Testing The Waters

My mafia husband, Vincent Santoro, was born a monster, incapable of loving anyone. But one day, I discovered he was hiding a ‘forbidden fruit’. A girl from the slums, Claire Murphy. Scarred by life, yet as beautiful as a wildflower growing through concrete. For a man who'd waded through blood his whole life, she was a fatal attraction he never saw coming. He thought he'd covered his tracks. He was wrong. At the Santoro family's annual dinner, I confronted him about Claire, tears streaking down my face. He just lightly frowned, then had his consigliere slide the divorce papers across the table to me. "Isabella. Sign it. The three North Side docks and the shipping lines are yours." I tore the papers to shreds. He just kept raising the offer. He had me thrown into the freezing waters of Lake Michigan. He blew up my family's distillery—the Romano family's legacy. Finally, he took my parents. Tied them in an abandoned warehouse and made one watch as he set the other on fire. "Sign, or watch them burn. Your choice." I begged him on my knees, but a roar of flames consumed the world— The heat seared my skin, the ash of my parents clinging to my face. "No... NO!" When I opened my eyes, I was back. Back on the day I first learned about Claire. This time, no tears, no drama. That night, I called my family in Sicily and set my escape in motion. But the moment I vanished from his world… Vincent Santoro went insane.

"I need you to smile, darling," Adrian whispers, his fingers digging into Isabella's waist as cameras flash. "Your father's business empire depends on it." The champagne in her glass trembles as Isabella forces herself to play the perfect mafia bride. She hasn't told him about the baby yet. Hasn't mentioned the way his eyes linger on the judge's daughter, Elena. Hasn't revealed that she knows about the poison they've planned for her "tragic accident." But Isabella Romano isn't going down without a fight. "Please," she whispers to Santa Muerte as poison burns through her veins. "Give me a chance to make them pay." Death has a price. Isabella awakens in the body of Valentina Salvatore—wife to Adrian's greatest rival and mother to twin girls who somehow see through her deception. She has 150 days to either claim vengeance or find true love. The clock is ticking, and Nicolas Salvatore, her new "husband," is proving dangerously easy to fall for. "You're not really her, are you?" Nicolas murmurs one night, his fingers tracing her jaw. "My Valentina never looked at me the way you do." But as Isabella navigates the deadly waters of rival crime families, she discovers Valentina had secrets of her own—secrets worth dying for. Now, with her father plotting a takeover, Adrian suspicious of her resurrection, and her borrowed body slowly rejecting her soul, Isabella must choose: the revenge she died for, or the love she never expected to find. In this dangerous game of second chances, some fates are worse than death. And some loves are worth dying for twice.

Helena Cole, daughter of poor gardener Nicolas Cole, is forced into a contract marriage with Alexander Stone, the new CEO of Solara Helixia. Helena, who has always lived a quiet life, feels trapped in the marriage, but soon discovers that Alexander is not the cruel and heartless man she had believed him to be. As Helena and Alexander navigate the treacherous waters of their families' bitter feud, they begin to develop feelings for each other. However, their love that begins to build as a result of sharing the same roof is forbidden, and they must keep their relationship a secret from their families, lest they face the consequences. For Helena, the only family property left for her father would be taken away. Meanwhile, Nicolas Cole and Alexander's mother, Isabella Stone, continue to plot against each other, determined to destroy the other's life and property. As tensions between the two families escalate as Nicholas Cole fights to take back what is rightfully his. Helena and Alexander find themselves caught in the middle, struggling to keep their love alive while their families wage war against each other, she gradually navigates from being a weak young lady to a strong and powerful woman. Even though Isabella keeps oppressing Helena's father; he was determined to fight till his last breath. Helena and Alexander must make a choice that will change their lives forever. Will they choose love or family loyalty? Will they later Find out the main reason for their arranged marriage? Will they find out the secrets behind the deaths of Mrs. Cole and Mr. Stone? Will the internal enemies and obstacles behind all the troubles in their relationship be exposed? Find out in "AGAINST THE TIDES", a gripping and steamy billionaire romance novel that will leave you breathless until the end.

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.

Who would expect a story titled ANTIMAGIC to be about wizards, mystical creatures and fantastic, unusual adventures? Yet, it really is ... It's even more than that. You'll see if you read the story, that there is, beside all this, a spell, mightier than the strongest spells ever, even than Abracadabra. Yes, Antimagic is the most powerful magic of all known and unknown in the wizards' world, because it's a spell that can stop any magic, no matter how powerful it is. The narrative in Antimagic story will succeed not only in helping the children's minds to imagine fantasy worlds or to create their own stories with fairies, princesses, famous wizards or knights, because they already know how to do it, but it will develop even more their thinking and desire to KNOW. Reading this book they'll see and understand what all wizard students got after their decision to study magic at the famous and old Elmbridge School of Magic. What they all got is that they'll become skilled and wise wizards and magicians only through study and long and painstaking search for knowledge. And even more than that, this book will help grown-ups too to remember to dream again, because we, grown-ups, kind of forgot to do that. Therefore, dear readers, young or grown-ups, enjoy the lines of this book and discover with Elizabeth Catherine Edwards and her friends the mysteries of magic. Go through wonderful events with the heroes of this book, more or less unusual, strange. Swim with her friends in the mysterious waters of the Purple Oasis. Run with them from the dangers that are all over the Ancient Forest and into the maze beneath Elmbridge School of Magic. Admire together imposing creatures such as ogres, carticors, fantastic hybrid mole-elephant-badgers, lycanthropes and many others interesting as well.

Zara James thought she had it all—a promising journalism career, a passion for uncovering the truth, and the guts to expose the powerful. But when her exposé on a corrupt politician backfires, her world comes crashing down. Blacklisted, penniless, and humiliated, Zara is desperate to rebuild her shattered life. Enter Adrian Cross, a tech billionaire with a reputation as ruthless as it is alluring. Adrian’s empire is on the verge of collapse, thanks to a scandal tied to his enigmatic and estranged brother, Nathaniel. Desperate to salvage his public image, Adrian offers Zara an irresistible deal: become his fake fiancée, and he’ll give her the exclusive story that could redeem her career. It’s a win-win—or so it seems. Thrown into a world of glittering galas, high-stakes boardrooms, and shadowy secrets, Zara quickly realizes Adrian is hiding more than just a tarnished reputation. Beneath his icy exterior lies a man haunted by betrayal, bound by dark ties to his family’s criminal empire. As their staged romance starts to feel dangerously real, Zara finds herself torn between her growing feelings for Adrian and the truth she’s determined to uncover. But Adrian isn’t the only one with secrets. Ethan Blackwood, a charming stranger who sweeps Zara off her feet, has his own hidden agenda—one that ties him to her worst enemy. Caught in a web of lies, power plays, and dangerous alliances, Zara must navigate the treacherous waters of love and ambition. When betrayal strikes from all sides, Zara faces an impossible choice: trust the man who’s kept her in the dark or risk everything for the one who might be playing her.

In a world where the moon's gaze reveals the hidden truth, two extraordinary women embark on a forbidden love that defies all odds. Anya, a fierce and mysterious werewolf, has concealed her true identity from everyone she holds dear, including her lover, Maya. Unbeknownst to Maya, Anya has been chosen by the alpha of her pack to be her soulmate.  As Maya uncovers the shocking secret, fear and astonishment collide within her heart. But love, relentless and unyielding, compels Maya to delve deeper into Anya's world, discovering the true essence of her soulmate and forging an unbreakable bond. Their love becomes a beacon of strength and defiance against the confines of their society. However, destiny has another surprise in store for Anya. Hidden within her lies the key to unlocking her primal powers, destined to make her the first alpha female of her pack. Yet, how can she ascend the throne when a ruling alpha stands in her way? And what of her supposed soulmate, who walks the path of humanity rather than the moonlit realm? Now, Anya must navigate the treacherous waters of power, love, and prejudice, as she strives to claim her rightful place as alpha. As two opposing factions despise her very existence, she finds herself at the centre of a war that threatens her kind and challenges everything she stands for. With courage as her armour and love as her guide, Anya must unravel the secrets of her power, unite her fractured world, and defy the odds stacked against her. In this breathtaking tale of forbidden love, mystical forces, and epic battles, the ultimate question remains: can Anya and Maya triumph over hatred and forge a future where their love and acceptance can reign supreme?

In a world where power is forged from ruthlessness, Mario reigns as the unyielding mafia king. When tragedy strikes and he loses a sister to cold-blooded murder, he takes Gia, the daughter of his enemy, hostage—not just to punish her father, but to bind her heart to his in a twisted pact sealed with marriage. Gia finds herself trapped in a life she despises, harboring a deep-seated hatred for the man who stole everything from her. Yet amidst the darkness of captivity, a flicker of something unexpected begins to ignite between them. As the walls close in and the intensity of their shared space compels them to confront their feelings, Gia finds herself torn between escape and the emotions that bind her to Mario. As she plots her escape, a secret unfolds—one that will change everything. A baby is growing within her, a symbol of both uncertainty and hope. With the stakes higher than ever, Mario must decide if he can truly win her heart after the pain he has inflicted or if he is doomed to forfeit love in pursuit of his revenge. Will Gia and Mario discover a way to heal their broken past? Can their shared destiny be forged from the ashes of betrayal? As they navigate the treacherous waters of their intertwined fates, brace yourself for a gripping tale of resilience and the profound power of love that might just redeem them both, if only they can find the courage to embrace it. *** "I'm sorry... That guy meant nothing to me." My voice trembled. "I don't care if it meant nothing to you. I don't want another man's hands on you," he said firmly. I nodded, "Yes. I'm sorry. It won't happen again." "It can't happen again, Gia, because you are mine."

A desperate young woman, Lucy, enters into a contract marriage with the cold-hearted CEO, Drey Jackson, to save her mother’s life. But as their lives collide, hidden secrets lie around Drey’s family, and a dangerous rivalry emerges to tear them apart. Stuck between love and loyalty, Lucy and Drey must navigate a treacherous path where trust is shattered, and survival becomes their only choice. Will they overcome the darkness, or will the price of love and power destroy them both? ******** “So, a contract marriage,” I said slowly, testing the idea. “What makes you think I would even consider something like that? And with you?” I asked, letting out a little laughter. She leaned in slightly, her lips curving into a small, confident smile. “Because it’s the perfect solution for both of us. You need the public to believe you’re happily married. And I need the money. We both walk away with exactly what we want—no strings attached.” I chuckled, feeling I was on the edge of it. “You’re a bartender. What makes you think you can play the part of a billionaire’s wife?” I chuckled darkly as my breathtaking face twisted into a Mona Lisa. “I can have you fired for this, you know.” She didn’t flinch, but I noticed her sweaty palms. She could lose her only surviving job if I wanted that to happen. It was obvious how desperate she needed money but I couldn’t just agree with her even if it was a good idea. “I think you’re misunderstanding me. I’m not some desperate woman trying to snag a rich man,” She suddenly snapped. She was only an inch away from me now, trying to avoid any direct touch. “We don't have to be in love.”

Liam closed the door behind and walked closer, step by step, striking fear in the girl. Nora backed away, her body hitting the icy wall. He stared at her, his deep cello voice resounding in the room.“Nora Shahan, have you forgotten what I told you three years ago? Don't provoke me. But time and time again you kept testing my patience.” He picked up her jaw harshly and continued. “Tell me, how should I punish you?” Nora met his eyes, which were filled with a coldness, making her hair stand on end. This was the real Liam, cold and heartless. She was foolish to think he had changed for the better. A pang of bitterness welled up in her heart and she closed her eyes, letting the memories from the past flood into her mind.-Three years ago, Liam had warned her to never appear in front of him and Nora had been well behaved, staying as far as away from him. Whenever he'd go north, she'd go south. Even when they were in the same class, she'd stay at the opposite end. But fate played a cruel joke on her when she got locked down at his place. He assumed it was one of her tricks to climb into his bed. But she was certain she has fallen into an elaborate trap. With his family using despicable means to destroy everyone around him, can Liam successfully get her out of that hell house? How will Nora survive living under the same roof with the person who's been nothing but a nightmare all her life while learning his darkest secrets that would entangle them together and bring their entire world crashing down with it?