53 Steps Laurence

“Look at you, so wild and vulnerable,” he said gruffly and gripped a handful of my hair and pulled it backward, causing my head to tilt back while his other hand was cupping my breast.    I gasped at his sudden roughness.    “You’re driving me crazy, Dani. You’re a good distraction. I’d never been so distracted like this that I lost focus with my master plan.” *** TERZO When I took someone’s life, I knew there was no going back. To seek redemption and save my sister from marrying an evil like Francesco Giordani, I have to find his runaway daughter. The job should be easy— bring Dani Souls home by any means necessary. But when life takes an unexpected turn, it’s not always in the right direction. I find myself drawn to her. Seeing her terrified of me, I take it to my advantage. I didn’t give her many options: marry me or marry another monster. My only issue is that she doesn’t know I killed her brother. *** DANI When a tall, dark, and mysterious man steps into my life, I know he’s a made man— extremely dangerous. In a moment of weakness, I shot him.  For someone like Terzo Siciliano, a ruthless, unforgiving, and incapable of emotions, whose surname is feared by many, I should be dead by now. Instead, he plays his cards right and lures me into a trap— a marriage for my protection, or he owns my life. While our families are on the verge of a raging war, I feel helpless to resist his devilish charm. But I don’t know which feels much worse, me treading on dangerous waters or uncovering his deceit?

“Marry me.” Ashleigh Hartman froze. The CEO of Tixton Industries, Adrian Cagliari, had just offered her a deal that made no sense. “I’m sorry...what?” “It’s simple. A six-month marriage contract. You’ll get everything you need. I’ll get what I want.” **************** Ashleigh thought her life was predictable; she cleaned offices by day to save every penny for college, and stayed far away from public scrutiny. But one unsettling incident thrusts her into the attention of the powerful and mysterious man like Adrian Cagliari. Suddenly, she’s no longer invisible. Adrian’s proposal seems outrageous, but Ashleigh is cornered. With no real choice, she signs the contract... and steps into a world of ruthless business deals, hidden agendas, and secrets that could burn everything down and leave her more hurt than she started. How will the next six months go?

Preview. After harsh and violent events that happened in past, I completely lost my faith in relationships: love and friendship both. I spent my last couple of years happily by myself and a very few people I trusted. Most of the people thought I was arrogant and self-centred and i was completely okay with that. But then a realisation hit hard, because of couple of bad people I can't stop trusting everyone. So, for a change i needed a new and fresh kick start. I transferred to another college in last year of my graduation. I loved the feeling of new and raw start. fresh me, fresh people , fresh environment and a lot better vibes. This is where the story starts... I was walking towards my class through the busy corridor just when I saw a him siting on the very first bench of Lr. 19, I saw his fair skin, his jawline, a face with a smile talking to someone on his left. My heart skipped a beat. I was petrified. He turned his face towards me while i was still standing few steps from the door of the class. He smiled. And I realised he was not the one i had a crush on but indeed he looked almost like my crush. After 6 months... The boy i saw is my only true and dearest friend in this college... After about a year, Things change so fast and harshly that you don't even get time to understand the circumstances. The change breaks you.. It hurts but hurt eventually makes you stronger. Read to find out what really happened in the last year of her graduation....

Andrea Laurence had it all, the glamour the perfect fiance, and her dream job that was until her fall from grace. Now she is untouchable no one in the corporate world will hire her. Those are the rules. Corbyn Emerson has never been one to follow the rules, especially when he plays the game. He needs Andrea to take down his enemy who just so happens to be Andrea's ex-fiance and doesn't expect to be so enthralled by her fiery no-nonsense personality. Soon he finds out that she knows how to play the game just as well as him, there is danger, blackmail lies galore, and maybe before they realise it a forbidden sort of love they both decided to ignore. As they play with each other's hearts, from unwilling co-conspirators to something more, are you willing to play the game?

I secretly invite my in-laws over for the New Year, hoping to surprise my husband, Huxley Carlson. But the moment my father-in-law steps through the door, Huxley's secretary shoves him out. He slams into the shoe cabinet, throwing out his back. She sneers. "Who do you beggars think you are, strolling into Mr. Carlson's villa like this? You're this broke and still have the nerve to call yourself his father-in-law?" I immediately call for the housekeeper to help him, but the secretary blocks her. She even shoves my mother-in-law. "You really think you're the lady of the house?" she snaps. "Mr. Carlson hired the housekeeper to serve him, not to waste time on you or your useless parents." My mother-in-law is so enraged that she suffers a heart attack on the spot. I call Huxley in a panic, begging him to come to the hospital. But he sounds utterly unmoved. His voice is cold and mocking as he says, "Jen told me what happened. The nerve of you, bringing your parents to my house! Now you want me to rush to the hospital because your mom's pretending to be sick? "Tell them to get out! If she dies, she dies. Hell, maybe it's a blessing—just in time for the New Year!"

“I need someone to act as my wife, for the time being. In return, you get everything you’ve ever wanted. This could be your chance to change everything. To fix your life. It's that simple.” She looks like his wife. But She isn’t. When Daphne is thrust into the life of a woman she’s never met, the stakes are higher than she ever imagined and she steps into a world that was never hers to claim — until now. The deal was simple: pretend, blend in, and don’t fall in love. But nothing about him—or this secret—is simple. One lie. One contract. One dangerously tempting man. What happens when pretending becomes too real, feelings get involved, and the past refuses to stay buried…? How far will she go to protect the secret that could destroy them all?

"Take off your mask," "You are in my territory now, you can't order me and I already said that I am not you mate." His presence made her want to get close to him and give up her worries in his embrace but she clenched her hands by her side not giving in. Taking slow steps toward her, he entered her personal space and leaned forward. She could the heat of his body and his breath on her face. Just a little longer, she could do this. Her breathing increased, coming out harsh and uneven and her legs almost gave out with the need to touch him hitting her hard "Then why do you hide your scent. " ... After an accident, Riona lost her father, and she gained a wound on her face that made people believe she had to live her life with a scarred face. she used a mask to hide her face from the world and let them judge her. After becoming the luna saw was betrayed and murdered by her best friend and her fiancee who were after her pack. After going back in time right before her life took a wrong turn, her trust in people had been shattered. In her new life, she seeks revenge and discovers the hidden truth behind being a rear white wolf. She encounters her true mate but can't accept him because of her trust issues. Lennox is the alpha of the strongest pack but with all his achievements he needed his mate with him, when he meets her, she denies being his mate but he will stop at nothing until he claims her as his.

“Please, don’t marry him. I love you. How am I supposed to live without you?” Williams’s voice broke as he pleaded, desperation seeping into every word. Slowly, deliberately, Elodie slid the engagement ring off her finger. Without hesitation, she hurled it at him, the sharp metallic sound of it hitting the ground cutting through the air like a knife. “Get lost, Williams,” she spat, her tone icy. “I never want to see your face again.” Williams stared down at the ring, the very one he had chosen with so much love and care, now lying discarded like it meant nothing. Without another word, he turned and walked away, his steps heavy. He didn’t look back, and with every step he took, the distance between them felt insurmountable. As his figure disappeared from view, Elodie stood frozen, her body trembling. The tears she had been holding back finally spilled over, and she collapsed to her knees. The ring, still glinting faintly on the ground, caught her eye. With shaking hands, she reached for it and cradled it in her palm. Her sobs grew louder as she pressed the ring to her lips, her tears soaking into her skin. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice barely audible through the sobs. “I’m so sorry, Williams.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In the struggle for dominance, Elodie Richards unknowingly becomes a pawn— an object of a cruel joke that shattered her once blissful life. Falling prey to an evil scheme, she let go of the one thing that mattered most in her life; Williams Storm. When the truth comes to light, will Elodie be able to right her wrongs and win back the heart she shattered into pieces, even when Williams' once–loving eyes are filled with nothing but contempt for her?

Have you ever woken one morning with a burning, insatiable desire to go out and kill someone? Sarah Killian, a notoriously foul-mouthed and mean-spirited serial killer for hire, along with her cohort assassin Mary Sue Keller, are back on assignment for the Trusted Hierarchy of Everyday Murderers (T.H.E.M.). After receiving an ominous warning from a mark-gone-wrong, it becomes clear that Nick Jin—Sarah’s former nemesis—is still at large and singling her out. Sarah and Mary Sue are dispatched to Tennessee to discreetly kill off an accused family of KKK organizers, but their true mission is to lure Nick Jin into a trap. But will Nick—always several steps ahead of T.H.E.M.—see their bait for what it is? One thing is guaranteed: blood will be shed. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Simone Thompson, the ruling Mafia of Austria, has undertaken the ‘underworld of men’ with her women racketeering organization and unending love for terror and adventure. She seeks revenge against her favorite enemy, but on this quest to quench years of thirst, her heart unexpectedly leaps toward Ashton Walkers, the top Hollywood model and Austria's biggest hotelier. Unlike others who tremble at Simone's power, Ashton dares to challenge her dangerous lifestyle while wrestling with his own burgeoning feelings and the secrets behind his wife's disappearance. Despite knowing Simone can be as lethal as a venomous snake, he steps into her world to solve the riddle starring his wife Alicia as the greatest con-woman.