Defiance Synonym

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

---WARNING: Dark Romance. Mature Audience Only. Contains Sexual Content, Dubious Consent, and Intense Situations.--- He watched her from the shadows, a hidden obsession. She fainted at the slightest fear. He was just a boy then, powerless against the campus kingpin who tormented her, a rival heir to a brutal empire. But empires fall. And obsessions, once set, never die. Years later, on a moonlit beach, Seraphina's world shatters. Her boyfriend, a cruel cheat, humiliates her for a bet and leaves her for dead. She awakens to a familiar face—Alessandro Torricelli, now a ruthless Mexican mafia boss who takes what he wants. He’s back to claim what he believes is his: her. He promises freedom in 365 days if she doesn't fall in love. But Alessandro's world is a gilded cage of raw power, inescapable desire, and dangerous games. As Seraphina navigates his opulent fortress, fighting his possessive touch and the unwanted hunger he ignites, their volatile dynamic sparks a dangerous game of seduction. They keep score, each erotic encounter a win or loss, unknowingly binding them closer with every calculated move. Yet, beyond their sensual battle, a chilling reality looms: her old tormentor, Dino Moretti, still stalks the shadows, and this time, he's coming for them both. With a brewing war threatening to consume his empire, Alessandro vows to protect her, even from herself. But can Seraphina survive his love, escape his enemies, and resist the magnetic pull of the man who sees her fragility as a weakness to conquer, and her defiance as a challenge to possess? In this city of shadows, hearts are collateral, and their game of love is the most dangerous score of all.

"You," he growled, glaring at me with hatred in his eyes even as he pinned me to the wall, obstructing my airflow. "I'm going to enjoy breaking you." "I'd like to see you try, Alpha." I spat at him, my voice filled with defiance. He dropped me to the ground before lifting me up as if I weighed nothing and pinning me against his study table, pushing my legs apart. "Oh, you'll see. And by the time I'm done with you, you'll beg for death." He growled against my ears, filling me with fear of what is to come. ***** In a world of false accusations and vengeful rulers, Evelyn's life takes a harrowing turn. Framed for a crime she didn't commit, she faces the wrath of the alpha king. Instead of death, he condemns her to a fate worse than she could have imagined: becoming his personal slave and breeder. As fear grips her, Evelyn must summon her strength to challenge the tyrant's rule and reclaim her freedom. Will she find a way to defy her captor and seek justice, or will she be forever trapped in a life of darkness and despair? What happens when the moon goddess announces that she is his second chance mate? Will she still try to escape him or will she let their bond bloom? A gripping tale of resilience and defiance unfolds in this thrilling journey of survival, betrayal and love. Trigger Warning: This book explores themes of dark romance, including intense emotions, power dynamics, and challenging relationships. Readers Discretion is advised. Book 1 in the Ruthless Alpha King Series.

Born to an Alpha hungry for power, presumed powerless Sasha has lived a life void of compassion and love but filled with loneliness and insults all because she wasn’t a boy. Looking to solidify his position of power, her father believed she was good for one thing, so he offers her hand in marriage to the most ruthless Alpha in the northern region, Turk. Unwilling to suffer at the hands of yet another power hungry man, Sasha runs away only to end up captured, believed to be human, and sold as a slave. The only thing…she’s sold to the same Alpha she ran away to avoid. Struck by her beauty and defiance, Turk decides he wants to make her his little Luna, except for one thing….on the day he introduces Sasha as his Luna she realizes his brother and Beta is her mate... The True Alpha of the Tumbale Pack, Bello was never interested in power. His focus has always been on being the best artist he could be and ensuring his pack prospered in other ways. Mateless and uninterested in taking a chosen mate, Bello happily concedes the Alpha position to his older brother, Turk, and accepts the position of Beta, after the untimely death of their father. After returning from a trip on pack business, Bello encounters the most glorious scent, one that could only come from a mate, at a pack dinner he’s forced to attend. The problem, the scent is coming from the human his brother has just introduced as his Luna. What happens when Bello meets Sasha? Will Bello fight for Sasha? Will Sasha accept him as her mate? Will Turk let her go? What is a human doing among wolves?

Penelope Quinn once Penelope Nowak, a rich successful business woman hasn’t always been the independent rich successful woman she is. She is the daughter of a criminal minded art thief, working for her father as the Midnight Fox. Wanting a better life for herself she plots to leave home only to have her plans thwarted when her father contracts her to be married off. In an act of defiance, Penelope goes out to get drunk and has a one-night stand with a handsome stranger. He turns out to be Noel Greer, the man she was supposed to marry. Noel is furious to learn that his bride-to-be was the innocent blue-eyed, blonde princess who had seduced him the day before and he cancels their marriage. Heartbroken, Penelope runs away from home. A new start. Years later, Noel Greer wants Penelope back in his life and is willing to do anything to get her back – including blackmail. He wants to possess her. Soon after, her father comes back into her life needing her for one more heist. Someone is blackmailing him and he needs Penelope to help him. But there are obstacles. Albert Kowalski. Her father’s former right-hand man who says he is a friend but Penelope is not sure she can trust him especially when he has a seemingly successful business now. Another obstacle is the Phantom. No one knows who is he but seems to be the reason the chain of events begin unfolding in her life. Every road links to him, every heist points at him. He is neither enemy nor foe but he is dangerous nonetheless. Penny realizes old friends can't trusted when she suspects Noel may be her father's blackmailer. Or was it Albert the stunning, cool-headed ghost from her past?

"Alessandro's voice was low and husky, his words dripping with desire. 'You're mine now, Sophia. My pet. My toy." Sophia's heart raced as she tried to resist, but her body betrayed her. "N-no, please... I can't do this." Alessandro's laugh was menacing, his eyes gleaming with intense emotions. "You will do as I say, Sophia. You will submit to me, body and soul." Sophia's voice was barely a whisper, her fear and desire evident on her face. "Y-yes, sir..." Alessandro's smiled victoriously before claiming her lips in a kiss that left her breathless and wanting more. "You taste like heaven, Sophia. And soon, you'll be begging for more." Sophia's eyes flashed with defiance, but her body trembled with anticipation. Alessandro is a mafia lord with a hidden past and a thirst for control, while Sophia is a brave and determined woman who dares to confront him. When Sophia's father steals from Alessandro, she agrees to Alessandro’s offer of seducing him within 60 days to save her father’s life. But as she enters Alessandro's world of luxury and violence, she discovers that he is not just a mafia lord, but also someone who she least expected him to be.As Sophia becomes entangled in Alessandro's web of secrets and lies, she must navigate the treacherous world of organized crime and supernatural politics. But as their contract binds them closer together, they sincerely begin to crave each other's touch, and their passion becomes a force that could destroy them all.Will Sophia and Alessandro's love forced out of a forbidden contract survive the darkness that surrounds them, or will their contract expire, leaving them to face the consequences of their pleasure trade?