Just An Illusion

When Elena Russo's husband, the formidable mafia boss Lorenzo Russo, is brutally murdered, her life is shattered. But as she delved deeper into his past, she began to doubt all she thought she knew about him. Secrets emerge—dangerous ones—and she wonders if she ever truly knew the man she married. With each discovery, the distinctions between love, treachery, and revenge become less clear. Adrian DeLuca, a powerful rival with a personal vendetta, becomes the prime suspect. He not only owned a stake in Lorenzo’s casino but had a heated confrontation with him just a day before his death. But Adrian has his own demons—forever haunted by his mother’s brutal murder at the hands of his father’s enemies. Determined to prove himself to the man who never saw him as enough, Adrian sees Elena as both a key to the truth and the woman he’s secretly desired for years. With the truth emerging and unseen foes waiting in the shadows, Elena must decide if she can trust Adrian to help her solve the mystery of Lorenzo's death. But as the truth emerges, it threatens to shatter the illusion of the man she once loved, forcing her to choose between vengeance, survival, and a passion she never expected.

On the night of her daughter’s fourth birthday, Luna Kelly loses everything, her husband, her title, and the fragile illusion of peace she’s fought to protect. Betrayed by her mate and her own sister, branded a traitor, and imprisoned beneath the pack she once led, Kelly discovers that the curse that once stole her wolf might be the only thing that can save her child and burn her enemies to ash. But when an exiled prince returns from the shadows with a deal bound in blood and promises, Kelly must decide: stay broken under her husband’s rule, or rise as something the Moon Goddess never intended, a Luna reborn in fury and fire.

“You can’t love me. We can’t be together. It will ruin my career. It will ruin my life!” That’s what Kayla Danes told Corvin Marlowe when their relationship started becoming real. As one of the country’s most beloved actresses, Kayla was bound by a strict contract–one that required her to maintain the illusion of romance with her loveteam partner who used to be her real boyfriend, Derek Boyles. Her fame was built on that loveteam, and her fans worshipped the fantasy they created. Loving someone else wasn’t just discouraged. It was forbidden. Corvin, a billionaire hotel tycoon, promises he’ll take care of her, even pay the penalty if she breaks the contract. But Kayla has worked hard for her career. It’s everything to her, and she refuses to lose it because of a love she isn’t supposed to have. But after that one night with Corvin and more unexpected meetings afterward, staying away becomes harder and harder. Things get even worse when Derek finds out about their secret relationship. Out of jealousy or spite, and wanting all the sympathy for himself, he reveals everything and turns it into a scandal that puts Kayla in an even tougher spot. Now, Kayla has to make a choice: Her career or the man she loves. But is she ready to let go of either one?

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.

Five years and a divorce paper in my hand before I realized that I invested my time, effort and devotion to the wrong man. Trapped in a corner with nothing left to my name, I was willing to bargain with my ex-husband for my daughter’s sake. But then, a savior, my husband’s new boss came to rescue me from the financial quagmire I was in. He helped me recover what I lost: my dignity, pride and most importantly, he gave me hope. I thought he was the perfect man. But the illusion shattered when his motives came to bite me in the face. He was in this for revenge, and his target was me.

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.

I gave Michael the best two years of my life, but in return he handed me the divorce papers the moment my sister came out of the coma. ┈┈┈┈․° ☣ °․┈┈┈┈ Since the moment my sister was born, it had always been about her, never me.... Everyone, including our parents adored and favored my sister, Seraphina over me. Even Michael, the man I had been in love with since I was a teenager, only had eyes for my sister. He loved her, dreamt of marrying only her and also starting a family with her. But circumstances forced Michael to take me as his wife instead and my sister fell into depression and tried to commit suicide in which I was held responsible for. I was only supposed to be his contract wife, but along the line I felt Michael had started to love me but that illusion shattered the very moment his love for my sister reawakened after she woke up from the two years coma. I agreed to walk away with a broken heart after granting him the divorce. And just when I was about to move on from Michael, he suddenly showed up at my doorstep to make things more difficult for me because he said he couldn't let me go and he's obsessed with me. That was the bitter truth - My sister was the love of his life while I was only his obsession and the object of his desire.

“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?

Chloe Bennett thought she had it all — a loving husband, a beautiful home, and a life built on trust. That illusion shatters the night she discovers her husband, Chris, is having an affair with her former best friend, Molly Turner. Then comes Lucas Sterling, a magnetic and dangerous man, who's hiding scars of his own. He's a billionaire with a shadowed past, he offers Chloe something she’s forgotten how to feel. “Let me show you what real desire feels like,” he tells her, and against her better judgment, she lets him in. But as Chloe begins to rebuild, the past refuses to stay buried. Old wounds, new temptations, and vengeful enemies and rivals threaten to destroy the fragile life she’s piecing together — and this time, her heart might not survive the fallout.

I've spent a huge sum of money on a custom-fitted gown just so I can go on a date with my fiance, Vincenzo Rossi, on New Year's Eve. He's also known as the rising star of the mafia underworld. But Vincenzo sounds very impatient on the other end of the line. "Can you stop being so clingy, Grazia? I have an important business gathering to get to on New Year's Eve!" His younger sister, Valentina Rossi, adds, "My brother's doing this for the sake of your shared future, Grazia. Stop causing trouble for him, okay?" I end the call, feeling disappointed. After that, I console myself, saying that Vincenzo is working very hard for the sake of our future. But that illusion only lasts till the moment my friend sends a video clip to me. Vincenzo can be seen hugging a gorgeous woman in the clubhouse. They are in the middle of making out with each other. Valentina, on the other hand, leads her friends on as they cheer for the couple. It turns out that Vincenzo's "important business" is to spend the night with another woman. I drain my glass of the strong alcohol. Scorching pain flares from my stomach immediately. Since Vincenzo can find himself a woman to toy with, then why can't I do the same? I swipe a finger across my phone and dial the number of the rival family's Don. "I want you to order the two most good-looking male escorts for me right now."