Fortress Synonym

---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.

“It is done,” he said softly. “You carry my mark now. The Devil’s mark. You are bound to me….by the moon, by the curse, by choice. Your body belongs to me. You will have no say in what I do to you whether you want it or not. I will use you for as long as I want, in any way I want. You have given me the right to own you completely, to take you, to make or break you and make you mine until you can't even remember what it feels like to be free.” ****** They took everything from Elara Veyra. Her father. Her dignity. Branded wolf-less, betrayed by the man she loved, and cast out by the pack that once called her their own, she ran into the one place even death fears to enter…..the cursed lands of the Devil Alpha. Draven Nightbane. A name whispered like a prayer and a curse. The monster who slaughtered kings, the beast born of darkness and fury. He should have killed her the moment she crossed his borders. Instead, he looked at her as if he’d been waiting. Now Elara lives in his fortress of shadows, bound to the most feared Alpha in existence. But beneath his cruelty lies a hunger even the Moon Goddess can’t explain…and when his touch awakens something ancient inside her, she begins to realize the truth. She's not wolf-less. She's sealed. And he is the key to unleashing what the Moon goddess herself tried to hide. He thinks she offered herself to him to survive. But when the truth of her bloodline surfaces, he’ll learn that she was never the prey…. She was the prophecy that could destroy him.

In the glittering coastal city of Lumine Bay, where wealth hides corruption and power is protected by shadows, Elara Moretti appears to have the perfect life as the wife of billionaire Damon Moretti. But behind the luxury, her marriage is cold, controlled, and full of locked rooms she has never been allowed to enter. Her world fractures the night she returns from a charity gala to find a threat note waiting in her car: “Your husband built an empire of enemies. You’ll be the first to fall.” By morning, Damon had vanished. His phone is off, his safe has been opened, and the mansion’s security system shuts down in a mysterious lockdown. The Moretti estate, an ultra-modern fortress, becomes a cage. Then a stranger enters through the darkness. Kai Valez, a disciplined, unreadable operative, arrives claiming to have Damon’s clearance and strict orders to protect her. Elara doesn’t trust him… but the attacks closing in leave her no choice. As danger intensifies, she uncovers alarming secrets hidden within Damon’s world: classified files, coded messages, surveillance footage of herself, and a mission tied directly to her past. The deeper she digs, the clearer it becomes, Damon didn’t disappear. He planned everything. Now Elara must navigate a web of lies involving her husband, his powerful family, and the man suddenly risking his life for her. Loyalties blur. Enemies multiply. And the line between protector and threat becomes terrifyingly thin. Just when Elara finds the strength to fight back, she receives a final message: A video. Damon is alive. Staring straight into the camera. “Elara… don’t trust the man beside you.” And the mission truly begins.

I am Elias Vance, and my life is a well-oiled lie. I don’t build empires; I dismantle them. For years, I’ve served the shadowy organization known only as The Syndicate, trained to be their most effective weapon—a corporate ghost who infiltrates, exploits, and destroys. My latest target is Thorne Corp, a multi-billion-dollar tech conglomerate, and the man at its helm: Julian Thorne. Julian is everything I despise on principle: cold, impossibly wealthy, and guarded by a fortress of privilege. He is also the key to The Syndicate’s grand prize, and my mission is simple: get close, expose his vulnerabilities, and trigger a catastrophic failure that leaves Thorne Corp in ashes. The plan was airtight until I saw the cracks in his perfect facade. The closer I get, the more I realize the aloof CEO is carrying a burden heavier than his fortune—a legacy steeped in secrets and a profound, aching loneliness that mirrors my own. Every late night in his office, every accidental touch, every shared secret drags me deeper into the man I’m supposed to hate. The line between my duty and my desire doesn't just blur; it dissolves entirely. Now, The Syndicate is closing in, demanding the destruction I promised. I have access codes, damning information, and a clear shot to finish the mission. But completing it means condemning Julian and myself to a future where trust is impossible. To save him, I have to betray my masters. To save myself, I have to risk everything I know. In this game of corporate war, I am the obsidian proxy, caught between two powerful forces, and my only way out is a choice that will either end a dynasty or cost me my life.

Th‍e⁠ir marriage was a transaction.⁠ Th‍eir war was p‍e‌rsonal. T⁠hei‌r pas‌sion was unforeseen. Elara Vega is an⁠ artist whose life i‌s p‌ainted in bold⁠, rebellio‌us colors. When a devastating betrayal by he‌r‍ own family threa‍tens to de⁠stroy everything‍ her⁠ father built, she is‌ given a brut⁠al ch‍oice: sell her‌ freedom to save his le⁠gacy. ⁠Kaelan Sterling is a billionaire fortress of ice and ambit‍ion. To secu⁠re a cruc‌ial merger and shield his empire from a l‌urking threat, he needs‍ one thing: the per⁠fect, unto⁠uchable wife. He doesn't want lo‌ve; he wants a business‍ pa‍rtner. Bound by a cold, clinical contract, they a⁠re‌ enemies from‍ the start. He sees her as a chaotic liability. She sees him as a heartless tycoon. Their for‌ced proximity is a battle of‌ will‍s, fi⁠lled⁠ with sha‌rp word‌s and eve‌n sharper attra‍ction. Bu‍t in t‍he gilded cag⁠es of penthouses⁠ a‌nd high‌-society ga‍la⁠s, a dangerou‍s fire ignites. As a c‍ommon en‍emy closes in, their fa⁠ke r⁠elationship begins to feel terrifyingly real. The lines between strategy and surrender b‍lur. But when hi‍dden truths surface and old‍ wounds are ripped open, their fragile trus⁠t shatt⁠ers. Now, El⁠ara must‌ decide if the man behind th‍e fortune‌ i‍s worth the ultimate risk, and Kaelan must learn that some bonds are too powerful to be broken-even by a billion-dollar contract.

Rima: Jacob Snow is a puzzle. I had initially mistaken him for a cold, uncaring, and arrogant CEO, but as we work together, I realize he's the exact opposite. He's warm, considerate, and humble, a far cry from the man I had painted in my mind. But acknowledging this doesn't mean I'm ready to let my guard down. My past is a dark, haunting shadow, and I refuse to let anyone get too close, afraid of the potential pain that could follow. It's been a while since I've felt this way about someone, and the familiarity of these feelings scares me. The last time it ended being the worst mistake of my life. I don't want to give in to these feelings, but I can't deny that Jacob is becoming more than just a boss to me. Jacob: Rima is enigmatic. She’s resilient, determined, and initially, she appears distant. But as we collaborate, I find myself drawn to her strength and determination. She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met, and the spark between us is undeniable. She’s built a fortress around herself, a wall that's impossible to penetrate, but I’m determined to break it down. I sense she’s hiding something, and I can’t shake off the protective instinct that emerges whenever I see her. As we confront the danger together, I find myself struggling to resist the growing feelings I have for her. As danger looms, Rima and Jacob find themselves struggling to resist the growing attraction between them. Their pasts threaten to tear them apart, but they can’t deny the feelings that are blossoming between them. Will they be able to overcome their fears and trust each other? Or will their pasts continue to haunt them and prevent them from finding love?

It was just another morning commute—until he happened. Across the train aisle sat a man who looked like he’d stepped out of a high-end magazine and straight into a power struggle. His voice sliced through the air, sharp and commanding, as he chewed someone out over the phone like he ran the damn universe. Arrogant. Entitled. Dressed like a Wall Street god. Correction: he looked like a god. That’s where the charm ended—or so I thought. When the train screeched to a stop, he stood up in a hurry, stormed off… and left his phone behind. Did I pick it up? Yep. Did I snoop? Absolutely. Photos, contacts, a few mysterious texts—I couldn’t help myself. Did I keep it longer than I should’ve, building stories in my head about the man behind the voice? Yeah… I did that too. When I finally gathered enough nerve to return it, I marched into the glass-and-steel fortress he called an office. He wouldn’t even come out to meet me. So I dropped his phone on the desk outside his office door. And maybe—I left a photo on it first. Not exactly the professional kind. What I didn’t expect? A message. From him. What followed were late-night texts that burned hotter than anything I’d ever known. Words became whispers. Whispers turned into fantasies. I was falling—for someone I hadn’t even really met. He and I? Total opposites. Fire and ice. Chaos and control. But when we finally came face to face, it wasn’t just sparks. It was an inferno. What happened next? Let’s just say… falling for him was the easy part. Surviving what came after? That’s where the real story began.

Marco - The Don of the Cosa Nostra, cold, heartless and shielded, let's no one in. Conceals his pain. He is engaged to Roxy, for business. With no love or chemistry between them, their marriage is set to be nothing more than business. Lucia - An ordinary woman, with nothing special about her, or so she believes. She runs on emotions. Suffering from anxiety attacks and crazy moments. She's the complete opposite of Marco. Like him, she is engaged, only it's forced on her. Lucia - Life was great until a year ago, I had just been told about my mother's death to watch the love of my life and sister shot before my eyes. The loving father I once had, now cold, calculated, sells me. My newest boyfriend's last quest for me leaves me facing Marco - The Don. I won't go down without a fight. Keeping me captive in his great fortress, I can't escape. What I thought was my life, crumbled down when I found out the secrets my family had hidden. Even Marco couldn't comprehend how deep into the Cosa Nostra I have been since the day I was born. Marco - I knew it was a mistake taking her home, and keeping her hostage until I uncovered the truth. That mistake led to me feeling. It led me to want her like I had never wanted anyone else before. She ripped me open and pulled the feelings free I had buried and tried hiding throughout my life. She just walked in, blew up my life and said, deal with it. Like emotion isn't a weakness. PLEASE BE AWARE. Do not read if you are sensitive to the TW topics. This is one of my most open, raw, and descriptive books. It isn't often it fades to black.