Kiss Me While The World Burns
Victoria De Luca rules New York’s criminal underworld with an iron fist until a stolen EMP weapon, a decades-old murder, and a betrayal buried in blood threaten to destroy everything she built.
Giordano Salvatore was supposed to be a pawn. Instead, the billionaire weapons genius becomes the one man capable of unraveling her carefully guarded heart. As enemies close in, secrets surface, and a global hunt spirals into chaos, Victoria discovers that the greatest threat isn’t the governments, syndicates, or assassins hunting her.
It’s her own family.
With a stolen superweapon, a deadly conspiracy, and a love powerful enough to burn the world to ashes, Victoria and Giordano must decide what they’re willing to sacrifice—before everything explodes.
Because in a world built on lies, falling in love might be the most dangerous mistake of all.
Genre: Dark Mafia Romance | Romantic Suspense | Crime Thriller
Tropes/Tags: Mafia Queen • Obsessive Hero • Billionaire Arms Dealer • Secret Pregnancy • Touch Her and Die • Criminal Empire • Family Secrets • Twin Reveal • Power Couple • High Stakes Romance • Who Did This To You • Morally Grey Characters • Global Conspiracy • Enemies to Lovers-ish • Dark Romance Thriller
Baca
Chapter: 007. The Forty Minutes Drive"You're going to burn a hole through that glass if you stare at it any harder."Valerie didn't move an inch. She kept her face turned toward the tinted limousine window as they glided down the winding road, leaving the secluded Sterling Mountain Estate behind. Her wet house slippers rested on a dry towel Philip had handed her before they left the villa."I am practicing looking at things that are far more pleasant than your face," she replied flatly.Killian didn't look up from his encrypted tablet. "A wall of mountain fog? Fascinating choice."Valerie turned her head, her dark eyes flashing with fire. "Three hours and twenty minutes left, right? You don't need to waste your breath entertaining me.""I am not entertaining you," Killian said, shutting his tablet with a quiet click. "I am observing a stubborn woman who would rather freeze on a private mountain peak than admit she needs an ally.""An ally?" Valerie scoffed loud and clear. "You are an opportunist, Mr. Sterling. You had yo
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-07-29
Chapter: Wanna Build An EMPGiordano stood completely frozen in the dark, paralyzed by pure, unadulterated shock. His fingers lost all feeling, and the heavy steel sidearm slipped from his hand, thudding softly onto the thick rug near his bare feet. He took a trembling step forward, his bloodshot eyes stretched wide with complete disbelief. His frantic mind raced, trying to figure out if he had finally lost his mind after ninety days of torturous grief. Months of drowning in cheap whiskey, suffocating in total isolation, and staring at the dark walls made him wonder if his brain was playing another sick trick on him. He had seen her shadow in the corners of his room before. He had heard her voice in his sleep a hundred times. "No," Giordano muttered, backing away slightly and shaking his head in total denial. "No, this is not happening. I am hallucinating again. I am losing my mind." "Giordano," Victoria said softly, her voice steady and warm. "No!" Giordano yelled, his voice cracking as he slammed his hand
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-07-26
Chapter: Shadows In The DarkMidnight struck in Manhattan. Inside the top floor penthouse, Giordano was losing his mind. He paced back and forth across the freezing, pitch black living room like a caged beast. Empty whiskey bottles littered the hardwood floor, clinking together loudly whenever his heavy, unlaced boots kicked them out of the way. Crushed cigarette packs sat piled up on the glass table next to overflowing ashtrays. Giordano looked like a total mess. He was dangerously thin and hollowed out, his skin pale and sickly from months of barely eating. A thick, unkempt beard covered his sharp jawline, and his messy, unbrushed dark hair fell wild over his tired, bloodshot eyes. He had lost his temper, his empire, and his sanity, but he refused to accept the cold truth everyone else was trying to shove down his throat. He jammed his phone against his ear, his hand trembling with rage as he barked into the receiver. "I do not give a single shit what Interpol says!" Giordano screamed into the phone, his vo
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-07-26
Chapter: Sparks in the GriefThe rain beat hard against Kany’s apartment window, making a loud, lonely sound in the dark room. Water droplets trickled down the cold glass in dark, unending streams, mirroring the storm raging inside her chest. Bruce sat on the sofa beside her, staring down at his broad, calloused hands. He had come over to check on her because he knew she was spiraling just as badly as Vito and Giordano. Neither of them wanted to be alone in their empty apartments with their dark, suffocating thoughts. Kany sat on the very edge of the cushions, looking at the hardwood floor with blank, tired eyes. Her face was pale, almost ghostly in the dim gray light filtering through the blinds. She looked small, fragile, and completely broken, a stark contrast to the sharp, unstoppable woman she usually was. "You haven't eaten all day, Kany," Bruce said softly. His voice was low and quiet in the still room, stripped of its usual gruff authority. "You need to stay strong." "How can I eat, Bruce?" Kany asked
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-07-26
Chapter: Ashes in the Water"VICTORIA! GIORDANO!" Vito’s agonized scream tore through the deafening roar of flames and churning waves as he sprinted toward the edge of the collapsing pier. Blinding rain slammed into his face, nearly washing away his vision as he watched Giordano’s body plunge off the speedboat deck, disappearing into the pitch-black, freezing Atlantic sea right after Victoria was dragged down. "Get the spotlights on the water!" Vito screamed, spinning back toward the boat deck and violently grabbing Malik by his tactical vest. "Right now! Get your men in the water! They are both in there!" "Vito, the whole boathouse is going under!" Malik shouted back over the thunderous roar, his hands shaking as he shoved Vito's hands off his vest. "The current is pulling everything straight into the deep channel! It is too dangerous!" "I do not give a damn about the channel!" Vito yelled, stepping right back into Malik's face, his bloodshot eyes wild with terror and rage. "That is my sister down there! An
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-07-26
Chapter: The Moon TrapGiordano’s dark, breathless chuckle cut through the suffocating silence of the bunker. The red digital timer on the vault terminal ticked down mercilessly: 00:15... 00:10... 00:05... "Press it, Eleanora," Giordano taunted, his voice smooth and cold as steel, despite the blood dripping down his temple. "Go on. Do it." "Burn in hell, both of you!" Screaming in unhinged, manic rage, Eleanora slammed her trembling palm onto the master execution button. Nothing blew up. No gas pipes ruptured. No seismic shockwave shook the concrete floor. Instead, the screens on both the EMP briefcase and the vault terminal flickered violently, glitching into cascading lines of bright crimson code. A massive surge of hijacked power burst through the roof vents, projecting a blinding, gigantic golden hologram high into the stormy ocean sky above the island. It was a glowing, ancient Chinese character for marriage: 囍. Eleanora stumbled back, her eyes wide with unadulterated horror as she stared up thro
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-07-26
The Rival’s Contract Wife
He threw her into a rainstorm, convinced a "useless barren orphan" didn't deserve his status. He didn't realize he just discarded a global billionaire heiress and the only woman an untouchable tycoon would ever beg to hold.
Damian Vance didn’t just divorce Valerie Hart; he erased her. Driven by cold arrogance, he stripped her of her assets, her home, and her dignity, casting her into a torrential downpour as a "burden" beneath his rising status.
He didn’t know he was unleashing a sleeping giant.
Picked up by Killian Sterling—a lethal, glove-wearing tycoon whose severe touch-aversion vanished only against her skin—Valerie entered a dangerous new world. Under his protection, she rebuilt. Then, her unlocked memories shattered the ultimate secret: she was the long-lost heiress to a global luxury syndicate.
Now, the tables have turned. Following a failed, desperate siege to trap her, Damian's empire is dust. His mistress is exposed, his funds are gone, and he is nothing.
The once-proud man drops to his knees, trembling at her feet.
"Valerie, please... look at me," Damian begs, his voice cracking with raw desperation. "I was blind. I thought you were a burden, but I was the fool. Please, take me back. I’ll do anything."
Valerie doesn’t even look down. Instead, she steps right over his kneeling form, completely bypassing him.
Killian stands beside her, his bare hand wrapping possessively around hers. Looking down at the pathetic man on the floor, Killian delivers the final, lethal blow: "Keep her name out of your mouth before I make sure you never speak again."
Baca
Chapter: The Paper Trail of Betrayal"The answer is still no, Mr. Sterling!" Valerie snapped, jabbing her index finger directly into Killian's hard chest. "And if you push that paper in my face one more time, I will throw you out of your own window!""Is that a threat, Valerie?" Killian asked, his voice dangerously calm as he stepped right into her space."It's a promise," she spat, her cheeks flushed with fever.The double doors of the private elevator chimed, sliding open to reveal Dr. Evans carrying a heavy leather medical bag. The silver-haired physician took one step into the penthouse foyer, saw Valerie jabbing Killian's chest, and froze dead in his tracks.Color drained instantly from the doctor's face."M-Mr. Sterling!" Dr. Evans panicked, his voice stuttering in sheer terror as he practically dropped his bag. "Y-your condition! Please back away! Touch... contact.. you know what happens!"Dr. Evans braced himself, fully expecting Killian to break out into a severe allergic reaction or fly into an icy rage at bein
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-07-31
Chapter: 007. The Forty-Minute Drive"You're going to burn a hole through that glass if you stare at it any harder."Valerie didn't move an inch. She kept her face turned toward the tinted limousine window as they glided down the winding road, leaving the secluded Sterling Mountain Estate behind. Her wet house slippers rested on a dry towel Philip had handed her before they left the villa."I am practicing looking at things that are far more pleasant than your face," she replied flatly.Killian didn't look up from his encrypted tablet. "A wall of mountain fog? Fascinating choice."Valerie turned her head, her dark eyes flashing with fire. "Three hours and twenty minutes left, right? You don't need to waste your breath entertaining me.""I am not entertaining you," Killian said, shutting his tablet with a quiet click. "I am observing a stubborn woman who would rather freeze on a private mountain peak than admit she needs an ally.""An ally?" Valerie scoffed loud and clear. "You are an opportunist, Mr. Sterling. You had yo
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-07-31
Chapter: 006. Pride and Cold RainKillian slid the heavy gold pen across the bedside table until it bumped against the thick stack of papers."Sign it," he said.Valerie stared down at the gold pen, then slowly lifted her gaze to his face. "Are you insane? I was thrown out of my home five hours ago. The rain on my back is barely dry, and you want me to sign a marriage contract?""I don't play games, Valerie," Killian said, leaning back in the plush leather armchair beside her bed. "You have zero money, zero place to stay, and an ex-husband who thinks he completely destroyed you. I am offering you fifty million dollars, your mother's stolen company shares back, and your own independent design studio."Valerie folded her arms tightly across her chest. "And what do you get out of this? A shiny new toy?""I get a wife to satisfy my nosy mother," Killian replied flatly. "You don't need to understand the full details of why I chose you."Valerie scoffed loud and clear, extending one finger to push the gold pen right back a
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-07-29
Chapter: 005. Grace FrameThe breakfast tray sat untouched on the rolling mahogany table across Valerie’s lap. She couldn't eat. Her eyes were fixed on the clean, thick stack of cream-colored paper Killian had just placed in front of her.At the very top, embossed in heavy gold ink, were the words: MARRIAGE AGREEMENT.Valerie looked up, her heart hammering against her ribs. Killian stood at the foot of the bed, his hands clasped casually behind his back. He was fully dressed now in a dark, tailored midnight-blue suit that emphasized his broad shoulders, his hands covered securely in a fresh pair of black leather gloves. The intense warmth from his bare hand the night before felt like a hallucination."A marriage contract?" Valerie’s voice was barely a whisper. "Are you insane? I finalized my divorce from Damian less than twelve hours ago.""Exactly," Killian said flatly, his dark eyes fixed on her pale face. "Which means you are currently a legal free agent. And you are also completely destitute."The cold tru
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-06-22
Chapter: 004. Barefoot In The RainValerie held the heavy black file like a weapon, her grip ready to rip the cardboard in half. She marched out of the servants' quarters, her chest heaving as she stormed straight into her old bedroom to grab her coat and passport. If she was leaving this graveyard, she was leaving on her own terms.She jammed her hand into her wardrobe, but before her fingers could touch the fabric, a cold voice cut through the room."Leave it."Damian stood at the doorway, his hands casually shoved into his pockets. Petra lingered just behind his shoulder, watching with wide, innocent eyes.Valerie turned, her jaw tight. "I'm taking my clothes and my legal documents, Damian. I bought them with my own inheritance money before I ever met you.""The last time I checked, everything in this estate belongs to Vance Enterprises," Damian said, his face completely expressionless. "You signed over your full assets and power of attorney to the company last year. Technically, you own nothing. Every dress, every
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-06-22
Chapter: 003. Sour JuiceValerie didn’t sign the papers. She couldn’t. Her pride was a shattered heap on the floor, but a stubborn, manic part of her refused to just vanish.By the very next morning, the grand foyer of the Vance mansion looked like a high-end luggage department. Trendy pastel-pink suitcases and designer trunks were piled high against the minimalist white walls. Petra hadn't even waited twenty-four hours to completely take over."Damian said the master suite on the second floor has the best morning sunlight," Petra said smoothly, her heels clicking with an obnoxious, rhythmic tap as she strolled into the kitchen.Valerie was standing by the counter, trying to brew a cup of tea to stop the violent trembling in her chest. She hadn't slept a single wink. Her mind was a chaotic, emotionally unstable mess, teetering dangerously between hot, burning rage and a suffocating despair.Petra walked right up to the kitchen island, deliberately rubbing her flat stomach with a soft, practiced stroke. A smug
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-06-22
Masuk
