Gilded

He claimed her for revenge. He kept her for the sin. Isabella was stolen a beautiful, defiant prize taken as part of Alessandro De Luca's brutal revenge. Alessandro De Luca is a king among shadows, a ruthless Capo whose empire is built on blood, lies, and the ashes of his enemies. He is a man who takes what he wants, and what he wants now is retribution. His perfect pawn? Isabella the defiant, stunning daughter of the man who took everything from him. Dragged from her gilded cage and into his lavish, terrifying world, she is meant to be his trophy, his torment, and the ultimate symbol of his victory. But a pawn with fire in her veins is impossible to control. She is forbidden. Addictive. Dangerous. With every heated glance and accidental brush of skin, Isabella threatens to unravel the cold calculation in him, tearing down the walls of the devil he's become... or awakening something even darker. Their deadly game of ownership and defiance is quickly complicated by a new, more venomous threat: Alessandro’s twin brother. Twisted, obsessive, and hellbent on tearing his world apart, the only thing his brother craves more than Alessandro’s throne is the woman Alessandro has claimed. With enemies closing in on every side, the stakes are simple: Betrayal is certain. Survival is not. Desire is a trap that could kill them both.

Freda Lewis has spent her life fighting against the odds, scraping her way through college with nothing but grit and determination. But when the world outside proves just as unforgiving, a desperate leap of faith lands her in an unexpected arrangement—a five-year contract marriage to the enigmatic billionaire, Williams Franklin. Williams needs a wife to secure his position as the rightful heir to the Franklin family empire. Freda needs an escape from her toxic past. It seems like the perfect deal: no strings, no emotions, and a generous payout. But the deeper Freda steps into Williams’ gilded world, the more she uncovers the cracks in his armor—and the secrets that threaten to tear them both apart. When a shocking revelation exposes Freda’s true identity as the long-lost heir of the powerful Harrington dynasty, she finds herself at the center of a dangerous game of power and betrayal. Torn between her growing feelings for Williams and the family that abandoned her, Freda must decide where her loyalty lies. But just as Freda begins to carve out her place in this treacherous new world, an unexpected betrayal leaves her questioning everything—and everyone. Who can Freda trust when her life has been planned from the start? And as the lines between love and duty blur, will she fight for her heart or risk losing everything? *The truth about Freda’s past is about to change everything… and Williams might not survive the fallout.*

“Please... spare my life,” she whispered, her voice trembling like the last leaf clinging to a winter branch. Blood trickled from her split lip as she pressed her forehead to the cold marble floor, her entire body shaking with terror. “I treasure what belongs to me,” he replied, his voice cold and deadly. His gloved hand gripped her chin, forcing her to meet his merciless gaze. “And as of tonight, little ghost... you belong to me.” Born from a one-night stand between a mafia lord and a maid, Liliana Orlov entered the world with her mother’s blood staining her face. Her father, Don Nickolas Orlov never let her forget who she was - a curse! While her half-sisters wear silks, she scrubs floors. While they dine in gold-lit halls, she eats their scraps. She was the family’s whipping girl, blamed for the empire’s weakness-no male heir, no future. Then, the unthinkable happens. To end a decade-long war, Nickolas sold Liliana to his greatest enemy Mikhail Volkov also known as “The Reaper” the heir to the most powerful and brutal mafia dynasty. Her fate was sealed. She entered into a forced marriage to secure peace. Thrown into a gilded cage, Liliana faces a man more merciless than her father. Is survival enough… or will she dare to want more? Or Will a man who rules through fear finally learn to kneel to love? Find out more in the story!

"What do you want, Lila?" he asked, his voice dropping as he took in her confident posture. It was a question filled with both dread and anticipation. She smiled, a slow, seductive curl of her lips. "I've shown you how much I care about you. I want you to give me what I deserve." She stepped back, her hand reaching behind her to unzip her uniform. She slid it down her shoulders and let the dress pool at her feet. She stood in her lace undergarments, watching as his eyes raked her body. " I want you to fuck me, Alexander." In the gilded halls of the Harrington estate, appearances are everything. Victoria Harrington is the perfect wife, and Alexander Harrington is the epitome of success. But beneath the surface of their flawless lives, secrets fester in the shadows. When Lila Evans, a quiet and unassuming waiting lady, enters their world, the delicate balance of power begins to shift. What starts as a dangerous attraction soon spirals into a web of lies, betrayal, and scandal that threatens to unravel the very fabric of the Harrington’s’ carefully curated existence. As hidden truths come to light and past sins resurface, loyalties will be tested, and no one will escape unscathed. In a world where trust is fragile and deception is the norm, one wrong move could bring it all crashing down. How far will they go to protect their secrets? And who will be left standing when the dust settles?

Serena Hale was never meant to belong in a world of diamonds, monogrammed robes, and dinner parties soaked in judgment. Once a humble bakery girl, she eloped into a whirlwind marriage with billionaire James Hale, trading flour-dusted dreams for gilded heartbreak. Now, Savannah’s back. James’s sophisticated, pregnant ex-fiancée has returned like a ghost wearing pearls, slipping seamlessly into his life, his home, and maybe… his heart. As Savannah moves into their world like she never left, Serena is forced to smile through whispers and cold stares. James’s mother, ice-blooded and brutal, now she’s made her message clear: Serena was the wrong choice. The second choice. And she better not get pregnant again. But it’s already too late. Serena is carrying James’s child again, a fragile, impossible hope tucked beneath her still flat stomach. He says he loves her. He swears he chose her. But he didn’t come home last night. And Serena is no longer sure if James is lying to her… or to himself. As secrets build and the tide turns against her, Serena must decide if love is enough to hold onto a marriage that may have never truly been hers before the truth rips everything apart again. Because this time, it’s not just her heart at stake. She has a baby to think of.

Carmenta Bloom’s life is the epitome of gilded misery, and she is no stranger to controversy. With wealth and glory as her inheritance, she has everything but the freedom to live on her own terms. When a scandal threatens her family’s ironclad reputation, Carmenta is cast into a prison of her own making under the watchful eye of her bodyguard, Perion. Perion is her captor in every sense. He moves mountains and pounds them to ground again. He controls her, isolates her, and refuses to allow any escape—except one she never anticipated: his presence begins to consume her. Perion isn’t who he claims to be. He isn’t just a hired hand—he’s tied to a powerful mafia syndicate, his motives shrouded in secrecy. To him, Carmenta is a key piece in a high-stakes war his syndicate is waging. As Carmenta’s fiery spirit challenges Perion’s icy resolve, the line between duty and love begins to blur. Perion starts to see the woman behind the façade, and Carmenta, despite her mistrust, feels drawn to the man she thinks is her protector. He begins to question everything—his loyalty and the woman who has somehow gotten under his skin. Torn between duty and desire, Perion must face the consequences of his lies, while Carmenta must decide if she’s willing to risk everything—her heart, her life, and her very soul—for the man who was never meant to protect her. As war closes in and trust crumbles, they must confront what they’ve both been running from or be destroyed by it.

Amelia seems to have it all - beauty, wealth, and a handsome boyfriend from an influential family. But her gilded life shatters when she learns her boyfriend Alexander has been cheating with her own stepsister. Devastated, things go from bad to worse when Amelia's parents announce they are marrying her off to Harrison, the son of a disgraced billionaire family, while giving control of the family company to her backstabbing stepsister. Amelia is distraught, feeling utterly betrayed by those closest to her. The only person she has left is Martha, the kind maid who is more of a mother to Amelia than her own ever was. But Martha falls gravely ill, leaving Amelia desperate to get the funds for her medical treatment. Forced to go through with the engagement for Martha's sake, Amelia steels herself to marry Harrison. Yet upon meeting Harrison, Amelia is surprised to find herself intrigued by this handsome, down-to-earth stranger. As they continue to connect, she realizes there may be more to him than just his family name and reputation. But Amelia remains wary, focused on securing her independence and caring for Martha. As the wedding looms closer, a whirlwind of shocking revelations and twists will turn Amelia's world upside down once more. Will she find an unexpected saving grace in her marriage to Harrison? Or will sinister secrets beneath the surface threaten to destroy her world yet again? Little did she know, she was going to get married to the conqueror, the one who had conquered everything.

Aurora Valentino has spent her entire life in a gilded cage as she's the daughter of Marcello Valentino. A powerful mafia boss. Every step is watched, every move controlled, until she dares to slip away from her guards and taste a moment of freedom. That’s when she meets him. Luca Di Domenico. A dangerously handsome stranger whose dark, magnetic eyes promise trouble…and deliver sin. One night in his arms ignites a fire in her she never knew existed—his fiery kisses, his demanding touch, his ruthless passion. It was supposed to be nothing more than a stolen night. But fate keeps throwing them together, and soon Luca becomes the only man who makes her feel alive, fearless, and free. With him, she discovers her own strength and her darkest desires. But the truth shatters everything. Aurora is pregnant. And the man she’s fallen for, the man she’s given her body and heart to—is her father’s greatest rival and sworn enemy. If her father learns the truth, it could cost Aurora her life. But once Luca discovers who she really is…will he claim her or destroy her? *** Warning: This book is rated +18.** It is a box set of short spicy dark mafia romances that includes themes of enemies to lovers, forced marriage, and surprise pregnancy. The story features several violent scenes, as well as explicit and rough intimate nature. Please read this book only if you are comfortable with such content. Each book in this series is a standalone novel with no cliffhangers...

I thought divorce would free me from Roland Voss, the man who turned our marriage into a gilded prison. But walking away from a Voss isn’t freedom. It’s war. The press calls me a gold-digger. His lawyers call me a liability. And Roland? He just smirks across his mahogany desk and murmurs, “You’ll never escape me, Aliyah. Not while you carry my name.” I swore I’d never shatter again until I met him. Dominic Voss. Roland’s younger brother. The man I shouldn’t even look at, let alone want. He sees the cracks in me no one else bothers to notice. When the world turns its back, Dominic leans close and whispers, “Let me protect you. Even if it means going against my own blood.” Every stolen glance is treason. Every brush of his hand sets me on fire. And when Victor Hale, a rival billionaire with teeth sharper than Roland’s, circles closer, I realize I’ve become the prize in a game where men like them never lose. But I’m not the same woman Roland once broke. This time, I’m willing to risk everything, scandal, ruin, even the wrath of the dynasty that branded me theirs to choose the man who makes me feel alive. The question is… Will my freedom cost me my heart? Or will loving Dominic ignite a war that none of us survive?

---> if you are interested in my work, please check out my novel The Starving Vulture. Available on Amazon, $3.99 for the Ebook and $14.95 for the Paperback https://www.amazon.com/Starving-Vulture-Miguel-Monta%C3%B1a/dp/1951150899<---------The Pacific Capital. A product of an altered world, the legacy of the dead Philippine nation. A congested megacity holding 50 million people all huddled in what was once Metro Manila. It is the center for Pacific Maritime Trade, the world's largest Tax Haven and one of the few places in the world free from the Draconian but necessary environmental laws that saved the world since Cometfall. Ruled by Megacorporations, Corrupt Politicians, Invested Nobility and Criminals. It is one of the world's most important agricultural and pharmaceutical centers. H-6 is an Arbiter of the Court. As Judge Jury and Executioner, they maintain the essential Power Plant Canals and Massive weather controlled Dome Districts. Two elements that even the all powerful Megacorps need maximize their profits. Making Arbiter's Court the true rulers of the city. But even an all powerful Arbiter of the Court like H-6 knows, that Ambition and Greed will always find ways to ignore the rule of Law. Solus Valentine is a Security Consultant, plying her trade to anyone in need. She is a gun for hire who has the street smarts for the city's underworld. Whether in the gilded halls or the most flooded streets, she's ready for your contract. But while completing a contract, she stumbles into a vast conspiracy that just might threaten the city's fragile power balance, if not the world. She just might need an Arbiter's help for this one. One who might be someone from her past.