Iron Rings

The year I loved Channing Waltz the most, he shattered my hopes. I remember, as I was hauled into the restroom, beaten mercilessly by strangers, there he stood, grinning like the sun itself. His face beamed with a brightness that made my heart sink. The burns from his childhood friend's curling iron marred my skin, leaving a trail of scars, and all the while, he took out his phone, snapping pictures of me in my undressed humiliation and posting them online for the world to mock. I cried, begged him to spare me, but he only laughed coldly, his voice as sharp as a blade. "You haven't even begun to suffer what my sister went through. What's the hurry?" That was when the truth hit me like a lightning strike. He had come to me, drawn me in with warmth, with affection, pretending to care—when all along, it was merely a means to an end. He had used me to set the stage to avenge his sister.

Dysis Salmon’s life has been shaped by the cruelty of her father, a man consumed by debt and selfish ambition. Struggling to survive in the shadows of his abuse, Dysis is forced into a terrifying new reality when her father offers her as payment for his debts to Alexander Levi, a ruthless and powerful mafia leader. Alexander, a cold and calculating figure, is used to controlling everyone and everything around him, but Dysis is different. Her defiance ignites something in him, both a desire for power and an attraction he cannot ignore. Dysis discovers she has lost control of her life after being brought to the Levi estate, a world of luxury and peril. She discovers the harsh reality of being imprisoned in a golden cage: resistance might be her only chance to survive, but escape is impossible. Despite Alexander’s iron grip on her, Dysis finds an unlikely ally in Vee, a loyal maid and bodyguard who shares her own dark past. Together, they form a fragile bond, but Dysis’s escape attempts are swiftly punished by Alexander, whose growing feelings for her complicate his ruthless, mafia-driven world. Meanwhile, Lucian Everett, the family doctor, offers Dysis a glimpse of kindness amidst the chaos, stirring emotions that further unsettle her. As Dysis navigates this twisted power struggle, secrets about her father’s betrayal and Alexander’s tragic past begin to surface. Dysis must choose between fighting for her independence at all costs or submitting to Alexander's domination in a world full of deceit, deception, and relentless control. However, a terrifying foe that threatens to destroy them waits in the shadows. Love and survival are the ultimate goals in the sinister romance *Claimed by the Mafia Billionaire*, which is full of passion, power, and danger.

"You can never run away from me Cristina, never," were his words. And she was ready to prove them wrong. So to save herself from a dog she sold herself to a lion. Cristina DeCarlo, a young actress, was living a life under the clutches of Vincenzo La Russo, a political leader who was anything but a dog. On a fateful night, she broke all his boundaries and ran away only to fall into the hand of a man who was none other than the biggest Mafia in the country. Roman Scuderi, a mafia lord who was hidden in the shadows yet just the initials of his name were enough to shake the world. A man feared by all. But she was ready to make a deal with him as long as he could protect her from Vincenzo. ###Excerpt### "Why did you cage me?" Cristina asked the man who was sitting in front of her, watching her as she stood in the sexy black dress holding the iron bars of the cage she was in. At her words, he stood up and walked up to her. "Because I'm afraid if I don't, you, my little dove will ascend too high in heaven where this devil can't reach you," he replied in his sexy voice and pulled her towards him to share a kiss.

Alice Carroll, a bright young twenty five year old, graduated from Boston University with a degree in fashion and business management, returned to her home city of Seattle, Washington in the hopes of making a new name for herself instead of following in the shadow of her late mother, Amaryllis Carroll. She runs a small boutique that is fairly successful, and strays from her mother’s business, now owned by the ruthless Ford Mitchell. Ford Mitchell, a cold and calculated business owner, reigns over the publishing world with an iron fist. He has made his name through hard work and determination, plowing through small companies in the hopes of sustaining the power that his position gives him. He hardly has time for anyone but himself, but when he needs the copies of a few important documents that were lost in the wind by his lawyer, he has no choice but to hunt down the daughter of the previous owner, who happens to be as disinterested in him as he is in almost everything else.

In the savage world of the Blackwood werewolves, the cruel Alpha Damien rules with an iron fist. By ancient decree, he is bound to take a new Luna every Blood Moon to solidify his dominance. His latest prize is Kiera, the fierce beauty from the Rivermist pack. Forced into the mating ritual against her will, Kiera becomes a possession to the brutal Alpha, yearning for escape. Her unlikely ally emerges as Ryker, an alluring omega outcast harboring his own mysterious secrets. But Kiera soon learns that Damien conceals an even darker secret . When Kiera and Ryker's forbidden attraction ignites, they risk it all to break the sacred bond in a dangerous rite. Damien's wrath rains down, sparking all-out war among the packs. With a shocking betrayal tying Ryker's past to the conflict, can the star-crossed lovers survive long enough to burn the tyrannical Blackwood legacy to the ground?

His iron grip fastened around her waist with every second she tried to push him off. "Let go of me," she gritted. "Why should I let go?" He asked devilishly. Nibbling her earlobe "Have you forgotten you're my mate." "It's about time everyone knew you're mine." He teased with his now exposed teeth gently nibbling her skin. "Mine." She heard him growled out before his sharp canines bit into the crook of her neck... In no time she felt a strange heat dripping down her neck, it was blood gushing out from his bite. "Oh, My God! I can't believe Edward just marked me." She pondered.

Alpha Marcus, cursed with immortality for rejecting his first love, has ruled the Bloodstone Pack with an iron fist for centuries. Cold and heartless, he believes love is beyond his reach until he meets Clara, a seemingly ordinary human with a lineage that holds the key to breaking his curse. As they draw closer, antiquated adversaries develop, constraining them to stand up to their most profound fears and wants. Will Clara's hidden strength be enough to save them both, or will Marcus's curse doom them forever?

Selena, a mere salesgirl at a quaint coffee shop in Laketown, leads a life of quiet simplicity. She is the second daughter of the Robinsons—amiable, principled, and respected members of the Redbone Pack. The pack is ruled with an iron fist by Alpha Wilson Smith, an untouchable billionaire known for his arrogance and fierce recalcitrance. The gulf between Selena and Wilson is vast—defined by age, status, and power. A romantic entanglement between them seems not just improbable, but absurd. Yet, fate, with its penchant for irony, has a ludicrous twist in store. The cold war between them rages for years, an unspoken battle of wills. Selena, with her fiery spirit, finds Wilson’s arrogance insufferable, cringing at his every attempt to assert his dominance. Yet, Wilson, instead of being repelled, is intrigued. Her resistance is a puzzle he cannot resist, a challenge that stirs something deep within him. This low-born girl from Laketown, with no claim to fame or fortune, inexplicably fascinates him. As their paths cross repeatedly, the tension between them grows electric, charged with a mix of disdain and undeniable attraction. And then, in the most dramatic of revelations, they discover they are fated to be mated for life. The bond, as undeniable as it is inconvenient, shatters their defenses. Wilson realizes that his obsession with Selena’s defiance is more than a passing interest. But just as they begin to navigate this newfound connection, another secret surfaces—one that threatens to upend their fragile union. Wilson unearths a startling truth: Selena is not who she appears to be. This revelation casts a shadow over their relationship, raising questions that demand answers. What is hidden in Selena’s past? And how will the truth, when finally revealed, shape the destiny of the Alpha and his Luna?

"What does she have that I don't possess?" Arla questioned sarcastically. "As far as I know, I'm better in bed than her. Do you want to find out?" "Don't test my patience," Liam warned, his voice firm and unyielding. Unfazed, Arla continued her seductive advances, pulling off the first layer of her nightwear as she walked towards him. "Don't you want me?" she asked, her voice dripping with temptation. "Say you want me." Liam, unable to resist her allure, pulled her onto the bed and laid on top of her. "Touch me," she purred "I'm all yours." Arla, the notoriously rebellious youngest daughter of the famous billionaire Williams, was born into a complex family dynamic. With four daughters from different mothers, the Williams household was no stranger to drama and tension. After causing yet another scandal, Arla's father had had enough and decided to marry her off to Liam, a ruthless mafia leader. Unbeknownst to Arla, Liam's world was filled with numerous mistresses, each vying for his attention and favor. However, Liam's heart truly belonged to only one woman: Vivian, his childhood love. Amidst the chaos and passion that swirled within the mansion, Arla found herself under the watchful eye of Liam's cunning and ruthless stepmother, who controlled and manipulated the mistresses with an iron fist. Unwilling to be tamed, Arla's arrival in the mansion would shake the foundations of Liam's dynasty. As she navigated the tangled web of secrets, deceit, and desire, Arla refused to bow to the will of those who sought to control her. With her fierce spirit and unyielding determination, she would leave an indelible mark on the hearts and lives of those who dared cross her path.

On the last day of the deadline for the loan repayment, I went to Liam Sommer's stepsister, Christine Sommer, to ask for the 300,000 dollars I had lent her. The next day, Liam threw a ledger I had never seen before in front of me. Liam said, "On your birthday last year, I transferred 8,100 dollars to you. On our tenth anniversary, I transferred 108,000 dollars to you. Also, at the beginning of every month, I transfer 20,000 dollars to you for your living expenses. You must pay me back by the end of today." I froze, but Liam smiled without a hint of warmth. "What’s wrong? You can't afford to repay me? Evelyn Lancaster, you shouldn't have given Christy trouble. This is my lesson to you. If you don't pay me back today, let's not meet for the next three years, and don't come looking for me." Over the next three years, I never saw Liam again, nor did I go looking for him. While he and Christine traveled around the world and wore couple rings, I married my childhood friend in front of our family and friends. While he and Christine walked along the beach and kissed, I moved into a new house with my husband, our cat, and our dog. Everything was moving along smoothly, but why was Liam standing under the window of my house in the middle of the night, crying and saying that he was unhappy?