Alessandro Moretti, a 45-year-old mafia boss, needs a fake fiancée to distract from his criminal empire. Emilia Rossi, a 23-year-old gold digger, agrees to play the part for a life of luxury. But what starts as a calculated lie quickly spirals into something more dangerous as they are pulled into a web of passion, betrayal, and deadly enemies. As Emilia finds herself pregnant, she's torn between Alessandro-and a secret from her past that could destroy them both. In a world where love is a weakness and survival is key, their forbidden attraction could be their greatest weapon-or their undoing. Gilded Lies is a tale of power, deceit, and the cost of love in a world where no one can be trusted.
The villa loomed ahead like a predator in the dark-stone walls cloaked in ivy, windows glowing faintly gold in the dying light. Emilia Rossi stepped out of the black Maserati with the slow, deliberate grace of someone used to being watched.
Her heels sank into the gravel before she reached the marble steps. She didn't flinch, didn't falter. The slit in her crimson dress teased up her thigh with every step. She let it. This wasn't a visit-it was an entrance.
The door opened before she could knock.
"Miss Rossi," the butler intoned, dressed in black like he was mourning. "Mr. Moretti is expecting you. This way."
Of course he was.
As she was led through the grand corridors, the air was heavy with the scent of aged leather, expensive cologne, and something subtler-gunpowder, maybe. The villa whispered secrets. It had seen power plays, blood oaths, maybe even murders.
And now, her.
They stopped at two towering double doors.
"He's inside," the butler murmured, then vanished like a ghost.
Emilia didn't hesitate. She pushed the doors open.
Inside, Alessandro Moretti sat like a king in his fortress. A single glass of whiskey rested near his hand. The fireplace crackled behind him, casting shadows across his sharp cheekbones and salt-and-pepper hair. He didn't stand. He didn't need to.
His presence hit her like a fist-powerful, cold, magnetic.
"You're late," he said.
"And you're old," she replied, gliding toward the chair opposite him. "But I hear you still have your teeth."
A pause.
Then, the corner of his mouth lifted. Not quite a smile. More like amusement with a knife edge.
He gestured toward the chair.
"Let's talk about our arrangement."
She sat, crossing one leg over the other, deliberately showing off the slit in her dress. "You want a fiancée. I want security. Luxury. An upgrade."
"Honesty. How rare." He swirled the whiskey in his glass. "But you'll have to be more than just pretty."
She leaned forward. "I'm more than pretty. I know how to play a role. I can make the press fall in love with me, make your enemies underestimate me, and make your allies jealous. I can wear diamonds like armor. Smile like I'm in love. Lie like I was born for it."
His eyes narrowed, studying her like a puzzle he wasn't sure he wanted to solve.
"You'll move into the villa," he said. "Tonight. There will be media appearances. Dinners. Kisses for the cameras. I expect obedience in public."
"And in private?" she asked, voice like silk wrapped around steel.
"In private, I expect silence," he said. "And loyalty."
Loyalty. That word meant something different in his world. It meant blood and bullets.
"I want fifty thousand upfront," Emilia said. "And monthly deposits after. A wardrobe budget. Jewelry allowance. And I pick the engagement ring."
Alessandro stared at her. "Done."
She blinked.
"Just like that?"
"I'm not in the business of wasting time."
He rose from his chair then, tall and lethal. He came around the desk and stopped in front of her, closer than necessary.
"You'll wear my name," he said softly. "But you'll also wear a target. My enemies will see you as a weakness. So I need to know-are you as unbreakable as you look?"
She met his gaze without flinching. "Try me."
A beat. Then he turned away, tossing a folder onto the desk.
"The contract. Read it. Sign it. We go public in forty-eight hours."
She picked up the folder, thumbing through it briefly. The terms were strict. Clauses about discretion, public behavior, image maintenance. One line stood out:
No romantic entanglements outside of this arrangement.
She smiled.
Too late.
Because she already felt the spark. The danger. The pull. And she hadn't even signed the damn thing yet.
As she pulled a pen from her clutch, her fingers brushed a faded scar across her ribs, hidden beneath silk. A reminder. Of who she used to be. Of what she'd survived.
She signed her name like a dare.
When she looked up, Alessandro was watching her. Not with warmth. Not with lust.
With calculation.
"You'll be staying in the east wing," he said. "Your room is ready."
"Our room?" she asked innocently.
He gave nothing away. "Not yet."
She rose from the chair and walked past him, deliberately brushing her shoulder against his arm. Just enough to feel the tension coil beneath his skin.
She didn't turn back as the doors closed behind her.
But her smile lingered.
Let the game begin.
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.
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."
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."
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.
Belinda thought after divorce, they would part ways for good - he could live his life on his own terms, while she could indulge in the rest of hers. However, fate had other plans in store. "My darling, I was wrong. Would you please come back to me?" The man, whom she once loved deeply, lowered his once proud head humbly. "I beg you to return to me." Belinda coldly pushed away the bouquet of flowers he had offered her and coolly replied, "It's too late. The bridge has been burned, and the ashes have long since scattered to the wind!"
"Never let anyone treat you like shit!" I learned that the hard way. For three years, I lived with my in-laws. They didn't treat me as their son-in-law but as a slave. I put up with everything because of my wife, Yolanda Lambert. She was the light of my life. Unfortunately, my whole world came crashing down the day I caught my wife cheating on me. I have never been so heartbroken. To have my revenge, I revealed my true identity. I was none other than Liam Hoffman—the heir of a family with trillions of dollars in assets! The Lamberts were utterly shocked after the big reveal. They realized what fools they had been for treating me like trash. My wife even knelt down and begged for my forgiveness. What do you think I did? Did I take her back or made her suffer? Find out!