Inner Circle Trader

The childs gone. The dreams gone. I've become comfortably numb Valentina Lombardi has been through a lifetime of trauma throughout her years. From her absentee, abusive father who's neglected her all her life to her even more abusive legal guardian who's been the one to traumatize her. A trip to what she sees as her second bedroom, the police station, takes a turn of events with a piece of information she receives that changes everything. Zane Marino, leader of the Marino mafia, and Raul Romano, one of his top men. Dead. The two men who've destroyed her are now out of her life, a miracle to her. Now, she's being thrown into the custody of her eight older brothers she never knew she had. Her biological family. Not to mention, her eldest brother who's now her legal guardian, also happens to be the leader of the Sicilian mafia. Her "father's" pure enemy. What happens when she has to learn to deal with the infamous, ruthless Lombardi brothers, the ones she was raised to hate? Marino through adoption and Lombardi by blood. A dangerous mix. Throw trauma, boys, secrets, and utter chaos into the mix. How will it all play out when her inner demon's come to the surface, making everything unravel right under her two feet?

Camilla Theodore is a symbol of hate and revenge. Living as the sole survivor of an aircraft bombing makes Camilla a traumatic and regretful person. When she knows that the plane was blown up by a man named Kairav and that it has something related to the Buenos Fire Group, Camilla is determined to find the mastermind of the aircraft bombing and avenge the deaths of her friends. Kairav Alejandro is the symbol of ruthlessness. He is the real brain of the Buenos Fire Group, a company engaged in the international trade sector. He hates even the slightest mistake made by his employees. He is typically a very perfectionist, causing difficulties and inner pressure on his subordinates. Camilla manages to infiltrate by being accepted as a secretary at the Buenos Fire Group to get a moment to see Kairav shirtless. The girl wants to confirm the tattoo that is inscribed 'Kairav' that she saw on the body of the mysterious man who blew up the plane. Day after day Camilla lived to hate Kairav, devising such revenge plans, ready to be launched for Kairav if that tattoo was indeed engraved on his body. However, Camilla Theodore is a sexy girl with a mysterious charm. She never thought that her plan would be messed up by a ruthless but full of allurement like Kairav Alejandro, especially when the man appeared shirtless in front of her. Will Camilla be able to avenge him, or will she be entangled in love with Kairav? Then, can Camilla ignore her feelings when she finds out that the plane bombing that killed her friends was part of a conspiracy? Will this complicated love story end happily or will it become a sad and tragic love story?

During the exchange of tokens in the Marking Ceremony, I presented the wolf tooth ring I had carved myself, as a witness to our marking. But my Alpha mate, Frendo, remained completely indifferent, not releasing any marking aura, as though he had entirely forgotten that today was the day of our spiritual bonding ceremony. At that moment, Lily updated her Instagram, saying she would be returning to the Sliver Lake Pack in an hour. The air immediately filled with the restless scent of wolves, and before I could react, my Beta brother, George, stepped onto the ceremony stage and emotionlessly announced, "The Marking Ceremony is canceled." Frendo and George, in perfect synchronization, turned and left the altar together, leaving me standing alone, under the watchful eyes of all the Pack members. They wanted to see how a one-person marking ceremony would proceed. It wasn’t until I held back my inner frustration and awkwardly finished the ceremony with some semblance of dignity that I opened Lily’s Instagram. In her latest photo, George and Frendo were both surrounding her, releasing intimate signals. One was holding a silver moon festival gift box, while the other offered her a moonlight rose, her favorite. I bitterly smiled and wiped away the tears from my eyes before calling the one family that truly mattered, my flesh and blood. "Dad, Mom. I want to go home."

Candice Harper’s world shatters when her mother remarries billionaire Sanna d’Agostino just weeks after divorcing her beloved father. Uprooted from New York to a glittering Los Angeles mansion, the 17-year-old senior vows to endure one year of this gilded cage before escaping to college—and freedom. But freedom becomes a distant dream the moment she locks eyes with her new stepbrother: Mantovani d’Agostino, the infamous mafia underboss hiding behind a polished facade of wealth. Mantovani is a storm wrapped in control—ruthless, volatile, and haunted by a darkness he refuses to name. Ordered by his father to play English teacher at Candice’s elite academy while hunting the sheriff dismantling their empire, he plans to despise the innocent girl invading his world. One glance at her fragile beauty among the lilies, however, ignites a forbidden fire he can’t extinguish. She’s off-limits. She’s, his stepsister. Yet every shared breath in their opulent prison tightens the noose of desire around his throat. As Candice navigates a life of bodyguards, paparazzi, and a mother obsessed with status, she’s drawn to the brooding enigma who fleas from her presence yet watches her like she’s prey. Strange midnight visits, heated glances, and whispered commands blur the line between protection and possession. Mantovani fights to bury his hunger, but the mafia’s shadows creep closer—enemies circle, secrets unravel, and a single misstep could destroy them both. In a world where loyalty is blood and love is a death sentence, Candice and Mantovani must choose to surrender to the inferno threatening to consume them… or burn the empire down trying to resist.

"I'll do anything!" she pleads, grabbing my hands. "I'll do anything. Just let him go. He made a mistake." "That's not an excuse. It was a costly mistake." "Please. I'll do anything you want. Anything at all." I let the silence hang in the air between us as I think carefully, my eyes drawn to how firm and full her tits are. "Anything, princess?" She lets go of my hands and straightens, raising her chin. I watch as she swallows nervously. "Y-Yes. Anything at all." I raise my fingers to her face, smearing my thumbs with her tears. I trail them down her strong jaw, to her throat, over the small hollow between her collarbones, the skin of her chest, stopping between her tits. I circle the spot quietly while she holds her breath, perhaps in anticipation. "Would you let me fuck you, Titania?" — Feisty, yet innocent Titania Williams is best known for being at the wrong place at the wrong time, and this time she's getting more than she bargained for. When her dear Uncle Patrick betrays one of the most powerful Mafia Lords in New York, Kristoff Stavkros, Titania is caught unexpectedly in the underworld web of crimes and deceit. To save her uncle's life, she makes Kristoff an offer. She'll be his for a month. Thirty days, he owns her body. Stupid, right? But Titania plays by the rules. But how can she come out victorious when Kristoff keeps changing the rules and is hell-bent on making her his forever?

**BOOK RE-EDIT ON ALL CHAPTERS** Welcome to Rockshore Bay, a charming coastal city nestled between rugged cliffs and the vast, untamed ocean. The salty tang of the sea hangs heavy in the air, mingling with the faint aroma of freshly baked bread wafting from the local bakery. But beneath this idyllic facade lies a world veiled in shadows—a world where ancient powers stir and the supernatural thrives. Here, danger lurks behind every corner, hidden in the flicker of streetlights and the whispers of the waves. It is in this city, where the mundane and the extraordinary collide, that the fates of two fractured souls are set to intertwine. Beneath the serene surface lies a world protected by ancient powers, where caramel-skinned Hugo Griffin, a black-haired, sea-green-eyed werewolf, navigates the complexities of his dual life. Unlike traditional Alphas born into leadership, Hugo is a bitten werewolf who fought his way to become the formidable leader of the Ocean Crest Pack—the most powerful on the East Coast. But even as he commands respect, Hugo battles the darkness within himself, a shadow that threatens to consume him entirely. Inland, Sarai Carter—a feisty, raven-haired young woman with sapphire-blue eyes—is rediscovering her strength after escaping the clutches of a toxic relationship. Longing for love but haunted by the fear of a curse that condemns her to loneliness, Sarai faces a crossroads. As Hugo’s burdens grow heavier and Sarai tries to heal, their paths collide in a whirlwind of passion and pain. Both are fighting their inner demons, but when they come together, will they find redemption or ruin?

On my wedding day, my sister was drugged by my fiancé's best friend and viciously assaulted by a group of groomsmen. When she came to, the shame and horror drove her to leap to her death, her broken body crumpling at my feet. Herbert Brady shielded my eyes from the grisly sight, vowing to make things right. But when the truth came out that Lori Reilly was behind it, he smashed my phone to keep me from calling the police. Lori shrugged with mock innocence. "The guys were just messing around. So what if they tore her clothes off? I've been half-naked around them plenty of times. Why was she so fragile?" She slung her arm around Herbert's neck, whining, "I told you not to marry some broke nobody. Poor people have such brittle pride. Look at the mess Mona has made." When I demanded justice, Herbert stayed cool, sliding a Centurion card across the table. "Ten million dollars. Enough to buy your silence? Lori is one of us, part of the city's elite inner circle. Push your luck, and you're making enemies of everyone who runs this town. Come on, it was just a wedding prank gone wrong." I seized the car and snapped it like a twig. Ten million dollars? To buy the life of the Woodard family's cherished heiress?

“IKAW?” My eyes nearly popped out of my face when I saw him—the mysterious stranger from last night. Is it him? The same man? Parang gusto kong mahimatay. Wehh? Hindi pwede! Impossible! my inner voice screamed, pero ang katawan ko nanginginig na parang nakuryente. Hard f*ck na yata ng buhay ‘to. And suddenly, a memory crashed into me like a tidal wave. That night. That stupid, reckless night. The stolen kisses, the laughter between moans, the way he made me beg—“Wag kang titigil!”—like I’d lose myself if he stopped. I swore I’d never see him again. I swore it was just a one-night stand, a mistake I could bury. But now he’s standing right in front of me. Not just a man. Not just anyone. But the CEO. And worse… the ex-boyfriend who once shattered my heart. His smug grin sent shivers down my spine. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?” he said, like fate itself was mocking me. I froze, torn between rage, fear, and something I couldn’t even name. My mind screamed run, but my heart whispered, stay. My world was spinning, and suddenly, every choice felt heavier than ever. Will this be the start of something dangerous… or a responsibility I can’t escape?

Oh, God, I am going to be sick, and I can't stand Jayson Woods! "So, why are you staring over at him, Ashely? My inner voice inside my mind told me with a smug voice. "I am not! Oh, shut up! I spoke. I looked over at him with two girls under his arms. Oh, Look at him! Like he doesn't have a care in the world. He makes me sick. Asshole! He is such a man whore. "Well, what do you expect with the kind of guys. They are called man whore for a reason. So, envoy, my wolf, said inside my mind with a growl. She is not happy with what he's been doing with the other girls, not us. Of course, he doesn't care. He doesn't care about our feelings. As long he gets some. So, screw him and his sexy devilish melt your panties smile. I don't need him. But then again... I am curious... So, I wonder if he knew it was me, he was kissing and touching me last month at Emilia's birthday party where I was hiding away from the loud music and noise. But instead, I ran into him. And we uhhh, I scream inside my head. We had sex! We had sex!! I kept repeat in my head.

When a young girl named **Emilia** moves to an isolated, fog-drenched city in search of a fresh start, she quickly discovers that something is terribly wrong. The streets echo with silence, residents vanish without a trace, and time itself begins to twist and collapse. As doors appear in places they shouldn’t, and her own reflection begins acting on its own, Emilia realizes she’s trapped in a place that is not just haunted — it’s alive. Each chapter peels back a new layer of horror: shadowy watchers, eerie apparitions, underground tunnels, and ghostly echoes of past inhabitants. But the real terror lies within — the city seems to feed on fear, loneliness, and the feeling of failure. It reflects Emilia’s own anxieties back at her, warping her reality into a trial of the soul. As she searches for meaning, and later for escape, Emilia uncovers the city’s sinister purpose: it traps those most vulnerable and forces them to confront their darkest selves. With the help of other survivors — some real, some echoes — she must navigate psychological mazes and make impossible choices to survive. But survival isn't enough. Emilia must transform — not by escaping her fear, but by embracing it. In doing so, she becomes something more than a victim of the city. She becomes a guide, a witness, and eventually, a keeper of the door. *Trapped in the Hollow City* is a suspenseful, haunting exploration of inner demons, resilience, and the eerie beauty of choosing to become — even when the world seems built to break you.