Izalea Benson was Hollywood's golden girl, loved, envied, and adored by millions. But behind the luxury and glamour, there were secrets dark enough to destroy her. When a scandal shatters her world, she disappears, desperate to protect what's left of her life. In New Orleans, Izalea meets Ruel Clerk, a quiet and mysterious neighbor with secrets of his own. As their bond deepens, so does danger, and with it, a forbidden desire that jeopardizes everything she's trying to protect. Yet, something about him feels like both safety... and danger, all at once. With enemies closing in and her past catching up to her, Izalea is faced with a choice: flee from her past, surrender to fate, or risk everything for a love that was never meant to survive.
The reporters, cameras, and voices, were all hunting for a sight of something, or someone familiar. Red carpets, crowd cheers, and that pressure to maintain a smile through it all. I once believed it was all I wanted, but now it felt like a memory I couldn't reach like I was watching someone else live that dream.
I never imagined myself standing here, facing arrest.
"Izalea Benson, you're under arrest for the embezzlement of funds from the Allstar best and creative agency."
I could feel my legs weakening as I heard those words, which became barely audible. The next thing I knew, my hands were shackled in handcuffs, the cold metal digging into my wrist as the FBI came behind me, with their voices severe and cold, reciting my rights as if they were speaking to a criminal.
As we stepped outside, the flashing lights of police cars and news vans blurred in the distance. I was immediately blinded by the bright lights from the cameras causing me to squint, they flashed like a thousand eyes watching for a gossip. At this point, I could almost picture the headlines writing themselves.
This wasn't the goal. I had carefully maintained a low profile and avoided anything that could damage my reputation, or so I thought. But here I was, handcuffed, surrounded by agents, while the press encircled us like animals ready to devour their prey.
"Are the accusations true?"
"Are you involved in the agency's millions being embezzled?"
I didn't respond. Those words sounded even more surprising to me who carried the charges, as if they belonged to someone else. Still, it was a burden that pulled me towards confusion and fear.
Just a few months ago, I was the movie star of Hollywood, the one every producer sought. Now, I was the face of a scandal, that even I found it odd. My mind battled for a clue as to know why things went so wrong.
But then, betrayal never warns you. It just happens, quietly and suddenly.
The agents took me to their vehicle, covering me from the unending flow of questions, even though they couldn't shield my ears from their words.
They sat me in the backseat, and I leaned my head against the cool window, lost in my thoughts and watching the blur of the city as it passed.
I wasn't Izalea Benson anymore, the darling actress of the industry. I was a suspect.
And the worst part? I didn't even know how.
Amid the glare of fame and the shadow of her secrets. Izalea Benson, a 5-star actress gets entangled in a web of scandals and mysteries. Izalea, desperate to restore her reputation and forced into seclusion, moves into the mystery world of werewolves and ends up in the arms of Ruel Clerk, an enigmatic strange neighbor who comes with his werewolf baggage; his presence stimulates a forbidden desire. The threats hovering in the dark grow closer as their bond forms, tied by fate but torn apart by circumstance, they embark on a perilous journey, leaving them with difficult decisions. Can love prevail over a forbidden romance and lethal circumstances, or will the forces attempting to pull them apart triumph?
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."
"Mr. Evans, please maintain some dignity. Don't forget I'm your brother's wife!" Having caught her husband and best friend together in the bed, Elena wanted nothing more than to exact revenge on the people she once called family. She refused to be a pitiful divorcee and vowed to make everyone who had once looked down on her beg for forgiveness. And to start with her newfound freedom, Elena indulges in a one-night stand with a stranger. However, what was meant to be a fleeting escape turns into a nightmare when she learns that the stranger is none other than her husband's older brother! Would Elena be free from the shackles of her marriage? Or would the mysterious stranger make her life a living hell since he seemed to have a personal vendetta against his family? [The story is 18+ and involves mature content.]
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!
Rachel used to think that her devotion would win Brian over one day, but she was proven wrong when his true love returned. Rachel had endured it all—from standing alone at the altar to dragging herself to the hospital for an emergency treatment. Everyone thought she was crazy to give up so much of herself for someone who didn’t return her feelings. But when Brian received news of Rachel’s terminal illness and realized she didn’t have long to live, he completely broke down. "I forbid you to die!" Rachel just smiled. She no longer needed him. "I will finally be free."
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?"
Blinded in a crash, Cary was rejected by every socialite—except Evelina, who married him without hesitation. Three years later, he regained his sight and ended their marriage. "We’ve already lost so many years. I won’t let her waste another one on me." Evelina signed the divorce papers without a word. Everyone mocked her fall—until they discovered that the miracle doctor, jewelry mogul, stock genius, top hacker, and the President's true daughter… were all her. When Cary came crawling back, a ruthless tycoon had him kicked out. "She's my wife now. Get lost."