He Chose Her, I Chose Us
On our tenth anniversary, I found the divorce papers my husband, Drake, had secretly filed a year ago.
That same night, I watched him walk into our favorite restaurant, his arm wrapped around his pregnant campaign manager, Chelsea.
I soon learned his plan was more monstrous than a simple affair. He had tricked me into signing the papers, intending for me to raise his mistress's child as my own-a perfect political cover for the wife who couldn't conceive.
When Chelsea later faked a fall and blamed me, the hatred in Drake's eyes confirmed everything.
"If anything happens to her or my child," he snarled, shoving me aside, "I will never forgive you."
He didn't know my secret.
After twelve agonizing rounds of IVF, I was finally pregnant-with twins. He had made his choice, and now I was making mine. I would disappear with my children, and he would never see us again.
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Chapter 7
Drake brought Chelsea home that very night. He even cooked dinner, fussing over her, serving her favorite dishes, pouring her soup. He knew her preferences, her little quirks. Their easy intimacy, their whispered jokes, their shared glances, were a knife twisting in my gut.
My eyes burned, but no tears fell. I kept my head down, picking at my food, a silent ghost at my own dining table. I couldn't react. I couldn't show weakness. My plan depended on it. I had to hide my departure. I had to hide my pregnancy.
"Are you sure you don't mind, Kaitlyn?" Chelsea asked, her voice sweet, innocent, but with an underlying edge of malice.
Drake gave her a quick, reassuring glance. "Kaitlyn understands," he said, his voice firm.
I kept my gaze fixed on my plate, my face a carefully constructed mask of indifference.
After dinner, I sought refuge in the garden, needing air, needing space. As I reached the gazebo, I saw Chelsea approaching.
"Are you upset, Kaitlyn?" she asked, her voice dripping with mock concern. She sat across from me, a challenging glint in her eyes. "Why are you pretending? Don't you care that you'll be raising another woman's child? Don't you ever think about leaving?"
I merely glanced at her, my silence a deliberate provocation. I stood up, ready to walk away.
But she blocked my path, her face twisted in a snarl of fury. My composure only seemed to fuel her rage. She wanted to see me break, to scream, to lash out. She wanted to savor my pain, to confirm her victory. My pregnancy, she believed, had crushed me.
"Why are you pretending, Kaitlyn?" she hissed, her voice low and venomous. "Why are you pretending not to care, pretending to be so magnanimous? What kind of woman willingly raises her husband's child with another woman? Why don't you scream at him? Why don't you fight him?" Her voice rose, shrill with contempt. "You're pathetic."
She leaned in, her eyes narrowed. "Do you think playing the understanding wife will make him feel guilty and compensate you? That's not love, Kaitlyn. That's pity. Staying in a loveless marriage will only bring you pain."
I bit down hard on my lip, willing the burning tears to stay hidden.
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8.4
Palermo does not forgive.
Neither does it forget.
When Guerrero Valenti, the feared leader of the Vikings, vanished, the city exhaled a dangerous calm-but only for a moment. In the shadows, enemies waited. Rivals sharpened their knives. And one woman bore a secret that could ignite every street in the city.
Lucia Romano carried the child of a man who had disappeared into legend and rumor. A son who had not been claimed, not protected, not named.
The city whispered of him with venom: the bastard of the Vikings.
The boy was fragile, but he was a storm waiting to erupt. And every night, Palermo tested him. Masked men tried to snatch him from his crib. Fire, steel, and blood became his lullabies. Yet he survived. Every threat only sharpened his instincts, every scream hardened his mother's resolve.
But whispers spread faster than steel through the night-rumors of a man returning. A shadow that would claim everything, sparking fear in every heart:
Guerrero Valenti.
The father who abandoned him.
The legend whose name alone commands obedience.
The storm that will rise, carrying vengeance, blood, and fire.
And when he comes,
Every man who dared call the bastard his enemy will fall.
Every street, every roof, every whispered corner will bow to the son of Guerrero Valenti or be washed in blood.
This is the story of survival.
Of fire and steel.
Of a mother and her son.
Of a father's return.
Even the earth is getting ready to absorb blood ... the blood of those who call the legitimate son of the Vikings a "BASTARD", and collect necks........the necks of those fallen by the sword of GUERRERO VALANTI.
And upon his return Heads will bow to the one they called a BASTARD .
8.7
This story contains mature themes intended for adult readers. It includes depictions of forbidden relationships, power imbalance, manipulation, emotional abuse, betrayal, jealousy, and grief. Pregnancy loss, infertility fears, and complicated family dynamics are explored. There are references to self-harm and suicide without graphic detail, as well as illness, hospitalization, and death. Scenes may include intense intimacy, obsession, coercive behavior, and psychological distress. Readers may encounter controlling relationships, consent complications, and long-term emotional trauma. If these topics are distressing, please read with care, take breaks, and prioritize your well-being. Support resources are recommended for readers affected by these themes.
7.3
WARNING ⚠️: This book contains sex scenes and mature contents not fit for readers below 18+.
If you love steamy romances and emotional stories, this book is the one.
By day, Damon follows her rules in the kitchen: chopping, kneading, burning his fingers, and surviving her sharp mouth.
By night, she follows his.
Damon Blackwell is a cold, dangerous billionaire who hates Christmas, women, and anything that smells like joy. Haunted by tragedy and trauma, and memories of the girl he once loved and lost, he lives like a machine: money, control, and pleasure without attachment.
Then his grandparents and three ruthless brothers dare him to do the impossible:
Live like a normal man for 12 days to Christmas: no staff, no luxuries, no protection, no control and no bad temper. He has to change and be easygoing with investors.
Fail, and he loses the biggest business deal of his life.
Indulgence is over for him.
The only place Damon knows he can grab survival? A small-town Christmas cooking competition hosted by that one woman who broke his heart years ago.
Merry Steele never expected to see Damon again. The man she left without a word. The man who haunted her dreams after she broke his heart back now stands in her kitchen offering a deal she can't refuse:
Cook for him. Sleep with him. Pretend to be his fiancée until the end of the year.
The pay is tempting. The temptation is even greater.
Before Christmas, can they resist the heat, desire, and lingering love they once shared and keep it strictly business?
As family obligations, enemies, and a high-profile Christmas ball close in, Damon and Merry must correct old heartbreak, passion, and dangerous feelings.
Will Damon ever forgive his fuckmate?
Can Merry resist the billionaire who once stole her heart... or will old flames burn hotter than ever under the snow, the lights, and the Christmas feelings?
9.5
Arranged to marry the most ruthless mafia don in the city, Serafina learns early that obedience is the price of survival.
Luca De Santis doesn't love, he owns.
And she is his most valuable possession.
Inside an empire built on blood, fear, and unbreakable loyalty, there is only one man who never looks at her like property.
Matteo De Santis.
Luca's cousin. His enforcer. His shadow.
Falling in love with him is forbidden.
Being discovered means death.
As loyalty fractures and betrayal ignites, Serafina is forced to choose: remain a silent bride to a monster or rise beside the man willing to burn the empire for her.
In a world where love is treason, survival demands rebellion.
7.5
Five years of a fake marriage to a billionaire.
Christi thought she was a wealthy wife-until City Hall told her the truth.
No marriage license. No legal rights. Nothing but a lie.
Her husband cheated on her for four years.
His entire family mocked her, used her, and planned to trap her with a baby.
She was ready to ruin them all.
Then a secret changed everything:
Her late parents were DARPA elites. She is the sole heir to $50 billion.
There's only one catch-marry Cornelius Gregory, Wall Street's ruthless paralyzed tycoon.
She signs the contract in an instant.
Freeze their accounts. Destroy the Rivera family.
The game is over for them.
And the queen has just arrived.
7.1
"When she no longer believed in promises or happy endings, love crossed entire worlds to show her that magic still existed." Laura C.
Unexpected designs... Or simply capricious games of fate. A human who thinks she has lost all reason to live plunges into a world of fantasies and fangs that make her be born again. A story full of passion, fantasy, vampires, and other species that will make you shudder... Read with me and let your imagination reach wherever Valentin will take you.