Just An Illusion

Blub. Ariella Valencia became Mrs. Thorne to save her family, not her heart. Damon Thorne, the man she married, doesn’t trade in affection. He trades in power, secrets, and control. Beneath the diamond rings and curated smiles lies a prison dressed in silk. When Damon’s estranged brother, Jace, resurfaces with proof that her marriage was built on a lies, Ariella’s illusion begins to shatter. With a mysterious informant feeding her truths and Damon watching her every move, she turns seduction into strategy and love into leverage. But Damon isn’t a man who can be played, and Ariella is done being owned. In a war of love, loyalty, and legacy, only one will walk free.

Three years ago, I rescued the CEO of the Patton Group. That very night, he appeared at my door with his grandson and proposed marriage. I'd secretly loved the young man for seven long years, so I accepted it without hesitation. For three blissful years, Damian Patton showered me with affection so profound it sparked envy in everyone around us. But the illusion shattered when the Patton family's adopted daughter returned from abroad. I stumbled upon him cradling her tenderly and whispering words of devotion. "Grandpa won't hand over the company until Serena gives birth to an heir. But I don't care about inheritance anymore. I want to marry you now." Harriet Patton's lips curved into a sultry smile. "No rush, darling. I want you to marry me as the rightful heir to the Patton empire. Just promise me you won't fall for her." His eyes softened. "Seven years ago, you pulled me out of that fire. I swore then to love you forever." Those words crashed over me like an avalanche, burying my heart under a crushing weight of betrayal. His love for me had been all a lie. I was the one who had braved those flames to save him. It was not her.

“Don't tell me you have forgotten what happened last night?” she asked as she moved closer to the bed with a flirtatious smirk. “We had a good time together. Last night was fun.” She leaned close to him, her eyes staring deep into his black orbs. Being in this close proximity with him, her heart was beating, but she won't show how nervous she was. The white towel she was wearing reveals the top of her breast, and Richard's eyes flickered towards it. He gulped down as he found himself drawn to her. Their proximity made him feel an internal heat within him. Her lips are so tempting. He has never felt this way for any woman for the past five years. Who the fuck is she? “It seems you want more of my sweet body, Mr. Presley. Last night wasn't enough, was it?” she said with a sexy smile. She could see the effect she had on him and it kind of made her relaxed. Richard was snapped out of his lustful illusion by her words. What did he just hear her say? Did something happen last night?  …. After the tragedy that befell Annabelle because of the Presley family, she returned for revenge. For her revenge to be successful, she must make her cold hearted ex husband marry her and also make him fall in love with her. Will she succeed with her plan?

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.

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.

Vivienne Hartley had already lost her marriage, her trust, and her illusion of stability. All she had left was her career, the one place she could stand on her own feet. But fate wasn’t finished testing her. When Langford Global swallows her agency whole, she finds herself standing in front of Damon Langford, the one man she never hoped to see again. Ruthless, Cold, and Devastatingly powerful, Damon doesn’t forgive, and he certainly doesn’t forget. Years ago, he cut her down with nothing more than a smirk and a few cruel words that had almost ended her career. But Damon has a secret. His father’s will left him with everything except the one condition he cannot ignore. Unless he marries, he will never be able to access his inheritance. For a man who doesn’t believe in love, marriage was never supposed to matter, not until Vivienne came along. Her defiance stirs something inside him that he can’t control. To Damon, Vivienne isn’t just an employee, she’s the perfect solution. The key to his inheritance. Vivienne swore she’d never bow to him, that never let a man like Damon Langford hold her heart or her freedom. But Damon is a man who doesn’t believe in limits, and the closer she fights him, the deeper she falls into his game.

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.

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?

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!