Painted Scars Neva Altaj

**When society calls you worthless, but one man sees your true value...** Sonia Valencia thought she knew what rock bottom felt like—until she found herself homeless, penniless, and fighting for custody of her son after her husband's betrayal. With scars marring her once-beautiful face and deeper scars on her heart, she never expected salvation to come in the form of a marriage proposal from a stranger. Fabian Martinez, the country's most sought-after billionaire actor, needs a wife to secure custody of his own son. What he doesn't need are complications—but that's exactly what he gets when he meets the scarred woman the world calls ugly, who agrees to his business arrangement. --- *"I need a wife,"* Fabian said bluntly, his piercing blue eyes studying the scars on her face without flinching. *"And you need financial security and a father figure for your son. This could work for both of us."* Sonia stared at the contract in her trembling hands. Six months. A marriage of convenience to a man who could have any supermodel in the world—yet chose her, the woman her own husband called a monster. She should have known better than to trust a contract to contain her heart.

A past that was haunting her like a ghost, a career that was as good as over, a family that wasn't left behind and a man she did not expect to come to her with a strange offer. "We have a long list of deals to settle among us sweetheart." An anonymous phone call and a strange letter was about to change her world forever. After a series of tragic misfortunes, Alissa Evans, once a top fashion designer, is left with nothing. And thus when she is given an opportunity to change the course of her life - She decides to take. But that opportunity is a Contract Marriage with the most cruelest and venomous mafia known to the world - Logan Stalza. Will she take this opportunity? Will she marry the man whose hands are painted with death? And why is he so diffrent than what she remembered as her university crush. This story is about the tragedy of Alissa Evans, the mistakes of Logan Stalza and his best friend who wants to kill Alissa so badly. This is a Story of Revenge. ------ Book #1 In The City Of Fate Series

"I, Grant Dixon, soon to be Alpha of the Rivermoon Pack, reject you, Astraia, as my mate." The words that shattered Astraia’s world, spoken with cold finality by the man she had loved her entire life, echoed through her heart like a death knell. Far from the pain of rejection, she takes refuge at Stellar University, a neutral zone where both werewolves and humans coexist. But fate has other plans. Astraia’s world collides with Carson, the broody, guarded Alpha of High Crest Pack—the most powerful pack, second only to the royal family. He carries the same scars as she does, a broken past marked by rejection. Will their shared pain draw them together, or will the past continue to haunt them? Astraia must decide if she will embrace her future or let her past control her. And Carson—will he continue to hide from the future that fate has in store, or will he finally allow himself to heal?

After years trapped in a toxic relationship, Aurora finally finds the strength to escape the clutches of her manipulative and abusive boyfriend, Shawn. With nowhere to turn and danger lurking in the shadows of her past, she stumbles into a world far more treacherous than she ever imagined, a world ruled by power, loyalty, and blood. Emilio Cordello, the cold and ruthless head of the Cordello crime family. A man who trusts no one, who has spent his life believing that love is a weakness that could cost him everything. When Aurora crosses his path, bruised but unbroken, something inside him shifts. He sees in her the same scars he keeps buried beneath his hardened exterior. Despite the walls they both have built, fate refuses to let them part. As Aurora fights to rebuild her self-worth and reclaim the life she was stripped of, Emilio finds himself doing the one thing he swore never to do—letting someone in. But their worlds are dangerous, and enemies lurk in every shadow.

Saira was once a cheerful girl, but her life drastically changed after the devastating loss of her father. Her high school years were filled with torment, as she was relentlessly bullied by a cruel classmate who made her life miserable. When she finally graduated, she felt relief, believing that chapter of her life was over. However, after graduation, she faced another struggle, landing a terrible job where her life only seemed to get harder. Her world turned upside down again when her mother announced her marriage to a new husband and introduced her to their new family. To Saira’s horror, her new stepbrother was none other than her former high school bully—the very person she thought she’d never have to see again. Shocked and heartbroken, she dreaded what was to come. Things got even worse when she learned she would be working as his secretary. Despite her fears of facing torment once more, Saira was surprised by her stepbrother’s behavior. He had completely changed. Instead of bullying her, he was now protecting her—saving her from workplace issues, standing up for her, and being supportive in ways she never imagined. The boy who once hurt her deeply had transformed into a man who treated her with care and respect. Saira’s heart began to waver. The crush she once had on him returned, and she couldn’t deny that his changes captivated her. But forgiving him wasn’t easy. The scars of the past still lingered. Conflicted, Saira confronted him, demanding answers, accusing him of playing tricks on her. In response, he begged for her forgiveness, admitting his regret and pleading for a chance to make things right. Saira must decide whether she can trust him again—or whether the pain of the past is too much to overcome.

Lena thought love wasn't real. Her predestined mate was terrible. With filthy, punishing hands, what began as a dream gradually became a nightmare. Believing in real love had become a fantasy, something only found in the literature books her mother left her. Then she met the alpha of the rival werewolf pack. Fleeing, afraid, and numb to everything, with a false image painted of him, she could never have imagined that someone so ruthless and powerful could patch her up. Viktor, the alpha leader of the Frostbite clan, was handsome, powerful, elegant, and emotionless. What is she supposed to do when a werewolf like him, a sworn enemy, swears to protect her? Because the past always comes back and never goes away. Someone's hunting her. Someone's determined to make her life a living hell. And he's just as determined to hurt everyone who gets close to her.

Anniversaries were meant to celebrate marriage milestones--- not mayhem wrapped in diamond rings. Too late --------------------- On the night of her wedding anniversary, Laura DeVille's world shattered beyond repair. Betrayed by the man she loved, the angel in her died that night, giving rise to a woman forged of scars and revenge. Worse, she's still pregnant for the man who ruined her. Enters Kaida Crawford: sin in a tuxedo, a man with a ruthless past who offers her a contract marriage, a second chance. But fate has other plans. Her ex-husband, Aaron Kai, returns, his silver eyes blazing with obsession. "I'm your's to break, to bleed, and to kill... But first, tell me he's my son." Trapped between an obsessive past and a possessive future, Laura must choose: The devil who ruined her or the angel pulling her to his dark heavens.

She was just the receptionist, or so he thought. When ruthless billionaire Damian marries the quiet girl his grandfather picked from obscurity, he never imagines she’s the heiress to one of the wealthiest families in the country. What starts as a business transaction turns into heartbreak, betrayal, and a shocking revelation that changes everything. When Emmah walks back into his life in diamonds and power, Damian realizes he didn’t just lose his wife,l he lost the woman who was always two steps ahead. Now he wants her back. But some scars run too deep… and some secrets are too painful to forgive.

⚠️ Reader Advisory: This story contains steamy scenes, mature language, and forbidden romance. Recommended for readers 18+ who enjoy emotionally intense and sexually charged love stories with depth. ~ “I’m going to turn every dirty page you’ve ever read into your reality, Teyana.” And Jeremy Carter did. ~ It started with a simple party dare and ended with my legs wrapped around the ever-addictive Jeremy Carter’s waist. I never thought the boy who never noticed the nerdy me in high school, the emotionally unavailable biker god I’d secretly fantasized about, would become my stepbrother. Or that I would find a naked painting of myself hidden in his closet — painted by his own twisted hands. Jeremy is inked sin, raw dominance, and a filthy mouth. I was just the quiet, virgin bookworm, that took solace in dark romance novels… until he dragged me into his dangerous world of racing, rage, and ruin. I should run. I should regret it. But when a man like Jeremy Carter kisses you, there’s no coming back. But what happened when family, friends, and even the campus tried to pull us apart? This is the story of how I got ruined by the one man I might never have… and how I let him.

He rejected her in front of the entire kingdom. He crowned her rival queen. Then, he offered her as a sacrifice… to his father. Esmeralda had it all—or so she thought. The future queen. The beloved mate. A father who raised her with honor. But in a single night, everything crumbled. Thorne, the man who once kissed her scars and promised her forever, humiliated her before the entire werewolf court and handed her over as a traitor. Betrayed. Rejected. And pregnant. Marked as a disgrace, Esmeralda escapes into the wild lands with nothing but a heartbeat growing inside her and the ghosts of a love that was never real. But the wilderness holds its own secrets, including a pack of dangerous rogues and a cold, powerful Alpha who wants nothing to do with her. He saved her once. He regrets it already. Now Esmeralda must fight to protect her unborn child, survive a pack that sees her as a threat—and face the one man whose hatred burns as deeply as his stare. But what if the real enemy is the king she once loved? And what if fate still has a crown for her… just not the one she expected?