Code 174911

After my girlfriend of seven years checked in from the foreign third-world country, Bayndemar, she suddenly vanished without a trace. That same night, I received a video from her phone. In the footage, a man wielding an electric baton sneered at the camera. "Bring five million dollars to the compound if you want her back alive." Beside him, my girlfriend's clothes were torn, her body covered in blood. Trembling, she begged through tears, "Ryan! Save me! They promised they'd let me go once the money's paid!" Without hesitation, I went alone. But the moment I landed, I was drugged into unconsciousness. In the end, I was tortured to death. Meanwhile, my girlfriend returned home with one-third of the ransom money and married the student my family had sponsored. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the very day she disappeared.

I've always been a good girl but forlorn— abused and controlled by my husband and neglected by my parents. But the second I walked into the stranger's house, I saw hope that I had never thought would lead me into temptation. There, I met Courtney Siegel, a notorious Mafia King who held mighty and alluring features that would make any woman swoon. But behind his exquisite facade obscures a heart made of cold steel that could strike terror and death in even the most dauntless men. From the moment he saved me from my abusive husband, he also allowed me to feel a genuine and wild taste of passion I found hard to resist. I was scared of men before. I used to believe they were nothing but a monster. But Courtney... he is the only EXCEPTION.

Warning: DARK ROMANCE Story contains detailed mature scenes possessing dubious consent not recommended for age group below 18 years old. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Prologue Shadows engulfed him in a beautiful embrace. He looked like an angel with devilish intentions. It wasn't until he took a step towards her did the gravity of situation descended upon her and even then she couldn't do anything but shake in fear. She knew making a run for it won't do a thing, calling was not an option and if she screamed...she opened her mouth to scream but a meek plea came out. Her body's lack of response terrified her, tears gathered in her orbs with horrible anticipation. With his each step nearer she gripped the frame of her window tighter hoping to keep her balance. It took him three steps to be inches away from her body. He slowly took his suit jacket off, making himself comfortable as he amusingly watched her shaken face. She was so horror-stricken to even look at his face. She gulped as his hand cupped her neck in a gentle grip, guiding her eyes to his. His eyes slipped from the hold of her eyes to her lips in a second. She grew self conscious all over again. His heated gaze on her lips was unwavering. In the moment of bewilderment and growing self awareness her tongue unconsciously wiped her lips wet and it was all it took for him to descent on her lips.

Archer has always wanted what he can’t have—Quinn Dawson. Since the moment he saw her, he’s been denying his feelings for her, ignoring the void in his heart he knows only she can fill. Everything about them was wrong, the kind of wrong that felt so right. But none of it mattered. Not the terrible timing. And definitely not the mess it would create if Archer made a move on his best friend’s baby sister. It was supposed to be one night, but one night is all it takes to make everything more complicated, and they only have nine short months to sort it all out. No, none of it mattered. Until it did.

Celine Yates is a 25-year-old heiress who was forced to work in a corporate world because her mother has been withholding her inheritance. It has been seven years since her father's death and she felt that her life and dreams have been put on-hold because she could not get the funding she needed on her life projects. To make matters worse, her step-father is accusing her of fraud for presenting a fake marriage certificate to get her inheritance. His reason: Daniel Grant aka husband does not exist in any record. Everyone knows Daniel the geek back in college. He is her friend. How could he not exist? That's her way out every time her mother would arrange a blind date for her. One day, her mother gave her a hard deadline: bring Daniel Grant or get married to Mr. Johnson, one of her step-father's buddy who is twice her age. Out of desperation, she asked her CEO boss Daniel Stevenson to accompany her to meet her mother and step-father in exchange of one month overtime without pay. Will the boss agree? Will she get her inheritance? What would she do if she finds out they have more connection than what she knows?

My mom, Susan, had a habit of sending me to get her shopping. However, she would always leave out a zero when paying me back what was owed, blaming on her poor eyesight. I never minded. In fact, I would just cover the cost without another word. Then, Summer, my sister, had to throw shade. “Mom sends you money whenever she wants something. You never show us the actual costs, though. I bet you’re making a nice little profit off Mom behind our backs.” Susan smiled and didn’t even bother to defend me, as if confirming Summer’s accusations. My heart sank. Over the years, I had bought her things from major appliances to the smallest groceries, and each time, the payment she sent was short. Susan would just brush the whole thing off by saying, “Oh, my eyes aren’t what they used to be. My bad.” I had poured hundreds of thousands into her expenses, only to end up with a reputation as a thief who cheated her own family. When Susan sent me money for the New Year’s Eve catering, I simply booked food that fit the budget she paid for.