Login to ManoBook
icon 0
icon TOP UP
rightIcon
icon Reading History
rightIcon
icon Sign out
rightIcon
icon Get the APP
rightIcon
Hidden Identity

Hidden Identity

Tamuz14

5.0
Comment(s)
8
View
5
Chapters

Elizabeth Taylor was a ghost in the system at least, that's what the agency used to call her before she disappeared. A gifted hacker with a photographic memory and a rebellious streak, she had once been the pride of an elite cyber-intelligence unit. That was before the botched operation in Prague, the files that went missing, and the betrayal that almost cost her life. Now, she lives under a fake identity in the grimy outskirts of New York City, posing as a freelance tech consultant named "Eliza Trent." Quiet, unassuming, and invisible until she makes a single misstep that shatters the delicate illusion of her new life. Back when Elizabeth was still Elizabeth, they were more than just lovers they were soulmates. Bound by a mutual love of code and danger, their relationship burned fast and bright in a time when Elizabeth was still working as an undercover cyber-agent. But she left him behind after the Prague incident, disappearing without a word. She assumed he'd moved on, that he hated her for vanishing. But now, by some twist of fate, he's in New York. And he recognizes her immediately. He's not in intelligence anymore. After she disappeared, he quit everything government, freelancing, even his AI startup. Now he runs a bookstore and vintage café in Brooklyn, a kind of sanctuary for the broken. When he sees her on the street same eyes, new name his world tilts. He follows her. Carefully. Elizabeth knows someone is tracking her, and when she finally corners him, a wave of guilt and nostalgia knocks the air out of both. But rekindling old feelings only complicates her already dangerous reality. Elizabeth thought she covered her tracks. She used proxies. Burned SIMs. Masked every IP address that so much as touched her servers. But the photos say otherwise. They arrive in a plain white envelope, dropped at her door. Her real name is on the back. So are the photos some from years ago in Prague, others disturbingly recent. And then, there's the note: "Tell him. Or I will." He or they know everything. They know about Philip. About her hacking history. About a list she stole once called "Protocol Red," which contained the names of compromised agents worldwide names she hid to protect herself. But whoever this is, they want more than exposure. They want her back in the game. She receives a burner phone the next day. A robotic voice gives her her first task: "Extract and erase security footage of a certain address. Send it through a Russian relay server. Do it within 24 hours." By day, she's "Eliza," a private consultant with a quiet reputation for fixing encryption issues. She's even got a nosy landlord, Nathan Duplin, a balding former librarian who reads conspiracy theories and complains about suspicious noises at night. Nathan tries to meddle into her business too often, and Elizabeth suspects he might be more than he seems especially when she finds a wiretap device behind her radiator. Then there's Gilbert Lines, a slick-talking tech support contractor who regularly invites himself into her world under the guise of "work gigs" and shared industry. He's smart, loyal to a fault, and helpful too helpful. Elizabeth notices inconsistencies in his timelines. Why does he always show up when she's being watched? Meanwhile, her relationship with Philip intensifies. He believes she's in danger, but she won't tell him the full truth. Not yet. He invites her to stay with him temporarily when her apartment is vandalized (nothing stolen, just a warning). The intimacy of their new-old relationship is both comforting and devastating. She still loves him, but her secret is a chasm too wide to cross. Brian Woodward is an NYPD officer working undercover for an inter-agency cybercrime task force. His current case? Track the source of a string of sophisticated breaches that seem linked to the infamous "ghost" hacker who vanished years ago. When Elizabeth unknowingly hacks a police database to complete one of the blackmailer's tasks, it triggers a red flag and Woodward is assigned to follow her. He pretends to be a fellow tenant in the building, charming and friendly, using Nathan's suspicions as a cover to spend time in her orbit. He starts to fall for her complexity, not realizing she's the very target he's hunting. When he finds a photo of her with Philip from years ago, he begins to suspect that the rabbit hole is deeper than a simple identity fraud case. Now they want Elizabeth to break into a federal agency's secure server and retrieve a list codenamed "Frost Thread" a cache of blackmail material used by an old European intelligence cell. She realizes the list is tied to the same Protocol Red she stole before. The blackmailer has intimate knowledge of the operation in Prague, which means only one of three people could be behind this. She traces digital fingerprints back to Gilbert Lines. His work history doesn't hold up under scrutiny. When she finally confronts hi

Chapter 1 Hidden Identity

Chapter 1

Encrypted Shadows

The screen glowed in the dimly lit apartment, lines of code scrolling fast across Elizabeth Taylor's monitor. She wasn't born Elizabeth; the name was one of many she'd used over the years. Beneath it lay a labyrinth of secrets her real past, her real face, her real crimes.

A sip from her bitter coffee, eyes scanning data feeds, tracking a political figure she'd been paid to spy on. She hated this life this synthetic identity she wore like a disguise but the money kept her breathing and the danger kept her sharp.

She rarely left her Brooklyn loft except to meet her landlord, Nathan Duplin a peculiar man with eyes like a hawk's and a voice too calm for someone always calculating. Nathan watched her too closely; she knew he suspected something, but she also knew he'd stay silent as long as the rent was paid on time.

Tonight, something shifted. Her encrypted inbox chimed. An image popped open: a photograph, old but unmistakable Elizabeth laughing beside him.

She froze, heart stammering against her ribs. That was five years ago, when she was still Lena, a whistleblower running from a dark government project. Philip had been the brief light in that dark chapter. They shared a summer of stolen kisses and codebreaking nights in Prague. He had known nothing of her secrets then, only her warmth-and she, his laughter and fire. But she left him with a lie and disappeared.

Now, he was here in New York. And worse, he was investigating cyber frauds.

As the screen faded, another file came through. This one burned her fingers.

Photos. Dozens. Of her at a terminal in a secured facility, eyes dark, face stern, stealing secrets.

The sender: Unknown.

The caption: "We both know what happens when this goes public. Your move."

The walls she had built cracked. The double life was no longer tenable. Elizabeth's heart pounded. Her past wasn't just knocking. It was barging in, with blackmail, love, and lies all tangled in one electric storm.

Elizabeth Taylor

Born Lena Whitmore, she was a digital prodigy with a government record sealed under a cloud of corruption. After whistleblowing on a classified program involving surveillance AI, she disappeared into the underworld. With a new identity as Elizabeth Taylor, she reinvented herself as a freelance coder and hacker for hire. Emotionally detached but haunted by passion from her past, Elizabeth lives between firewalls and memories, never expecting to see Philip again-or to be blackmailed by someone from a reckless night she should've forgotten

Philip is an investigative agent with a European anti-cybercrime task force. Brilliant, charming, and persistent, he once met Lena (Elizabeth) on a shared mission in Prague. They fell hard and fast bound by purpose and passion. Philip has spent years trying to find her, still haunted by how she vanished. He recognizes her face even under her new alias and is torn between justice and the flicker of old desire.

An undercover police officer working as a tech consultant, Brian's assignment is to locate a shadow hacker known as "Chimera" Elizabeth's online alias. Unknown to him, he has already met her. Charming and quiet, he becomes a moral foil, slowly drawn into her orbit until the line between duty and desire begins to fade.

Nathan Duplin

Her landlord, but far from just a rent collector. Nathan is analytical, nosy, and calculating. He knows more than he lets on and often drops hints that unnerve Elizabeth. With a background in real estate tech startups, he maintains a façade of calm interest, but he has secrets of his own-especially about how he came into possession of Elizabeth's building.

Gilbert Lines

A streetwise, tireless worker, Gilbert is known for his errand services and uncanny ability to "find things." He's neither friend nor enemy, but he thrives in gray areas. Gilbert once helped Elizabeth disappear. Now he's back, dragging with him debts and favors Elizabeth must pay, which ties him to both her survival and downfall. He's trickish and greedy, but knows how to move between worlds unseen.

Elizabeth was always careful. She didn't drink in bars, didn't linger in camera zones, didn't form attachments.

But one drunken night, six months ago, she let her guard down. The man was charming, faceless in her memory except for the snake tattoo on his shoulder. She thought it was a one-night escape from her tight digital bubble. Now, he'd resurfaced. With proof.

Photos of her entering a government facility under a stolen ID. Screenshots of classified files on her drive. And, most damning video footage of her logging in as a high-level employee she'd never met in person.

He called himself Razor. His messages were brief but cutting. He knew what to leak, and who to sell it to.

"You want it gone?" he texted. "Pay. Or I ruin you."

The same day, she saw Philip at a cyber-security conference she'd hacked into. He stood near the podium, taller than memory, and when their eyes met just for a second everything stopped.

Two people, once lovers, now strangers across a minefield of truth and betrayal.

The next night, she found a USB drive slipped under her door.

Inside were more than files there was audio. A recording of her voice, planning a breach with someone unnamed. The implication: conspiracy.

Elizabeth clutched the drive with white knuckles. Razor was closing in, but so was Philip, now officially investigating the Chimera hack. Every move she made echoed louder.

Her phone buzzed again. A text from an unknown number:

"The past has teeth, darling. And they bite."

She turned to her laptop and started erasing tracks, encrypting backups, deleting old caches but it was too late.

Outside her window, a figure leaned against the lamppost.

Continue Reading

Other books by Tamuz14

More
Beneath a velvet mask

Beneath a velvet mask

Romance

5.0

A sensual and suspenseful story, Beneath a Velvet Mask takes place in the gilded shadows of Paris, where political corruption and desire collide and nothing is as it seems. By day, Maison Rouge is a well-known charity foundation that serves as a facade for Europe's elite power brokers. It transforms into a shady palace of pleasure at night, ruled by velvet masks and whispered contracts. Isadora Vellore, elegant and elusive, wears many faces-socialite, benefactor, seductress, spy. Isadora is scarred by the mysterious death of her brother Lucien and forced to choose between duty and passion. Her lover, Damien Leclair, is a sharp-eyed agent with secrets of his own, tasked with monitoring her while hiding his heart. Dravoux, the icy and authoritative second-in-command at Maison Rouge, is by her side. He is loyal to the house but craves power. Mikhail Ardent, Isadora's godfather and the political puppet master who controls both governments and hearts, is lurking in the shadows. The masks begin to fall, however, when a rising courtesan named Valentina Morel discovers a secret ledger linking the pleasure house to covert arms deals and Sebastian Pyker, Damien's bitter rival, reappears with blood on his hands. Pursued by journalists like Aria Wolfe, haunted by the ghost of her brother Lucien, and torn between love and loyalty, Isadora must uncover the truth-before it destroys her. In a city where every rooftop is a battleground and every silk-draped room hides a secret, can love survive beneath the velvet mask? Masked elites dance among whispering courtesans at a lavish masquerade gala at Maison Rouge, complete with crystal-dripping chandeliers. Isadora Vellore oversees the event, her expression poised, but her mind racing-tonight marks the tenth anniversary of Lucien's presumed death. In a wolf mask, Damien Leclair appears. Their chemistry crackles as they share a cryptic dance. Unspoken tension simmers: they were lovers, and still are-secretly. In the shadows, Dravoux watches, marking names of guests tied to illicit finances. He subtly threatens Valentina Morel, warning her not to "climb too fast." Isadora gets a note in her glove that reads, "Lucien lives." By day, Maison Rouge operates as a charity advocating for displaced refugees, thanks to its spotless PR team-led covertly by Mikhail Ardent. The foundation's finances are questioned by independent journalist Aria Wolfe, but she encounters challenges at every turn. Damien meets with Sebastian Pyker, another government agent. Their rivalry is bitter-Sebastian accuses Damien of being "too involved" with Isadora. In a cold, sterile government HQ beneath the Ministry, Pyker presents a dossier: Maison Rouge is a hub for laundering arms money. While seducing a Czech diplomat, Valentina discovers a secret ledger. She is terrified by the names she sees, including Mikhail Ardent's. Aria watches Valentina pass the ledger to an unidentified individual as she follows her through the back alleys of Paris. Aria attempts to take pictures but is caught. Isadora and Damien meet on a private rooftop. He demands she stop interfering; she accuses him of spying on her. They kiss, forbidden, desperate, and hungry. He nearly tells her the truth about Lucien but stops. Back at Maison Rouge, Dravoux corners Valentina. He tells her in a chilling BDSM sequence that loyalty is the only safe word. Mikhail warns Isadora: "Control the narrative, or it will control you." A message arrives from a Balkan nation ravaged by war. A grainy picture of Lucien Vellore alive, chained, underground is attached. Isadora turns to Damien for help. They argue over trust. She learns he's been ordered to take her down if she crosses the line. Flashback: ten years ago, Lucien's "death" was a political cover-up involving a failed operation Mikhail authorized. It was explained to Isadora as a suicide. Aria infiltrates the government HQ via stolen credentials. She finds Lucien's early surveillance footage. A strategy emerges: seize Lucien, expose Mikhail, and, if necessary, burn Maison Rouge. Maison Rouge becomes a chessboard. Isadora seduces an arms dealer who funded Lucien's imprisonment. Valentina switches sides to help her. Under the estate, Pyker conducts a raid on a hidden BDSM chamber. He finds blood, chains, ledgers-and Dravoux, who escapes through a secret tunnel. Damien is caught between duty and love. He was supposed to arrest Isadora, but he turns on Pyker and accuses him of espionage. Aria broadcasts a secret stream exposing Maison Rouge's double life. The city erupts in scandal. Isadora prevents Mikhail from fleeing Paris at the airport. Under a blood-red sky, Isadora and Damien launch a rooftop rescue. As they retrieve Lucien from a guarded safehouse, explosions shake the skyline. Dravoux makes one last offer: if she joins him, she can lead a new empire of shadows. She declines. Lucien, weak but alive, exposes Mikhail's entire network before collapsing in Isadora's arm

Note from a stranger

Note from a stranger

Romance

5.0

When a mysterious letter arrives at her brownstone apartment, Clara Vance-an editor nursing heartbreak in the heart of Manhattan-finds herself drawn into the story of a town that doesn't exist on any map. Her curiosity eventually leads her to Eli Dawson, a quiet artist with his own secrets. Clara begins to unravel a past that may not be entirely hers with the assistance of her jovial roommate Marla, a reclusive bookseller by the name of Bea, and letters signed by an unknown individual. A moving tale about second chances, quiet places, and the kind of love that comes out of nowhere. October in New York City A coppery wax stamp without initials sealed the creamy white envelope, which was thick and textured. It was in Clara Vance's mailbox, between an unsubscribed issue of The New Yorker and an electric bill. She opened it in the hallway, leaning against the peeling paint of the front door of her brownstone. The bookstore café down the hall was emitting the scent of roasted coffee beans. > "To the girl who forgets to look up: There's a place that misses you. Locate it. It is standing by the lake." There was no signature. merely a return address from Davenport's Reach, New York, a place she'd never heard of. In their tiny, sun-drenched kitchen, she showed it to Marla that night over wine and leftover pad thai. Marla read it twice. "This is either a stalker, a marketing ploy, or an angel whose handwriting is terrible." Too exhausted to care, Clara laughed. "Or the incorrect Vance was simply discovered by mail," The name Davenport's Reach, on the other hand, lingered in her mind as she lay in bed later. The Last Page was run by Bea Kensington. It was a bookstore café on Amsterdam Avenue that was hidden between two flower shops. The shelves creaked, the scones were always warm, and the regulars mostly brought their own mugs. Clara had edited novels there for three years. It was there that Julian Park broke off their engagement six months after she fell in love with him. It was also where she met Rosa, the barista who brewed heartbreak the same way she brewed espresso-bold and with a twist of sarcasm. Before Clara spoke, the letter was noticed by Bea. "That's Davenport's Reach," the old woman said, adjusting her tortoiseshell glasses. "I haven't heard that name in fifty years." "Have you been there?" "More like I left it behind," Bea said. "Before the city pulled me in. There are some places you only visit in letters or dreams. Clara felt the pull again. not only of the location but also of the story. An editor's curse. "Do you think it's real?" Bea sipped her tea. "Does it matter? If a place is written well enough, it might as well be." She met him on the F train. Clara's tote bag had tipped over, spilling manuscripts all over the floor, and it was crowded. He knelt down to assist her and handed her the pages without observing. A sketchbook was in his lap, and his fingers were covered in ink. "Thanks," she said, catching her breath. He responded, glancing at the title of the manuscript, "No problem." "That one has a sad ending." "Have you read it?" He nodded. "Once. In a different life." His name was Eli Dawson. He lived in a fourth-floor walk-up in Brooklyn, painted portraits that looked like they missed someone, and rarely smiled with his eyes. There was something about him that made Clara feel like she had just walked into the second chapter of something she should've started long ago. They started running into each other more-on the train, in Central Park, in the bookstore. Rosa called it "a plot device." The second letter came with a pressed leaf. > "The lake turns silver in October. That's when the geese start calling. You always said the silence there was louder than the subway." It made Clara ache. Over breakfast, she told Marla. "It's like they know things I've never said aloud." Marla played with a spoon. "Maybe they do. Perhaps you are writing to yourself. Your future self." "Or my past." The letters kept coming. Stories were sometimes told. Occasionally, lists Once, a map of a lakeside town with no roads in or out. She told Eli about them on a walk through Central Park, leaves crunching beneath their boots. He looked distant. "My brother used to send me letters like that. After his stroke, he forgot most things but remembered places that never existed." "Henry?" Eli nodded. "I had no idea he was sick," I said. He's doing better now. But changed. He paints only one thing now-a dock, on a lake, with a red canoe. Julian Park appeared at her doorstep one rainy afternoon, hair wet, eyes nostalgic. "I saw your name on a galley proof," he said. "Missing you." Clara's response was, "You missed owning me." "There is a distinction." Life, to Julian, was always like a chessboard. Clara had had enough of him being his queen. The next day, she ran into Zadi Thompson-Eli's ex-at The Last Page. Zadi was all angles and red lips. "You're the editor," Zadi said, leani

The Last Affairs

The Last Affairs

Romance

5.0

Introduces Elena: poised, haunted. Once celebrated member of Victor Lang's contingent; now on the run. The city's duality: vibrant tourism vs. simmering unrest-political protests crackling in back alleys. Elena tails Damien Cross, her clandestine lover, through Alfama's maze. He's suave, distant-danger lurks beneath his charm. A near‑miss car bomb-makes clear: someone's watching Elena. Behind the Smiles Within the glass towers of Avenida da Liberdade lies wealth and covert dealings... Introduction of Victor Lang, Elena's former handler, meeting Sophia Delaine at a high‑stakes fundraiser. Sophia is elegant but icy-she resents Elena's return. Damien confronts Victor-there's tension: Victor warns Damien to step back from Elena; Damien refuses. Reuben Wolfe, Victor's loyal deputy, appears-he's torn. Observes Elena from afar. Their eyes meet across the room; sparks. A brief romantic moment between Damien and Elena in the sky‑bridge of two towers; they debate fleeing, stealing damning intel on a powerful financier. Political minister is revealed as target-someone's leaking info. Run‑Down Church Safehouse – Echoes of the Past At a defunct Igreja in Graça, Elena holes up for sanctuary. Interior scene: peeling frescoes, dusty pews, a single hanging lamp. The hush is tense. Anya Novak arrives-Elena's former handler turned rival. Cold confrontation: Anya demands Elena surrender the data file. Elena refuses. Flashbacks: Elena's training under Victor and Anya... first betrayal; her choice to leave. A secret confession between Elena and Julian Rowe, the military priest who once sheltered her. Confessional booth talk: Julian's torn between duty and care; Elena reveals her deepest fears. Undercover detective Alega catches wind-they meet secretly; they have a history. She's torn: pity for Elena yet duty-bound. On the Edge of Escape Dramatic night: rugged cliffs north of Lisbon, wind howling over waves. Elena, Damien, and Reuben sprint to a hidden military jeep. Reuben's presence is unexpected-he's gone rogue in service of Elena. A sniper shot-Anya's sniper team appears at the cliff edge. Gunfight ensues. Elena's shaken; Damien is hit. Reuben rescues Damien; they all descend the rock: dramatic, intimate moment as he carries her lover to safety. Victor appears-his team has arrived. He calls Elena to stand down. Intense standoff: Elena pleads for truth. Victor readies his gun, but Reuben steps forward. There's an emotional rupture-Reuben declaring loyalty to Elena, not Victor, offering her escape. Victor hesitates. Lies and Redemption Safe behind walls of a secluded Sintra villa, dawn arrives. The villa-crimson shutters, blooming gardens, hidden panic rooms. Elena and Damien recover; Reuben is tending to wounds. Sophia storms in-she's in tears. Confrontation: she's discovered Victor's manipulations, uses Elena to regain power. Elaine (Is that Sophia? maybe rename to Sophie), but anyway: Sophia reveals she's been orchestrating the leaks as revenge. Victor arrives-blames Elena for betrayals. Julian appears-he's risked everything to find and protect Elena. He reveals secret military documents in archives that could bring down corrupt bankers implicated in political unrest. Alega, the detective, arrives with squad-ready to arrest everyone. But she opts for an arrest of the truly corrupt: Victor and Sophia. Elena bargains: the documents must go public. In the climactic final scene: the stolen files are uploaded; the conspirators are outed. Victor and Sophia are taken in. Elena, Damien, and Reuben stand together as dawn breaks. They decide: freedom-but at cost. An ambiguous but hopeful final note as they walk to catch a dawn ferry-and Julian's voiceover: "Sometimes love is the only revolution left." BONUS – Character Relationships, Themes & Mini‑Sketches 🔹 Elena & Damien Intense pull‑push. Their love is refuge, but the world intrudes. They have stolen lunches on rooftops, whispered about escape, and now must decide if they can survive together. 🔹 Elena & Victor Father‑figure betrayal. Victor's mix of pride, regret, rage. Their confrontation hits all the past wounds-he trained her but then sacrificed her. 🔹 Elena & Sophia Neighbor turned enemy. Sophia envied Elena's grace and success. She brokers high‑society connections and criminal ties. 🔹 Elena & Reuben Protector turned lover. He's loyal to Victor (and Sophia), but love shifts alliances. In border‑cliff scene, their chemistry bursts through conflict. 🔹 Elena & Julian Spiritual confidant. A military priest who once absolved Elena of past ops. He's her anchor in moral chaos. 🔹 Elena & Anya Two sides of the same coin. Former partners. Their clash is method vs. instinct, cold logic vs. emotional reckoning. 🔹 Elena & Alega Detective sympathy.

The Bride's Double life

The Bride's Double life

Romance

5.0

The Bride's Double Life Where vows collide with secrets, and love wears a mask... Camille Rowe is about to marry into the illustrious Ward family in the quiet elegance of Hollow Creek. To the townspeople, she's the perfect bride: elegant, devoted, reborn. However, beneath the lace and assurances is a woman fleeing a perilous past. In Brooklyn, she's known by another name-the seductive and secretive songstress at The Red Veil Bar, where the lights are low and the lies run deep. Unaware of the storm his bride carries beneath her veil, the groom, Ethan Ward, is a polished corporate heir with charm and legacy in his veins. But secrets don't stay buried forever, especially not in The Wedding Estate, where walls have ears and ghosts whisper names. When Jonas Blake, Camille's former lover and the only man who knew her truth, returns from the shadows, Camille's fragile new world trembles. Not only was their past sexy, but it was also dangerous. And incomplete. Margot Rowe, Camille's estranged sister, shows up unannounced and begins to cauterize the wounds that have not healed. Her motives? Murky. Who are her allies? Unclear. And lurking not far behind is Detective Alana Verge, a hard-nosed Brooklyn cop chasing a trail of crimes that lead straight to Camille's polished new life. As Mrs. Evelyn Ward, Ethan's shrewd and grieving mother, watches with cold suspicion, Dominic Crane-a stranger with cryptic warnings and connections to Camille's past-emerges from the crowd, speaking in riddles and truths she isn't ready to face. Only Avery Kent, Camille's fiercely loyal best friend, knows how far Camille has gone to escape her past-and how close she is to losing herself in the web she's spun. Everything unravels at the Ridgewell Train Station, where time once stopped for Camille-and may again. It's where destinies collide, where identities confront each other in the stark light of truth, and where love, vengeance, and redemption await their final curtain. In a world where every character wears a mask, Camille must decide which life is real-the one she escaped or the one she's trying to build. Will she run again... or finally stand and fight for the woman she's become?

The loyalty in the lie

The loyalty in the lie

Romance

5.0

Loyalty in the Lie Verdona shines in the Mediterranean sun as a coastal paradise where power is bought in whispers and wealth disguises corruption. Champagne and secrets abound in rooftop bars. A network of lies pulses in the veins of the city beneath the marble of government halls and the gleam of elite galas. Isabella Leone is both a product of Verdona and its greatest threat. A political strategist trained by the cunning General Tomas Elroy, she's tasked with dismantling an international syndicate whose roots coil deep into the state's machinery. Isabella's loyalty begins to break down, however, when her covert assignment brings her face to face with Marcus Vidal, the man who once broke her heart but now serves the empire she is supposed to destroy. Her closest friend, Celia Amador, acts as her anchor in public life, PR officer to Verdona's elite, but secretly collaborates with rebel leader Eduardo Casillas-a man as idealistic as he is dangerous. Unbeknownst to Isabella, Celia's loyalties are shifting too, and Eduardo's war may be closer than she thinks. Hovering in the shadows is Raoul "Rafe" Lender, head of a brutal underground syndicate that operates through blackmail, murder, and money laundering. He has a history with Isabella's powerful aunt, the city's notorious mafia queen Valerie Leone, and he has an even greater stake in concealing the truth. The only person who has access to the city's darkest secrets is relentless investigative journalist Lucien Ramos, who is also hopelessly in love with Isabella and is obsessed with exposing Verdona's decay. But telling the truth may cost him everything, including the woman he can never quite reach. Isabella must choose between serving the mission, saving the man, or lighting Verdona on fire as the city's balance shifts and hidden rebel camps prepare for war. Because in Verdona, loyalty is just another kind of lie.

The Trophy wife revenge

The Trophy wife revenge

Romance

5.0

Blurb: "The Trophy Wife's Revenge" In the sprawling ultra-modern coastal city of Verona Bay, where opulence masks a web of corruption and crime, Valeria Moreau finds herself at the heart of a dangerous game. Valeria Kane appears to have everything-wealth, status, and a life of luxury-because she is married to Marcus Kane, a powerful but cruel man. But beneath the surface, her marriage is a façade, hiding dark secrets that threaten to destroy her. When private detective Adrian Wolfe is hired to spy on Valeria, he quickly realizes that there is more going on than just a simple affair. He has a sharp mind and a dark past. As he uncovers the layers of betrayal, he begins to question his loyalty and motivations. A woman with a burning desire for justice is hidden behind Valeria's cold exterior, and her aspiration to exact vengeance on those who have wronged her is beginning to take shape. Her ferocious best friend and criminal partner, Isabella "Izzy" Saint Valerie, stands by her side and is determined to assist her in retaliating against the men who have abused and abused her. Victor Crane, Marcus Kane's loyal bodyguard and enforcer, serves as both a protector and a constant reminder of the power Marcus holds over her life. Elena Martell, an investigative journalist, is hot on their trail, desperate to uncover the truth behind the city's elite corruption. But the stakes are higher than anyone realizes when Damien Cross, Valeria's ex-lover, resurfaces, bringing with him a trail of unresolved passion and danger. Meanwhile, Governor Nolan Trent, a crooked politician whose ties to Verona Bay's underground crime syndicate run deep, holds the key to unlocking the final pieces of the puzzle. As Valeria's plan unfolds, secrets are revealed, alliances shift, and everyone is forced to confront their darkest desires. Will Valeria be able to reclaim her life, or will the corrupt city of Verona Bay consume her? Action, suspense, love, betrayal, and the struggle for power in a city that plays by its own rules make up The Trophy Wife's Revenge, a high-stakes thriller. In a game where only the most dangerous players can survive, secrets will be exposed, loyalties will be tested, and lives will be destroyed.

You'll also like

I Slapped My Fiancé-Then Married His Billionaire Nemesis

I Slapped My Fiancé-Then Married His Billionaire Nemesis

Jessica C. Dolan
5.0

Being second best is practically in my DNA. My sister got the love, the attention, the spotlight. And now, even her damn fiancé. Technically, Rhys Granger was my fiancé now-billionaire, devastatingly hot, and a walking Wall Street wet dream. My parents shoved me into the engagement after Catherine disappeared, and honestly? I didn't mind. I'd crushed on Rhys for years. This was my chance, right? My turn to be the chosen one? Wrong. One night, he slapped me. Over a mug. A stupid, chipped, ugly mug my sister gave him years ago. That's when it hit me-he didn't love me. He didn't even see me. I was just a warm-bodied placeholder for the woman he actually wanted. And apparently, I wasn't even worth as much as a glorified coffee cup. So I slapped him right back, dumped his ass, and prepared for disaster-my parents losing their minds, Rhys throwing a billionaire tantrum, his terrifying family plotting my untimely demise. Obviously, I needed alcohol. A lot of alcohol. Enter him. Tall, dangerous, unfairly hot. The kind of man who makes you want to sin just by existing. I'd met him only once before, and that night, he just happened to be at the same bar as my drunk, self-pitying self. So I did the only logical thing: I dragged him into a hotel room and ripped off his clothes. It was reckless. It was stupid. It was completely ill-advised. But it was also: Best. Sex. Of. My. Life. And, as it turned out, the best decision I'd ever made. Because my one-night stand isn't just some random guy. He's richer than Rhys, more powerful than my entire family, and definitely more dangerous than I should be playing with. And now, he's not letting me go.

Chapters
Read Now
Download Book