Is 'Bound By Duty' Worth Reading?

One contract. Two broken hearts. Zero chance of walking away. My life shattered in a single night. Betrayed by my fiancé, drowning in my family's debt, with nowhere left to turn. Then he appeared. Damien Cross. Billionaire. Bastard. The most dangerous man I've ever met. His offer was simple, marry me for one year. Save your family. Ask no questions. I should have said no. Should have seen the trap. But desperation makes you reckless, and I signed my name next to his at 3am in a Vegas chapel, our hands shaking with rage and champagne. The rules were clear: Separate bedrooms, No feelings, When the contract ends, we walk away But... We broke every single one. Now I'm trapped in his world of glass towers and cruel games, where every touch is a weapon and every kiss is a war. He looks at me like I'm his to own, like he'd burn down the world to keep me. I hate him. I crave him. I'm addicted to the chaos we create. But contracts expire. Lies unravel. And when I discover the devastating truth about why he really married me, I'll have to choose, walk away with my heart intact—or stay and let his obsession consume us both. He warned me not to fall in love with him. So, he should have warned himself.

Evelyn "Evie" Moretti never wanted to be part of the mafia world. The daughter of a disgraced underboss, she’s spent her life dreaming of freedom—a life far away from the violence and betrayal that destroyed her family. But when her father’s debts to the powerful Romano crime family spiral out of control, Evie is forced to pay the price: an arranged marriage to Don Alessandro "Alessio" Romano, the ruthless and enigmatic head of the Romano family. Alessio is as cold as he is handsome, a man shrouded in darkness and driven by a thirst for revenge. From the moment Evie meets him, it’s clear that their marriage is no love story. It’s a transaction, a way to settle a debt and secure power. But as Evie is thrust into Alessio’s world of luxury, danger, and deceit, she begins to realize that there’s more to their union than meets the eye. Alessio harbours a deep hatred for her family, and his cruelty toward her is both calculated and personal. As Evie struggles to survive in her new life, she uncovers shocking secrets about her family’s past—and Alessio’s true motives for marrying her. Betrayed at every turn, she must navigate a treacherous web of lies, power struggles, and forbidden desires. But the more she learns, the more she questions who she can trust—and whether she can resist the dangerous pull of the man who holds her captive in every way. Bound by Blood and Betrayal is a dark, emotional mafia romance filled with twists, tension, and a love that burns as fiercely as it destroys. Can Evie find a way to escape Alessio’s grip, or will she lose herself in the shadows of his world?

Alethea, a young girl from a small village, accepts a tempting job offer to care for a sick employer in the capital city as a way to escape her mother. However, upon arriving at the employer's home, Alethea is shocked to discover that her patient is not the frail, elderly person she imagined, but Sebastian Tarcisio—a wealthy heir who is blind, arrogant, and stubborn. From their very first meeting, Sebastian is rude and constantly insults her, making her regret her decision to take the job. However, her mother has already taken the one-year advance payment, and if Alethea breaks the contract, not only will she face punishment, but her family will also suffer for spending the upfront salary. With no other choice, Alethea is forced to endure. In truth, Sebastian’s insults aren’t because he hates Alethea or doubts her abilities. It’s because he knows that his grandfather, Felix Tarcisio, intentionally placed Alethea in his life in the hopes that they would form a relationship and eventually give Felix a male heir to continue the Tarcisio family line. As time goes on, Alethea begins to realize that Sebastian isn’t as cruel as she initially thought. Beneath his hardened exterior, she sees his vulnerability. And in Alethea’s resilience, Sebastian starts to discover a gentleness within himself that he never knew existed. What will become of their story amidst the shadows of manipulation by Sebastian’s grandfather and the greed of Alethea’s mother? Will Alethea and Sebastian fight for their unexpected love, or will they end up parting ways?

Liam Dunlap, my girlfriend's junior apprentice, bragged that he could defuse a bomb with one hand. Then he slipped. The timer began to race. Terrified, he dropped his tools and ran. I stepped in at great risk and saved the hostage. For that, I was commended. Liam, on the other hand, was condemned across the internet and faced severe disciplinary action. My girlfriend tried to speak up for him, but I stopped her. "If you defend him now, not only will your promotion be revoked—people online will come after you too." Later, unable to bear the pressure, Liam jumped to his death. Every line of his suicide note blamed my girlfriend for not standing by him. She said nothing. She simply burned the letter in silence. After that, she rose step by step from a frontline officer to a model figure in the police force. On the day I was kidnapped by criminals, she came in person to defuse the bomb strapped to me—using only one hand. She looked coldly at the device on my chest and said, "See? It can be done with one hand. Why did you all have to drive Liam to his death back then? If I had protected him at the time, the one in my position today… should have been him." The bomb detonated. I died on the spot. After I opened my eyes again, I saw her running around desperately for Liam. She didn't know—the hostage was the mayor's son.

I watch as he gently places the gun on the table. Seconds tick by a heavy silence filling the room. He takes a stand and makes his way to me. He takes a stance behind my chair and places his firm arms on my armchair, caging me. I bask in his scent and warmth. "You choose now Lana, here and now." He whispers into my ear. His traces my knuckles before grabbing my notebook out of my hands, and tossing it on the table. "I wasn't done with that." I say. He laughs, I feel his chest rumble as he laughs. I turn to face him, feeling my breaths shorten with each passing second. "Eyes on the prize, Lana." He turns my head back towards the table. "You choose the notebook you can go back to living your life in fear and delusion, then one day end up dead in a dumpster or," He brushes a strand of hair from my face, " You could pick up the gun and hunt your past which shall it be Lana?" I feel beads of sweat on my back and my anxiety prickling through my skin. I have to choose, here and now. I extend my hand and pick my choice.

Summary When duty demanded that prince Rafael of Valderra adopt his late brother's son as his before sitting on the throne ,the last woman he expected to stand beside him was Elena Laurent –,his late brother's wife's sister and the only woman who refused to grant him access to meet his nephew . Bound by royal law,they enter a marriage of convenience to save the boy and the crown. But neither expect the burning chemistry that threatens to destroy their careful boundaries . As palace secrets unfold,Elena must decide if she's willing to risk her heart for a love born of obligation ,or walk away from the man she's forbidden to desire.