Obsidian

Obsidian

Mbali Xabela · Completed · 197.4k Words

519
Hot
923
Views
139
Added
Add to Shelf
Start Reading
Share:facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsappreddit

Introduction

Hadassah Moor is a young investigator, dedicated to taking down corrupt businessmen and exposing nefarious enterprises. But the star aims too high when she goes after Orian Moon, the CEO of Zenith, a multi-billion megacorporation.

When Hadassah robs Gaza, a powerful drug lord, seeking evidence that ties him to Orian. She ends up stealing a ledger with a treasure trove of deadly secrets that thrusts her into a world of peril. Hadassah becomes the target of the Blood and Bone cartel because of the fathomless truths she's unknowingly in the possession of. And the only thing that stands between her and an army of ruthless thugs is the same man she sought to destroy.

Chapter 1

The CEO of Zenith incorporated, Orian Moon, saw his wealth grow by about 77% over the same March-to-December quarter. Which he gave more than $900 million to the Zenith Foundation and $300 million to a gentrification project in South Africa.

The pace and scope of his charitable giving is staggering. As a publicly active philanthropist, he has given away more than what five of the country’s biggest givers have in their entire lifetimes, Forbes calculates.

The TV screen goes black.

I whip around. My mom stands in the archway with her arm outstretched and the remote in her hand. She lowers it to her side with a pointed look on her face.

“Hadie, baby.” She folds her arms and levels me with a reproving glare. “What are you doing?”

“Well, I was watching that program,” I say flatly.

“No, what you need to be doing is celebrating.” Her hands move to her waist, fixing themselves on her hips. Her reproachful stance. “You just cracked that big case, writing that piece on those money-stuffing scoundrels. The feds couldn’t even solve it, but my baby did. And now here you are.” She jabs a quick finger at the TV. “Out hunting on the next big thing. Just take the time to celebrate this win.”

Her eyes are like deep pools of melted hazel, swirling with unabating concern. She moves to place the remote on the acacia wooden case. The head is lined with stands of laminated articles that I have written. And the shelves hold an accolade of awards I have won over the years. Not there by my choice.

My mouth opens to retort. But then I seal my lips back close, silenced by a fragrance wafting into the living room.

“Is that? That smell... is that what I think I’m smelling?”

I inhale a deep breath, drawing in the cheesy, mouth-watering aroma of mama’s lasagne.

“If you’re smelling the world’s best homemade lasagne...” Calum strolls into view, leaning his shoulder against the frame of the archway. “You’re correct, princess.”

My mom lets out a rolling, high-pitched giggle, slapping the air. “Oh stop playing, boy.”

“I’m serious.” He moves to her, wrapping her in a one-sided hug. “What we should be doing is celebrating how delicious that dish is. I even stopped taking my antidepressants, cause now I just eat your lasagne.”

She laughs again, her autumn brown skin aglow. Not a single wrinkle to expose her true age.

I roll my eyes at Calum. “Whilst you flirt with my mama.” I walk over to them, heels thudding on the vinyl flooring. “I’m going to change.”

Her laugh dies in her mouth. “You better, looking ridiculous in that damn pants suit.” Her hand flicks Calum’s arm. “You know she just barged back in here, no hello—nothing, just straight to the TV, watching the latest news on her next target.”

Calum throws his head back with a laugh, flaunting a dazzling smile. Two rows of brilliant white. “Let me guess... something about Zenith?”

My shoulder knocks into his as I pass him. “Whatever.” I turn to look back at ma. “And by the way this—” I gesture to my all-black, form-fitting, full suit with a belted blazer and a lapel collar, “—is fashion.”

“So is a dress,” she says to my back.

My inner feminism shrieks inside. I spin around, tearing my lips apart.

Calum cuts me off with an exaggerated hand gesture. “You know better than to talk back to your mama.” He shoos me away. “Keep on stepping.”

“That’s right.”

The two of them high five each other.

I shake my head at them both. “Ganging up on me on my big day, that’s just low,” I mutter, marching upstairs.

I drift into my bedroom, the second one on the left, yanking out my hairband—an explosion of shoulder-length curls. I take off my heels, holding them by the tip of my fingers as I saunter to the dressing table. I drop the heels. My eyes are fixated on the framed picture of me and my dad when I was still a kid. When he was still alive, and not just existing. But alive. The years were hard on him, sapping the life from his skin and the fight from his bones. He put himself in the grave trying to provide for a family when he couldn’t even do it for himself. He drowned just to keep us afloat.

Thoughtlessly clutching onto the crucifix hanging from my neck. I let it go.

“Got another one, pops.” I can barely hear myself say it. “I think... I think you would’ve been proud.”


My mom, Calum, and I are seated around the dinner table set with a breadbasket, a side of veggies and the guest of honor. The lasagne. The dish is placed in the center, covered with a thick coat of bubbling gouda cheese, garnished with fresh green herbs. After ma serves us generous, very generous portions—the kind that will make sure that I work out tomorrow. She extends her hands out to the both of us. We all hold hands. Calum entwines our fingers together. And ma prays.

Calum sneaks a look at me, mouthing, *close your eyes. *

I narrow my eyes at him. Why are yours open?

“And father God!” ma exclaims, her voice bursting to its maximum volume. “Though we come to the Lord’s table to feast in peace. Others choose violence. I have to repent, Father God! Forgive me because I’mma bout to beat the black off my daughter. And whoop the white boy so hard, he’ll be speaking in tongues if they keep fooling around like damn kids.”

Calum snorts a laugh, smothering the others that try to break free. I gawk at my mother, both of her eyes are shut, and yet the woman still sees everything. Witchcraft.

“Amen,” she says. She drops our hands, opening her eyes to glare at me. “You lucky, it’s your day.” She tosses a glance at Calum. “And that we have company.”

A wry snort escapes me. “Like that’s ever stopped in you the past,” I mutter.

“Girl, I swear—”

“Lasagne is getting cold,” Calum says, playing peacemaker. ”Niente litigi a tavola. Let’s eat.”

We all jump right in. I fit in a mouthful, moaning with each bite. Italian-style lasagne. The balance between layers of cheese and homemade Bolognese sauce is perfection. My taste buds frolicking with the sliced sausage and ground beef, creating a rich, layered flavor with the creamy sauce spilling over my tongue.

Calum wipes a fake tear from his eye. “I should write this recipe in the history books, so generations after us will know of its legend.”

I grin at him. The lights above brightening his Nordic-gold hair, styled with a middle parting. Very much like a young Leonardo DiCaprio. He looks back at me, mesmerized by that empyrean blue. I gaze into them, enraptured by the vast vessel of happy memories encapsulated in the ocean’s gemstones. A living remnant of my childhood, our history preserved in those eyes.

“So, are you going to tell me about the thugs you nailed?”

“Not me—we,” I correct. “I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without Cal, here.” I scrunch my nose at him. “Isn’t that right, nerd?”

“True.” His voice curated in confidence. “I am her eyes and ears, her Gandalf, that gets her in places where most people can’t. I help. But her drive, her achievements.” He offers me a long, wholesome look. “That’s all you, princess.”

I smile at my plate. Diverting the attention, I say, “The bust we made was a massive international weapons trafficking operation. Resulting in the seizure of nearly a hundred thousand firearms and one-hundred and sixty-seven explosives.”

Calum swallows, nodding. “Operation pale shadow. Traffickers getting millions on the black market, supplied by criminal gangs.”

“They had AR-fifteen rifles, grenades and military-grade weaponry,” I add. “Enough to start a war.”

Ma’s expression fades from fascination, concern creeping back. A worry line etched on her forehead. “With your condition, I really hate you knowing that kind of stuff.”

“Condition?” Calum snorts. “It’s more like a superpower. It’s why she’s good at what she does.”

She waves a dismissive hand. “You know what I mean. Cause after she can never unsee those things. But enough of that.” She aims her fork at me, then at Calum. “When are you two giving me some gorgeous, mixed, grandbabies?”

I choke—Calum hacks into his fist, beating his chest.

After dinner, Calum helps me with the dishes. And after I walk him out as usual, strolling into the travertine-tiled front entrance of my townhouse which is anchored by bespoke horizontal boards that amplify the room’s length. The peaked ceiling lends height and drama, and a series of square shapes—the windows, the front door’s panes of glass, and the paneled interior door provide a stately rhythm. Calum pauses in the middle of the door, and slants to the side to rest his shoulder against the frame. His eyes boring into mine like I’m a book that only he can understand.

“Don’t do it.”

I shrug innocently. “I don’t know what you’re talking about it.”

“You’re going after Zenith,” he says exasperatedly, “Which is stupid because nothing traces back to them, nothing that can be proved. We’ve tried and failed. Multiple times.”

I reach for him, pulling him into a hug, “Night, nerd.” Arms wrapped around his neck.

His one arm coils around my waist. “Your mom is right about this one. Let it go.”

I draw away, smiling back at him. “It’s not about if I get Zenith. It’s when. And if at first you don’t succeed...”

Last Chapters

You Might Like 😍

Omega Bound

Omega Bound

2.7m Views · Completed · Veronica White
Ayla Frost is a beautiful, rare omega. Kidnapped, tortured, and trafficked to rogue clans and corrupt alphas to do with as they pleased.  Kept alive in her cage, broken and abandoned by her wolf, she becomes mute and has given up on hope for a better life until one explosion changes everything. 

Thane Knight is the alpha of the Midnight Pack of the La Plata Mountain Range, the largest wolf shifter pack in the world. He is an alpha by day and hunts the shifter trafficking ring with his group of mercenaries by night. His hunt for vengeance leads to one raid that changes his life. 

Tropes:
Touch her and die/Slow burn romance/Fated Mates/Found family twist/Close circle betrayal/Cinnamon roll for only her/Traumatized heroine/Rare wolf/Hidden powers/Knotting/Nesting/Heats/Luna/Attempted assassination
Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother

Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother

2.9m Views · Ongoing · Harper Rivers
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.
The Spy Who Left

The Spy Who Left

1.9k Views · Completed · Orion Vale
"She's naive. A pretty little socialite who got lucky marrying above her station."
"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.
One Weekend with the Billionaire

One Weekend with the Billionaire

81.7k Views · Ongoing · Bella Moondragon
“When done properly, this position can be most satisfying for a woman because it allows deep penetration."
I open my mouth to respond, but all that comes out is a staggered breath and a small sigh. He chuckles, a low, rough rumble and then leans down and kisses the middle of my back.
I feel the tip of him again at my entryway. He pushes in slightly, and my body comes to life again. My muscles react to his presence, contracting and loosening, as if my body is trying to suck him deep inside.
He's my husband's boss, so this is supposed to be wrong.
So why does it feel so right?


Braxton Merriweather always gets what he wants. Now, he wants her--Julia Thompson, the wife of one of his workers. From the moment he first laid eyes on her, he knew he had to possess her in every way.
When Jeff Thompson takes him up on the bargain he proposes, Braxton is shocked. He's even more surprised when Mrs. Thompson agrees.
But now that he's had a taste of her, he wants more. How can he possess a woman who's already married to someone else?

Julia feels trapped by her marriage to her high school sweetheart. In the two years since they've been married, he's changed, and not for the better. When billionaire Braxton Merriweather shows interest in her, she's flattered. And intrigued. Is it possible that one of the richest men in the world could really want her?
And if so... what does she do about her husband?
One Weekend with the Billionaire is a sexy story for mature readers.
Tempted By The Enemy

Tempted By The Enemy

4.2k Views · Completed · rituparna darolia
Twenty-two-year-old Alyssa Van Every is in a dilemma. Her close friend, Sienna, is marrying billionaire, Lucas Donnelly who, along with his brothers, happens to be her older brother, Alex's sworn 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.
Iron And Glamour Just Don't Mix

Iron And Glamour Just Don't Mix

5.2k Views · Ongoing · Kit Bryan
Have you ever seen a screaming toddler and thought, wow, they just can’t be the same good-natured kid who was eating cereal ten minutes ago?
Well… Sometimes you just might turn out to be right.
It turns out, the fae stole my little brother. In his place? A pixie with boundary issues and a talent for home repairs.
I’ve spent my life taking care of everyone else. So when my baby brother is taken, I don’t hesitate. I walk straight into a faerie mansion and make a bargain with its infuriatingly charming master.
Kie is everything you’d expect from a dangerous fae, beautiful, political, and entirely too amused by me. Power wrapped in a smirk. Sensual, mischievous, and far too aware of the effect he has on people. He agrees to help me find my brother.
For a price.
Now I’m bound by a faerie bargain and navigating a world of glamour, manipulation, and ancient rules I definitely should have learned sooner, enchanted forests, political games, magical contracts, and a fae lord who treats seduction like a perfectly reasonable negotiation tactic.
Iron is how I keep people out.
Glamour is how he draws them in.
And apparently, they just don’t mix.
The Billionaire's Mask (A Dark Steamy Romance)

The Billionaire's Mask (A Dark Steamy Romance)

4k Views · Ongoing · Margarette Grey
​"I am a monster, Miss Hart. You wouldn't want nor wish to see me..." He is mysterious and brilliant, wealthy and prominent, but no single soul has seen him in person. Well, no one should see him—that's one of his many rules. No one can touch him either; that's another rule. Except for me because I have broken every rule. Now I'm extremely drawn to him. His peculiarity is out of this world, and his beauty is beyond physical. But the Master has demons of his own and is being chased by his brutal past. Suddenly, we've become the reflection of each other's nightmares. I realize that the Master and I are not so different. Is this newly found bond just another uncertain fate that could deepen our wounds, or is it finally going to be our redemption?
Taste of Fate: The Vampire King's Human Mate

Taste of Fate: The Vampire King's Human Mate

8.4k Views · Ongoing · Miranda Carr
I never knew my blood could kill a king—until I met one. Sebastian, the ruthless and immortal King, rules with precision. For centuries, he's ruled with ruthless precision, his heart as cold as the stone throne beneath him. One moment, I'm nothing. The next, I'm his obsession. His touch burns like ice fire. His stare follows me through shadows. And when he feeds from me—God help me—it feels like drowning in darkness and craving more. He tells me my blood is unlike any he's tasted, that my scent drives him to the edge of madness.


He reached for the back of my head and pulled me up just enough to reach my neck. When his fangs slid into me, the pain was instant, electric. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. My hands found his shoulders, clawing for something to hold. My legs kicked. Tears streamed down my cheeks.

He moaned against my throat as he drank, and the sound was devastating.
The Alpha Of The Shadow Pack And His Mute Luna

The Alpha Of The Shadow Pack And His Mute Luna

184.8k Views · Ongoing · Beatrice Putnam
She was born cursed and silenced. He was born cursed and destined to lose everything.

Vanessa, the mute runt of a cursed litter, has only ever known cruelty and abuse. Her voice stolen by a witch’s spell, her freedom crushed by a brutal father, she’s been promised to a monster she doesn’t want. But fate intervenes when she’s left for dead—bleeding, broken, and bound—only to be rescued by Alpha Alfred of the Shadow Pack.
Alfred, fighting against a generational curse that has doomed his brothers to remain wolves forever, never expected his fated mate to be a fragile girl on the brink of death. But the moment he breathes in her scent, everything changes.
Together, they must confront the past, survive betrayal, and uncover the true key to breaking the curses that bind them. Will their bond be strong enough to save them both?
The Last of US

The Last of US

1.6k Views · Ongoing · S.M.W
you are my queen, and I want to kiss you now,” he said.
I’m not sure that was what I expected him to say, but I had been waiting to hear it. I smiled playfully, looking at him. “Yes, my king,” I said.
Moments, his lips were on mine. The kiss was soft and gentle at first, his hands wrapped around my waist, pulling me close to him; I let my arms find their way around his neck. I felt his tongue gently run along my lower lip and couldn’t help the soft moan that escaped my mouth at its touch. Von only took that as permission and slipped his tongue into my mouth; I let my tongue explore his mouth as he did the same to mine. Eventually, the kiss grew deeper, and before I knew it, I was straddling his lap in one quick motion. His hands found their way to my hair, tangled in it as he tugged it lightly in his grip. I couldn’t help moaning against his lips; a growl of pleasure came from deep in his throat.


My name is Arianna Maree Paxton however I Hate that name my parents gave me that name, after my , great-great grandmother. So I go by Ari. you see my parents are hardly that they hate me in every way possible. I am only here to be their slave and plaything, otherwise they probably would of killed me a long time ago. My family belong to a pride of snow leopards well now were more of a group then a pride most of us have died out. I have a feeling my species will be coming to a end soon and the worst part of it is that we will die with such a shameful legacy left behind one that I want no part of.

Were simply a small part of the shifter community, most every other shifter, magical beings live in harmony with humans and other beings. However, they do have their own rules they each follow but for the most part the respect each other, it doesn’t mean they share anything by any means. Each has their own schools, hospitals, and way of living but terrroity and lives are generally respected. However, I feel that is mostly in part to fear of the Royal family.

However my species is dying out because they have lost their way , when you force your leopard to do horrid things it will eventually leave you , which was what was happing all around me , when that happens you can no longer find a mate , and usually you lose your mind. Without mates we can no longer reproduce hence the feeling of the end coming soon. Or at least I thought that was the reason I have that feeling but I kind of feel like something bigger is on the way.
Bella and Her Beast

Bella and Her Beast

21.5k Views · Completed · Sheridan Hartin
For all the little girls who grew up wondering what happens after the prince kisses the girl—this is the story they never told you.
.
Locked in her frozen tower, Bella dreamed of warmth, of touch, of freedom and of love. Cursed with the power of ice and snow, she’s spent her life alone. A secret they tried to protect the world from. Her only escape comes in the form of the books she reads. Stories of heat, desire, and the kind of love that could melt even her frostbitten heart.
Damien is the Beast. A dragon King with a temper forged in flame and a soul hollowed by duty. The world fears him. The people call him a monster. But beneath the scales and the rage lies a man who has never been touched by love.
When frost meets fire, the world shatters. She was never meant to leave her tower. He was never meant to find her. But destiny doesn’t bow to kings or care for cages and now the question burns through them both: Can Bella have her Beast? Or will the girl of snow melt in the heat of his desire?

.
"I’m keeping her."
"What?"
Before I can react, he scoops her up. Her small body fits easily in the cradle of his talons. For a split second, she looks startled, but not afraid. Her hand rests against one scaled finger, and she stares up at him with that same curious wonder, as though she’s already forgotten she was ever meant to fear me.
"Put her down," I try to command, panic threading through my thoughts. "You’ll hurt her."
"She’s ours," the beast insists, possessive and fierce. "Our snowflake."
BROKEN TRUST

BROKEN TRUST

10.5k Views · Completed · O.J Thewriter
She broke their marriage. He walked away.

Neither of them knew she was carrying his child.

Emily’s affair didn’t just end her marriage—it erased the life she thought was guaranteed. Ryan left without looking back, carrying his anger like armor and leaving Emily alone with regret she would never outrun. Three years later, fate drags them back into each other’s world, along with a little girl who has Ryan’s eyes and a truth that shatters everything he thought he knew.

Old wounds reopen, grief masquerades as rage, and love refuses to stay buried. As parenthood binds them together and the past demands accountability, Emily and Ryan must face the question neither of them is ready to answer: is broken trust the end of their story… or the beginning of a love forged through loss, forgiveness, and brutal honesty?