"Who. Are. You?" The voice of his attacker was so dark, and commanding. Zeno was a fighter, but he felt a chill run down his spine from the sound of the voice. The hand around Zeno's neck tightened, but he endured it. Judging by his attacker's looks and actions of confidence, this was his boss. ~~~ After losing his parents and being faced with an unbelievable medical bill; Zeno Evander finds himself working as a Manny for a mysterious Billionaire, but it doesn't last long, after almost being killed by the Mafia billionaire, Zeno swore never to return there ever again. After a week of escaping the Mafia billionaire, Zeno finds himself kidnapped and Blackmailed into signing a year's contract as the Mafia's Manny and bodyguard. Could Zeno escape his evil and monstrous boss? Or would he be consumed by him? Consumed by the forbidden passion he felt build up between them? Would he risk his life just to experience the burn of forbidden love? Betrayed by his family, ex-wife, and friend five years ago, Sebastian Orion became a totally different being, cold, aloof, and dangerous as he rose to become the most feared Mafia king of the underworld, and everyone who heard his name shivered from fear. He distrusted everyone and hated any form of human relationships, building a thick wall around himself. But, not until his son's manny came into the picture. Zeno irritated him. He hated the mere sight of his bodyguard and would have killed him, if not for the sake of his son. Sebastian tried to push Zeno away by treating him in the lowest way possible. But when the contract was coming to an end, were his feelings still the same? Or did he suddenly realize that it wasn't only his son who needed Zeno?
"Mr. Zeno, your grandmother's condition is feral, we need money to commence her treatments, for now, the money you gave will do for two months, but, I can't promise we'll continue after that if you don't bring in more funds." Doc. Ezra explained to Zeno outside the emergency room.
"I understand, Doctor. I'll pay all her medical bills, please take care of my Nana! I promise to pay every month till it's all covered!" Zeno pleaded.
He was heartbroken; he had just lost his parents to an accident twenty-two hours ago. Today was supposed to be their twenty-fourth marriage anniversary, they were driving over to pick him up from a client's house so they could all go out and celebrate, but they were unfortunately faced with a terrible fate.
His parents died instantly without any goodbyes while his Nana was heavily injured and was now in a coma.
"It all depends on you, keep to your word. Good luck!" Doc. Ezra said and left him standing in the hallway.
Zeno stood there, his whole world crumbling at his feet. He felt lost.
For twenty-three years of his life; this was the first time he was going to be alone, he had always been surrounded by his lovely parents and his sweet Nana. Now, he was orphaned and was on the verge of losing his only family member whom he loved so much.
Courage cursed through him when he thought of his Nana; he was going to do everything and anything possible to see that his Nana was properly treated. He can't let her die.
This time, he had a choice; he didn't get this much of a chance with his parents.
He was going to cherish and fight for the only person the universe had left behind for him.
~~
Sebastian Orion was dressed in his expensive, custom-made black shirt and black pants, his shiny black shoes and his customized Rolex watch completed his Cold, intimidating billionaire mafia look.
His tall and sharp features were a bonus to his looks. His hair was neatly cut and styled to the back, only two strands of hair were brought out on each side of his smooth face, just above his eyes.
He stood in front of his big mansion, waiting for his ride.
"Sir, the car is ready." A man in an all-black outfit informed through the earpiece.
A black Lamborghini with his name written on the plate slowly came to a stop in front of him, the door slowly and smoothly flying open like a bird's feather.
Before he could step down the stairs, an agitated young voice stopped him.
"Daddy, why can't I come with you this time?!" A boy of four ran out of the big house, carrying his small suitcase in his small hands.
He sure looked like the mini Sebastian. His facial features looked like it was cloned from his father's face, and his aura was the same as his.
The men in black all looked scared when they saw the young boy. They knew their boss didn't like it when someone failed in his duty, and, they had failed.
He had Instructed them a week ago to keep the boy occupied and find him a temporary nanny before he left for his business trip.
But they failed.
No one wanted to accept a nanny job from Sebastian Orion. They feared him, scared of what might happen to them if they worked in such proximity to him.
Rumors of how people who had offended him suddenly went missing without a trace were hot on the streets. No one dared take such a risk of working in his house!
"I'm sorry, boss, I failed you. I'll accept every punishment." Ida, his PA, rushed and bowed before him, taking the blame for his shortcomings.
Ida dared not say he couldn't find someone simply because they said they were scared.
His boss believed the money he put out with the offer would fetch just anyone.
Sebastian knew the reason they couldn't get his son a nanny, he'd heard the rumors too, well... Not entirely rumors.
He only nodded and turned to his angry son.
"Ken, I'll be back as soon as I strike a deal with the president of France." He bent to his son's level, patting his hair.
Ken only pouted and turned his face away from his father.
"You will be well taken care of by a nanny. Don't be stubborn like the last time. Okay?" Sebastian coerced his son.
"Whatever!" Ken turned in the opposite direction and stumped back into the house.
His men knew that his son was the only one who had the right to talk and act however he wanted with their boss, any other person would be put six feet under.
"Double the price, Ida," Sebastian commanded in his deep voice.
"Yes, sir," Ida replied.
~~
Zeno had just gotten down from the boxing ring, sweats could be seen dripping down his toned masculine body, adding a sheen to his skin.
Again, he emerged victorious. People's voices could be heard cheering him up around the ring as they held up a sign that had his name on, waving it gingerly from left to right.
They were happy their bet had been won.
Zeno was glad he had those many supporters, that meant that a lot of people placed a bet on him; he was sure the payout for tonight would be huge.
He ignored his opponent's boss who was busy accusing him of fowl and demanding a rematch.
The old man was just crazy, how could he demand a rematch when his opponent was passed out cold in the ring?!
He wasn't in the mood to entertain the greedy old man, all he wanted was to meet his boss and cash out for the night, he needed all the money he could get for his Nana's medical bills.
He pulled his black shirt through his head as he walked up to his boss.
"Mr. Rico," Zeno called the middle-aged man who was backing him and chatting with a younger man who looked like he was made from money.
"Ah, Zeno! Nice fight, boy!" Mr. Rico patted him on the shoulder, causing him to wince painfully.
"Ugh!" Zeno grunted.
"Oh, sorry boy. Forgot it was a tough one." Mr. Rico said with a chuckle.
"It's fine," Zeno replied.
"This is Mr. Nicholas, you'll be seeing him more often, Nicholas, this is Zeno, he's our best boxer here." That was all Mr. Rico said before he dragged Zeno away from Mr. Nicholas. He didn't even allow them to greet each other.
"Here you are! boy, Great fight tonight." He handed a light envelope to Zeno.
"Don't forget to do your best next week, bring me more money! Ha-ha-ha!" Mr. Rico laughed loudly.
Zeno didn't share his amusement, he just stood there weighing the light envelope in his hands. He already knew how much was inside, no matter how huge a fight was, he never received anything higher than twenty bucks, it was little but he had no choice, anytime he asked for a raise, he was always told that the money made was put into maintenance and bribing some official who let them run the underground boxing.
He resorted to accepting whatever he was given, he didn't want to be unreasonable.
"Thanks, Rico." He put the envelope into his shorts pocket and left.
"Anytime boy, anytime," Mr. Rico said to his retreating figure.
Outside the building, men and women could be seen smoking and chatting.
"Hey look! It's our champ!" A girl said from the midst of guys, she was in a sports bra and baggy jeans, with her checkered shirt tied around her waist.
"Hey, man! Congratulations on your win tonight!" A guy said as he puffed his smoke.
Zeno smiled and walked over to them.
"Thanks, Anna, Will." He said to them as they did a secret handshake.
Anna and Will were siblings, they were the only ones he could call friends. Over the years, he's made more enemies than friends due to his line of work; his opponents always hated him after a fight.
"Hey, Champ, wait up." Anna ran up to him as he was about to enter his power bike.
"What's up, Anna?" He asked.
"I know you're in a fix right now, I saw this ad online and I decided to save it for you, here," Anna handed him her phone.
Zeno reluctantly took it, he had thought it was another underground job; he didn't think he would be able to make it if he took two boxing jobs.
"What!" Zeno asked unbelievably.
The first thing that caught his eye was the price at the top of the ad, he couldn't believe it, what job could offer such an amount in this year and time?
He quickly read through it and it finally dawned on him.
"A nanny?" He asked with a raised brow.
This must be a scam. Who pays a Nanny a thousand dollars a month?!
"I told you not to touch me," Audrey said. "In front of people," He reminded her. Audrey could feel the smirk in his voice. ~~~ Audrey's seventeen years in the Grey Blood pack were like a caged animal. She lived each day dreading the next unexpected thing the Alpha could punish her for. Audrey tried hard to understand the mysterious dream she'd been having, but nothing made sense to her, she was lost. She wished to be freed from the Grey Blood pack, but she lost all hope of survival when she found herself locked and chained in the cold dark dungeon. She hated him, she cursed him as her blood drained from her. She was happy to die and go away from that monster-alpha. Audrey awoke in a magical world where she learned everything about herself, she cultivated herself to become the strongest wolf and witch alive. One item though, led her back to the last place she wanted to be. Alpha Aloha Lake ruled the Grey Blood pack, the largest and strongest pack in the States. He was known to be brutal, even the mafia feared him. Nothing or anyone bothered him, except one; the damned bitch Audrey. He hated her, and he would make her pay for her mother's sins. But he could not kill her...yet. Alpha Lake emotionlessly stared at Audrey's bleeding body that lay on the cold dungeon floor, he ordered his beta to dispose of her without a second thought. One year later the enemies met again. Will hatred be the only emotion they share? Could they resist the fatal attraction they felt for each other?
Rachel used to think that her devotion would win Brian over one day, but she was proven wrong when his true love returned. Rachel had endured it all—from standing alone at the altar to dragging herself to the hospital for an emergency treatment. Everyone thought she was crazy to give up so much of herself for someone who didn’t return her feelings. But when Brian received news of Rachel’s terminal illness and realized she didn’t have long to live, he completely broke down. "I forbid you to die!" Rachel just smiled. She no longer needed him. "I will finally be free."
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
“Drive this woman out!” "Throw this woman into the sea!” When he doesn’t know Debbie Nelson’s true identity, Carlos Hilton cold-shoulders her. “Mr. Hilton, she is your wife,” Carlos’ secretary reminded him. Hearing that, Carlos gives him a cold stare and complained, “why didn’t you tell me earlier?” From then on, Carlos spoils her rotten. Little did everyone expect that they would get a divorce.
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
Five years ago, Alessia La Rosa's life took a drastic turn when, suffering from memory loss, she wed to Dominic Carter under her grandfather's mysterious arrangement. But their marriage was a facade, bringing her only humiliation and heartache as Dominic showed no love, and she couldn't conceive. Upon discovering Dominic's infidelity, Alessia sought liberation through divorce. Yet, fate had more in store for her. Five years later, spurred by an anonymous email hinting at her lost child's whereabouts, she returns to the city with her twin babies in tow, determined to uncover the truth. As she navigates the tangled web of her past, a surprising twist awaits. Dominic, upon meeting her again, finds himself drawn to the woman she has become, unaware of her true identity as his former wife. Little does he know, the woman he's falling for is not only his ex-wife but also a powerful Doctor and Master Hacker.
"Listen, Gadreel Ødegaar," she looked at him, not hesitating this time. "It's my anniversary present for you. Let's divorce." *** Ivory Remington had sacrificed five years to look after her husband Gadreel who was in a vegetative state after an accident and a few months ago, he finally awakened like a miracle. She thought it was the start of their happy life but Gadreel still had no heart for her. On their anniversary and her birthday, she received a cheating video of her dear husband and her stepsister. Heartbroken, Ivory chose to quit this stupid game. She decided to set him free but the reason she left on the divorce agreement pierced Gadreel's noble pride. *** "Impotent? Are you serious?" He gripped her wrist and a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes. "I'm a woman, Gadreel. I'm tired of being in a sexless marriage. Let's end it once and for all." "Sexless, huh?" he chuckled lowly and without warning grabbed her chin in between his hands, pulling her face closer. "Turns out my wife was so eager to get a man between her legs? "