Hugo Raphael

Elena Romano has spent years trapped in a loveless, arranged marriage to Luca DeLuca, the ruthless heir of the DeLuca crime family. Her life is one of duty, deception, and silent suffering-until she finds herself drawn to the one man she can never have: Dante Moretti, Luca's best friend and right-hand man. Dante has always loved Elena from the shadows, but his loyalty to Luca has kept him from ever acting on his feelings. However, as Luca's paranoia spirals out of control, he assigns Dante as Elena's personal protector, forcing them into dangerously close quarters. With every stolen glance and whispered confession, their forbidden love becomes harder to deny. But Luca isn't blind. When an assassination attempt against him fails, he sets a deadly trap, suspecting not only a traitor in his ranks but an affair between his wife and his best friend. Just as Elena and Dante plan to escape, Luca unveils his final betrayal-he knew all along, and he forces Elena to choose: kill Dante, or watch him suffer. In a shocking climax, Elena turns the gun on Luca instead, ending his reign of terror. But instead of running, she makes a fateful decision-she will take Luca's throne and become the new queen of the DeLuca empire. As Dante watches the woman he loves embrace the power she once feared, he realizes their battle is far from over. With passion, betrayal, and a ruthless rise to power, this book sets the stage for an explosive sequel where love and loyalty will be tested beyond their limits.

Shadows of the Night She was never meant to be his wife. Now, she's the only thing standing between him and destruction. On the night of her arranged wedding, Seraphina Moretti vanishes, leaving behind a blood-soaked dress and a shattered empire. But escape is an illusion in the underworld-especially when the man hunting her is Enzo DeLuca, the ruthless mafia heir she was promised to. Forced back into a world she swore to leave behind, Seraphina learns that her disappearance ignited a war, her family is in ruins, and her father's enemies are closing in. To protect what's left, she must do the unthinkable-marry the man she betrayed. But nothing in the mafia is ever what it seems. Enemies lurk within, secrets unravel with every whispered vow, and love is the most dangerous game of all. In a world where loyalty is a weapon and betrayal is inevitable, Seraphina must decide: surrender to a man who could destroy her... or fight for a throne that was never meant to be hers. One choice will seal her fate. One lie could burn them all. And in the end, only one of them can rule.

The Price of Innocence Damian Cole has everything-wealth, power, and success-but in the ruthless city of deception, he's lost something far more valuable: trust. Betrayed time and again by the women in his life, he abandons the hollow glitz of the metropolis in search of something real, something untainted. His journey leads him back to his childhood village, where he meets Elsie, a woman untouched by the greed and ambition of the city-or so he believes. What begins as a love story quickly spirals into a treacherous game of manipulation, greed, and betrayal. As Elsie is drawn into the seductive world of wealth and power, her innocence becomes a dangerous illusion. Under the influence of her mother and a charming stranger, she learns that beauty is a weapon, and love is merely a means to an end. But every game has its price, and in the end, someone must pay. In this gripping tale of ambition and deception, The Price of Innocence explores the thin line between love and greed, trust and betrayal-and the devastating cost of getting everything you ever wished for.

Blurb: The Billionaire Husband No Woman Wanted Power. Control. Wealth. Elliot Sloane has spent his life mastering all three-ruthlessly expanding his empire, crushing competitors, and keeping his heart locked away. Love is a liability, and marriage? A cage he swore he'd never step into. But when his late grandfather's will delivers an impossible ultimatum-marry within six months or lose everything-Elliot finds himself playing a game he never wanted to join. No woman wants to marry the cold, calculating billionaire who sees love as nothing more than a business deal. The tabloids call him "The Husband No Woman Wanted," a man too rich, too ruthless, and too untouchable to be loved. His enemies laugh, his family waits for his downfall, and the clock is ticking. But Elliot doesn't lose. His plan is simple: find a wife, secure the inheritance, and walk away unscathed. No emotions. No complications. Just another transaction. Then he meets her. She's not looking for love. She has secrets. A past. A reason to say yes. The perfect deal-until desire ignites, past wounds reopen, and enemies move in the shadows. Elliot is about to learn that some contracts don't come with escape clauses. And the woman he never wanted? She might be the one thing he can't afford to lose. A high-stakes billionaire romance filled with power plays, deception, and undeniable passion. Perfect for fans of intense chemistry, ruthless billionaires, and thrilling twists.

The Wife Nobody Wanted A Psychological Thriller of Betrayal, Survival, and Revenge Olivia Sinclair has been many things-a wife, a widow, a fugitive. But one thing she has never been is wanted. Framed for a murder she didn't commit, hunted by a ruthless crime syndicate, and betrayed by the only man she ever trusted, Olivia is running out of time and allies. When a cryptic message leads her back to a past she buried, Olivia must unravel a deadly conspiracy before it consumes her. Secrets long thought forgotten are surfacing, and the truth is more dangerous than she ever imagined. Because in this game, survival isn't about who you trust-it's about who you outlast. As enemies multiply and shadows close in, Olivia is forced to ask herself the one question she has spent her life avoiding: If no one wants you alive, how far will you go to stay that way? Indefinite Sequel Expansions: Each installment in The Wife Nobody Wanted series will push Olivia deeper into a world of lies, deception, and danger. Whether she is hunted by the past, drawn into new betrayals, or forced to face the ghosts she thought she had escaped, one thing is certain-Olivia's fight is never truly over. Future Expansions Could Include: The Wife Nobody Could Find – Olivia disappears, but when a shocking crime bears her signature, the world asks: is she dead, or has she become something far worse? The Wife Nobody Could Forgive – A survivor of Olivia's past seeks vengeance, forcing her to face the sins she thought were buried forever. The Wife Nobody Saved – As Olivia's enemies close in, an impossible choice awaits: escape once and for all, or save someone she once swore to abandon. The Wife Nobody Could Kill – A final showdown against the crime syndicate that has haunted her-where every ally is a potential traitor, and every betrayal could be her last. In a world where trust is a weakness and survival is a gamble, Olivia Sinclair is the woman nobody wanted-until the moment they needed her dead.

Fools Rest in Pieces – A Tale of Murder, Betrayal, and Dark Transformation When dismembered body parts start appearing across Brooklyn in garbage bags, Detective Kenneth Wilson is thrust into a chilling investigation that leads him deep into the shadows of deception and brutality. The victim, Mary Jordan-a respected real estate broker-had unknowingly entangled herself in the deadly web of Vitro Matic, a manipulative cab driver with a sinister past. Vitro, a man with multiple wives and mistresses, had mastered the art of deception, but his twisted love triangle turned deadly when Aleksa, his jealous first wife, set a plan into motion. With Nadja, his second wife, caught between loyalty and terror, the night Mary vanished and the afternoon she was murdered and dismembered, became a day of unspeakable horror. But what Vitro and Aleksa never expected was that Nadja would escape-and that she would return as someone far more dangerous. Now living under a new identity, Sarah emerges from the ashes of her past, hardened by trauma and consumed by an insatiable hunger for vengeance. As the police close in on the truth, Vitro and Aleksa vanish into the night-but they are not the only ones lurking in the darkness. In a world where love turns to obsession and trust shatters into bloodshed, one question remains: Who is truly the hunter, and who will be the next to rest in pieces? A gripping psychological thriller where every choice comes with a price, and every secret is paid for in blood.

Sophie Clarke spent years sharpening the cutting edge of her revenge. The corrupt billionaire who destroyed her father, Ethan Hayes, is a man above the law-but below hers. Through deception and determination, she infiltrates his life, presenting herself as an artist seeking a sponsor. But the closer she gets, the greater the uncertainty. Ethan is not the cruel monster she had imagined. His niceness, his vulnerability, and what he keeps secret threaten to ruin everything she believes. But someone else is pulling the strings in the shadows. As Sophie learns the true mastermind behind her father's downfall, she realizes she might not be the only player of a deadly game. With betrayal on every hand, she has to decide-will she destroy Ethan, or will she save him? And if she makes the wrong choice, will it be her own destruction that she brings about instead? A breathless tale of revenge, betrayal, and forbidden passion, Time of the Avenger will keep you panting until the last page.

In a world where loyalty is a weapon and love a battlefield, Isabella Moretti is caught between two ruthless men. Raised in the gilded cage of her father's empire, she knows her duty: to obey, to marry for power, and to stay untouched by the dark dealings of the cartel. But everything changes when Alejandro Vega, the enigmatic heir to a rival empire, sets his sights on her. Alejandro is a man who takes what he wants, and what he wants is Isabella. To make that happen, he arranges a brazen kidnapping that exposes a war between the most feared cartels. Gunfire begins to echo in the streets and betrayal in every shadow, and Isabella is taken hostage into a life she never chose, torn between feelings of hatred and a growing, dangerous desire. With her father vowing vengeance and Alejandro determined to claim her heart as well as her freedom, Isabella must play a deadly game where love could prove her downfall-or her only escape. As the world burns around them, will she succumb to Alejandro's touch, or will she make her own move in this high-stakes game of power, passion, and survival? A breathtakingly amazing thriller packed full of obsession, deceit, and romance that will leave you reeling until the very last page.

"Tell me, my sweet Mila, do you want me to stop?" "No!" I gasp. "Good, because no matter what, no matter who walks in, I won't," He promised. Killian Knight was many things, dangerous, a certified killer, devastatingly handsome, my father's business partner and married. He was not just off limits, he was forbidden, he was a sin and I was tempted enough to risk the hell fire. He was everything that could ruin me and my body, my mind and my soul; everything was ready for it. Mila Anderson's life takes an unexpected turn when she succumbs to the magnetic allure of her father's enigmatic and dangerous mafia associate. What she doesn't know is that Killian Knight has the power to unravel everything she's carefully built. One secret revealed could bring it all crashing down. For Killian, one night with Mila changes everything. She's everything he desires, yet she comes with her own web of secrets-and he's determined to uncover every single one.

"Where do you think you're going, huh? You're mine now, Little Mouse. Get back in the house!" Vincenzo's voice boomed, sending chills down Victoria's spine as her world seemed to crumble. Victoria Washington was shattered-betrayed by her boyfriend who dumped her the day before his wedding, to her sister. She was left humiliated, mocked by everyone. But fate had other plans for her. She's broken, he's lost. She's full of fear, and he's the monster. Yet, somehow, he's her light while he remains in darkness. Vincenzo Dante will stop at nothing to tarnish his family's name for forcing him into a marriage he never wanted. But what he doesn't realize is that his new wife is stronger than she seems-too broken to bend under his cruelty. But when love begins to bloom, and secrets start to unfold, what will happen next?

"It was just one night stand, and now I'm pregnant with triplets? Gosh!" Josephine Jade never thought that she would have to run away from her own family while pregnant. She was alone, without money, without connections, with three fetuses in her stomach. How can she survive? However, Josephine couldn't give up now, until she managed to reclaim her arbitrarily seized property and get back at everyone who tried to get rid of her. A sick child, a past crush that comes back, a mysterious eccentric man, and a family that hates her, will weave together the journey of Josephine Jade's new life. "You have no right to separate me from my children, you bastard! I will survive and you will submit to me. Just watch!"

Warning: 18+ content for mature audiences. Book Excerpt: Donovan's POV Her enchanting green eyes that were alive with passion the day I told her she could go shopping are pale with only despair dancing in them. "Oh, I'm quite aware of my duties as your wife, Mr. Castellano." My eyes darken at the formal use of my name. I've told her to stop doing that. It feels wrong. Like she doesn't belong to me. I clench my jaw as I wait for her to finish her sentence but her cold smile widens. "Ah, you don't like when I call you Mr. Castellano, right? Too bad. You can't force my mouth to say what you want to hear." Blood rushes to my groin as her words settle in the tensed air between us. Does she realize the gravity of what she'd just said? Does she know she'd moaned my name while I had her wet cunt in her mouth? Does she know how needy she'd been when she wanted me to take her even though she wasn't awake? And is she aware that I know how bad she wants me in her dreams while she pretends in real life to hate me? She glares up at me while I seethe, looking down at her. "It's Donovan," I say darkly, resisting the pull of her lips and maintaining my vision at her eyes. "Mr. Castellano," she retorts. My face draws closer, getting ready to give her a punishing kiss but a harsh sound fills the room and then I realize, belatedly, that I'd just been slapped as my face swings to the side, turning away from Eliana. Eliana slapped me. Luis Santario's daughter just slapped me. Just like her father had done many nights ago. Shame fills me but it's quickly trampled upon by hot, violent anger. How dare she? How dare the whore?! Her cheek instantly goes red with the imprints of my fingers. Blood trickles from her nose and her hair that was up in a messy bun scatters all around her face. Eliana's head remains bowed as the blood from her nose drips onto her white bedcovers. ***** Eliana's POV I know I'm signing my death warrant by provoking him like this but what else can I do when he's already planned to kill me? I could just as well make it easier for him to by getting on his nerves. If I don't push him away, I'm scared I'll start to blur the lines between my dreams and reality. The Donovan in my dreams is drastically different from the one in real life. If my plans to escape from this marriage don't work, I may end up dead or worst, in love with Donovan Castellano. And I'd rather die now than to fall in love with him and die later. *** Many years ago, Donovan Castellano went through something that irrevocably changed him for the worst, and Eliana's father was to blame. Years later, Eliana's father dies. Eliana doesn't know her father's dark past or why Donovan Castellano bought her and then married her. But she knows he's out for blood and wants to kill her, but how long will she continue to defend herself when the way he touches her and kisses her in her dreams is starting to blur the lines between reality and fiction? Will Donovan succeed in finally getting revenge on Eliana for what her father did to him and will Eliana succeed in resisting her possessive mafia husband's advances even when he says he wants her dead? Read on to find out.

After the mysterious decease of her parents, she faced backlash and discrimination from her stepbrother, Hazel's only hope is the promised inheritance given to her by her grandfather, but that too becomes a fallacy as she is sold as a bride to a ruthless Mafia Boss. Despite all negotiations by her to end this doesn't work and in the end, she gives in but what happens when the past she never knew catches up with her, and now, she must pay the price of a sin she never had an idea about?

⚠️ WARNING!⚠️ This book contains mature contents,vulgar words,violence,toxicity, and age gap differences, which may be triggering to some readers. ---- He added a second finger into her pussy and she let out a muffled moan."You sure you don't want this?Your pretty little pussy seem to be betraying your words", She gripped the edge of the counter and shut her eyes tight,managing through gritted teeth."I hate you,murderer", His jaw hardened and he stopped his movements with his fingers inside her."Say it again", She wanted his fingers to move in her so badly,as pathetic as it may sound.She gritted her teeth again and let out."I said I hate you,murderer!I wish you would just die and-ahh!",She yelped the minute his fingers left her panties and grabbed her to bend her over his knees as he sat on the tall stool there."What are-ahh!",She yelped when his palm made a harsh contact with her bare ass. "Count!",He growled.

"You think you have a choice?" Vittorio squeezed my nipples with his other hand, and his voice was a deadly whisper. " You were never going to be anyone else's from the moment I set eyes on you". His words cut through me making my chest tighten with fear "You're Ours, kitten," he continued, his gaze locking onto mine and stealing the breath from my lungs. "You will be claimed, used, and Fucked however I see fit. Do you understand?" "I... I understand," I whispered, feeling my resistance crumble under his dark, green eyes. "You will lay before me, Katarina," he commanded his voice a low growl. "Spread your swollen pussy wide, and show me how desperate you are for me to fuck you." Katarina's world is broken when her brother Mateo dies trying to settle her crippling debt, a debt her father had bargained for by selling her to Mafia Don Giordano. Fleeing to escape her fate, Katarina's brother attempts to repay the debt of her sale by collecting from Vittorio De Luca, Giordano's ruthless rival. When that goes wrong, her brother is murdered, and Katarina is kidnapped by the very man responsible. Vittorio, a brutal mafia lord, to settle the debt, he takes her, seeing her as his prize. In the deadly rivalry between two mafia kings, Katarina is caught between vengeance, submission, and an undeniable lust for the man who now owns her, an attraction that may either destroy her or set her free.

Elena's world takes a wild spin when the rugged Mafia prince, Dante, chooses to wed her over her cousin, Antonia. Facing her abusive family's wrath for allegedly enchanting the mafia prince, Elena's heart remains loyal to her true love, Isaac, whom she plans to escape with. Against her wishes, Dante seals their marriage fate, leaving Elena helpless. Yet, Dante's love for her is boundless, until a sudden twist frames her for betrayal. Unfazed, Dante turns cold and ruthless, opting to marry her cousin. As Dante's cruelty escalates, a shocking revelation unveils the truth behind the false accusation. But it's too late – Elena's heart, once warmed by their love, turns icy. Despite Dante's desperate attempts to mend their shattered connection, the wounds of betrayal threaten to forever shatter their once-promising love story.

Lucian Romano, an innocent grandson of the revered Italian Mafia Don, was cast aside by his own mother, framed for unspeakable crimes and left to survive in a world that sought to crush him. From the tragic death of his father and the betrayal of the women around him, Lucian rises above it all, becoming a ruthless billionaire mafia, balancing the underworld with the high-stakes corporate world. But when Tonia, a woman of hidden identity, resilience and mystery of her own haunted past, enters his life, she ignites emotions in Lucian he thought were long dead and thaw his frozen heart. Can true love survive in a world of darkness? Will they overcome the betrayal of their past? Or will the enemies lurking in the shadows tear them apart?

"You're a creepy bastard." His eyes smolder me and his answering grin is nothing short of beautiful. Deadly. "Yet you hunger for me. Tell me, this appetite of yours, does it always tend toward 'creepy bastards'?" **** Widower and ex-boss to the Mafia, Zefiro Della Rocca, has an unhealthy fixation on the woman nextdoor. It began as a coincidence, growing into mere curiosity, and soon, it was an itch he couldn't ignore, like a quick fix of crack for an addict. He didn't know her name, but he knew every inch of her skin, how it flushed when she climaxed, her favourite novel and that every night she contemplated suicide. He didn't want to care, despising his rapt fascination of the woman. She was in love with her abusive husband. She was married, bound by a contract to the Bratva's hitman. She was off-limits. But when Zefiro wanted something, it was with an intensity that bordered on madness. He obsessed, possessed, owned. There'd be bloodshed if he touched her, but the sight of blood always did fascinate him. * When Susanna flees from her husband, she stumbles right into the arms of her devilishly handsome neighbour with a brooding glare. He couldn't stand her, but she needed him, if she was ever going to escape her husband who now wanted her dead. Better the devil you know than the angel you don't. She should have recalled that before hopping into Zefiro's car and letting him whisk her away to Italy. Maybe then, she wouldn't have started an affair with him. He was the only man who touched her right, and the crazy man took no small pains in ensuring he would be the last.