Solitary Fitness

My husband's gym was celebrating its grand opening, so I grabbed my best friend and headed over under the guise of "checking the place out," armed with a $10 trial class we had snagged from a group deal. I never once mentioned that I was the owner's wife. The moment we wrapped up the workout, a female trainer slapped a price sheet into our hands and gave us a look that could cut glass. "Let me guess, you two came here to milk the freebies? Our private training sessions cost hundreds. They're not here for people like you to exploit." I let out a disbelieving laugh. "We bought a perfectly valid trial class. How does that make us freeloaders? Get your manager." She rolled her eyes, acting like she was the rules. "Call whoever you want! The owner is my boyfriend, and he can't stand penny-pinchers who show up trying to mooch off his gym." Then, right in front of us, she called him—voice raised, dramatic, dripping with fake indignation. "Babe, there are two cheapskates in your gym demanding the manager. Come deal with them for me!"

Years ago, I, Ella Marin, became the wife of Andrew Lorenzo, the underboss of the Lorenzo family. Sadly, my last three years were spent in prison after I caused a fatal car accident. I heard plenty of “good news” about my husband while I did my time. Andrew had officially taken over the Lorenzo family once the Don had stepped down. He then spent a fortune on a woman called Rose Gunfire and was rumored to have had a one-night stand with a rival. He was also seen acting intimately with Sophia, the Principessa of the Rossi family, and private photos of them kept appearing online. When the underboss came to warn me about Andrew, I remained calm. “The Don says that as long as you don’t cry or make a scene, you’ll still have a place in the Lorenzo family after your release.” I replied quietly, “So he has women on the side. I can handle that.” Three days before that, the church’s hospital had called to tell me that my mother was terminally ill. Since the Lorenzo family could help find a kidney donor, I agreed to a marriage in name only. All for my mother’s sake.

Orla Sullivan is the seventh and last daughter of Arnold Sullivan. She is a young girl who is loathed and rejected by every member of her family. Though a Sullivan, Orla lived a solitary life until she met Callan Barlowe at an uninvited dinner in her home. Callan Barlowe is a ruthless billionaire, a man whose demeanour oozes dominance, agitation and nothing tepid. He believes in working hard to make money and when he needs to relax; sleeping with high-class hoes is not an option, but a must-do for him. Marriage is not included in the list of things he has to do in life, but his mother wants him to get married at all costs. Callan's and Orla's worlds collided and now, Orla's life is about to completely veer around from worse to something more inimical because she's about to get married to Callan Barlowe; the ruthless billionaire boss who doesn't give a shit about anyone.

"I'll give you one billion dollars, sign the papers and get out!" I left my home in disgrace, unaware that I was already pregnant. Six years later, I gave birth to quintuplets and became the most famous fitness trainer in town. Returning to my pack for work, I unexpectedly ran into my ex. He looked at the smaller versions of himself by my side, and shouted in anger, "How many of my kids did you steal?!"

Betrayed by the man she once called husband, Cassia Munroe learned the hard way that love doesn’t always come with loyalty. She was never his first choice, but their child was everything. And when she asked for a divorce, she was forced to make the most painful sacrifice of all… leaving her five-year-old daughter behind. That loss became her fire. Years later, the world knows her name — not as the woman Frederick Jones discarded, but as a self-made powerhouse. A world-class chef. A renowned fitness mogul. A secret cybersecurity genius. A billionaire investor who could crush empires with a single trade. But the man who broke her has no idea that the empire she built was born from the ashes he left her in. Now Frederick wants what he once threw away. Yet Cassis’s heart is no longer his to claim. Because a mysterious man just shook the world with a single tweet: “My wife is the most beautiful woman alive. And the photo attached? Cassia Munroe. The woman everyone thought was broken has just become the one thing every billionaire in the world wants.

In the shadows of a world where anomalies are feared, Nicolette exists as a forbidden fusion of witch, vampire, and werewolf—a potent concoction of power concealed within a delicate frame. For 683 years, she has eluded the pursuit of a mate, content in her solitary existence, hidden from prying eyes. But fate has other plans when she crosses paths with the formidable Alpha King, Malcom, whose 728 years of existence have been defined by dominance and solitude. Their encounter is accidental, yet destiny seems to whisper secrets only they can decipher. Sparks fly amidst the tension as Nicolette's nonchalant demeanor meets Malcom's unyielding resolve. A clash of wills ensues, each refusing to yield to the other's authority. Malcom, accustomed to command, bristles at the audacity of this mysterious woman who challenges his dominance with an enigmatic laugh. Nicolette, a creature of the shadows, offers no apologies, her confidence unshaken by his intimidating presence. As they navigate the treacherous terrain of their unexpected connection, both confront their own fears and desires. Nicolette, long resigned to solitude, finds herself drawn to Malcom's strength and intensity, while Malcom, who once believed he needed no one, discovers an unexpected yearning in the depths of his heart. But in a world where monsters lurk in every shadow, can love truly conquer all? Or will their differences prove insurmountable, leading to a tragic end for two souls destined to collide? As they stand on the precipice of an uncertain future, only time will tell if their love story will defy the odds or succumb to the darkness that threatens to consume them both.