Lost Myself

“Will you give me your life in exchange for your father's?” He whispered in my ears, as he traced down my face, to the skin on my neck, with the cold edge of his gun. “No… Irene, don't…,” my father begged faintly from where he lay, straining against the grip of Diego’s men. "Yes,” I blurted out, a tremor in my voice. “If that's what it takes, then… Take me!” I surrendered, closing my eyes. *** How far would you go to protect the ones you love? Would you trade your soul to the devil to save theirs? Well, I did. I, Irene Herrera, offered myself to the Mafia Devil, Diego Vargas, in exchange for my father's life. I became his captive bride. He put me through hell, yet… I refused to break. I played his game, but I made my own rules, breaking his. I challenged him at every chance, defying the Almighty Diego. He was captivated by my rebellious spirit. As we drew closer, I started to see the man behind the mask, he was hurt, lonely, and haunted by the ghost of his lost love. I was drawn to his broken heart. Soon, the lines between captor and captive blurred for us, as we lost ourselves in a flaming love affair. But what happens when I learn that my long lost sister was Diego’s ex-lover, involved in a plot to destroy him? This conspiracy arises again and Diego’s life is threatened. I face a choice to either seize this chance to escape, and leave him to die, or stay and protect the man I now love, even if it could cost me my life. Whatever choice I make, Love or survival, am I justified? What would you do if you were in my shoes?

My body craves him. My mind resists him. My heart fears him. Noah Hayes is a sinful temptation with a sex appeal, unlike any man I’ve ever met. He’s also twice my age...and my new boss. After years of working a job I despised, for the sake of a family I was forced to support, I had enough. Finding a new job should have been simple, but working as a nanny for billionaire Noah Hayes is anything but. He may be arrogant and self-involved, but I can’t stop myself from wanting him. When I find myself in his arms and in his bed, I allow myself a moment to hope. But how could I have known what was coming for us...and how it would break us?

The day Alpha Marcus and I marked each other, his first love, Cecilia, threw herself off a cliff into a ravine overgrown with wolfsbane. The pack searched for three full days and nights before they found her, barely clinging to life. She was once the most spirited she-wolf in our pack, but the fall cost her a leg and the ability to bear pups. I grieved for the beautiful life that had been ruined, and I blamed myself for not seeing how fragile she'd become. Marcus comforted me gently. "Elena, this wasn't your fault. Cecilia made her own choice. You did everything you could. Don't beat yourself up." Later, not long after our pup, Rylan, turned five, a sudden illness tore through him, and he died in my arms. Night after night, Marcus held me, wiping away my tears. "Don't be sad, Elena," he would murmur. "We'll have other children." I had always believed my mate was the most considerate, most protective Alpha in the entire world. Until the day I overheard him speaking with his Beta, Adrin. "Alpha, the dosage of wolfsbane we gave Rylan was perfect—just as you ordered. It looked like a genetic defect. No one will ever suspect." "It's been so long. Don't you think it's time to forgive the Luna?" "What's one pup compared to what Cecilia lost? She lost a leg, her future as a mother. Everything."

Three years ago, my father sent me to Damian’s side. Every day is a battle of wits with that cold, ruthless Alpha. Every night, I lose myself in his arms. I think… I've finally found the love I am destined for. I was so happy, so sure of our future, that I started planning our bonding ceremony. Until Clara showed up. By then, I realized just how naive I had been. For Clara, Damian locked me away in the isolation cell to teach me a lesson. He spent millions on her without a second thought, but left me alone in a hospital ward unconscious for seven hours. When it came down to life and death, he never hesitated to choose Clara, leaving me bleeding on the ground. The most ironic part? When I finally gave up and walked away, he lost his mind. He started insisting that I am his mate, his one true love. Damian, you're too late.

The night before the company went public, my wife told me she had a surprise for me and reminded me to dress up for the occasion. I thought she was planning to reveal our secret relationship, and I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep all night. However, the next day, in front of everyone, she announced that I was a creepy obsessive admirer. On top of that, she revoked my promotion and gave my position to her first love who had just returned to the country. Everyone was waiting to see me humiliated. I froze for a moment but quickly composed myself, walking up to her first love with a faint smile. Then, I took off the badge on my chest and placed it on him. “As the new director, you should celebrate, shouldn't you? How about a wedding? I’ll officiate for you two.” Glaring at me coldly, my wife told me to get lost and stop embarrassing myself. What they didn’t know was that I was the key connection holding the entire company together. If I left, none of the investors would back them anymore.

My mafia boyfriend, Silas Vale, didn’t recognize me when I dragged myself back to him after being tortured and shot by his rival gang. He was too busy holding Amy—his childhood sweetheart—in his arms. “Get this woman away from me,” he snapped at his guard. “Amy’s afraid of blood.” I’d lost so much blood I genuinely thought I might die that night. But luckily, a stranger passed by and rushed me to the hospital. When I finally recovered enough to walk, I went home—only to find Silas there, completely unconcerned about the fact that I had disappeared for almost a week. And Amy was there too. Her clothes were scattered across the floor. I didn’t confront Silas or say anything. I just pulled out my phone and called my brother. “You said you are moving to Italy? I’m coming with you.” If Silas couldn’t cherish me the way he was supposed to… then I’d vanish from his world for good this time.

I was in love with Ethan Black, a brilliant man with big dreams. I gave him my twenties, my body, my loyalty. I worked three jobs while he chased his startup dreams. And when he finally made it, he became a stranger. Then I found out he got another woman pregnant, the same woman who dumped him in college when his family lost everything. That nearly destroyed me. But I stayed. I told myself love was worth it. But nothing could prepare me for the day he left our four-year-old daughter home alone… to go see her. And our little girl died. I buried my child and with her, the woman I used to be. Now, I live for one thing only: Revenge. He took everything from me. Now I’ll take everything from him. He doesn’t know it yet… but I’m not the same woman he left behind. And by the time I’m done, he’ll wish he never met me.

I was left at the altar, humiliated in front of the world. The man I loved walked away, and with him went my reputation and my father’s company’s last chance at survival. Then came Travis Walker. Ruthless. Untouchable. A billionaire who offered me a lifeline, but at a cost: marriage. Not for love, not even for appearances. I told myself it was revenge, maybe redemption. I told myself I wouldn’t fall. But the more I tried to guard my heart, the more his touch ignited something I couldn’t resist. Just when I thought I could believe in love again, the truth unraveled. Secrets that bound Travis to my ex-fiancé, to my best friend, even to my family. The very people I trusted most. Now I have to ask myself: can I risk giving my heart to a man who might shatter me all over again?

[Mature content] Innocent Isabella doesn't know where her fate will take her. She was unaware of the result of her birth. She does not know that whatever has happened or is going to happen in her life is controlled by someone. The more she runs, the further it will hunt her. "You killed my mother. You are the curse in my life. You are the reason, I lost everyone. I am alone because of you. If killing myself is the only way I can free myself, then fine I will die with a smile. "Darling, do you think I will let you? I am the master of your body, your soul. My name is written in your every breath. Even if you want to die you have to get my permission. Why don't you submit your body to me? Your body is longing for my touch. Don't deny it." "Whenever I come close to you, I can smell your wetness." A devil's clutch is a cage, even your soul will not have the power to escape from it. ***** Isabella is Westwood's student, everything was perfect in her life until one day someone enters her peaceful life, with the mystery of her birth slowly unfolding before her eyes. But she was too late to save herself from the demon who had already imprinted his name on every part of her body. [What if Isabella is not a human? What if Isabella needs blood one day to subdue her hunger. What if Her SOUL is not her soul] Alexander, the "Satan" the real king of hell, the real ruler of hell. When he leaves Hell because of a woman, chaos ensues in Hell. Even Lucifer could not stop himself from noticing the woman who had drawn Satan's attention.

“Am I selling myself!?” I asked as I looked at the documents in front of me. He looked up, and with a sly smile said: “Yes.” Just like that, I was forced into a marriage with the most eligible bachelor of NY. He was the heartless boss everyone feared, the enigmatic CEO that I worked for until I desperately needed money for my mom’s treatment and had to “sell myself”. But what would happen when his truth came out that he, in fact, was also a mafia boss? Scratch that – what would happen when every time he hurt me, I wanted to help him? Could I make the heart less boss feel something, or would I kill myself trying? I'm Hailey, and this is my story. I didn't know how it would go, until he came in and took control. Now all I yearn for is him, but would he ever feel the same about me?