Autumn Emerson was the Queen of the Shadow Mafia, inherited from her father. She was twenty-five years old and ruling a gang was a huge achievement for Autumn. However, there were some haunted memories linking between her fingers and a trigger of a gun. Meanwhile, Ian Beckett was the King of the Silver Mafia, whose life went upside down when his parents arranged his contracted wedding with the woman he loved to annoy since their childhood: Autumn Emerson. In order to protect their honor in front of their respective gangs, they have to put on a facade of being in love. What would happen when the contracted love had started to turn real?
Chapter 1: Love-Hate Relation
Ian
I was enjoying the scenery, which was why a satisfied smirk played on my lips as I looked at Spencer, who looked pitiful-pathetic, even-to the point I almost wanted to kill him completely so that I could end his suffering. But I was not remorseful; instead, I glided the sharp point of the blade I was holding across his throat, pressing it deeper and deeper as I went. Plenty drops of blood flowed, crisscrossing his pale skin.
"How does it feel to see the death in front of you, Spencer?" I whispered sternly, making sure to breathe into his bloodied ear, driving my knife deeper into his skin.
Spencer whimpered in response. The chains that held him captive in a metal chair jingled and rang out as his feet and hands struggled to fight the pain, muffled screams escaping his duct-taped mouth. I took the blade away, still smirking. I moved to yank the duct tape from his mouth to hear Spencer scream, but my brother, Steven, entered the torture chamber, interrupting me.
"Ian," Steven called out. "Autumn will be here in a minute."
I chuckled in response.
Autumn Emerson was the only woman I loved to see angry. She was the only daughter of the Emersons, who were remarkably close friends of my parents. They ran the Mafia Shadow, and Autumn was the leader. Autumn and I basically grew up together, but our bonding was anything but friendly. I enjoyed seeing fumes coming out of her ear.
Removing the knife from Spencer's throat, I placed it back in my pocket. Looking back at Spencer I said, "Your leader is almost here. I better go home so that she has to drive to the mansion alone and turn red in anger while I enjoy a cup of espresso peacefully."
Exiting the chamber, I put my hands in my pockets, whistling in delight as I go. I stopped when one of my men caught my eye.
"Throw Spencer in the dungeon," I ordered. The man nodded and disappeared down the hall to follow my orders. I continued sauntering towards the garage with Steven trailing behind me, steps lightening as I imagined Autumn's reactions.
What should I do to make her angrier? I questioned myself, a grin overtaking my lips.
"What are you gonna do with Autumn?" Steven asked as we got in my Bugatti La Voiture Noire.
I started driving towards the Beckett mansion. The image of Autumn's angry face as she glared at me with her green eyes, made me chuckle. Her pale skin would turn red in anger, just like her hair.
What am I going to do with her? Oh, you don't even wanna know half of it, my brother.
"You just want to make her angry, don't you?" Steven asked again. It seemed like he sensed my thoughts.
"Let's just wait for her," I replied and put on my Chopard sunglasses.
The drive towards the mansion was short; either from my excitement or not, I wasn't sure. I sneaked to my room and changed into something a bit more presentable before proceeding downstairs to the living room. It was our family evening time, after all.
I took a seat on one of the sofas, grabbing a mug of espresso from the passing trolley as I went. I took a sip of it.
My sisters, Isabel, Lia, and Aubree were sitting with me, along with my brother, Steven. On our left side, our parents were talking to each other.
"So, how's everything going, Ian?" my dad, Simon Beckett, asked.
"Fine," I replied curtly.
"Honey, I and your father decided to go on a world tour," my mom, Ada Beckett, announced.
"When?" Aubree asked and shifted her gaze to Mom.
Aubree was one of the executives of the Silver. At thirty years old, she was quite efficient. She was my elder sister. Meanwhile, Steven was my right hand and the owner of all the Silver casinos. He ran the mafia's business by himself. He was twenty-three years old, just two years younger than me yet he earned his post in the gang.
Isabel didn't want to join the mafia, so she was currently focusing on the Becketts' Armament company. She was just two years older than me, but I loved bothering her. After all, she wasn't as scary as Aubree. Whereas, Lia was currently applying for colleges so she was
"So, we are going to leave after the party tonight. We just have to make one last announcement before we go." Dad looked at us as he asked, "How are the preparations for the party going?"
I glanced at Steven. He replied, "Everything is going smoothly, Dad."
"I can't wait for the party!" Mom beamed in excitement.
We couldn't throw a coronation party, so we prepared for a post-coronation party in the ballroom instead. It was supposed to be held tonight. Apparently, my parents wanted to make an important announcement at the party. When I asked about it, they said that I would get to know about it only during the party. I didn't ask further and decided to wait for the worst to happen.
Besides, I could sense Autumn's presence.
"Ian Beckett!" the young woman's familiar voice echoed through the living room. I smirked and took another sip of my espresso.
I watched as Autumn entered the mansion, her green eyes blazing with fire. Her angry expression was making her springy red hair look even hotter. She was stomping straight towards me. It was my time to get entertained, and seeing her reaction, I was assured that it would be fun.
"Hello, Autumn," my mom greeted hesitantly and stood up, but Autumn didn't stop. She continued to approach me. Within a second, she had taken her gun out from her waistband and had pointed at me.
My siblings rolled their eyes. This was nothing new for them.
I was still sitting comfortably.
"You bloody human! Where is Spencer?" Autumn yelled.
Ignoring her loud voice, I took another sip from my cup. She pointed the muzzle at my forehead, throwing glares as sharp as daggers at me.
"I-I think you should calm down first, dear," Mom said as she patted her shoulder, making Autumn heave a sigh in anger.
"I'm sorry, Ada, but I need your son to release my bodyguard. When I reached the Silver base, I found my bodyguard locked up in the dungeons. Then I heard that Ian already left the place. I had to drive here!" Autumn complained, making me chuckle.
"Bodyguard?" Dad raised his brows at me in amusement.
"Just free Spencer," Autumn ordered me. She still had me at gunpoint. I stood up, the mug of my expresso still in my hand.
Arching an eyebrow, I inquired, "And why would I do that?"
"Because I said so!"
I shoved her gun away. "I ain't one of your Shadow men." With that, I turned my back at her to leave for my room upstairs. A smile formed over my lips when I imagined the smoke that must have been fuming from her ears.
"I hate you, Ian Beckett!"
"The feeling is mutual, Autumn Emerson," I hollered back, then slammed the door of my room shut.
###
I ran a hand through my hair one last time after I prepared myself for the party, fixing my tux while admiring myself in the mirror. Sure that I was presentable enough, I headed towards the ballroom. I didn't know why I was wearing a tux. Mom told me to only wear what she had sent for me, so I had no options but to follow her. After all, who had the audacity to not listen to her? Even Dad becomes an ant in front of her.
"Everything is fine and perfect, Ian," Steven assured me, appearing in front of me. I nodded in return.
I asked curiously, "Did the Emersons come?"
A smirk took over his lips as he replied, "Her parents did, but Autumn didn't."
"Ian, come here," Mom called suddenly. I approached her only to meet the Emersons as well.
A song was playing softly in the background as I talked to my parents and to the Emersons, but my eyes were searching for Autumn. We attended her coronation party before. Shouldn't she attend mine?
"Where is your daughter, Rosalie?" I inquired with full curiosity. All four pairs of eyes looked at me in amusement, including Autumn's mother, Rosalie.
"Why? Do you want to kidnap my daughter's driver this time?" Rosalie Emerson said, resulting in all of them bursting into laughter.
"If you do something tonight, she will definitely pull the trigger today, Ian," Cruz Emerson, Autumn's dad, let out.
"Before she does that or before you do anything to make her irritated again, we will make the announcement and confirm everything first, okay?" said Dad.
I nodded at my dad's words. Before I could say something else, I felt the familiar sensation of having Autumn nearby. I could always feel it whenever she was close. My eyes traveled to the entrance of the ballroom.
She was indeed here.
Wearing a black strapless off-shoulder gown, she slowly took a step one by one. Her hair had been let down, reaching down to her chest. I would be lying if I said she didn't look like a real princess.
This girl always drives me crazy, but I will never stop bothering her. After all, this is my way of showing affection. I mumbled with a smirk, "Let the drama begin."
Ruby’s worst nightmare was to get married to a person from the mafia. She wished to never marry a ruthless person, but destiny played its cards. She gets forced to marry a mafia king. When forced marriage with the billionaire mafia king occurs, will Ruby be able to adjust to the new mafia life which she feared all her life?
Danica Waylon returns to California after three years, hoping to fulfill her younger brother's birthday wish. When she meets up with her crush from middle school, Troy Kingston, who is now a famous WhyNTuber and a celebrity influencer, she decides it’s in her best interest to maintain her distance from him. But when fate decides to bring Danica into the same mansion as Troy along with other celebrities, a prank goes wrong, and before long their fans start shipping them. The ship name 'Tronica' started trending and they had to give the public what it craved, which was for them to be the definition of #CoupleGoals. What happens when the lines between their reel and real lives get blurred? What will happen when the fans find out that the couple they adored was nothing more than smoke and mirrors? Most importantly, how will Danica control her feelings for Troy now that she has gotten fame by accident?
Diana Stevens is a twenty-two-year-old living a happy life with her boyfriend in the United States, but when a sudden call from her mother makes her return to England, her life takes a drastic turn. Ivan Candelstone is Diana's online best friend. Diana had always thought he was just a wealthy best friend of hers whom she talked with every day. Little did she know, he was actually the Prince of England who could only imagine himself with his girlfriend, Rain Summers. Due to a few misunderstandings, when the king and the queen meet Diana, she becomes royally chosen to be Ivan's betrothed. What will happen now that Diana and Ivan are forced into a marriage they never expected? How is Diana supposed to deny her new life, now that she is Royally Chosen?
Becca Hertford recently shifted to a dorm and started her university, hoping it will help her stay away from her father, only to realize that something more complicated is awaiting her. Meeting the finest vampire Alexander Insworthe was the last thing she expected. Alexander Insworthe wants a potion that will make his brother the king of the vampires. He can do anything for his brother, even if it means sacrificing himself. But the problem is the potion is with Becca, and she is not an easy person. Can Alexander get the potion and make his brother the king before love changes the well-arranged plan?
Aria Anastasia, a free-spirited young woman, works as the MD of the Storm Fashion Industry. She has the post she dreamed of, but she didn't expect to work under an annoying, quirky boss. Surviving two years after working under him, she didn't expect to unleash a secret of her handsome boss, Zaiden Storm. Zaiden Storm is the CEO of the Storm Fashion Industry. No one can ever talk over him, and he always walks with a mysterious aura surrounding him. The only woman who doesn't hesitate to talk back to him is Aria. But he never expected her to find out his true self behind his facade. What will happen when Aria learns about the secret of her boss? Will she keep it within herself or start exposing Zaiden's truth to everyone bit by bit?
She was hurt. She was bullied and made fun of. And the only hope that kept her going was finding her mate. She has always been weak. Weak to the world. Why? Because she was a lantern. She didn't have a wolf. That's what everyone thought about her. When she found her mate, he wanted her to be his slut and not a wife. She might be an omega, but it doesn't mean she will take disloyalty and betrayal lightly. So she did something that no one in history ever did. She rejected an Alpha. "I, Alexis Clark, reject Brandon Sterling, the alpha of Black mist pack, and consider myself a free soul until I decide so."; Were her last words before she left that torturous place and became a rogue. A rogue that everyone was fearing and finding. Why? Because she was the rogue that has become one of the biggest problems of almost all the packs in the country. She was Alexis Clark. A rogue that rejected an Alpha, stealth food, kill other rogues, and more than that was living with humans and studying with them. What will happen when her case is given to the world's most dangerous alpha, Sebastian Sinclair, who has taken it upon himself to punish this rogue. The one who hated rogues and omega to a level that was beyond understanding. Why? Because his mate was an omega, who betrayed him with a rogue before dying. How will Alexis tackle this alpha, in whose College she was studying and living under hiding for almost a year? What will Sebastian do when he finds out the new girl he had been talking to is none other than the rogue omega that he had decided to kill? "To love you with all my might was my only wish, but you were the only one who gave me endless suffering. So today, I promise myself to not fall for anyone."; A simple saying that both Alexis and Sebastian had vowed upon. Will they be able to find their love amidst all these problems?
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
Belinda thought after divorce, they would part ways for good - he could live his life on his own terms, while she could indulge in the rest of hers. However, fate had other plans in store. "My darling, I was wrong. Would you please come back to me?" The man, whom she once loved deeply, lowered his once proud head humbly. "I beg you to return to me." Belinda coldly pushed away the bouquet of flowers he had offered her and coolly replied, "It's too late. The bridge has been burned, and the ashes have long since scattered to the wind!"
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."