Life can be cruel. One moment you're on the verge of reaching the peak of your career, your sweetheart of five years finally down on one knee, promising forever. The next, your world burns to ashes-literally. Now, I'm not just a prisoner; I'm the plaything of the most feared man in the country. I told myself I hated him, that I'd never break. But what kind of woman starts to crave the way he owns her body, the way his touch sets her on fire? How do you survive when the man who owns you is as ruthless as he is captivating? How do you escape a man who makes you question everything, even your sanity? ----- When her father's PTSD causes a catastrophic accident, Lucia Castellano finds herself at the mercy of Dante Romano, a man whose name strikes fear into the heart of Chicago's criminal underworld. Taken as a slave to pay for her father's alleged crime, Lucia is thrust into a world of power and seduction she never imagined. Dante's command is absolute, his touch both punishing and intoxicating. What starts as a fight for survival soon turns into a dangerous game of submission and trust. But as secrets surface and enemies close in, Lucia and Dante must confront their darkest fears to find freedom-and perhaps love-in the most unlikely of places. Author's Note: This book contains explicit content, strong language, violence, and other adult themes that may be disturbing to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
Lucia's POV
"Kneel!" His voice echoed through the hall. My entire body shook in fear as tears stung my eyes, but I bit down hard on my lower lip, refusing to let them fall. The sharp taste of blood only reminded me of how real this nightmare was.
Laughter erupted from the men around him. They all mocked me. My shoulders slumped in defeat as Dante moved to pick up the heavy chains lying in the corner of the room.
The air reeked of alcohol and cigarettes. Soft Latino music played from the speakers, creating a bizarre contrast to the suffocating tension. To them, it was a paradise, but for me, it felt like hell.
"I said kneel, you crazy bitch." His voice was colder this time. Before I could react, he stormed toward me and yanked my hair, forcing me down.
I yelped in pain, gritting my teeth as his grip tightened. The men laughed harder, their amusement feeding his cruelty.
The saddest part was that it wasn't always like this. Just yesterday, I was the happiest woman alive. My boyfriend of five years had finally proposed, and for the first time in a long while, I allowed myself to dream of a better future.
But that hope crumbled in less than 24 hours. Today, I was a prisoner. A slave.
I slowly sank to my knees, the cold marble floor biting into my skin. Humiliation washed over me as Dante released his hold on my hair, smirking as if he'd won some twisted game.
"Good girl," he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. He didn't even try to hide the satisfaction in his eyes.
"Now strip," he ordered, his tone as casual as if he were asking for a drink. The men roared in approval, their voices echoing around me.
I blinked my eyes twice as I felt a wave of shame wash over me, but I refused to let him see the tears forming in my eyes.
Memories from just a few hours ago flooded my mind, hitting me all at once. This nightmare started because of my father.
If only the fire hadn't started.
My father has been battling severe PTSD ever since the robbery that took my mother and younger sister. I was in college at the time, far from home, when the tragedy struck. The robbers had taken everything-our possessions, my family's safety, and two lives. My father barely survived.
Since then, it's been just the two of us. I worked part-time jobs to finish school while trying to keep us afloat. My fiancé, Daniel, had been my rock through it all, helping me when I thought I couldn't go on.
Absentmindedly, I touched my engagement ring. It was the only piece of my old life that remained, the only thing Dante hadn't stripped from me.
But now, here I was, kneeling before him in his mansion. A prisoner in every sense of the word.
"Did I stutter?" Dante snapped, his voice cutting through my thoughts. "Strip. Now. And dance. Give us what you got!" He yelled. His boys cheered in agreement.
My hands trembled as I slowly undid the buttons of my shirt.
With every piece of clothing that fell to the floor, I felt my dignity slipping away. The men continued to cheer and holler, their voices loud and vulgar. My heart pounded in my chest, but I kept my gaze on the floor, unable to look at them.
When I was down to nothing but my bra and panties, Dante's eyes gleamed with triumph. He nodded, a cruel smirk curling his lips.
"Not bad," he said, his voice low and taunting.
I felt exposed, vulnerable, and utterly powerless. My body trembled as I walked toward the pole in the center of the room, Dante's laughter echoing in my ears.
I swayed awkwardly to the music, my movements stiff and robotic. Tears streamed down my face, but I kept going. Every second felt like an eternity.
Suddenly, Dante stood and walked toward me, the chain in his hand gleaming under the dim light.
My heart raced extremely fast as i wondered what his next command would be.
"Enough," he said, his voice softer but no less commanding.
With no power of my own, Dante slowly began to chain me to the pole, i could feel his hot breath tingling on my bare skin. His body was so close to mine, I could feel the warmth coming from him.
He turned to his men. "Get out. All of you."
The room fell silent as the men hesitated. One by one, they filed out, their smirks lingering as they glanced at me.
The sound of the door locking sent a chill down my spine. My heart raced even faster as his boys left. I was scared of being left alone with Dante because that only meant that he was up to no good.
I wanted to run, to scream, but I was trapped-physically and emotionally.
Without warning, he closed the distance between us and crushed his lips against mine. It wasn't a kiss-it was a claim. Rough and punishing, as if he wanted to erase every piece of me that existed before him.
I struggled, pushing against his chest, but it was futile. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me closer as his lips trailed down to my neck, claiming every inch of me with a dark determination.
I felt like I was suffocating, trapped in a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.
My father had gotten a job at Dante's warehouse to help us stay afloat. He'd been trying so hard to rebuild our lives after the robbery. But his PTSD betrayed him.
He told me he'd heard gunshots and panicked. In his terror, he'd knocked over a keg of oil, starting a fire that destroyed thousands of dollars' worth of goods.
Dante had barged into our home with his men this evening, furious. He pointed a gun at my father's head, shouting about the damage and the press hounding him for answers.
He was ready to pull the trigger. I could see it in his eyes that he wasn't bluffing.
I couldn't let that happen, my father was the only family I had left.
Desperate, I offered myself in his place.
Dante's smirk had been cruel. He agreed without hesitation, knowing the pain it would cause my father. My father was stunned, his shock palpable, but he was helpless to stop Dante. It was clear that taking me would break him even more.
"You'll pay for this loss with your sweat and blood, and when I'm done with you, you'd wish you were never born," he'd said. And just like that, I became his prisoner, bound to him for a year to atone for my father's mistake.
Now, as his hands gripped me tightly and his cold lips marked me, I realized that my nightmare was only beginning.
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
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.
Julia and Evan were the perfect couple-or so she thought. But everything changed when Evan abruptly ended their relationship, leaving her heartbroken and unable to tell him she was carrying his child. Years later, Julia has built a life for herself and her son, Andy, while Evan has risen to unimaginable wealth and success. Their paths cross again at a chance meeting, but Julia soon discovers Evan has moved on with someone else. Julia is done with the pain. She's fought battles alone, raising a son who deserves the truth about his father, even if Evan doesn't deserve her forgiveness. When Julia told Evan years ago she had something to say, he didn't listen. Now, it's time for him to listen. But is it too late to reclaim what he lost? "We should break up," he'd said, the words cutting through her like glass. The pregnancy test in her pocket stayed hidden, just like the child they would never share. Now, it's Evan's turn to hear the truth-and to face his deepest regret.
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
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."
Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms once at peace. The kingdom of Salem and the kingdom of Mombana... Until the day, the king of Mombana passed away and a new monarch took over, Prince Cone. Prince Cone, has always been hungry for more power and more and more. After his coronation, he attacked Salem. The attack was so unexpected, Salem never prepared for it. They were caught off guard. The king and Queen was killed, the prince was taken into slavery. The people of Salem that survived the war was enslaved, their land taken from them. Their women were made sex slaves. They lost everything, including their land. Evil befall the land of Salem in form of Prince Cone, and the prince of Salem in his slavery was filled with so much rage. The prince of Salem, Prince Lucien swore revenge. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 Ten years later, thirty-years old Lucien and his people raided a coup and escaped slavery. They went into hiding and recuperated. They trained day and night under the leadership of the fearless and cold Lucien who was driven with everything in him to get back their land, and take Mombana land too. It took them five years before they ambushed and attacked Mombana. They killed Prince Cone and reclaimed everything. As they screamed out their victory, Lucien's eyes found and pinned the proud princess of Mombana. Princess Danika. The daughter of Prince Cone. As Lucien stared at her with the coldest eyes anyone can ever possess, he felt victory for the first time. He walked to the princess with the slave collar he'd won for ten years rattling in his hand as he walked. He reached close to her and with a swift movement, he collared her neck. Then, he tilted her chin up, staring into the bluest eyes and the most beautiful face ever created, he gave her a cold smile. "You are my acquisition. My slave. My sex slave. My property. I will pay you in spades, everything you and your father ever did to me and my people." He stated curtly. Pure hatred, coldness and victory was the only emotion on his face. .