Defiance

Beneath the charming harbor town of New Haven lies a world ruled by kingpins—where empires rise and fall, love is a dangerous game, and betrayal exists in every corner.- Tag Cassandra Reed is no stranger to survival. Between being an underground deliveryman, waitress by day, and stripping at The Velvet Mirage by night, her life is a delicate balance of secrets and sacrifices—all for the sake of her mother’s medical bills. But one fateful night, everything changes. A mysterious man ends up dead in her arms, and Cassandra becomes the prime suspect in a murder that pulls her into the dark, dangerous underworld of New Haven’s mafia elite. Alexander Wolfe is cold, calculating, and determined to avenge his family’s downfall. Cassandra might hold the key to uncovering the conspiracy that threatens his empire, but her defiance and vulnerability stir something he thought he’d buried long ago. As the walls between captor and captive crumble, a deadly game of trust, betrayal, and passion begins. Together, they unravel a web of secrets tied to a stolen ledger, corrupt politicians, and a rival mafia boss with a thirst for domination. But as enemies close in, Cassandra must make an impossible choice: sacrifice her freedom to protect the man who’s captured her heart or risk everything to take down the woman who destroyed her life. In this world, love is dangerous, loyalty is deadly, and power comes at a price. Can two fractured hearts survive a war built on vendetta? Or will their love be consumed by the shadows of desire? Perfect for fans of dark romance and thrilling mafia story, His Shadowed Desires delivers unexpected twists, unforgettable characters, and a love story forged in the least likely of places. Prepare to be captivated until the very last page.

Dysis Salmon’s life has been shaped by the cruelty of her father, a man consumed by debt and selfish ambition. Struggling to survive in the shadows of his abuse, Dysis is forced into a terrifying new reality when her father offers her as payment for his debts to Alexander Levi, a ruthless and powerful mafia leader. Alexander, a cold and calculating figure, is used to controlling everyone and everything around him, but Dysis is different. Her defiance ignites something in him, both a desire for power and an attraction he cannot ignore. Dysis discovers she has lost control of her life after being brought to the Levi estate, a world of luxury and peril. She discovers the harsh reality of being imprisoned in a golden cage: resistance might be her only chance to survive, but escape is impossible. Despite Alexander’s iron grip on her, Dysis finds an unlikely ally in Vee, a loyal maid and bodyguard who shares her own dark past. Together, they form a fragile bond, but Dysis’s escape attempts are swiftly punished by Alexander, whose growing feelings for her complicate his ruthless, mafia-driven world. Meanwhile, Lucian Everett, the family doctor, offers Dysis a glimpse of kindness amidst the chaos, stirring emotions that further unsettle her. As Dysis navigates this twisted power struggle, secrets about her father’s betrayal and Alexander’s tragic past begin to surface. Dysis must choose between fighting for her independence at all costs or submitting to Alexander's domination in a world full of deceit, deception, and relentless control. However, a terrifying foe that threatens to destroy them waits in the shadows. Love and survival are the ultimate goals in the sinister romance *Claimed by the Mafia Billionaire*, which is full of passion, power, and danger.

Ezekiel is a ruthless billionaire, known for his charm, arrogance, and a long trail of broken hearts. Love, to him, is a game—one-night stands, no strings attached, and women begging for his attention. But when a critical merger threatens his empire, Ezekiel needs a wife—fast. Not a socialite or a gold-digger… someone quiet, obedient, and easy to control. Enter Isla Ramirez, a struggling waitress buried in debt, desperate to save her sick younger brother. When Ezekiel offers her a cold, cutthroat contract—marry him for a year in exchange for a fortune—she has no choice but to accept. She signs her life away, thinking she’s nothing but a pawn in his game. But nothing is simple with Ezekiel. Their marriage begins with venomous fights, cold glares, and unbearable tension. He drags her into his dangerous world of power plays and brutal secrets, expecting her to break. Yet Isla doesn’t bow—she bites back. Her defiance ignites something primal inside Ezekiels: obsession. What starts as a business transaction turns into a searing, forbidden attraction. Ezekiel’s dark desires and possessive nature clash with Isla’s stubborn spirit. He hates her… but craves her. She fears him… but aches for him. Every stolen glance, every sinful touch, pulls them deeper into a wicked game of lust and power. With enemies lurking in the shadows and secrets threatening to destroy them both, Ezekiel finds himself torn between his playboy past and the woman who challenges him like no one ever has. In a world where love is weakness, can a contract marriage built on lies turn into something dangerously real… or will it consume them both? In this dark, steamy romance, hearts will break, rules will shatter, and love might just ruin them.

📖 Full Synopsis (Professional, 30-Chapter Summary) In a realm where the abyss bleeds whispers into men’s hearts, Aria, a gifted warrior bound to light, finds herself tethered to Lucien, a man scarred by an ancient mark. Their alliance begins in unease but quickly deepens into fragile trust, even as shadows stir within him. As armies clash and kingdoms fracture, Rowan, the enigmatic elder, and Kael, a fierce commander, fight to keep their ranks united. Yet Lucien’s mark grows restless, seeding betrayal, suspicion, and fear. Aria stands at his side, convinced that his humanity can be preserved, while others believe the abyss has already claimed him. The march to war spirals. Battles scar the land, alliances fray, and Lucien’s struggle becomes the fulcrum of fate. In the Breaking Storm, shadow and flame engulf the battlefield. Lucien teeters on the edge of becoming a weapon of the abyss. Aria refuses to yield, her voice anchoring him even as his blade rises against her. Kael’s blood is spilled in defiance, Rowan binds the storm in desperate runes, and Aria steps into the abyss itself, whispering her vow. In the climax, Lucien shatters his own blade, breaking free from the darkness—but not without scars. The storm collapses, leaving silence in its wake. In the aftermath, enemies bury their dead side by side. Kael rebuilds broken ranks, Rowan warns that the abyss never releases its scars, and Aria tends to Lucien’s healing—both body and soul. Though the mark lingers faintly beneath his skin, her vow holds stronger: never again will the abyss take him. The book closes on dawn: the storm passed, the stars returned, and two hands held fast against the dark.

To save her sister from dying—and herself from going to prison—brilliant but desperate hacker Layla “Lyx” Costov must do the unthinkable: seduce and betray Micheal Wade, the ruthless tech billionaire from her past and Atlanta’s most untouchable bachelor. Her mission is simple and deadly—slip into his life, earn his trust, and steal the incriminating evidence that will destroy his empire. But the man she remembers isn’t the man she meets. Beneath Micheal’s cold power and fortune is a lonely genius who’s drawn to her fire, her defiance, her refusal to bow to him. The more she pushes him away, the deeper his obsession burrows. And the closer she gets to his secrets, the more tangled she becomes in his arms… and his world. Every touch she shares with him is a lie. Every kiss is a trap she set for herself. And every moment she falls harder. As the clock races against her deception, she must decide: save her sister, or shatter the heart of the only man who has ever seen her—the man she’s sworn to ruin, and the man she’s terrified to love. But everything changes when she uncovers a darker truth: her dead, brilliant mother may have been murdered… by Micheal’s father. Now the line between love and survival blurs. Will Layla protect her sister and expose the powerful man she loves—soon to be a father in law? Or face the monstrous truth about her own blood… and her illegitimate father? One betrayal will destroy an empire. Another will destroy her heart. And only one will save the people she loves.

She is mine, now. Whether she wants it or not, she belongs to me. "Please... let her go. She is an orphan, have pity on her..." These words resonate in the room, a fragile plea against the unyielding will of a man. But Ariane is not a mere victim. She is a force of nature, a young woman with burning courage, who refuses to bend before anyone, not even before Auracio Ferrari. Auracio. That name makes every soul in the city shudder. A mafia boss, a man with a glacial gaze and undeniable power, whose mere presence commands silence and fear. Yet, in front of Ariane, he falters. She, with her disarming boldness, her eyes full of fire and defiance, does not tremble. She does not flee. She does not submit. She does not yield. No one has ever dared to resist Auracio Ferrari like she does. No one has ever destabilized him to the point of losing his composure and control. He wants her. Not out of simple desire, but from a burning obsession, a visceral need to possess what he cannot have. Ariane will become his. No matter the price to pay, no matter the pain, no matter the time. She belongs to him, body and soul, to him alone. He is ready to do anything for her. To destroy anyone who dares to lay eyes on her, to crush any threat, to break any attempt at escape. "I will kill anyone who shows interest in her." These words are a cruel warning, a promise of blood and fire. Because Ariane is no longer a mere woman. She has become his empire, his weakness and his strength, his hell and ... The fight for her freedom is just beginning..but one thing is certain: she is his, now.

Alessia Volkov, the ice-princess heiress to a powerful Russian syndicate, believes her life is mapped out: a strategic marriage to secure an alliance. But on the night of her engagement gala, her world is shattered. Dante Moretti, the most feared and ruthless Mafia Don in the city, storms the event. His reason? A blood debt owed by her fiancé's family. And he’s taking Alessia as collateral. Dragged from a life of opulent privilege, Alessia is thrown into a gilded cage: Dante’s impenetrable penthouse high above the city. Her defiance is immediate and fierce. She fights him with every weapon she has, venomous words, calculated escapes, and sheer, unbreakable will. But Dante is a master of breaking things. He doesn't use fists; he uses desire. His relentless, calculated seduction is a war of attrition against her body and mind. A rough hand pinning her wrists against the cold glass wall. A bruising kiss that tastes like victory and sin. A whispered threat that sends a shiver of unwanted arousal straight to her core. As the lines between captor and captive blur, a dangerous, twisted passion ignites. Their encounters are explosive battles of dominance and surrender, each feverish fuck chipping away at her resistance until her hatred transforms into a dark, addictive need. She begins to crave his touch, his possession, his punishing cock. But outside their penthouse fortress, enemies are closing in. The very war that brought them together threatens to tear them apart. Alessia must decide: is she the prize in this bloody conflict, or is she the queen destined to rule beside the king who stole her? This is a story of obsession, betrayal, and a love so violent it can only be born in the dark.

"You wanted me to fail," she yelled, her voice shaking with rage and desperation. "You wanted me to prove you right." "No." My voice was a low, feral growl. "I wanted to know if you'd stand your ground. And you did." You stood your ground, held my life in your hand, and chose to keep it breathing. That was all I needed to see. Her defiance was a thin wall, her trembling betraying her. "This doesn't make me yours." I leaned in, my lips a hair's breadth from hers. The scent of her… of wood smoke and sweat, and something wild and unmistakably Lyra… filled my senses. "You already are," I whispered against her lips. "Even in your hate." *************************************** Lyra, the last warrior-heir of Ravengarde, detests Kael, the cruel enemy alpha who murdered her family, burned her castle, and claimed her as his ruthless spoils. Imprisoned in his domineering Shadowfen Keep, her rage is a burning blaze, battling the forbidden, wild linkage that brings her closer with each bitter glance and each jealous touch. She promises to kill him, break free from his shadow magic, even as his control ignites a deadly, forbidden desire in her. But when Lyra learns the horrible truth… that the betrayal that had destroyed her clan was not schemed by Kael, but by her own ruthless bloodline in a lust for power… her world shatters. Every sadistic phrase, every brutal touch she endured under Kael's command now bears an abject truth: the enemy that she had sworn to kill was, in reality, protecting her, and is now very likely the only one who can save her from a much darker fate than his claim.

“I was born incapable of love. My hands know only blood. My heart knows only ice. But for you… I would carve out a new soul, even if it kills me.” Alessio “Alec” Moretti rules his city like a god draped in shadow. Cold, ruthless, and untouched by emotion, he’s a mafia boss born from bloodlines and brutality. Psychopath, they whisper incapable of love, addicted only to control. No one defies him. Until Noa Hartmann spits in his face. Noa is everything Alessio doesn’t understand fiercely ,independent, maddeningly fearless, and completely uninterested in bowing to a monster. He’s just a university student working in a dusty bookstore café, trying to survive the same violence that killed his family. But one moment one public act of defiance and Alessio is obsessed. At first, it’s a game. Alessio wants to break him, tame him, make him kneel. But the closer he gets, the more the lines blur. Why does he want to protect Noa? Why does he feel anything at all? What begins as possession becomes something darker, deeper… and far more dangerous. Because monsters don’t love,they consume. And when the past reemerges in the form of a long-lost brother turned rival mafia boss one who blames Alessio’s family for the massacre of Noa’s everything explodes. Noa is caught between two devils: One who stole his life. One who wants to own his heart. With empires collapsing, secrets unraveling, and love bleeding into obsession, Noa and Alessio are forced to face the truth: Some monsters can love. But they will burn the world for it.

Alexander Harris has always been cold and indifferent—a ruthless CEO who values power over love. Haunted by a dark past and unable to bear a woman’s touch, he vowed never to fall for anyone. Until he met Everette Carson. From the moment their paths crossed, Everette challenged everything he believed in. When his grandmother threatened to give 15% of the company’s shares to his estranged father unless he marries, Alexander saw an opportunity. Everette’s fire, defiance, and beauty made her the perfect pawn for a marriage of convenience. Silencing his grandmother and putting Everette in her place? It was supposed to be the perfect plan. But nothing about her was ever simple. The more time he spent with her, the harder it became to keep his walls up. Everette’s warmth began to melt the ice around his heart—awakening memories of a mysterious girl from his past—the only soul who had ever touched his own. When the truth of their first meeting comes to light, Alexander realizes their bond was never coincidence. It was fate. Just as love begins to take root, long-buried secrets resurface. Dangerous enemies rise. And betrayal strikes from within. When Everette finally walked away to protect them both, Alexander broke—his desperation unraveling as he threatened to end his life. “Evie… if you walk away today, you will never have the chance to see me again in this life.” But she didn’t stop walking. The gunshot echoed across the runway. And nothing was ever the same again. Now, with everything on the line, fate brings them back together one last time. Will love be enough to heal what was broken, or are they destined to fall apart… all over again?