He was born to destroy the world that broke him. Love was never part of the plan until she became his target. Ares Clinton is the heir to the deadliest mafia dynasty in the city. Cold. Calculated. Relentless. Everyone fears him and for good reason. Ten years ago, his family was betrayed, his mother slaughtered, and his father imprisoned. Ares vanished without a trace... until now. He returns with one mission: revenge. Every name. Every face. Every lie they're all on his list. And nothing will stop him from burning the world that ruined his bloodline. But his plan hits a wall when he meets Elena Blackwoods, the innocent daughter of the man who betrayed him. Sweet. Clever. Untouchable. She's everything he should hate... and yet everything he can't resist. To Ares, she's a pawn. A trap. A weakness he can't afford. To Elena, he's in danger wrapped in a suit and she's falling for the one man who could destroy her family. As secrets unravel and enemies close in, Ares must choose between vengeance and the woman who makes him feel again. But in the mafia world, love is a liability and trust can kill. He came back to bury the past... But the past wasn't done with him.
Chapter One: The Return of the Ghost
Ten years.
That's how long it took Ares Clinton to crawl back from the ashes of betrayal.
The city skyline bled gold under the setting sun as his black Bentley glided through the streets of Ravenport. Sleek, powerful, and silent just like him. As they neared the heart of the city, the view twisted into a mockery of what used to be home. Glass towers pierced the sky, bearing names he hadn't spoken in a decade. Names he had burned into memory like a curse.
One in particular: BLACKWOODS ENTERPRISES .
"They never saw you coming," Julian said from the driver's seat, smirking as he slowed at a red light. "You really are a ghost."
Ares didn't look at him. His jaw clenched, eyes locked on the towering structure ahead Blackwoods' headquarters. The building gleamed like justice wrapped in sin.
"Ghosts haunt the living," he replied, voice a quiet threat. "And I'm not here to scare them."
He was here to destroy them.
Every lie. Every name. Every bloodstained dollar. He would rip their empire apart brick by brick.
Julian slid a file across the console. "Here. Her name's Elena Blackwoods. Twenty-three. A Law student. Recently returned from Italy. Daddy's favorite. Smart, quiet, heavily protected. Her schedule's in there."
Ares finally looked down at the file, flipping it open.
There she was.
A candid photo. Hair dark as ink, eyes the color of stormy skies. She had the kind of beauty that could calm or kill soft lips, clever gaze, an elegance that didn't belong in the world she came from.
"She doesn't know anything," Julian added. "She was just a kid when it happened."
"She's still a Blackwoods," Ares said flatly.
But something twisted in his chest as he studied her picture. There was innocence in her gaze. And something else, something familiar. A strange pull he couldn't explain.
He shoved the file shut.
"She's the key," he murmured. "And the beginning of their end."
Elena Blackwoods tapped her fingers nervously against the armrest of the leather chair in her father's office. The floor-to-ceiling windows bathed the room in cold light, but it felt like a cage.
Something was wrong.
Her father had called her in without explanation. That alone was unusual. Harold Blackwoods didn't waste time on sentiment. And now, she waited like a schoolgirl, unsure of why her chest was tight and her thoughts restless.
The door opened.
A man stepped in. Tall. Broad shoulders. An Armani suit cut to perfection. Dark hair slicked back, a scar etched faintly near his jawline like a forgotten battle.
He didn't smile.
He didn't need to.
His presence was a weapon.
"Ah," her father said, standing. "Elena, this is Mr. Ares Clinton. He'll be consulting with us on the Whitmore project."
Her heart thudded.
Clinton?
The name rang in her mind like a bell.
But it was his eyes that stunned her.
They were sharp, glacial piercing through her like she was made of glass. There was something in them. Not just calculation, but... recognition?
Why did he feel familiar?
She stood slowly, offering her hand. "It's nice to meet you."
Ares's fingers brushed hers. Cold. Controlled.
"Pleasure," he said, voice low and unreadable.
Their touch lasted a second too long.
And in that second, something cracked beneath the surface. Heat. A flicker of something buried. Then gone.
Elena withdrew her hand, masking her confusion behind a polite smile.
Her father continued talking, droning on about numbers and mergers. But she barely heard him. All she could think about was that name.
Clinton.
She'd read it before. In old news articles. Whispers of a scandal that nearly ruined her family's empire. A name swallowed by silence.
And now it stood in front of her.
Breathing.
Alive.
Why now?
Later that evening, Ares leaned against the balcony of his penthouse suite, city lights flickering below like dying stars. He poured a glass of bourbon, but didn't drink.
His mind replayed the moment their hands touched.
Elena Blackwoods.
Sweet. Naive. With eyes too kind for the blood she carried in her veins.
He hated that she didn't flinch when she met him. That she didn't look guilty. That she reminded him of the world before everything burned.
"She's not what I expected," he muttered.
Julian, lounging on the couch behind him, raised a brow. "You're not going soft, are you?"
Ares shot him a look. "She's a pawn. Nothing more."
"Keep telling yourself that," Julian said with a shrug.
Ares looked back out over the city. His grip on the glass tightened until it cracked.
She felt like something more.
That made her dangerous.
The next morning...
Elena walked into Blackwoods HQ earlier than usual, hoping to clear her head. But as soon as she stepped into the elevator, her breath caught.
He was already there.
Ares stood near the back, arms folded, phone in hand. Impossibly composed.
"Miss Blackwoods," he greeted, as the doors closed behind her.
She nodded. "Mr. Clinton."
Silence stretched between them.
The elevator hummed as it ascended. Thirty floors of tension.
She glanced at him.
His jaw clenched. His eyes forward. But she could feel his awareness of her.
"I did some reading last night," she said finally.
He turned slightly, one brow raised.
"About your family. The Clintons. My father never mentioned he knew them."
Ares didn't blink. "Did he mention why he stopped?"
She faltered. "No. Just silence."
"Silence is often guilt in disguise," he replied.
The elevator dinged.
Before she could respond, the doors opened and he was gone, his footsteps vanishing down the marble hallway.
Elena stood frozen.
What did he mean by that?
That night...
Ares walked through the rusted gates of the Clinton family estate. Overgrown vines wrapped around the columns, and shattered windows stared like hollow eyes. The mansion had been left to rot.
Just like them.
Inside, he lit a single candle and walked to the old study. Dust coated the bookshelves, but he knew exactly where to look.
Behind a row of books, he pulled out an aged, bloodstained envelope.
He opened it.
Inside was a photo.
His father, smiling. His mother, radiant.
And a man in the background Harold Blackwoods.
Standing behind them with a glass raised.
Smiling like a friend.
Ares crushed the photo in his hand.
This wasn't revenge.
This was justice.
Elena sat in her bedroom, flipping through an old album when a torn photograph slipped from between the pages.
It was faded, almost unreadable.
But there, tucked in the corner, was a boy.
Dark hair. Familiar eyes.
Ares?
Her heart pounded.
Why would his photo be in her family album?
Two heirs. One ancient war. And a bond that could destroy them both. The Nightfang and Silverclaw packs have been enemies for generations. Their blood feud runs deep, written in the scars of battles long past. Celyn Nightfang, the fiery daughter of the Nightfang Alpha, has always lived in the shadow of war. Reckless and defiant, she's not afraid to test boundaries even when that means stepping into forbidden territory. When she's caught on enemy land, she expects a swift death. Instead, she meets Lucas Silverclaw, cold, ruthless, and heir to everything she was raised to hate. But there's something else. A pull. A bond. The unmistakable mark of the fated mate. Their connection is the ultimate betrayal. If discovered, it would spark a war neither side could survive. As secrets unravel and danger grows from within and beyond their packs, Celyn and Lucas must decide: will they sacrifice their love to stop the war... or risk everything to be together?
"His Cold Gaze, My Secret Flame" Evelyn's life as an assistant at the powerful Kursh Corporation takes an unexpected turn when she overhears something she wasn't meant to hear. Her curiosity sparks a dangerous game with the ruthless CEO, Brian Kursh, a man whose cold gaze hides a world of secrets and lies. As Evelyn delves deeper into the dark side of the company, she uncovers whispers of a mysterious project that could ruin them all. But the more she learns, the more she realizes she's becoming entangled in a web of corporate intrigue, hidden desires, and a power struggle she never anticipated. With Brian watching her every move, Evelyn finds herself caught between the truth she seeks and the passion that threatens to consume her. Will she uncover the secrets of Project Nexus, or will her dangerous curiosity lead her down a path she can't escape?
Sawyer, the world's top arms dealer, stunned everyone by falling for Maren—the worthless girl no one respected. People scoffed. Why chase a useless pretty face? But when powerful elites began gathering around her, jaws dropped. "She's not even married to him yet—already cashing in on his power?" they assumed. Curious eyes dug into Maren's past... only to find she was a scientific genius, a world-renowned medical expert, and heiress to a mafia empire. Later, Sawyer posted online. "My wife treats me like the enemy. Any advice?"
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."
"Never let anyone treat you like shit!" I learned that the hard way. For three years, I lived with my in-laws. They didn't treat me as their son-in-law but as a slave. I put up with everything because of my wife, Yolanda Lambert. She was the light of my life. Unfortunately, my whole world came crashing down the day I caught my wife cheating on me. I have never been so heartbroken. To have my revenge, I revealed my true identity. I was none other than Liam Hoffman—the heir of a family with trillions of dollars in assets! The Lamberts were utterly shocked after the big reveal. They realized what fools they had been for treating me like trash. My wife even knelt down and begged for my forgiveness. What do you think I did? Did I take her back or made her suffer? Find out!
Five years ago, Alessia La Rosa's life took a drastic turn when, suffering from memory loss, she wed to Dominic Carter under her grandfather's mysterious arrangement. But their marriage was a facade, bringing her only humiliation and heartache as Dominic showed no love, and she couldn't conceive. Upon discovering Dominic's infidelity, Alessia sought liberation through divorce. Yet, fate had more in store for her. Five years later, spurred by an anonymous email hinting at her lost child's whereabouts, she returns to the city with her twin babies in tow, determined to uncover the truth. As she navigates the tangled web of her past, a surprising twist awaits. Dominic, upon meeting her again, finds himself drawn to the woman she has become, unaware of her true identity as his former wife. Little does he know, the woman he's falling for is not only his ex-wife but also a powerful Doctor and Master Hacker.
Veronica is an eighteen-year-old omega who falls into an emotional breakdown when her Mate, who was soon to be the Alpha of the Sun crest pack, turns against her, hurls hurtful words at her, and rejects her on the night of the full moon festival because he and everyone in the pack, including her, thinks she is an omega. As if the pain of rejection, helplessness, and worthlessness wasn't enough, she lost her best and only friend to the cold hands of death when rogue wolves attacked their pack. Right in the presence of her mate, she was tagged as someone who always attracted problems and calamities anywhere she went and he turned a blind eye and watched as she was banished from the pack. With hatred for her life, she runs deep into the woods that were off-limits and jumps off to end her life, but in a turn of events, something else happens. What would her mate do when he finds out that Veronica is not who he thinks she is? Will she be able to forgive him? What fate lies ahead for them?