Bitter Ruin

Layla Monroe has always been the overlooked daughter in a family that treasures beauty over loyalty. Betrayed by her boyfriend and overshadowed by her stepsister, Celeste, Layla has learned to survive without the support of those who should love her most. But when her family’s business teeters on the brink of ruin, they demand a sacrifice: a loveless marriage to Damian Blackwood, a man with secrets as deep as his grudges. Reluctantly, Layla agrees, believing Damian to be a penniless partner in her family’s plot. But her husband is hiding an empire—and a vendetta. What begins as a calculated alliance shift into something more as Layla uncovers Damian’s plans for revenge against her family and his unexpected role in her future. When old enemies and past lovers return, threatening to destroy everything she’s fought for, Layla must choose: protect the family that betrayed her or forge her path with the man who could be her undoing—or her redemption. In a world of lies and betrayal, can Layla find the strength to reclaim her worth and take control of her destiny?

In a world ruled by power, fear, and blood, Dante Ricci is nothing short of a walking demon. A powerful mafia boss, he commands respect through sheer brutality, feared by his enemies and even those closest to him. Dante despises weakness, ruthlessly crushing anyone who dares to oppose him or show vulnerability. Cold-hearted, dominant, and cruel, he lives by the law of the underworld—survival of the fittest. On the other side of the city lives Elena Carter, a cheerful and innocent college student. Adopted by parents who despise her, she has always felt out of place in a world that offers her little love. Unbeknownst to her, her real parents were killed years ago, but she knows nothing of the dark secrets that shroud her past. She’s focused on her studies, trying to live a normal life despite her broken family. Fate takes a dark turn when Elena accidentally witnesses Dante in the middle of a brutal murder, crime no innocent eyes should have seen. Dante, always careful to eliminate any loose ends, has no choice but to kidnap her. She’s nothing more than a liability, a weakling in his eyes, and his first instinct is to kill her. As secrets unravel and tension mounts, Dante must confront the demons of his past while Elena fights to survive in a world she never belonged to. Will Dante’s hatred and heartlessness lead him to kill her, or will the unexpected connection between them change their lives forever?

Valentina never meant to cross the line. She was just Sofia’s best friend always welcome in their luxurious villa, always laughing at Sofia’s jokes, always stealing glances at the one man she knew she could never have. Luca Moretti. Sofia’s father. Older, powerful, dangerously magnetic. One forbidden night, a single brush of his thumb across her lip shattered every rule she’d sworn to keep. What started as stolen touches and whispered confessions quickly spiraled into something neither could control. His hands claimed her in the dark, his voice called her “good girl” while guilt tore her apart, and every stolen moment felt like fire she couldn’t extinguish. But desire like this doesn’t stay hidden. When Sofia discovers the truth, betrayal cuts deeper than any blade. Friendships fracture. Family bonds break. And the two people who risked everything for each other are left standing in the ashes of what they destroyed. Now Valentina must decide: walk away from the only man who ever made her feel truly alive… or burn everything down to keep him. Because some love is worth the ruin. And some ruin never felt this good. 18+ | Explicit content | Forbidden age-gap romance | Taboo desire | Emotional angst | Slow-burn tension | Possessive MMC | Family betrayal

Liora Nyssa Cortez gave everything... her time, her heart, her trust for the people she loved, but one lie destroyed it all. Branded a bully for something she didn't do, she was left humiliated, betrayed, and abandoned by the very friends she once called family. The most painful part was Thorne Lucien Silva, the boy she loved deeply, didn't speak. He didn't ask for the truth. He didn't stay. He walked away like she never mattered. Seven years later, Liora is no longer the fragile girl they broke. She is stronger, fiercer, and successful on her own terms. Just when she thought she had finally moved on, fate pulls them back into each other's lives. Thorne is now a famous idol. Liora is the girl he once ruined. And the past still lingers, waiting to be faced.

School had just dismissed us for the exam-break when my roommate begged me not to leave her alone in the dorm. She said she was scared and wanted to come home with me. Out of kindness, I brought her back with me. I had no idea that the very first night, she would sneak into my brother's room, and by the next morning, she was screaming that he had assaulted her. Because of that, my brother missed the exam, and his reputation was ruined. When the school board found out, they expelled him. No other school would take him in. To keep me from getting involved in this mess at school, my parents had no choice but to let that roommate live with us. After that, she treated our home like her personal hotel: never lifting a finger, demanding that my parents wait on her every night, and even having them wash her feet. My brother dropped out and took up work at an illegal factory just to support her spending. Then one day, a machine crushed him at that factory. My parents, already exhausted and heartbroken, fell gravely ill and passed away soon after. I was consumed by hatred. In the end, I dragged the roommate who destroyed my family down into the flames with me. Even as I died, I still couldn't understand. What kind of bitter grudge did her family have against mine for her to ruin us like that? But when I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day she asked to come home with me…

« Dis-moi que tu ne veux pas ça, Vivianne… » Le souffle chaud de Noah caressait ma peau, son doigt effleurant mon clitoris douloureux, et son regard fixé sur moi. « J’arrêterai si tu me le demandes… » Ma taille se cambrant, un léger gémissement s’échappa de mes lèvres tandis qu’il glissait deux doigts en moi, un sourire narquois se dessinant sur ses lèvres. Je devrais le repousser… Je devrais le maudire, mais je n’y arrivais pas. Mon corps me trahissait. Je le désirais, j’avais horreur de l’admettre. Comment mon corps pouvait-il désirer le même homme qui avait ruiné ma vie ? « Non… Noah… » Ma respiration était saccadée, mes ongles s’enfonçant dans le matelas tandis que le désir m’envahissait. « Ne… ne… touche pas… argh ! Juste là… Putain ! S’il te plaît, ne t’arrête pas… » « Où, V… Dis-moi où tu veux que je te touche. » Ses doigts s’agitèrent en moi, me titillant. « Juste là… Putain ! » Mes hanches se soulevèrent d'un coup, mon vagin palpitant de plaisir, mes parois se contractant autour de ses doigts… juste avant que mon orgasme ne me submerge…

“You're mine now, Brittany.” He whispered in my ears. I froze. I don't remember telling him my name. Zayne…Zayne…oh God. Now, I remember why his name sounded so familiar…but it was too late, I thought as I lost consciousness. __ Brittany's life has been full of heartbreaks and pain, from her father's death to her mother's manipulation and abuse, while using religion as a weapon. She grews up with fear, guarding her virginity like a cloak because of her mother's constant words in her ears. Until she meets Zayne, known throughout New York as the CEO for his ruthlessness, he turns out to be Mafia too. Zayne claims her as his refusing to let her go. Will Brittany grow to love him and give him a chance after what he did to her? What happens when she's the only one who can save him from enemies flocking around him? __ “I'm letting you go, doll.” He mumbled as he held on to me, his eyes growing weak. My heart twisted in my chest as tears fell down my cheeks. No… “I don't regret a thing. You taking me was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

It was Christmas Eve. Once again, my parents left me alone at home, chasing triple pay at work. However, after twenty years of the same lonely holiday, I couldn’t take it anymore. I didn’t want to sit in the quiet house by myself again, so I packed up some sandwiches and went to them. What I didn’t expect was to see them stepping out of a luxury car, arms linked with a boy who looked about my age, laughing like they didn’t have a care in the world, heading straight into a five-star hotel. “Mom, Dad, is it okay to leave Suzie all alone at home like that?” My mom waved it off and said, “It’s fine. She’s used to it.” My dad just brushed it off with a chuckle. “She’s nothing like you. You're our real treasure.” Upon hearing that, I turned and walked away. They'd been pretending to be broke all these years, lying to me about working overtime, about scraping by. Well, fine. If they don’t want me, I’m done wanting them, too.

When love is a sin, Ava Peony Lazarte is the sinner. Ava is a nineteen-year-old college student who is known for her beauty, wit, and respectable reputation. She is every guy's dream girl and every girl's insecurity. However, behind her alluring and almost perfect facade, no one knows about her scandalous secret; she is the billionaire's mistress. She knows her relationship with the CEO of Valderama corporation, Zachary Wolf Valderama, is wrong for so many reasons. He is twice her age, about to get married for the second time, and he is her friend's father. However, Ava has no plans of quitting her relationship with Zach because she loves him. She depends on him. And he's everything she got. Ava is a warrior of the painful tragedy most people call love. She is a true warrior; a wounded one. Read her story and discover how is it like to be the billionaire's illicit affair.

She thought she could resist him, but the Alpha who ruined her life awakened desires she never knew existed, leaving her torn between danger and obsession.