She swore to avenge her parents. He swore he was innocent. But the heart doesn't always follow the rules. After years of searching, Monica finally comes face to face with the man she believes murdered her parents. Gad is everything she imagined; dangerous, inexplicable, and impossible to trust. But as she gets closer, cracks form in the story she's been told. The truth isn't black and white, and neither are her feelings. Torn between justice and a love she never saw coming, she must uncover the real killer before she loses herself to the one man she was supposed to hate.
Chapter 1: A Shadowed Beginning.
The wind howled through the dark alleyways of Crestwood, a city where secrets clung to the streets like mist. Monica Rivers adjusted the hood of her jacket, her heart pounding as she pressed herself against the damp brick wall. Her breath came in short, controlled bursts as she peered around the corner, eyes locked on the man exiting the Grand Royale Hotel.
She had memorized his face from old newspaper clippings and surveillance footage, but seeing him in person was different. He moved with quiet confidence, his sharp eyes scanning his surroundings as if he knew he was being watched. Monica's fingers tightened around the small dagger she kept hidden in her sleeve. This was the man responsible for the death of her parents, or as she had believed for the last decade.
She took a slow breath, tonight, she would get her first real glimpse of the monster who had shattered her world.
Gad crossed the street, slipping into a black car that was waiting for him at the curb. Monica hesitated only for a second before darting into traffic, weaving between honking vehicles to keep up. Her mind was a tangle of emotions, grief, and anticipation. All these years, she had trained, waiting for the moment she could face him.
The car turned a corner, and Monica picked up her pace, her boots slapping against the pavement. She reached for her earpiece. "Do you have eyes on him?"
Static crackled before a voice answered. "Yeah. He's heading toward the docks. You sure you want to do this alone?"
"I need to," she replied, "Stay on standby."
As she ran, memories clawed their way to the surface flames, licking the sky, her mother's desperate screams, and her father's blood staining the floor. And standing among the chaos, a shadowy figure with piercing eyes. Gad Donovan. The man she had vowed to destroy.
Gad's fingers drummed against the leather seat of his car as he watched the city lights blur past. He could feel it. Someone was following him.
He exhaled slowly. It wasn't the first time.
"Want me to lose them?" his driver asked, glancing in the rearview mirror.
"No. Let them follow." Gad's voice was smooth, unaffected. He had spent too many years in the underbelly of this city to be rattled by a tail. If anything, he was curious. Who was bold enough to track him?
His thoughts shifted as the docks came into view, the salt in the air mixing with the scent of oil and decay. The car slowed, and he stepped out, pulling his coat tighter against the night's chill. He made his way toward an abandoned warehouse, his steps deliberate, knowing his pursuer would be close behind.
Monica watched from the shadows, her grip tightening on her dagger. This was it. The moment she had waited for. She inhaled sharply, then moved, swift and silent as a ghost. She reached him just as he entered the warehouse, slipping in through a side door before he could disappear.
Inside, the air was thick with dust, the only illumination coming from a few flickering overhead lights. Gad stood in the center of the vast space, his back to her. It was almost too easy.
Monica stepped forward, raising her dagger. "Gad Donovan."
He didn't turn, but she saw the subtle shift in his posture. "That's my name."
"You killed my parents."
A pause. Then, finally, he turned to face her. Their eyes met, and for a brief second, confusion flickered across his features before his expression settled into something unreadable. "Did I?"
Rage flared in Monica's chest. "Don't pretend you don't know. I saw you that night. You stood over their bodies. You"
"You saw what you wanted to see," Gad interrupted, his voice calm, measured. "But I've never killed an innocent in my life."
Monica hesitated, caught off guard by the certainty in his voice. It wasn't the reaction of a man caught in a lie. It was something else entirely.
"Then explain," she demanded, her grip on the dagger tightening. "Because I've spent the last ten years believing you were the monster who ruined my life."
Gad studied her for a long moment before he exhaled. "You're not ready for the truth."
Monica lunged. She was fast, but he was faster. He sidestepped at the last second, catching her wrist and twisting it just enough to make her drop the dagger. She spun, aiming a kick at his ribs, but he blocked it effortlessly.
"You're skilled," he admitted. "But revenge won't give you what you're looking for."
Monica wrenched free, breathing hard. "And what exactly am I looking for?"
"The real killer. The one who set that fire. The one who wanted your parents dead."
Her heart stilled. "What are you saying?"
Gad stepped closer, his voice a low murmur. "I wasn't the only shadow in that room that night. If you want justice, you need to stop looking at me and start looking at who benefited from their deaths."
Monica's mind raced. Could it be possible? Had she been chasing the wrong enemy all these years?
Gad reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "When you're ready for the truth, come find me. Until then, stop hunting ghosts."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Monica standing amidst the dust and shadows, her world shifting beneath her feet.
For as long as Emily can remember, she has wanted to overcome her shyness and explore her sexuality. Still, everything changes when she receives an invitation to visit one of the town's most prestigious BDSM clubs, DESIRE'S DEN. On the day she chose to peruse the club, she noticed three men, all dressed in suits, standing on the upper level, near the railing. Despite her limited vision, she persisted in fixating on them. Their towering statues belied the toned bodies concealed by their sharply tailored suits-or so she could tell. The hair of two of them was short and dark, and the third had light brown-possibly blond-hair that reached the shoulders. The dark, crimson background incised their figures, exuding an air of mystery and strength. They stood in stark contrast to the unfiltered, primal energy that pulsed through the club. Shocked by the desires these men aroused in her, she was disappointed to learn that they were masters seeking a slave to divide and conquer. She couldn't afford the fee, and she also realized that they were outside her league. Emily hurriedly left the club, feeling disappointed and depressed, unaware that she had also caught the group's attention. A world of wicked pleasure, three handsome men. Over the years, they have lived a life of decadence, their lavish lair serving as a stage for their most sinister desires. But despite the unending parade of willing subjects, one woman sticks out. A mysterious stranger with white porcelain skin and a killer body, a slave, a name with no address, the first lady to attract their eye and they will go to any length to obtain her no matter the consequences.
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
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!"
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
Lyric had spent her life being hated. Bullied for her scarred face and hated by everyone-including her own mate-she was always told she was ugly. Her mate only kept her around to gain territory, and the moment he got what he wanted, he rejected her, leaving her broken and alone. Then, she met him. The first man to call her beautiful. The first man to show her what it felt like to be loved. It was only one night, but it changed everything. For Lyric, he was a saint, a savior. For him, she was the only woman that had ever made him cum in bed-a problem he had been battling for years. Lyric thought her life would finally be different, but like everyone else in her life, he lied. And when she found out who he really was, she realized he wasn't just dangerous-he was the kind of man you don't escape from. Lyric wanted to run. She wanted freedom. But she desired to navigate her way and take back her respect, to rise above the ashes. Eventually, she was forced into a dark world she didn't wish to get involved with.
"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."