Still Breathing

Two childhood friends - one from a line of rich traders & one from a normal family - forced into marriage while still young. Will their good relationship build into more than just friends or will their personal lives and ambition ruin it?

Strip now! you're my wife anyway" Harrison had said to Katherina as she fret over the chair she was sitting on. He was definitely not the man she had nursed till he got his memory back. He was now violent and over protective of her. "You are my wife Katherina, you are mine. You are mine alone!" Harrison roared slamming the flower vase down. "No Harrison. I am not your wife and I never was your wife. Give me breathing space Harrison....leave me alone!" Katherina said in voice so tiny as tears flowed from her eyes. It was evident she was tired of the whole drama already. Harrison sprawled to his kneels in front of her. He gently hugged her patting her hair softly and swiftly. "I'm sorry Rina, I'm sorry for making you cry, I'm sorry for hurting you, I'm sorry....I'm sorry. Please give me another chance, please do not leave me alone all by myself. I love you....I love you so very much Rina" he wailed to her ear. "Harrison." "Swear by my name Rina, tell me you only love me and not my brother." Harrison cried holding her body firmly. He definitely was in pain as he uttered those words with great grievance. Katherina just watched him wretch in pain. "I do not love you Harrison, I do not!" She had said back to him throwing his hands off her. Had she made a wrong choice of staying with him? Was he showing her this side of his just to keep her to himself or was he getting a revenge on her for lying to him just to acquire his wealth?

I lifted my gaze to meet his unwavering one; his eyes were enigmatic, just like his dominant posture. He had an enviable and captivating physique, with well-defined muscles that accentuated the perfect cut of his suit. His greenish eyes, tan skin, and slightly curly hair, styled professionally, completed his look. He was truly a stunning man. “Finished admiring me, miss?” With a teasing tone, a charming smile appeared on his lips. The CEO was undoubtedly tempting. “Sir...” I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure and searching for words to escape that uncomfortable situation. “The content is not appropriate to be read aloud; please understand!” “That, I will decide!” He leaned back in his executive chair, watching me calmly as he savored a sip of his favorite whiskey. “I'm waiting.” “I apologize, sir, but I can't do it. You can fire me!” I turned away, ready to leave the office hastily, when his strong hands gripped my wrist, about to pull the door handle. He carefully watched my reaction and then smiled. “Apprentice…” The CEO approached me seductively, causing me to step back a few paces until I was cornered against the wall. He surrounded me with his arms and brought his lips close to my ear, whispering, “There is so much potential in you; I will mold you!” Biting lightly on the tip of my ear, I felt a shiver run through my body. With the tips of his fingers, he traced the outline of my face with his nails before pressing his lips with his thumb, gently parting them. Moving even closer, he pressed his body against mine, making my heart race and my breathing erratic.

Mate. I froze mid-step, Venom has never said that word before. I've suddenly forgotten the Rogues I was chasing, my whole attention now on the emotions I was feeling. My vision sharpened, focusing on the faint sound of labored breathing just ahead. My heart hammered in my chest as I walked closer, the bond pulling me forward with an urgency I hadn’t felt in decades. The first thing I saw was her hair, a messy dark bun with strands of white, unusual yet unique. She sat curled up against the base of an old tree, arms wrapped tightly around her knees, shoulders trembling. Her thin, tattered sweater barely shielding her from the cold air. She looked... fragile, a word I never thought I’d associate with my mate. Ariel’s life has been anything but easy. Orphaned as a child and left in the care of a cruel stepfather and stepbrother, she’s endured years of emotional and physical abuse. Despite her circumstances, she’s always felt something stirring beneath the surface—an unexplained restlessness, vivid dreams of running under the moonlight, and a deep connection to the forest around her. Zayn, the alpha of the Shadowcrest pack, has spent years searching for his fated mate, the one who would complete him and stand by his side to no avail…he had finally given up on ever finding her. His pack thrives under his leadership, but his heart has grown weary, doubting the Moon Goddess’s promise of a mate. When a chance encounter leads him to Ariel, he’s stunned to discover that the fragile, broken girl is his destined partner—and more than that, she’s a wolf completely unaware of her true nature.

The day I finally secured an investment worth over 20 million dollars, I walked into the office and immediately caught sight of that calculating assistant wearing a smug look as she spread gossip around. According to her, my husband, the CEO, was planning to strip me of my position and exile me to some forgotten branch in Northreach. Contract in hand, I headed straight for the CEO's office. I stood behind my husband and rubbed his temples while joking casually, "You won't believe what I just heard. Apparently, you're sending me off to a branch office. If only they knew we've been married in secret for seven years and are about to make it public." He didn't look surprised at all. He gently pushed my hand away and smiled. "It's not a rumor. Andrea messed up the last project, and the board is breathing down my neck. They want someone sent to Northreach, and they picked her. That place is brutal. She wouldn't survive it. She's not like you. She doesn't have the luxury of failure. If she goes there, her career is finished. She was my junior back in school. I can't let her life fall apart." He paused, then added softly, "Once you come back, I'll announce our marriage. And I'll make sure you get what you've always wanted. A child." I smiled, but it held no warmth. I turned around and walked out without another word. Before I reached the elevator, I made a call to his biggest competitor. "Looking for a vice president? I'm bringing 20 million dollars of funding with me. I only ask for one thing: Don't send me to Northreach."

Enzo Romano, what you do to me means nothing to you. But to me, your touch burns, Enzo Romano. It hurts! In a month and a few days, this round will be over, and we will each go our own way. You will go back to your stable life, to your lover who was always there. And me? I will go back with a huge emptiness in my chest, with a hole in my heart that aches like I am cursed! Who is going to pay the price in the end, Enzo? Huh? ********* "Enzo!" I breathed heavily, the heat burning in my throat. Damn, what is he doing? "Shhh. Stay like this for a moment, Celine. Please." He whispered with a faint voice, mixed with a strange madness, while I felt his chin rest on top of my head, his hot breath sneaking into my hair. "Enzo, what are you doing?" A tremble crept into my voice, and the heat rushed through me, making me feel dizzy! It was like my stomach tightened hard, as if I had suddenly caught a deadly disease! "Let me see it, Celine." He whispered, leaning his head more, his panting breath touching my bare shoulder, hitting the sensitive spot near my neck! "Enzo." I whispered his name like I was breathing him in, my eyes closed, and all the walls I built around myself started to fall without any fight! "Do not say my name like that, Celine." His voice shook just like mine did, as if we drowned in the same whirlpool, but why? He has a whole life. He already has a lover. A perfect woman, steady in his world, someone who does not shake and does not break. So why then is he playing with me?

Sneak peek: "W-what are you doing?" I asked, my breathing getting heavier as his warm fingers inched towards my bikini bottom. "You called me a coward earlier, remember?" He asked, his other hand wrapped around my throat and lips torturingly brushing over mine "So let's see how much you can handle if I break the boundaries." "I haven't said anything wrong," I breathed out, the collision of the heat of our bodies made the wetness between my thighs build more "Oh really?" He hooked my legs around his waist leaving me surprised I opened my mouth to say something but before any sentence could leave my mouth, sliding past my bikini bottom his fingers were there on my bare clit and the next second they thrust inside the very tight hole of mine leaving me to scream. But everything went silent as he pressed his hot lips upon mine just as I had been wanting since the first day I had ever seen him. **** I always knew the things I felt for Jacob Adriano were wrong in so many ways. He was my dad's best friend, totally out of bounds but I couldn't stop wanting him. And once in the event of my dad's destination wedding, I came across him after years...I lost every one of the boundaries I had and surely I planned to make him lose his ones too. After all Jacob Adriano, the sinfully attractive Italian was not unaware of my obsession with him. But little did know that forbidden relationships always bring havoc and demolition.....

[Book 3] MATURE 18+ Damian Black is still recovering from what Adrian did, but not as well as his friends may think. Will he ever get over the guilt? Or will the sexy Italian stranger have to step in and help?

If I die, will you miss me? At the last minute of her life, she still craves for him,however,he just replied coldly,you do not deserve it.Why? Loving you is more painful than death.

Dmitri is still being haunted by the tragedy he caused his twin brother, Drake, even after so many years, and he’s pretty much aware that no amount of apologies could ever forgive him. He left the country and lived abroad alone for years just to punish his self. Alison, Drake’s girlfriend, is willing to help him get over that nightmare, but how can she possibly help him when every time he looks at her it reminds him of his brother? Truth be told, he’s still in love with her after all these years, but his Drake’s ghost is what’s stopping him. Will he ever find forgiveness and give his self a chance to live again and love Alison, or will he just continue punishing his self and push her away?