Barely Synonym

As the flames engulfed my body in the underground warehouse, I used the last of my strength to call my brother, the new Don of the Moretti family. Just as I was about to draw my last breath, Lorenzo finally answered, his voice as cold as the Sicilian winter wind. "Isabella, what the hell are you up to now?" "Brother, save me…" My voice was barely a whisper, but he cut me off without a hint of mercy. "Can't you go one day without causing trouble?" "Liliana's debutante dinner is next week. If you don't show up, I'll drag you back here myself." He hung up without a second thought, completely oblivious to the desperation in my voice. Despair mingled with the searing agony that wracked my body as the flames danced higher, and I couldn't hold on any longer. As I closed my eyes, tears still trickled from their corners. You won't have to drag me back, my brother. I'm never coming back.

“Shoot me, butterfly, do it,” Russo said with a smirk, and Chloe’s grip on the firearm faltered. “Who says I can't?” She retorted, hoping her hesitancy wasn’t showing on my face. “You love me, butterfly, but if you are going to do it, look into my eyes.” He replied and Chloe chuckled. “Your problem is that you trust everyone to much.” Chloe smirked before looking straight into his eyes and taking the shot. ____ Everything changed for FBI agent, Chloe Bells when she walked in on her husband cheating. Her barely surviving marriage fell apart, and Chloe was losing herself fast in the quicksands. When the FBI offered her a chance to catch a break, she took it happily. One of her hardest undercover missions was to bring in one of the most feared men in the world, Alessandro Russo. It shouldn’t be hard for Chloe to transition into Alissa, the street fighter who needs a job, but nothing prepared her for the consequences of working closely with the crime boss himself—consequences like falling for him and going against her undercover instructions!

Faustine already has a deep admiration for Darius before being betrothed to him. She is also aware of Darius' secret affair with her cousin—Kristie. Therefore, before their betrothal party takes place, Faustine isn't surprise when Darius ran off with Kristie. Faustine would have been willing to accept the bitter truth, but a tragedy soon overthrows her peaceful life. Faustine catches Kristie cheating to Darius. Fearing her secrecy, Kristie gets into her car and argues with her. However, it's only a brief period of time when they little argument led a dreadful car accident. Faustine barely survives, but Kristie tragically dies. Faustine soon falls victim to an erroneous accusations. Darius blatantly blames and accuses her for deliberately killing Kristie. But their marriage continues partly in accordance with Darius' evil scheme. Faustine is aware that she is now doomed to suffer, and that her little fantasies of him has gone into a dramatic tale of torment. It also the decisive moment when she realizes that she ain't Belle who tames a beast; she creates a beast.

WARNING ⚠️: This book contains some violence, explicit and mature content, BDSM, and is highly rated 18+. Just once, he thrust deeper and my lips gaped, trembling…my fingers squeezed his cloth tighter. “Why do you smell this way? Just why?” his voice was barely a whisper. I wanted to answer him…to tell him he was the whore here, but fućk…..he pushed into me deeper, once, twice and again. …… It was supposed to be a seven day contract and then we parted ways, but I didn't just end up being his rival…one whose mother he's been searching for all these years, but also I became the slave who the Alpha king relieves his stress in her damped fold. Was it the matebond? I doubted it. He wasn't just all over me, but I also prayed each day that he sends for me, have me tied up and f*cked until my body convulsed under him. He was dominant and possessive, and I submitted to every bit of him…

Rachel is about to turn 18 and set to wed the Alpha of her pack, the man every other girl wants. She knows she should be happy, and she can’t understand why, instead, she feels so confused. The Alpha is sure that Rachel is his mate. So why isn’t Rachel certain that they are destined for each other? With her birthday and wedding just days away, Rachel can’t handle the pressure of her swirling emotions. She flees to the forest, to clear her mind—but accidentally leaves her pack’s borders. She enters a rogue’s territory and finds herself face to face with a dangerous rogue. He is a boy unlike any she’s ever met, with eyes so hypnotizing she can barely breathe. Her entire body trembles as she looks into those eyes. She knows that to love him would be strictly forbidden, would go against everything she was raised to be. But she can’t deny her feelings. Has she finally found her true mate?

"Do you know what marriage is?" Evelyn asked with a raised brow. "Marriage is 'I do' and 'you do', then boom, children come in anytime they want," Drake replied with a cute smile. "How do children come in?" She asked knowingly. "Man and a woman call them," he replied foolishly. "How do they call them?" She probed. "Just like this…" He placed his phone to his ear. "I already forgot that it's useless talking to you," Evelyn got annoyed and walked away *** Twenty years old Evelyn Brown was forced to marry the son of the richest man in the country, Drake Valentino. She thought her life was perfect, not until she was forced to get married to a man she barely knows because of money. Evelyn had thought the arranged marriage wasn't bad as her groom was a handsome young man from a rich family, just like hers until she entered the marriage. She was shocked into disbelief when she realized her husband wasn't as normal as she thought he was, he was a complete… Moron!

Laura is the second daughter of Chief West and the first and only child of Chief West's late first wife. She had lost her mother in a ghastly car accident when she was barely eight months old so her father had to remarry so that she could be well taken care of, as a child. But as Laura came of age, she discovered that life would not be sweet and smooth running for her, with her stepmother and two stepsisters bullying and abusing her all the time especially as her father was always away on business. She continues to endure...until she meets him... Greg Williams is the city's most sought after bachelor. Stunning, rich and influential. He is one that most mothers wished for at their doorposts seeking for their daughter's hand. Greg had seen his share of women and had encountered hundreds of them in his lifetime but he didn't believe in love, never had. To him, sex was the only intimate connection between a man and a woman. But what happens when he meets an angelic beauty that would change his life forever?

"I would like to say I'm sorry; I haven't been the best version of myself. I am sorry for my inability to communicate effectively, and I know these past few weeks haven't been the best." "I do not want your apology, Xavier; I want to know why you have changed so much and become someone I barely know. I want to know what happened." She said, staring up at him, "Was my love never enough?" She didn't want to show her vulnerability, but he had always seen it. "It was always enough," he said as he stepped towards her, crossing into her personal space. Her heart picked up its pace, and she stared up at him. She could have told him to step back, but she wanted this. "You were always enough. I am sorry if I made you feel like you weren't." He said, and his lips met hers.

Serene Rivera is the Princess of Mafia Don Alexander Rivera. The world she grow up is drenched with blood and bodies. To the outside world, she looks like she is a pampered princess, but behind the closed doors, she is a puppet. ..... "You are going to marry Dante Volcov. Your engagement is in a month" Alexander announced one evening near their dining table. Serene bit her lip hard to suppress the fear that ran down her spine. Her palms became clammy with sweat, and her eyes are stinging with unshed tears. If Alexander is a monster, Dante is whispered to be the reincarnation of Lucifer himself. Serene barely survived Alexander's cruelty, she is sure she is going to die if she marry Dante. Dante, the man who is her father's second in command, and malicious, cunning and the cruelest man she has ever seen. After all, she has known Dante Volcov for the last fifteen years of her life. She is just twenty now, while he is 29. She did what she could do, she ran away

“I thought you were going to propose to me just like you said.” Nicole’s voice barely made it past her throat. A part of her still needed an explanation from Rowan. “You must be out of your godforsaken mind if you actually believed that.” That was how Rowan—the former all-time quarterback star, the guy she thought was her ‘supposed’ boyfriend chose to humiliate her in front of everyone at the hockey field. And instead, he picked another girl… someone he felt was more worth it. Just when Nicole thought she had lost it all, a voice rose from the crowd. “I scored that touchdown for you, for being the prettiest girl here.” It was Brad. The newly transferred, insanely hot quarterback star, standing up for her when no one else did. What Nicole didn’t realize, though, was that Brad was actually “Jill”—the same boy from the orphanage who had once promised to be her knight in shining armor. Check out my other book: The Mafia's Undercover Princess.