The Pastor's mistress

A sensual and suspenseful story, Beneath a Velvet Mask takes place in the gilded shadows of Paris, where political corruption and desire collide and nothing is as it seems. By day, Maison Rouge is a well-known charity foundation that serves as a facade for Europe's elite power brokers. It transforms into a shady palace of pleasure at night, ruled by velvet masks and whispered contracts. Isadora Vellore, elegant and elusive, wears many faces-socialite, benefactor, seductress, spy. Isadora is scarred by the mysterious death of her brother Lucien and forced to choose between duty and passion. Her lover, Damien Leclair, is a sharp-eyed agent with secrets of his own, tasked with monitoring her while hiding his heart. Dravoux, the icy and authoritative second-in-command at Maison Rouge, is by her side. He is loyal to the house but craves power. Mikhail Ardent, Isadora's godfather and the political puppet master who controls both governments and hearts, is lurking in the shadows. The masks begin to fall, however, when a rising courtesan named Valentina Morel discovers a secret ledger linking the pleasure house to covert arms deals and Sebastian Pyker, Damien's bitter rival, reappears with blood on his hands. Pursued by journalists like Aria Wolfe, haunted by the ghost of her brother Lucien, and torn between love and loyalty, Isadora must uncover the truth-before it destroys her. In a city where every rooftop is a battleground and every silk-draped room hides a secret, can love survive beneath the velvet mask? Masked elites dance among whispering courtesans at a lavish masquerade gala at Maison Rouge, complete with crystal-dripping chandeliers. Isadora Vellore oversees the event, her expression poised, but her mind racing-tonight marks the tenth anniversary of Lucien's presumed death. In a wolf mask, Damien Leclair appears. Their chemistry crackles as they share a cryptic dance. Unspoken tension simmers: they were lovers, and still are-secretly. In the shadows, Dravoux watches, marking names of guests tied to illicit finances. He subtly threatens Valentina Morel, warning her not to "climb too fast." Isadora gets a note in her glove that reads, "Lucien lives." By day, Maison Rouge operates as a charity advocating for displaced refugees, thanks to its spotless PR team-led covertly by Mikhail Ardent. The foundation's finances are questioned by independent journalist Aria Wolfe, but she encounters challenges at every turn. Damien meets with Sebastian Pyker, another government agent. Their rivalry is bitter-Sebastian accuses Damien of being "too involved" with Isadora. In a cold, sterile government HQ beneath the Ministry, Pyker presents a dossier: Maison Rouge is a hub for laundering arms money. While seducing a Czech diplomat, Valentina discovers a secret ledger. She is terrified by the names she sees, including Mikhail Ardent's. Aria watches Valentina pass the ledger to an unidentified individual as she follows her through the back alleys of Paris. Aria attempts to take pictures but is caught. Isadora and Damien meet on a private rooftop. He demands she stop interfering; she accuses him of spying on her. They kiss, forbidden, desperate, and hungry. He nearly tells her the truth about Lucien but stops. Back at Maison Rouge, Dravoux corners Valentina. He tells her in a chilling BDSM sequence that loyalty is the only safe word. Mikhail warns Isadora: "Control the narrative, or it will control you." A message arrives from a Balkan nation ravaged by war. A grainy picture of Lucien Vellore alive, chained, underground is attached. Isadora turns to Damien for help. They argue over trust. She learns he's been ordered to take her down if she crosses the line. Flashback: ten years ago, Lucien's "death" was a political cover-up involving a failed operation Mikhail authorized. It was explained to Isadora as a suicide. Aria infiltrates the government HQ via stolen credentials. She finds Lucien's early surveillance footage. A strategy emerges: seize Lucien, expose Mikhail, and, if necessary, burn Maison Rouge. Maison Rouge becomes a chessboard. Isadora seduces an arms dealer who funded Lucien's imprisonment. Valentina switches sides to help her. Under the estate, Pyker conducts a raid on a hidden BDSM chamber. He finds blood, chains, ledgers-and Dravoux, who escapes through a secret tunnel. Damien is caught between duty and love. He was supposed to arrest Isadora, but he turns on Pyker and accuses him of espionage. Aria broadcasts a secret stream exposing Maison Rouge's double life. The city erupts in scandal. Isadora prevents Mikhail from fleeing Paris at the airport. Under a blood-red sky, Isadora and Damien launch a rooftop rescue. As they retrieve Lucien from a guarded safehouse, explosions shake the skyline. Dravoux makes one last offer: if she joins him, she can lead a new empire of shadows. She declines. Lucien, weak but alive, exposes Mikhail's entire network before collapsing in Isadora's arm

When a mysterious letter arrives at her brownstone apartment, Clara Vance-an editor nursing heartbreak in the heart of Manhattan-finds herself drawn into the story of a town that doesn't exist on any map. Her curiosity eventually leads her to Eli Dawson, a quiet artist with his own secrets. Clara begins to unravel a past that may not be entirely hers with the assistance of her jovial roommate Marla, a reclusive bookseller by the name of Bea, and letters signed by an unknown individual. A moving tale about second chances, quiet places, and the kind of love that comes out of nowhere. October in New York City A coppery wax stamp without initials sealed the creamy white envelope, which was thick and textured. It was in Clara Vance's mailbox, between an unsubscribed issue of The New Yorker and an electric bill. She opened it in the hallway, leaning against the peeling paint of the front door of her brownstone. The bookstore café down the hall was emitting the scent of roasted coffee beans. > "To the girl who forgets to look up: There's a place that misses you. Locate it. It is standing by the lake." There was no signature. merely a return address from Davenport's Reach, New York, a place she'd never heard of. In their tiny, sun-drenched kitchen, she showed it to Marla that night over wine and leftover pad thai. Marla read it twice. "This is either a stalker, a marketing ploy, or an angel whose handwriting is terrible." Too exhausted to care, Clara laughed. "Or the incorrect Vance was simply discovered by mail," The name Davenport's Reach, on the other hand, lingered in her mind as she lay in bed later. The Last Page was run by Bea Kensington. It was a bookstore café on Amsterdam Avenue that was hidden between two flower shops. The shelves creaked, the scones were always warm, and the regulars mostly brought their own mugs. Clara had edited novels there for three years. It was there that Julian Park broke off their engagement six months after she fell in love with him. It was also where she met Rosa, the barista who brewed heartbreak the same way she brewed espresso-bold and with a twist of sarcasm. Before Clara spoke, the letter was noticed by Bea. "That's Davenport's Reach," the old woman said, adjusting her tortoiseshell glasses. "I haven't heard that name in fifty years." "Have you been there?" "More like I left it behind," Bea said. "Before the city pulled me in. There are some places you only visit in letters or dreams. Clara felt the pull again. not only of the location but also of the story. An editor's curse. "Do you think it's real?" Bea sipped her tea. "Does it matter? If a place is written well enough, it might as well be." She met him on the F train. Clara's tote bag had tipped over, spilling manuscripts all over the floor, and it was crowded. He knelt down to assist her and handed her the pages without observing. A sketchbook was in his lap, and his fingers were covered in ink. "Thanks," she said, catching her breath. He responded, glancing at the title of the manuscript, "No problem." "That one has a sad ending." "Have you read it?" He nodded. "Once. In a different life." His name was Eli Dawson. He lived in a fourth-floor walk-up in Brooklyn, painted portraits that looked like they missed someone, and rarely smiled with his eyes. There was something about him that made Clara feel like she had just walked into the second chapter of something she should've started long ago. They started running into each other more-on the train, in Central Park, in the bookstore. Rosa called it "a plot device." The second letter came with a pressed leaf. > "The lake turns silver in October. That's when the geese start calling. You always said the silence there was louder than the subway." It made Clara ache. Over breakfast, she told Marla. "It's like they know things I've never said aloud." Marla played with a spoon. "Maybe they do. Perhaps you are writing to yourself. Your future self." "Or my past." The letters kept coming. Stories were sometimes told. Occasionally, lists Once, a map of a lakeside town with no roads in or out. She told Eli about them on a walk through Central Park, leaves crunching beneath their boots. He looked distant. "My brother used to send me letters like that. After his stroke, he forgot most things but remembered places that never existed." "Henry?" Eli nodded. "I had no idea he was sick," I said. He's doing better now. But changed. He paints only one thing now-a dock, on a lake, with a red canoe. Julian Park appeared at her doorstep one rainy afternoon, hair wet, eyes nostalgic. "I saw your name on a galley proof," he said. "Missing you." Clara's response was, "You missed owning me." "There is a distinction." Life, to Julian, was always like a chessboard. Clara had had enough of him being his queen. The next day, she ran into Zadi Thompson-Eli's ex-at The Last Page. Zadi was all angles and red lips. "You're the editor," Zadi said, leani

Introduces Elena: poised, haunted. Once celebrated member of Victor Lang's contingent; now on the run. The city's duality: vibrant tourism vs. simmering unrest-political protests crackling in back alleys. Elena tails Damien Cross, her clandestine lover, through Alfama's maze. He's suave, distant-danger lurks beneath his charm. A near‑miss car bomb-makes clear: someone's watching Elena. Behind the Smiles Within the glass towers of Avenida da Liberdade lies wealth and covert dealings... Introduction of Victor Lang, Elena's former handler, meeting Sophia Delaine at a high‑stakes fundraiser. Sophia is elegant but icy-she resents Elena's return. Damien confronts Victor-there's tension: Victor warns Damien to step back from Elena; Damien refuses. Reuben Wolfe, Victor's loyal deputy, appears-he's torn. Observes Elena from afar. Their eyes meet across the room; sparks. A brief romantic moment between Damien and Elena in the sky‑bridge of two towers; they debate fleeing, stealing damning intel on a powerful financier. Political minister is revealed as target-someone's leaking info. Run‑Down Church Safehouse – Echoes of the Past At a defunct Igreja in Graça, Elena holes up for sanctuary. Interior scene: peeling frescoes, dusty pews, a single hanging lamp. The hush is tense. Anya Novak arrives-Elena's former handler turned rival. Cold confrontation: Anya demands Elena surrender the data file. Elena refuses. Flashbacks: Elena's training under Victor and Anya... first betrayal; her choice to leave. A secret confession between Elena and Julian Rowe, the military priest who once sheltered her. Confessional booth talk: Julian's torn between duty and care; Elena reveals her deepest fears. Undercover detective Alega catches wind-they meet secretly; they have a history. She's torn: pity for Elena yet duty-bound. On the Edge of Escape Dramatic night: rugged cliffs north of Lisbon, wind howling over waves. Elena, Damien, and Reuben sprint to a hidden military jeep. Reuben's presence is unexpected-he's gone rogue in service of Elena. A sniper shot-Anya's sniper team appears at the cliff edge. Gunfight ensues. Elena's shaken; Damien is hit. Reuben rescues Damien; they all descend the rock: dramatic, intimate moment as he carries her lover to safety. Victor appears-his team has arrived. He calls Elena to stand down. Intense standoff: Elena pleads for truth. Victor readies his gun, but Reuben steps forward. There's an emotional rupture-Reuben declaring loyalty to Elena, not Victor, offering her escape. Victor hesitates. Lies and Redemption Safe behind walls of a secluded Sintra villa, dawn arrives. The villa-crimson shutters, blooming gardens, hidden panic rooms. Elena and Damien recover; Reuben is tending to wounds. Sophia storms in-she's in tears. Confrontation: she's discovered Victor's manipulations, uses Elena to regain power. Elaine (Is that Sophia? maybe rename to Sophie), but anyway: Sophia reveals she's been orchestrating the leaks as revenge. Victor arrives-blames Elena for betrayals. Julian appears-he's risked everything to find and protect Elena. He reveals secret military documents in archives that could bring down corrupt bankers implicated in political unrest. Alega, the detective, arrives with squad-ready to arrest everyone. But she opts for an arrest of the truly corrupt: Victor and Sophia. Elena bargains: the documents must go public. In the climactic final scene: the stolen files are uploaded; the conspirators are outed. Victor and Sophia are taken in. Elena, Damien, and Reuben stand together as dawn breaks. They decide: freedom-but at cost. An ambiguous but hopeful final note as they walk to catch a dawn ferry-and Julian's voiceover: "Sometimes love is the only revolution left." BONUS – Character Relationships, Themes & Mini‑Sketches 🔹 Elena & Damien Intense pull‑push. Their love is refuge, but the world intrudes. They have stolen lunches on rooftops, whispered about escape, and now must decide if they can survive together. 🔹 Elena & Victor Father‑figure betrayal. Victor's mix of pride, regret, rage. Their confrontation hits all the past wounds-he trained her but then sacrificed her. 🔹 Elena & Sophia Neighbor turned enemy. Sophia envied Elena's grace and success. She brokers high‑society connections and criminal ties. 🔹 Elena & Reuben Protector turned lover. He's loyal to Victor (and Sophia), but love shifts alliances. In border‑cliff scene, their chemistry bursts through conflict. 🔹 Elena & Julian Spiritual confidant. A military priest who once absolved Elena of past ops. He's her anchor in moral chaos. 🔹 Elena & Anya Two sides of the same coin. Former partners. Their clash is method vs. instinct, cold logic vs. emotional reckoning. 🔹 Elena & Alega Detective sympathy.

The Bride's Double Life Where vows collide with secrets, and love wears a mask... Camille Rowe is about to marry into the illustrious Ward family in the quiet elegance of Hollow Creek. To the townspeople, she's the perfect bride: elegant, devoted, reborn. However, beneath the lace and assurances is a woman fleeing a perilous past. In Brooklyn, she's known by another name-the seductive and secretive songstress at The Red Veil Bar, where the lights are low and the lies run deep. Unaware of the storm his bride carries beneath her veil, the groom, Ethan Ward, is a polished corporate heir with charm and legacy in his veins. But secrets don't stay buried forever, especially not in The Wedding Estate, where walls have ears and ghosts whisper names. When Jonas Blake, Camille's former lover and the only man who knew her truth, returns from the shadows, Camille's fragile new world trembles. Not only was their past sexy, but it was also dangerous. And incomplete. Margot Rowe, Camille's estranged sister, shows up unannounced and begins to cauterize the wounds that have not healed. Her motives? Murky. Who are her allies? Unclear. And lurking not far behind is Detective Alana Verge, a hard-nosed Brooklyn cop chasing a trail of crimes that lead straight to Camille's polished new life. As Mrs. Evelyn Ward, Ethan's shrewd and grieving mother, watches with cold suspicion, Dominic Crane-a stranger with cryptic warnings and connections to Camille's past-emerges from the crowd, speaking in riddles and truths she isn't ready to face. Only Avery Kent, Camille's fiercely loyal best friend, knows how far Camille has gone to escape her past-and how close she is to losing herself in the web she's spun. Everything unravels at the Ridgewell Train Station, where time once stopped for Camille-and may again. It's where destinies collide, where identities confront each other in the stark light of truth, and where love, vengeance, and redemption await their final curtain. In a world where every character wears a mask, Camille must decide which life is real-the one she escaped or the one she's trying to build. Will she run again... or finally stand and fight for the woman she's become?

Loyalty in the Lie Verdona shines in the Mediterranean sun as a coastal paradise where power is bought in whispers and wealth disguises corruption. Champagne and secrets abound in rooftop bars. A network of lies pulses in the veins of the city beneath the marble of government halls and the gleam of elite galas. Isabella Leone is both a product of Verdona and its greatest threat. A political strategist trained by the cunning General Tomas Elroy, she's tasked with dismantling an international syndicate whose roots coil deep into the state's machinery. Isabella's loyalty begins to break down, however, when her covert assignment brings her face to face with Marcus Vidal, the man who once broke her heart but now serves the empire she is supposed to destroy. Her closest friend, Celia Amador, acts as her anchor in public life, PR officer to Verdona's elite, but secretly collaborates with rebel leader Eduardo Casillas-a man as idealistic as he is dangerous. Unbeknownst to Isabella, Celia's loyalties are shifting too, and Eduardo's war may be closer than she thinks. Hovering in the shadows is Raoul "Rafe" Lender, head of a brutal underground syndicate that operates through blackmail, murder, and money laundering. He has a history with Isabella's powerful aunt, the city's notorious mafia queen Valerie Leone, and he has an even greater stake in concealing the truth. The only person who has access to the city's darkest secrets is relentless investigative journalist Lucien Ramos, who is also hopelessly in love with Isabella and is obsessed with exposing Verdona's decay. But telling the truth may cost him everything, including the woman he can never quite reach. Isabella must choose between serving the mission, saving the man, or lighting Verdona on fire as the city's balance shifts and hidden rebel camps prepare for war. Because in Verdona, loyalty is just another kind of lie.

Blurb: "The Trophy Wife's Revenge" In the sprawling ultra-modern coastal city of Verona Bay, where opulence masks a web of corruption and crime, Valeria Moreau finds herself at the heart of a dangerous game. Valeria Kane appears to have everything-wealth, status, and a life of luxury-because she is married to Marcus Kane, a powerful but cruel man. But beneath the surface, her marriage is a façade, hiding dark secrets that threaten to destroy her. When private detective Adrian Wolfe is hired to spy on Valeria, he quickly realizes that there is more going on than just a simple affair. He has a sharp mind and a dark past. As he uncovers the layers of betrayal, he begins to question his loyalty and motivations. A woman with a burning desire for justice is hidden behind Valeria's cold exterior, and her aspiration to exact vengeance on those who have wronged her is beginning to take shape. Her ferocious best friend and criminal partner, Isabella "Izzy" Saint Valerie, stands by her side and is determined to assist her in retaliating against the men who have abused and abused her. Victor Crane, Marcus Kane's loyal bodyguard and enforcer, serves as both a protector and a constant reminder of the power Marcus holds over her life. Elena Martell, an investigative journalist, is hot on their trail, desperate to uncover the truth behind the city's elite corruption. But the stakes are higher than anyone realizes when Damien Cross, Valeria's ex-lover, resurfaces, bringing with him a trail of unresolved passion and danger. Meanwhile, Governor Nolan Trent, a crooked politician whose ties to Verona Bay's underground crime syndicate run deep, holds the key to unlocking the final pieces of the puzzle. As Valeria's plan unfolds, secrets are revealed, alliances shift, and everyone is forced to confront their darkest desires. Will Valeria be able to reclaim her life, or will the corrupt city of Verona Bay consume her? Action, suspense, love, betrayal, and the struggle for power in a city that plays by its own rules make up The Trophy Wife's Revenge, a high-stakes thriller. In a game where only the most dangerous players can survive, secrets will be exposed, loyalties will be tested, and lives will be destroyed.

"Lucien, let's get a divorce," I said in a peremptory tone that was long overdue, the most decisive farewell to this absurd marriage. We had been married for exactly three years-three years that, for me, were filled with nothing but endless loneliness and torment. For three years, the husband who should have stood by my side through every storm, Lucien Sullivan, had completely disappeared from my life as if he had never existed. He vanished without a trace, leaving me alone to endure this empty, desolate marriage. Today, I finally received his message: "I'm back. Come pick me up at the airport." When I read his words, my heart leapt with joy, and I raced to the airport, thinking that he finally understood my love and was coming back to me. But his cruelty was far worse than I could have ever imagined-he was accompanied by a pregnant woman, and that woman was Carla, my closest and most trusted friend. In that moment, all of my previous excitement, all my hope, and all of our shared laughter and tears turned into the sharpest of daggers, stabbing into my heart and leaving me gasping for air. Now, all I want is to escape from this place that has left me so broken-to lick my wounds in solitude. Even if these wounds will remain with me for the rest of my life, I refuse to have anything to do with him ever again. He should know that it was his own hand that trampled our love underfoot, that his coldness and betrayal created this irreparable situation. But when he heard those words, he desperately clung to this broken, crumbling marriage, unwilling to let it end-almost as though doing so could rewind time and return everything to how it used to be. "Aurora, come back. I regret everything!" Regret? Those simple words stirred no emotion in me-only endless sadness and fury. My heart let out a frantic, desperate scream: It's too late for any of this!

Scarlett was left betrayed and broken beyond repair when her best friend Megan set her up with the male escort who stole her virginity...Or at least, that's what she thought he was. There was something odd about the strong and strikingly beautiful man that she spent a night with. Despite the pure hatred she felt for him, the deals he ended up offering wasn't one she could refuse. Scarlett always thought she'd marry her soulmate but turns out, that won't be the case for her. But could her mysterious husband make his way through her broken heart and fix it? It's hard to imagine but love has funny ways to manifest in places where it's least expected....

Katherine endured mistreatment for three years as Julian's wife, sacrificing everything for love. But when his sister drugged her and sent her to a client's bed, Katherine finally snapped. She left behind divorce papers, walking away from the toxic marriage. Years later, Katherine returned as a radiant star with the world at her feet. When Julian saw her again, he couldn't ignore the uncanny resemblance between her new love and himself. He had been nothing but a stand-in for someone else. Desperate to make sense of the past, Julian pressed Katherine, asking, "Did I mean nothing to you?"

Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.

She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"

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!"