Alpha's Mistake, Luna's Freedom

Kaitlyn Rhodes has everything under control - her thriving event design business, her chic apartment in Pinewood Estate, and a carefully curated life that leaves no room for chaos. But control shatters the morning a phone call changes everything. Her company is suddenly on the verge of collapse, thanks to a scandal she didn't see coming. And before she can find her footing, an unexpected proposition arrives from the last man she ever thought would notice her - Miles Howard. The elusive billionaire CEO of Howard & Co. Corporate is as infamous for his ruthless deals as he is for his guarded heart. To the world, Miles is untouchable. But behind the tailored suits and cold precision lies a man with everything to lose... and a secret plan to save it. His offer? A marriage of convenience. His reason? Business. His real motive? Something he's not ready to admit. Drawn into his world of power, luxury, and dangerous rivalries, Kaitlyn finds herself walking a razor's edge between independence and desire. The more time she spends in Miles's orbit, the harder it is to tell where the arrangement ends... and something far more real begins. In a city of secrets, one thing becomes clear: in love and business, nothing stays purely transactional for long.

BLURB. Selena had it all, a devoted mate, Kael, and a life planned as the future Luna of their pack. Until betrayal struck. Her mate slept with her sister, and the entire pack already knew. Humiliation, heartbreak, and fury consumed her, leaving her adrift in a world that had always demanded strength. Then Darius appeared. The enigmatic Alpha whose gaze pierced her defenses and whose presence demanded more than she was ready to give. He didn't pity her. He didn't console her. He challenged her, pushed her, tested her, stripped her bare of pretenses and in doing so, awakened a dangerous attraction she never anticipated. Under his guidance, Selena must confront her past, reclaim her power, and navigate the deadly tensions of pack politics. Training becomes a battlefield of desire and restraint, where every glance, every touch, every word between them carries unspoken weight. The slow-burn connection intensifies with every moment, fiery, messy, human, impossible to ignore. But the road to healing and love is never easy. Kael returns, stirring the ashes of old attachments, while external pack threats loom. Selena is forced to choose between the remnants of a shattered past and the consuming, dangerous pull of Darius, the Alpha who sees every crack in her soul and refuses to look away.

Chapter 1 It was their seventh wedding anniversary. Carolyn found the divorce agreement in Roger’s nightstand. The pages were covered in scribbles and corrections, as if he’d agonized over them for years. *"If, during the marriage, I fall in love with another person, I voluntarily relinquish all assets and leave with nothing. Asset details as follows…"* His first impulse had been to walk away empty-handed. But the asset section told a different story—a mess of revisions. First, he’d crossed out the property he intended to give her. Then, the fifty million earmarked for her was scratched out and replaced with five hundred thousand. Finally, as if in penance, he had written a single line. *"Better to have Carolyn leave with nothing. No choice, Catherine is pregnant."* … Carolyn sank onto the bed, disbelief washing over her. On the agreement, Roger’s signature was clean and decisive, without a hint of hesitation. And the document had been drafted seven years ago—the very year they married. That year, Roger had been willing to give up everything for her. Yet every year after, he had crossed out another piece of their shared life. Now, seven years later, the one leaving with nothing would be her. Her phone buzzed abruptly. A message from Roger. *"Urgent business. Won't be back."* She called, only to find his phone already switched off. Another notification flashed—a screenshot from a friend. Catherine, the student she sponsored, had posted on social media. *"Wow, got praised! To commemorate my first period without a leak, the big boss said we should celebrate properly!"* In a nine-photo collage, Roger gazed at her, eyes crinkling with affection as he fastened a dazzling gemstone necklace around her neck. The post was tagged at a couples-themed hotel. Carolyn’s breath caught. He couldn’t remember seven years of marriage, of weathering storms together—but he could find the energy to celebrate Catherine’s… leak-free period. And that pendant… she’d seen it at an auction just last week. It was her mother’s lost heirloom. She’d been ready to bid when her bank card was frozen. She’d asked Roger why. A long time later, he finally texted back, telling her not to waste money on such impractical things. Clutching her bidding paddle, she’d sat helplessly in the auction hall. In the end, she resolved to sell one of her own designs to raise the funds. But someone on the phone swooped in with an unbeatable offer and took it. For weeks afterward, Carolyn hated herself—hated that she couldn’t protect her mother’s last keepsake. She never imagined the one who snatched it away was Roger. He knew exactly how much that pendant meant to her. Yet he gave it to Catherine. Even on their seventh anniversary, Roger had lied about being busy with work, while wining and dining the girl she’d sponsored. The anniversary gift he left her was a divorce agreement demanding she leave with nothing. Seven years of marriage. Seven years of infidelity. And Carolyn had known nothing. She’d even introduced the other woman to him herself. Catherine was the impoverished student Carolyn sponsored. The first time Catherine came to their home to give thanks, Roger found her intrusive and disliked her on sight. *"That girl has no manners. Tracked mud all over my cashmere rug."* *"If her grades aren’t up to par, cut the sponsorship."* Back then, Carolyn had teased him, saying not to be jealous—it was good the girl had a grateful heart. She never once suspected Roger and Catherine. For seven years, everyone in their circle believed Roger never played around. That he loved only Carolyn. But by their next meeting, Catherine had become Roger’s personal assistant. Roger explained, *"The girl’s had it tough. You’ve sponsored her for years. Giving her a job is just helping you out."* Carolyn had laughed it off. Now, hands trembling, she opened Catherine’s social media feed. Catherine had always hidden her posts from Carolyn. Now, she seemed desperate to flaunt everything. While Carolyn drank until her stomach bled to secure a deal for Roger, Catherine was using Roger’s card to buy her first Louis Vuitton. While Carolyn changed bedpans for Roger’s bedridden grandmother, Roger was taking Catherine to a perfume atelier for a blending class—calling it a business trip. Catherine had even complained online. *"Your wife is such a pampered princess. Can't handle the tiniest thing without you running back. Can she not live without a man?"* And Roger had replied beneath it. *"If she were half as independent as you, I’d have an easier life."* But that day… Carolyn’s mother had lost her battle with cancer. She’d cried until her heart felt shredded, scrambling to handle the arrangements. All the while, Roger kept checking his phone impatiently, eager to leave. Not for work, she realized now—but because he was desperate to get back to Catherine.

It had been nine years of being tangled up with Max. On my birthday, his girlfriend crashed the party, declaring they were meant to be together and that I should consent to a divorce for their happiness. Max watched indifferently, expecting me to handle the situation as I always had with his difficult partners. But that day, a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over me. I stood up, gave him a smile, and said, "I'm going to get some fresh air in the garden." Max barely noticed, likely thinking I was off to cry in solitude. But an hour passed, then two, then three, and I didn’t return. He came looking for me. All he found was a burnt cigarette and a ring in the garden. That's when he knew. I wasn't coming back.

I never wanted any part in this. But I have no choice. With a deep sigh, I force down an invisible lump in my throat, looking up at the priest. I press my fingers tighter into the flower I am holding, hoping it hides how much I am shaking. Dreading the words the priest is about to utter. "Do you, Ariella Cecilia Boone, take Dermos Salvatore to be your lawfully wedded husband?" The priest asks. I blink. I badly want to say it, badly want to scream that I am not Ariella Cecilia Boone. My lips tremble as I force the truth down my throat, "Yes, I do." I murmur, my voice a little over a whisper. ~~~~ Ariel Hannah Boone didn't know what life had in store for her when she woke up on her twin sister's wedding day, only to find out her sister had run away. She went into panic when her mother insisted she take her place because Dermos Salvatore was no man to joke with. Dermos was the most feared Don in the whole of Sicily, one who killed without care. A blood thirsty murderer with no remorse. In an attempt to save her family from his wrath, she takes her sister's place at the wedding. Pain, suffering, and betrayal are all she knows the moment she became his. Secrets begin to unveil as she realises her family isn't what it seems. And when whispers of her sister's disappearance reach her, she finds out the truth. He never wanted Ariella; it had always been her. Ariel has to choose between a love built on lies or betraying her sister and family. She was his bride, and he was her prison, yet he would never let her go.

When Claire Mills discovers her husband Marcus and her best friend Emily having an intimate conversation in her bedroom on her twenty-eighth birthday, her perfect life shatters in an instant. The devastating revelation—they've been having an affair for two years, and Emily claims to be pregnant with Marcus's child—destroys Claire's trust in the two people she loved most. What began on her bachelorette party continued through her wedding night and beyond, a betrayal so complete it leaves her questioning every memory. But as Claire struggles to rebuild her life, she uncovers a shocking truth: Emily's pregnancy is a lie—just one in a web of manipulation spanning years. Emily has been obsessed with Marcus from the beginning, orchestrating their affair and sabotaging Claire's marriage from within. Now armed with evidence of Emily's deception, Claire must decide: Will she fight for justice and reclaim her life, or let the betrayal define her? And when Marcus begins his journey toward redemption, can Claire's broken heart ever trust again? In this emotional rollercoaster of betrayal and recovery, Claire will discover that sometimes the person you thought was your best friend might be your worst enemy—and that true strength comes from surviving their lies.