The Humbling

“Do you take love or power?" he asked pointing the gun right at my forehead. In the underworld of Atlanta, blood ties are not only sacred, but also deadly. Ariella Johnson, a fearless law student, had no idea she would be bound to ruthless Mafia Don Luis DeLuca. He marries her not out of love, but to gain power, claiming her before his rival. To the outside world, she is his wife and a symbol of strength. But Ariella refuses to be controlled. Defiant and sharp-tongued, she confronts Luis at every turn, refusing to submit to a man who regards her as nothing more than a strategic move. When her father dies after discovering the truth at the hands of the defeated rival, Ariella's grief transforms into quiet determination. She won’t be a pawn in anyone’s game. As she learns to navigate the dangerous world she has been thrust into, she develops an unexpected bond with Luis' sister, Annie. However, not everyone in his household is an ally—Kendy, a cunning maid, secretly works against Ariella with, ensuring she never finds her footing. One reckless, drunken night transforms everything. Ariella discovers she is pregnant, forcing Luis to face the truth: his wife is no longer merely a symbol; she is his greatest weakness. But, before he can make things right, betrayal paves in. His most trusted allies turn on him, using Ariella as leverage in a deadly power struggle. With enemies closing in and time running out, Luis must decide whether to defend the empire he built or fight for the woman who refuses to be conquered. In a world where love is dangerous and trust is a luxury, survival requires knowing whom to protect and who to destroy. Read HIS RUTHLESS REDEMPTION

After being humiliated and abused for years, Vittoria fears meeting her creator as she gets sold by her tyrannical owners to settle a family’s debt towards the boss of another territory. But faith finally smiles her way as her new ‘father’ discovers her potential. instead of having her serve in his house like a beast, he trains her and gives her the chances she deserves. In just a few years, Vittoria rises from the ashes and takes up a position as the second-in-command of her new family. As there is an issue on her old territory, she is ready to do her part, knowing that the one she will help out might be one of her ex-bullies. When she sees Domenico again after all this time, she has a hard time at not having her jaw hit the floor. But it’s not going to be like this. Not this time. Because to save his fortune and territory, he will have to crawl at her feet. “Now… be a good boy and kneel for me.” ⚠️ TW: explicit and foul language, steamy and explicit sex scenes, abuse, heavy violence, SA ⚠️

On the company's designated monthly day off, Gigi Lott, Donald Hoover's secretary, posted an Instagram story. The caption read, "So what if you're the boss of me when we're at work during the day? At night, I'm the one on top!" In the photo, she was lying atop a water bed covered in rose petals, and the usually stern Donald was kneeling down to massage her feet for her. From his pocket hung a brand new golden necklace. Just that morning, I bought several gold bars and gave them to Donald while beseeching him to make our relationship public. He happily took the locket from me, but when I tried to take a photo of us with our phone, he smacked my phone out of my hands, smashing it into pieces. With a look of pure derision, he declared, "Why don't you take a good look at yourself in the mirror first? You really are a motherless wretch who wasn't raised right. Look at the lengths you'd go to just to ruin me!" Throughout the last five years, I had meekly gone along with his demand that we keep our relationship a secret, claiming it was because office romances were forbidden. But now, I was abruptly hit with the realization of how laughable it all was. The next day, I sent my father a message. "I admit defeat. I'm willing to come home and inherit the family business."

The world is full of corruption, tragedy, and disaster. Rape, murder, embezzlement, human trafficking. You name it. There is nothing humans won’t do for money, power or self-gratification. More than that it always seems that the downtrodden and the good-natured always suffer the most. The cherry on top? All this suffering is supposed to be rewarded in heaven when you die…if you make it there that is. Sounds ridiculous, right? Don’t worry you aren’t alone. My name is Jasmine Peters and I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired as the world around me crumbles while Sky Daddy watches from his ivory tower. I was cursed with the ability to read minds and now I’m owning this curse on my own terms and saving whoever I can with it. If God won’t help us… I will.Gabriel: I’ll never understand The Almighty’s infatuation with these creatures. Humans demand so much, but yet they give so little and whatever they are given they destroy. The audacity of this human especially leaves me particularly annoyed. She dares to defy divinity and scoffs in the face of The Almighty when it was divinity that has gifted her with the ability to do so in the first place. Only a creature as lost as a human would be given a gift and label it a curse. Nonetheless, as the hand of The Almighty, I will do as I am asked by tending the flock and heard this lost sheep back to pasture. As troublesome as she may be, I fear there is something much more sinister at play and she appears to be at the epicenter of this chaos.

For five consecutive years, I secured eighty million in core contracts for the company. Yet my salary remained six thousand. At the annual company gala, I simply told my boss, “I want a raise.” In response, he slapped me across the face three times right in front of the entire company. “Do you think clients come to you? They recognize the company! “Paying you six thousand is already charity, so don’t push your luck!” Everyone in the office watched, laughing at me. I said nothing, only quietly wiping the blood from my lip. The very next day, I took all the client resources and moved to a rival company. Three days later, my former boss broke down over the phone, screaming, “Why?! Why did they all pull out?!”

Justin Antonio Martínez, a wealthy and powerful businessman, the owner of the Martínez Fashion Industry. His arrogance and unrelenting ambition was well known to the prying eyes of the media. As Justin searches for the perfect woman to hire as his wife, he meets Isabella, a woman who unexpectedly challenges the emptiness of his carefully controlled life. ✦✦✦✦ "You’re relentless, wife." "And who’s a good boy?" She teased, tilting her head at me like she was addressing a misbehaving puppy. I smirked but kept my mouth shut. She leaned in closer, her voice softening to a coo. "Is the good boy angry?" That was it. Restraint? Gone. Before I knew it, my hand was at the back of her neck, pulling her closer. Her eyes widened as her breath caught, her face mere inches from mine. "Justin." She whispered, barely audible, her hand gripping mine like she wasn’t sure if she wanted to push me away or pull me closer. "Yes, wife?" I asked, my gaze flicking between her wide eyes and her parted lips. "Justin." She said again, pouting this time, her cheeks turning a shade of red that I couldn’t ignore. "Hmm?" I couldn’t help myself. I leaned in, pressing a quick, firm kiss to her soft lips. The way her eyes widened and her blush deepened—it was priceless. She froze for a moment, like she couldn’t believe what just happened. I released her neck but kept hold of her hand, guiding it downward. "I’ve got your good boy right here." I teased, my voice low as I placed her hand over the hard bulge in my sweatpants. She looked so flustered, so completely off her game. And damn it, she was tempting. Too tempting.