
Introduction
Then his tongue flicked against her ear before he sucked it into his mouth, wet and hot, his hips pressing harder into her, making her legs tighten instinctively around his waist.
"In his world, you kneel for one of two things—to beg for mercy… or to beg for more.”
Five years ago, Valerie Ledford let a stranger kiss her like no man ever had. It was supposed to be one reckless night, a dare to savor before marrying into one of the most powerful crime families in New York. And she thought she’d left it behind her.
Until now.
On the eve of taking over her fiancé’s billion-dollar real estate empire, Valerie meets the company’s newest hire: Maximilian Cardini. The same man who once pinned her to a wall and made her question everything. He is as dangerous to her composure as he was that night.
But Max isn’t just an irresistible employee. He has secrets—dark ones, rooted deep in the underground world Valerie is about to marry into. And while she doesn’t know it yet, Max has no intention of playing nice.
Chapter 1
The club was alive with bass that throbbed in the bones and lights that painted the air in restless color. Valerie Ledford stood at the center of it all with her four closest friends—Rina, Kayla, Camille, and Clare—circling her like a pack, their laughter high and tipsy as they moved with the music.
“You’re so damn lucky, Val!” Rina shrieked over the beat, clutching her arm and giving her an exaggerated shake. “Like, actual lucky-lucky. I swear if you don’t marry this man, I will.”
“Oh my god, yes!” Kayla chimed in, wide-eyed and already halfway to drunk herself, her words slurred just enough to be funny. “Damon. Fucking. Massaro. Didn’t know you two go back.”
Valerie just laughed, a little breathless and already buzzed. “Yeah,” she said, trying to sound casual. “His family and mine go all the way back.”
Clare threw her hands up like that settled it. “And now he’s head over heels for you. Handsome, rich, completely gone over you… You’ve literally won the jackpot. Literally.”
Her engagement ring caught the light every time her hand lifted, each flash of diamond drawing fresh gasps and squeals from the girls around her.
“Jesus Christ, that rock!” Rina hollered, grabbing her hand mid-dance to stare at it. “You could signal planes with this thing!”
“I know!” Valerie shouted back, spinning in a little circle so her hair tumbled loose around her shoulders. The tequila buzz was really kicking in now, and she let herself be pulled along by them, hips swaying, a carefree smile plastered on her face.
Camille gave her a mock-stern look even as she sipped her cocktail. “You better not get sloppy-drunk tonight, Val. You’re engaged now. You have to have some dignity.”
“Oh my god, Camille, shut up!” Kayla howled, nearly doubling over with laughter. “It’s her night! If she wants to dance on the damn table, we’re letting her!”
Valerie threw her arms around both of them, giggling like a teenager. “I was fun and super cool. Right? And maybe a little bit of a mess.”
“Yes!” Clare cheered, clinking her glass against Valerie’s and then against Rina’s. “And you, future Mrs. Damon Massaro, can absolutely still party harder than the rest of us.”
“And hotter than the rest of us, too, damn you,” Rina added, though her grin took the sting out of it.
“Yeah,” Valerie agreed with a mischievous glint in her eye, tossing her hair back. “I’m still the fun one.”
They howled at that, circling her tighter, lifting their glasses high, and she let herself melt into their noise and affection. For the first time in a long time, she felt like the girl she used to be—bold, daring, and the kind who did stupid things just to feel alive.
And tonight… she planned to prove it.
By the time they decided to leave, it was past one-thirty in the morning. Their shoes clicked unevenly over the damp pavement outside, voices raised to compete with the dying thump of the club behind them.
One of them, Rina, was already doubled over in an alley to the side, heaving up the last of the night’s tequila. Valerie held her hair back without complaint, though she was laughing too.
“Okay, she’s a mess,” another friend, Kayla, said through a grin, her lipstick smudged. “We need coffee. Strong, black, and a gallon of it.”
The idea caught on fast. They stumbled down the block in search of a café, still talking about how good Val’s fiancé looked in a suit and how many women were probably crying into their pillows knowing he was off the market.
Valerie listened, tossing out a dry comment here and there, but her mind was already drifting. Too much dancing. Too much alcohol. And maybe, if she were honest, too much of this hollow little script about being lucky.
At last, they found one: a small corner coffee shop still open despite the hour. The glow from inside was a welcome contrast to the deserted street, and the bell above the door jingled as they pushed in. The smell of coffee and sugar wrapped around Val instantly.
It was quiet in here, mercifully. Only two other tables were occupied. One near the back held a young couple leaning into each other, hands intertwined, their words low and intimate.
The other table was closer, three young men lounging in their seats with mugs in front of them, all dressed better than the hour called for. Even from the door, they radiated an ease.
“I’ll order,” Valerie told her friends and waved off their drunken protests. She approached the counter, reading the chalkboard menu with more focus than she needed just to steady herself, then rattled off five coffees to the tired-looking barista.
When she returned to their table, the girls were already giggling like schoolchildren. Something conspiratorial sparked in their eyes as they leaned in close to her.
“Oh my god,” one hissed. “Did you see them?”
“See who?” Valerie asked flatly, peeling off her coat.
“The guys!” Kayla stage-whispered, jerking her chin toward the other table. “Look at them, Val. All three? Gorgeous. But him—” She gave a not-so-subtle nod toward the broadest of the three, sitting with his back partly to them. “He’s unreal.”
Valerie rolled her eyes, but when she finally let herself glance over, she froze.
He was already looking at her.
Not just looking, watching.
He sat lazily, one arm draped along the back of his chair, the other curled around his mug. He was tall even seated, his frame screaming a commanding figure in his black shirt, sleeves rolled just high enough to reveal strong forearms. His hair was a dark, tousled mess that somehow looked deliberate, and even at this distance, she could see the crooked slant of his smile.
Their eyes locked, and for three long seconds, neither of them looked away.
His gaze swept over her in a way that was neither hurried nor shy—lingering on her like he already knew she’d notice. Like he already knew she’d feel it. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly higher, just enough to suggest he was enjoying her reaction.
Valerie’s throat went dry.
She broke the stare first, forcing herself to shift in her seat as though nothing had happened, but she could still feel it—the faint hum beneath her skin where his eyes had touched her.
Her friends were still giggling, oblivious to the way her pulse had jumped.
“See?” Kayla whispered, leaning into her shoulder. “Lucky you. But, damn, if you weren’t already engaged…”
Valerie just smirked faintly, fingers curling around her coffee cup when it arrived. But she didn’t look back at him.
Last Chapters
#106 Chapter 106: Watching Her Work
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#105 Chapter 105: Proof Of Betrayal
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#104 Chapter 104: Insurance Policy
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#103 Chapter 103: The Best Kind of Trouble
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#102 Chapter 102: Twenty Hours
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#101 Chapter 101: Until She Returns
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#100 Chapter 100: The Night Feels Lighter
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#99 Chapter 99: Something Like a Date
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#98 Chapter 98: How to Break a Good Boy
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#97 Chapter 97: Behind The Desk
Last Updated: 1/27/2026
You Might Like 😍
On Christmas Eve, I aborted the CEO's child
On Christmas Eve night, my husband brought his mistress home and demanded that I, his pregnant wife, leave with nothing.
On this day, I lost my husband and also lost the child in my womb...
I Loved You in Silence, You Betrayed Me in French
At my birthday party, my husband whispered to his mistress in French that he missed her. His voice was low, but I heard it all—the black lingerie, the bit about how pregnancy makes you more sensitive. His French clients around us were laughing. He turned and put his arm around me, claiming he was just helping his clients come up with sweet nothings.
He doesn't know I understand every single word. Just like he doesn't know that inside my body, I'm carrying his other surprise. And his mistress—she's pregnant too. Two wombs, one secret.
Confrontation would be too cheap. Tears are worthless. I quietly started cataloging the hidden networks my father left behind, activating the Swiss accounts.
In seven days, Zoey Smith will cease to exist. And what will my husband's reaction be?
He Never Loved Me, Until I Left
I put away the divorce agreement with a wry smile.
When he and my son completely disappeared, he finally panicked.
Three months later .
He knelt down on the streets of Chicago in despair, begging me to remarry him.
My six-year-old son looked coldly at his biological father and said, "Get lost, you bad uncle! You don't deserve to be my dad!"
When I Disappeared, He Regretted It
The moment the screen lit up, my entire world came crashing down.
The woman on the bed was Calista - that girl who grew up with us since we were kids. And that hand caressing her skin was wearing the wedding ring I had personally put on Matteo's finger.
"I've missed you so much..."
"You drive me crazy, baby..."
Those sweet words I knew so well completely destroyed me.
Everyone said we were the perfect couple, but who knew this marriage was built on nothing but lies?
Since he's so good at acting, I guess it's time I gave him a show of my own. I'm going to make sure everyone sees what this "perfect husband" really is...
He Thought I'd Never Leave
When he said he was being bullied, I believed him. When he kissed me on that rooftop, I thought he felt the same. When he asked me to transfer schools with him, I said yes without hesitation.
Then I heard him bragging to his friends: "She'd save her first time for me. Hell, she'd still be thinking of me on her wedding night."
The bullying was staged. The kiss meant nothing. He just wanted me gone—so his new girl could feel more comfortable.
He thought I'd beg. He thought I'd cry. He thought I'd never actually leave.
I left the country.
And ran straight into his stepbrother.
I Died While They Threw Her a Party
Their real daughter came home. She'd only been back two years. That's all it took to erase twenty-four.
When kidnappers grabbed us, I used my body as a shield. They beat me until something inside me ruptured. I was dying from internal bleeding, but no one could tell.
My parents wouldn't even look at me. "This is your fault! None of this would've happened if it weren't for you!"
"Get downstairs and apologize to your sister. If you can't, pack your things and get out."
They threw her a party at a downtown hotel while I died alone in my room.
I thought they'd be relieved. Maybe even glad. I thought they'd just move on like I never existed.
But when they finally learned the truth, they fell apart.
Bury Me in His Regret
The kidnapper pressed the gun to my temple and asked, "Choose your wife or your sister-in-law?"
Zachary didn't hesitate. "Let Valerie go," he said.
He actually chose to save his sister-in-law! In that moment, even the baby in my belly seemed to stop kicking.
Later, they locked me in the basement. Drugs to delay labor were pumped into my veins over and over. Zachary wanted to save the "firstborn son" status for his sister-in-law's child.
When warm blood finally soaked through my skirt, I dialed the number I knew by heart with shaking hands.
"Zachary," I whispered into the phone, "our child... can't wait any longer."
The Kidney That Killed Me
A few months ago, my sister was hospitalized with kidney failure. The doctor said she needed a transplant. My family's first thought was me—the backup daughter they'd kept around all these years.
When my husband Allen took my hand with tears in his eyes and said, "Only you can save her," I agreed without hesitation.
When the doctor explained the surgical risks and potential complications, I smiled and nodded my understanding.
My parents said I'd finally learned what sisterly love meant.
Even Allen, who'd always been cold to me, held my hand gently and said, "The surgery's safe. You're so healthy, nothing will go wrong. When you recover, I'll take you to Hawaii."
But they don't know that no matter how the surgery goes, I won't be around to celebrate.
Because I just got my own test results—I have terminal brain cancer. I'm going to die anyway.
After the Affair: Falling into a Billionaire's Arms
From first crush to wedding vows, George Capulet and I had been inseparable. But in our seventh year of marriage, he began an affair with his secretary.
On my birthday, he took her on vacation. On our anniversary, he brought her to our home and made love to her in our bed...
Heartbroken, I tricked him into signing divorce papers.
George remained unconcerned, convinced I would never leave him.
His deceptions continued until the day the divorce was finalized. I threw the papers in his face: "George Capulet, from this moment on, get out of my life!"
Only then did panic flood his eyes as he begged me to stay.
When his calls bombarded my phone later that night, it wasn't me who answered, but my new boyfriend Julian.
"Don't you know," Julian chuckled into the receiver, "that a proper ex-boyfriend should be as quiet as the dead?"
George seethed through gritted teeth: "Put her on the phone!"
"I'm afraid that's impossible."
Julian dropped a gentle kiss on my sleeping form nestled against him. "She's exhausted. She just fell asleep."
Alpha Nicholas's Little Mate
What? No—wait… oh Moon Goddess, no.
Please tell me you're joking, Lex.
But she's not. I can feel her excitement bubbling under my skin, while all I feel is dread.
We turn the corner, and the scent hits me like a punch to the chest—cinnamon and something impossibly warm. My eyes scan the room until they land on him. Tall. Commanding. Beautiful.
And then, just as quickly… he sees me.
His expression twists.
"Fuck no."
He turns—and runs.
My mate sees me and runs.
Bonnie has spent her entire life being broken down and abused by the people closest to her including her very own twin sister. Alongside her best friend Lilly who also lives a life of hell, they plan to run away while attending the biggest ball of the year while it's being hosted by another pack, only things don't quite go to plan leaving both girls feeling lost and unsure about their futures.
Alpha Nicholas is 28, mateless, and has no plans to change that. It's his turn to host the annual Blue Moon Ball this year and the last thing he expects is to find his mate. What he expects even less is for his mate to be 10 years younger than him and how his body reacts to her. While he tries to refuse to acknowledge that he has met his mate his world is turned upside down after guards catch two she-wolves running through his lands.
Once they are brought to him he finds himself once again facing his mate and discovers that she's hiding secrets that will make him want to kill more than one person.
Can he overcome his feelings towards having a mate and one that is so much younger than him? Will his mate want him after already feeling the sting of his unofficial rejection? Can they both work on letting go of the past and moving forward together or will fate have different plans and keep them apart?
Omega Bound
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
Surrendering to Destiny
Graham MacTavish wasn't prepared to find his mate in the small town of Sterling that borders the Blackmoore Packlands. He certainly didn't expect her to be a rogue, half-breed who smelled of Alpha blood. With her multi-colored eyes, there was no stopping him from falling hard the moment their mate bond snapped into place. He would do anything to claim her, protect her and cherish her no matter the cost.
From vengeful ex-lovers, pack politics, species prejudice, hidden plots, magic, kidnapping, poisoning, rogue attacks, and a mountain of secrets including Catherine's true parentage there is no shortage of things trying to tear the two apart.
Despite the hardships, a burning desire and willingness to trust will help forge a strong bond between the two... but no bond is unbreakable. When the secrets kept close to heart are slowly revealed, will the two be able to weather the storm? Or will the gift bestowed upon Catherine by the moon goddess be too insurmountable to overcome?












