Novel & Cerita Checkmate Painting

Sumire Massoullevè, is one of the highest-paid actresses and entitled the top 1 most beautiful woman in the world. The sole daughter of one of the richest business tycoons couple in the country, Sumire has been known for being stubborn and persistent since she was a little girl, she was glamorous yet dark. Born spoiled, Sumire gets everything that she wanted. Being an actress is one of her dreams but dejected by her parents, she still pursues it. Despite having everything she wants, Sumire felt completely unsatisfied. There are two things she greatly desired: One, to meet her favorite mysterious artist in the world of Arts who hides under the pseudonym of DEATH, known for painting high class abstract and tenebrism crime scene arts, an art she admires the most and had a hot night-stand with him. The second was to make the infamous Asexual Ruffian Boss, Mort Dmitriv Aslanov, fall for her. In her unswerving pursuit of the man, Sumire was lost and discovered the gritty world of mafias, crimes, and murders, the swarm of mobs and gangs. Is falling to the Heartless Mafia Boss worth regardless of the difference of their world that may lead her to her demise? Will love and lust collide?

Book 1 in Russo Series. Loud gun shots echoed all around in the huge mansion. Cold bodies lying unalive on the floor as we walked over those bodies to find her. "Damn! She really is a killing machine." I heard Lorenzo's voice ringing in my ear through the earpiece. He is right. She is a killing machine. The amount of dead bodies we crossed and the way blood is splattered on the floor like water proves it. "Nic behind you!" Shawn warned me in urgency and I turned behind to look at the same girl I fell in love with, heading towards me, blood painting her face. --- Nicolas Russo, is the leader of the black market auction. He owns half of the Italy and people quiver in their boots at the mention of his name. But, a swirling storm, with a name Zyra Lavender stole something very precious to him. It was the audacity of her later on, to go and live right in his mansion with him. She overestimated herself when she thought that she can go on after messing with a man like him. Nicolas does not do forgiveness. He chases, catches, kills and cleans. Now, we have to see, how far can Zyra run? Thank You For Reading.

Blurb: 18+ Explicit Content. Reader Discretion Strongly Advised Content Warnings: This collection contains strong adult content, including sex, complicated relationships, cheating, power issues, and very intense emotional moments. If dark or controversial topics make you uncomfortable, this book is not for you. Some desires are better left unspoken. One careless moment can push you past the point of no return. And sometimes those desires get completely out of control. Craving Lust: A Spicy Romance Collection brings you raw, steamy stories filled with forbidden lust. From secret touches with her stepfather’s business partner to an artist painting his obsession, these stories dive into the darkest sides of desire. A housekeeper makes a sinful deal with her ex’s father. Rival writers turn their hate into dirty dares. A priest’s vows are tested by a woman’s confessions. And a woman out for revenge ends up falling for the man she wanted to destroy. This is where your secret cravings come to life. The ones that turn you on and leave you wanting more. Rules get broken. Boundaries disappear. Every touch feels like temptation. Nothing is off limits here.

On our anniversary, my husband, James Marshall, purchased a painting as a gift for me with my secondary credit card. When I got home, I went to my study to retrieve an urgent court document. The door was slightly ajar. Inside, I could hear the flirtatious voice of my assistant, Julie Summers, mingled with my husband’s low murmurs. “James, your wife is just a money-printing machine. What does she know about art? She could never appreciate you like I do.” James sighed. Then, in an indulgent tone, he said, “Claire is too perfect—so perfect it’s suffocating. Not like you, full of life and warmth.” Just then, my mother-in-law, Susan Marshall, called James. He put her on speakerphone. “James, you need to move faster. While Claire still trusts you, turn all her client contacts into yours. That Julie girl seems promising. She’s much easier to control than that iron-fisted career wife of yours.” I gripped the cold doorknob, listening to the pair of shameless lovers in the study and the wretched woman on the phone, and immediately drafted a divorce agreement. At the same time, I forwarded asset-protection filings for all my holdings to my legal team. “I’ll see you all in court, parasites.”

⚠️ Reader Advisory: This story contains steamy scenes, mature language, and forbidden romance. Recommended for readers 18+ who enjoy emotionally intense and sexually charged love stories with depth. ~ “I’m going to turn every dirty page you’ve ever read into your reality, Teyana.” And Jeremy Carter did. ~ It started with a simple party dare and ended with my legs wrapped around the ever-addictive Jeremy Carter’s waist. I never thought the boy who never noticed the nerdy me in high school, the emotionally unavailable biker god I’d secretly fantasized about, would become my stepbrother. Or that I would find a naked painting of myself hidden in his closet — painted by his own twisted hands. Jeremy is inked sin, raw dominance, and a filthy mouth. I was just the quiet, virgin bookworm, that took solace in dark romance novels… until he dragged me into his dangerous world of racing, rage, and ruin. I should run. I should regret it. But when a man like Jeremy Carter kisses you, there’s no coming back. But what happened when family, friends, and even the campus tried to pull us apart? This is the story of how I got ruined by the one man I might never have… and how I let him.

My son, Jasper Cole, won the gold prize in an art competition. When I took off my apron and rushed to the award ceremony, I found that the painting titled 'Mother' was not of me but Maeve Leighton, my husband's secretary. Maeve pretended to be troubled as she told my son, "Your mom will be sad when she sees this painting." However, Jasper was unperturbed. "What does her sadness have to do with me? She's an ordinary-looking and incompetent housewife, always nagging me about what I can and can’t do. She's too strict with me. It's annoying! Maeve, I wish you were my mother. My dad doesn't like my mom at all. He's only happy when he's with you. He's only with my mom because he feels obligated." My heart broke at that moment. Since he no longer wanted me as his mother, it was pointless for me to stay. I called my dad. "Dad, I want to go home. Can you pick me up?" My dad could not believe it. He answered after a long pause, "Of course. I'll come pick up my brilliant daughter in three days."

Luna Morgan in a bid to save her dying Mum never imagined her life would turn into misery when she signed a contract to marry Jasper Mason, the ruthless billionaire with a torn soul. What was meant to be a business arrangement turned into a nightmare, a prison of emotional and physical abuse for Luna. It got worse when the incident of an accident wipes Jasper's memory clean, Victoria seizes the opportunity to thwart Jasper's attention to her with her lies. Jasper abusive nature grew worse on Luna and she had no other choice but to leave the toxic marriage Few months later, Luna comes across Sebastian, a multi-billionaire who needed help restoring his damaged painting. She helped him start the process and Sebastian, after learning about her past, cherishes and protects her in ways Jasper never could, making Luna believe in true love once again. Sebastian also swore to help Luna take her revenge on Jasper. Sebastian and Luna found out that the painting had a hidden mystery and both of them helped unravel the mystery of their parents' disappearance that was uncovered through the painting. Will Luna get her revenge through Sebastian and what becomes of Jasper? There's only one way to find out. Read on!

Vivienne Kane has spent years forging her future in silence and shadow—her final thesis exhibition the only thing standing between her and the betrayal that once stole her voice, her art, and her trust. When a campus plumbing catastrophe forces her into a cramped off-campus apartment with Asher Donovan—the university's charismatic rugby captain whose life is all noise, team spirit, and golden-boy pressure—she braces for war. He's too loud, too present, too everything she avoids. Yet from the moment he catches her painting through a half-open door, Asher is hooked—not on her beauty, but on the storm she hides in every brushstroke. He starts small: quiet coffee deliveries, late-night silences in her studio, fierce defense against anyone who dares threaten her work. What begins as clashing egos and slammed doors spirals into something neither can ignore—raw vulnerability, protective fury, and a heat that scorches through every boundary she's built. In a world of late-night canvases and bruising practices, two guarded hearts collide: one learning to trust again, the other discovering what it means to fight for someone who finally sees you. Enemies at first sight. Roommates by disaster. Lovers by choice.

I set fire to my painting in front of the entire academy. Thunderous applause erupts from the crowd as everyone thinks it's some kind of performance art. Unlike them, Willow Laurent is distraught. She rushes up and grabs my hand, questioning in a shrill voice, "Cassidy Seymour, have you gone mad? This is your only chance to prove yourself!" I shake her hand off me coldly. My only chance? No… What she means is that it's her chance. In my past life, I created this masterpiece with all my heart and soul. But she stole it from me and submitted it as her entry first. Whether it was the composition, the colors, or even my original dot-stippling technique… She replicated every detail flawlessly. Then, she won the National Young Artists Gold Award, signed with a top gallery, and became a rising star. And what about me? I was condemned as a shameless plagiarist. Insults and curses gradually drowned me. "You shouldn't be an artist!" "Plagiarists are scum! They should just die!" Her fans stormed into my studio, smashed my art supplies, and broke my right hand. As I saw no end to the hell that I was living in, I jumped down from the top floor of my studio. When I open my eyes again, I'm back to the very day she first accuses me of plagiarism.

Even after being married for three years, my husband treats me like a stranger. When I throw up blood from pregnancy complications, he's in the prayer room chanting for his foster sister, Yvie Springton. He accuses me of being dramatic. If Yvie so much as gets a headache, he drops everything and flies overseas to be by her side. When his parents are in critical condition after a car crash, I beg him to go see them one last time. But what does he do? He claims I'm cursing Yvie. When I go into early labor and cling to life after giving birth to our son, he posts a photo of his international boarding pass on social media. At his parents' funeral, he returns to the country with Yvie and demands I leave the marriage with nothing. The day our divorce finalizes, he holds a wedding ceremony with her. I bury his parents alone. Then, at an exclusive auction, dead set on winning the famous painting for Yvie, he offered a staggering price. Even his accounts are frozen. That's when he finally realizes he's been disowned by the Springton family. His eyes are bloodshot, and he's furious as he demands answers. I simply gesture for my lawyer to step forward. He says, "Mr. Springton, take a look at this will."