

On the third anniversary of my sister's death, the person I trusted the most betrayed me for the ninety-ninth time. She always claimed that I knew nothing about men. She said she was only "testing" them for me. But I knew the truth... She was never protecting me. She was simply enjoying watching everything fall apart. I never expected her obsession to become this twisted. And I never thought she would sneak into my house in the middle of the night... She tie me to my own bed while I was asleep. Bianca: "If you want to win a man's heart, you have to give him exactly what he wants." Bianca: "Men are all the same. The more extreme you are, the more excited they become." Bianca: "And that rule applies to women too. If you want to learn... I can teach you." I forced myself to look terrified and furious. But deep inside... I felt nothing. Because this twisted woman named Bianca... Was exactly the person I needed. She would become my pawn. The key to uncovering the evidence that Matteo murdered my sister. Everyone knew Matteo as the powerful ruler of New York's underground world. A brilliant CEO. A man who seemed untouchable. But no one knew the monster hiding behind his perfect mask. He was obsessed with one thing... Immortality. And he was the one who killed my sister through his cruel experiments. Viviana: "Bianca, are you sure you can handle everything I do?" Fine. Then become my pawn. Bianca... Matteo... You two monsters were made for each other.

When Lila impulsively kisses a stranger to get back at her cheating ex-boyfriend, she has no idea she's just locked lips with Colton Denizen, a billionaire and her esteemed college professor. As sparks fly, their passionate yet secretive relationship leads them into a thrilling adventure. Together, they must unravel the mystery and bring down the elusive Rogue King. Lila and Colton's bond is tested in ways they never imagined. Will their love survive the secrets and perils they uncover?

Three days before my marking ceremony, someone set fire to the bridal shop while I was inside trying on my ceremonial dress. Alpha Marcus threw the arsonist into the pack prison, sentencing them to the harshest punishment our laws allowed. I lay in the hospital bed, my body covered in third-degree burns, refusing to wake fully as the reality of my disfigurement sank in. In my semi-conscious state, I heard Marcus speaking with the pack's healing witch. "Alpha, we can still heal her completely with the ancient magic. If we wait any longer, Sarah will bear these scars for life! You just want Miss Rachel to be your Luna at the marking ceremony. This is cruel beyond measure!" "Let her keep the scars. I'll provide for her for the rest of her life, but if she's healed, she'll definitely cause trouble at the marking ceremony." "I promised Rachel that her pup would be welcomed into the pack with full honors. Only when Sarah is completely disfigured will she be grateful enough to raise Rachel's child as her own. The scars are necessary - at least this way, she won't dare mistreat the pup." In the corner of the room, where no one was watching, a tear slid down my burned cheek. So this was the truth. The marking ceremony I'd dreamed of was nothing but a lie. The mate bond I longed for would be my death sentence. If that's how it had to be, I would give him what he wanted.

On my eighteenth birthday, Alpha called me up in front of the whole pack and told me to choose—one of his sons as my mate. Whichever I chose? He'd be the next Alpha. I didn't flinch. I picked Cayce, his eldest. The room went dead silent. Everyone knew I used to be stupidly in love with Kain, the younger one. I'd confessed at every pack dance. Took a silver dagger for him once. Cayce? Coldest, meanest wolf we had. Total menace. No one got close. But they didn't know the truth. In my last life, I was bonded to Kain. On the day of our Bonding Ceremony, he slept with Lena, my cousin. My mom lost it. Shipped Lena off to Duskwolf Pack to get bonded to their Beta. Kain? He blamed me. Paraded in she-wolves with Lena's same ice-blue eyes. When he found out I was carrying his pup, he made sure I saw him with every one of them. It was torture. When labor hit, he locked me in the dungeon. Blocked everyone out. My pup got crushed. I died hating him. Maybe the Moon Goddess felt sorry for me—she gave me a second shot. I came back. This time? I let Kain keep Lena. Didn't think he would ever regret it.

On our seventh wedding anniversary, I was straddling my Mafia husband, Lucian, kissing him deeply. My fingers fumbled in the pocket of my expensive silk dress, searching for the pregnancy test I'd hidden there. I wanted to save the news of my unexpected pregnancy for the end of the evening. Lucian's right-hand man, Marco, asked with a suggestive smile in Italian: "Don, your new little canary, Sophia. How does she taste?" Lucian's mocking laughter vibrated through my chest, sending a chill down my spine. He replied, also in Italian: "Like an unripe peach. Fresh and tender." His hand was still caressing my waist, but his gaze was distant. "Just keep this between us. If my Donna finds out, I'm a dead man." His men chuckled knowingly, raising their glasses and swearing their silence. The warmth in my blood turned to ice, inch by inch. The one thing they didn’t know was that my grandmother was from Sicily, so I understood every word. I forced myself to remain calm, keeping the perfect smile of a Donna fixed in place, but the hand holding my champagne flute trembled. Instead of making a scene, I opened my phone, found the invitation I had received a few days ago for a private international medical research project, and tapped "Accept." In three days, I would disappear from Lucian's world completely.