Up Lines

Unfortunately for some, Lucas Villareal, the devastatingly handsome and heir to a powerful business empire, is gay. But bound by the rigid terms of his inheritance, he’s left with no choice but to marry a woman, even if it’s only for show. That’s when fate brings him to Rhea. Once the cherished daughter of a renowned chef, Rhea’s world fell apart after a heartbreaking tragedy left her with nothing. Now struggling to get back on her feet, she finds herself at a crossroads when Lucas offers her a deal: a marriage of convenience that guarantees financial stability in exchange for pretending to be his wife. Will Rhea accept the unexpected proposal? What will she choose when her heart feels more than it should? And what happens when emotions, something neither of them planned for, begin to blur the lines of their arrangement?

Hunter is no ordinary bodyguard. He’s an underboss in one of the most feared mafia families. Protecting Rebecca was never part of the plan. Infiltrating her mansion, getting close enough to strike… that was his mission. Rebecca thinks he’s just a gruff shadow hired to watch over her. But every smirk, every heated glance hides the truth: she isn’t just under his protection, she is his target. Duty demands he use her. Desire makes him want her. And when the lines blur, Hunter finds himself caught between loyalty to the family and a dangerous obsession he can’t control. In a world ruled by power, money, and betrayal, Hunter must decide: will he complete the mission… or sacrifice it all for the woman who was never meant to matter?

A business man in search of power. A woman forced to lie. A man who can’t escape himself. A love turned sinister… Hazel lives everyday like her last, she stays out of trouble and takes life as it comes, accepting every cruel hit as her fate. But her simple life quickly becomes something complicated when she’s ambushed and finds herself tangled in the devil’s lair, with his cold dark eyes staring down at her. Christian Walker only cares about two things; his daughter and his money. Despite being Seattle’s most eligible bachelor, he draws a clear line between his private life and women. But the lines are quickly blurred when Hazel comes into the picture. Just how thin is the line between love and hate?

Arabella Winters made a desperate choice to save her father’s life: sabotage Sebastian Bancroft’s engagement to the Windsor heiress. Her mission was simple, create a scandal that would destroy his wedding plans. And she succeeded. But Sebastian Bancroft is no ordinary billionaire. As the ruthless head of the Bancroft mafia empire, he’s a man who never forgives betrayal. To make Arabella pay, he traps her in a dangerous game of revenge, a contract marriage designed to humiliate and control her at every turn. What starts as cold, calculated vengeance begins to turn into something darker and far more dangerous. The lines between hatred and desire blur as Arabella finds herself falling deeper into Sebastian’s complicated world. Now, she must decide whether to play and submit to his rules or risk everything to rewrite the game against the mafia billionaire who refuses to let her go. Excerpt: “Did you really think you could cross me, Arabella? That you could disrupt my plans and simply walk away unscathed?” Her voice faltered, though she tried to hold her ground. “I… I didn’t have a choice.” “Oh, you had every choice,” he murmured, stepping closer. His breath brushed against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. “But now, my vixen, you’ll live with the consequences.” He tilted her chin up with a surprisingly gentle touch, though it only amplified the tension in the air. His tone dropped, low and dangerous. “You’re mine now.” Before she could respond, his lips claimed hers, not gently, but a claim. It wasn’t the kiss of a man seeking affection; it was the kiss of a man who wanted submission. And, despite every instinct telling her to resist, Arabella found herself unable to pull away…

A year ago, my life was simple. I was just Ariel Anthony…a regular college student, cheerleader with decent grades, daughter of a struggling baker, and recently appointed step-sister to a guy I barely knew. Nothing special. Then came the storm. Not just the thunderstorm that trapped me in Professor Grayson's apartment that night, but the storm that followed. The one that's still raging around me, that I created. They don't warn you about men like Luther Grayson in freshman orientation. They don't tell you how a single glance from the right person can make you question everything you thought you knew about yourself. About what you want. About what you'd risk to get it. They also don't warn you about guys like Ethan Cross, with his perfect smile hiding something dark. The kind of guy who's used to getting what he wants and doesn't understand the meaning of the word "no." And no one, absolutely no one…prepares you for what it feels like when the person who's supposed to be your brother looks at you with something else in his eyes. Mom once said I had a gift for making complicated situations worse. If she only knew. My phone buzzed beside me, and I glanced down to see Luther's name on the screen. My heart still jumps every time, even when I'm aware of what could happen if people learned about the two of us. I should ignore it. I should block his number, focus on my classes, help Mom with the bakery, and pretend none of this ever happened. But I'm already reaching for the phone. That's the thing about crossing lines… once you step over them, it's almost impossible to step back. And I've crossed so many lines now, I can't even see where I started.

Seraphina Serenity Miller has spent her entire life putting her parents’ happiness above her own. When they arranged for her to marry Hans Continental in the name of a business merger, she didn’t protest. She followed the rules—just as she always had. Everything was fine until River Sage Palmer entered her life. He’s stubborn, vile, and a rule breaker—Serenity’s complete opposite. Where she clings to order, he thrives in chaos. And where she draws lines, he’s determined to cross them—all for her. Bound by blood as they were cousins, Serenity knows they can’t be together. But River has never been the kind to take no for an answer. He’s always gotten everything he wanted. Serenity will not be an exemption.

Descended from two lines of assassins, Alina Istrati is one of the most prolific assassins in the world. Always taking pride in her work, the cold nature of her crimes paired with her modus operandi earned her the alias, Blackheart. A new contract that should have been a simple job proves to be more than she bargained for when she finds herself the target of the person who hired her. On top of that, she's stuck babysitting her former target, who intrigues her at every turn. Alina will be put to the test as she fights to uncover diabolical plots and uphold obligations in the assassin underworld while trying to maintain her Blackheart status around the man she was assigned to kill. Follow ADB_Stories on IG for series updates. Codename: Blackheart is the first book in the Codename trilogy.

"You think you can hunt us in our own territory, little star?" Cain's voice is velvet wrapped around steel as he and his brothers flank me in the shadowy alley. "We know exactly who you are." I was a cop. Then my brother's mutilated corpse turned up in a ditch and every piece of blood-soaked evidence screamed the Vultures MC's name. Three ruthless brothers who ruled through fear, pain, and absolute dominance. So I dyed my hair blonde, erased my identity, and walked straight into the devil's den. Their bar. Their territory. Their world of sin and savagery. I'd destroy them from within or die trying. But nothing prepared me for Cain's predatory stare that strips me bare with a glance. Or Jax's twisted smile that promises delicious torment. Or Ryder's brutal hands that pin me against cold brick while his breath burns against my neck, whispering dark threats that make my body betray every principle I've ever held. Now I'm drowning in their intoxicating darkness. Leather, blood, and raw masculine hunger that consumes everything in its path. They're marking me, claiming me, breaking me down piece by piece until I can't remember who I was before them. When I finally uncover the shocking truth about my brother's murder, everything I believed shatters. The real killer has been hiding in plain sight, and now I'm caught between two deadly worlds. My oath as a cop and my surrender to these beautiful monsters. But when the lines blur between justice and vengeance, between duty and desire, how far will I fall before I lose myself completely?

On the night of her engagement, Gianna Moretti’s world shatters—her fiancé tangled in bed with her best friend, her family ready to cast her aside, her future ripped away. But when she crosses paths with Dante Russo—the ruthless heir to New York’s most powerful fashion empire—one impulsive choice changes everything. In twenty minutes, Gianna goes from betrayed bride to Mrs. Russo. Their marriage is a deal. No love. No betrayal. Just survival. But the deeper Gianna is pulled into Dante’s world of wealth, secrets, and ruthless ambition, the more blurred the lines between revenge and desire become. As her step-sister plots murder, her ex-fiancé claws his way back from ruin, and long-buried family secrets claw their way to the surface, Gianna must decide: will she be a pawn in their game—or the queen who burns their empire to the ground?

Some love stories are destined to be destructive. In this gripping collection of short dark romance stories, explore the blurred lines of desire, betrayal, and forbidden passion. Each story delves into the chaotic world of an affair, where star-crossed lovers make dangerous choices and confront the fallout of their reckless hearts. From stolen moments to shattered lives, these characters learn the true cost of a love that can wreck everything. Brace yourself for a journey into the shadows, where secrets fester, and the most intoxicating love is often the most tragic. _____ Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. The characters, relationships, and events depicted are products of the author's imagination and are intended for entertainment purposes only. The author does not condone, romanticize, or encourage the toxic behaviors and actions of the characters, such as infidelity or harmful relationship dynamics. These elements are used for dramatic storytelling and do not reflect the author's real-life values or advice. This book is rated 18 and not suitable for young audiences.