Book Hollowed Out

Once upon a time, in a land hidden where immortals exist, Alessia Condor was killed as Lady Elena, the woman destined to marry the king of Valeria. Reincarnated in modern Philippines, Alessia finds herself again in the world she doesn't belong in--or so she thinks. *** Alessia was applying for a job when she drowns with her sister and wakes up in a strange land where immortality, demons, and monsters exist. To protect herself, Alessia disguises as the boy Ales, who later becomes Elijah Rafael El Valeria's royal doctor-the more than four thousand year-old king of Valeria, the first immortal. In her game of deception and lies, who is bound to lose-Elijah, who slowly falls in love with Ales, or Alessia, who can only watch while her sister, thought to be the reincarnation of Elena, gets married to Elijah to end the curse.

Ethan Cross, an FBI agent, has been pursuing Dante Valensi, one of the nation's most influential and untouchable crime lords, for years. Dante has created an empire that law enforcement has never been able to destroy. He is cunning, ruthless, and feared by all. Ethan, however, is unique. He has been assigned the task of entering Dante's world as Luca Romano, moving up the ranks, and destroying him from within. It is almost impossible to get close to Dante. He doesn’t trust anyone and doesn’t allow anyone to be close to him, especially not romantically. However, in the role of Luca, Ethan excels at the game, gains Dante’s confidence, and becomes his right-hand man. He gets closer to his objective with each step. It becomes more difficult to keep in mind that this is only a mission every moment spent with Dante. Then everything changes one night. An overly persistent touch. The look says too much. A weakness that neither of them can undo. What little and dishonesty develops into something harmful that is unavoidable. It’s just part of the job, Ethan tells himself. Dante is an evil creature. that the worst thing he could ever do is fall in love with him. What occurs, though, when the lie begins to seem more plausible than reality? Ethan has to decide whether to finish his mission and bring down the man he was sent to destroy or to give in to the one person he was never supposed to love as secrets come to light, treachery looms, and blood is shed. Because there is only one way in with Dante Valenci. And no escape route.

Everyone in New York knew that Don Lorenzo Capone loved his wife dearly. At the height of our love, he shielded me from a bullet that went straight through his chest. The hospital issued eleven critical condition notices. I cried myself hoarse at the door of the emergency room. "Lorenzo, don't you dare die on me, or I'll instantly find a pretty boy to marry and have children with!" He survived the ordeal, and the first thing he did when he opened his eyes was to marry me. After the marriage, he ruled over New York's largest underground empire with an iron fist, but never allowed any woman to get close to him. On our third wedding anniversary, I went to his private dock to give him a surprise. There, I saw him holding a pair of twins, teaching them how to shoot. The man who could kill without batting an eye was looking at the children with eyes full of affection. The children's mother was Elena Tribbiani, the daughter of an arms dealer who was his equal. "Lorenzo, what if Vivian finds out?" Lorenzo dismissed it casually. "A fragile porcelain doll like her is only fit to be displayed in a glass case. Only a she-wolf like you is worthy of bearing my family's cubs." It turned out, what I thought was true love was merely a carefully-woven lie. I did not confront him. Instead, I sent a text message to an FBI special agent. "Agent Smith, I have a list of the arms deal you’re investigating."

For eight long years, Bryan Millan and I were married, but you’d never have known it by looking at his life. He never once acknowledged our relationship in public. Not a single post, not a single mention of me on his social media. Then came our anniversary. The day that was supposed to be about us. Instead, Bryan made an announcement on his Instagram account—just not the one I expected. There he was, hand in hand with his assistant, her draped in a wedding dress. The caption read: [When you're in love, you want the whole world to know.] The comments flooded in. [Bryan finally got married!] [Congrats! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness together!] In that moment, I could no longer lie to myself. Bryan wasn't reserved. He just never loved me. So, I decided to let go. But he wasn't ready for that. He clung to me, desperate now. But I pried his hands off and laughed—a real, genuine laugh, the kind that comes from somewhere deep inside when you realize you're finally free. Then, I looked him straight in the eye and said the words I'd been holding in, "Don't beg me to come back. Because now that I don't love you, I've never felt better."

Elise Thatcher took care of Kayden Anderson, a rich Billionaire who was in coma for three years. To make things easy for Elise to take care of Kayden, his grandma let them marry. Elise endured the harsh treatment from her in-laws for the sake of love, thinking she could melt his frozen heart. She hid her identity and healed Kayden until he could walk again. But when he recovered, he demanded a divorce coldly, bringing home his first love. Elise had enough. She forced him to sign the divorce papers and returned to claim her throne, becoming the most sought after Queen in the business world. Elise flung the papers at Kayden's face. Kayden glared at her in surprised. The people around them gasped in shock. How could Elise do this to Kayden, a multibillionaire and her husband?! "I've signed it. Don't worry. Jessie doesn't need to leave. I'll leave," Elise mocked as she walked pass them. However, Kayden grabbed ahold of her arm and pulled her back, his grip bruising and punishing. "Where do you think you're going? Kneel and apologize to Jessie!" "Apologize to her? For what?" Elise blinked her eyes innocently. She fought back a wince. Kayden was increasing his grip on her arm as if he wanted to break it. "For scaring her. You should treat her with respect," Elise burst out laughing, catching everyone off guard. Her heart felt like it was hit by a sledgehammer over and over again. "You want me, your legal wife to apologize to your mistress? Kayden, do you know what you're saying?"

“Just stay married to me for three years. After that, we divorce. In return, I’ll help you destroy your husband and the woman who took your child.” I agreed. Not because I was weak. But because I survived. I was once a devoted wife. Obedient. Loyal. Pregnant with a child I believed would save my marriage. Then his first love returned, and everything I trusted turned to blood and betrayal. We were rushed to the same hospital. I was bleeding. She was crying in his arms. There was only one operating room left. He chose her. He wheeled his mistress, his first love, into surgery and left me behind to miscarry alone. I lost my baby on a cold hospital bed while my husband held another woman’s hand. I divorced him. But some wounds do not heal. They sharpen. Now I have a contract marriage, a man with no love to give, and a plan written in patience and pain. I will take everything my ex-husband values, piece by piece, and make him beg for what he threw away. Forgiveness is for the dead. And I am very much alive. Watch out, husband. I will ruin you.

I've loved Jonathan Pickle for half my life. I used my family's resources to help him attain success. However, in the third year of our marriage, he brought his mistress home to stomp all over my pride. That wasn't the worst of it—he even destroyed my family. … I open my eyes to see Jonathan in his university days. Unexpectedly, I'm not the only person who's been given a second chance at life.

Ariana Lubove and Spencer Ulrich have been married for three years. She doesn't hope to win his heart, but she thinks that she's at least special to him. To her devastation, he finds himself a mistress and treats her like she's his treasure. Ariana finally faces reality and gets a divorce. She turns to leave without another look back. Five years later, she shows up with a little boy by her side. Spencer looks at the boy and snorts. "You're a little bastard." The boy gives him an equally icy look. "And you're an old bastard." Five years is enough for Spencer to turn a new leaf and start with a clean slate. He's confident he can win Ariana's heart again. But why the hell does he have rivals in love all over the world?

# Iron Valley Neah is human, living in a world that was never hers. After her parents die in a car crash when she is fifteen, her mother's best friend—the Luna of the Iron Valley Pack takes her in. Neah grows up alongside Caleb, the future Alpha, training with warriors, earning her place through grit and stubbornness alone. She has plans: college, business school, a life built on her own terms. She knows she will never have a mate. She knows she doesn't belong. Then everything shatters. Caleb finds his true mate and Neah is cast aside overnight. Wolves from rival packs show up at the border asking for her by name. A half-dead Alpha from the most powerful pack in three territories crashes into her life claiming *she* is his mate. And a phone call from a voice she buried three years ago delivers an impossible truth—her mother is alive, her father's death was no accident, and someone has been watching her since the day of the crash, waiting for the right moment to collect. Liam Ashford, the ruthless young Alpha of Shadow Peak, never wanted a mate. He watched the bond destroy his father and nearly destroy his pack. But his wolf dragged him across three territories to a human girl with no wolf, no rank, and no idea how valuable she really is. Neah doesn't need a mate. She needs answers. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more she realizes the bond she keeps rejecting may be the only thing standing between her and the people who want her dead. What is it about a ordinary human girl that has every powerful wolf in the region willing to kill or die to claim her?

Caroline Rossi was finally happy. Three months pregnant, with loving husbands, the Rossi twins. They knew about her dark past, and she knew about theirs. And they had just accepted each other. But what happens when their ex wife, who had been murdered years ago by the twins enemy, returns, alive?