Fine Chocolates

He was forbidden. My brother's best friend. The most dangerous man in the country. And I signed myself over to him. Eve Thorne had one rule: stay away from Dimitri Valentino. It shouldn't have been difficult. He was ruthless, feared, and devastatingly beautiful in the way that only truly dangerous things are. The kind of man who owned nightclubs, commanded armies, and made grown men weep with a single look. The kind of man her brother Mike trusted with his life. The kind of man she had absolutely no business wanting. But one shattered marriage, one bottle of whiskey, and one catastrophically bad decision later, Eve wakes up in Dimitri's bed with a signed contract on the nightstand and six months of her life no longer her own. Her body. His rules. No exceptions. The contract is iron-clad, the penalty clause suffocating — fifty million dollars she doesn't have. And Dimitri Valentino, the Wolf of the Italian underworld, has absolutely no intention of letting her go. He says he'll ruin her for other men. He's not lying. Because beneath the cold control and the thousand-dollar suits is a man who has wanted her for seven sinful years — who has memorized the curve of her smile, the sound of her laugh, and exactly how to take her apart piece by piece until the only word left in her vocabulary is his name. Eve came to him broken, looking to feel wanted. She never expected to feel owned. She never expected to love it. Undressed by the Mafia Lord is a scorching dark romance about forbidden hunger, dangerous obsession, and the catastrophic moment a good girl stops running from the wolf who has always been hunting her. Some contracts change everything. Some men are worth the fine print.

He didn't expect to see her again, an encounter that ignited his love and desires for her; She didn't expect to meet him sooner —an encounter that ignited her hunger for revenge and a twisted desire. ****** He pushed me against the wall, "End the contract with my boss! You are playing with fire Victoria!" He roars. I remain unfazed; this is just the tip of the iceberg, and there is more to come. How I wish he could read the handwriting on the wall, he should be more scared of me, not his boss. "Dear ex-husband, are you jealous that I'm with your boss or is it something else?" I challenge him, a mysterious smile playing on the tip of my lips. His eyes blaze with fury, swiftly pinning me against the wall, his breath fanning my ear, sending shockwaves of pleasure despite the situation. "You know nothing; if you are aiming for revenge, then do it openly!" My gaze meets his, "You don't know what is coming for you, Brad; it is far more than you can fathom."I gave him a sinister smile which made him go crazy. "Fine, I admit I was wrong; I shouldn't have done that to you; I shouldn't have abandoned our love and made you sign those papers, but I did that for you!" Came his outburst. "I...I did that to protect you... because I love you... because I don't want to lose you." He cupped my face tenderly, his hands shaking against my skin; I stood still, dumbfounded. "protection from what?" I choked at my question because I knew whatever the reason may be, it might already be too late. This has gone beyond love—the thirst for revenge and duty is at stake now. Will love be given a chance again?

Billionaire Michael Valdemore got everything he wants including women. No one will dare to say no to this hunk and handsome bachelor—until the accident changed his life—forever. Mrs. Valdemore took an action and hired a private nurse to look after him. He was so proud and arrogant to accept his mother’s will, and none of those nurses stay with him within 24 hours. But everything changes when he met Thalia Colantes. His pig headed private nurse. He showed her his nasty and lordly manners, but the woman didn't scare him. In fact, Thalia was the reason why he pursued to be able to walk again. She made him comprehend how lucky and grateful he was as she made him realized that living alone without her by his sides will be the end of the world. He fell in love with her witty, sense of humor and the beauty she had in and out. He thought everything was doing fine between the both of them, but all of sudden Thalia left him. But through his power and money he found her and make it up with her. They thought everything would be all right. But Thalia received an unregistered phone call from an unknown caller. Her twin sister, Vanesa was missing and Kristina Montalban—Michael’s ex–girlfriend and Victor Pangilinan— who was responsible of Michael’s car accident six months ago in Europe, were both responsible for her twin sister’s abduction. In order to save her twin sister Vanesa, she has to exchange herself. Victor wants revenge against Michael as for Kristina, she had no plan of letting them both escaped. The woman wants her die along with her sister, but all of sudden Michael and his friends, Leon Miguel and Enrique came to rescue them.

Born as the younger twin, his destiny in life is to live in his brother's shadow. His beast is strong, the bringer of chaos, and he follows nobody's lead. Ryder leaves home and disappears for almost two years after realizing that his first love had a dark ulterior motive. He starts working as a hunter, killing the supernatural. A near death incident that leads to personal tragedy brings him home where he becomes the Sire of his own lair and sets him on his path for revenge and ultimately finding his own Drakaina. I went back upstairs just as Megan came out of the bathroom sporting a pair of my sweatpants and t-shirt that was way too big for her. “I was going to recommend the sweat pants, it might be big around your waist but your ass will fill it out,” I said as she turned to glare at me. “Meaning what exactly?” she asked me. “It’s just that your ass… never mind,” I said. “Are you saying I have a fat ass?” she asked me. “No!” I said quickly. “Then what?” she asked me as she stood with her hands on her hips. “Just forget I said anything,” I said to her trying to hide my embarrassment. “No! Tell me,” she said adamantly. “Fine! Your ass is perfect for… no I can't, I'm going to sound like a pervert,” I said as the pillow flew across my face. “Ryder!” she yelled her face a bright red. “You asked,” I said and ducked at the shoe heading for my face. “You're such an idiot,” she said as she looked at me, “stop looking at my ass.” “Are you wearing my underwear?” I asked her as I saw the edge of my boxers above the sweat pants.

“Just—just get it over with.” He paused, titling his head. “Get what over with?” I glare at him, “The rejection. Just do it.” He stared at me, the smile he wore on his face suddenly dropped, “You think I intend to hurt you? That I will reject you?” Fine, if he wanted to play this way then no problem. “Fine. If you won’t reject me, I reject you.” I don’t even have time to react before he’s in front of me. “Try again, little wolf.” He leans in, lips ghosting over my ear “Reject me all you want. The moon goddess brought you here for me and now you’re mine.” ~~~~ Emma had always been nothing. An orphan. An omega. But when she turned eighteen, the Moon Goddess gave her hope, her mate was Aiden Blackwood, the future Alpha. For the first time, she thought she belonged. But Aiden shattered her. He rejected her. He used her. And then, in front of the entire pack, he claimed another as his mate and Luna. Broken and betrayed, Emma ran. She didn’t care where she ended up, until she crossed into forbidden land and was thrown into a cage, waiting to die. Only for him to appear. Kieran Valerian. The Lycan King. A man whispered about in fear. A ruler with blood on his hands. And when his golden eyes locked onto hers, the world seemed to stop. “Mate.” But Emma refuses to be weak ever again. She will never beg for love. Never trust an Alpha’s promises. Not even when the most powerful Lycan alive looks at her like she belongs to him. Because she learned the hard way that mates can destroy you. And this time, she won’t go down without a fight.

When my father's business collapsed, he racked up an astronomical debt to the Andor family. And when they finally came knocking, he did what no loving parent should ever do—he collateralized me, his only daughter, handing me over to Cassian before vanishing off the face of the earth. For ten long years, I stayed by Cassian Andor's side. He treated me with a tenderness so indulgent it bordered on worship. There was nothing I asked for that he would not give; there was no whim of mine he would not entertain. Everyone in our world knew me as his princess. I grew up believing with certainty that once I came of age, he would sweep me into his arms, march me down the aisle, and make me his wife. But reality—cold, brutal, and as dazzlingly cruel as the world we lived in—had other plans. Instead of the ring I had dreamed of, Cassian gifted a breathtaking pink diamond—the very symbol of eternal devotion—to his assistant, Heidi Torres. As if that wasn't betrayal enough, he threw a lavish celebration in her honor, a veritable explosion of flowers. He knew I was deathly allergic to pollen. Yet he still left me stranded there, drowning in a sea of blossoms. Eventually, I collapsed in a violent asthma attack, gasping and clawing for air, teetering on the edge of consciousness. And Cassian? He merely tightened his hold around Heidi in his arms and cast me a cold glance. "Your allergies have been fine for ages," he said with a sneer. "Why the sudden drama today? Don't tell me you're faking it." At that moment, as I lay there humiliated and struggling to breathe, I realized there were exactly seven days left until my twentieth birthday since when I could register a marriage.

Manhattan was doing that thing again twinkling like it had all the answers, when really it just had expensive lighting. Alexander Knight leaned against the glass wall of his penthouse, seventy-five floors up, watching the city hum below him. Bourbon in one hand (mostly untouched), phone in the other. The merger docs stared back at him from the screen, but the part that actually kept him up at night wasn’t the billions on the line. It was the fine print from the Japanese investors: “Family stability preferred.” Translation: get a wife, look settled, or watch the whole deal slip away. He exhaled, fogging the window for a second before it cleared. His assistant had already sent over a neat little list of “suitable” women—discreet, polished, zero drama. Women who understood arrangements. He hadn’t even opened the attachments. Because something about the whole thing felt… hollow. His gaze drifted down, past the grid of lights, to the tiny café on the corner. Golden glow spilling onto the sidewalk, handwritten sign in the window: Local Artist Pop-Up – One Night Only. A woman stood in front of a canvas, head tilted, paint-smudged shirt slipping off one shoulder. She was talking to someone out of view, laughing softly, then stepped back to study her work like it had personally offended her. She glanced up—straight toward his building, straight at him somehow, even though there was no way she could see him up here. But for a split second, their eyes locked across the impossible distance. But right then, with the whole damn city glittering between them, he had this ridiculous, unshakable thought: She’s the one I’m going to ask. And hell help them both when she says yes.

At the company team-building event, I got called out by my colleague Samantha Rowler for not removing my price tag—she accused me of being a "freebie chaser." "Oh wow, Carla, you drive a BMW 5 Series. Are you seriously planning to return your clothes within seven days too?" she sneered. I tucked the tag back in and ignored her snide remark. But after the event, as soon as I got home, my phone started blowing up. My chat apps were going insane. A friend had sent me a link: [Luxury-Car Executive Turns Out to Be a Return Addict!] Someone had filmed me leaving the price tag on and posted it to a short-video platform. I opened the comment section and was met with a barrage of insults. [Can't afford to live, huh? Tag warrior.] [Is this car a sugar-daddy gift? Those who know, know.] [OMG, does this woman have some kind of illness? Which brand is this so I can avoid it!] I immediately knew Samantha was behind it. I messaged her to delete the video. Instead, the next second, she blocked me—and pinned a comment to the top of the thread: [You can know a person's face but never their heart!] I was about to post a statement to clarify, my finger hovering over the send button, when I noticed the video's likes had already shot past ten thousand. I laughed. If they wanted a scene, fine—let's make it bigger. I quickly posted a new update: [The outfit is really nice. I'll wear it again next time.] The netizens erupted. The insults doubled, the heat skyrocketed, and the post shot straight to number one trending. I just put my phone down and went to sleep.

The chimes of the Full Moon Festival echoed through the night air. I fought down the nervous flutter in my chest and shot a text to Beta Lucas. "When are we telling the pack, Beta Lucas? When do we finally mark each other?" "I was still holding my breath when my brother, Alpha Ryan, suddenly raised his hand." He pointed at the Sacred Oak in the middle of the plaza, his voice laced with surprise. "Hey, Elena. Isn't that Lucas?" "He's holding a girl's hand. Looks like the pack's in for a celebration." I followed Ryan's gaze on instinct. In that split second, my wolf went completely cold. Lucas was kissing the girl in his arms, deep and passionate. I recognized her right away. It was Sarah, the rogue wolf Lucas had brought back from the forest border the week before. Word was she'd saved Lucas's life. I must've been staring too hard, because Lucas suddenly looked up and locked eyes with us. His pupils shrank the second he saw me. A few seconds later, he slowly let go of the girl in his arms. "Ryan, Elena. Let me formally introduce you two." "This is Sarah, my chosen mate." When he got to me, Lucas's eyes darted away. He glanced quickly at my pale face, then turned to the Sarah beside him. "This is Elena, Alpha Ryan's sister. She's like a little sister to me, too." We'd shared a bed countless nights. And all I got in the end was the label of sister. Fine, then. If your little sister marries another Alpha, you'll surely bless me, won't you?

When I received the news that my fiancé, Ellison Perez, had postponed our wedding for the 18th time, I happened to be walking out of the hospital, clutching my medical report. Once again, he had delayed our wedding for an entire month, all because of my adopted foster sister, Becky. I thought about what the doctor had told me. After hesitating for a long time, I finally dialed Ellison's number. "I can't wait until next month. If we can't get married tomorrow, there won't be another chance." However, Ellison only took my words as another fit of childish willfulness. "Don't be unreasonable, Lily. Have you forgotten how Becky took your place as the hostage? She was tortured for a whole month before being rescued." "It's because of you that she developed severe trauma. Now you can't even wait one more month for her to recover?" I could hear my parents' voices chiming in over the line. "Becky still suffers from extreme fear of men. Ellison is the only one who can calm her down. Isn't it your fault she ended up like this?" "You're being selfish, Lily. A wedding can wait, but Becky's condition can't!" I had known for a long time that ever since that incident, my entire family had chosen Becky's side. Even so, tears streamed down my face. "Fine," I said softly. "Postpone it." I clenched the medical report tightly in my hand. They did not know that just moments ago, the doctor had told me the truth— I was in the final stage of liver cancer. I only had one month to live.