Ghost Empire

The day I buried my mother, my husband, Luca, the Don Ricci, conveniently disappeared. Later, my best friend, Annie, sent me a video. In it, she stood beside Luca in a hospital room while a doctor confirmed her pregnancy. Luca looked… happy. Radiant, even. The baby was theirs. Then another message came. Annie’s voice, “Sis, looks like you failed—just like your mother did against mine.” I had always known my father cheated on my mother and had a child out there somewhere. I just never imagined… it was Annie. That night, Luca came home—with Annie by his side. I said only four words. “I want a divorce.” Luca refused, saying I wouldn’t survive without him—but it was just gaslighting. In truth, he couldn’t afford to lose me or my family’s power. So I called one man Luca hated most in this world—his uncle, Stefan Ricci. The man who once stood equal to Luca in the race for power… If Luca believed he could humiliate me and still keep me tethered to him—his perfect little guarantee to the Don’s seat.… Then I could just as easily make another man take his place.

In the island nation of Aurelia, where power is inherited and reputation is currency, Lillian Bloom lives quietly as a florist in Florentis Quarter, far removed from the elite who rule the city’s glass towers. Her world changes when she is thrust into a contract marriage with Nathaniel Crosswell, the ruthless young CEO of Aurelia’s most powerful conglomerate. Their union is meant to be nothing more than strategy. Protection. Control. But as Lillian enters high society, her presence unsettles powerful families and draws the attention of a mysterious matriarch who knows more than she should. Fragments of a forgotten past begin to surface—memories of rain, shattered glass, and parents lost in a car crash that was never an accident. Lillian is not an outsider. She is a missing heir to one of Aurelia’s wealthiest families, hidden to protect her life and erased from history. When the truth emerges, her marriage to Nathaniel becomes a battleground, pulling them into a war fought through corporate power, legal intrigue, and public perception. As enemies close in and secrets unravel, a marriage born of obligation transforms into something dangerous to an empire built on fear: love chosen freely. This sweeping billionaire romance blends mystery, legacy, and slow-burn passion in a story about reclaiming identity, redefining power, and choosing love on one’s own terms.

Shawn Holt had been married to his stunning wife, who was the president of a company, for five years. He thought they would grow old together, but an unexpected incident revealed his wife's true colors. He erupted in a fit of rage, but it led to the catastrophic fracturing of his legs... He was penniless, his legs were crippled, and his wife cheated on him. At the lowest point in his life, Shawn coldly threw the divorce papers at his wife. Then, he began to enact brutal revenge on his wife's lover! His ex-wife regretted the divorce terribly. "Honey, I'm sorry! Please forgive me." "Get lost."

To mend his broken heart and forget his ex-fiancée, Jasson Luther decided to go back to the island of Isla Lutherio, where he was born and raised. Nonetheless, instead of resting and easing his thoughts, he grew more upset and concerned when his heart became engaged again— which is when he met Samara, his lady butler, and personal driver's daughter. How can he manage his unwanted feelings toward a young girl? For heaven's sake, Samara is eighteen years younger than he is. He may be accused of being a cradle snatcher, and he may even be mistaken for a pedophile. And to avoid his unexplainable feelings for the girl, he diverts his attention to others—ladies his age. However, the more he avoids his feelings, the more intense they become. He couldn't stand seeing her dissatisfied and sullen expression towards him. He couldn't help being envious of every male associated with the girl. How long can he hold back his feelings for Samara? Will he be able to let her be with another guy despite their feelings for each other? Or will he be able to fight for his love against Samara’s entire clan?

Six years ago, Isla Winters was nobody, a shy, invisible wife unloved by the billionaire who married her out of obligation. Jaxon Romano destroyed her with his cruelty, threw her away while she carried his twins, and never looked back. Now, Dr. Isla Vale is everyone, a tech CEO and a genius. When she walks into Jaxon's failing company as his last hope for salvation, he doesn't recognize the broken girl he once called wife. But Isla recognizes him. And she's not here to save him. She's here to destroy him. What Jaxon doesn't know: the brilliant woman dismantling his empire is the ghost of his biggest mistake. What Isla doesn't know: revenge and love are two sides of the same burning coin. And some fires consume everything in their path, including the people who lit the match. In a battle of wills where the stakes are a billion-dollar empire, two hidden children, and a second chance neither of them deserves, only one question matters: Can you forgive the unforgivable? Or does some betrayal cut too deep to heal?

Three years ago, my husband’s brother took a bullet for him. So Gwen brought his brother's widow, Eliza, into our home. I was the Donna in name only. I had to step aside for Eliza in everything. Once, Eliza faked slitting her wrists. She said I drove her to it. Gwen grabbed my throat. Murder flashed in his eyes. "Get out. The Falcone family has no place for a venomous bitch like you." He gave her the family's art foundation to "make it up to her." It was supposed to be mine. This time, I said nothing. He was signing a stack of business contracts. I just slipped the divorce papers in with them. A few days later, he noticed I wasn't home. He searched all over Chicago. He couldn't find me. That's when he saw the divorce decree. He finally understood. I was gone. For good. That day, the untouchable king of the Chicago Outfit… shattered.

Blair thought she was stepping into a new family. Instead, she walked straight into a world built on blood and secrets. Her step-brother had always kept his distance, treating her as if she was nothing but a child. But behind the coldness was something far more dangerous—because he was not just the aloof heir of her new family. He was a shadow in the underworld. A man who killed without hesitation. They called him "Ghost Rider," the heir of a powerful Mafia family rooted with Biker Gangs. “Having read your diary, I know what you dream about, angel. I know every craving you try to hide.” His words unsettled her. His touch terrified her. Yet the closer he drew, the more she realized escape was impossible. He was her obsession, her tormentor, her protector. Trapped under the same roof with him and her ruthless stepfather, Blair soon discovered the truth: there were no lines between family and enemies, love and ruin. In a world ruled by power and violence, desire turned into a dangerous game of control. And once he claimed her, breaking free would cost more than her heart—it could cost her life. A forbidden mafia romance where passion is a weapon, and love is just another way to destroy.

When I opened my eyes, my sister Serena Shaw was kneeling in front of me, sobbing with a fruit knife pressed near her wrist. “Nora, I swear I didn’t mean it. I had too much to drink. I don’t even know how Lucas and I…” I almost laughed. Because I had seen this scene before. In my last life, Serena cried like a victim after sleeping with my fiancé, Lucas Arden. Everyone comforted her. Lucas married her to save her reputation. And I was pushed into a marriage with Graham West, Serena’s abandoned fiancé. Before the wedding, Lucas showed me my name tattooed on his wrist and promised he would only love me. I believed him. I wasted five years beside a husband who wanted my sister, waiting for a man who had married her. Then Serena died. I thought Lucas would finally come back to me. Instead, I found him at the funeral home, holding her photograph like he had lost the love of his life. “She was my wife,” he told me. “Let it go, Nora.” At my birthday party, Lucas and Graham fought over Serena on the rooftop. One had married her. One had never stopped wanting her. While they fought over her, I was shoved into traffic and died under the headlights. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the beginning. This time, I thought I was the only one who remembered. I was wrong. Lucas remembered. Graham remembered. And even with a second chance, both of them still chose Serena. This time, I would not be traded, chosen, or discarded. This time, I would build something none of them could take from me.

The year I hit rock bottom, I got sucked into a game. The rule was to survive a week on 50 dollars, and the winner would walk away with one million dollars. Everyone else was desperate to win, but I was the only one trying to escape. What they did not know was that I was the previous round's winner, and killing me meant they could steal my 500 million dollars.

Seven years after my death, an engagement invitation from my ex-girlfriend arrives at my house. Back then, I had broken up with her in my lowest, most desperate days and married someone else. Now, she has reinvented herself as a rising powerhouse worth hundreds of billions, driven by revenge and eager to see me regret everything and beg for mercy. Unfortunately for her, I am not the one who shows up. She looks around in open contempt, convinced my absence means guilt, shame, and fear. When I finally appear, all she sees is an urn.