Paul Reed Smith Wood Library

Slowly his hands glide up from my hips, up my back to the base of my hairline tilting my head down so that our foreheads touch. His eyes are closed and his breath is just as ragged at mine. “What on earth was that?” I ask “The best damn kiss of my life. Worth waiting almost 3 years to kiss you like that” My cheeks flush red at the comment. We have kissed a handful of times over the years. Usually instigated in a moment of weakness by Dimetrius but never anything like that. That kiss was dripping with desire from both sides. It definitely wasn’t one sided, I could feel what that kiss did to him through the hard length pressing against the inside of my thigh through his pants. I figured, why not throw it all at the wind and take a chance. I maintain eye contact with him as I slowly run my hands down the front of his chest, his eyes don’t leave mine as he sits dangerously still. I bring my hands back up his body again as I wrap my arms around the back of his neck. I adjust myself on his lap, so that now im sitting directly on top of his hard length and lean down to kiss him stopping just short with a smirk on my face. “Amelia” he says my name almost like a warning. That if I push him too far he is scared that he wont be able to stop. Once those flood gates are open, will either of us be strong enough to close them. I’m risking everything in this moment. I’m risking any future with Abran, and I’m risking my friendship with my best friend I am currently straddling. Fuck it

Dario berbisik menyebut namanya 999 kali dalam tidurnya. Namun, tak pernah menyebut namaku. Lima tahun aku memberikan segalanya untuk Dario Mahardika, pewaris salah satu dinasti mafia terkuat di Aropa. Aku mengubah rumahnya menjadi rumah yang hangat, mengingat setiap detail cerobohnya yang terlewat, bahkan meninggalkan mimpiku menjadi seniman, dengan harapan bahwa suatu hari, dia akan memilihku. Namun, setiap kali Arisa muncul, kesetiaan Dario bergeser padanya. Malam itu, ketika kuah sop yang panas melukai lenganku, dia segera melindungi Arisa dari goresan yang nyaris tak meninggalkan bekas. Di depan umum, pandangannya tak pernah tertuju padaku, selalu mengarah kepada Arisa. Aku hanya istri di atas kertas, tetapi bukan dalam kenyataan. Jadi aku pergi. Hanya dengan sebuah koper, surat cerai yang dia tanda tangani tanpa sadar, dan sebuah rahasia yang tak pernah kuberi tahu padanya, yaitu aku sedang hamil tiga bulan. Saat dia sadar, semuanya sudah terlambat. Perceraian itu nyata. Berkas klinik itu nyata, dan ketika dia menyadarinya, aku sudah lenyap. Sekarang, pria yang dulu menguasai kota dengan dingin itu menghancurkan dunia untuk menemukanku. Dia punya tentara, uang, dan seribu permintaan maaf yang tak pernah dia ucapkan saat aku masih menjadi istrinya. Namun, aku bukan lagi wanita yang memohon kasih sayang. Aku seorang ibu. Seorang seniman. Seorang pejuang. Pertanyaannya bukan apakah Dario bisa menemukanku. Akan tetapi, apakah ketika dia berhasil, aku akan membiarkannya kembali ke kehidupan yang pernah dia hancurkan.

Vier Jahre Ehe. Eine Unterschrift – seine eigene –, die mich befreite, obwohl er nie begriff, was er da unterschrieb. Ich war Sophia Moretti, die unsichtbare Ehefrau von James Moretti, dem Erben der mächtigsten Mafiafamilie der Stadt. Doch als seine Kindheitsliebe, die blendende und privilegierte Vicky, zurückkehrte, verstand ich endlich: Ich war immer nur eine Übergangslösung. Also spielte ich meinen letzten Zug. Ich schob die Papiere über seinen Schreibtisch – eine Scheidung, getarnt als Routineformulare der Universität. James unterschrieb, ohne auch nur einen zweiten Blick darauf zu werfen. Seine Füllfeder kratzte so achtlos über das Papier wie er einst unsere Eide behandelt hatte – ohne zu merken, dass er damit unsere Ehe beendete. Doch ich ging mit mehr als nur meiner Freiheit. Unter meinem Mantel trug ich seinen ungeborenen Erben – ein Geheimnis, das ihn vernichten würde, wenn er begreift, was er verloren hat. Jetzt reißt der Mann, der mich nie beachtet hat, die Welt auseinander, um mich zu finden. Vom Penthouse bis in die finsteren Ecken der Unterwelt wälzt er jeden Stein um. Aber ich bin keine zitternde Beute, die darauf wartet, gefunden zu werden. Ich habe mich jenseits seiner Reichweite wieder aufgebaut – an einem Ort, an dem nicht einmal ein Moretti folgen kann. Diesmal werde ich nicht um seine Liebe flehen. Er wird um meine flehen.

On the day that was supposed to be my wedding—the bride wasn’t me. The ceremony I’d waited for five years for turned into a joke when Valentina, my sister, walked down the marble aisle in a white wedding dress. Her arm was linked with Luca’s — the man who was supposed to be waiting for me at the altar. “I’m sorry, Bianca,” she said softly. “But you are no longer the bride today.” Then she touched her stomach, eyes gleaming with triumph. “I’m pregnant with Don Romano’s child.” Her words detonated inside my skull, and the whole world went silent. As if afraid I wouldn’t believe her, she lifted something glossy up towards the light. A black-and-white ultrasound image. It read clearly: Gestational age — 12 weeks. My eyes burned, tears stinging as I turned to Luca, desperately searching for anything—a denial, an explanation, regret. Instead, he only sighed, weary and resigned. “Bianca, I’m sorry.” he said helplessly. “Valentina doesn’t have much time left. This wedding… it was her last wish.” “I’ll make it up to you,” he added. “We can have another wedding later.” My father, Moretti, stood behind him, wearing the same stern expression he’d worn my entire life. I have never seen him smile at me, not even once. “Bianca,” he said sharply, “Your sister is dying. Let her have this.” My brother nodded without saying a single word, as if that was enough to be a solid answer. All my life, they had chosen her—her tears, her whims, her needs—over mine. Today was no different. Something inside me quietly cracked. Fine. If no one in this family cares about me, I’ll leave.

— Preciso da sua ajuda para forjar a queda de um jato particular — eu disse calmamente. — É a única maneira de eu conseguir deixar Luca Moretti. As pessoas diziam que ele havia renunciado ao trono da Máfia por minha causa. Chamavam ele do homem que trocou o poder pelo amor, o herdeiro que abandonou sangue e ouro apenas para se casar com uma garçonete das favelas. Durante anos, ele fez o mundo acreditar em nós. Ele construiu impérios sob o meu nome. Ele me enviava rosas toda segunda-feira. Ele dizia à imprensa que eu era a sua salvação. Mas amor nem sempre significa lealdade. Enquanto eu estava ocupada acreditando no para sempre, ele estava construindo um segundo lar pelas minhas costas. Um lar cheio de risadas, brinquedos, e filhos gêmeos que tinham os seus olhos. Na noite em que desapareci, o império dele queimou. Ele devastou cidades, subornou governos, e enterrou homens vivos apenas para me encontrar. Mas, quando ele fez isso eu já tinha partido. E a mulher por quem ele um dia morreria não o amava mais o suficiente para permanecer viva.

The day Calista Everhart gets divorced, her divorce papers end up splashed online, becoming hot news in seconds. The reason for divorce was highlighted in red: "Husband impotent, leading to an inability to fulfill wife's essential needs." That very night, her husband, Lucian Northwood, apprehends her in the stairwell. He voice was low as he told her, "Let me prove that I'm not at all impotent …"

"Aku butuh bantuanmu untuk memalsukan kecelakaan pesawat pribadi," kataku pelan. "Itu satu-satunya cara agar aku bisa meninggalkan Dirga Valendra." Orang-orang mengatakan dia meninggalkan takhta Mafia demi aku. Mereka menyebutnya pria yang memilih cinta daripada kekuasaan dan pewaris yang meninggalkan dunia penuh darah dan kemewahan demi menikahi seorang pelayan dari daerah kumuh. Selama bertahun-tahun, dia membuat dunia percaya pada hubungan kami. Dia membangun kerajaan atas namaku. Setiap Senin, dia mengirimiku mawar. Dan pada media, dia selalu bilang bahwa akulah yang menyelamatkannya. Namun cinta tidak selalu berarti setia. Saat aku sibuk percaya bahwa kami akan bersama selamanya, dia justru membangun keluarga kedua tanpa sepengetahuanku. Sebuah keluarga yang dipenuhi tawa, mainan, dan sepasang putra kembar yang punya mata seperti dirinya... ... Malam ketika aku menghilang, kerajaannya runtuh dalam api. Dia mengobrak-abrik kota, menyuap pemerintah, dan mengubur orang hidup-hidup hanya demi menemukan aku. Namun saat dia berhasil, aku sudah pergi jauh. Dan wanita yang dulu pernah rela mati untuknya, kini kehilangan cintanya dan tak lagi punya alasan untuk bertahan hidup.

Evelyn thought she had everything she ever wanted—a marriage built on love, a husband who adored her, and a life that looked almost perfect from the outside. Paul was steady, passionate, and fiercely protective, the kind of man who could sweep her off her feet with a single look. She believed nothing could shake the foundation they had built together. But all of that changed the night she met Adrian. Paul’s estranged stepbrother wasn’t just a man of power and wealth—he was the kind of presence that filled a room and left it spinning long after he was gone. His eyes saw too much, his smile promised too much, and his touch lingered far too long. One moment in his arms was enough to awaken something in Evelyn she had never felt before—and wished she never had.

At the Mafia Alliance Academy, reputation is the only currency—and mine was bankrupt in a single morning. One planted file, one flawless performance, and a few crocodile tears from Elena Rossi, the “fragile” scholarship student, were all it took. Overnight, I fell from the heights of the elite to a pariah branded a cruel bully. The ultimate betrayal? My fiancé, Luca Valenti—the future Don who once swore to be my blade—stood by her side, looking at me with nothing but cold contempt. They called me cruel. Entitled. A rich girl bullying someone who had nothing. What they didn’t know was that I could hear the venom dripping from Elena’s mind. While she played the victim, her thoughts laughed—mocking the Academy’s stupidity, sneering at how easily she had Luca wrapped around her finger. I stayed silent… until the Truth System awakened. Now I can broadcast her twisted thoughts to anyone I choose. And without hesitation, I linked her mind to Luca’s. So while Elena clings to his arm, crying about her “shattered dreams,” Luca hears everything— her plans to destroy his family, her contempt for his protection, and her disgust at being touched by him. The girl he chose is already tearing his world apart.

She is a lonely, workaholic military professional, tired of her standard life. When given the opportunity to meet her soul mate, she takes the chance The God Mother gives her. With a simple agreement, she is transported to a different realm. While finding her soulmate is the end goal, she will have to learn how to navigate this new world first. Things would be so much easier, if she only had a voice. A modern day fairytale that is anything but modern...