1478 Book(s) Related to a million dollar deal

They said it was just a phase. A crush. A mistake she'd forget by morning. But obsessions don't fade. They grow.
In Filthy Obsessions, lust doesn't whisper, it grabs hair, rips buttons, and leaves bruises in its name. These stories are not sweet. They're soaked in sin. A sex therapist who doesn't use words to fix broken marriages. A judge who sentences two sisters to submission, then joins them. A father's best friend who doesn't just watch,he waits, dark and patient, until she begs for his cock. An art professor who sketches her body in secret... then ruins her innocence on the altar. These men aren't heroes. They're cravings in human form. And the women who fall for them? They never recover.
If you've ever whispered "Daddy, begged for it, screamed through it, or touched yourself thinking, "What if…" Filthy Obsessions was written for you.

Jessica Miller. Five years ago, Ethan Blackwood shattered my world.
He believed the lies, accused me of cheating, and watched me walk out of his life, pregnant with his child. The plane crash that followed made sure he thought I was gone forever.
Now I live under a new name, as Mia Stone, the perfect wife of Alex Stone heart. Together, we built a quiet existence, until fate brings Ethan back. He's richer, colder, and standing across from me at a business meeting.
He doesn't know that I'm the woman he buried.
He doesn't know the little girl calling someone else "Daddy" is his own.
The man who once ruined me is back…
And this time, he's not leaving without the truth.


Ethan Blackwood. Jessica Miller was everything I never knew I needed. And I destroyed her.
I let envy and doubt blind me. I believed the wrong person, pushed Jessica away, and the next time I tried to find her, she was gone. Dead.
For five years I lived with that guilt, building an empire, burying myself in work, trying to forget the woman I loved more than my own soul.
But she's alive. She's standing across from me with a new name, a new life, and the same eyes that once looked at me like I was her world.
She thinks she can keep her secrets. She thinks she can stay hidden.
But I've already lost her once, and I won't make that mistake again.
Even if it means tearing down the life she's built to claim what's mine.

"Only one woman leaves alive. Choose, Jared."

My husband didn't even hesitate. He rushed past me, untying his weeping mistress, Natalie. "I choose her! Take Danika!" he screamed, refusing to look at me as I sat bound to the chair. He walked away, leaving me alone with the man paid to rape me. The monster laughed, unzipping his pants, thinking I was a broken doll. But he forgot I had nothing left to lose. As he forced himself on me, my hand found a pen in his pocket. I didn't beg for mercy. I plunged it straight into his eye socket.

Danika, the perfect wife of upcoming businessman Jared Fox is known to the world as a naive, beautiful wife who loves her husband to the core, however, no one knows just how dark her life is.

Enter Lysander Laurent-Ashworth, cold, disciplined, and feared across the business world for his ruthless precision. To everyone else, he is untouchable. To Danika, he is the stranger who saved her, and the man who seems determined to shield her, even from the truths she can’t remember.

Bound by a dangerous agreement neither of them fully understands, Danika finds herself drawn into Lysander's world but Lysander might just do anything to protect her. Absolutely, anything.

Emily Brooke (twenty-two years old) fell in love with Jacob years ago. Years later, she finds out that her parents are discussing an arranged marriage for her with the man she loves.

Jacob Jefferson (thirty-five years old) starts a new life and becomes a successful billionaire, only to find he is in an arranged marriage. Though he doesn’t like it at first, he changes his mind as soon as he meets Emily.

However, the chance for a happily ever after is broken with a harsh reality when Emily finds out the real reason why Jacob accepts the arranged marriage. Later, Emily also knows about Jacob’s secret identity as a mafia’s leader.

When everything is messed up, Emily meets with her savior, Harold Montgomery. But then, Harold also has a complicated background.

With Jacob and Harold later fighting to win her heart, who will Emily choose in the end? Will she find a happily ever after?


The book is a crossover (combination) of Billionaire/Romance and Mafia genre) and a spin-off of The Billionaire’s Contract Marriage, but both books can be read as stand-alone. For the most enjoyable reading experience, please read The Billionaire’s Contract Marriage first.

"You really intrigue me, Nara," He flashes another smile, but it disappears just as fast.

A confession that makes my cheeks burn.

"I intrigue a lot of people." I try to control my breathing. "Most are always bad."

He shakes his head slowly, not wanting to pry his eyes away from my rising chest. "You intrigue me in a different sense."

"And what sense is that?"

"In the sense that I ask myself... why is it—" His neck bobs as he swallows hard, the tip of his finger now grazing the side of my uncovered thigh."—That I always find myself so drawn to you?"


For Naralía Ambrose, hunting and trapping creatures aren't enough for her. Not when she knows dreaded dragons and shifters such as the one that killed her father still lurk in the depths of Emberwell.

Moving to the infamous City of Flames and becoming a part of the queen's dragon Venators, is all she dreams of in order to continue her father's legacy.

So, when an attack occurs in her village, and this opportunity finally arises for Naralía, she quickly finds herself uncovering secrets to the city. Ones that will make her question her views over the world she lives in and whether she can trust the people around her...

With a burning desire to hunt dragons, an impertinent thief she must capture, and a tempting romance brewing, Naralía will soon question where her loyalties truly lie.

Dedicated three years to marriage, I shed the aura of the genius venture queen, pouring all my connections and resources into helping Simon Coldridge, who had nothing, ascend to the position of CEO. I thought this was a testament to our love, until that stormy night when he hung up on my call for help, yet gently opened the car door and styled the hair of the poor student I had funded.
When I confronted him, he disdainfully said, “You’re Mrs. Coldridge. Don’t take her seriously.” He might have thought I would continue to tolerate it like before. When I threw my ten-carat wedding ring into the trash and withdrew funding from the project he valued most, he finally understood that the Aurora Montague who loved him to the point of losing herself was already dead.

“I don't care about getting married, all I want is you even if this is the first time you are seeing me. I have always loved you since when I can remember. Can't you please be my groom?"
She said and I almost burst out laughing.

This bitçh must be crazy. The sex was really great. She is really good in bed but I am no lady's groom. I'm a free bird and I will always be free...

Meet Lee Chun, the son of a billionaire, he is super handsome and oh yes! He is a sëx freak.
Lee Chun's many sexual exploits with the ladies has earned him then nickname Sëx God.
He is a real time player who doesn't believe in love....
Meet Ji-a, a beautiful bold orphan girl, who has no one but herself and her lovely heart.
What happens when these two very different souls meet? Find out in this blockbuster novel.

"I've seen the way you've been staring at me, doll and I know you want me "He said his voice so cold as always , sending shivers down my spine. His frosty gaze bore into mine, void of any warmth or emotion, as his hands traced a deliberate path from my chest down to my belly button, sending a shiver down my spine.

"You can't escape from me doll, so I'll advice you to be submissive. Besides..... You're mine now"He said his eyes digging deep into mine,so cold..... devoid of any emotion.

"You think I don't know you've been drooling over me??"He said and I gasped loudly immediately.

“I…I…I don’t know what you’re talking about, Master,” I stammered, attempting to project confidence. However, my trepidation seeped through, and he let out a hearty laugh that echoed in the cold air.

"You don't?....You know how much I hate lies doll"He said and chuckled loudly.

“It seems you’ve forgotten, sweetheart, that I can quite literally hear your thoughts,” he continued, and I instinctively bit my lip,avoidind his eyes....... He hates it when I look at him directly in the eyes.

"I can hear your heartbeat too Doll..... So loud and clear and guess what...... It's beating like a party drum."He said and pushed some strands of hair from my face.

“I... I’m truly sorry,” I managed to whisper, my voice trembling slightly. Lowering my head almost instinctively, I averted my eyes from his piercing stare, knowing that it was the safest course of action in this fraught moment.

"I hate that word 'sorry' and you know it"He said and I bit my lip immediately shivering.

"I crave you and I want you now"He said and smashed his lips on mine leaving me helpless.

In "Powerless Hearts: A Tale of Survival and Love," the world as we know it changed drastically on April 1, 2023, when a global blackout plunged civilization into chaos.
With power outages worldwide and communication systems failing, society began to collapse. Amidst the turmoil, Gabriella, a college student trapped in her dorm, faces immediate danger and desperation. She is saved from a threatening situation by Andrew, a compassionate rescuer with a solar-powered home.

As the world outside grows increasingly chaotic, Gabriella and Andrew form a deep connection, evolving from a bond of survival into a passionate romance. They find solace and strength in each other amidst the crumbling remnants of their former lives. Their love becomes a source of hope as they navigate the challenges of their new reality, including the constant threat of violence from desperate outsiders.

Their relationship flourishes in the face of adversity, marked by tender moments and intense intimacy. Yet, despite their personal happiness, the community they inhabit faces growing external pressures. The struggle for resources and the mounting anger from those outside their safe haven create an ever-present tension.

As the story progresses, Gabriella and Andrew confront not only the external threats but also the internal fears and desires that come with living in such a fractured world. Their journey is a powerful exploration of love and resilience, proving that even in the darkest times, the human spirit can find light and connection.

In this gripping tale of dystopian romance and survival, "Powerless Hearts" highlights the strength of love and the enduring hope that drives people to fight for their future.

"In our six years of marriage, you never named me Luna. You gave me nothing other than the position I maintained from when we built this company."
"My affair is my business. Your job is to shut up and obey your husband," Rune spat with a nonchalant look.
"No, I'm not built like that," I replied softly. "I can't be your slave, Rune. My love for you made me a fool once but no more."
"Where do you think you are going? It's one thing to build but it's another to have your people by your side. You are an Omega! A rat!"
"The document on your table is our divorce papers. Sign it and have it sent to the Salvatore's mansion in Echo City."


She was the humble wife of the Alpha, and also the mysterious rival who bankrupted him; when the scumbag took her job with his mistress, she threw out a divorce agreement: Sorry, this company is mine, and my father is the richest man in the world.
After divorcing her unfaithful husband, billionaire Silver seeks solace by returning to her home pack, hoping to start fresh and reconnect with her roots but home is not what it used to be.
Her father's legacy has left behind a tangled mess of debts, secrets, and enemies lurking in the shadows.
Caught in the storm, Silver is drawn to the pack's new young Alpha, a man wrapped in mystery, danger, and an intensity that unsettles her heart.
Their paths collide in ways neither of them expected, forcing Silver to face not only the darkness in her family's past, but also the forbidden spark threatening to shape her future.
Now, she must decide: will she fight the chaos consuming her world, or surrender to a desire that could destroy everything?

Eva Fransis had everything—until the people she loved most took it all away.

Drugged and betrayed on her 18th birthday by her best friend, Eva's perfect life crumbled in a single night. A desperate escape led her into the arms of a stranger, and one forbidden night left her pregnant and alone.

Forced into a marriage she never wanted, Eva endured years of abuse, humiliation, and heartbreak—all while her husband lived off her family's wealth. The final blow? Catching him in bed with the very woman who destroyed her life.

Now, Eva is done being a victim.

She wants a divorce. She wants her freedom. She wants to give her children the life they deserve.

But her husband refuses to let her go—not out of love, but greed.

And just when she thinks things can't get more complicated, a powerful stranger appears, claiming to be the real father of her children.

He wants them back.

He wants her back.

She spent years protecting her heart. Now she must protect her children—even if it means facing the man from that unforgettable night.

Can she break free from her past? Or will she be stolen by the man who already owns a piece of her?

Aaron Buckley the city's first trillionaire is met with the biggest devastation of his life losing the love of his life to mysterious death, and suffers years of loneliness, and the trauma of her death. He is compelled to hire a mother for his twin daughters Paige, and Piper. A contract bride, and a contract mother for his daughters.
No intimacy. No shared feelings. No sleeping in his bedroom. They are to act as the perfect couple in public and avoid each other in private and her job was to cater to the kids until the time elapses and she quietly leaves with the money never to be seen or heard from again.
What becomes of this strange situationship, and what happens when old debts emerge?

A collection of passionate and provocative short stories where desire, temptation, and attraction collide.
Wet Hot Desire brings together intense encounters filled with chemistry, emotional tension, and unforgettable moments. From unexpected connections between strangers to rekindled sparks between former lovers, each story explores the powerful pull between people who struggle to resist what they truly want.
With captivating characters, irresistible attraction, and passionate encounters, this collection delivers steamy romances where every choice has consequences and every desire reveals something deeper.

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)ONCE LURED is book #4 in the bestselling Riley Paige mystery series, which begins with the #1 bestseller ONCE GONE (Book #1)—a free download, with over 500 five star reviews!Women are turning up dead on a lone stretch of highway in Delaware. Some go missing for an inexplicable length of time, while others are turning up dead, their bodies left out for display in bizarre and mysterious ways. When a pattern is discovered, it becomes clear to the FBI that a twisted serial killer is on the hunt—luring girls in devious schemes—and that he won’t stop killing, ever.The FBI, desperate to crack the case, urges Special Agent Riley Paige to take it on. But the brilliant Riley, still reeling from past cases, has finally found peace in her home life, and is determined to help her daughter April get back on her feet. Yet when the murders become too disturbing, too urgent—and when her former partner Bill implores her—Riley finally realizes she can’t say no.Riley’s hunt leads her deep into the unsettling world of hitchhikers, of drifters, of women that no one else cares for. When she discovers that several women are being kept alive and that there is still time to save them, she realizes she will stop at nothing, obsessing over the case and driving herself to the brink. Yet Riley realizes her own life is falling apart, and her own fragile psyche can barely handle the strain. In a frantic race against time, she will have to plunge deep into the killer’s mind to save these women—and to save herself—from collapse.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE LURED is book #4 in a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.Book #5 in the Riley Paige series will be available soon.

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)Women are turning up dead in the rural outskirts of Virginia, killed in grotesque ways, and when the FBI is called in, they are stumped. A serial killer is out there, his frequency increasing, and they know there is only one agent good enough to crack this case: Special Agent Riley Paige.Riley is on paid leave herself, recovering from her encounter with her last serial killer, and, fragile as she is, the FBI is reluctant to tap her brilliant mind. Yet Riley, needing to battle her own demons, comes on board, and her hunt leads her through the disturbing subculture of doll collectors, into the homes of broken families, and into the darkest canals of the killer’s mind. As Riley peels back the layers, she realizes she is up against a killer more twisted than she could have imagined. In a frantic race against time, she finds herself pushed to her limit, her job on the line, her own family in danger, and her fragile psyche collapsing.Yet once Riley Paige takes on a case, she will not quit. It obsesses her, leading her to the darkest corners of her own mind, blurring the lines between hunter and hunted. After a series of unexpected twists, her instincts lead her to a shocking climax that even Riley could not have imagined.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE GONE marks the debut of a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.Book #2 in the Riley Paige series is now available!

For three years, Christina hid her identity as a billionaire heiress, believing she had found true love. Instead, she discovered she was nothing but a cheap stand-in for her scumbag boyfriend's first love. Faced with his arrogance and cruel humiliation, she dumped him without a second thought. The time for playing poor was over!

Returning to elite high society, she reclaims her mega-fortune and accepts a marriage alliance with Gabriel—the most powerful, ruthless billionaire CEO in Aurora City. Known to the world as a cold-blooded tyrant, this untouchable man has only one exception: her. He spoils her beyond measure.

When Christina’s true identity is finally exposed, her pathetic ex is paralyzed with regret, dropping to his knees to beg for a second chance.

Nestled safely in her powerful fiancé’s embrace, Christina looks down at her ex with a cold smirk. "Sorry, but trash like you isn't even qualified to step foot through my family's gates!"

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone) ONCE PINED is book #6 in the bestselling Riley Paige mystery series, which begins with the #1 bestseller ONCE GONE (Book #1)—a free download with over 700 five star reviews! Men and women are turning up dead in the outskirts of Seattle, poisoned by a mysterious chemical. When a pattern is discovered and it becomes clear that a twisted serial killer is on the hunt, the FBI calls in their best asset: Special Agent Riley Paige. Riley is urged to return to the line of duty—but Riley, still reeling from the attacks on her family, is loath to return. Yet as bodies mount, and the murders become more inexplicable, Riley knows she has no choice.The case takes Riley deep into the unsettling world of nursing homes, of hospitals, of drifting caretakers and psychotic patients. As Riley delves deeper into the mind of the murderer, she realizes she is hunting the most terrifying killer of all: one whose madness knows no depths—and yet who may just appear shockingly ordinary.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE PINED is book #6 in a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #7 in the Riley Paige series will be available soon.

Erica accidentally witnesses Max making love to Kora, her enemy. At the same time, while hiding under the bed, Erica heard the whole plan of the couple's destruction. For a minute out of control, Erica scuffled with the couple. To stop Erica's madness, Max hit Erica so hard that she lost consciousness. After seeing Erica lying motionless. The frightened couple carried Erica outside the emergency exit of the apartment building, to create a fake scene where Erica fell down the stairs.

Erica, after waking up, finds her way home. Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered the house, she was arrested by the police for assaulting and assaulting Kora. To avoid jail time, Kora and her mother forced Erica to sign a deed of ownership of the property, which Erica was allowed to inherit when her parents died.

When Erica discovered the whole plot of Kora and her mother, it was too late. Erica had to accept the request of Kora and her mother, to avoid being wrongfully imprisoned.

Losing everything, even being kicked out of the house. Erica resolves to take back what belongs to her and makes Kora and her mother pay the price.

Erica begins a new life, accidentally meeting and saving Ansel, the heir to a large corporation.

How will Erica's life change, when she becomes Ansel's benefactor?

Fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum and Jana DeLeon's Miss Fortune will find a new character to love in Holly Hands!Holly Hands. 29. Single mom. Disgraced, former boxing pro. Repo woman.Repossessing Lamborghinis and other exotic toys from criminals is second-hat for Holly.But finding a dead body—and solving a murder—is not.Luckily, Holly has Lucky by her side—a neglected pit bull she found on the wrong side of a job, who refuses to leave her side—and who, like her, has nowhere to go but up. Together, maybe they can crawl their way out of the urban hell of their bad slice of Baltimore, where coming home at night is even more dangerous than going to work. Maybe Holly can manage to get her young daughter the medical treatment she desperately needs, and manage to get her out of her dangerous public school and into the private school of her dreams. Just maybe, she can fall in love with that private school Dad from the other side of town and start a whole new life.Or maybe not.Life has never been easy for Holly. And if the past few days—and the dead body in her trunk—are any indication—it’s about to get a whole lot worse.KNOCKOUT (A HOLLY HANDS COZY MYSTERY) is book #1 in a riveting new cozy mystery series, a page-turning thriller that grabs you from page one and does not let go. Get ready to find yourself reading all night, bleary-eyed, and falling madly in love with a new character who will fight her way into your heart.Book #2 (SUCKER PUNCH) and Book #3 (BELOW THE BELT) in the series are also available.

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone) ONCE FORSAKEN is book #7 in the bestselling Riley Paige mystery series, which begins with the #1 bestseller ONCE GONE (Book #1)—a free download with over 700 five star reviews! When Special Agent Riley Paige finally decides to take a well-needed rest from the FBI, a request for help comes from the most unlikely source: her own daughter. April’s best friend is devastated by the death of her sister, a freshman at Georgetown. Worse, she is convinced that the suicide was staged, and that her sister was murdered at the hands of a serial killer.Riley reluctantly looks into the case, only to discover that two other freshman girls at Georgetown recently killed themselves in the same grotesque way—by hanging. As she realizes foul play may be afoot, she brings in the FBI. The case takes Riley deep into the privileged campus of one of the world’s most esteemed universities, into the unsettling world of the wealthy and driven families that pushed their children to succeed. In time she discovers that this case is far more twisted than it seems—and that she just may be up against the most psychotic killer of her career. A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE FORSAKEN is book #7 in a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #8 in the Riley Paige series will be available soon.

Kieran Silvermane was never supposed to be mine.I was the girl he paid to finish his assignments, fill his attendance, and disappear when his real life walked in.So when the Moon Goddess bound us together—choosing me as the Alpha heir’s mate—I believed, for one foolish moment, that I was finally someone’s first choice.I was wrong.He rejected me under a full moon. In front of his pack. In front of everyone who already thought I wasn’t enough.Shattered and unable to even shift, I was ready to leave Northcrest and never look back.Until his father made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.Now I live under the same roof as the man who destroyed me—the man who swears he rejected me to save me.Because Kieran Silvermane is cursed.And loving me might be the one thing that kills us both.

Betrayed and creatively blocked, erotic artist Lucia Lane has sworn off love until her infuriatingly gorgeous new neighbor crashes into her life. NHL bad boy Noah Lawson is loud, arrogant, and impossible to ignore… especially after he saves her from a violent attack and the world mistakes them for lovers.

A fake relationship should be simple. No feelings. No rules broken.

But Noah isn’t just hockey’s golden god he’s a cursed Alpha werewolf hunting a killer and fighting a destiny written by the Moon Goddess. From the moment he catches Lucia’s scent, his wolf knows the truth: she’s his fated mate.

As hate turns to scorching desire and secrets about Lucia’s bloodline surface, their pretend romance becomes dangerously real. Under the full moon, one bond could break his curse… or destroy them both.

“Hide! Hide!” I yelled, striking Greg violently in the butt. I sensed his astonishment but I didn’t give a damn. If he loved me, he'd understand I was in a precarious situation. “What the hell's happening?!” Greg screamed but I still pushed him into my wardrobe anyway as Fred's voice echoed through the house. I can't imagine the torment I'd face if I was caught in a relationship with a man. 7 years ago, I worked for the Richardson family with my mother and when I lost her to cancer, I decided to drop out of school. However, luck was on my side or so I thought. The Richardson adopted me as their own but when I thought my life was starting to get better, Fred the true son of the family came into my life. It went downhill from there. I became a sex toy for him and it even got worse when my adoptive father joined his son to make my life a misery. I became traumatic. Not even the sweetest prince charming could woo me into liking him. To hell with every man! I hated them all until Greg came along. He loved me more than I loved myself but what could I do? Both father and son of the Richardson family had issued me a stern warning to shut every man out – I was an exclusive property. Would I ever get a shot at true love when my life’s a living hell?

I came across a viral local post while scrolling through my phone.

LIVE: My fiancée is cheating on me. I’m in her house right now. Should I end her for good?

When I tapped into the post, what I read made the blood in my veins turn to ice in an instant.

I put a monitoring app on her phone. I’ve been listening for almost two weeks, and every single day she’s on the line with some random guy, flirting and talking dirty. She says yes to marrying me to my face, but she’s been cuckolding me behind my back. Tell me, bros—does this bitch deserve to die?

The comment section below had completely spiraled out of control. Hundreds of replies were all outright egging him on, not a single person telling him to stop. Every line oozed with the vicious glee of people who lived for drama and cared nothing for the consequences.

Hell yeah she does. You got cucked this hard, why keep her around?
Bro, stop all talk and no action. Go live, we’ll send you gifts. Rape her first, then kill her if you’ve got the balls.
You in Haicheng? Drop the address. Me and the boys will come over and help you out. My fists are itching for a fight anyway.
Pfft, and I thought you were tough. You’re already in her house and still dragging your feet? I bet you don’t even have the guts to kill a dog.

My fingers were shaking violently. Driven by a sick, twisting dread, I tapped into the poster’s profile—and with just one glance, every hair on my body stood on end.

This account belonged to Xiao Ming, the blind date my relatives had forced on me when I went home for the Lunar New Year.

His entire profile was filled with posts about me, spanning a full two weeks, starting the very day we’d met for that blind date.

He’d taken secret photos of me, paired with captions full of disgusting, delusional ramblings:

My fiancée went on a date with me today. She wore a white blouse with the neckline open so low, it’s obvious she was trying to seduce me.
She told me she works the front desk at a hotel. That’s her way of hinting I should take her to a room for the night. All women say one thing and mean another.
She says she has a boyfriend, but it’s just playing hard to get. She’s been dying to marry me this whole time.

But I’d said it loud and clear, right in front of the matchmaker, on the very day of that blind date: I’d been in a committed relationship with my boyfriend for three years.

That blind date was nothing more than a way to appease my family. I’d been polite but distant the entire time, and I hadn’t even accepted a single glass of water from him.

As for that nonsense about a hotel room? It was complete and utter garbage. I’d only casually mentioned that my job was working the front desk at a hotel, nothing more.

Just as a bone-deep chill washed over me, the post refreshed. A new line had been added to the main post, timestamped just three seconds earlier:

Truth is, I’m hiding in her house right now. She’s lying in bed scrolling through her phone, and she has no idea she’s already dead meat.

The very second that line finished loading, a clear, soft rustle of fabric came from the wardrobe right behind me.

Three years ago, I saved the life of Alessandro Gambino, New York's most powerful mafia boss.

He fell in love with me, a bartender.

His family was dead set against us, but his love won out. We got married.

After we married, he disappeared every month for "punishment day," claiming his family beat him with sixty-six lashes for breaking their rules by staying with me. Watching him suffer tore me apart.

Actully, I'm Sloane Lucchese, sole heir to the largest arms empire on the East Coast, hiding from a family war. I decided to reclaim my family name as soon as possible, so his family would finally accept me.

Finally, on our fifth wedding anniversary, I found out I was pregnant, and my father called to say they'd announce my return in two weeks.

I was going to tell Alessandro everything that night, both pieces of good news.

But that same day, I stumbled onto a secret—one that would destroy me completely.

After three years of agonizing IVF, I was forced into three abortions. The reason? My mafia in-laws’ pet bird stared at my belly and shrieked, "End it."
Even when I was carrying healthy twins, my own parents held me down and forced abortion pills down my throat. My husband—the man I once took a bullet for—watched coldly. "Listen to the bird. Abort."
Lying in a pool of blood, I finally discovered the horrific truth. There was no "sacred bird." My marriage, my ruined womb, and all the IVF tortures were actually part of a terrifying conspiracy.
On my fourth pregnancy, the bird finally decreed, "Keep it!"
As the whole family treated me like a queen and rejoiced to welcome their precious heir, I quietly walked into the operating room.
Armed with lethal evidence, I crashed their grand succession ceremony.
You want an heir? I’ll send you all to hell instead.

My parents raised me for twenty-four years. Then they found out I wasn't their biological daughter.

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.

My world began to crumble the day my adopted sister, Opal, forced her way back into my life with a fatherless daughter in her arms.
My eldest son, Finn, was strapped to an operating table and used for live experiments until he was tortured to death. His remains were tossed into Death Valley.
For her, my husband struck me, costing me my second unborn child.
For her, my own brother locked me in a freezing dungeon. And my late father? He had been a slave to her charms long before he died.
While they threw a lavish birthday party for Opal’s daughter in the brightly lit banquet hall, I was pinned down by dungeon guards, my clothes being ripped off, inch by inch...

"Forty dollars. That's all the inhaler I needed to breathe cost. But in our house, nothing comes easy. 'Fairness first. Roll the dice — highest number wins.' I've rolled my whole life. I've never won. Not once. Tonight, lungs burning, vision blurring, I rolled for my medicine money against my sister. She got a six. I got a two. 'You lost, Hazel. Now go to the attic and think about your selfishness.' The door locked behind me. My chest is closing up. And no one is coming to check."

"You're quivering for me," he growled against my ear, his hand already slipping beneath my waistband, teasingly slow. His fingers traced through my hidden depths, unraveling the secrets I kept buried—body and soul.


Dean was in the next room—my Alpha, my mate, the father of the child I’d concealed for seven years. But I didn’t care.
Not with Luca. Not when every inch of me already surrendered to his touch, claimed by the heat of his desire.

I grew up believing I was wolfless—just a girl with no future in a pack that worshipped power. Until one reckless night with Alpha Dean changed everything.
He left me with a memory…And a child. I ran because I knew what happened to illegitimate Royal blood. They’re ridiculed. Rejected. Labeled Bastards before they can even walk.
Now, seven years later, fate dragged me back. Dean is searching for his Luna, and I’ve been chosen as a candidate. He looked me in the eye… and rejected me in front of the entire pack.I thought it was over.

But then Luca—Dean’s hybrid brother stepped forward. He shouldn’t want me.
I’m off-limits, broken, a mother. But the way he touches me says I’m already his. And I know what happens when an alpha claims something: He never lets go.

Can I survive being the prize between two Alphas? And when the truth about my child finally comes out…
Will either of them still choose me?

I got pregnant with our second child when my husband's ex-love returned.
I didn't take it as a threat until Christian took our firstborn Zeon to enjoy the romantic candlelight dinner with Celine. They were more like a happy family together while I was the third wheel in their lives.
This made me fear for the baby in my womb. I don't want to lose her either. So, I asked for a divorce and Christian didn't hold me back.
I thought, now all will be right, until, three years later, one stormy night, my ex-husband appeared at my door.


"Veronica, don't ever try to leave me again. You're MINE!"

Three months before I marry billionaire Adrian Vale, I receive a text from an unknown number.

DON’T MARRY MY HUSBAND.

The sender claims to be Celeste Vale—Adrian’s first wife.

There’s only one problem.

Celeste has been dead for four years.

I assume someone is playing a sick joke until the messages reveal secrets no stranger should know. Details about Adrian’s body. His first marriage. The night Celeste died.

Then one message warns me not to eat a box of chocolates arriving at my office.

The chocolates are poisoned.

Suddenly, Adrian’s protection becomes suffocating. Security follows me everywhere. I’m moved into the sprawling estate where Celeste once lived. Doors are locked. Cameras fail. Someone enters my bedroom while I sleep.

And the dead woman keeps texting me.

But the most terrifying discovery isn’t that someone wants me dead.

It’s an old photograph hidden among Celeste’s belongings.

A photograph of me taken eight years before I ever met Adrian.

Adrian recognizes it.

Because our first meeting wasn’t an accident.

Now I don’t know who to trust—the dead woman warning me away from my fiancé, or the dangerously powerful man who admits he searched for me long before I knew his name.

Adrian swears he didn’t kill Celeste.

I want to believe him.

But the deeper I dig into his family’s past, the more women I find who vanished, died, or were silenced after learning secrets they were never meant to know.

And Celeste may have died trying to make sure I wasn’t next.

Ten years ago, my mate faked his death in the war and ran off with his childhood sweetheart.
No goodbye. No contact since.
All he left me were two things — a debt of six hundred and eighty thousand, and a notice declaring him lost, stamped four years later by people who'd never met him.
The bank took our den. I moved into a shared burrow-flat at the edge of the settlement.
Three jobs after hours. Sold blood. Scrubbed latrines. Tested tonics for the healers until my nose stopped working right.
Ten years to pay off the debt. A desk at the Missing and Fallen Registry Office, once the ceasefire finally came.
My first case file was a man the law had already declared dead.
He said he'd been young and reckless. Walked out. Never looked back.
Now his family's land was due a war reparations payout, and he needed his name restored to collect it.
I stared at the name on the form. Recognized it instantly.
Smiled.
"Insufficient documentation. Application denied."

“When you think that life cannot get better, Blake Pierce comes up with another masterpiece of thriller and mystery! This book is full of twists and the end brings a surprising revelation. I strongly recommend this book to the permanent library of any reader that enjoys a very well written thriller.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Almost Gone) ALMOST DEAD is book #3 in a new psychological thriller series by USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose #1 bestseller Once Gone (Book #1) (a free download) has received over 1,000 five star reviews. After the disastrous fallout from her last placement in England, all 23-year-old Cassandra Vale wants is a chance to pick up the pieces. A high-society, divorced mother in sunny Italy seems to be the answer. But is she? With a new family come new children, new rules, and new expectations. Cassandra’s determined to make this one last - until a horrifying discovery pushes her to a breaking point. And when the unimaginable occurs, will it be too late to pull herself back from the brink? Who, she wonders, is she becoming?A riveting mystery replete with complex characters, layers of secrets, dramatic twists and turns and heart-pounding suspense, ALMOST DEAD is book #3 in a psychological suspense series that will have you turning pages late into the night. Book #4 in the series will be available soon.

Elara Hale has always been the weak twin…the forgotten sister born sick and frail while Lora lived the life meant for both of them. But on their eighteenth birthday, Elara dies…and fate rewrites itself.

Brought back from death by Alpha Lucien Veynar’s mark, the rival her brothers despise. Elara awakens as something more than human. The White Wolf. A creature of prophecy.

Now hunted by witches, torn between loyalty to her brothers and the bond that ties her to Lucien, Elara must learn to wield the power that once cursed her.

Because when the moon rises again, only the White Wolf can save them all.

Rosemary Decker, a 27-year-old marketing executive fleeing corporate burnout in Seattle, inherits her great-aunt's mysterious bookshop in Thornwick Hollow just as her life crumbles. But the inheritance comes with a chilling countdown—twenty-eight days until a crimson eclipse that occurs once per generation. Holden Ashworth, a devastatingly compelling stranger with secrets older than the mountain town itself, seems to know intimate details about her family history that she's never heard before. As Rosemary discovers the horrifying truth about an ancient covenant that has claimed six generations of women from her bloodline, she realizes Holden isn't courting her—he's preparing her for a ritual that will grant him immortality while consuming her life essence. But some family legacies are worth fighting for, and in Thornwick Hollow, the hunted might just become the hunter when the crimson eclipse rises and old debts written in blood come due.

Holly Leefe has seen it all. Being a medium keeps life interesting. Not that it needed any help. She already had a psychic for a husband and a clairsentient teenage daughter. Data analyst by day, ghost hunter by night. Unless it was football season. She did live in Texas after all.
This fall Holly and her husband Jesse are trying to help a widower and his fiancé discover why suddenly stilettos are being thrown through their TV. Plus a few other nuisance cases. As if helping the dead and raising a teenager wasn’t enough, the ghost of her grandmother won’t rest until the family home is returned to its 1980’s glory.

I’ve seen the living; I’ve seen the dead. I’ve seen angels and I’ve seen demons. No matter how many malevolent or benevolent beings I interacted with, none could terrify me as much as the spirit that walked through the door into the kitchen where I was cooking dinner. Mentally bracing myself, I stirred in chili powder to the ground beef on the stove before I acknowledged the woman that was now looking over my shoulder.
“That’s too much seasoning. It’s going to be too spicy.” I turned to face the food police. “You need to call your mother.” It was an order, not a request. I raised an eyebrow, inviting her to explain. “She won’t listen to reason.”
“Are you two still feuding?” She had been fighting with my mother for the last two and a half years. I’d inherited the “gift” from my mother who had gotten it from my grandmother and so on and so forth. They didn’t need me to pass messages back and forth. She seemed to have forgotten that I had refused to get involved.

Every night, dragging noises come from the floor above.
The neighbor claims he just can’t sleep, yet he stares at my window and grins in the dead of night.
Later, he dies.
But at two in the morning, I still get a text message from him.
Someone else warns me: Don’t go to the sixth floor.
The police say this building doesn’t even have a sixth floor.
Yet I’ve seen people go up there with my own eyes.
Where exactly does this so-called sixth floor lead?
Who really died?
And who on earth is the one texting me?

The mafia boss chose me as his decoy—a body double for the woman he loves.

Eight years. Three bullets, one car crash, one explosion. The doctor said ten more minutes and I would've died on that operating table when they took my kidney. I gave him a son. He let me play "the boss's wife" in public.

Until he cleared every obstacle for her and decided to marry her.

Her wedding photos replaced mine in the master bedroom. He has her initials tattooed on his arm. When I questioned him, he had his men slap me at a charity gala, forced me to admit "I'm just a stand-in." When I touched her, he took away my custody, declared she was "the true lady of this house."

The punishments got worse. When he threatened to cancel my mother's insurance, I finally learned to shut up.

He pulls me close, whispers in my ear: "She gave up everything for me. Not like you—you were born to take bullets for me."

"Deal with it. She's not replacing you. This is her house now."

Even my son took her side.

"Stop being dramatic! Natalie actually loves us! You're nothing!"

But their pure, innocent Natalie? She unplugged my mother's ventilator while I was locked in the basement. Let his enemies slip poison into my drink during the last job.

When Grayson found me, all he said was: "She's pregnant and emotional. Go rearrange the flowers at the wedding venue."

I wipe the black blood from my lips. Look at him quietly.

"I'm dying."

Due to an arranged marriage between our families, I married Damien Blackwood, heir to a business empire.

During five years of marriage, I tried hard to play the perfect wife, bore him a daughter Lily, thinking I had finally won his love.

Until his first love Serena returned from abroad, I watched him rekindle his passion for another woman, watched them rekindle their old flame.

A car accident changed everything.

I was taken to court, sentenced to three years in prison, becoming a "murderer" despised by everyone.

And he personally sent me to prison.

My stepsister and I tumbled down the stairs together. As someone with a blood clotting disorder, my spleen ruptured—I was bleeding internally, desperate for surgery to stop it.
But my mother—the renowned chief of surgery—pulled every specialist from the ER. To consult on my stepsister's condition.
All she had was a sprained ankle. Not even a scratch. Yet mom insisted on running every test in the book. And me? Left alone on that cold floor, bleeding out, half my body already soaked in blood.
I clutched at her pants, begging her to save me. But she kicked my hand away and looked at me with pure disgust.
"Lily, are you really so desperate for a man's attention that you'd pull a cheap stunt like this? Your sister's foot is swollen—and you have the nerve to fake your death here?"
In the end, I died alone in a corner of that ignored ER.
But when they wheeled my cold body out of the morgue—and they finally learned about my clotting disorder—
That mother who claimed to hate me completely lost her mind.

The stepbrother I grew up with was a golden boy, a star varsity quarterback everyone had high hopes for.
But for a street-level delinquent, he abandoned his Ivy League future.
Desperate to pull his life back on track, I tried to expose his toxic girlfriend.
Yet, he hated me to the bone for it.
For her, he ruthlessly dragged our family into the crossfire of a deadly gang dispute, causing us all to meet a violent, tragic end.
I never expected fate to rewind the clock.
To give me a second chance.

I was just on the phone with my husband. He was stuck in traffic, apologizing for being late to our anniversary dinner. Forty minutes later, detectives are at my door, claiming he died in a crash three days ago. If Silas is dead, who just sent me a text?

My husband’s long-lost true love returns to our pack celebration—and she’s my twin sister.
For three years, I’ve been the unwanted replacement Luna, married to Alpha Brad after his mate Ariana supposedly died. I endured his coldness and the pack’s contempt in silence.
Then Ariana suddenly came back.
Brad abandoned me at once, doting on her and giving her my place as Luna.
My sister acts weak and hurt in public, but mocks me in private. I found another wolf’s fresh mate mark on her neck—she’s hiding a secret.
When I tried to tell the truth, she faked a fall and framed me.
Brad believed her over me. He forced me to kneel and apologize, threatening me with cruel punishment.
I realize he will never choose me. Now I’m pregnant with his child, and I’ve made up my mind. Tomorrow, I will leave them all behind.

On the night of the charity gallery opening, I caught Lucas and Lila tangled together in the storage closet.
He pulled the girl tight against his chest and sneered, “Stella, you’re eight whole years older than me. You’ve controlled my life for five years—when are you gonna realize you can never hold onto me?”
Lila giggled, snuggling deeper into his arms. “You’re past your prime, ma’am. Why cling to someone who was never yours to begin with?”
Snickers and mocking laughter rippled through the onlookers.
I gave a slow, hollow smile.
For five years, I single-handedly kept Scott Enterprises afloat, mopped up every mess he made, and buried every scandal spawned by his endless string of flings.
Still, he hopped from one girl to the next, weaponizing our age gap to mock and hurt me, over and over again.
Then he shoved me hard. I crumpled to the floor in a pool of my own blood, watching him bolt out with another woman in his arms, not a single glance thrown back my way.
I knew right then the baby was gone.
Everyone whispered how pathetically I’d bent over backward for love.
No one ever learned the truth: I endured everything only because his face mirrored my late fiancé, Elias.

All nobles mocked me for rejecting the talented common mage and picking a brutal gladiator with no magic as my escort. They called him a filthy hound unworthy of serving an Oberlin lady. But only I remember—this scarred man died twice for me in my past life. Reborn before my family’s ruin, I swear bloody vengeance on Cedric and Liliana, who poisoned my father and stripped my skin. I endure searing magic backlash, fight bloody death matches, and burn all traitors alive. The shadow they sneer at will become the indestructible shield of my reign.

I'm a figure skating prodigy from one of the wealthiest families in the country. I'm also an idiot.

I believed that if I was kind enough, people would be kind in return. So I sponsored Haley Dunning, a scholarship skater on our team, and treated her like my own little sister.

The day before the NCAA qualifier, she came up to me with a sports drink, said she wanted to help keep my energy up.

I drank it. Went down on the ice with a broken leg. Drug test came back positive for banned stimulants.

Overnight, I went from the queen of the rink to the face of a scandal no one could stop talking about.

Expelled from school. Torn apart on social media. Calloway Corporation's stock in freefall.

Haley stood in front of the cameras, tears in her eyes: "Piper just wanted to win so badly. I never thought she'd go this far..."

I fell into a depression. Couldn't sleep without medication.

Then one day, she showed up at my hospital room with my boyfriend, bearing "comfort": a cup of water and a few pills: "Piper, take your meds, okay? This is all my fault for being so stupid..."

Three minutes later, I'm coughing up blood, convulsing on the floor.

Right before I died, I caught the look on her face. That sweet, innocent face. A slow, vicious smile spreading across it.

She knocked over the pill bottle and started screaming: "I grabbed the wrong ones! I mixed up her antidepressants with some old person's heart meds! I'm so stupid!"

My boyfriend pulled her into his arms. Didn't even glance at me dying on the floor: "She meant well. Piper just had bad luck."

I was poisoned to death in that hospital room.

Then I opened my eyes, and it was the day before the qualifier.

At the Morello family’s Christmas dinner, I stood beside Vincent, waiting for him to announce our engagement.
Instead, in the very next second, he walked in holding a little boy and claimed him as his son.
And the woman he said he was going to marry? Scarlett Morello. The one he had always introduced as his “sister.”
The whole room erupted in applause. I stood there frozen, like a nail hammered into the floor.
Later, in his study, he took my hand and said, “Scarlett is dying. Late-stage breast cancer. She only has six months left. After she’s gone, I’ll marry you.”
But there was no guilt in his eyes. No love, either.
Then he told me to go to his villa that afternoon, to take care of the woman who was supposedly “dying.”
I opened the photo he sent me. Scarlett was lying in a hospital bed, pale-faced, an IV in the back of her hand.
A professional tennis player who had been playing in an exhibition match three weeks ago, and who had dropped three grand at Louis Vuitton on Fifth Avenue just five days ago.
But sure. She was “dying.”
At three in the morning, I was curled up by the front door of my apartment, crying so long I lost track of time.
Then my phone lit up. A text from an unknown number:
[Elena, I’m downstairs. When we were kids, you told me that once I controlled the docks on the East Coast, you’d marry me. The docks are mine now. Does that promise still stand?]
I pulled back the curtain and there he was. Ethan Vitale, my first love, leaning against the door of a black Cadillac, lifting a hand in a lazy wave.
Three years ago, when he left New York, he was only a Capo.
Now, he was the Don of the Vitale family.
He didn’t rush me. Didn’t pressure me to come downstairs.
He came for one reason only, to let me know he was back.
I wiped away my tears and texted back:
[It still stands.]
Because I wanted to see for myself just how long that woman could keep up her act.

She never wanted to be a Breeder--but her parents sold her anyway.

The Alpha King is looking for an heir in the most unorthodox way. Whoever can impregnate the Breeder first will get to be king, which means Rose finds herself in a castle where she must submit to four men or disappoint her entire pack. Though she's nervous at first, it's easier than she would've thought once she meets the four Alphas.
Mark is intelligent.
Eli is sweet.
Reece is debonair.
And Tristan is a horny goofball.
Rose wants to stay with all four Alphas forever, and they seem to love her, too. But things aren't always what they seem, especially when the king's cousin, Emily, announces she will be the next Luna.
Will Rose and her men have a chance at true love?