Chapter: Soft SpotKINGSTON I knew something was wrong the second I saw her face at breakfast. Nia sat at the table with a full plate she wasn’t touching. Her eyes kept drifting toward the hallway that led to her room, then snapping back to her coffee like she’d caught herself. Renee talked about weekend plans. Dad scrolled through emails. I watched Nia over the rim of my cup and felt the same protective pull that had been getting harder to ignore. She looked exhausted. Not the good kind from the night before. The kind that sat behind the eyes. I finished my coffee and stood. “I’m heading in early. Nia, you riding with me or taking the car service?” She blinked like she hadn’t expected the question. “Car service is fine.” “No. I’ll wait ten minutes. If you’re ready, we leave together.” Renee smiled like I’d done something considerate. Dad nodded without looking up. Nia hesitated, then pushed her chair back. “Give me five.” In the elevator she stood on the opposite side, arms crossed, staring at
Last Updated: 2026-08-15
Chapter: Ava’s PressureNIA I left Carter Global with Kingston’s come still sticky between my thighs and the badge reader beeping behind me like an accusation. The private elevator felt too bright. My blouse was wrinkled. My legs still trembled. Every time the doors reflected my face I saw the same flushed, thoroughly fucked expression I’d worn leaving his office. I fixed my hair with shaking fingers and told myself no one would notice. At the penthouse the elevator opened straight into silence. My mother called from the kitchen. “You’re late. Everything okay?” “Long first day,” I said, already moving toward the hallway. “I’m going to shower.” I locked myself in the bathroom and stood under hot water until the evidence of what we’d done washed down the drain. It didn’t help. My body still felt him—the stretch, the desk under my chest, the way he’d held my hair while he finished inside me. Addiction was too soft a word for it. I dressed in leggings and a hoodie and sat on my bed with my phone. Three mi
Last Updated: 2026-08-15
Chapter: Office HeatKINGSTONVictor’s voice came from the doorway like a quiet verdict.“Looks like you two are already working well together.”Nia went rigid in the chair. I stepped back from the desk on pure instinct, putting clean space between us. The page she’d written still sat on the wood, her fingers no longer near mine.I kept my face neutral. “She finished the summary early. It’s solid.”Dad walked in fully, glancing at the paper. “Good. That’s what I wanted to see.” He looked between us with mild approval. “Don’t keep her too late on the first day. Renee’s making dinner.”“We won’t,” I said.He left. The second his footsteps faded, Nia stood.“I should go.”“Stay.” The word came out before I could stop it. “The last line still needs tightening. Ten minutes.”She hesitated, then sat again. I closed the door halfway—not fully, just enough to cut the hallway noise. Bad idea. I knew it was a bad idea.We worked in silence for a few minutes. She adjusted the final sentence. I watched her handwritin
Last Updated: 2026-08-14
Chapter: Office TrapNIAI knew something was coming the second my mother told me to sit down after breakfast.Victor sat across from me at the dining table, calm as always. My mother stood beside him with that determined look she got when she’d already decided how the conversation would end. Kingston was already gone to the office. Victor spoke first. “There’s an open junior marketing associate position at Carter Global. I’d like you to take it.”I stared at him. “No.”My mother’s eyebrows shot up. “Nia—”“I already have applications out,” I said. “Real ones. I don’t need a job handed to me because I live here.”Victor didn’t look offended. He just nodded once. “I understand that. This isn’t charity. Your grades are strong. Dean’s list three semesters. The role is entry-level but real. You’d report to the marketing team and handle actual campaigns, not coffee runs.”“I can get that somewhere else.”“You can,” he agreed. “But you’re living under this roof right now. You’re family. I’d rather put you some
Last Updated: 2026-08-14
Chapter: Almost CaughtKINGSTONDad’s voice cut through the dark kitchen like a blade.“Kingston? You up?”My blood turned to ice. Nia’s eyes went wide. She was still leaning against the island, lips parted, the faint flush from what I’d just done to her still visible on her cheeks. The taste of her was still on my tongue. My cock was still hard against my sweatpants.I didn’t think. I grabbed her sleep shirt off the counter and shoved it into her hands.“Go,” I mouthed.She didn’t argue. She snatched the shirt, spun, and disappeared down the opposite hallway toward her room on silent feet. I heard her door click shut a second before Dad’s footsteps reached the edge of the living area.I turned on the sink and let the water run. Rinsed my hands. Rinsed my mouth. Grabbed a paper towel and wiped my face like I’d just washed up. My pulse hammered so hard I felt it in my teeth.Dad appeared in the doorway in a robe, rubbing one eye. He stopped when he saw me.“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked.“Yeah.” My voice came ou
Last Updated: 2026-08-13
Chapter: The WarningNia’s POV Ava’s finger stayed pointed at Kingston like she could erase him from the hallway if she just kept it there long enough. “That’s him. The club guy.” The words hit the quiet room and stayed. Kingston didn’t move. He leaned one shoulder against the doorframe, arms crossed, face unreadable. Only the muscle in his jaw gave anything away. I shut the door in his face. Ava spun on me the second it clicked. “Are you out of your mind?” “Keep your voice down.” “Keep my—Nia.” She grabbed both my shoulders. “That is the man you described in exact detail. Tattoos. The way he moved. The way he—” She cut herself off and dropped her hands. “You said the sex was one of a kind. You said you’d never felt anything like it. And now he’s living here. As your stepbrother.” I sat on the edge of the bed because my legs felt unreliable. “I know.” “No. You don’t get to say ‘I know’ like this is a parking ticket.” Ava paced the short space between the bed and the window. “You need
Last Updated: 2026-08-13
Chapter: You’ll be DonThe study was dim except for the lamplight spilling over maps and documents. The air smelled of ink. Dante stood behind the desk, sleeves rolled up, his hands braced on the edge of the table. Enzo was beside him, running through the final details of the plan. “Once the clock hits midnight, we move,” Dante said, his voice low but firm. “No signals, no noise. Straight execution. Everyone knows their position?” Enzo nodded. “Yes, boss. Our allies are already in place outside the mansion gates. A few have made it past the checkpoints… they’re waiting for your go-ahead.” Dante exhaled slowly, glancing at the clock on the wall. Ten minutes to midnight. “Good. Once we start, there’s no turning back.” He was about to continue when a knock cut through the tension. Three sharp raps. Enzo frowned, went to open the door. A soldier stepped in, out of breath, his face pale. “Forgive me, sir,” he said quickly, eyes darting between them. “I wouldn’t disturb you if it wasn’t urgent.” Dante stra
Last Updated: 2026-08-15
Chapter: The Don is deadThe moment the needle sank into his arm, he felt it. A strange coldness, crawling up his veins like winter finding its way to his heart. He stared at Bella. His daughter. The crippled little girl who used to call him Papa with eyes too full of trust. Now those eyes were calm, cruel, and tired. “What… what did you do?” His voice cracked. His chest burned. “What did you inject into me?” Bella didn’t answer at first. She only watched him, the way he once watched men beg for mercy. Then she said softly, Bella rolled her eyes as if tired of explaining. “The leaf I’ve been feeding you for years. Foglia di notte. Even if the best doctors in this world open your veins, they won’t find it.” The room blurred. His coughs came faster, sharper. He pressed a hand to his chest and felt it hammer weakly against his ribs. For the first time in years, Vittorio Moretti… Don of the family, the man feared by cities felt real fear. “Bella,” he rasped. “You don’t understand. You can’t—” His knees t
Last Updated: 2026-08-15
Chapter: Women are toolsBella let out a laugh. “You want to talk about fear?” she said, voice steady despite the tremor crawling up her spine. “Then tell me, Don Vittorio, do you even know who Elena is?”Vittorio’s brows drew together. “Oh! I see,” he said flatly. “So that's why you are here. She came running to you. What are you going to do? Help a maid when you can't help yourself?”Bella’s laugh came again… harsher, shaking now. “A maid,” she echoed. “That maid, as you call her, is your daughter.”Vittorio blinked once and slowly, as if the words needed time to find a place inside his skull. Then he laughed, and the sound turned at once to coughing, thick and raw.He leaned forward, the handkerchief pressed to his lips, crimson blooming against the white. “What kind of joke is that?” he rasped. “You think I’ll choke to death from your fairy tales?”“It’s not a joke,” Bella said quietly. “You remember when Mother was pregnant again. You remember what you did.”
Last Updated: 2026-08-15
Chapter: Be carefulLater that evening, Bella took the vial under her garment with a syringe. She touched Elena’s shoulder with a quick, steadying pressure. “Tell the doctor it’s time,” she said. “He should come to his wing but that should be in like an hour’s time.”Elena nodded, wiping her face with the heel of her hand. “Be careful.”“I always am,” Bella replied, and the lie fit her like a well-worn glove. She stood, wrapped her shawl tighter, hooked her hand over the cane, and eased toward the door.Outside Vittorio’s wing, two soldiers who had been posted by Bella nodded as a greeting to Bella. Bella nodded back and entered into Vittorio’s wing without knocking.The wing smelled of oil and old smoke. The corridor lights threw long bars across the floor; portraits watched them go by with dull, painted eyes.When she reached his door the guards at the threshold shifted, opening it with the gentleness one uses for a man prone to sudden moods. Bella limped
Last Updated: 2026-08-14
Chapter: ElenaIn Vittorio’s wing, the smell of smoke and old paper filled the air. He sat propped against the cushions, a white handkerchief that had turned dark was folded in his palm.Elena carried a tray. The sound of the glass on the silver made him look up. He watched the way she stepped, the careful tilt of her wrist.There was something in her motion that wanted him When she had stepped forward under his roof, he’d thought of his late wife for the first time in years.The mouth, the angle of the chin—everything but the eyes. Those bright blue eyes were not his wife’s. They irritated him the way a foreign accent irritates someone who believes only one language is proper.His wife’s eyes had been brown.Elena poured his wine. He suddenly coughed. He hid the sound behind the handkerchief and forced it into a laugh that came out too small.“Again,” he said, wiping his mouth. The cloth took the red like a confession.Elena didn’t flinch. She
Last Updated: 2026-08-14
Chapter: You promise?The afternoon light slanted through the tall windows of Dante’s study, gold against the dark wood and the faint smell of whiskey and ink. Maps, ledgers, and coded lists covered the desk like a battlefield in miniature. The house was still, save for the occasional murmur of a guard’s radio from the corridor. Enzo stood near the desk, his jacket off, his shirt sleeves rolled, his hands resting behind his back. His expression was steady and expectant. Dante finished signing a document, capped his pen, and looked up. His face was calm, but his eyes carried a hard, steady light. “How many confirmed?” he asked. “Seven capos from Messina. Two more from Palermo,” Enzo said. “All loyal. The ports, warehouses, and docks… they’ve already moved their men into place. They’re just waiting for the word.” Dante leaned back, silent for a beat. “And the others?” “Three are uncertain,” Enzo replied
Last Updated: 2026-08-13
Chapter: One Hundred and Thirty Chapters LaterDear Readers,We made it.One hundred and thirty chapters.As I sit here writing this, I honestly don’t know where to begin. What started as an idea in my head became a journey I shared with thousands of people I may never meet, yet somehow feel connected to.First of all, thank you.Thank you for giving Mia and Ethan a chance.Thank you for spending your time, your energy, and your hard-earned money to unlock chapter after chapter. In a world where everyone is busy and life keeps demanding more from us, the fact that you chose to spend a part of your day with my characters means more than I can ever put into words.Thank you to every reader who left a comment.Whether you laughed, cried, screamed at Ethan, wanted to drag Sophia by her red hair, threatened to fight Sarah, defended Mia, or simply shared your thoughts after reading a chapter—I read your comments. They made me smile on difficult days. They encouraged me when I doubted myself. They reminded me that these characters had bec
Last Updated: 2026-06-21
Chapter: 130Two years later Mia stood in the lavender reading nook she had built with her own hands, running her fingers along the spines of books she wouldn’t be taking with her. The past two years after graduation had been a steady climb: full-time work at the university counseling center, graduate courses in the evenings, weekends spent strengthening the roots Aunt Lisa had once reminded her to keep. She had grown into herself—twenty-three now, confident, grounded, no longer the girl who needed chaos or validation to feel alive. But she had never stopped wanting Ethan. The job offer in Los Angeles had come through three weeks ago—a clinical psychology position at a respected practice with ties to the league’s player wellness program. It was perfect. After four years of long-distance flights, late-night calls, and carefully scheduled visits, the distance was finally closing. Her parents and Ethan’s mother were in the living room helping with the last boxes. Jake and Nora had driven in
Last Updated: 2026-06-21
Chapter: 129Mia's senior graduation day arrived under a sky so perfectly blue it almost felt mocking. She stood in line with her classmates outside the main quad, black gown fluttering in the light breeze, and the mortarboard slightly crooked no matter how many times she adjusted it. From the bold, reckless nineteen-year-old who had seduced her brother’s best friend to this moment—twenty-one, grounded, roots firmly planted. The house waited for her a short walk away, now fully hers in every way that mattered. But today, one chair in the family section would be noticeably empty. Ethan wasn’t coming. He had apologized again two days ago over a crackling video call, exhaustion clear in his voice after back-to-back games and travel. “The schedule got locked in last minute. I’m so sorry, baby. I wanted to be there more than anything. I’ll make it up to you. Promise.” She had told him she understood. And she did. His career was rising—consistent minutes, scout attention, the kind of development
Last Updated: 2026-06-21
Chapter: 128That week wasn’t about passion burning hot and fast. It was about the quiet romance of ordinary days shared. They cooked together in the kitchen he had planned for her—simple meals, laughter over spilled sauce, his arms around her waist as she stirred pasta while he kissed the side of her neck. Mornings started with coffee on the small back porch, wrapped in a shared blanket, talking about everything and nothing. He helped her study for an upcoming exam, quizzing her from flashcards while she sat cross-legged on the couch, his hand resting on her knee. One afternoon they walked the neighborhood hand-in-hand, the early autumn air crisp. Ethan pointed out small improvements she’d made to the house—the flower beds she’d planted with her mom, the reading lamp in the lavender nook positioned just right for late-night studying. “You’ve turned this into a real home,” he said, squeezing her hand. “Every time I come back, it feels more like ours. I love seeing what you build while I’m g
Last Updated: 2026-06-21
Chapter: 127Three months later. Mia stood barefoot in the kitchen, late afternoon light pouring through the window above the sink as she stirred a pot of soup. The lavender reading nook was now a lived-in sanctuary—shelves overflowing with psych textbooks, novels, and a growing collection of houseplants she’d named after group members (Sophia’s was dramatic and needed constant attention). The living room had a comfortable couch they’d picked out together during one of Ethan’s visits, throw blankets Nora had sent as a housewarming gift, and photos on the walls: the whole group at the lake house, Jake and Nora’s new apartment, Sarah’s gallery opening, and a candid shot of her and Ethan laughing on the porch the day they’d first seen the house. It was home. The past nine months hadn’t been easy, but they had been real. Long distance had taught her resilience in ways she hadn’t expected. She thrived in her junior-year classes, volunteered consistently at the counseling center, and built
Last Updated: 2026-06-21
Chapter: 126Mia closed her laptop with a satisfied click, the final draft of her abnormal psychology paper submitted fifteen minutes before the deadline. She leaned back in the desk chair in the lavender reading nook, stretching her arms overhead as late afternoon light poured through the window. The house was quiet except for the soft hum of the refrigerator and the distant sound of neighborhood kids playing outside. It still felt new—hers in a way that made her chest warm with quiet pride.Roots, Aunt Lisa had said during that last lake house weekend, pulling her aside on the dock while the others laughed around the fire. You’ve got them here, Mia. Don’t let anyone’s dream, no matter how bright, pull you out of the soil before you’re ready to move with it.Those words had stayed with her through the first brutal month of long distance. She wasn’t waiting. She was building.Lena had become a daily constant. They met three times a week for “survivor club” st
Last Updated: 2026-06-20
She's Viktor Romanov’s
Anya Petrova has always lived life her way—strong, fearless, and in control. But when she’s bought by Viktor Romanov, the most dangerous man in Moscow, everything changes. He says he owns her now, but Anya has never been one to bow to anyone.
Viktor wants more than her obedience—he wants her to give in to him completely. But Anya is not the kind of woman to back down, and the tension between them is as dangerous as it is irresistible.
Viktor is used to getting his way, and Anya’s defiance only makes him want her more. But she’s not someone he can easily control. The more she fights, the deeper Viktor falls, and soon, what started as a battle for power becomes something much more dangerous.
But Viktor doesn’t know everything—Anya has secrets even more dangerous than his own. As desire clashes with control, they’re drawn into a world of secrets, betrayal, and a passion they can’t deny. But with enemies everywhere, trusting each other might be the most dangerous risk of all.
Warning: Mature content, blood, fights, and explosions.
Read
Chapter: With respect, Irina is your grandmother Viktor pov.The sound of my footsteps echoed through the hallway as I stormed toward the security room. Fury burned in my chest, my fists clenching and unclenching at my sides. Isabella. That woman had the nerve to show up here without warning. Worse, someone had let her in without my permission. “Yuvi!” I barked as I entered the room. He was standing by the monitors, his face impassive as always, but I could see the faint flicker of tension in his jaw. “Boss,” he said, turning to me. “Explain,” I demanded, my voice low but laced with menace. “Why is Isabella here?” Yuvi squared his shoulders, his hands clasped behind his back. “Irina called. She insisted it was urgent and that I let Isabella in. I had no choice.” “Nyet,” I said sharply. “You always have a choice. Your loyalty is to me, not Irina.” Yuvi hesitated, and that hesitation stoked the flames of my anger. “With respect, Irina is your grandmother—” “She’s a complication
Last Updated: 2026-08-04
Chapter: Love? Obsession?Anya pov.I had barely started to process Viktor’s words from earlier. His confession felt raw, almost too big for me to hold in my hands. He had looked at me like I was the only thing in the room, his voice steady but filled with something I didn’t know how to name. Love? Obsession? Something else entirely? Now, sitting in my room, I was trying to make sense of it all when his voice carried through the hallway, sharp and unmistakable. “Da,” he barked into the phone, pacing somewhere nearby. “Skazhi mne srazu” (Tell me now). I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but Viktor didn’t exactly whisper. The words were clipped, the edge in his tone enough to make my stomach tighten. Then there was silence, heavy and sudden. He turned to me.“I need to go downstairs,” he said, his voice tight. “Why? What happened?” I asked, trying to ignore the nervous flutter in my chest. His jaw worked like he was chewing over something he didn’t want to say. Finally,
Last Updated: 2026-08-04
Chapter: I am not marrying Isabella Viktor pov.I couldn’t stop thinking about the way her voice trembled when she talked about her father. The bitterness, the pain—it clung to her words like a scar too deep to heal. It gnawed at me, the way she shut herself off, how she carried her wounds like armor. I’d seen plenty of broken people in my life. Hell, I’d caused some of that brokenness. But Anya? She wasn’t broken—she was surviving, and it made me want to crush anything or anyone who had ever made her feel like she wasn’t enough. I paced my study, the walls feeling too close, the air too heavy. “Chyort,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. Damn it, why did she have to get under my skin like this? My phone buzzed on the desk, Yuvi’s name lighting up the screen. I swiped to answer. “What?” I snapped. “Good evening to you too,” Yuvi said dryly. “I assume you’ve thought about the Isabella situation?” I clenched my jaw, my fingers tightening around the phone.
Last Updated: 2026-08-04
Chapter: I am falling for youAnya pov.The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains. I woke slowly, the ache in my ribs reminded me that I wasn’t fully healed yet. Shifting against the pillow, my mind replayed Viktor’s words from last night. “I’m falling for you.” The confession had been unexpected, raw, and it unsettled me. How could someone like him—powerful, dangerous, and so far removed from my world—feel anything for someone like me? It didn’t make sense. I sat up carefully, wincing as a sharp pain lanced through my side. Every movement reminded me of my fragility. Healing was slow, but the physical wounds were nothing compared to the storm in my head. Viktor’s words had felt genuine, but I couldn’t trust them. Not when I couldn’t even trust myself. He had told me that we would be here for a few days getting fresh air. I kinda liked it because I was bored to death by just being in that forte.The estate was sprawling and quiet, the kind of place where e
Last Updated: 2026-08-04
Chapter: You're not as unreadable as you thinkViktor pov.The evening stretched long, the mansion silent save for the faint rustle of wind outside my study window. I paced the length of the room, my mind a storm I couldn’t quiet. Images of Anya flashed in my head—her fiery defiance, the vulnerability she tried so hard to mask, and the fleeting moments when she let her guard slip. Each thought only tightened the knot in my chest. I hated how she consumed my every waking thought. No matter how much I tried to focus on other things, my mind would wander. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her—those wide, questioning eyes, her lips trembling with unsaid words. I growled under my breath, gripping the edge of the desk. This wasn’t who I was. I was Viktor Romanov—ruthless, calculated, untouchable. I didn’t lose focus. Yet, here I was, questioning my decisions because of one woman. “Mne eto ne nravitsya,” (I don’t like this), I muttered to myself. The arranged marriage to Isabella loomed
Last Updated: 2026-08-04
Chapter: He cares about youAnya pov.Pain was my constant companion now, an ache that settled deep in my ribs and radiated through every muscle. Each step I took reminded me of how fragile my situation truly was. But today, the ache was different, less about my bruises and more about my heart. Viktor had said he would take me to see Celine, and the thought of seeing her both comforted and terrified me. He had given me the condition to heal better before seeing her, he didn't tell me what went wrong with her but I feared.Would she still be the Celine I knew? Or had Boris’s cruelty broken her beyond repair? I was in the middle of these thoughts when the doorknob clicked unlocked. Viktor stepped in without waiting for permission, his presence filling the room as it always did. He was dressed in a sharp black suit, every inch the imposing man I had come to know. “Are you ready?” he asked, his voice calm but laced with impatience. I turned to face him, my movements s
Last Updated: 2026-08-03
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