A Substitute Bide for My Voss

“A million dollars,” he said, his voice flat, like he was negotiating over a car, not a person. Astrid shook her head, opening her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. “Let’s make it two then,” he offered. She stared at him, stunned, wondering if he’d lost his mind. “Mr. Voss…” “Final offer. Five million,” he said, his gaze steady, unyielding. Astrid took a deep breath, her heart pounding. “Fine. I’ll be your wife.” *** When Astrid Blythe, a rising event planner, runs into her ex, Adrian Voss, at his engagement party, she’s shocked to discover that his fiancée is missing. What starts as a strange encounter quickly spirals into something even more surreal when Adrian offers Astrid a proposal of his own: marry him in a cold, calculated, no-strings-attached arrangement. Despite her better judgment, Astrid agrees to the deal. But as the line between business and desire blurs, she finds herself drawn back into Adrian’s dangerous orbit—and realizes, to her horror, that she’s falling again for the man she once loved…the man who had a hand in the death of their child.

Damon Voss, cold-hearted tech billionaire, has his new personal assistant Elena.

When Sylvia Reed postponed our wedding for the fifth time, I found a pregnancy test report in her bag and decided to force the issue. Then I saw a trending local post. A woman rolled up her sleeves, baking cookies. Beside her, a man bent down to tease a child. One look was enough. I recognized the scar on her wrist. It was in the exact same spot as the one Sylvia got years ago when she took a knife for me. The scarf draped over the man's shoulders was one I'd custom-made for Sylvia. Our initials were stitched into it. The sight burned. I thought about how Sylvia had been glued to her phone lately, and how I'd heard a baby crying through it. Ten minutes ago, she'd sent me a voice message. "Luke, something urgent came up at the company. I can't make it back to try on the suit with you. Maybe we should postpone the wedding again? Next year. We'll definitely do it next year." But I'd already waited seven years for this wedding. I took off my groom's suit and cut it to pieces. Then I wiped my eyes, pulled out my phone, and dialed a number I hadn't called in seven years. "I'm short a bride for my wedding. Interested?"

The night Enzo was made boss of the Moretti family, I gave him my virginity. He was the heir I'd been promised to since before I could speak. We kissed against the floor-to-ceiling windows, tangled in the humid, twilight heat... His rough, urgent hands hurt me, but I didn't pull away. Even the pain felt sacred, a sacrifice I was willing to make for love. Lost in the heat of the moment, he promised me a pair of the most beautiful crystal shoes, so I could dance the opening waltz with him at his coronation ceremony the next day. The first dance is always reserved for the new boss and his future bride. I cried with joy, believing my years of secret pining and patient waiting would finally culminate in a fairytale ending. But I was wrong. So terribly wrong. The next morning, I dragged my aching body out to get his favorite espresso, only to overhear the guys joking as I returned: "So you finally popped the family cherry, huh? How was Vivian on your first night as boss?" Enzo's voice was lazy, mocking. "Face of an angel, body of a devil. She's a hot little viper in bed." The room erupted in sleazy whistles. "So, you really gonna marry her, young boss?" "Are you kidding me?" Enzo scoffed. "Vivian's just a warm-up. Once I get some practice in, I'll go tame the Falcone ice princess. When I get bored, I can always circle back and put a ring on her." I stood frozen in the doorway, my vision blurring, the coffee cup trembling in my hand. Before the world faded to black, I sent a coded message to the Don: "Uncle Romano, for the promotion in three days, get me a transfer. As far away from Enzo as possible."

The last person Cassie Adams expects to see sitting across the boardroom table is the man she left behind. Damian Voss. The man she never forgot. The man who never forgave her. Months ago, a broken heart sent Cassie running halfway across the world. Spain was supposed to be an escape a place to heal, reinvent herself, and forget the betrayal that shattered her life. Then she met Damian. What was meant to be a fleeting summer romance became something neither of them saw coming. Something intense. Addictive. Impossible to walk away from. Until Cassie did. Without an explanation. Without a goodbye. Now Damian is no longer the carefree man she fell for. He's cold where he once was warm, guarded where he once let her in, and determined to make her regret the heartbreak she left behind. He's powerful, ruthless, and one of the most influential men. Worse, her biggest career opportunity places her directly in his path, she discovers some mistakes never stay buried. Avoiding him isn't an option. Neither is ignoring the fire that still burns between them.

The first man who ever made her feel wanted turned out to be her mother's husband. At her mother's wedding reception, heartbroken Ivana shares a scorching encounter with a stranger in the bathroom. He claims her completely, awakening desires she never knew existed. Then she discovers the truth. He is Harrison Voss, her new stepfather. Now forced to live under the same roof at the luxurious Voss Estate, the 23-year-old Ivana is trapped with the 45-year-old ruthless billionaire. He is cold, controlling, and obsessed. She is everything he should resist, yet he can't stay away. Their secret relationship ignites with jealousy, betrayal, and dangerous family secrets. A vengeful stepbrother and manipulative mother threaten to destroy them both. What begins as forbidden lust slowly becomes something deeper and far more risky. He says she is ruining him. She knows she should run. But she lets him ruin her right back. A dark, addictive stepfather romance full of passion, power, and forbidden love.