Final Masquerade

Quando eu estava sendo despedaçada viva, usei minhas últimas forças para ligar para o meu irmão. No instante em que minha consciência quase se apagava, ele atendeu o telefone, mas sua voz estava cheia de impaciência: — De novo? O que foi agora? — Mano… me salva… Antes que eu terminasse a frase, ele me interrompeu friamente: — Você arranja problema todo dia? No fim do mês é a festa de formatura da Marina. Se você não aparecer, eu mesmo te mato! E desligou sem hesitar. A dor me consumiu até eu fechar os olhos para sempre. As lágrimas ainda escorriam pelo canto do meu rosto. Mano, você não precisa me matar. Eu já estou morta.

“Who the hell changed the screw tolerance by 0.007 mm?” “I did. Is there a problem?” Kimmy Zabel, our department’s “good-luck charm” and full-time slacktivist, did not even look up from her compact mirror, where she was carefully applying lip gloss. “It just didn’t look right, so I tweaked it. Do you really have to yell at me?” The production line had been running on the wrong spec for twenty-four hours. I hit the emergency stop. Keeping my voice steady took some effort. “These parts no longer meet export standards. If we miss tomorrow’s shipment, even a month of overtime wouldn’t cover the penalties.” “It’s one tiny number. You’re being so dramatic!” Kimmy snapped her makeup case shut. “Anyway, it’s New Year’s Eve. I’ve got a date. I’m not staying here to suffer with you people.” Before she even reached the door, I gestured to the staff to pull the shutters down. “For precision components like these, one number translates into a million-dollar loss. You can take these defective units and explain them to the regulators.”

Depois que minha irmã morreu, assinei um contrato de casamento de cinco anos com o marido mafioso dela, Horton Falcone. Me tornei madrasta do meu sobrinho de cinco anos, Luca. No meu aniversário, usei o colar de cruz de diamantes da minha falecida irmã, sem perceber o que era. No jantar de família, Luca veio até mim com uma taça de vinho tinto e jogou o vinho no meu rosto. O vinho tinto escorreu pelas minhas bochechas, seu cheiro forte ardendo nos meus olhos e manchando meu vestido branco. Ele inclinou a cabeça para trás para me olhar, seus olhos tão frios e cruéis quanto os do pai. — Não pense que pode substituir minha mãe só porque se casou com a família Falcone — ele disse com um sorriso malicioso. — Você é a razão dela estar morta. Eu queria que você tivesse morrido. Assim eu poderia destruir sua lápide em vez de comemorar esse aniversário estúpido. Eu juro, quando eu crescer, a primeira coisa que vou fazer é te jogar no Rio Hudson eu mesmo! A memória ardia tão intensamente quanto o vinho, e tudo o que eu conseguia sentir era desespero. Encarei a criança que passei cinco anos criando como se fosse minha, uma dor aguda pulsando no meu peito. Eu tinha pensado que poderia me dedicar à família Falcone, que poderia conquistá-lo com meu amor. Mas agora, eu estava simplesmente exausta de tudo isso. Era uma família sem amor, uma criança que me via como sua inimiga mortal. Parei de me iludir. Era hora de deixar para lá. Mas depois que fui embora, aquele pai e filho arrogantes voltaram rastejando até mim como cachorros castigados, implorando pelo meu perdão.

Veronica, a musician in a band, finds herself on a sticky wicket when she realizes that the man of her dreams—Théo Reynaud—is an elaborate masquerade to his danger-seeking alter ego. As she tries to stay relevant in the music scene, she battles depression and bouts of anxiety while dealing with a dysfunctional long-distance relationship. Théo is a fashion model striving to make a good living in the cutthroat industry while moonlighting as an informant. After a vindictive crime boss endangers his family, he is tasked to complete his final assignment to keep his loved ones out of harm's way, and be with the woman he loves. ▬▬▬▬▬▬ genres: CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE, CRIME, DRAMA ▬▬▬▬▬▬ This is a work of fiction. Places, characters, dialogues, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination, or are used fictitiously. This story contains profanity, sexual themes, drug usage, and some violence intended for mature readers. Read at your own risk. [DISCLAIMER: The author does not own the original images on the book cover.]

"Masquerade of the Heart" Sometimes love hides behind the most unexpected masks… After a brutal betrayal and a painful divorce, Ethan Lockwood has lost all faith in love—until he finds solace in the red light district, not in lust, but in quiet companionship. There, he meets Ruby, a mysterious woman behind a masquerade mask who asks for nothing but time. What he doesn’t know is that Ruby is really Minnie Love, a determined law student fighting to stay afloat. As their bond deepens, secrets grow heavier. Minnie becomes Ethan’s fiercest ally in his divorce, all while hiding her true identity. When Ethan’s cunning ex-wife Amanda discovers the truth, she threatens to use it as ammunition. Meanwhile, under his powerful mother's pressure, Ethan finds himself in an unlikely contract marriage—with Minnie. What begins as convenience quickly turns into something real, but neither dares to admit it. When Minnie’s secret is exposed and the world turns against her, she vanishes—until a determined friend helps her find Ethan again, hiding in a remote cabin, wounded and lost. There, truths are faced, love is confessed, and a powerful choice is made. Tangled in lies, love, and legal battles, Masquerade of the Heart is a slow-burn, emotionally rich romance about trust, redemption, and the unexpected places we find home.

Like every princess in fairy tales, one must be elegant and prudent. Not Elizabeth after she sneaked out of her room in the middle of the night, only to attend a masquerade ball. One blink and she woke up in the arms of the ruthless General Kius, naked and under the white sheets. What will she do when one rebellious night will result in a child?

They said, being rich is perfect but for Belle it is not. She can have everything through money but he can't buy the one she loved..... Two years she worked as a maid. But her father's secretary found her and sent her back home. After a year at the masquerade party held by BBB "Is that Belle the Mins maid?" "She is the owner of BBB?!!" Anna almost fainted knowing that Bella's status was far away from her status.

Wanting a one-night fairytale, Joanna Yoder, attends the Hudson Masquerade Charity Ball. With her face hidden behind a mask, she played the role of a wealthy heiress named Clarice Cameron. When heartthrob playboy, Trevor Hudson, sweeps her off her feet, Joanna goes with the flow since she has had a crush on him for years. After being every New York heiresses' fantasy since he was a teenager, Trevor finally finds the one. What he doesn't know is that the woman he loves is a fraud - and his maid.

**Title: RATED 18 COMPILATION *** Rated 18 Compilation is a sizzling collection of erotic short stories that ignite the senses and unravel hidden desires. Each tale plunges into the heat of forbidden encounters: a chance meeting in a rain-soaked alley sparks untamed passion, a mysterious stranger at a masquerade ball unveils secret longings, and a quiet bookstore becomes the stage for a slow, teasing seduction. With vivid, sensual prose, these stories explore the raw intensity of lust, the thrill of surrender, and the electric pull of connection in unexpected places. Perfect for those who crave steamy, uninhibited narratives that linger long after the page is turned. Warning: Explicit sexual content, mature themes, and graphic depictions of intimacy. For readers 18+ only.

Blurb: Emilia De Luca and Luca Romano are heirs of rival mafia empires at war for generations. One night, behind the anonymity of a masquerade, they set fire in an unforgettable passion. And when she finds out that she is pregnant, their forbidden link will get even more complicated than either could have envisioned. Emalia and Luca are two young lovers forged in the fire pits of their ruthless family feud, soon bound to face dark secrets binding their families in a web of deceit and blood. The higher the tensions rise, the more secrets leak out. And one question could not be more urgent: Will they ever manage to build a future together, or will the family sins tear them asunder forever?