Crossfire

In a world ruled by power and betrayal, Atticus Escoban, the younger daughter of the influential Escoban family, has always lived away from the dangerous chaos of their criminal empire. For 21 years, she was sheltered, hidden, and protected. But her life changes forever when Alijax Costaloña, the cold and calculating heir of the Costaloña dynasty, violently confronts her father, leaving him gravely wounded. Atticus never expected to be caught in the crossfire of her family’s schemes. Worse, Alijax discovers her existence and shocks everyone by choosing her—over her older sister Anneth—to be his fiancée. The engagement is a sham, a dangerous ploy to secure alliances, but Alijax has plans no one can predict. Determined to protect her family at any cost, Atticus agrees to the engagement, kahit na lumalaban ang puso niya sa ideya. Behind her composed exterior, she plots her way out, refusing to let the Costaloñas dictate her future. But the closer she gets to Alijax, the harder it becomes to distinguish between the man who ruined her family and the one who seems capable of understanding her like no one else. “Do you think you can escape this, Atticus?” he said, his voice dangerously low as he cornered her in the dimly lit study. “You’re mine now. Whether you like it or not.” Her fists clenched, and she met his cold, unreadable gaze with defiance. “You can own the world, Alijax Costaloña, pero ako? Hindi mo ako makukuha.” In a game of power, deception, and forbidden emotions, Atticus must make the ultimate choice. Will she sacrifice her freedom to protect her family, or will she risk it all to claim the life she truly deserves? Love and survival collide in a story where nothing is what it seems, and every decision could be deadly.

18+ CONTENTS "You thought you could just disappear, Selene? Run away and leave me behind? You really thought I'd never find you?" Lorenzo asked, his voice deep. "I had to," I choked out. "I couldn't breathe," "And now? Can you breathe now? Knowing I'm here and you're in my grasp?" He asked, tracing my jawline with his fingers. "You can't escape me. I'll always find you." And he was right. Lorenzo will always find me. And the most sickening part of it all? I desired him as much as he desired me. But at the sametime. I loathed him with every fibre of my being. - Selene ran away from Lorenzo. Her mafia boyfriend, six years ago, pregnant and terrified. Now, her son is dying, and she's forced back to the stripping club where she hopes to earn enough for his life saving surgery. Now, Lorenzo is back, more dangerous, more possessive, and offering her a deal she can't refuse: be his mistress for six months, and he'll give her three million dollars. The price? Her freedom, soul and body all to him. But the secret she guards more fiercely than her life or freedom was their children- twins- a boy and a girl. Children he would likely kill without a second thought, confirmed by his own chilling words: "Children are weaknesses, Selene. I don't tolerate weaknesses, no matter how precious, I'll get rid of it...unless it's you." But as the stakes rises, another ghost from her past emerges. Robert, her abuser, the man whose death was the beginning of her hatred for Lorenzo. He's back, fueled by vengeance, ready to claim what he believes is rightfully his. Will Selene survive the crossfire of two dangerous men vying for control, or will the past consume her? Bookcover madeby@BilliePatsy. Copyright©Avalone Wilde2025.