Novels by Mira Solace

Jane POV“Valentina,” Raymond said in a serious tone, a tone that made me scared.“Still remember my name, right?” Valentina said with a mocking, bitter smile as she stopped two feet away from us. “So why haven’t you answered my calls for the last four days, Ray? I left you a dozen messages, but none of them have been returned.”“I’ve been very busy,” Raymond replied simply, as if her confrontation had not affected him at all.“Busy, huh?” Valentina laughed, loud and sharp, without a shred of humor in her tone as she tilted her head. “You have always been busy. That’s your excuse for everything, Raymond.”I held my ground and put all my weight on his sleeve as I looked at both of them. My mind was racing, trying to piece together the history written in the sharp tension vibrating between them. I was completely clueless about who this woman was.Valentina looked directly into my eyes, turning my face to look at her, and studying my dress, with a look of pure disgust. She raised a well-

Jane POVHeavy double doors opened in the grand ballroom, and the dazzling crystal chandeliers temporarily left me unable to see as a hundred elite conversations erupted in my ears.As we entered the ballroom, my hand clutched Raymond’s chunky, bulletproof arm, my fingers digging into the rich cloth of his suit jacket.Everyone’s attention was focused on us at once, and a sudden silence fell over the room full of elites.Men in dark suits immediately moved to the side to make room for us, heads bowing slightly as we walked by, while women in glittering diamond necklaces whispered behind their manicured hands.I felt their eyes on my face, on my dress, and on the way my body took support from him while we walked.He was in no rush, his chest out, his chin up and steady as I pushed through the crowd. My arm was locked against his body so there was no place for my hand to go if I tried to let go.“Smile, Jane,” he said in a low, rumbling voice near my ear. “As people approach me tonight,

Jane POVI walked over to the shallow steps. The water splashed around my shoulders as the cool night air hit my wet skin as soon as I touched the tiled deck.My teeth began to shiver, and a wild shaking began at my chest and worked on through to my legs and arms.I held my arms hugging my body as if shutting down my body.He came out of the water and reached up to a dark towel on one of the lounge chairs with his hand and dabbed water from his face, until his eyes glared at me. He stopped walking and watched my shoulders tremble.“Are you cold?” he asked, his voice low and level.“I… I’m… I’m fine.” I couldn't get my voice to come out right. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment so he wouldn’t hear my teeth grinding. “My body is just new to this.”“You’re a terrible liar.” He looked over to the glass doors where there was a guard. He lifted two fingers, nodded quickly and sharply. “Bring a towel, a heavy cardigan, and a hot drink to the dining room immediately.”The guard was gone as

Jane POVIt was exactly dawn when a black SUV parked outside our small apartment. Suddenly, I heard a loud sound, a knock at the front door, and my stomach dropped. The men were here to take me.I stood in the middle of our little living room, watching my younger sister Isabella.Two large men in dark tailored suits stood in the hallway. Neither of them smiled. Their broad shoulders blocked the light from the corridor completely.“Come on, ma'am, it’s time to go,” the first man said. His voice didn’t match what he said and his eyes didn’t even flicker as he glanced past me toward the apartment. “The Don doesn’t like to wait.”I took a slow, deep breath and turned to my sister. I walked to her, squared my shoulders, and tried to look strong even though I wasn’t strong at all.My eyes squeezed shut as if the words were new to me. “I have to go now, Bella,” I added. “The car is outside.”“Why are you doing this, Jane?” Bella asked, and her voice cracked as tears ran down her cheek. “Why

(Jane POV“Please, Mr. Raymond, I’m not asking for a handout, I’m just asking for an advance.”I closed my eyes and clenched my hands against my thighs so he wouldn't notice that my hands were shaking.Raymond didn’t look up from the handwritten ledger. He turned a page, and the crisp sound of paper cutting through the silence made me flinch.“We’re not a charity, Jane,” he replied. His voice was calm and non-emotional. “The medical cost of your father is a personal issue and not the responsibility of the family.”I approached his desk, knees wobbling beneath my skirt. My fingers clenched on the smooth black wood tightly.“By the end of today, the hospital will end his treatment, and the cancer will spread to his lungs. If you pay the balance to the clinic tonight, you can deduct half from my salary every month.”The ledger finally closed, making a loud sound that echoed through the still room. His large, rounded shoulders took up so much space in the high-backed leather chair that he