Ruthless

"I want to hear it from you. I want to watch you look me in the eye and tell me they aren't mine… without looking away even once." I swallowed hard, because the game he was playing was cruel. I knew that the slightest flicker in my expression would feed his suspicions. I lifted my chin, met his gaze without blinking, and spoke slowly, "They. Are. Not. Yours." The muscle in Damian's jaw tightened, and his breath brushed my face, warm and steady. "You've gotten better at this, Harper," he murmured, using my last name like a provocation. "But you're still not that good." "Or maybe you're just hearing what you want to hear," I shot back, fighting the suffocating closeness. "You hate losing. But sometimes, losing is inevitable. Accept it and get out of my life." Stella was desperate. After dropping out of college to pay off the debts her father left behind, all she wanted was a fresh start, even if that meant forging a résumé and swallowing her pride to land a job as the secretary to the ruthless CEO Damian Winter. What she didn't expect was that her new boss would be as irresistible as he was dangerous. Or that a series of sharp provocations and intense encounters would lead to an indecent contract. A secret agreement ruled by power and desire, in which Stella committed to satisfying Damian's every whim, with one single condition: she could never get pregnant. But what would happen when Stella discovered she had broken that rule? Now pregnant and emotionally shattered, Stella learned from the news on TV that Damian was engaged to a wealthy heiress. Hiding the truth seemed like her only option. But secrets would never stay buried forever.

She had dreamed of a fairy tale. He turned her dream into a ruthless contract. Olivia Bittencourt worked as an administrator at her father’s engineering firm. Romantic and devoted, she had always dreamed of building a family—and she believed she had found that future beside her boyfriend. On the night she finally decided to give herself to him, she was drugged by the very man she loved—who had planned to “sell” her virginity to his boss in exchange for a promotion. But a mix-up in hotel suites changed everything: Olivia ended up in the arms of a cold CEO, addicted to women, who didn’t believe in love or forever. From that forbidden night came an unexpected pregnancy. Desperate to save her brother from loan sharks and protect her heart-fragile father, Olivia used the card left behind that night to pay the debt… and ended up in Liam Holt’s hands. He needed to marry and produce a legitimate heir to claim his grandfather’s fortune and keep control of the empire; she had no way out. Under pressure, she agreed to a one-year contract marriage—pretending to be the billionaire’s perfect wife. Between hatred, desire, and secrets, Olivia discovered it was impossible to pretend forever… and that this contract could be her prison—or the path to a great love.

Dante Bellandi, the eldest son of a ruthless Reggio Calabria clan leader, is thrust into a vortex of power following his father’s sudden death. At just twenty-three, Dante becomes the unexpected heir to an empire built on blood and betrayal, facing enemies lurking in every shadow—and allies whose loyalty is as fickle as their moods. Amid the chaos, his world collides with Svetlana’s—a gifted ballerina who lives for the spotlight, unaware of the dark secrets that rule the underworld of Italian crime. An unexpected abduction tears her from her dreamlike existence, forcing her to confront a perilous reality where love and revenge are two sides of the same coin. As Dante and Svetlana grapple with their own demons, an unforeseen attraction sparks between them, threatening to dismantle the walls they’ve built to protect themselves. But in the world of the mafia, love is no luxury—it’s a weapon that could destroy them both. Caught between conspiracies, fractured loyalties, and a legacy that threatens to consume him, Dante must choose: fight for the power he inherited… or risk everything for the one woman who could save him—or doom him.

She dreamed of a fairy tale. He turned that dream into a ruthless contract. Olivia Bailey was an executive at her father’s engineering company. Romantic and devoted, she had always dreamed of building a family, and believed she had found that future beside her boyfriend. On the night she decided to give herself to him, she was drugged by her own boyfriend who planned to “sell” her virginity to his boss in exchange for a promotion. But a mix-up of hotel suites changed everything. Olivia ended up in the arms of a cold, womanizing CEO who didn't believe in love or happily-ever-afters. From that forbidden night, an unexpected pregnancy was born. Desperate to save her brother from ruthless loan sharks and protect her father with heart disease, Olivia used the card left behind that night to pay the debt… and ended up in the hands of Liam Holt. He needed to marry and produce a legitimate heir to inherit his grandfather’s fortune and keep his empire. She had no way out. Under pressure, she agreed to a one-year contract marriage, pretending to be the perfect wife of a billionaire. Between hatred, desire, and secrets, Olivia discovered that pretending forever was impossible… and that this contract could be her prison, or the path to a once-in-a-lifetime love.

Aurora West has spent her life chasing a future bathed in promise, determined to carve her place in the world of law. Landing a coveted internship at the city's most prestigious firm feels like the final step toward everything she's ever dreamed of. But nothing could have prepared her for Rafael Novoa-her boss, a man as ruthless as he is magnetic. Cold, reserved, and armed with an impeccable reputation, Novoa is a master of his craft. Yet behind the sharp edges of his composure lies a truth he refuses to face: an irresistible pull toward Aurora. And the more he fights it, the more her very presence dares to unravel every rule, every principle, every line he swore never to cross.

Seven years ago, Leah Morgan was the girl everyone mocked—the orphan humiliated and betrayed by the people she trusted the most. Forced to leave New York with nothing but pain and a burning desire for revenge, she disappeared… and rebuilt herself into someone unrecognizable. Now at twenty-three, Leah returns to the city stronger, smarter, and more dangerous. Her goal is simple: destroy Clara, the woman who ruined her life. But revenge becomes complicated when Leah lands a job as the executive secretary to Alexander Holton, New York’s most powerful and untouchable billionaire CEO. Cold, ruthless, and feared in the business world, Alexander is a man who never lets anyone get close. Until Leah. A single night of unexpected passion binds their fates together, turning a calculated plan into a dangerous game of desire, obsession, and secrets. As Leah gets closer to her revenge, she discovers something far more complicated than hatred—feelings she never planned for. But in a world ruled by power and betrayal, love can be the greatest weakness of all. And for Alexander Holton… Leah Morgan might be the only one he has.