How do you escape a past that refuses to die? And what if the very man who shattered your life holds the key to your future? On the day Anna Voss loses everything, she's taken by the ruthless Escobar twins. Forced into a nightmare marriage, her life spirals into betrayal and destruction when Carlo, one of the brothers, drugs her into his bed and leaves her abandoned and broken. Left for dead after a tragic accident, Anna is saved by a mysterious therapist who gives her a new face-and a second chance at life. Years later, Anna has rebuilt herself in the shadows, hiding her identity and raising her daughter in peace. But her past returns with a chilling force when she discovers her daughter's new teacher is none other than Carlo, the man responsible for her torment. He doesn't recognize her, but Anna knows the truth-and she's ready to make them all pay. But as dark secrets begin to unravel, Anna's quest for vengeance plunges her deeper into a deadly game where no one can be trusted. Will she be able to finish what she started, or will her hidden enemies destroy her before she can exact her revenge? In this world of betrayal, power, and deadly love, one wrong move could cost Anna everything she has left.
*Gunshots fire wildly as everyone inside the train takes cover*
"¡Ey! Get your ass to the ground, Now!" a voice boomed," his thick Mexican accent cutting through the panic. He fired wildly, bullets ricocheting off the walls and windows. "You don' wanna get hurt, huh? Then stay where you are!"
The passengers ducked lower, trying to avoid the spray of glass and bullets. His men stormed down the aisle, rifles spitting fire as they moved through the train, shooting without any mercy.
"Ay, mira, mira!" one of the gunmen yelled, grabbing a woman by her arm. "You tryin' to be a hero or what? Stay down, cabrona!"
One of the mafias lowered his gun, his sharp eyes scanning the crowd. He spotted his target, a man shaking with fear at the back of the train. With a smug grin, he signalled to his men with his head.
"Ese," he said with a nod, his voice cold. "That's the puppy, right there. Go on, grab him." he ordered.
Two henchmen yanked the trembling man from his seat, dragging him through the train as other passengers avoided eye contacts with the mafias.
The leader strolled up to him, slow and deliberate, the soles of his boots echoing in the sudden quiet. He crouched in front of the trembling man, a cruel smirk playing on his lips.
"¿Qué pasó, eh? You thought you could hide from us?" he sneered, his voice low and dangerous. "Bad move, compa. Real bad move. You got our boss really mad. Now he wants you" he said as he tapped the edge of his gun on the man's bowing head.
Suddenly, a woman yanked up from the seats to defend the man. She jumped on the Mafia Leader, shaking frantically in an attempt to fight back.
"¡Quitate de encima! Get the hell off me!", the leader groaned as he threw her off him in frustration.
Before she could regain her stance and recoil back at him, he shot her in the chest.
"¡Amor!", The man cried out in agony as tears broke out of his eyes, trickling down his dirt-stained cheeks.
"Ahh! That's your wife, huh?", he clicked his tongue, "She didn't wanna stay down papa. Not to worry compa, you're gonna join her soon." the Mafia leader said with fake sympathy .
"Let's take him to El jefe" one of the henchmen said to the leader who nodded in agreement.
"Get up puppy." they yanked the sobbing man up to his feet as he attempted to reach out to his bleeding wife, but they shoved him forward. Leading him outside the train.
They were two black jeeps parked by the side of the railway. Six men in black suits all holding guns surrounded the jeeps, standing in alert in case anything went wrong.
The henchmen dragged the man towards the car and one of them slapped the back of his head , "Get your damn knees on the ground, ahora mismo!"
He obeyed immediately as he fell to his knees in front of one of the jeeps.
The back door to one of the jeeps opened, revealing a six feet tall white-looking man with a well arranged slicked-back black hair resting on his head.
He had a well-groomed beard which added to his rugged appeal, accentuating his chiselled jawline. His high quality tailored black suit hugged his lean frame, emphasizing his muscular build.
"Vincent Escobar!" the trembling man on his knees said with dread in his eyes.
Vincent stood in front of him with a fierce and stern glare which could melt even the bravest of men. His eyes were as cold as steel as he gazed down on his captive.
"Where are his documents?" Vincent's voice came out cold and domineering, sending chills down his victim's spine.
"I have the papers in my bag. Here, You can take it. Just let me go, I beg you" the man begged with everything in him.
Vincent snapped his finger. As if his men read his mind, they stormed to the man and violently stripped his bag off his shoulders, searching frantically until they saw a file.
"Here it is boss", the henchman said, handing over the file to Vincent who collected it barely glancing at it as he fixed his cold gaze on his kneeling victim.
"Good, pa. You tried to ruin the Escobar legacy. You proved stubborn to our sovereignty, and even attempted to expose our dealings to the authorities. But you forgot one thing", Vincent stretched out his right hand and a guard placed a gun in it.
He placed the barrel of the gun against the man's forehead, "The Escobar name is greater than any law."
Vincent pulled the trigger, releasing the bullet straight into the man's head as the sound of the shot echoed into the thick bushes surrounding them.
He dropped to the ground with a thud, blood oozing out of the crater the bullet made through his skull.
"Father!" A feminine voice screamed in terror from inside the lifeless train which stood on its rails, in the middle of nowhere.
Vincent's head snapped up. His gaze darted up as his eyes scanned across the broken glasses of the train till he spotted a lady. She had her hands clamped tightly against her mouth in an attempt to muffle her scream.
"Get her!" Vincent commanded, pointed at the train.
"Aye! Let's go, boys." The Mafias wasted no time as they rushed back into the train.
The young lady tried to outrun the men who chased after her, but even if she could, there was no way she was going to escape the train without getting caught.
Other passengers who saw the chase knew best to stay out of the way as the Mafias chased down the lady across the train.
She ran into the restroom and locked herself inside, but it was of no use.
"Open up, muchacha, Or I'll shoot you. ¿Entender?", he screamed.
"Let me go, please!" She screamed from the other side.
"¡Rómpelo! Get her out of there!"
One of the heavier henchmen took a step back and ran into the door with his boots. The wooden door splintered open with great force, crashing into the restroom area like an explosion.
The young lady screamed as Vincent's men dragged her out. One of them picked her up on his shoulders, ignoring her frantic struggles as they stormed across the train until they reached the door.
No one dared stand in their way. After witnessing the gang leader shoot the dead man's wife without compassion, life at that moment meant nothing to the cold killers.
"Let me go, please!", The lady screamed as she struggled wildly, but they were too strong for her. She was taken straight to Vincent's feet and tossed on the ground beside her father's lifeless body.
"Shhh! Silent young lady", Vincent said. His voice was cold and deadly, yet calm and commanding at the same time.
The young lady shivered in fear, her blood ran cold as she too knelt in front of the man who killed her father. She knew best not to stir his anger, lest she too be killed.
He looked closely at her with stern yet calculative eyes which showed years of sheer determination and brutality towards his victims.
"What is your name?", he asked, his voice trailing off dominance and commanding respect from the environment.
She ignored his question as she gazed at her father's body. His blood was still fresh. It was barely an hour ago when he told her he loved her with everything. It was barely an hour ago her mother made fun of her hair and told her how messy she looked.
Now, they all laid in the pool of their own blood, all for a meaningless piece of document.
She found this new sense of anger riling up in her. Her fear of death slowly turned into hatred-immense hatred for the men who killed her parents, and for the man who pulled the trigger on her father.
"Do you not hear me?" Vincent's voice cut through the air, jerking her out of her thoughts and gutting anger. "What is your name?"
She hesitated a bit before replying, "Anna. My name is Anna", she said with no trace of fear in her. At this moment she cared less of what would happen to her. She already lost her world in one sitting.
"Anna Voss? Interesting." He leaned lower so that his face was directly opposite Anna. "You look pretty. I like pretty women"
"Fuck you!" Anna hissed at him with her eyes blazing hatred. Without warning, she spat on his face.
"¡Estúpido! How dare y..." One of the henchmen attempted to hit her with the back of his gun, but Vincent stopped him on time.
"Let her be!" He wiped his face with a handkerchief, his expression unreadable.
"Take her into the car." He said, standing up, "She's mine now." Vincent said with his gaze as hard as his cold menacing heart.
As the men dragged her to the waiting vehicle, Vincent gaze remained fixed on her, "You'll make a fine wife, Anna"
Betrayed and left for dead, Elara Valyria, the "Shadow Valkyrie," is reborn as Lira Voss in a shattered world teeming with ancient gods, warring realms, and dark prophecies. Armed with new powers and haunted by memories of her past life, Lira must unravel the mysteries of her rebirth while facing relentless foes and corrupt forces. As the prophecy of the "Shadow Empress" looms, Lira's quest becomes a battle for her soul-torn between light and darkness. With each enemy vanquished, she absorbs their strength, but risks losing her humanity. As allies fall and enemies rise, Lira faces the ultimate choice: to embrace her dark destiny or defy fate and reshape her world. *Echo of the Forgotten Realms: The Shadow of Valyria* is a gripping dark fantasy about redemption, identity, and the fine line between good and evil.
"Mr. Evans, please maintain some dignity. Don't forget I'm your brother's wife!" Having caught her husband and best friend together in the bed, Elena wanted nothing more than to exact revenge on the people she once called family. She refused to be a pitiful divorcee and vowed to make everyone who had once looked down on her beg for forgiveness. And to start with her newfound freedom, Elena indulges in a one-night stand with a stranger. However, what was meant to be a fleeting escape turns into a nightmare when she learns that the stranger is none other than her husband's older brother! Would Elena be free from the shackles of her marriage? Or would the mysterious stranger make her life a living hell since he seemed to have a personal vendetta against his family? [The story is 18+ and involves mature content.]
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
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."
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."