Once Upon A Time By Nadine Gordimer

Dr. Alessia Russo's life is spiraling out of control. Drowning in debt and desperate to help her imprisoned brother, the brilliant ER physician makes a decision that will change her life forever. One moonlit rendezvous in a shadowy alley catapults her into the dangerous world of the Bratva, where loyalty is everything and one wrong move could be her last. Enter Nikolai Zhukov, the enigmatic and ruthless boss of the Russian mafia. With eyes that pierce her soul and a touch that sets her skin ablaze, Nikolai offers Alessia an irresistible proposition: become his personal doctor, no questions asked, in exchange for more money than she ever dreamed possible. As Alessia navigates the treacherous waters of the criminal underworld, she finds herself drawn deeper into Nikolai's web. By day, she saves lives in the ER. By night, she tends to bullet wounds and knife fights, all while trying to keep her moral compass intact. But Nikolai is no ordinary crime lord. Behind his cold exterior and calculated moves lies a man with hidden depths and unexpected vulnerabilities. As the heat between them intensifies, Alessia realizes she's not just risking her career and freedom – she's in danger of losing her heart to the very man she should fear most. With enemies closing in and loyalties tested, Alessia must choose between the safe life she's always known and the exhilarating, perilous future Nikolai offers. In a world where passion and danger collide, can their forbidden love survive? Or will the price of entering Nikolai's world prove too high for the good doctor to pay? "Code Black: A Bratva Billionaire Romance" – a heart-pounding tale of love, loyalty, and the thin line between right and wrong.

Their naked bodies were shipping against each other. Her sapphire glossy orbs were staring at his brown eyes. "I love you, Cia. I love you to the extent that I will end and taint that life which would even think about taking you away from me," The firmness of his words were evident in his darkened eyes. "Even if it's your life," he rasped against her mouth. They both knew his love was irrational, an obsession for her. They loved each other enough, especially for her to let his love taint her existence. "I love you, Zale," And her words were enough to make him lose everything in her. She beautifully moaned his name as soon his warmth engulfed her deepest depth which made both of them close their eyes in pleasure, but they had never in their worst ever thought that their eyes would have to witness that thing which their future had stored for them. His deep brown orbs were staring at her who was clad in a beautiful white gown. Her sapphire orbs were downcast as she was standing at the altar but the irony was she was not his bride but his brother's. "Do you, Mr Blake Alcazar, take Miss Celia Reyes as your lawfully wedded wife?" The priest's voice echoed, causing him to fist his palm and her heart to turn numb. "I do," A tear slipped from her eyes, hearing that person's answer who was standing in front of her and feeling those brown eyes penetrating her soul. "Do you, Miss Celia Reyes, take Mr Blake Alcazar as your lawfully wedded husband?" Those deep brown eyes turned predacious and her answer turned them voraciously vicious. "I do," she answered. An answer which sealed two destinies, which shattered two hearts and TAINTED two souls.

Alina believed that Alpha Caleb was her true mate, but as secrets unravel and the truth comes to light, she discovers that she is merely a pawn in a game of deceit and manipulation. Her dreams shatter when she learns that she was never meant to be Caleb's mate but merely a substitute for his deceased wife. Betrayed by the one she trusted the most, Alina attempts to escape the pack and seek freedom. But as she runs away, Alina's path collides with Prince Alaric, her true mate. Haunted by past betrayals, she struggles to trust him, even if they are fated to be together. Alaric, a royal werewolf prince, had tirelessly searched for his mate, but to no avail. Attending a banquet at Caleb's pack, he unexpectedly finds her, but she is hurt and broken. Despite the odds, Alaric vows to heal her wounds and win her trust, determined to show her the love and devotion she deserves. Will Alina open her heart to the one who has been searching for her all along?

Just a few days before my wedding, I accidentally come across a post while scrolling online. The title reads, "To the guy getting married in this city, your fiancée's already cheated on you." Curious, I click in to see the gossip, only to realize I'm the one being talked about. A deep male voice plays in the video. "I heard you're getting married?" The woman in the frame, bare-backed and trembling, chokes back a sob. "After you left, I realized you're still the one I love most. I'm done with him. Take me away, please!" The moment I hear her voice, it feels like someone punches me straight in the chest. Then I notice something on her wrist—the luxury couple's bracelet I gave her just yesterday. And in that instant, I feel like the biggest joke of all. Turns out the fool was me.

My best friend and I were in relationships with the brothers from the Wilson Family, and we both got pregnant at the same time. She flaunted her relationship publicly, making everyone in Junopia know that Rick had left the monastery for her. On the other hand, I kept silent about my relationship with the heir of the Wilson Family. Thus, everyone mistakenly thought I was single. That was until my best friend saw my pregnancy report. In a fit of rage, she rallied a group of friends, stormed into my dorm, and vandalized my room with food waste. "I thought you were my best friend, and here you are, trying to steal my man," she accused. Not only did she live-stream this accusation, trying to paint me as the other woman, but she also spiked my chicken soup, hoping to get rid of my unborn child. In defiance, I poured the contaminated soup over her head. "Just so you know, Rick isn't the only Wilson brother," I retorted. Later, Rayden, the man who controlled Junopia, wrapped his arm around me and declared icily, "I've heard troubling rumors about my wife being called a mistress. We need to talk."

Since childhood, Gael grew up in a messy family. There's no day and night that Gael does not see his father abusing his mother and his younger brother, and himself. Because his father abused his mother, one day he woke up only to find that his mother had left the two of them in the care of their abusive father. Since then, Gael lost his smile, and fate became cruel to him. Gael's mixed-up life became even more difficult after encountering a cruel Gangster... What fateful events would unfold between the two?

Ken has always hated who he is: a half-vampire. His guardian, Allen, encourages the young man to embrace the darkness within. Vampires can’t help but feed on humans. Why fight something that’s a part of you? Ken knows that behind Allen’s charismatic demeanor lies a monster. He also realizes that every step he takes into the world of blood and brutality moves him further away from love and humanity. Ken has managed to carve half a life for himself by refusing to give in to his temptations, but that all changes when he meets Teya. Teya is a lonely college student who is recovering from a painful breakup. After she witnesses several vampires savagely murder her roommate at a frat party, she finds herself in grave danger. She has information that vampires would kill to keep secret and that vampire hunters would just plain kill to keep. Ken vows to protect Teya but begins breaking his own rules as he grows closer to her. Ken has always believed he can never be with a woman due to his nature, but Teya just might inspire him to start thinking differently about his identity and his future.

When **Isla Monroe**, a medical student facing hardships and carrying a sorrowful history, leaps into an icy lake to rescue a man from drowning, she remains unaware that she has put her life on the line for Lorenzo De Luca—Valmont City’s most notorious mafia leader. Lorenzo, weary of his harsh and unfeeling life, viewed death as his sole means of escape. However, Isla’s impulsive gesture of compassion brings him back, compelling him to face a reality he believed he could escape from. Upon waking in her small apartment, his initial response is distrust rather than thankfulness. He has spent too much time in the dark to trust in chance. However, Isla fears him not—and that renders her perilous. He vanishes silently, making Isla think their lives will never intersect again. However, two months later, Lorenzo bursts back into her life—not to express gratitude, but to take her. His foes have found out about the woman who rescued him, and now she’s in danger. Ensuring her safety requires bringing her into his perilous realm—regardless of her desires. As their lives intersect, Isla struggles to deny the man who views her as his opportunity for redemption, while Lorenzo is captivated by the only woman unafraid to confront him. As his foes surround him, they must choose—can love endure in a realm founded on brutality, or will Isla turn into the one thing Lorenzo is unable to safeguard? And as war breaks out in Valmont City, one question lingers: Did Isla redeem a shattered man… or ignite his most perilous nature?

"Can anyone else make you feel the way I do?" He whispered roughly while trailing kisses down my neck. A soft moan escaped me as I held him tightly "You aren't even my mate." His playful smile turned into a devilish smirk, "And do you think I care about that, little one? Mate-bond or not, I am going to make sure that you are MINE." ........................ The peaceful life of Delilah Dimitri was flipped upside down when she crossed paths with the ruthless and vicious cursed Lycan King, Xander Stoneheart. On her 18th birthday, after shifting into a wolf, Delilah's only hope in this cruel world is her true mate, Alpha Ethan. But to her disappointment, he rejects her and wants nothing to do with her. Heartbroken and shattered, Delilah is so done with the supernatural world. But little does she know that the heartless Lycan King has started to have forbidden feelings for her and is not yet ready to let her go. Adamant to make her his own, would the devil ever be able to win Delilah's heart? What about Xander's own true mate who he needs to break the curse?

Rayna was a Beta’s daughter but was demoted to an Omega after her mom died during childbirth. After tolerating the abuse for a lifetime, she got to know on her eighteenth birthday that she was mated to the pack’s Alpha triplets. She was over the moon thinking that at last, she would get her due respect. Well! She was wrong. She was rejected brutally and abused by her mates who took another mate right there in the Luna oath ceremony. She swore to leave the pack and took the help of her Lycan who she thought was just a mere warrior. He had a certain royal air around him that demanded respect. She would surely run away but not before taking revenge from all those who failed her and thought that she was a weakling.