kneel before the queen who never needed saving.
The mafia princess return
“Burn those who burned me!”
Burn those who burned me is an anthology book circulated on truth; justice; and REVENGE!
Story #1 The Ballad of Rabena Price.
Story #2 The rebirth of Clara Granger
Story #3 The violin of Graceland Teague
Story #4 The list for Josie Taylor
Story #5 COMING SOON!
Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother
"What is wrong with me?
Why does being near him make my skin feel too tight, like I’m wearing a sweater two sizes too small?
It’s just newness, I tell myself firmly.
He’s my boyfirend’s brother.
This is Tyler’s family.
I’m not going to let one cold stare undo that.
**
As a ballet dancer, My life looks perfect—scholarship, starring role, sweet boyfriend Tyler. Until Tyler shows his true colors and his older brother, Asher, comes home.
Asher is a Navy veteran with battle scars and zero patience. He calls me "princess" like it's an insult. I can't stand him.
When My ankle injury forces her to recover at the family lake house, I‘m stuck with both brothers. What starts as mutual hatred slowly turns into something forbidden.
I'm falling for my boyfriend's brother.
**
I hate girls like her.
Entitled.
Delicate.
And still—
Still.
The image of her standing in the doorway, clutching her cardigan tighter around her narrow shoulders, trying to smile through the awkwardness, won’t leave me.
Neither does the memory of Tyler. Leaving her here without a second thought.
I shouldn’t care.
I don’t care.
It’s not my problem if Tyler’s an idiot.
It’s not my business if some spoiled little princess has to walk home in the dark.
I’m not here to rescue anyone.
Especially not her.
Especially not someone like her.
She’s not my problem.
And I’ll make damn sure she never becomes one.
But when my eyes fell on her lips, I wanted her to be mine.
Invincible Upon Release: The Strongest Mage
Her family looked down on him, and even she herself said coldly: “You’re not worthy of being my husband.”
Everyone thought this newly released good-for-nothing was just a poor fool who’d taken the fall for his brother.
Thorne said nothing.
He merely raised his hand, gently pressing his bride’s forehead.
In an instant, the chaos in her eyes faded. Holy light surged from beneath the church, shooting into the sky.
The world’s only candidate for the Saintess, blessed with holy power, slowly opened her clear eyes before him.
Chosen By The Lycan King
Tempted By The Enemy
She escapes to Preston Island to attend the wedding without informing him only to collide with Lucas’s hot, fiery and arrogant brother, the twenty-three-year-old, Nicholas Donnelly. Sparks immediately fly between them but Alyssa refuses to acknowledge them fearing her brother's wrath.
The wedding is over and Alyssa tries hard to forget the mysterious Nicholas Donnelly but can he forget her? Can he ignore the attraction he feels for her, feelings that have resurfaced after ten years?
What will Allyssa do when she is stalked by the man who has been invading her dreams since the day she met him? What will she do when she is whisked away to a deserted island by the unpredictable Nicholas Donnelly? Can she tame her heart or surrender to sinful temptations? Read to find out!
Part of the Temptation Series. Can be read as a standalone.
The First Female Alpha
The man I was meant to marry—the rising Alpha, the pride of the Pack—thrusting into another girl like I didn't exist.
But I didn't cry. I didn't scream. I didn't even flinch.
Because the pain had carved me hollow long before he ever touched her.
He thinks I'm weak. That I'll stand by his side in two days, smile for the ceremony, and hand him my loyalty with the Alpha title.
But he's wrong.
I'm not the broken little Luna they think I am. I'm the storm they never saw coming.
The Pack worships him, but only I know the truth buried beneath his perfect lies. So I'll take everything he wants most—the throne, the title, the crown he was born to wear—and win it out from under him, in front of everyone who ever called me unworthy.
Screw the Pack. Screw the respect. Screw being tame.
I'm fury dressed in skin, madness wearing heels, and heartbreak turned into a goddamn weapon.
They wanted a loyal Luna??
Instead...
They created a monster.
And when the throne is finally mine...
The Pack won't remember the name of the Alpha who betrayed me.
They'll remember the woman who took his crown...
and became the First Female Alpha.
Real Heiress, Hidden Boss
On the engagement day, my fiancé slipped a ring on her finger. My parents handed me a train ticket to oblivion.
They celebrated their victory while I disappeared.
What they didn't realize was that letting me go was the worst mistake of their lives.
I am the surgical prodigy saving lives that science deems hopeless. I am the muse of the art world. I am the true heir to a dynasty they couldn't even dream of.
Now, I am back.
Not as the girl they abandoned, but as the storm they prayed would never come.
My ex-fiancé kneels in regret. My fake sister chokes on her jealousy. And the CEO who once looked through me? He is now crawling, desperate to taste the success he once threw away.
The joke isn't on me.
It's on them.
Bound by Vengeance
Then there is Xavier Romano. Cold and calculating, he revels in his dominance, finding satisfaction in the terror he instills and the power he wields. But his iron control shatters when he crosses paths with Eloisa. Her unpredictability, her unapologetic desire for vengeance, and her allure are irresistible—and dangerous. As they collide in a world where betrayal is constant and alliances are fragile, passion ignites between them, each step drawing them deeper into a forbidden obsession that neither can control. In a life defined by violence and survival, will their dangerous game be their undoing, or will it make them unstoppable?
Pregnant by My Husband's Rival Alpha
Those words should have destroyed me, but the truth was worse: I'd been used as a broodmare by the man who swore to love me, set up in a hotel room with a stranger because My husband Alexander Cross couldn't father children himself, and now I carried the secret babies of Damon Lester—the most powerful and dangerous Alpha in San Loris—while my own family replaced me with the daughter they'd always wanted. But when that same stranger's doctor appeared at my door, when twenty million dollars exchanged hands over a fake perfume bearing my secret identity, and when Damon's gray eyes locked onto mine with recognition I couldn't afford, I realized my carefully hidden life as the legendary perfumer Vera was colliding with a pregnancy that could cost me everything.
Could I protect my babies from the husband plotting my death, hide my true identity from the Alpha who's been hunting me for years, and reclaim the freedom I'd buried along with my dreams—even if it means standing alone against the wolves who see me as nothing more than a womb to be used and discarded?
The millionaire's ugly secretary
Will Demetrio be able to conquer his ugly secretary? Will Eva be able to forgive Demetrio after this bet?












