Novels by Archnemesis

The hospital doesn’t smell like leather and smoke, like power and threats. It smells like antiseptic and warm linen, the kind of place where the world narrows to the sound of a heartbeat monitor and the small breaths of someone you can’t afford to lose.Sofia’s room is on the top floor, away from the noise of the city. Matteo holds the door open for me, his hand lingering on my lower back as if he knows I need anchoring before I step inside.She’s sitting up in bed, her dark hair falling over her shoulders, skin still pale but brighter than the last time I saw her. The blanket is pulled up to her chest, and a stuffed bear—too childish for her age, but precious because Matteo bought it during one of his late-night visits—sits tucked under her arm.“Daddy!” Her voice lifts, small but full of light.Matteo crosses the room in three long strides. For all the power he commands in the streets, it’s here—kneeling beside her bed, kissing her forehead—that he looks undone. “Principessa,” he mu

The house was quiet. For once, there were no calls, no meetings, no knocks on the door about business. Just the hum of the evening and the distant chirping of crickets outside.I was on the couch, trying to focus on the book in my hands, but my mind wasn’t really on it. My eyes flicked to the clock, then to the hallway where I knew Matteo had disappeared earlier. He’d been quieter since our fight days ago, but not cold. Just… brooding, in his way.“Are you really reading that, Giuli?” His voice came from behind me, low and teasing.I turned, pretending to be annoyed. “Yes, Matteo, people actually *do* read for enjoyment.”He leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, watching me with that smirk that was always trouble. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, veins prominent, jaw shadowed with a faint stubble. “You’ve been on the same page for fifteen minutes.”Heat crept up my neck. Damn him for noticing. “Maybe it’s just a long page.”He pushed himself off the frame and walked closer, slow

His grip on my wrists tightened, rough but trembling. The heat of his skin burned into mine, and for a heartbeat, I thought he might crush me—not with his hands, but with the weight of everything he refused to say. “Let go,” I hissed, trying to yank free. “No,” Matteo growled, his voice breaking on the single syllable. His eyes were wild, the kind of wild that came from too many nights without sleep, too many years of blood on his hands. “If I let go, Giuli, maybe I lose you. Maybe you run. Maybe you decide one morning that the fight is enough, that I’m enough, and then you’ll be gone.” I froze, my anger stuttering against the rawness in his voice. “What the hell are you talking about? I’m here, Matteo. I’ve been here every goddamn day.” He laughed, harsh and hollow. “No. You’ve been here for them. For this family, for this empire, for ghosts of men who built their thrones out of bones. And I…” His chest heaved, his words spilling like poison he’d been swallowing too long. “I’m

The villa was too quiet when I came home. No footsteps, no shuffle of men outside the hall, only the faint hum of the sea through the balcony doors. My head was pounding from a day of unraveling the Vitales’ newest move: another supplier backing out, a man who swore loyalty yesterday suddenly refusing to pick up my calls today.I found Matteo in the study. The lamp cast his face in sharp light, his jaw clenched as he sat hunched over the desk, cigarette burning low between his fingers. He wasn’t reading the reports scattered in front of him. He was staring through them.“Another front pulled back,” I said, dropping my coat on the chair. My voice came out sharper than I intended. “They don’t want to be seen on our side. Vitale threats are working.”He didn’t answer. Not even a glance. Just the slow drag of smoke, the kind that fills a silence with something heavier.“Matteo,” I pressed, stepping closer. “Did you hear me? They’re cutting ties, one by one. If we don’t act fast—”“Yeah,”

The villa was still breathing when the first messages arrived—video clips, forwarded by a dozen anonymous accounts, each one stitched together like a lie with better lighting. Footage of men in Bianchi colors near Francesco’s villa, shadows that could be read any way the watcher wanted. A voiceover, edited to sound like a confession. A headline "Bianchi Murdered Vitale: Proof of Brutality". It spread like oil. I watched it once, twice, then slammed my fist into the desk until the wood stung. It was clean, professional—timed to muddy the water before my counters could surface. Whoever cut this knew how the world watched: quick outrage, slower facts. Matteo was already moving. He ripped open the shutter to the study, the morning light coming in like an accusation. “Leak came from three accounts,” he said, voice flat. “All routed through the same mirror server in Naples. It’s not just a smear—someone’s running a campaign.” “Then we drown it out,” I said. “Not with words. With fact.”

The sea swallowed Francesco Vitale before dawn. They dropped him bound and gagged into the black water, weights chained to his ankles. No speeches, no prayers. Just the hiss of rope sliding from Matteo’s hands and the hollow splash as the Adriatic claimed another secret. By the time the first gulls began their morning calls, Francesco Vitale was nothing more than ripples and silence. But killing a man never ends with his body. It begins. When we returned to the villa, I didn’t change my dress. Black silk clung to me, smelling of perfume and gunpowder, like some unholy mixture of life and death. The council was already waiting in the study, their faces pale, their voices hushed. “You’ve just declared war on every Vitale still breathing,” Romano said, his hands shaking as he lit a cigar. “Francesco wasn’t just a leader—he was their pride. His death won’t break them. It’ll rally them.” I sat behind my father’s desk, spine straight, eyes unblinking. “Good,” I said. “Let them gather

“Come on, Trinity! You used to be better than me at this!” Axcel yelled from the water, balancing perfectly on his board while the waves curled beneath him like playful giants.I squinted under the golden sun, my fingers adjusting the strap of my rash guard. “That was four years ago, Axcel!"He laughed, effortlessly riding a wave and then diving off with that same carefree charm he’s always carried—like the world was too small to weigh on his shoulders.I paddled out, determined to reclaim some dignity. The water was warm against my skin, familiar and foreign all at once. It had been years since I’d done anything remotely close to this. I used to chase deadlines and meetings—now I was chasing waves.Axcel paddled over and steadied my board as I repositioned. “You’ve got this. Wait for the right one. Patience.”“Something you never had,” I teased.He smirked. “Maybe I’ve changed.”The wave came, and this time I stood—shaky but standing. The adrenaline roared through me like the ocean i

Five yearsIt still feels surreal to say it out loud.If you told the woman I used to be that I’d be here—running a chain of Clothing Line across Philippines, speaking at global business summits, dressing in custom-designed power suits, flying first class from country to country—she would’ve laughed in disbelief. Now, I live in glass towers, I walk across marble floors in five-inch heels, I sign contracts worth millions. People address me as “Ma'am Ty,” their eyes filled with admiration and fear. I built a fortress of success so high, even my memories couldn’t climb it. Or at least, that’s what I wanted to believe.Because the truth is, no matter how high I’ve risen… my shadows always find me.Today was one of those days—endless meetings, back-to-back presentations, and a last-minute video call with the Singapore investors who wanted to renegotiate our stake agreement. I nailed it all, of course. I always do. There’s a certain power in knowing no one expects you to fail. You become u

The moment they took her, something inside me snapped.Not the heartbroken kind of snap. No. This was deeper. Sharper. I didn’t feel pain. I felt wrath. Pure, undiluted rage. And it was about to consume everything in its path.I stormed into the estate’s war room, where the core of Nostra Affari waited in silence. My men stood tall, dressed in black, weapons ready, waiting for orders.“They took her,” I growled, eyes locked on the map displayed across the wall. "I want them dead."No one asked questions. They knew better. This wasn’t just about vengeance—it was personal. I wasn’t just the heir to an empire tonight. I was death in a suit.Sky entered, tablet in hand, sweat beading his forehead. “I tracked Nicole’s convoy heading north—Ilocos Norte. They’ve stopped near a shoreline and has a fucking chopper waiting there.”My jaw clenched. “They’re taking her somewhere. She’s not going to make it to that chopper.”I turned to my men. “Mobilize everything. Ground teams, air units, satell

The moment Leo pulled me into his arms, blood-stained and breathless, I felt a sliver of peace. For the first time in what felt like forever, I thought I was safe. The gold-masked man was cuffed and unconscious. The basement faded behind us like a bad dream.But that illusion shattered the moment we stepped out into the open.The night exploded.A hail of bullets pierced the air from nowhere—windows shattered, tires blew, and Leo immediately shielded me with his body. “Get down!” he shouted, dragging me behind an overturned car.I couldn’t see where the shots were coming from at first. But then I heard her voice. Cold. Mocking. Familiar. Nicole.She stepped out from a black SUV like she owned the damn warzone. Dressed in all black, hair slicked back, sunglasses at night like she was untouchable. Behind her, a fleet of armed men emerged—fully geared, tactically aligned. An army. Her army.She smirked, holding a pistol. “You didn’t think I’d just let you walk away with him, did you?”

The first thing I noticed was the smell-damp concrete, mold, and something metallic I couldn't quite place. Blood, maybe. The air was thick and suffocating, like it hadn't been disturbed in years. I was shivering-not because of the cold, but because of what I had just survived.My wrists ached from the rough zip ties cutting into my skin, and the blindfold they'd used was still half-hanging around my neck. I sat on the cold, unforgiving floor of what looked like an abandoned basement, lit only by a flickering bulb swinging above me like a slow, ticking clock.I wanted to scream for help. I wanted to run. But I couldn't do either.My belly-my baby-was the only thing keeping me grounded. *Don't panic. You need to stay calm. For the baby.I heard voices upstairs. Muffled. Angry. Barked commands. Footsteps. One set. Then two. Then silence.Then the door creaked open.A man entered, his shadow cast long and crooked across the floor. He wasn't the one from earlier-the one who shoved me into

I thought we were just attending a corporate event. That was all I expected. I never imagined this. I always believed Leo would propose after I gave birth—that’s how I pictured it in my head. “I love you so much, Trinity,” he whispered as he pulled me into a tight embrace. I returned it with the same intensity, melting into his arms. This is it. We’re finally getting our own version of happily ever after.…As we entered the hotel, the party was already in full swing. People were dancing, laughing, and living in the moment. Leo and I joined in for a slow dance. I gently rested my head on his shoulder, his arms wrapping securely around my waist like he never wanted to let go.“You’ve spoiled me with so many surprises today, Leo,” I murmured against him. “Now it’s my turn. After the party, I have something to tell you.” There was anticipation bubbling inside me, a secret waiting to be set free. “I’ve never really been excited about surprises until now,” I added softly. “Maybe b