Even If It Hurts Sam Mariano Novels & Stories

Six years ago, my sister and I fell for the same man, Edmund. But he only had eyes for Rosalie, the sweet, innocent type. With them, I was always the third wheel. They got married, of course. And on their wedding day, I overheard my parents whispering. "The company's strapped for cash," my father said. "What if we marry Corinne off to our business partner? That'd solve our problem..." This "partner" was over fifty and twice divorced. So I ran. I fled to Sicily with the only five thousand dollars to my name. I ran on pure bitterness. In four years, I brought dozens of small-time Sicilian crews to heel and forged my own family: Vexille. In another two, I came back to New York and quietly became the most powerful woman in the North American underworld. By then, Edmund's power was crumbling, hit hard by a rival family. That's when my mother called, her voice full of that same old entitlement. "Your brother-in-law's in some trouble. Figure out a way to help him." Then a text from my sister, Rosalie, dripping with contempt: "Sister, I remember you have a little casino in Sicily, right? So you must know something about that Vexille family." "Edmund needs their help. See what you can dig up." They still don't know. I'm the Don of the Vexille family. I glanced at the schedule my advisor had prepared. Tomorrow, 9:00 AM. A sit-down with some minor family looking for a handout. The name on the file: Edmund.

My boyfriend has always doted on me. However, after learning that I can't go to work at the bank after falling and injuring myself, he snaps at me. "Why didn't you tell me you switched shifts with someone else? That was a cheap move!" I don't refute him. Instead, I pull out a hospitalization record as I watch the bank descend into chaos. In my past life, I attended to a couple who wanted to deposit five million dollars into their account. Their child had been diagnosed with a rare illness. They'd gotten the money by selling their organs and mortgaging the home—it was to save their child's life and pay for the surgery the following day. However, the money was stolen the following day. I helped them check where the money was withdrawn, but the surveillance footage showed I was the one who did it. My best friend wept when the couple questioned me. "You shouldn't have stolen the money someone needed to save a life, no matter how materialistic and covetous you are!" My boyfriend hurried over and said, "I wondered why you suddenly had money to buy a car—you stole it! You're heartless!" The child died after failing to receive treatment in time, and the couple stabbed me to death on the streets out of devastation. When I open my eyes again, I think injuring myself will help me escape this. To my surprise, the surveillance cameras once again capture me stealing the money.

In the third year that I've been diagnosed with late-stage bone cancer, Xenia Jensen, the ex-girlfriend whom I have "abandoned" back then, barges into my rented apartment with the rest of her team that she leads as a police captain. Every day, I have to rely on large amounts of morphine just so I can force myself to stand like a regular human being. I can only twitch violently as I try to grab a pill bottle on the table, my skin completely riddled with needle marks. Xenia chuckles icily as she savors how pathetic I look. "Oh? It's been seven years since we last met, and yet I never thought you'd stoop so low as to become a drug addict. "Where did your gusto to get a better, richer girlfriend go? I can't believe you're willing to humiliate yourself just for some so-called medicine!" As soon as Xenia's words fall, I point at the pill bottle with a trembling finger. "Please, officer… Can you please give me my medicine?" Xenia chortles in response. She picks up the bottle before walking toward the bathroom, soon flushing it down the toilet. "You want your medicine? Go ask the peeps at the rehab for it! It seems both your heart and your body are rotten to the core after you left me for another woman!" I'm in so much pain that I'm convulsing violently right now. "Oh… Then… Am I going to die?" I curl up on the floor, hoping to tide over the latest wave of pain by using the method my doctor has taught me. But Xenia merely gazes at me coldly from the side. In fact, she starts recording me, saying that she wants to make me a living negative example.

Stubborn, secretive and an impossible flirt, Ashton Pierce has all the qualities that should prompt Hayley Barclay to run a mile away from him. Maybe the bad boy aura he exudes is too much for her to resist! Orphaned at thirteen, Ashton would have gone astray had Daniel Van Every, his best friend’s father, not adopted him and brought him home. Ever since, a close relationship develops between him and the Van Every children, Alexander and Alyssa. As Alyssa close friend, Hayley meets Ashton almost every day. Can she resist his charm? With a mile-wide ego, Ashton refuses to acknowledge Hayley who is six years younger. Even when they grow up, Ashton doesn’t “do" dating, especially not with a multi-billionairess, who’s the sole heiress to her family’s fortune. What happens when Hayley grows up into a bombshell? What happens when she pursues him every where? What happens when the dark secrets of his past doesn’t affect her? Can he resist her? Read this fifth book of the temptation series to find out!

Tara lyle arrives back home with responsibilities she never imagined to incur and in this comes the need to protect A young man Maximus Simmons.

The girl my family sponsored was a manipulative opportunist. She had my childhood friends wrapped around her finger. I helped her out of pity for her poor background, but she climbed her way up, slowly taking my place. She faked innocence in front of the brothers while sabotaging me behind my back. When they found out, they called me petty rather than blame her. I got fed up, married my college crush, and moved on. But they flew in overnight, begging for forgiveness.

One night of passion. A secret baby. A second chance at love. Alice never meant to fall for billionaire Carson MacPherson,the only son of the rich family she worked for as a maid. Now, she's raising their child alone as Carson is arranged to marry his childhood fiancee. When Carson comes back into her life, old flames ignite. But a jealous rival and a dark plot threaten their future. Can Alice and Carson overcome danger and deceit to find their happy ending? Or will their past tear them apart forever?

He was off limits until I decided revenge tasted better in his arms. I never intended to follow on my forbidden desires but when my boyfriend cheats on me, I decide to get a little revenge by fucking his hot father, Jesse, Mr O'Neal. The sexy silver fox that fills my fantasies and has been offlimits until now. Our one night stand turns into something more than we can ever imagine, but when reality catches up with our whirlwind romance, can we catch up to it? Hearts will be broken, lives will be ruined but if we can survive the world pulling us apart, maybe we might have a chance at a happily ever after. Screw you Xavier, your dad does it better.

"You only miss the sun when it starts to snow." Zara Hall was a lover girl, who only had eyes for Scott even though he treated her like trash. After they got married according to their grandmothers' wishes, Zara saw hell at the hands of Scott. He not only refused to show her off to the world as his wife, but also blamed her for his parents' death. To muddy the waters even further, Cora—another childhood friend of theirs—stuck to him like glue. Zara did all she could to win Scott's heart. One day, he asked her for an open marriage. She agreed because she loved him. However, he got angry after he saw her with another man. One thing led to another and Zara had no choice but to ask for a divorce. Surprisingly, Scott was unwilling to let her go. The messy battle soon became messier when she falls pregnant for him. Zara is torn between the devil and the deep blue sea as she works her way to the top to restore her family's lost glory. Meanwhile, Scott realizes that he can't live without her. Cora continued to pose a threat to their happiness. She pulled all the stops just to break them apart, using her child as a pawn. Later, it's discovered that the accident that occurred several years ago was orchestrated. Zara continued to shield her baby from the whole drama, but there was only little she could do as Scott tries everything to win her back. "I'm sorry for not valuing you, Zee. Please, just give me a second chance," he said on his knees in public. Would Zara get back with him for her son's sake? Who's behind their parents' murder? Wanna find out what exactly the future holds for them?

My father has chosen me to succeed him in the family business. But if I want the job, it comes with stipulations. And one of those stipulations is to never mix business with pleasure. AKA, don't sleep with anyone on the job. My father leads by example, and not once have I ever seen him get involved with anyone, not even his beautiful assistant. That was an easy rule to follow...until Axel. Axel is an expert distributor, someone who knows how to get our product past the ruthless regulations mandated by the government. My father has never had a partner, but he makes an exception for Axel because he's good at what he does. But the second our eyes meet...there's fire. He's by far the most handsome man I've ever seen, and his I couldn't care less attitude makes me weak. But I put up boundaries and reject his advances. But this man doesn't stop until he gets what he wants. One night together becomes the precursor to the most passionate affair of my life. If my father discovers our secret, it'll cost me my career...and it'll cost Axel his life. To make matters worse, I'm falling for this man...and I think he's falling for me too.