Vespera

Vespera Solari was the Wolf-less Luna, a shame to her bloodline and a puppet for her husband, Alpha Julian. After years of infertility and a soul-crushing betrayal by her own sister, Vespera flees into the frozen wilderness. She expects to die in the cold; instead, she runs into the arms of the Alpha King, Malachi Frost. One night of primal heat awakens her dormant wolf and marks her with a child that shouldn't exist. Now, rejected by the King and hunted by her husband, Vespera is a prisoner in a gilded cage. But the wolves are howling for a new Queen, and Vespera is no longer the weak girl they once broke. She is the mother of the true heir, and she is coming for the throne.

She loved him once—the ruthless billionaire who made her believe in forever. But one poisoned glass turned her into his enemy, and Adrian Cole let her rot in prison for eight long years. Now she’s free, scarred, and burning with the memory of his betrayal… while he’ll stop at nothing to claim her again. Can Elena forgive the man who destroyed her, or is loving him the most dangerous mistake of all?

SHE WAS PUSHED TO HER DEATH BY THE MAN SHE LOVED. NOW, SHE’S BACK—AND SHE’S MARRYING HIS BIGGEST ENEMY. Vespera Thorne spent five years building her husband’s empire, only to be betrayed and murdered by him for her stepsister. But fate gives her a second chance. Reborn on the morning of her engagement, Vespera makes a ruthless choice: she walks away from her golden-boy fiancé—and proposes a contract marriage to Cyprian Hale, the city’s most feared and filthy-rich outcast. Cyprian is ruthless, possessive, and dangerously obsessed with her. He agrees to her deal, but he wants more than just revenge. He wants her. Together, they embark on a war of ruin—destroying her ex’s empire piece by piece, slapping every face that ever looked down on her, and uncovering a royal secret that changes everything. But as lines blur and passions ignite, Vespera must choose: Is she still the vengeful ghost of her past? Or has she finally found a love worth living for?

“Magiging asawa mo ako, Vespera. Hindi dahil gusto ko—kundi dahil wala kang takas.” Si Thorne Valtor, ang malamig at walang-awang CEO ng Valtor Enterprises, pinilit ng kanyang lolo na magpakasal upang iligtas ang pamilya at ang kompanya mula sa eskandalo. Hindi niya inaasahan na ang pipiliin niyang “pang-cover” ay ang bagong maid sa penthouse niya—si Vespera Lang. Pero hindi ordinaryong katulong si Vespera. Limang taon na ang nakalipas, isang mainit na gabi ng one-night stand ang nagtapos sa sakit nang sirain ni Thorne ang negosyo ng pamilya niya at itulak ang ama niya sa bangin ng kahirapan. Nawala siya noon, nagbago ng pagkatao, at ngayon ay bumalik siya—disguised, determined, handang magnakaw ng ebidensya at wasakin ang imperyo niya mula sa loob. Sa ilalim ng kontrata ng kasal, nagiging sunog ang bawat haplos, bawat tingin, bawat away. Si Thorne, na sanay mag-utos at mag-angkin, ay unti-unting nahuhulog sa babaeng akala niya kontrolado niya. Si Vespera naman, na puno ng galit, ay nahihirapang pigilan ang init na muling sumisiklab sa pagitan nila. Hanggang saan ang kaya niyang itago ang kanyang paghihiganti? At hanggang kailan kaya niyang itanggi na ang lalaking sinisira niya ang buhay ay siya ring lalaking hinahanap ng kanyang puso? Makakatakas ba sila sa trap na ito… o susunugin sila ng apoy na sinimulan nila pareho?

My mate, Luther Evans, had spent 20 thousand dollars on two first-class tickets for the Moonlight Express to Vespera Coast. Just as we were about to board, he pulled me aside and gave my seat to my foster sister, Zoey Turner. He explained, "There's only one empty seat left on the train, and Zoey's son has never seen the ocean before. This is the perfect chance. Kids can't be separated from their mothers, so I'll take them first and get them settled, then come back for you." I nodded and stepped off the train, watching it disappear into the distance. Once they reached the beach, a friend asked Luther why I hadn't come along. He was busy inflating a pool float for Zoey, answering casually without looking up. "The Moonlight Express runs every three days. Avery Smith can just buy her own ticket and come later. I'll pick up some gifts to make it up to her. She's really understanding and won't stay mad at me." A bitter smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. The whole family had always favored Zoey, and now even my own mate was no different. Since nobody wanted to see me anyway, I decided I would leave in three days.

“Akin ka lang, Vespera. Kahit stepsister kita sa papel, kahit bawal tayo sa dugo at mata ng mundo—hindi na kita pakakawalan ulit.” Ako si Vespera Luxienne Salazar, 29 anyos na nagtago limang taon sa Italy kasama ang kambal kong anak—sina Azrael at Nyxienne—mula sa lalaking sumira at sumakop sa puso ko: si Draven Kairos Valtieri. Siya ang ruthless na mafia heir ng Valtieri empire—guwapong mapanganib, puno ng tattoos, at may obsession na hindi na matitinag. Simula nang mag-merge ang pamilya namin dahil sa arranged marriage ng mga magulang, bawal na pag-ibig ang naging simula namin: isang gabing puno ng galit, pagnanasa, at kasalanan na nag-iwan sa akin ng kambal. Nang malaman kong may kinalaman ang ex niya sa aksidenteng muntik nang pumatay sa akin at sa mga anak ko, umalis ako. Ngayon, bumalik ako dahil sa sakit ng ina ko—handa na sanang harapin ang nakaraan, pero hindi ang muling pag-alab ng obsession niya. Habang nagmamakaawa siya at pinoprotektahan kami, lumalabas ang mga lihim: ako pala ang lost heiress ng ancient Moretti bloodline, at ang kambal ang may dalang kapangyarihan na gustong agawin ng mga kaaway. Sino ang tunay na traidor? Makakalaya ba kami sa bawal na pag-ibig na ito, o mas lalo lang kaming mabibitag sa dilim?