How Did Rudy Pankow'S Ethnicity Influence His Career?

Maya de Cruz thought the worst thing that could happen before her wedding was catching her fiancé cheating on her. She was wrong. One reckless night with Rhysand Bernadi, her fiancé’s dangerous older brother, changed the course of her entire life. By morning, Maya disappeared without a word, carrying a secret powerful enough to destroy two old-money families. Five years later, Maya has rebuilt herself in Los Angeles as the owner of De Cruz Atelier, a luxury event company trusted by celebrities, billionaires, and people rich enough to turn scandals into PR strategy. Her life is controlled, successful, and carefully protected around the one thing that matters most: her son, Aiden. Then Maya is hired for the biggest project of her career. Designing Rhysand Bernadi’s wedding. Rhysand is no longer the reckless heir she left behind in Hawaii. He’s colder now. More powerful. More dangerous. And the moment he sees Maya again, it becomes painfully clear that neither of them ever truly moved on. As old attraction resurfaces, family tensions explode, and anonymous threats begin appearing around Maya’s life, the past she buried starts clawing its way back to the surface. Because someone knows what happened five years ago. And someone has been watching Maya for much longer than she realizes. The problem is no longer just the wedding. It’s the little boy with Rhysand’s eyes.

Russell Knight is not your average geek. Sure, he may seem like the quiet, shy, and vulnerable guy in school. But there is far more to Russel than meets the eye. At just 10 years old, Russell had already gone through the heartache of losing both of his parents. He was left under the guardianship care of his uncle Frederick Knight, a struggling handyman living from paycheck to paycheck in the small town of Lakeview. But now that the years have gone by, he finds a way to let out steam and anger taking a liking to getting his hands dirty. Loving the feel of adrenaline as he steps into the underground rinks of a good old fashion cage fight. As the summer ends, and junior year of college begins, he sees eye to eye with Samantha Adams, his new roommate. Will she be able to handle all his hidden secrets? or will she call it quits before it even begins? Realizing college is not what she expected, Russell won't make it easy for her to concentrate in school. He's hot, very hot, and it's going to take a lot of willpower to keep their hands off of each other.

To help my husband, Ryan Whitaker, compete for the director position, I spend an entire month securing the sale of a luxury apartment worth tens of millions of dollars. On the day the contract is signed, Ryan hands the primary contract to Lucinda Brooks, a new employee who has just joined the company. When I demand an explanation, his eyes flicker with guilt. Still, he argues, "Lucinda studied abroad. She is more academically accomplished than you, and her Iridian is better. The client happens to have a foreign business partner, so it'll be smoother if she takes the lead on the signing." As he speaks, he wraps an arm around my shoulders, expecting me to compromise like I always do. But this time, I don't smile but continue to pull a long face. That very afternoon, I submit my resignation letter and hand over every core client under my management. Ryan is furious as he tears up the resignation letter and mocks me. "When I married you, I didn't even care that you only graduated from high school. Why are you picking a fight with a newcomer now?" I laugh. It's true that I don't have an impressive educational background, but he's forgotten one most crucial thing. I didn't earn my title as the company's sales champion through academic credentials.

My contract with the company is about to come to an end, and I'm already planning to renew it. But a few days before that, my boss, Dustin Kline, requested that I lower the percentage of my bonus in the project. The reason he gave is that I'm still young. Even if I were to take over other projects, I'd also do a good job. Dustin even made empty promises to me just so he could get me to give the projects I'm in charge of to Sandy Richmond, the new department manager in the company. When I refused to do so, he threatened to not give me my salary in order to get me to comply. The next day, the company is reduced to a laughing stock at the product launch event. Our client thinks the company's technological skills are too weak to back up the big talk, so they refuse to pay the remainder of the contracted sum. When Dustin begs me for help, I just look at him in amusement. "I refuse to get manipulated by anyone in this workplace. You're more than capable of dealing with your own problems. I believe in you, Mr. Kline."

This isn't your typical Bad boy meets Good Girl story. Oh no. You see the thing is, our Bad boy, is actually a bad man. Ruthlessly determined to get what he wants. Ignore the fact that his life is painfully dangerous, or the constant threat of death that seemed to follow him, or the slew of bodies slain in his wake. (Details! Details!) But Does his intense mocha orbs burrow through your skin and casually stroll along the shores of your soul? Does his luscious dark hair - messily - sway and bend at the will of his slender fingers, and yet, by some miracle seem to always look perfect? A MILLION TIMES YES! Does he always wear black and look formidable yet absolutely ravishing? Do you even have to ask? Reid J. Dawson, has a skill set that is unique and almost unmatched. He is well travelled, intelligent and fancy’s himself a man of particular tastes. Our bad man, however, is not exactly who he says he is, his past has put him on a daunting path one he has no choice but to follow. Reid would burn the world to achieve his goals but nothing could be have prepared him for the danger that came with the saucy, firecracker who is sent barrelling his way. His conviction and his controlling nature is put to the test when his world clashes with a gut-wrenchingly beautiful, stubborn girl. Our “good girl” isn't ‘typical’, She has a mouth on her. Filter? Practically nonexistent. Maya Dupree, is an aspiring editor who always has her head in a book. She is a witty, outspoken fire cracker who certainly has her eccentricities but that never stopped her. What happens when a fearless good girl uncovers the secrets hidden behind the man in all black.

Ruthless, Dangerous vs. Innocent, Over-pampered. The first book in the Ruthless Heirs Mafia Romance Series. In the mob familia, Maximo Russo Moretti was unique – sharp-minded and lethal, exactly as the firstborn of the Moretti family demanded. He was famous for his ruthlessness and how he handled the outfit. He’d made lifelong friends and enemies who’d continue their vendetta even after his death. His priority was always keeping his family, his people safe. He knew someone in the outfit was eating away at his family like a worm. He was certain his father's death was linked to this, fueling his ruthlessness. Shelly Bianchi was an innocent, over-pampered mafia princess, unknown to her reality. Her life flipped 360° when she discovered the truth. They forced her into an arranged marriage on her 18th birthday, her dreams of a normal life shattered, her innocence bloodied by the cruelty of the Mafia World. Old wounds would resurface, a new trick weaving to trap them, destroy them. Old enemies would ambush with doubled power. A decades-old mystery that killed six mafia members – including Russo's father – would resurface, still unsolved and casting blame on innocents. Shelly, daughter of his enemy and married to his enemy, was Russo's first-sight love. A forbidden love he was determined to claim. Protective and possessive, he'd burn the Bianchi and Abruzzo families to have her. She was destined to be his.