He was born to destroy the world that broke him. Love was never part of the plan until she became his target. Ares Clinton is the heir to the deadliest mafia dynasty in the city. Cold. Calculated. Relentless. Everyone fears him and for good reason. Ten years ago, his family was betrayed, his mother slaughtered, and his father imprisoned. Ares vanished without a trace... until now. He returns with one mission: revenge. Every name. Every face. Every lie they're all on his list. And nothing will stop him from burning the world that ruined his bloodline. But his plan hits a wall when he meets Elena Blackwoods, the innocent daughter of the man who betrayed him. Sweet. Clever. Untouchable. She's everything he should hate... and yet everything he can't resist. To Ares, she's a pawn. A trap. A weakness he can't afford. To Elena, he's in danger wrapped in a suit and she's falling for the one man who could destroy her family. As secrets unravel and enemies close in, Ares must choose between vengeance and the woman who makes him feel again. But in the mafia world, love is a liability and trust can kill. He came back to bury the past... But the past wasn't done with him.
Chapter One: The Return of the Ghost
Ten years.
That's how long it took Ares Clinton to crawl back from the ashes of betrayal.
The city skyline bled gold under the setting sun as his black Bentley glided through the streets of Ravenport. Sleek, powerful, and silent just like him. As they neared the heart of the city, the view twisted into a mockery of what used to be home. Glass towers pierced the sky, bearing names he hadn't spoken in a decade. Names he had burned into memory like a curse.
One in particular: BLACKWOODS ENTERPRISES .
"They never saw you coming," Julian said from the driver's seat, smirking as he slowed at a red light. "You really are a ghost."
Ares didn't look at him. His jaw clenched, eyes locked on the towering structure ahead Blackwoods' headquarters. The building gleamed like justice wrapped in sin.
"Ghosts haunt the living," he replied, voice a quiet threat. "And I'm not here to scare them."
He was here to destroy them.
Every lie. Every name. Every bloodstained dollar. He would rip their empire apart brick by brick.
Julian slid a file across the console. "Here. Her name's Elena Blackwoods. Twenty-three. A Law student. Recently returned from Italy. Daddy's favorite. Smart, quiet, heavily protected. Her schedule's in there."
Ares finally looked down at the file, flipping it open.
There she was.
A candid photo. Hair dark as ink, eyes the color of stormy skies. She had the kind of beauty that could calm or kill soft lips, clever gaze, an elegance that didn't belong in the world she came from.
"She doesn't know anything," Julian added. "She was just a kid when it happened."
"She's still a Blackwoods," Ares said flatly.
But something twisted in his chest as he studied her picture. There was innocence in her gaze. And something else, something familiar. A strange pull he couldn't explain.
He shoved the file shut.
"She's the key," he murmured. "And the beginning of their end."
Elena Blackwoods tapped her fingers nervously against the armrest of the leather chair in her father's office. The floor-to-ceiling windows bathed the room in cold light, but it felt like a cage.
Something was wrong.
Her father had called her in without explanation. That alone was unusual. Harold Blackwoods didn't waste time on sentiment. And now, she waited like a schoolgirl, unsure of why her chest was tight and her thoughts restless.
The door opened.
A man stepped in. Tall. Broad shoulders. An Armani suit cut to perfection. Dark hair slicked back, a scar etched faintly near his jawline like a forgotten battle.
He didn't smile.
He didn't need to.
His presence was a weapon.
"Ah," her father said, standing. "Elena, this is Mr. Ares Clinton. He'll be consulting with us on the Whitmore project."
Her heart thudded.
Clinton?
The name rang in her mind like a bell.
But it was his eyes that stunned her.
They were sharp, glacial piercing through her like she was made of glass. There was something in them. Not just calculation, but... recognition?
Why did he feel familiar?
She stood slowly, offering her hand. "It's nice to meet you."
Ares's fingers brushed hers. Cold. Controlled.
"Pleasure," he said, voice low and unreadable.
Their touch lasted a second too long.
And in that second, something cracked beneath the surface. Heat. A flicker of something buried. Then gone.
Elena withdrew her hand, masking her confusion behind a polite smile.
Her father continued talking, droning on about numbers and mergers. But she barely heard him. All she could think about was that name.
Clinton.
She'd read it before. In old news articles. Whispers of a scandal that nearly ruined her family's empire. A name swallowed by silence.
And now it stood in front of her.
Breathing.
Alive.
Why now?
Later that evening, Ares leaned against the balcony of his penthouse suite, city lights flickering below like dying stars. He poured a glass of bourbon, but didn't drink.
His mind replayed the moment their hands touched.
Elena Blackwoods.
Sweet. Naive. With eyes too kind for the blood she carried in her veins.
He hated that she didn't flinch when she met him. That she didn't look guilty. That she reminded him of the world before everything burned.
"She's not what I expected," he muttered.
Julian, lounging on the couch behind him, raised a brow. "You're not going soft, are you?"
Ares shot him a look. "She's a pawn. Nothing more."
"Keep telling yourself that," Julian said with a shrug.
Ares looked back out over the city. His grip on the glass tightened until it cracked.
She felt like something more.
That made her dangerous.
The next morning...
Elena walked into Blackwoods HQ earlier than usual, hoping to clear her head. But as soon as she stepped into the elevator, her breath caught.
He was already there.
Ares stood near the back, arms folded, phone in hand. Impossibly composed.
"Miss Blackwoods," he greeted, as the doors closed behind her.
She nodded. "Mr. Clinton."
Silence stretched between them.
The elevator hummed as it ascended. Thirty floors of tension.
She glanced at him.
His jaw clenched. His eyes forward. But she could feel his awareness of her.
"I did some reading last night," she said finally.
He turned slightly, one brow raised.
"About your family. The Clintons. My father never mentioned he knew them."
Ares didn't blink. "Did he mention why he stopped?"
She faltered. "No. Just silence."
"Silence is often guilt in disguise," he replied.
The elevator dinged.
Before she could respond, the doors opened and he was gone, his footsteps vanishing down the marble hallway.
Elena stood frozen.
What did he mean by that?
That night...
Ares walked through the rusted gates of the Clinton family estate. Overgrown vines wrapped around the columns, and shattered windows stared like hollow eyes. The mansion had been left to rot.
Just like them.
Inside, he lit a single candle and walked to the old study. Dust coated the bookshelves, but he knew exactly where to look.
Behind a row of books, he pulled out an aged, bloodstained envelope.
He opened it.
Inside was a photo.
His father, smiling. His mother, radiant.
And a man in the background Harold Blackwoods.
Standing behind them with a glass raised.
Smiling like a friend.
Ares crushed the photo in his hand.
This wasn't revenge.
This was justice.
Elena sat in her bedroom, flipping through an old album when a torn photograph slipped from between the pages.
It was faded, almost unreadable.
But there, tucked in the corner, was a boy.
Dark hair. Familiar eyes.
Ares?
Her heart pounded.
Why would his photo be in her family album?
Two heirs. One ancient war. And a bond that could destroy them both. The Nightfang and Silverclaw packs have been enemies for generations. Their blood feud runs deep, written in the scars of battles long past. Celyn Nightfang, the fiery daughter of the Nightfang Alpha, has always lived in the shadow of war. Reckless and defiant, she's not afraid to test boundaries even when that means stepping into forbidden territory. When she's caught on enemy land, she expects a swift death. Instead, she meets Lucas Silverclaw, cold, ruthless, and heir to everything she was raised to hate. But there's something else. A pull. A bond. The unmistakable mark of the fated mate. Their connection is the ultimate betrayal. If discovered, it would spark a war neither side could survive. As secrets unravel and danger grows from within and beyond their packs, Celyn and Lucas must decide: will they sacrifice their love to stop the war... or risk everything to be together?
"His Cold Gaze, My Secret Flame" Evelyn's life as an assistant at the powerful Kursh Corporation takes an unexpected turn when she overhears something she wasn't meant to hear. Her curiosity sparks a dangerous game with the ruthless CEO, Brian Kursh, a man whose cold gaze hides a world of secrets and lies. As Evelyn delves deeper into the dark side of the company, she uncovers whispers of a mysterious project that could ruin them all. But the more she learns, the more she realizes she's becoming entangled in a web of corporate intrigue, hidden desires, and a power struggle she never anticipated. With Brian watching her every move, Evelyn finds herself caught between the truth she seeks and the passion that threatens to consume her. Will she uncover the secrets of Project Nexus, or will her dangerous curiosity lead her down a path she can't escape?
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
Iris grew from an orphaned child to the adopted daughter of the Stewart family at age ten, finding warmth in her nominal uncle Vincent's kindness. Seven years later, she became his secret lover. When Vincent's engagement was announced, gossip spread about the notorious playboy CEO finally settling down. But only Iris knew the extent of his cold, two-faced nature. Iris fell for Vincent and, through tears, begged, "Marry me," only to be met with his frosty refusal. Defeated, she accepted a lawyer's proposal, sparking public excitement. Then, on her wedding day, Vincent pleaded desperately, "Don't marry him…"
Melanie married Ashton out of gratitude, but she quickly found herself entangled in a web of relentless challenges. Despite these struggles, she stayed true to her commitment to the marriage. In the hospital room, Ashton indifferently attempted to draw her blood, disregarding her discomfort. This callous act was a harsh revelation for Melanie, awakening her to the grim reality of their relationship. Resolved to prioritize her own welfare, she decided to sever ties. With newfound resolve, Melanie filed for divorce. In the process, she unveiled her concealed identities, leaving everyone in shock. Throughout these turbulent times, Melanie realized that Derek, Ashton’s uncle, had been discreetly protecting her all along.
Bailey seems to be never destined to fit in, a little geeky, but under it all, a hidden beauty that so many seem to miss, but still not what her pack Alpha is looking for in a fated mate... so he is determined to reject her and make her life hell. Bailey, knowing her life will likely never be the same focuses on what she can control, her future, and heads off to study; becoming a teacher. Asher is the Beta of Autumn Valley Pack, a neighbouring pack. A broken man having suffered the loss of his mate after a rogue attack, Asher is slowly crumbling. Falling to pieces. A shadow of his former self, and not a man that anyone wants to be around anymore... Until, Autumn Valley Pack require a new teacher, and Bailey finds herself there and pushed together with the Beta. Is there a connection building or is that in their imaginations? And what will happen when Bailey's mate comes back to claim what is his?
Dear readers, this book has resumed daily updates. It took Sabrina three whole years to realize that her husband, Tyrone didn't have a heart. He was the coldest and most indifferent man she had ever met. He never smiled at her, let alone treated her like his wife. To make matters worse, the return of the woman he had eyes for brought Sabrina nothing but divorce papers. Sabrina's heart broke. Hoping that there was still a chance for them to work on their marriage, she asked, "Quick question,Tyrone. Would you still divorce me if I told you that I was pregnant?" "Absolutely!" he responded. Realizing that she didn't mean shit to him, Sabrina decided to let go. She signed the divorce agreement while lying on her sickbed with a broken heart. Surprisingly, that wasn't the end for the couple. It was as if scales fell off Tyrone's eyes after she signed the divorce agreement. The once so heartless man groveled at her bedside and pleaded, "Sabrina, I made a big mistake. Please don't divorce me. I promise to change." Sabrina smiled weakly, not knowing what to do...
For three years, Shane and Yvonne were wed, sharing heated nights, while his devotion clung to his ex. Yvonne strove to be a dutiful wife, yet their marriage felt hollow, built on desire rather than real warmth. All changed when she became pregnant, only for Shane to thrust her onto the operating table, warning, “Either you or the baby survives!” Broken by his cruelty, she vanished in grief and later returned, radiantly accomplished, leaving everyone awestruck. Haunted by remorse, Shane begged for another chance, but Yvonne only smiled and replied, “I’m sorry, men no longer interest me.”