Number Eleven

At 4:00 a.m., my husband, Rocco, gently shook me awake. His voice was a low murmur, . "Alessia, my love, could you do something for me?" But his next words shattered the illusion. "Scarlett is hungry. Go make her some seafood soup." Scarlett was our maid, and she was also Rocco's pregnant goomar. "I just had fresh seafood delivered. Get to the kitchen and make her a bowl of soup. Just for Falcone's heir." I refused, my voice cold. His anger flared in an instant. "Don't be so unreasonable, Alessia." "Is it really so hard for you to make some soup?" I shook my head, silent. He stroked my cheek, a patronizing smile playing on his lips. "Fine, Alessia. So you've learned to defy me now." "Think carefully, Alessia. Do you really want to keep your place as a Falcone?" "And your position as the family's lawyer? Think about whether you still want these… then give me your answer." Seeing the arrogance in Rocco's eyes, the last ember of love I had for this man died. I took out my phone and dialed a number I hadn't called in a long time. "I want out of the Falcone family."

Sienna Peterson had the whole “happily ever after” thing locked down… or so she thought. She married her college sweetheart, mastered the art of casserole-making, and dove headfirst into suburban adulthood. Twenty-one years later? Her husband’s traded her in for someone who still gets carded, her kids are off to college, and Sienna is suddenly very single with a whole lot of free time. Cue the midlife plot twist. Who says your 40s can’t be fabulous? Who says you can’t date a ridiculously attractive and a billboard 26-year-old named Daniel Walter—who just so happens to be sweet, sexy, and seriously into her? Daniel may be younger, but he’s got his life together and his heart in the right place. Sienna, on the other hand, has no idea how she ended up in a situationship with a man who knows how to properly fold fitted sheets. But hey—he makes her laugh, makes her blush, and makes her feel more alive than she has in years. It starts off as just fun... but what if it’s more than that? What if age is just a number, and love is the surprise twist she never saw coming? One woman’s fresh start. One unexpected romance. And a whole lot of awkwardly hot moments.

In order to save her family from hitting the rock bottom, Alyssa Graham was forced to marry a man she didn't even know and dramatically decided to get drunk. What she wasn't prepared for is to see Knox Volkov, her number one enemy and the man she rejected again after so many years. What surprised her more was the lust shining in his eyes mirroring hers.  One thing led to another, and what she thought to be a one night mistake turned out to be a disaster when he introduced himself as her fiancè instead of his brother. Knox would purposely put her life in danger,  prank her, and even fuck women in front of her to rub it in her face that he was the greatest man she lost. They hate each other, and they've been enemies since forever, but fate has another plan when Knox saw a masked Alyssa while she was dancing, ultimately earning his interest, not knowing that she was his biggest enemy.  Knox tortures her in the morning, and Alyssa dances for him at night, their eyes gazing at each other with hidden desire.  When lust and hate collide, and they find themselves giving into what their bodies want, but constantly fighting it, will they ever surrender to what their hearts truly desire?

My first day back home and my husband's secretary was already flexing her muscles, trying to grab my antique right out of my hands. Before I could get a word out, she smacked me across the face. Twice. She sneered at me with a look that could freeze fire. "This piece caught my eye, and I'm being nice to you. Better apologize and thank me, pronto!" I moved to confront her, but before I knew it, her bodyguard had me pinned to the ground. She looked down at me like I was nothing. "Trying to challenge me? I'm Mrs. Collins of the Collins family here in Riverton City. You're nothing! One word from my husband and you're out of here!" Passersby started chiming in: "Aren't you going to bow down and beg? She's the apple of Mr. Collins' eye." "Play your cards right, and maybe you'll still be scrubbing toilets in Riverton City." I was ready to set things straight when her title hit me like a ton of bricks. The Collins family of Riverton City? When did Eric get another wife? I dialed Eric's number and laughed calmly. "Eric, since when did you secretly marry someone behind my back?"

"W..who are you?" She stuttered, taking backward steps towards the door, heart pounding in her chest. "Well, I can be whoever you want me to be" he drawled, taking little steps till he had her cornered with no way out. "I can be your poison or your antidote. I can be your bane or your comfort. I can even be your nightmare or your dream." With each word, he traced circles on my skin, sending fire through me. "So Kitten, who do you want me to be?" Katarina Richards, a timid second generation finds her world thrown into disarray when she is suddenly informed of her betrothal to the number one business mogul in the state. She cannot fight for her freedom nor can she accept a man she never met so she decides to be brave for once and runs. She runs as far as she can hoping for a fresh start and she finds it. Or so she thinks. She will soon come to realize that she can never outrun her destiny. Or should I say, she can never outrun him? Follow Katarina as she is plunged into a world of lies, betrayal, war, lust, and power. Will she come out of it all with her dream life or will she be pushed into a nightmare?

Kierra Hail had already lost everything—her child, her marriage, her dignity. Betrayed by the man she once loved, cast aside for his mistress, and left to rot as he stripped her of everything she owned. But the cruelest blow? Her daughter’s death, a tragedy her husband could have prevented if he had only chosen her life over his secret lover’s son. Now, broken and gasping for one last chance at survival, Kierra dials a number she swore she’d never use. A man who calls her princess. A man who doesn’t forgive. A man who owns the underworld. Sebastian Novair—heir to the infamous Noir de Costas Syndicates and a merciless mafia king with blood on his hands and fire in his veins. Years ago, Kierra saved him. Now, he’s back to collect his debt—with interest. He offers her power, vengeance, and the sweet taste of retribution. But making a deal with the devil has its price… and he’s more than willing to make her pay in ways she never imagined. He’ll ruin her enemies. He’ll break her chains. And he’ll claim what’s always been his— her.

My stomach flared up again after pulling an all-nighter at work, so I asked my fiancee to go home and grab my medicine. Two hours later, she finally came back, but she was empty-handed. "Where's the medicine?" I asked weakly. "Oh, I forgot. Chris called last minute and said he had a fever, so I went to bring him some fever meds first." After she said that, she dialed a number on her phone and asked worriedly, "Are you feeling any better now?" On the other end of the line was the childhood friend she always talked about. At that moment, I calmly pulled the IV needle out of my hand and told her we were done. She frowned. "Just because I went to take care of Chris first?" "I was on an IV drip. He just has a common cold." I said each word slowly. "Can you be a little more mature?" she asked with a look of disappointment on her face. "Fine. If that's how you feel, then whatever." She thought it was just an ordinary argument. She had no idea that the moment she chose to forget the medicine that could've saved me, our relationship had already reached a point of no return.

I've been married to my Mafia Boss husband for 15 years. When we first got married, he couldn't even afford a ring, but I didn't care; I loved him. I hid my identity. I secretly used my family's influence to help him build his empire from scratch, and I even bore him two children. His adopted sister always mocked me, calling me an old-fashioned housewife and saying I wasn't good enough for him. To avoid embarrassing him, I always endured it. Until our 15th anniversary, because both me and his adopted sister wore red dresses, he told me to stay in the kitchen: "Sofia's right. That red doesn't suit you. Don't come out until the banquet actually ends. Stay in the kitchen. I don't need the Dons from New York seeing you and getting the wrong impression." I was completely heartbroken and didn't argue anymore. I dialed a number I hadn't made in 15 years: "Principessa?" "It's me," I said, my voice steady. "Tell those old fossils on the Council... Isabella Corleone is coming home."

Sebastian - He is the richest man in this world. At the age if 33 he has accomplished everything any man has ever wanted. His other identity is an assassin that could be compared to no other. He is known as the deadliest human, however he only targets those that deserved his wrath. Only his most trusted men are aware of both his identities. He set rules for himself and those around him. His number one rule is never to fall, whether that is in business, as an assassin or to in love. He does not require it nor does he need to provide it. His family and his companions are his utmost responsibility. Hannah - She is the epitome of beauty. She has been guarded and protected from this world. Yet she is the most intelligent being of her time, she has gained qualifications at the mere age of 18 what no other man has gained. This is all she can do as she has been restricted from gaining other experiences which has left her socially inexperienced. What happens when she possesses a certain feature which has been marked by Sebastian as his mortal enemy. He will stop at nothing to make her feel like an outcast and to remove her from the lives of those he is most protective of, yet can he protect himself.

Karen had invested her last penny in the business she had recently established and was eagerly awaiting the promised funds from her benefactor to take it to the next level. "Maybe he forgot. I should remind him," she thought, and promptly sent a text message: ‘I hate to sound desperate, but my finances are tight.’ After sending the message, she realized she had used the wrong number. She quickly started typing, ‘Please ignore the...’ when an alert popped up on her phone: ‘Five billion dollars transferred to you by Roger Dawson.’ Roger? The first name sent a chill down her spine, but the last name left her puzzled. "Roger? Could it be Tonia's bodyguard?" That was his number, but when did his name change? Her phone rang immediately, and the name she had feared for months echoed in her ears, his voice filled with emotion yet calm like a winter breeze. "Karen, stay put, I'm on my way to you." The call ended before she could process it. He was the reason she had fled, refusing to sign the divorce papers. Her love for him was unrequited, his heart belonging to her adopted sister, but what hurt more was the feeling of being traded between friends like a commodity. She would rather die than return.