Elena Hart is broke, burned out, and one step from losing everything. Fired. Evicted. And I'm way too tired of pretending she's fine. She never asked to be strong-just lucky enough to breathe. Then Damien Blackwood crashes into her mess like a storm in a suit. Billionaire. Ice-cold. Untouchable. And he's offering her the kind of deal that smells like danger and desperation. Be his fiancée-fake, flawless, and available for the cameras. Six months. No strings. No feelings. Just the right image, for the right price. But lines blur fast when secrets hide behind smirks when staged kisses linger a little too long... and when your fake life starts to feel like the only place you belong. He's not supposed to care. She's not supposed to stay. And when the contract cracks, one of them will fall.
"This isn't an interview. It's a proposition."
She was not shivering because of the chilly marble floors.
It was the stares.
Elena Hart was holding a rumpled resume and a prayer in the lobby of Blackwood Enterprises, also known as Billionaire Central. From the lifts with their gold accents to the bored receptionist who hadn't even bothered to look in her direction, the place glistened with power.
She moved on her heels. "Hi... I just need to speak to someone from HR."
The receptionist finally blinked. "No walk-ins," she said without looking up. "Apply online."
"I did. Twice. The site kept crashing. Please-just one chance."
She hated that her voice broke at the end.
The receptionist let out a sigh as if Elena had requested a kidney. But then, with the world's slowest finger, she pressed a button under the desk. "Someone's coming down."
And boy, someone did.
The elevator doors slid open with a smooth ding and out walked six feet of trouble wrapped in tailored gray. Sharp jawline. Sharper eyes. The kind of man who didn't walk-he owned the space around him.
Damien freaking Blackwood.
Elena felt her heart fall to her stomach.
"Is that her?" he asked in a smooth but piercing voice. Like a puzzle he was eager to solve, his eyes never left Elena and never once strayed to the receptionist.
The receptionist gave a confused nod.
He said, "Come with me."
Elena blinked. "Wait-sorry, I believe something went wrong. I'm only here for a job..
"I understand exactly why you're here."
Without saying another word, he turned and walked back into the lift.
Then threw one last command over his shoulder: "Move. I don't like wasting time."
The elevator was too quiet. Too tense. Too him.
Elena stood frozen beside him, doing her best not to breathe in his cologne or look directly at the walking wall of money beside her.
"I'm Damien Blackwood," he said. Flat. No smile. "CEO."
Okay. No pressure.
"You applied twice," he added. "Didn't finish either one."
"I tried, but the site-"
"-works fine. IT checked. You clicked out."
Busted.
"I didn't think I stood a chance," she said.
Now he gave her a direct look. Cold. Calm. Calculating. He said, "You're not here for a job." "Desperation is the reason you're here."
Her belly churned. "I'm not-"
"You are."
It wasn't cruel. Just... true. And somehow, that made it worse.
Then, for half a second, he smiled. A low, knowing, dangerous smile.
"I like that."
His office looked like a rich man's icebox-glass walls, chrome finishes, and not a single trace of actual living.
He motioned toward a chair. "Sit."
She sat, because what else could she do? Her resume was still in her hand, but at this point, it felt like a joke.
Damien sat across from her, watching. Measuring. Then:
"This isn't an interview."
She raised an eyebrow. "Right. So what is this?"
"A proposition."
She could feel the silence settling on her skin because it was so thick.
He said, as if he were pleading with her to pass the salt, "I need a fiancée." "Temporary. Fake."
Elena gazed at him as if he had developed horns. "Sorry-what?"
"I need to appear stable. Domestic. Settled. It's business."
Okay, now she was standing. "This is insane. You're insane."
He didn't flinch. Didn't even blink. "Six months. One hundred thousand dollars. Final offer."
Her breath stopped.
One. Hundred. Thousand.
That kind of money? It might pay for Grandma's medications, pay off her student loans, and perhaps even buy her some peace.
"You mean it," she said quietly.
"I'm not the joking type," he said, his voice steady.
Her heart was racing. It was too much. Too fast. Too perfect to be real.
Still, she didn't leave.
She said quietly, "You're not even asking me to love you."
"No," Damien replied. "Just play the role. We both will."
Her hands trembled as she picked up the pen. A hundred grand for six months of pretending. It was ridiculous. Dangerous. And probably the worst idea she'd ever had.
But sometimes? Survival makes you say yes to things that sound a lot like mistakes.
Even though she didn't feel it, she made an effort to speak steadily. "Everything should be in writing," she declared.
Damien leaned back, the same sly smile tugging at his lips.
"I thought you might."
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?
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."
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.
The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?
"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."
Her fiance and her best friend worked together and set her up. She lost everything and died in the street. However, she was reborn. The moment she opened her eyes, her husband was trying to strangle her. Luckily, she survived that. She signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and was ready for her miserable life. To her surprise, her mother in this life left her a great deal of money. She turned the tables and avenged herself. Everything went well in her career and love when her ex-husband came to her.