Cardinal Rules

A lie sealed with a kiss.A marriage bound by revenge .the only way out is through fire Two weeks before her fairy-tale society wedding, Ariana Carter, the witty and spirited youngest daughter of the powerful Carter dynasty, catches her fiancé, Simon Vance, in an act of infidelity..Shattered and seeking reckless oblivion, her impulsive escape leads her into a dark city alley and a dangerous confrontation. Only to be saved by Lucas Hill, the enigmatic billionaire CEO who rules the corporate landscape with ruthless efficiency—and who also happens to be her formidable older brother’s closest friend and the man who once coldly rejected her youthful crush. The very next day, the Carter and Hill families, desperate to avert a financial and media catastrophe caused by Simon's calculated actions, orchestrate a shocking solution: an immediate, high-stakes arranged marriage. Ariana is abruptly thrust into wedlock with Lucas, a man who views her not as a wife, but as a critical business asset—a necessary shield against a looming corporate raid orchestrated by her rejected fiancé.The rules are simple public unity an private war. This marriage of convenience is a battleground. Lucas, possessive and ice-cold, demands absolute control, determined to safeguard his own empire and protect Ariana with a dominance that borders on suffocating. Ariana, fiercely independent and newly defiant after betrayal, refuses to be a pawn, challenging his command with sharp wit and unexpected business acumen. As they navigate the world of New York's corporate elite, their forced proximity ignites a slow-burn, fiery passion, forcing Lucas to confront the intense, protective feelings he has long hidden for the bright, chaotic girl. Their union is a ticking clock, set against a backdrop of secrets, media scrutiny, and a vengeful ex-fiancé determined to destroy everything they hold dear.

.“You should not look at me like that.”Kate turns, slow, heat sliding under her skin. “Like what.” “Like you already know how this ends.” Her breath stutters. “Then stop standing so close.” “I cannot,” Nathan says. “And you should walk away.” Neither of them moves. Kate Brown lives by rules her mother carved into her bones. Be polite. Be careful. Never want what you cannot have. So when she visits her best friend for the holidays, she expects noise, comfort, safety. She does not expect Nathan Reid. Her best friend’s father. Older. Calm. Watching her like he sees straight through the good girl mask she wears so well. Their first meeting lingers long after the night ends. It steals her sleep. It coils in her thoughts. The more she tries to forget him, the louder her body answers. Something inside her wakes up. Something hungry. Something reckless.Her mind screams no while her body leans closer. Stolen glances turn heavy. Accidental touches last too long. Silence becomes loaded. Want becomes dangerous. Every moment with him feels like standing at the edge of a fall she might enjoy too much. Nathan knows better. He knows the line. Single or not, he is forbidden. And yet Kate is everything he should not crave and everything he cannot stop wanting. Caught between control and desire, Kate must choose what to obey. The rules that shaped her. Or the man who makes her feel alive for the first time.

⚠️ Content Warning ⚠️ This book includes themes of homophobia, including discriminatory language and behavior. These elements are included to reflect certain real-world attitudes and experiences, but they do not reflect the views of the author. Reader discretion is advised. If you find such content distressing, please take care as you proceed. — Gunner took the job thinking it would be easy: keep an eye on the Floros’ only son while his parents were out of the country for a business trip. Follow and carry out the rules the Floros' had given him—watch the kid, keep him out of trouble, and collect a generous paycheck. But Layland Floros is anything but a kid. Beautiful, bold, and entirely too provocative for his own good, Layland isn’t interested in being watched. With a bratty attitude that dares Gunner to break every boundary he’s set for himself when he's on the job, Layland turns a simple assignment into something far more dangerous. Gunner's never been with a man. Never even thought about it—until Layland. Now, every moment in that house is thick with tension, with heat that hums just beneath the surface. The more Gunner tries to keep things professional, the harder it becomes to ignore what he was really feeling towards the young man. Soon, duty gives way to desire, and Gunner finds himself crossing lines he swore he wouldn’t. But when the chemistry between them explodes into something real and raw, he’ll have to face the truth: babysitting Layland and carrying out the young man's parents' rules was never the hard part. Staying away from him is. And if Layland's parents find out what really happened behind the closed doors of their home, Gunner could lose more than just the job.

Alexander Guerriero: Being in the mafia promises a certain type of lifestyle, certain expectations. Along with the respect, the money, the women, also comes the darker side with the danger, the violence, the blood. But above all else, there are the Rules. As the Boss, I need to ensure my empire in the crime underworld remains in order. If not, it shows weakness, tempting the vultures circle and take my empire from me. Because there is no mercy. Ever. So, when I discover one of my soldiers has done me dirty, stealing my goods, I need to make an example of him. No one breaks my Rules! Yet, what happens when it is me who begins to break the Rules? As the Boss, am I above them? Or will my empire come crumbling down because she walked into my life. Rain Coleman: As a romance writer, going to Italy should have been fun. It should have been inspiring for my next best seller! I wish I could say it is why I went to Italy. My brother had basically ghosted me, worried me, for the last five years. So, when I discovered he was there, I packed my bags and went out to find him. Yet, when I do, I discover he’s a member of the mafia, and I’m suddenly dragged into that dark world. Especially, when the Boss has sent for my brother. The Boss, whose molten, dark eyes stir something deep inside me that I can’t deny. And with his confusing demand to keep me around in exchange for my brother’s life, I find myself breaking my promise that I made three years ago to protect my heart.

“We need help,” The man supporting the other up said roughly, voice strained like he’d been screaming. “Are you a doctor?.” He hefted the slumped man up and said, “He’s been shot.” “Y-yes,” Gianna managed to choke out, but she had to lean on a nearby wall as she saw the gun. And it was aimed at her. The third man, snapped out, “You save him. Now.” “The clinic isn’t--” “Now!” The man thundered, gesturing down to the gun. “Or I’m not going to be heartbroken about emptying a bullet into you.” *** *** Their worlds were never meant to collide. He was the boss of the Mariposa Mafia after all, he was ruthless, insane, cunning, the shadow king of the underground… he had no time for love. But somehow that all changes the first time Dante laid his eyes on the beautiful doctor coerced with a gun to her head to save their boss’s life. For Gianna, the rules for being a doctor in gang territory were simple: keep her clinic open at all costs, treat her patients with care, watch out for her rebellious little brother, Giovanni, and most of all, avoid the thugs. The last thing she expected was to get caught up in a gang war, or to find herself falling for Mariposa’s leader himself, Ferrari Dante. And in a world where rules are everything, sometimes breaking them can mean the end of everything, like helping Dante. That is, if her heart doesn't kill her first. Dante never fathomed he would... care, so much about her, about anyone. Or maybe it’s deeper than just caring as Gianni shows him a whole new perspective to the world. .

“Miss Megan Gomez,” he grins. “What a beautiful name for a gold digger and social climb—.” He couldn’t continue his words when my palm met his cheeks. Hell… Who am I to do this to him? "I did this to save my siblings from debt and my father’s hospital bill, I have no interest for a personal reason. And the deal with your tricky old man is too simple for me not to grab the opportunity." He grins even more. “I see. Prove it then by following my rules. But each time you break my rules, I’ll claim a part of your body as mine.” “That’s not part of your old man's deal with me, I just need to marry you and live for two months!” “Heh. Are you afraid?” Megan Gomez was tricked by the old man to marry the heir of the largest mafia syndicate for a sudden financial need. "Live with my son for two months. If you don’t fall in love with him, I’ll cancel your debt and the marriage.” She agreed. She will be going to live with handsome, hot, and domineering Damian Quinn for the next eight weeks, without falling for his charm in order to break the contract. Or else, she is going to bear his child. However, not only can his physical charm lure Megan to fall for him, but there are rules to living with the devilish CEO. And as Megan breaks them, she learns pleasure that she never knew existed. But do the two have a future together when Damian is in love with someone else and Megan is confused about her real feelings toward him? If it is lust, she didn’t lose the game, but if it is love, she failed herself.

She loved him first He broke her first Lia Hallman's first mistake was thinking she and Kingston High's golden boy, Elian Dunst could have a future together. But after a one night stand turns sour, everything changes for her. She loses her parents, her home and her life turns upside down. Unable to depend even on the young boy that was once her sworn protector, she leaves. Elian comes for her, but she's already gone. Months later, with a pregnancy and a difficult life, a near accident puts Lia in the way of devilishly handsome billionaire, Judas-Caine Brex. A man with a broken soul and a dangerously haunted past. He needs a fake girlfriend She needs a financier. The rules are set for them - no feelings, no sex, no romance. The job was simple, nag me, prove that love doesn't exist - she agreed. However, neither of them expected to break the rules built to protect each other's belief. But life has more tricks in hand - when her first love reappears, seeking a second chance, and bringing with him debris from her past. "I take the blame it was all my fault. Let's make it right for us and our son." Lia's walls crumble. Between two men, two destinies and one devastating truth about the tragedy that changed her life...Lia must choose. Her once naive protector, or the man who would burn the whole world to save her. Is it too late to rebuild her dreams with the man she once loved with her entirety? Or start a new life with a man she can't tell loves her with his entirety? A little too late, or is it?

My ..father" is a strange man and he has some rules. 1. Don't bring to our home any boy or girl. 2. Don't drink or take drugs. 3. Do not take provocative clothes. 3. All the time say with whom you are and where you are. 4. Never walk alone at night. 5, And the last but most important never speak with a vampire. But I broke all rules in one night and find out his secret that Jack who have had grown me, was the vampire who killed my mother. I must run... run away from my most precious person because this love was born into a grudge.

In Royal families, can a Princess fall in love with a mere guard who serves her kingdom? Who would Win Love or Race? Do you think being a royal princess is easy? Living life in a lavish lifestyle is not what a princess does. She lived in her castle with all the luxuries one could have. She was bounded with royal rules and regulations until she met him! What happens when she finds out her crush was a vampire all along. Would she still choose him or would she give up on her heart? Let travel through the journey where you witness a contract marriage between two different species and of different races.

At the center of the city, stands a Boss’s Spot—a car wash by day, a den of secrets by night. The Boss, feared and desired, rules with authority, calling young men upstairs one by one to satisfy his selfish desires. When Rico, a bold newcomer with a haunted past, arrives and refuses the Boss’s summons, everything changes. Power shifts and obsession brews. A dangerous attraction unfolds. But Rico’s past is catching up fast, and the Boss must decide if his control is worth more than the man who dared to defy his orders. Can dominance and desire coexist? When power meets resistance, who really holds control? Will love bloom in the shadows—or destroy them both?