Casino Royale Vesper Lynd

I’d just wrapped up a short trip with my daughter, Elara. On the way back, I figured I’d swing by the Hale, our family’s casino, to check in on my son, Cassian. Maybe grab dinner together. I didn’t expect to be mistaken for his latest fling. Correction: not mistaken—accused. Violently. “You think you can just waltz in here like some queen?” she hissed. “I’m the woman Cassian loves! What kind of whore are you? And is this your bastard daughter with him?” She locked us in the basement. No phone. No light. Just concrete walls and the stench of mildew and madness. Then came the fists. She slapped me across the face—again and again—until my skin stung and my ears rang. When that didn’t satisfy her, she pulled a gun and aimed low. The bullet tore through my knee. I bit back a scream, shielding Elara with my body. “You need to die, whore,” she spat. One of her men hesitated, “We should at least tell Mr. Hale first. If we are going to kill these two in his casino.” Lila of course said no. But that man brought Cassian anyway. My son stepped into this dark little room like it was any other Tuesday—until he saw me. His whole body went still. The blood drained from his face. And then, in the smallest, most broken voice I’d ever heard from him, he whispered, “Mom? What are you doing in my basement?”

Drenched in mud, I've just climbed down the scaffolding and started munching on a cold piece of stale bread when a luxury car speeds past me, effectively drenching me in muddy water. The car window on the driver's side is quickly lowered. A sleazy guy hurls a pack of cigarettes in my face the next moment. "Hey, peasant! This is a reward for you! I got really lucky today, after all!" While I pick up the cigarette pack silently, the man happens to be boasting loudly to the woman sitting in the front passenger seat. "My brother-in-law really is an idiot! He seriously thinks that my sister has a terminal disease! He went to the black market last night night just to sell his blood in exchange for 200 thousand dollars' worth of surgical fees! I end up winning double in the casino with that money of his! "My sister told me that once that idiot gets his hands on the work injury compensation, she'll divorce him right away and buy me a new home!" I grip the bread so hard that it crumples in my hand. After all, my wife, Estella Wilson, was just diagnosed with "late-stage stomach cancer" yesterday. Suddenly, I feel my phone buzzing in my pocket. It's a voice message from Estella. "Hubby, it hurts so much going through the chemotherapy! The doctor told me that I'd be eligible for better medication if we could cough up another 200 thousand dollars. Can you please plead to the foreman and borrow some money from him?"

BLURB She was collateral—payment for a debt her uncle never intended to repay. Dragged into Don Rossini’s glittering casino as leverage, Cleopatra thought she had reached the depths of hell. Until the night rival gunfire shattered the empire and she ran straight into the arms of something far worse. Desperate and terrified, she collided with a powerful stranger in the chaos. Not knowing who he was, she begged him to save her—offering anything, everything, to escape Rossini’s grasp. Valentine Corenza didn’t save her. He claimed her. From that moment, there was no escape. No mercy. No choice. In the opulent cage of glass and steel, Valentine keeps her as his. His gaze follows her like a shadow, his touch brands her, his presence consumes her. The ruthless shadow king rules her world with ice in his veins and fire in his possession. She belongs to him now—body, soul, and every fractured breath. Cleopatra is no longer collateral. She is his obsession. His prize. His captive. He will burn empires to keep what is his. He would take anyone out including his own family in order to save her. She tries all she could to keep calm the storms in her chest whenever he stands close to her. And she has no option of ever leaving the devil who answered her plea. The only question left is how long it will take before the line between fear and forbidden desire completely disappears.

Raina: Ever since I came of age and got my wolf, I became the Whitecrest Pack’s outcast– the fat girl who was constantly bullied and despised by her own pack. I was mocked, humiliated and used by the very Alpha who was supposed to protect me. With all hope lost, I resigned myself to my fate, but the moon goddess had other plans. During a hunting game gone wrong, I was found by Alpha Rowan Vesper, the feared and most powerful Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack. And he turned out to be my fated mate. I didn’t have any expectations. After all, I’m the fat girl no one wants. So I lowered my gaze and braced myself for the rejection I knew was coming. Instead, his words shattered everything I believed about myself… “You taste so delicious… I want to eat you whole,” Alpha Rowan growled, sending a shiver down my spine. No one had ever spoken to me like that before… his voice was laced with raw hunger that sent tingles rushing through me. It was new and it terrified me. Goddess, is this a dream? **** Rowan: I had given up on finding my mate. After all, my pack was still thriving without a Luna, so I didn’t think I needed one, until my father pushed me to attend hunting games being hosted by another pack hoping I would find my mate. I never planned to hunt. But fate placed the most irresistible prey in my path. She was timid, and something told me she was ready to run away from me at any chance she got, but goddess knows I had no intention of letting her go.

I, Daphne Thorn, am an impoverished woman from the slums. William Blackburn, on the other hand, is the son of the richest man in Wylland. Unexpectedly, the two of us who share such vastly different identities end up being together. So far, we've tried out various difficult positions in our bouts of passion during our secret rendezvouses in secluded areas. Like the madman he is, William often torments me in every session. I'm so exhausted that I'm about to fall asleep. That's when a notification pops up on William's phone, which is sitting next to me. So, I take a peek at it. "William, my stomach hurts a lot! I'm suffering so much right now!" It's a text from someone named "Ellie". All the exhaustion in me disappears. I can feel my chest tightening up in discomfort. Once William is done with his shower, he leaves the bathroom and picks up his phone. "You should sleep first. I'm heading out," he says. When I see William turning his back on me, I blurt out, "Are you going to meet that childhood sweetheart of yours?" William wheels around to look at me. Suddenly, he moves to lift my chin. There is a trace of wariness in his eyes. "Don't go around sticking your nose in my business, Daphne. I like my woman docile and obedient." But I end up stalking William all the way to Royale Hotel, where I witness him visiting Elaine Moore, his childhood sweetheart. He coaxes her as though she's the most precious treasure in the world. I don't have the courage to question William in person. But still, I want to know who he thinks is more important to him—me or Elaine? So, I give him a call. "William, my gastritis is acting up again! It hurts so much! Can you drive me to the hospital?" I said. I use the same tactic that Elaine had used earlier. That night, I keep waiting for William, and yet he never returns to me. That's when I decide to not love him anymore.

I took the casino business Angelina, my stepsister, had always wanted. The very next day, the heir of the Corleone family who was Angelina's childhood companion knocked on my door. With that deep, captivating face, he asked, “Principessa Annelise, what’s the point of those bloody businesses? Why don’t I take you to enjoy a life of real pleasure?” So, I agreed without hesitation. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I sealed those lips I had long wanted to taste. After that, I began frequently skipping internal mafia meetings. I let the businesses in my hands fall into decline, little by little. I spent extravagantly. Every day, I only cared about indulging in pleasure with Lorenzo in high-end clubs and private yachts. That was until my father, the don, fell gravely ill. The night before the family leaders gathered to choose the new don, he served me in bed and asked me to hand over control of the family to Angelina at the meeting. I knew that was his true purpose for approaching me. However, this time, I only quietly touched the don’s ring hidden beneath my pillow, the symbol of the family’s highest power. “You’ve given me a great experience this past year. But the power of the don is too tempting. For the next game, I won’t be playing with you.”

Surrounded by luxury and comfort, Dominique Le Blanc does not miss anything, except excitement. His life as the owner of the largest casino in Monaco requires a lot of time and dedication to enjoy this refined and electrifying, but unimportant, environment. Bets and money are no longer able to excite you. Could that change with a gunshot-covered escape in a hospital parking lot? Without knowing why, a young woman flees from her armed captors. The reason for the chase is unknown, but the escape leads her to get into the first open car she sees. Driven by the instinct to fight for her own life, she hides in the vehicle, while the passengers agree to flee the scene quickly. The young woman carries nothing with her, no belongings, no clothes, no name and much less memories. What is the first thing she should look for? “An Inconsequent Desire” is a dark novel full of action and chaos, with two protagonists who know very well what they want… or almost. Tension, desire, luxury and danger mix as Dominique and the fugitive try to resolve their relationship and their desires in a world as opulent as it’s reckless. Violence and attraction go hand in hand for a couple covered in the past, immersed in the present and with almost no future. What is the price of unearthing their memories? How much can it change what is yet to come? Love or obsession. Salvation or ruin. In the end, everyone has something to lose... and maybe that's everything.

Anateya Berretta had her entire life mapped out. Get good grades, get her MBA, and take over her papi's security company as his sole heir. However, papi messed up and now she was a bargaining chip held hostage by New York's No. 1 Mafia Lord. It certainly didn't help that she'd met the man before, and yearned for him like no other. Romero Bartolone was at the peak of his rule when he lost his favorite casino in an organized attack. Now he was out one billion, with countless elitists jonesing for the returns on their backdoor investment. She was only supposed to be a hostage, but he couldn't stay away from the alluring light inside her that called to his darkness. First things first, a debt was owed-- and if someone had to pay-- why not her? Besides, she was entangled in the game of the underground now, and he was the only monster who could keep her safe. Still, with dangers lurking all around, they remain vulnerable in the most high-stakes game of all, the game of hearts. And he'd burn the world... so as long as he didn't lose. [Nb: This is a dark romance book intended for mature audiences. Reader's discretion is advised.] No. of Chapters To Be Released: ~50

In the VIP lounge of an underground casino, Maeve, the Falcone family's princess, had been plied with too much hard liquor. Fueled by alcohol, someone goaded her into revealing the most shameless thing she'd ever done to win over the Don. She swirled her glass, pointed at me dealing cards behind the table, and threw her head back with a laugh. "Seven years ago, when Declan was in a coma after a shootout, I took his private phone. And I deleted the distress message that bitch sent him. Every last trace of it. Then I replied in his name: You're a burden. Go die." "You'll never guess what happened next. That idiot stood outside the safe house all night in a downpour, like a stray dog. I almost died laughing…" The room erupted in crude laughter. Only the man enthroned at the head of the table remained silent. The crystal whiskey glass in his hand shattered with a sharp crack. Blood mixed with the amber liquor, trickling over the veins on the back of his hand before dripping onto the carpet. His murderous, bloodshot eyes were locked on me. I calmly dealt the last hole card in front of him and offered a clean, white silk handkerchief. "Don Declan, you should wipe your hand. Blood on the felt is bad luck." After all, some stains never wash out.

Drugs disappeared during one of our family’s deals—and everyone knew it was my stepsister, Emily’s fault. Now, our rivals demanded someone be sent to them, held captive until the debt was repaid. My fiancé, my family—they all agreed it should be me. “Emily already got hurt in the mission. You are stronger. You can handle it while we figure things out.” I knew this moment was coming. And so I signed my name. In five days, I’d be sent away. And I have decided that no matter what happened—whether I lived or died—I was done with my family and my fiancé. In those last days, I gave everything I owned away. The casino? To my stepsister, who had always eyed it with envy. My checking account? To my father, who never missed a chance to remind me how useless I was. The engagement ring? Back to the man who’d been fake as hell. They didn’t notice anything off. They just smiled, pleased with how thoughtful I’d suddenly become. When they realized I was gone for good—and that their fragile Emily was their undoing—would they still smile like that? Would they still look so content?