CELINE:The Sheikh Dessert Bride
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**One night of betrayal. One night of passion. A lifetime of consequences.**
Celine was always the shadow-the reliable twin who worked while her sister, Celeste, basked in the spotlight. But when she finds her boyfriend of five months in her sister's bed, the shadow finally snaps. A reckless night at a dive bar with a hazel-eyed stranger was supposed to be her escape, a way to forget the people who saw her as a spare part.
But the stranger wasn't just a face in the crowd. He was **Idris Al-Miraj**, the billionaire Sheikh and the owner of the very hotel where Celine works.
When her parents attempt to sell her into a sacrificial marriage to save the family's reputation, Celine finds herself hunted by her past and trapped by her future. Idris doesn't just want her back in his bed; he wants to own every brick of the wall she's built around her heart.
Jobless, homeless, and backed into a corner by a family that only needs her when they can use her, Celine prepares to run again. But Idris has other plans. He doesn't want her to run. He doesn't even want her to surrender.
He wants her to fight back.
**"Use me,"** he says.
In a world where power is the only currency, Celine must decide if the man who dismantled her life is her greatest enemy-or the only weapon she has left.
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Chapter 1
Celine wiped the final streak of polish from the mahogany nightstand, her muscles aching from hours of scrubbing and fluffing pillows in the opulent suite. The room smelled faintly of lavender cleaner mixed with the hotel's signature jasmine scent-notes that always lingered on her uniform like an unwanted perfume. She glanced at her watch: 6:45 PM. If she hustled, she'd clock out before her manager, Mr. Hargrove, made his rounds. That man was a vulture, circling for any speck of dust or crooked towel to pick at, his nasal voice dripping with fake politeness as he docked pay or threatened write-ups.She grabbed her cleaning cart, wheels squeaking softly on the marble floors of the Al-Miraj Grand Palace, the most lavish hotel in the city. Nestled in the heart of downtown, it sprawled like a gilded oasis-crystal chandeliers dripping from vaulted ceilings, fountains bubbling in the lobby, and suites that catered to celebrities and oil tycoons. Celine had worked here for two years, mopping up after the elite, but she'd never laid eyes on the owner. Rumors swirled among the staff: maybe he was a reclusive billionaire who hated the spotlight, or some ancient sheikh pulling strings from a desert palace halfway across the world. Whatever the case, the place ran like clockwork, which was more than she could say for her own life.Heart racing with a different kind of urgency, Celine darted down the service corridor, dodging a laundry cart and slipping past the kitchen doors where chefs barked orders in a symphony of clanging pots. Today marked five months with Jamal-five months of stolen kisses in her tiny apartment, late-night texts that made her blush, and dreams of something more. She'd scrimped from her tips to buy him a sleek leather wallet, engraved with their initials. Tonight, she'd surprise him. Clock out early, slip home, shower off the day's grime, and emerge in that lacy black lingerie set she'd hidden in her drawer for weeks. Red lace hugging her curves, garters whispering against her thighs-Jamal wouldn't know what hit him.The employee exit loomed ahead, a nondescript door at the back of the hotel. Celine punched her code into the panel, the lock clicking open with a satisfying beep. Freedom. She burst into the humid evening air, the city's neon lights flickering to life as the sun dipped behind skyscrapers. A grin split her face, wide and unguarded. For once, everything felt right. Jamal had texted earlier: Can't wait to see you, babe. Pizza and Netflix? She'd play along, then blindfold him for the real surprise.The bus ride home blurred by in a haze of anticipation. Celine fidgeted with the gift bag in her lap, imagining his eyes lighting up, his strong hands pulling her close. Jamal worked construction, his body honed from hauling steel beams under the relentless sun. He wasn't the flowers-and-dinner type, but he made her laugh, held her after long shifts, and whispered promises of a future-maybe even a ring someday. Five months wasn't forever, but it was enough to make her believe.Her apartment building came into view, a weathered five-story walk-up on the edge of the bustling neighborhood. Paint peeled from the railings, and the elevator hadn't worked in months, but it was home. Celine bounded up the stairs two at a time, her sneakers thudding softly. Key in hand-the spare she'd copied last month-she paused at the door to their shared place. Jamal had insisted on paying half the rent after a month, calling it "our spot." She twisted the key, the lock tumbling with a familiar click.The door swung open to darkness, save for the faint glow of a lamp from the bedroom. Odd-Jamal usually left the living room light on. "Babe? I'm home early!" she called, kicking off her shoes and padding inside. The air felt thick, heavy with a musky scent that wasn't their usual mix of takeout and her vanilla body spray. Pizza boxes? No, something earthier, primal.Celine's pulse quickened, a thrill mixing with the day's exhaustion. Maybe he'd planned something too. She set the gift bag on the kitchen counter, fingers already tugging at her uniform blouse. A hot shower first-steam to melt away the hotel's polish, then the lingerie. She flicked on the bathroom light, splashing water on her face, watching it swirl down the drain like her worries.But as she stepped toward the bedroom, a sound stopped her cold. Low, rhythmic-moans? Laughter? No, unmistakable gasps, flesh slapping against flesh. Her stomach twisted. Heart hammering, she crept forward, the floorboards creaking under her weight. The door was ajar, a sliver of yellow light spilling out.She pushed it open silently, and the world shattered.
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7.1
His grin spread and he leaned closer to me, his scent overshadowing my senses. "I own you and this entire place, Scarlett. Whatever I decide to do to them is none of your business, is that clear?"
"I hate you, Asher. I hate you with every cell in my body!" I seethed through my teeth, but his grin only grew wider.
"We both know that you are lying..." His fingers moved to my chest, slowly making their way over my breasts, searching for my nipple. "Your whole body can't survive without me."
***
Scarlett's holy union to Asher, the feared king of the Forgotten Lands, was meant to unite kingdoms but behind closed doors, her marriage becomes a prison. Asher wants an heir, a throne, and revenge against the family that once ruled over him. Scarlett is only the means to an end.
Caught between a husband who breaks her body yet craves her soul, and a trusted friend whose loyalty hides a thirst for power, Scarlett learns that love in the Crystal Peaks is never gentle. It is claimed, twisted, and betrayed.
As war brews, dark magic awakens, and an enemy long thought dead returns, Scarlett must decide who she truly belongs to... and how much of herself she's willing to lose to survive.
Because in a world ruled by monsters, the most dangerous thing a woman can be is loved.
Book 3 of The Lycan King Series.
7.9
He tilted her chin up, his touch deceptively gentle.
"You're trembling," he whispered, brushing his thumb over her lips, slow enough to make her shiver.
"Is it fear..." His gaze lingered on her mouth. "Or me?"
Her pulse stuttered, betraying her. He was too close, and her body didn't seem to remember which feeling came first, terror or desire.
****
Elena Castellano never thought her father would trade her freedom to keep her safe. But after a violent attack changes everything, she is forced to marry the one man she has every reason to be afraid of, Stefano Bernardo, the ruthless heir to one of Milan's most dangerous families.
To the world, it's a union between two powerful families.
To Stefano, it's the sweetest revenge.
Stuck in a marriage built on deceit and danger, Elena must fight not only for her freedom but also for her life, because Stefano's revenge runs deeper than she ever imagined.
And if she truly wants to live, she must face the truth: the real danger isn't her husband's revenge; it's falling for him.
He married her to destroy her family.
But she might become the death of him - literally.
8.2
For three years, I scrubbed tables as a "wolfless runt," hiding my identity as the Lycan King's daughter.
It was a test for my fiancé, Alpha Connor. I wanted to see if he loved the girl, or just the crown.
He failed spectacularly tonight.
His mistress, Jaden, deliberately knocked a tray of drinks onto me during the dinner rush.
The liquid wasn't alcohol. It was concentrated silver.
My flesh hissed and bubbled as the poison ate through my skin, blocking any ability to heal.
I fell to the floor, clutching my melting hand, while Jaden faked tears and claimed I attacked her.
When Connor finally answered the video call, he saw my mangled hand. He smelled the burning flesh. He knew it was silver.
But he didn't help me.
He looked at his watch, annoyed that I was interrupting his business meeting with investors.
"Apologize to Jaden," he ordered, using his Alpha Command to crush me into submission.
"On your knees. Now."
The pain was blinding, but the betrayal cut deeper. He was forcing his Fated Mate to bow to the woman who tried to maim her.
My knees bent under the pressure, but my Royal blood refused to break.
I looked straight into the camera lens.
"No," I whispered.
I reached into my apron, bypassing the notepad, and pulled out a black satellite phone I hadn't touched in years.
"Code Black," I said to the King on the other end. "Send the Guard."
Connor thought he was disciplining a waitress.
He didn't know he just declared war on the Royal Family.
8.8
"I loved you with all my heart, but you betrayed me, cheating with me on her? Really?" Vionne Wallace said bitterly to her husband.
"Sign it! We are getting a divorce, I've come to realize Nora is the one for me. You can't even bore a child, barren woman." He said sharply, his void devoid of emotions
He could tell it all, he was in love with Nora, my own step sister.
Lene Wallace, was a fashion designer and also business administrator, she got married to the love of her life, Harrison Worthington
Just after 3 years of marriage, she couldn't give birth and the marriage started crashing, he cheated on her with Nora.
With a broken heart, she drank to stupor and had a one night stand with a powerful billionaire.
When her father found out, he was in support of Harrison and Nora, while he disowned her, giving everything he had to Nora.
She found out there was more to the one night stand man, when they met again.
He was her father's best friend
The one night stand was not just powerful, he had a connecting relationship with her father and her ex husband, he will get married to her and help her defeat them.
Will they come to fall in love? Or will she go back to her ex husband after this?
7.6
I was the Chicago Outfit's princess, and Luca and Matteo were my sworn protectors. We had mixed our blood at ten years old, promising that nothing would ever touch me.
But that oath turned to ash the night Sofia Ricci aimed a Roman candle at my chest.
The firework slammed into my shoulder, igniting my silk dress instantly. As I rolled on the concrete, screaming while the flames ate into my skin, I waited for my boys to save me.
They didn't.
Instead, I watched through the smoke as they rushed to Sofia. They wrapped their jackets—the ones meant to shield me—around the girl who had just set me on fire, comforting her because the "kickback" had scared her.
They let me burn to keep her warm.
When I woke up in the hospital with permanent scars, they brought me a letter of apology from her and defended her "accident." They even cut their palms to pay her debt, ignoring the fact that I was the one in bandages.
That was the moment Elena Vitiello died.
I didn't scream. I didn't beg. I simply packed my bags and defected to the one place they couldn't follow: the arms of Dante Moretti, the lethal Capo of New York.
By the time they realized their mistake and came crawling back to beg in the rain, I was already wearing another man's ring.
"You want forgiveness?" I asked, looking down at them.
"Burn for it."
9.3
I am Cipher, an elite operative, but the world knows me as Evita Peck-the mute, illegitimate liability of a powerful political dynasty. To protect my sister and maintain my cover, I played the role of a fragile, broken doll, enduring my stepmother's abuse in silence.
Everything shattered at a high-stakes gala when my stepmother forced a drugged cocktail down my throat to sell me to a wealthy donor for campaign funds. Fighting the chemical haze, I fled to a restricted suite and collapsed into the arms of the one man I should have avoided: Jedidiah Stone, the paralyzed, reclusive "Broken King."
The drug stripped away my control, leading to a night of desperate passion with the man who was my family's greatest enemy. I escaped at dawn, but I accidentally left behind a bloodstain on his sheets and fled with a classified data chip hidden in his jacket, marking me as a target for the most dangerous security force in the city.
When I returned home, my mother slapped me for the "failed" deal and immediately announced I was being sold into a marriage alliance with the Stone family. Before I could process the horror, Julian Kensington-Jedidiah's deadliest rival-publicly claimed me as his secret fiancée, turning me into a pawn in their brutal corporate war.
I was trapped in a deadly tug-of-war between a man who wanted to use me as a shield and a man who was hunting for the "spy" who had breached his bed. I didn't know how much longer I could play the mute victim while the two most powerful men in the country fought to possess me.
The game reached a breaking point when Jedidiah invoked a "hostile asset acquisition" clause to legally force me to marry him instead of his cousin. Now, I am moving into the Stone estate, realizing that the man I am about to marry is the same man who has sworn to break the very woman I truly am.