I felt his lips brush against my earlobe, a soft brush that suddenly made my toes curl. His breath lingered on my neck before he finally whispered, "I own you Crystal. The sooner you get to accept that the better for you. I'll make sure you submit yourself to me, be it the hard way or the easy way. And I'll break this ego of yours. I promise you" * * * * * * He was her beast and she was his beauty. He was addicted and she was his favourite drug. He was a sinner and she was his sin. In the blink of an eye, Crystal sees her entire life crumble with the death of her parents and she is forced to take a job that she would never have thought off to make ends meet for her and her sister and pay of her gambling father's debt to a crime boss-- being a stripper. Just a glance on the doe-eyed milk skin beauty swinging her hips seductively on the pole and Leonardo already knew he had to have her as his. He had to claim her for himself. But he was everything she hated. She despised him and loathed his existence for the pain and anguish he had caused her and her sister. She swore never to succumb to him but what she didn't know was that he was also determined to show her that he would earn a place in her heart and life.
CRYSTAL
I closed my eyes nervously, exhaling and inhaling. Even though I knew I had been doing this for some weeks, my legs still felt too heavy to walk me. I had danced several times, I practice ballet and I was absolutely incredible at it but tonight I was going to be dancing as a stripper infront of men old enough to be my father.
I felt knots tie in my stomach and I wanted to puke. I wished I could be anywhere but here but I just couldn't make my wish a reality. It took every self restraint in me not to cry out in frustration and anger. Ever since our parents died months ago, it has just been only I and Mabel, my younger sister, fending for each other.
Life was extremely tough especially when we had to settle a debt of seven hundred thousand that was loaned by my gambling father from a crime boss.
When he was alive, he never brought us peace and now he was dead and we still don't have peace as we are left to cover up his disgusting tracks.
I just wondered why mum had to join him in death.
Mabel was the only family I had, I took up this job to fend for her and myself and also pay of our father's debt but time was running out and so did our anxiety increase. By the day I worked in a ballet hall with my crew, dancing decently and performing for people and by night I worked as a stripper. I had applied for so many other well paying jobs but I was never employed. Even though, I had been in this stripper occupation for weeks, I truly couldn't believe the sort of occupation I had to engage in to make ends meet and pay off my father's debt.
"Why aren't you ready yet princess?"Golden, my work colleague called out to me snapping me out of my reverie as she entered into the dressing room.
I didn't even realise I was alone in the magnificent dressing room and I wasn't also ready to do the work I had to get accustomed to.
I gave her a faint smile. "I'll soon be ready"
The red haired lady gave me a broad smile and pinched my cheek slightly. Out off all my colleagues she was the nicest.
"Look darling I know you didn't want to be in this sort of business but you just have to come to terms with it. Food ain't gonna fall from heaven you know. You got to stand and work. Now let me help you put on some make up" she said with a grin.
I allowed her work her magic on my face. By the time she was done, I looked so radiating that I could barely recognise myself whilst I stared at my reflection in the mirror.
"You are really so talented Golden"I complimented. She flipped her hair and winked at me.
Suddenly the door swung opened roughly and two other lady walked inside, perspiration covering their tanned skins.
"Crystal what are you still doing here? The men are eagerly waiting for your performance"Claire, one of the ladies, chided before taking off her wig and slumping down on a kingsized sofa.
For a strip club, I had to admit this place was oozing pure luxury. The building was magnificent, sometimes I wondered who owned it.
"Boss is here today and there must be no mistakes and sloppy performances"Violetta, the second lady, chorused as she eyed me from up to down like I was infected with leprosy.
"Chill vilu"Golden said with a sigh.
"Crystal has never messed up and she won't. Stop being so hard on the poor girl"Golden added with a frown.
"Crystal"she began turning to face me.
"You will do great ok. Go over there and show them what you are made off"
I truly liked Golden.
I took in deep breaths trying to calm the torrents of nervousness coursing through me and stared at my appearance in the mirror. I stared at my nude self from my laced underpants to my white lingerie and dagger heels. Then my eyes darted to my face and the breathtaking make up Golden applied on it.
Yup. I truly looked like a certified stripper. My one wish was that Mabel wouldn't join this line of profession with me.
"Once you go out there baby, free your mind and relax. You look so tensed. Do your thing and get the money flowing"Golden urged with a chortle.
I gulped and nodded my head.
I opened the door but not before giving her a soft smile whilst the other two girls exchanged glares at me.
I truly had no idea why they didn't like me.
I began walking down the narrow walk way .
Loud defeaning music and the rush from the crowd could be heard from the hall.
I approached it briskly. Once I got to the wine coloured closed curtains, I took in deep breaths and tried relaxing myself.
Soon enough the curtain were pulled opened revealing a hall bustling with life. Loud music was blasting from all corners of the hall. Some men were dancing shamelessly with multiple women and endless swarm of waiters buzzing around filled the entire atmosphere with the stench of sex, drugs and alcohol.
I had no time to stop and think as I was already on the stage with poles sprouting out of them.
A new song was played by the dj and the crowd went noisy, cheering and expecting me to dance whilst feeding their eyes on my body. The men were yelling for me to strip myself naked. I felt like running back but I couldn't. I had to do this to put food on the table and settle my father's debt.
I immedately began moving my hips. I ran my hands down my body seductively in accordance to the beat of the song and grasped a long pole as I swirled my body around it.
The men were howling as they fed their eyes hungrily.
"Damn!!"
"Come naked darling!"
"Give us that ass!!"
I felt so irritated hearing their nude comments but I hid my irritation and kept on swaying myself around the pole.
I released my thoughts and let my my body twist around the pole seductively.
My eyes travelled around the hall as I danced to the rythm of the song. It then suddenly locked with a pair of cold blue eyes, eyes colder than glaciers.
He locked his eyes with mine, not cheering or howling like the other men. He stared at me like the way a predator would stare at a prey.
I suddenly felt myself being self conscious on my performance as a result of his fiery like gaze on my body.
His dark silky silver coloured hair cascaded over his shoulders. I couldn't really get a perfect view of his face since he sat in the shadows, surrounded by skimpy dressed women whom were seductively caressing his body to get a response from him.
Something about the way he stared at me gave me goosebumps. I immedately tore my eyes away from him and continued my dancing, twisting my body against the pole in hopes of finishing the dance quickly.
Slowly the beat came to an end and I immedately packed the money littered on the stage for me.
From the looks of it, I got about a thousand dollars if not more as I walked out of the hall. Today was really my lucky day.
"Oh my God. You performed so well today!"Golden excitedly chirped as she waited for me by the walkway.
"I truly am so happy Golden. Look at the amount of money I got"I replied back elated as I showed her my hands stuffed with money.
"Keep up the good work sis"
I sighed and stuffed the money inside my bra. "I'll. I have to be going home now. My sister would be waiting for me"
I quickly hugged Golden and headed to the dressing room to change back to my normal outfit.
* * * * * * *
I slumped on the couch, my hands flailing around. I was damn tired. Being a stripper was really not easy.
"How was work today sis?"Mabel asked as she came to sit by my side. She handed me a glass of water to which I collected and mouthed her a 'thank you'.
"It was good. I made eight thousand dollars today!"I chirped with ecstasy.
Mabel stared at me with widened eyes.
"Oh my God! That's huge. If you can make this amount everyday, we will settle dad's debt in no time"
Just the mention of my father got me hissing. He got us into this mess and now he is lying peacefully six feet underground whilst we were working our ass off to pay off his debt.
"Crystal why don't I join you so we can raise enough money on time"Mabel suggested with a faint smile.
I shot her a hard glare immedately. "Don't ever join me. There's no light in this job. I don't want you to get yourself involve in it. Stick to your normal part time book sales please sis"
She nodded her head reluctantly and slumped her shoulders. "We received another letter by the way" she informed me lowly.
I didn't need to ask.
I already knew who it was that sent it and what the wordings were.
It was from the ruthless crime boss, the one whom my dad took a loan from, reminding us of the ever nearing deadline to pay off our debt.
His iron grip was fastened around my waist and he pinned me on to the wall. "Let go of me!" I gritted. "If I want to right now" he leaned in close, his lips grazing my earlobe. "I can forcefully have my way with you and watch you scream your beautiful melodious tone underneath me" he whispered gravelly. I gasped and tried getting his hands of my waist. "You are my wife after all aren't you?" He teased, his teeth gently nibbling on my skin. I felt a strange heat brewing up inside me and I fought to control it. "Dante let go of me!" I seethed. Slowly, his head ascended from my neck and faced me. He ran a finger along my lips and a devilish smile curled up on his face. * * * * * * Love. Crime. Passion. Strong female lead Alina Fedorov, the vibrant and daring daughter to the Don of the Russian mafia is forcefully put into marriage against her wishes by her father. And her groom is no other than the feared Dante Morelli, the ruthless capo dei capi of the most powerful and dangerous italian-american mafia. He has his base running all through Europe and America with myriads of capos and underbossess at his beck and call. Running his underworld without a heart, he is quick to do away with any one who goes against his orders and his years of training has him equipped for a dangerous life of crime. But none of that will matter when he meets the impulsive and independent Alina Federov. Can love ever blossom between the two especially as Dante craves revenge on Alina for the sins of her father? Or will Alina be able to break down his walls of coldness and have him on his knees for her?
"Would you have killed that young boy!? Over a fucking purse!?"I shot back. It was a stupid temerity but I was willing to take the risk. "I would do whatever it takes to show that I call the shots"He menacingly replied. "Even with you"His voice dropped to a dangerously low tone. "Now you are just acting like a possessive and dominating freak"I replied with a roll of my eyes and a hiss. In a fluid motion, he quickly grasped my braids, dragging it. My eyes widened and I held on to his arm, wincing. "That's because I am. I own you. You belong to me. I'll always be the one you lust for and crave for. And if you try to act otherwise, I'll make sure I make you submit to me whether you like it or you don't"Raphael huskily replied, dragging my braids more. His words felt so sensual and yet so dangerous. I became weak in the knees and my breathing became rapid in pace. "And what if I don't want to submit to your orders, what will you do huh?"I taunted him. "Will you kill me? Shoot me? Stab me huh? Mr Raphael!?" I knew if I were to be someone else, I would have been dead by now. Raphael looked like he was seconds away from hitting me but I knew there was no way he would do that. "I won't kill you"came his raspy reply with his voice turning malicious, laced with cruelty. He pressed his body against mine and his hands fisted in my braids curling against my scalp. Shit. It was becoming extremely painful. "I'll punish you" In the blink of an eye, I felt his lips pressed forcely against mine. My eyes widened at once. * * * * * * What if the hero in your story was the villain? Nicole, a black beautiful Nigerian woman, arrives in Italy with Raphael, the don of the Italian mafia following their marriage in Africa when he came for business purposes. She expects to begin a new, exciting journey with him but when a murder that happened in the pasts resurfaces, threatening to burn their future, Nicole sees her marriage and world crumbling before her eyes. A turn of unfortunate events and a mysterious car crash pushes a young man named Miles into their lives and Nicole finds herself trapped in a maze of lies, betrayal, scandals and secret plots as Raphael leaves no stone unturned in inflicting pains to Nicole until she sees death as a means of escaping the hell now known as her life. Will they ever get their happy ending with enemies surrounding them, threatening to destroy both their marriages and their lives? Will Raphael ever be able to win Nicole's heart again and possess her as his once more? Or will he loose every thing as he lets his demons rage havoc in his life? This is a beautiful tale of two star crossed lovers fighting to keep their marriage and love in the midst of various deadly plots. But sometimes, the price of love can be death.
"Love is blind!" Lucinda abandoned her beautiful and comfortable life because of a man. She married him and slaved off for him for three long years. One day, the scales finally fell off her eyes. She realized that all her efforts were in vain. Her husband, Nathaniel still treated her like shit. All he cared about was his lover. "Enough is enough! I quit wasting my years with an ungrateful man!" Lucinda's heart was shattered into many pieces, but she summoned up the courage to ask for a divorce. The news caused a stir online! A filthy rich young woman recently got divorced? She was a good catch! Countless CEOs and handsome young men immediately swarmed to her like bees to honey! Nathaniel couldn't take it anymore. He held a press conference and begged with teary eyes, "I love you, Lucinda. I can't live without you. Please come back to me." Would Lucinda give him a second chance? Read to find out!
“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”
For ten years, Daniela showered her ex-husband with unwavering devotion, only to discover she was just his biggest joke. Feeling humiliated yet determined, she finally divorced him. Three months later, Daniela returned in grand style. She was now the hidden CEO of a leading brand, a sought-after designer, and a wealthy mining mogul—her success unveiled at her triumphant comeback. Her ex-husband’s entire family rushed over, desperate to beg for forgiveness and plead for another chance. Yet Daniela, now cherished by the famed Mr. Phillips, regarded them with icy disdain. "I’m out of your league."
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
Belinda thought after divorce, they would part ways for good - he could live his life on his own terms, while she could indulge in the rest of hers. However, fate had other plans in store. "My darling, I was wrong. Would you please come back to me?" The man, whom she once loved deeply, lowered his once proud head humbly. "I beg you to return to me." Belinda coldly pushed away the bouquet of flowers he had offered her and coolly replied, "It's too late. The bridge has been burned, and the ashes have long since scattered to the wind!"