Phoenix Gunnar, an assassin with no conscience, is forced to take on a mission she never wanted-to kill August Grey, the secret boss of a powerful underground faction. But when her target turns the tables and captures her instead, Phoenix is thrust into a world of power, dominance, and twisted lust. She may have been sent to kill him, but now she's trapped in his arms, torn between duty, vengeance, and a passion that's impossible to resist.
The echo of gunshots tore through the night air, followed by the frantic clamor of men shouting in unison, their rage palpable as they screamed, "There's an assassin!" The sound reverberated off the crumbling walls of the dark alley, a tight labyrinth of forgotten streets in the city's underbelly. Amid the chaos, a stealthy figure darted like a shadow, seamlessly blending into the darkness.
The assassin moved without a whisper, each step calculated, her breath steady despite the adrenaline that threatened to overtake her.
The men were fast, but she was faster. She weaved through narrow passageways, gliding across damp streets slick with grime and rain. Her pulse thrummed in her ears as she bolted around corners, expertly slipping into the deepest pockets of shadow. For now, she had the upper hand. But she could hear them-relentless, relentless like dogs on the scent of blood.
After what felt like an eternity of running, she slowed down, her senses honed on the sound of her pursuers. The voices-once dangerously close-were now distant, fading. The hunt had lost its heat.
She stopped. Her chest rose and fell with controlled, practiced breaths as she scanned her surroundings, making sure she was truly alone. A nearby shed offered sanctuary. She hurried inside, slamming the door behind her, her heart still pounding. She ripped off her strange mask-an eerie, stylized skull that concealed her identity. Her hands trembled slightly as the mask dropped to the floor, revealing the round, smooth face beneath. She wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, feeling the ache of tension in her shoulders. The mask fell to the floor with a dull thud as she peeled off her skin-tight suit and tossed it aside. A simple shirt and skirt, hanging from a rusty nail, were hastily pulled on. Her heartbeat slowed, but her mind remained sharp. Just when she thought she'd shaken them- A sudden shout pierced the silence.
"There she is!" a voice bellowed from the distance, and the furious pounding of footsteps began again. Phoenix spun around, fear flashing briefly across her face. Her breath caught, but she didn't panic. Instead, she pointed in the opposite direction, her hand trembling with just the right amount of convincing terror. "They went that way!" she gasped, her eyes wide with false fear. The men exchanged a glance, their desperation overriding logic. Without a second thought, they sprinted in the direction she pointed.
Phoenix's lips curled into a smirk. "Idiots," she muttered under her breath, turning away from the shed. She slipped out, her movements smooth and unhurried now. A battered scooter lay hidden behind a pile of discarded boxes. She mounted it, kicked it to life, and sped off, the engine humming softly as she disappeared into the night. By the time she reached her luxurious apartment, the adrenaline had worn off, replaced by an insidious pain creeping up her spine. She stumbled through the front door, her vision blurring momentarily. She barely made it to the bathroom before she was violently coughing. The sharp taste of metallic blood filled her mouth. Her body lurched as the fit overtook her, and she collapsed to her knees in front of the sink, one hand clutching the cold porcelain, the other pressed to her stomach.
Blood spattered across the white countertop, the dark red streaks a horrifying contrast against the sterile surroundings. "D*mn you, Gavin!" she spat, glaring at her reflection in the mirror. The face staring back was pale, haunted, and twisted with fury. Gavin, her ex-boyfriend, had done this to her. Poisoned her. And now she was nothing more than his puppet, dancing to his tune in exchange for the antidote. The only way to live was to continue doing his bidding, executing targets for him as if she were a mere tool.
Phoenix grabbed a towel, angrily wiping the blood from her lips. Her hands shook-not from fear, but from the rage bubbling inside her.
She couldn't do this anymore. Her fingers clenched around her phone as she dialed Gavin's number, barely keeping herself from smashing the device against the wall. The phone rang twice before his lazy, smug voice answered. "Phoenix, darling," Gavin drawled, his voice thick with amusement. In the background, she could hear the flirtatious laughter of women-multiple women-wrapped around him like the poisonous snake he was. "Miss me already? Shouldn't you be out doing what you do best?"
"I need the antidote, Gavin. Now," Phoenix's voice was cold, her fury barely restrained. "I did what you asked. The job is done." Gavin chuckled, the sound grating in her ears.
"Oh, Phoenix. You know how this works. You get your dose when I say so. You don't make demands here."
Her grip tightened on the phone. "I'm not your slave. I did what you asked. The target is dead. Give me the antidote."
There was a pause, followed by a mocking hum. "Tsk, tsk. I wouldn't call you a slave, Phoenix. I think of you more as... a very expensive pet. One that knows her place." She could practically hear the smirk in his voice. A wave of nausea washed over her, but it wasn't from the poison-it was from the sheer hatred coursing through her veins.
"Gavin," she hissed, "I'm not playing this game anymore."
"Oh, but you are." His voice dropped to a menacing whisper. "Unless, of course, you want the poison to eat through your body. I wonder, how long do you think you'll last without your weekly dose?"
Phoenix clenched her jaw, swallowing the venomous retort that threatened to spill out. He was right. She needed the antidote. The pain was already creeping back, her muscles tightening, her vision swimming. She couldn't risk losing control. "What's next, then?" she finally groaned out, her voice low and full of hate.
"Oh, I thought you'd never ask." Gavin's voice brightened with cruel delight. "There's one more target. And this one is going to be fun. Very fun."
Mia thought she had it all-until her husband shattered her world with a single signature. Replaced by his secretary, she's left with nothing but the sting of betrayal and the weight of her mother's crumbling estate. Just as her life unravels, Alexander Wolfe-her ex-husband's ruthless rival-steps in with an unexpected proposition. Alexander offers Mia a lifeline, but at what cost? Beneath his cold and calculating demeanor lies an agenda as enigmatic as the man himself. As Mia is drawn into Alexander's world of power, secrets, and seduction, she discovers that the price of survival may be more than she bargained for. When betrayal runs deep and love feels like the ultimate risk, can Mia uncover the truth before her heart becomes the ultimate casualty?
Emilia Harper never expected her life to turn into a soap opera. Married to Damian, a man who was supposed to marry her twin sister Isabella, Emilia's life is a web of resentment, betrayal, and cold indifference. Though she never loved Damian, she respected their union-until she found him in bed with Isabella for the fifth time and this time around on their wedding anniversary. Heartbroken and furious, Emilia seeks refuge in a karaoke bar, drowning her pain in the music and a night with a handsome stranger. The next day, she realizes she's made a mistake and flees the country. Five years later, Emilia returns, now a world-renowned designer and mother to two celebrity children. She has one goal: to divorce Damian and be free of her past. But fate has other plans. The man from that night turns out to be Alexander Donovan-Damian's powerful billionaire uncle, the real head of the Harper family fortune. Now Alexander has set his sights on the one woman who was always meant to be his. And he's determined to claim her for himself-while Damian watches everything he thought he owned crumble to pieces.
For the whole 17 years of her existence, Alana did not know the word freedom and happiness having been confined in the basement of her family's house accused of killing her own mother. She's beaten, cursed at, and barely survived from crumbs of food thrown at her. She thought this is her final destiny and has accepted the bitter fate of her life not until the night of her 18th birthday, a mysterious alpha appeared at her door telling her that she is the long-lost daughter of the alpha king and claiming her as his mate he's been looking for several years now.
"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? "
June Rivera was divorced by her husband after three years of marriage because he wanted to be with her sister who was pregnant for him. Kicked to the curb with a divorce and rejected by her parents,she struggles to make ends meet and get a job until she saves Luis Ambrose from an accident - the only child of Rafael Ambrose, a widowed man and the CEO of Ambrose Corporation. When little Luis asks to have her as a nanny, and Rafael's mother pressures him to get married, they draw a contract. To be Luis's nanny and his fake wife for one year in exchange for 50 million dollars!
Trigger warning!!! Intended for mature readers who enjoy morally complex, slow-burn, poseesive, forbidden, dark romance that pushes boundaries. ***EXCERPT*** Blood everywhere. Trembling hands. "No!" My eyes blurred. His lifeless eyes stared back at me, his blood pooling at my feet. The man I loved-dead. Killed by the one person I could never escape - my stepbrother. *** Kasmine's life was never hers to begin with. Kester, her stepbrother, controlled and monitored her every move. At first, it was all sweet and brotherly until it began to turn into an obsession. Kester was the Alpha, and his word was law. No close friends. No boyfriends. No freedom. The only consolation Kasmine had was her twenty-first birthday, which was supposed to change everything. She dreamt of finding her mate, escaping the sickening control of Kester, and finally claiming her own life. But fate had other plans for her. On the night of her birthday, not only was she disappointed that she wasn't mated to the love of her life, but she found out that her mate was none other than him - Her tormentor. Her stepbrother. She'd rather die than be mated to a man whom she had known as her big brother all her life. A man who would do just anything to make sure she was his. But when love turns to obsession, and obsession turns to blood, how far can one girl run before she realizes there is nowhere else to run to?
In Lothlann Continent, talent in martial arts won cultivators respect. Darren Chu, a mediocre talent in martial arts, was deemed a loser by everyone. His status changed when a fireball fell from the sky and hit him on the head. He cheated death. Empowered with the ability to assimilate other creatures' talent, Darren sought to better himself and seek vengeance against those who had wronged his family, including his little sister. "You will kneel in front of me one day," swore the future lord of martial arts.
She was hurt. She was bullied and made fun of. And the only hope that kept her going was finding her mate. She has always been weak. Weak to the world. Why? Because she was a lantern. She didn't have a wolf. That's what everyone thought about her. When she found her mate, he wanted her to be his slut and not a wife. She might be an omega, but it doesn't mean she will take disloyalty and betrayal lightly. So she did something that no one in history ever did. She rejected an Alpha. "I, Alexis Clark, reject Brandon Sterling, the alpha of Black mist pack, and consider myself a free soul until I decide so."; Were her last words before she left that torturous place and became a rogue. A rogue that everyone was fearing and finding. Why? Because she was the rogue that has become one of the biggest problems of almost all the packs in the country. She was Alexis Clark. A rogue that rejected an Alpha, stealth food, kill other rogues, and more than that was living with humans and studying with them. What will happen when her case is given to the world's most dangerous alpha, Sebastian Sinclair, who has taken it upon himself to punish this rogue. The one who hated rogues and omega to a level that was beyond understanding. Why? Because his mate was an omega, who betrayed him with a rogue before dying. How will Alexis tackle this alpha, in whose College she was studying and living under hiding for almost a year? What will Sebastian do when he finds out the new girl he had been talking to is none other than the rogue omega that he had decided to kill? "To love you with all my might was my only wish, but you were the only one who gave me endless suffering. So today, I promise myself to not fall for anyone."; A simple saying that both Alexis and Sebastian had vowed upon. Will they be able to find their love amidst all these problems?