An Imperial Affliction By Peter Van Houten

They say hatred is stronger than love. For Selena Cruz, that has always been true. Born into a cartel dynasty, she swore no man would ever own her—not her father, not her enemies, and certainly not Dante Moretti, the ruthless heir of the Italian Mafia. Their marriage isn’t a choice. It’s a weapon. A deal struck in blood to end a war neither of them wanted. Dante is everything she despises—cold, controlling, untouchable. But every time he looks at her, she feels her resolve crack. He wants her obedience. She wants his downfall. And yet, the fire between them burns hotter than either can control. When betrayal shatters the fragile truce between their families, Selena and Dante are forced to fight side by side. In a world of guns, lies, and vengeance, enemies can become lovers…and hatred may be the only thing keeping them alive. In the mafia, love is never pure. It’s a weapon. And sometimes, it’s deadly.

Six years ago, Elena Romano was the cherished daughter of one of the most powerful business families in New York. She had wealth, status, and the love of Killian Graves, the man who promised to stand by her forever. But everything changed the night her family was framed for embezzlement and murder, their empire burned to the ground. Betrayed, hunted, and left with nothing, Elena disappeared—presumed dead. Now, she’s back. Not as the naive heiress she once was, but as Raven Black, the mysterious self-made billionaire who built an empire from the ashes of her past. Ruthless, untouchable, and dangerous, she has only one goal: revenge. Her first target? Killian Graves—the man she once loved, and the man she believes destroyed her family. But Killian is not the same man she left behind. Cold, powerful, and feared by all, he rules the corporate world with an iron fist. When Elena crosses his path again, he sees right through her disguise. But instead of exposing her, he makes a shocking offer Forced into a high-stakes game of seduction and power, Elena plays along, waiting for the perfect moment to destroy him. But the closer she gets, the more she realizes—everything she believed was a lie. ⚠️ Killian didn’t betray her—someone else did. ⚠️ The real enemy has been hiding in the shadows all along. ⚠️ And the man she swore to ruin… never stopped loving her. As hidden secrets unravel and deadly enemies close in, Elena finds herself caught between vengeance and passion, lies and truth, love and hate. But when the past comes back to finish what it started, she must decide: Will she destroy Killian once and for all? Or will she risk everything… and let him own her completely?

I've transmigrated into a world where people will die if they don't cheat on their partners. The system tells me that I need to carry out the entire plot before I can finally go home. So, I play the role of a good wife during the day and carry out my duties as a great "friend" at night. I'm a master when it comes to time management. When I finally reach the end of the plot, I break up with my side piece, Xavier Dawson, first. Xavier bursts into tears instantly. "I don't mind the fact that you have a husband, yet your husband minds you having a side piece! Can't you tell who here loves you even more?" Left without a choice, I decide to file for a divorce from my husband, Rafael Cortez. Rafael gets mad at me this time. "You cheating on me is purely business between you and your side piece! How is this related to me? Why must I be involved in your business?" Heh! If not for the fact that I know both Xavier and Rafael have a first love each, I might have believed their lies!

Tired of being a Sub, Nadia takes on a role of a Dom, but all that changes in a blink of an eye. A series of events leave her at the mercy of a man she never thought she'd see again. Will she be able to escape her past? Or is her past back to punish her? "Remember the safe word Nadia." "Red" She breathlessly answered.

Tammy, a young and elegant lady, born into a wealthy family, engaged to marry the love of her life, Jason, must make a big decision when her father's company is faced with bankruptcy and he has to undergo surgery. She is set to marry Ryan, an only son and heir to Claude's empire in order to save her father's image. A marriage she never imagined, leaving her uncertain about the future. Unknown to her, Ryan holds a shadowed truth that could mar or destroy her. Will this shadowed truth cause a rift or sweeten the bond? Will the marriage marriage be beneficial or a setup?

She buried her name the night her pack was slaughtered. He inherited a throne built on her family's graves. When a girl with no past stumbles into Nightshade territory, the future Alpha claims her as his mate, defying his father's warnings about the strange newcomer who hides a burned mark beneath her sleeve. But some secrets are written in blood, and when the truth emerges that she is the last daughter of the enemy pack his father destroyed, their love becomes the spark that could ignite a second war. Caught between a brother who demands vengeance and a mate who feels betrayed, she must choose whether love can truly heal what violence has broken, or if some wounds run too deep to ever close.

Wolfless, with her Alpha father on his death bed, Emily found herself betrayed by her ex-boyfriend and her Stepmother. But then Emily has a one-night stand with a stranger, she finds out he is a powerful werewolf who wants Emily for his mate...and revenge on someone they both have scores to settle with.

Maris, a counsellor with the ability to enchant anyone with her voice, distruped a ritual headed by Azazel and escaped with the entity needed for the ritual to be completed. With the help of Logan Wolfe, the Alpha of the Oberon Wolves pack, who also happened to be her mate, she was able to escape. Maris began to discover secrets about herself and became a great risk to five clans who wanted her dead. Her mate, Logan, vowed to protect her, but how would he when Maris is so stubborn and determined?

Three years into our marriage, Rylan Shaw brings another woman home. "Maeve, you should learn from the younger ladies. Stop acting like a block of wood all the time." With a calm resolve, I shatter our wedding photo and hand him the divorce papers I've long prepared. "Let's get divorced, Rylan. I'll step aside for her," I declare. His friends insist that without him, I'll starve on the streets. Rylan believes the same. "Once she's suffered enough out there, she'll realize how lucky she was to be Mrs. Shaw." But a week passes, then a month—and I never return. That's when Rylan begins to grow uneasy. Panic and restless nights consume him. One evening, drunk and desperate, he pounds on the door of my new apartment. "Maeve, if it's money you want, I'll give it all to you…" The door swings open to reveal an unfamiliar man—bare-chested, pajama pants hanging low, fresh scratches streaking his abdomen. Jonah Archer arches a brow, dissatisfaction flickering in his eyes as he asks, "Mr. Shaw, what madness brings you to my wife's door in the middle of the night?"

Los Angeles was supposed to be my home. Instead, it had always felt like a golden cage. The Smith mansion stood tall behind iron gates, glittering with wealth and silence. Servants bowed. Cameras watched every corner. And the man who called himself my uncle smiled sweetly for the world while hiding knives behind his back. I was seventeen when I heard the truth. “He will take care of the girl tonight,” my uncle said over the phone, his voice calm. “Make it look like an accident.” The girl. He meant me. Fear became the only thing that kept my legs moving. I ran from the driver who was meant to take me home, sprinting through unfamiliar streets until the bright city lights disappeared and the world turned darker. Detroit. Wrong place. Wrong time. Engines roared in the distance when I saw him. A man sitting on a black motorcycle like a shadow carved from danger. Tattoos curled up his neck. His eyes were cold enough to freeze the night. Everyone knew men like him were monsters. But monsters were sometimes the only ones who could save you. I jumped onto the back of his motorcycle and wrapped my arms around his waist. “Please,” I whispered. “Help me.” That single moment would destroy his life. And change mine forever. *******