Love In The Mafia Wars
His Unwanted Wife, The Hidden Genius
I flew back to New York on my twenty-fifth birthday, carrying vintage gold cufflinks I spent weeks finding for my billionaire husband, Declan. But when I walked into our townhouse, I found him throwing a massive victory party with Sloane, a glamorous socialite, standing by his side as the proud hostess. "Don't cause a scene. Go upstairs." Declan coldly dismissed me in front of his guests. Even Poppy, the rookie player whose shattered ankle I had painstakingly rebuilt, rolled her eyes and ignored me to suck up to Sloane. Hiding in the shadows, I heard the maids gossiping that everyone thought Sloane was the future Mrs. Hartford. To make matters worse, I discovered Sloane had stolen my anonymous, groundbreaking medical algorithm and was planning to present it as her own. First my husband, then the girl I mentored like family, and now the scientific foundation I had built with my own hands. Declan even texted me to cancel our birthday breakfast without a single apology, treating me like an annoying afterthought. My tears vanished, replaced by a freezing clarity. I signed the divorce papers, leaving them on his desk with zero demands for his money. Then I packed my bags, booked a one-way ticket to Boston, and prepared to destroy them on the global stage.
Chapter 1
Aurelia Vance POV:
I had been married to Declan Hartford for three years.
Today was my twenty-fifth birthday, and I had flown back from Boston in secret, hoping for one quiet evening with my husband.
I'd spent a week carefully picking out a pair of gold cufflinks as a gift for my husband.
But the laughter spilling from the front door told me I was already too late: the woman who had taken my place at his side was already inside.
The heavy oak door swung open before I reached the porch. Three young players from the New York Titans, Declan's NHL franchise, stumbled out with crystal tumblers of scotch, laughing loudly. They barely glanced at me as they passed.
I stepped into the grand foyer. The heat hit me instantly,expensive champagne, roasted tenderloin, cigar smoke.
Dozens of people filled the double parlor: executives, scouts, wives in designer dresses.
In the center stood Declan, tall and broad in a bespoke charcoal suit. Beside him, laughing into his ear, was Sloane Whitfield, her backless silver dress catching the chandelier light. Her hand rested on his forearm like she belonged there.
Before I could take another breath, a blur of blonde hair darted past my elbow.
"Sloane!" Poppy Delacroix cried, throwing her arms around Sloane's slender waist. "You were completely right about the catering! This is literally the best victory party the team has ever had!"
Poppy is fourteen, a junior elite forward prospect.
I scouted her two years ago from a crumbling youth league, back when she was at her lowest.
Her parents had once shown me great kindness, and I knew they had already passed away, leaving her all alone in the world.
Declan and I adopted her together.
I rebuilt her shattered ankle with a custom rehabilitation plan.
I had always loved and cared for her as both a mother and a sister.
Now, she did not even glance in my direction.
Declan turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd until his eyes locked onto mine. The easy grin on his sharp jaw vanished instantly. His brows drew together in a hard, irritated line.
He excused himself from Sloane, cutting through the throng of players with long, impatient strides.
"Aurelia," Declan said, stopping two feet in front of me. His voice carried zero warmth. "What are you doing here?"
My throat felt like sandpaper.
"I took the four o'clock flight from Boston," I whispered, clutching the strap of my bag until my knuckles turned white. "It is my birthday, Declan. I thought we could—"
"We are celebrating the division win," he cut in, his tone sharp enough to draw blood. "The board is here. The sponsors are here. Sloane spent four consecutive days coordinating this event so the organization could project stability."
He did not look at me. His gaze slid past my shoulder to the bar, like I was a waitress who had wandered into the wrong room.
"Don't cause a scene," he added quietly. "Go upstairs."
A soft, mocking murmur rippled through a cluster of players' wives standing near the grand staircase. Two women with platinum blowouts exchanged knowing glances over their flutes of Dom Pérignon.
"I didn't know," I said, my voice barely audible over the swelling music. "I am sorry."
I turned toward the staircase, my legs trembling beneath my wool trousers.
Near the landing, Poppy was adjusting her designer jacket in the hallway mirror.
"Poppy," I said softly, pausing beside her. "How is your ankle feeling after Thursday's third period? Did you complete the isometric sequence I sent?"
Poppy rolled her eyes, sighing loudly as she pulled out her phone.
"Aurelia, please, not right now," she muttered without looking at me. "Sloane is introducing me to a marketing director from one of our partners. I don't have time for your spreadsheets."
The dismissive edge in her voice hit me harder than Declan's coldness. I had stayed up until three in the morning reviewing her biomechanical scans while she was recovering from surgery, and now I was just an annoyance in the way of her social ascent.
I walked up the rest of the stairs and entered the primary suite—the massive, sterile bedroom allocated to me under our prenuptial agreement.
I sat on the edge of the mattress and pulled out the velvet box. The gold cufflinks gleamed under the bedside lamp, cold and useless.
Downstairs, cheers erupted. The sound vibrated through the floorboards.
I walked to the French doors overlooking the rear garden. Down on the illuminated patio, Sloane was directing two servers by an ice sculpture. Declan stood beside her, his head bent down as he listened to her speak, his hand casually brushing the small of her back.
They looked like the couple the city expected them to be.
My phone buzzed in my coat pocket. I pulled it out, hoping against hope.
It was an email notification.
"Happy Birthday, Aurelia. Remember that true science requires patience and solitude. You are meant for greater arenas than New York boardrooms. -Dr. Edmund Sterling."
My mentor at Harvard was the only person in the world who had remembered.
I typed a brief "Thank you, Professor" and shut off the screen.
Hours passed. The bass eventually quieted, replaced by the occasional clatter of glassware and slamming car doors. My throat burned with thirst.
At two in the morning, I padded downstairs in my stocking feet to fetch a glass of water from the butler's pantry.
As I rounded the corner near the service hallway, the voices of two newly hired catering maids stopped me dead in my tracks.
"Miss Whitfield is stunning," the first girl whispered, scraping dessert plates into a bin. "Mr. Hartford's girlfriend carries herself like royalty."
"A girlfriend?" the other asked, pausing. "But isn't Mr. Hartford rumored to be married? Is it inappropriate to be this close with Whitfield?"
"Married?Where did that come from? Even if there was one, they must have split long ago. I've worked three events here this month, and Miss Whitfield is the only woman hosting by his side. Everyone knows she's the future Mrs. Hartford."
I shrank back into the cold shadow of the archway, my blood turning to ice.
In the home where I held a legal marriage certificate, my presence had already been wiped clean.
The Wars Within
In a post-apocalyptic world, Amni is a warrior, and in her state, a hero and worshipped for what she has done to save the world. But when she meets the man that she falls in love with, she must choose from still being the hero that everyone looks to and depends on to save the world, or if she has to
Accidentally in love with the Mafia Lord
Lillian Moretti, a detective was assigned on the job of investigation Luca Romero, a mafia boss. They meet at first, but Lillian doesn't know he is the one. Lilian falls in love with Luca, and when she finds out that he is her target, she has to choose between her love for Luca, or her commitment to
MY DANGEROUS LOVE IN THE MAFIA
Luna is an innocent girl who enters the life of a mafia. She becomes the object of obsession and love from the mafia who has kidnapped her. Her trauma around the mafia gradually fades as she gets to know Darius Vallerio, a ruthless mafia figure. The presence of this unfamiliar man turns Luna's life
When the Mafia Falls in Love
Angel Anzores was used by her aunt and uncle to pay off their debt after they hid her younger brother, Angelo, and threatened to sell him if she refused to comply. Left with no choice, the young woman had to obey the people who took them in after their parents died in a car accident. Salvatore Rava
In Love With The Mafia Lord
"Aliya..." Jordan growled, his deep, masculine voice sending shivers down my spine. My heart skipped a beat as his words wrapped around me like a cold, unforgiving vice. My legs trembled beneath me, the pain from yesterday's injuries forgotten in the face of fear. Adrenaline coursed through my veins
IN LOVE WITH THE RUTHLESS MAFIA KING
There isn't a single ounce of fear projecting off him as he stands in front of me, his extreme level of authority practically radiating throughout the room. "Touch her again and the next bullet I fire will go through your fucking skull. Comprendere?" He warns, the threat clearly understood as the d
IN LOVE WITH A MAFIA
Kendra Umaro meets Taiyong Jongsu in a fancy restaurant, unaware he is a mafia out to eliminate her!
Galactic Wars
Sebastian Walker is still searching for his actual parents. Dr. Franks and his sister Sarah warn him he might not like what he finds out. While searching for his parents Sebastian team up with He-Man to find Gwidor's cosmic key that Loki stole. Loki and Sebastian became enemies, but can a secret st
Lunar Wars
It was a war that could have never been avoided. An event that was destined to spell doom for the existence of the world. Despite the devastating challenges and the yet final victory over the forces of Valentine, Hecrydos and councillor Aramis, there was nothing Vanessa could do to stop the epic rag
THE MAFIA IN-LAWS
When love and betrayal collide, no one escapes unscathed. Andrew Remington, the ambitious heir to New York's most noble family, falls for Sophia Russo, a dazzling woman with a dangerous secret. Unbeknownst to Andrew, Sophia's family is at the center of one of Italy's most ruthless mafia empires. As
Neron Wars
Nova knew that the galaxy wanted to be rid of Dominion, but she did not expect the immediate bravery that came after she and Valen declared war against Cyrillius. It’s a daily battle to protect Kaelea from his fleets, but leaders, soldiers, and publicists from planets near and far have come to aide
In Love With A Mafia Boss
The moment the car came to a halt with a loud screeching sound, Emily opened the car door and got out as she threw up, her face pale and ghostly white. Luciano got out and slammed the car door hard, "F*cking Italians! f*cking pricks!" Luciano cussed and lit a cigar as he smoked from it, heavily. E
Love in the Ashes
The dusty box held my father' s medal, a cold, heavy relic of a life shattered too soon. Then the call came – a hospital, an unfamiliar number, and the dreaded news: my brother, Michael, was brutally attacked, barely clinging to life. Memories flooded me: my father's dying wish to protect Michael,
Love in the Mist
"Love in the Mist" follows Ji-ah, a 27-year-old art history student from Seoul, who moves to the small, picturesque town of St. Ives in Cornwall, England, to escape the pressures of her corporate life. Seeking peace and self-discovery, she takes a part-time job at a charming yet slightly rundown boo
Love in the shadows
Olive's world is shattered by her parents' death, and she's left with no memory of the event. But as she tries to rebuild her life, she finds solace in Kwan, a mysterious boy with a supernatural secret: he's a werewolf. As she falls deeper into the world of werewolves, she must confront the darkness
The Royal In Love
She has everything a girl could ever dream of: Beauty Wisdom Wealth Kindness In short, her life is perfect... But there's one thing she could never have-something more precious than jewels: Freedom. Presenting Yriana Winzyll, the "Princess of Orientalis" from the Kingdom of Hyemenaius. ~~ O
Love in the margins
Here's a blurb for the story: When Aurora's mom is murdered, she's determined to uncover the truth. As she digs deeper, she uncovers a web of secrets and lies that lead her to the killer. But will she be able to bring them to justice before they silence her too? A thrilling mystery that will keep y
LOVE IN THE SHADOWS
Detective Rachael's life seemed perfect-a loving partner, a beautiful child, and a fulfilling career in Chicago's toughest crime unit. But when a brutal serial killer known as The Veil begins targeting women who look just like her, Rachael's perfect life begins to unravel. Teaming up with Alex, a sh
Love in the vineyard
Wealthy businessman Ryder Thompson inherits a struggling vineyard in Tuscany, he sees an opportunity to turn his life around. But what he doesn't expect is to fall for the vineyard's beautiful and fiercely independent manager, Sophia De Luca. As they work together to restore the vineyard to its for
