Novels by TINA’s pen

PossessionElena’s POV I couldn't breathe.Damien stood over me, moonlight carving shadows across his face, and I felt like a rabbit caught in a trap. My fingers clutched the silk sheets so hard my knuckles went white."Please," I whispered. "Don't."He tilted his head, studying me. "Don't what, Elena? Don't look at you? Don't want you? Don't claim what's already mine?""I'm not yours." My voice shook. "You can't just decide that I belong to you.""Can't I?" He moved closer, placing one knee on the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight. "You're in my house. In my bed. Wearing the nightgown I provided. Tell me again how you don't belong to me."I scrambled backward until my spine hit the headboard. Nowhere left to go."You're scared," he observed, his voice almost curious. "Why? I haven't laid a hand on you.""You don't have to." Tears burned my eyes. "You're suffocating me just by being here. By keeping me trapped. By..""By wanting you?" He reached out, his fingers hovering inch

CAGED Elena's POV "Miss Martinez, stop!"Heavy footsteps pounded behind me. I took a corner too fast, my foot slipped, and suddenly I was falling. My knee cracked against the marble floor. Pain exploded up my leg."Are you hurt?" One of the guards reached me first, his expression concerned."Don't touch me!" I scrambled backward, cradling my knee. Blood seeped from a scrape across my kneecap, staining the expensive floor."What happened?" Damien's voice cut through everything.He appeared at the end of the hallway, still in his wedding tuxedo though his tie was gone and his shirt was unbuttoned at the throat. He looked at me on the floor, at the blood, and something flickered across his face."She tried to run, sir," the guard explained."Leave us," Damien said quietly."Sir, she's injured..""I said leave us."The guards retreated. I heard their footsteps fade away, leaving me alone with him.Damien approached slowly, like I was a wild animal that might bolt. Maybe I was."Let me

The Golden CageElena’s POV The bedroom door clicked shut behind me with a sound like a cell locking."This will be your room," the uniformed woman, Mrs. Chen, she'd said her name was, gestured around with a practiced smile. "Mr. Cross has instructed that you have everything you need. If you require anything, simply press the button on the nightstand."Everything I need except my freedom.I stood frozen in the center of the room, unable to process what I was seeing. This wasn't a bedroom. It was a palace. Black sheets in champagne gold covered a bed large enough for four people. A crystal light hung from the ceiling, catching light and throwing rainbow prisms across cream-colored walls. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked perfectly manicured gardens. There was a sitting area with a velvet sofa. A vanity with more mirrors than any one person needed.It was beautiful.It was suffocating."I can't stay here," I whispered.Mrs. Chen's smile didn't falter. "Mr. Cross was very clear about

Dragged AwayElena’s POV "She's mine."The words still hung in the air when all hell broke loose."Damien Cross, have you lost your mind?" Richard's roar cut through the stunned silence.Then everyone started talking at once. Shouting. The cathedral became a storm of voices, shocked gasps, angry exclamations, excited whispers. Camera flashes exploded like lightning. I heard the rapid-fire clicks of professional cameras. The press. Of course the press was here."Mr. Cross! Mr. Cross, a statement please!""Who is she?""Is the wedding off?"My legs felt like water. The room spun. What had I done? What had we done?"Vivienne!" someone screamed.I turned just in time to see the bride crumple, her white gown pooling around her like spilled milk. Two bridesmaids lunged forward, catching her before she hit the marble floor."Get a doctor!" "Vivienne, darling, breathe!"My stomach twisted with guilt. She fainted because of me. Because I couldn't keep my mouth shut. Because I was selfish eno

The ObjectionElena’s POV "You're not actually going through with this."My best friend Mira's voice echoed in my head as I pressed myself against the cold marble pillar, hidden among the forest of champagne-dressed guests. But I was here. God help me, I was actually here.The Cathedral of Saint Augustine had never looked more beautiful or more cruel. Crystal chandeliers dripped light like frozen tears. White roses climbed every column, their perfume thick enough to choke on. And there, at the altar, stood Damien Cross in his custom tuxedo, looking like every fairy tale I'd ever been stupid enough to believe in.My hands trembled against the cheap blue-and-white cotton of my dress, the nicest thing I owned, which wasn't saying much. I'd borrowed the shoes. The clutch was from a thrift store. I didn't belong here, and everyone who'd glanced my way knew it."Absolutely radiant, isn't she?" a woman beside me whispered to her companion.I followed her gaze to the bride. Vivienne Laurent.

The Shadow Of Regret It had been three weeks since Aria walked out of the gala, leaving him with the chilling echo of her final words and a stack of divorce papers that felt less like a ticking bomb. He stood on the living room balcony, a glass of cold amber whiskey in his hand. Aria had tried to soften the housing interiors, adding splashes of color with her own artwork and the plush, inviting colors she’d chosen as an interior designer. Now, those touches felt like painful reminders.He looked at the vast view of the city he had conquered, and all he felt was emptiness. The divorce itself was a surprisingly swift affair that caught him off guard. Aria had been cold and silent, refusing to speak to him directly. Everything went through her lawyer, an iron-willed woman who treated Julian with barely disguised hatred.He had signed the papers with a furious, scrawled signature, still believing, in the depths of his arrogance, that she would be back. "She just needed time to cool down,

Chapter 3: The Poisoned FarewellStanding on the wet pavement, Aria clutched the worn map and the small bag containing the essentials Thomas had helped her gather. The coastal town he had circled seemed a thousand miles away, but first, she had one agonizing, necessary stop – the penthouse.She had convinced herself she needed nothing from Julian Vance’s world, but a tiny, irrational voice insisted she couldn’t leave forever without retrieving one thing: a collection of childhood drawings she’d kept in a hidden compartment of her old art desk and the trinket, of course. They were her only tangible link to her late parents, a lifeline she needed now more than ever.The penthouse security was set up to her biometric scan and code; Julian, in his arrogance, wouldn’t have thought to remove her access yet. She bypassed the doorman, her heart hammering heavily against her ribs. Everything about the house felt alien to her.The apartment was exactly as she’d left it – dry, cold, and echoing

Chapter 2: A New RealityWaking up to the blinding white of a ceiling tile and the rhythmic beep of a machine, Aria groaned. The antiseptic scent, usually a mild background note at the penthouse, was overwhelming here. Her head throbbed, and a heavy, sudden weight pressed on her chest. She tried to move, but a dull ache shot up her abdomen."Ahhh... My gosh," she groaned, squeezing her eyes shut, as if absorbing the pain."Ms. Thorne? You're awake. Thank God." A soft voice pulled her from her attempts to get up. A man stood over her, not Julian, but a kind-faced doctor with reassuring brown eyes and a gentle smile."Where... where am I?" Her voice, dry, barely above a whisper."You were rushed to St. Jude's Hospital, you collapsed shortly after leaving the Hiranthon gala three weeks ago. You had a severe panic attack caused by exhaustion and dehydration."Three weeks? Three weeks of her life were put on pause. The memory of the gala, the photos, Julian's dismissive face, and the final

Chapter 1: THE ASHES OF OUR LOVEHe stood beside Elara, his hand possessively tucked into the crook of her arm. Her laughter, artificial and snorting, annoyed him. Their public appearances, a strategic plan to secure a large merger, had become a persistent act. Every practiced smile, every lingering touch for the camera, was a lie told to the world.He glanced at his watch, a diamond-encrusted testament to his success and also to the minutes ticking away from a heart he was already destroying.Across the room, a flash of emerald green caught his eye. Aria. She moved with subtle grace that always managed to steal the air from his lungs. Her artistic capabilities shone even in the simple cut of her gown, a visible contrast to Elara's pretentious display.Aria, upon seeing him, offered a smile that didn't reach her eyes. He felt a familiar surge of irritation. Why couldn't she understand? This was business. This was necessary.Her artistic dreams and a desire for a home filled with warmt