Just An Illusion Novels & Stories

Excerpt “Did he touch you?” Nicholas leaned in, his face inches away from mine. His closeness was suffocating,stealing the breath in my lungs. “Nic, stop!” My breath hitched and I shrank back. “I’ll take that as a yes, which hand?” He questioned again, clenching his jaws so hard that I could see the muscles rippling. “It was a mistake..” I whispered. “That doesn’t look like a mistake, Mira..” he moved closer to me. “It was, please let it go” I pleaded with my last bit of energy. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll bring both hands for you to choose,”. ********. Mira Cavallo thought she could leave her dangerous past behind and stay safe with her five-year-old son, Rocco but unknown to her, safety is an illusion in the mafia world. Her peaceful life is shattered when armed men break into her home, rips her son from her arms and forces her back into the clutches of her former boss, Lucius Moretti also known as the bloodhound. To save her child, Mira must return to the mafia world, seduce a very dangerous Mafia leader, Nicholas Sterling and uncover his secrets that would pull him down or kill him. As Mira inches closer to the truth, Mira discovers some hidden truth about Lucuis and Nicholas and she also realizes that she isn’t just fighting for her son but for her freedom in a dangerous game of power and desire.

Three years of marriage. Three years of hell, humiliation, and being compared to a ghost. To Alexander Hale, the ruthless CEO feared by all Abigail was never a wife, only a woman that desperately wanted her best friends lover. He didn’t know that Abigail was the real pen pal who healed him with her letters... the same woman whose heart he crushed beneath his arrogance. Until the night she vanished. Declared dead after a brutal car accident, Abigail left behind only her wedding ring and a diary that shattered every illusion Alexander ever had. But fate is far from finished. Months later, Alexander attends his cousin’s wedding, only to see his dead ex-wife again. Alive. Pregnant. And standing beside another man.

For centuries, hundreds of wars raged between wolves and Lycans. Wolves fought, and became the dominant species. As a result, the Lycans had to retaliate to survive and needed mates to save their kind. THEY NEED SHE-WOLVES TO BECOME THEIR BREEDER. And here my kind comes who were destined to live in this discipline until they died in return for food and protection. The worst thing was my people were never treated as pack members nor counted as rogues. WE WERE CALLED AS PARAMOURS- THE PLEASURE PROVIDER. But everything was an illusion for me because I didn't know I was a wolf or more until I MET HIM. Mystery beneath his skin, and the havoc he carried in his eyes, reading me like he came from the darkness to get me only. I am Savannah, and I never knew I was his MOON- CALLED- POSSESSION.

Cecilia Henderson has lived her life in a bubble of privilege and purity, sheltered from the darkness that funds her father’s empire. Her world is charity galas, college degrees, and dreams untouched by violence. But when a single waltz with Zacian,the ruthless Boss of All Bosses, shatters that illusion, everything changes. Dominic Henderson, her father, is drowning under Zacian’s tightening grip. Desperate to protect his family and reclaim his power, Dominic strikes a dangerous bargain with rival bosses, setting the stage for betrayal and bloodshed. As tensions ignite and loyalties fracture, Cecilia becomes the ultimate leverage; a pawn in a game she never knew existed. But Zacian doesn’t see her as a pawn. He sees her as his weakness. And in a world where kings burn kingdoms for love, innocence may be the deadliest weapon of all.

Elena Marlowe never imagined one night could change everything. At a mask gala event, she let herself forget the rules of her life. One dance led to one kiss... and then a night she swore would never leave the shadows. She didn't even know his name... only the storm in his grey eyes and the way he made her feel like someone else for once, like someone free. But secrets have a way of catching up. Weeks later, two pink lines shatter her illusion of escape. With no way to find the man who disappeared with the dawn, Elena chooses silence. She walks away from the life she knew, determined to protect her baby and her heart. Until fate intervenes. Her new job is a lifeline, a chance to start over. But her new boss? Cassian Wolfe, The Billionaire CEO. Who is sharp, ruthless and unmistakably the man from that night. He doesn't recognize her or so she hopes. But Cassian Wolfe didn't build an empire by being blind. The moment Elena steps into his office, something shifts. A flicker of familiarity. A tension neither of them can name. Elena fights to keep her secret buried. Cassian fights to uncover it. But when the truth begins to unravel, lines blur in between past and present, between power and vulnerability, between fear and the one thing Elena vowed never to feel again: love. Now Cassian wants answers. He wants control. And maybe... just maybe, he wants her. But some secrets are too big to stay hidden. And some hearts are too fragile to risk shattering again. Will Elena protect the life she's built? Or will the father of her child claim more than just the truth?

Patricia, a hard working and diligent nurse. She had the looks, body, brains, compassion and any thing a man would ever need from a woman. But lacks one thing LOVE! Scared by her past relationship experiences, Patricia decided to stay celibate, until love comes knocking at her door, if there is any such thing as love. Love to her is an illusion, and if perchance love exist, it is only for selected people. Love comes knocking at people’s door, at different times, and unexpectedly. It also knocks in different ways, in different people’s lives. Even those who don’t believe in love, can hear the knock of love at their door, at any time. But the question is............. WILL PATRICIA OPEN HER DOOR AND EMBRACE LOVE? IS HE THE ONE DESTINED FOR HER? OR WILL HE BECOME A FRAGMENT OF HER IMAGINATION? Find out in...... STAY WITH ME By Ekpot Goodnews

After her mother’s mysterious death, Kamara Mann is shipped across the country and forced into a new life she never chose. Assigned to her is Jace Malden: her father’s cold, deadly and most dangerous enforcer. He’s supposed to protect her, not want her. But living next door, watching her every move, his control starts to crack, breaking his own rules, especially the one that says she’s off-limits. Then there’s Brian Mathis—smooth, charming, and nothing like the world she comes from. He’s everything Jace isn’t, and definitely doesn’t treat her like a fragile mafia princess. Everything safe and desired. But safety is an illusion and desire is dangerous. Now Kamara’s caught between two dangerous choices: the boy who made her feel wanted… and the bodyguard who makes her burn.

Vespera gave up everything for Randell Sterling. She buried her brilliance, hid her beauty behind thick frames and baggy clothes, and played the role of the obedient, invisible housewife. She thought her devotion would eventually melt the ice in his eyes. She was wrong. For five years, she was nothing more than a glorified nanny to their son and a convenient ornament for his public image. But the illusion of her marriage shatters the day she walks into Randell’s office to surprise him—only to find him with his "executive assistant," Caroline. The betrayal cuts deep, but the fatal blow comes from her own flesh and blood. When Vespera reaches for her five-year-old son, the boy she nearly died birthing pushes her away and runs into the mistress’s arms. "I don't want you! I want Mommy Caroline!" Broken, discarded, and replaced, Vespera signs the divorce papers and vanishes. Three years later, the tech world is on its knees for a ghost known only as 'V'—the elusive director of a multi-billion dollar startup. Randell Sterling is desperate to acquire V’s technology to save his empire. He arranges a meeting, expecting a socially awkward nerd. Instead, he walks into a boardroom and faces a woman who stops his heart. The glasses are gone. The timid girl is dead. In her place stands a stunning, ruthless queen with a new man by her side—Randell’s sworn business rival. "Hello, Mr. Sterling," Vespera smirks, clicking a pen that could cost more than his car. "Price just went up. Double."

When twenty-four-year-old law intern Selena Vale joins the hit reality dating show The Soulmate Experiment, she isn’t looking for fame or fairy-tale romance. Still grieving the sudden death of her best friend, Selena only wants one thing: to feel alive again. But everything changes the moment she meets Cassian Blake. Mysterious, dangerously attractive, and emotionally unreadable, Cassian is the breakout star of the show—and somehow Selena’s nearly perfect soulmate match. Their explosive chemistry instantly turns them into HeartLock Island’s favorite couple, capturing the attention of millions watching around the world. At first, Selena tries to ignore the connection growing between them. The stolen glances. The late-night conversations. The way Cassian understands parts of her she keeps hidden from everyone else. But inside HeartLock, love is never simple. The producers manipulate emotions for ratings. Secrets are exposed publicly. Trust becomes a competition. And as tensions inside the villa grow, Selena begins noticing cracks in Cassian’s perfect image. Because Cassian is hiding something. Something connected to his past. Something powerful enough to destroy everything between them. Then anonymous footage leaks during a live broadcast, showing Cassian with his famous ex-girlfriend only weeks before filming began. Suddenly, the internet turns against him. Contestants begin questioning him. And Selena no longer knows what’s real. In a place built on cameras, manipulation, and lies, Selena must decide whether her connection with Cassian is genuine… or just another carefully created illusion for television. Because on HeartLock Island, falling in love might be the most dangerous game of all.

Four years ago, my twin and I planned to run away from the pack together. She never showed up, so I took off alone. Since then, I often venture near the borders to check if I would see her, but I've had no luck. Just when I decide to disappear and never go near the pack again, I meet my mate. He's none other, but Alpha Jett, the new leader of the Night Storm. The same pack that I escaped from. I'm not under any illusion that he could make me Luna of the pack he snatched out of the hands of my monster of a father. Not even when he willingly reunites me with my twin. But when I attempted to reject him to be free from the bond, I did not expect to get labeled defiant and be thrown in prison. Then, his Luna-to-be tries to kill me. Now, the full moon has passed, which means waiting another twenty-eight days for Alpha Jett to release me from the mate bond. I refuse to wait in prison and be tormented by the scent of my fated mate on the she-wolf who tried to kill me. So I plan another escape. With help from those whom I believe are on my side, I gain my freedom again. When the time comes for us to break the bond, Alpha Jett will surely find me. He always does. But one of us will die before I let him take me captive again to his accursed pack!