At twenty-four, Annelise de Valois has the world at her feet. She's the CEO of a rapidly expanding empire. Old money flows through her veins-the kind that makes new money look like spare change. She lives in a heavily guarded château that no one can breach-no rivals, no suitors, not even paparazzi with drones. Her grandfather, a business legend, backs her. Other titans of industry admire her. Her enemies? They either grovel or disappear. Whatever she wants, she gets. A company? Snapped up. A competitor? Obliterated. A scandal? Buried before it even sees the light of day. She has everything. Except him. Leander Grimaldi. He's too young, too trusting, too fucking pure for someone like her. A five-year age gap isn't much, and the decades-old alliance between their families shouldn't even matter. The real problem is him. Leander has never known betrayal, never played the cutthroat games of high society, never learned to second-guess every word or every smile. Meanwhile, Annelise lives and breathes that world. She doesn't just play the game-she is the game. While he wanders through life unguarded, she calculates every move ten steps ahead. While he sees the best in people, she sees their weaknesses and exploits them. She should stay away. She should let him think of her as nothing more than a family friend-a big sister who looks out for him, protects him. But she doesn't. She lets herself get too close. She wants him too much. And she always gets what she wants. Even if, this time, taking it means destroying the one thing she can never buy back-his trust.
I slammed my hand on the steering wheel, scowling as I twisted the signet ring on my thumb.
Forty-nine seconds left on this godforsaken red light.
I swore under my breath, resisting the urge to grab the gun in my bag and blast the traffic signal into oblivion.
Uncle Willy-full name Wilhelm Keller, majordomo of Château Valois-sur-Loire-had called me while I was at work. The message? He had arrived at the château. He was there. Right now.
I didn't even hesitate. Dropped an important meeting like it was a hot potato and bolted out of the office. Twenty minutes-that was all it should've taken to get back.
Yet today, it felt like twenty years.
And now, just to spite me, this stupid red light refused to change. Not that I could've run it anyway-traffic was so jam-packed that even an ant couldn't squeeze through.
I glared at the light as if I could intimidate it into submission.
He's still at the château, right? He's waiting for me, isn't he?
...Waiting for me? Ha. Wishful thinking. Why the hell would he wait for me?
What did I even mean to him? An older sister? A friend? Just someone he happened to know? Or worse-an irrelevant someone?
My chest tightened.
It had been a year. Had he grown taller? Probably. Better looking? Definitely.
I'd never seen a boy as beautiful as him. No clue how someone like that even happened.
I still remembered the first time we met. I was fifteen, he was ten.
Grandpa Renan was laughing with his old friend, Caspar Grimaldi. The two of them were practically royalty in Crystalholm-business titans, legends, best buds who somehow never ran out of things to talk about.
I approached, greeted them politely, and then Caspar gestured behind him.
And out stepped him.
A tiny boy, small frame, small face-but huge eyes. The kind of big, luminous eyes you only saw in oil paintings, framed by lashes that probably made angels weep.
Caspar had nudged him forward. 'Go on, say hello to Annelise.'
And he had. His voice had been soft, careful, with that childlike lilt that somehow managed to be both hesitant and endearing. There had been a hint of a plea in it, an unspoken like me?
I'd melted on the spot.
I had never been one for kids, never wanted a little brother, but in that moment, I wanted to keep him.
I had, quite literally, never spent a full day entertaining anyone before. That day, I did. I let him drag me around, let him talk in his slow, careful English, his German accent making each word sound like he was unwrapping a delicate gift. I had even found myself watching his lips move as he spoke, completely fascinated.
He had been so polite, so gentle. Like a porcelain doll that had somehow come to life.
After dinner, he left with his grandfather.
And I had felt an emptiness I hadn't expected.
A blaring horn yanked me back to reality.
Green light.
I slammed my foot on the gas and sped towards the estate.
The road was lined with trees turning gold, the early autumn wind teasing the leaves into little, lazy spirals. It was poetic, in a melancholic kind of way-the whole leaves unwillingly parting from their branches thing. If I were in a better mood, I might've thought it was beautiful. But right now, all I cared about was getting to Château Valois-sur-Loire.
At the crest of the hill, the estate loomed-a sprawling, half-hidden manor that looked like something straight out of a European countryside postcard. From the outside, it was all ivy-covered stone walls and old-world charm. Step inside, though, and between the armed guards and state-of-the-art security, you'd think you had stumbled into a billionaire mafia headquarters.
The gates opened automatically as my car approached. A few guards stood at attention, nodding as I passed.
I barely acknowledged them.
By the time I reached the main entrance, I was practically vibrating with impatience. The second I parked, I was out of the car, storming inside-only to find the grand hall completely devoid of him.
'Miss Anne, welcome back.'
I turned to find Uncle Willy standing there, ever the picture of composed efficiency.
'Where is he?' I demanded.
Uncle Willy didn't even blink. 'The two masters are in the garden. Miss Linnea and the young Grimaldis are there as well.'
Translation: Yes, he's still here, but he's not alone.
Uncle Willy was the only person who knew how I felt about him. He'd been concerned at first, back when he'd figured it out. Worried about what it meant, about where it would lead. But over time, he had become my ally, my informant-the one who always let me know when Leander Grimaldi was back in town.
Which, tragically, was only once a year.
'Thanks, Uncle Willy.' I took off, practically flying towards the garden.
Behind me, I heard him sigh. 'Miss Anne...' His voice was soft, almost resigned. 'Are you sure about this?'
I didn't answer.
I didn't want to.
Because, deep down, I knew exactly what he was asking.
Is this really a good idea? Will this end well?
We both knew the answer.
This road wasn't easy. It probably led nowhere.
But knowing that had never stopped me before.
At the entrance of the garden, I came to a halt, forcing myself to take a deep breath.
Laughter rang through the air-deep, warm, unmistakable. My grandfather and Caspar, caught up in some conversation, clearly enjoying themselves.
I steadied myself, unwilling to let them see how rattled I was.
Especially him.
I stepped into the garden, my heartbeat slightly erratic-not that I'd ever admit it. It had been a year. A year could change a lot. Had it changed him?
No.
Not him.
From the moment I met Leander Grimaldi at ten years old, through every encounter until now-nineteen and still unnervingly, almost infuriatingly untouched by the world-he had remained the same. Unspoiled. Serene.
Impossibly clean in a way that had nothing to do with soap and everything to do with whatever strange magic made him him.
Ophelia Volkov was born into a life of privilege and power. The daughter of Valdoria's High Chancellor, she has everything-wealth, influence, and a family that adores her. She lives in a château more opulent than most royal palaces, with an army of servants catering to her every whim. Her life is perfect. Except for the dream. It comes in waves of pain and longing, always the same. A room soaked in blood. A woman's voice, raw with agony-It hurts!-before the world fades into darkness. Ophelia never remembers the details. She doesn't know who the woman is. Except that she is also named Ophelia. And every time she has that dream, she wakes up weaker, her body betraying her. Weeks spent bedridden, as if something is draining the life out of her. No doctor-no court physician, no foreign specialist-has been able to explain it. Until Gideon Garnett arrives. A brilliant doctor, unflappable and composed beyond measure. A man who doesn't bow to nobility, but watches her with an intensity that makes her feel exposed, unravelled, hunted. He knows something about her condition. About the dreams. And Ophelia is about to learn that the past isn't done with her yet.
"Please trust me, I didn't do anything." "I don't believe you. I am rejecting you as my Queen and giving you the punishment of death." Alina was living outside her pack for five years. Her parents didn't try to contact her and always ignored her. Her best friend convinced her to go back to their pack and she agreed. But she had never imagined what was waiting there for her. She never thought she would meet her mate and had to face betrayal from everywhere. She had to pay for the crime which she never committed. Aaron Robertson is the king of Lycans. He is a very dominant and powerful King who not only rules Lycans but also rules other ranks of werewolves. Everyone is afraid of Lycans and he is the king of them. But who knew that he would get a mate who was just a simple Omega with no powers and strengths? He called her weak all the time but little did he know that his weak Omega would give him the biggest betrayal of his life for which he had to give her the sentence of death.
"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? "
She was the notorious Alana Wilson, a shameful daughter of the Wilson family. Her reputation went downhill after she broke her engagement with her fiance, Albert Harris. They pointed finger at her, calling her a cheater. However, in truth, who was the cheater here? Alana would do anything she could to have her engagement with Albert broken, even if it meant sacrificing her own reputation. Ten years of abuse she endured in her last life was enough. She made sure that in this life, she would never marry that cheating bastard again. As her previous crush, as well as her brother's best friend, Lorenzo Miller is now back to the country, what would happen to her already messed up life? Especially when her ex-fiance also didn't want to leave her alone. Sequel is out now! Rebirth of the Billionaire's Vengeful Actress Wife
COALESCENCE OF THE FIVE SERIES BOOK ONE: THE 5-TIME REJECTED GAMMA & THE LYCAN KING BOOK TWO: THE ROGUES WHO WENT ROGUE BOOK THREE: THE INDOMITABLE HUNTRESS & THE HARDENED DUKE *** BOOK ONE: After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate-bonds. To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. What’s worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself. She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner. King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldn’t thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him. He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesn’t seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that he’s different; and a chance to love her. But when not-so-subtle crushes, jealous suitors, self-entitled Queen-wannabes, an old flame, a silent protector and a past wedding engagement threaten to jeopardize their relationship, will Lucianne and Xandar still choose to be together? Is their love strong enough to overcome everything and everyone? Or will Lucianne resort to enduring a sixth rejection from the one person she thought she could entrust her heart with?
A man like Travis Sinclair wants nothing more than a woman who matches his sexual prowess and is used to getting everything he wants. A cold-hearted billionaire ,he lives by one rule - no love, no commitment. Ayanna Davies isn't looking for a relationship. She's focused on her work and the financial security it brings. As a high end escort, her client is full of filthy rich men who are willing to pay handsomely for her services. But when Travis Sinclair becomes one of her clients, she begins twice about mixing work with pleasure. Not knowing that he is an old acquaintance whom she despises.
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.