Blood and Roses.

Ava Martin thought she had already lost everything when her mother - the only family who truly loved her - died suddenly. But heartbreak doesn't come alone. Within days, she catches her fiancé in bed with her stepsister and is forced to confront betrayal that shatters the last pieces of her trust. Before she can recover, Ava is summoned by the father who abandoned her years ago. What awaits is not reconciliation but another cruel twist - her family has sold her to pay off their debts. Her buyer? Alessandro Moretti. To the world, Alessandro is the powerful CEO of Moretti Holdings, a man whose empire commands respect. In the shadows, he is whispered about as a ruthless mafia don - cold, merciless, and untouchable. Love has no place in his world of blood and loyalty. But when the feared mafia godmother takes an unusual liking to Ava, Alessandro is pressured into marrying her. What begins as a transaction quickly spirals into a dangerous game of fire and ice. Ava's defiance sparks something Alessandro thought was long dead, while his dark world threatens to consume her completely. Can the fiery strength in Ava's heart melt the walls Alessandro has built around his, or will their bond be drowned in betrayal, blood, and roses?

Chapters

Chapter 4

Ava's legs barely skimmed the floor as she walked round the mansion.

It had been boring the last week with just being fed and left alone, no one to talk to.

Her hands caressed the walls as she walked through the walkway. She pushed a door open and walked in, it was a mini library but the books in there were about economics and business. Above the shelves hung a portrait.

A man - dressed in black, icy cold jet black eyes, a tattoo peeking at his neck and long black hair that was rare in urban times resting on his shoulders.

Her gaze lingered on it for a minute too long before she turned around and walked out of the room.

Back downstairs, a wooden door caught her attention. A dragon carved into the woods shimmering under the lights. She placed her hands on the door knob feeling the coldness and pushed but it did not budge.

She pushed again yet nothing.

"Ava" She heard her name being called and turned around to see Aunt Zena walking towards her. "What are you doing?" Zena asked and walked over.

"Why is it locked?" Ava tilted her head to look at Aunt Zena.

"I don't know, it's not open to us, you should not be here" Aunt Zena said and pulled her away.

"What's in the room?" Ava wondered.

Aunt Zena pulled her to the sitting room but she followed her to the kitchen.

"Aunt Zena, how long have you been working here?" Ava asked.

"About 30 years ago, I was Sandro's nanny before becoming his cook," Aunt Zena smiled.

"Do you know why I'm here?" Ava asked and Aunt Zena stilled.

"I'm not sure, he had not brought any girl home before, I think you are different" Aunt Zena said.

"I want to negotiate with him, maybe paying the debt slowly" Ava sighed.

"Don't," Aunt Zena warned.

"Why?" Ava raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe if you want to go to the casinos and throw away his little kindness of keeping you say from there, you can do it, he hates negotiation" Aunt Zena said and pulled Ava out of the kitchen placing a bowl of fruits and a cup of milk before her. "You should stay here," She suggested.

Ava shook her head as Aunt Zena returned to the kitchen. Anytime, she asks Aunt Zena a question about Alessandro, she was always tight-lipped about it.

She picked up a fruit and took a bite from it while switching on the TV.

The TV lit with recent news; Alessandro Moretti, CEO of Moretti holdings returns to US after half a year away. The reporter's voice echoed in the quiet house.

Ava's chest tightened as her breathing became rapid - he was coming home today. She had heard whispers from the other staff earlier but...it was still sudden.

Back in the kitchen, Zena looked over her shoulder to Ava munching on the fruits when her mind wandered to a memory she had buried deep.

Twenty years ago, Don Moretti was hosting a late night gathering, she had weaved through the crowd searching for him - Sandro. The air smelled of smoke, strong drinks and strong cologne with men talking in deep voices.

"Sandro" She whispered only to her hearing. And then she saw him, in the east wing of the building - standing over a groaning man lying in the pool of his own blood.

A broken wine bottle stained with blood was held by Sandro as his cold eyes were fixed on the dying man.

"Sandro" She called with shaken breaths.

The barely eight year old boy turned over to her.

"Zena," He whispered.

"Sandro, what have you done? " She questioned her voice below a whisper.

"He touched me, I told him to stop but he did not let go," Sandro said in a voice too icy for an eight year old.

"I know," She consoled holding him close to her. Her eyes found the almost lifeless man on the floor, he was Lucas, one of Don Moretti most trusted aides, with hands that refused to stay with him - all maids had complained about it.

" We should tell mom" Sandro voiced out. " But dad should not hear about this," He added. "I warned him" His cold voice sounded.

"You did nothing wrong but next time you should tell me first" She said, holding his trembling hands.

But he never did.

The voice of the reporter cut through her thoughts and she brought the plate of snacks to Ava.

"You should stay here" She repeated to the wide eyed girl.

She shook her head helplessly when there was no response and returned to the kitchen.

She was afraid for Ava, she should stay quietly at the kindness Alessandro already gave her by not dumping her at a casino.

Because Alessandro was never a man to negotiate with.

He was a storm you survived.

The house became even more quiet this night than every other night - Hushed whispers, the men walking through the house putting last touches to the house.

Aunt Zena walked over to Ava who was sitting on the couch after dinner.

"You have to go to your room and stay there throughout the night" Zena said and pulled her up, supporting her to her room.

Ava could not see that always smiling Zena, she just saw a nervous faced woman.

Ava sat on her bed, her mind flashing to the images of Alessandro that were shown on TV. She cleaned her eyes but sleep was not forthcoming and then she heard it, the sound of a car driving into the mansion.

She quickly shoved the blanket out of her body and walked over to the window looking down. A black car drove in with tinted glass closely followed by another and several others.

And then they began alighting the cars - men on black suits hurried over to open the door of the third car - a pair of black shoes entered her line of view before he alighted fully from the car.

The man in the portrait.

The man in those images.

The man in control of her fate.

Alessandro Moretti.

Continue to next part

He is power, control, and consequence. She is everything he never planned for. Lucien Blackwell rules his world through silence and precision, dismantling threats before they speak his name. When betrayal from his own family forces him to tighten his grip, the last thing he expects is her-a florist whose calm presence unsettles him more than any enemy ever has. As unseen eyes close in and his shadow stretches across her life, she refuses to be protected through ignorance or distance. Instead, she chooses awareness, agency, and a place beside the danger. Because some things don't survive darkness. They bloom within it. Blooming Under His Shadow is a slow-burn romantic suspense about power, choice, and the risk of loving a man whose world was never built for light.

Mafia Modern Romance

8.0

HIS PLUMPY QUEEN HER BULLY

8.0

"I..hate you" I croaked out brokenly, struggling and failing to hold back the tears spilling in waves from my eyes. "Awwww, is my fat queen crying?" Brandon jested mockingly, laughing as if he had just said something funny. His friends echoed his laughter, making the tears spill even faster from how embarrassed I was. Shaking my head, I turned away from his crude handsome face, but was held back by his hands, gripping my hair painfully. I screamed as he slammed me against the wall, feeling the metallic taste of blood in my mouth. He grabbed my hair roughly, pressing my face harshly against the wall. "You don't walk out till I am done with you," he gritted out, pressing his body against mine. "Please.... Stop, please..." I cried out. "Do I make myself clear?" Brandon snapped, his other hand gripping my waist tightly. I could feel his hard hot body against mine, and his nails digging painfully into my waist. "Yes," I whispered, "please let me go." He pressed harder against my body, his hands on my waist tightening. I could feel his hot breath against my neck, and despite my situation, my body was shamelessly reacting to him. Loud snickers alerted us to the fact we were not alone. Brandon released my hair, leaning away from my body, before pushing me forward. I stumbled, nearly falling to my feet. "Now run you fat bitch," he yelled, before laughing with his friends. I hightailed it out of there, crying my eyes out. Being fat wasn't a problem, her mother always told her, never failing to remind her how beautiful she was. But for Christy Morris, being fat was a curse. Especially since college and her arch enemy Brandon made it so. Forced to babysit her bully and enemy baby sister, Christy's life takes an unexpected turn. For the worst or better, was still what she was yet to find out. Find out Christy and Brandon's story in this thrilling novel filled with... Romance. Unexpected twist. And dare I say.... Love.

Mafia Modern Romance

7.6

Kaitlynn and her two children

7.6

Top DEA agent Kaitlynn Bruce woke up to a heavy, chemical lethargy, only to realize she was trapped in the body of a weak, abused war widow. Before she could even process her new reality, she heard her sister-in-law counting cash, selling her unconscious body to a local thug for a measly two hundred dollars. The thug dragged her new seven-year-old son, Cason, into the bedroom. "Mommy!" When the boy reached out, the man brutally kicked his small body into a wooden doorframe, leaving him gasping and bleeding on the floor. Memories flooded Kaitlynn's mind. Her predecessor was a pathetic doormat whose husband's military pension had been bled dry by these greedy in-laws, leaving her children to starve and suffer endless abuse. But as Kaitlynn looked at the bleeding boy's dark, unnervingly alert eyes, a chilling piece of DEA intelligence clicked in her mind. Cason Richmond. The name, the town, the abusive aunt—it all matched the classified files of the "Director of the Hive," the most ruthless and feared cartel puppet master in the criminal underworld. How could this battered, starving child be destined to become the ultimate monster she used to hunt? The original widow's tragic death was supposed to be the catalyst that pushed this boy into total darkness. But Kaitlynn Bruce was not a victim. Adrenaline burning through the drugs, she cracked the thug's neck with a brass lamp and choked the sister-in-law against the wall. Looking down at the boy who was supposed to become a global nightmare, she made a vow. She was going to rewrite his script, even if she had to burn the whole world down to do it.

Action Mafia Modern

9.0

Protected By The Enforcer: My Ex-Husband's Regret

9.0

The rejection letter from the private security school arrived on a Tuesday. It stated clearly that the single slot allocated to my son, Danny, had been filled by another boy. My husband, a high-ranking Capo, had signed away our son’s protection to make room for his mistress’s bastard. He sneered at me, calling Danny "soft," and sent him to an unguarded cabin in the north to toughen up. Three days later, the Russians took him. When the courier arrived, there was no ransom demand. Just a package containing a shred of blue cotton with a green T-Rex, soaked in black, stiff blood. Tom didn't shed a tear. He poured a scotch, stepped over me as I wept on the floor, and blamed me for coddling the boy. Overwhelmed by the silence of a house that would never hear my son's laughter again, I swallowed a bottle of sleeping pills to escape the pain. But the darkness didn't last. I woke up gasping, my heart hammering against my ribs. Sunlight hit my face. "Mommy?" Danny stood in the doorway, wearing his dinosaur pajamas, whole and alive. I looked at the calendar. It was May 15th. The day the letter arrived. The grief in my chest calcified into cold rage. I knew about the skimming. I knew about the fake widow status. I knew exactly how to bury my husband. I picked up the phone and dialed the one number no wife was ever supposed to call directly—the Enforcer. "I have evidence of treason," I said. "And I'm bringing the proof."

Mafia Modern Romance

8.7

Sleeping with My Best Friend's Alpha Father

8.7

I wasn't supposed to be here. Girls like me don't belong to Alpha parties. I came as a favor. As a waitress. As the poor best friend nobody notices. Until he noticed me. Fresh from the shower. Bare chest. Water sliding down hard muscle. Eyes like a predator that already chose its prey. My best friend's father. The Alpha King. He helps me with my dress when the zipper gets stuck. His fingers brush my skin. My breath stutters. The air changes. He looks at me like he knows me. Like he owns me. Then the party turns ugly. Hands grabbing. Drinks forced to my lips. Laughter is too loud. And just when everything almost breaks He comes for me. Carries me out like I'm something precious. Something is his. That night shouldn't have happened. But the moon was high. My body burned. And when he whispered "mine" against my ear, I forgot every rule I ever lived by. I woke up in his bed. In his scent. In his world. I'm about to lie to my best friend... say I'm already home... When I hear her voice outside his bedroom door. "Dad? Breakfast's ready." Dad. Oh God. The Alpha King isn't just my mistake. He's hers. And now he says I'm his mate.

Mafia Modern Werewolf

7.8

The Betrayed Wife's Ruthless Mafia Comeback

7.8

For five years, I was the flawless wife to the heir of the De Luca empire, securing billion-dollar acquisitions to prove my worth. But my husband, Alessandro, still paraded his mistress in our home, publicly humiliating me as a "cold spreadsheet" while she sneered in triumph. It didn't stop at infidelity. When I dared to cut off her credit cards, Alessandro decided to teach me a lesson. He allowed his mistress to secretly file down the metal clasp on my horse's saddle right before a massive public equestrian event. My leg was completely shattered in a horrific, agonizing fall in front of hundreds of elite guests. While I lay bleeding in the dirt, my husband didn't even glance my way. Instead, he rushed to hold his mistress, shielding her eyes from the gruesome sight. Later, pretending to be unconscious in the infirmary, I overheard him ordering his guards. "Get rid of the saddle. It was just a lesson to remind her who's in charge." He didn't just want me humiliated; he wanted me crippled and broken. As the sterile smell of the hospital hit me, a horrifying realization set in—I was two weeks late. I was pregnant with his child. The thought of my baby growing up in this ruthless, toxic family made my blood run cold, and the last spark of my love turned into absolute hatred. The obedient wife died on that dirt track. I quietly contacted his family's biggest rival and activated my secret scorched-earth protocol. It was time to burn his empire to the ground.

Mafia Modern Romance

Blood and Roses.

Chapter 4

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