Raydar

Adopted by the Stewart family, Brianna grew up knowing she wasn’t chosen out of love, but out of usefulness. She never expected to be the main character of any story, until her sister Emily, the golden child, fled her own arranged marriage leaving Brianna to take her place. Adrian Maserati’s reputation precedes him: the brutal, cold-blooded CEO who runs the entire state. Brianna braces herself to become just another shadow in his house, a sham marriage wearing her sister’s name. Instead, she’s met by a man whose eyes light up just for her, who tells her she was always the one he wanted, whose gaze draws out emotions she never knew she had. As their marriage blooms into an unexpected slow burn, Brianna starts uncovering truths she was never meant to find: fragments of a forgotten childhood, the shape of her adoption, a husband who somehow knows her better than she knows herself. The deeper she digs, the clearer it becomes. Now she has to decide: is the man she’s falling for really in love with her, or has she just traded one cage for another? Excerpt “But.. why the pet names. You’ve never called my name out loud before.” I questioned before I could stop myself. “I thought you didn’t know my name.” “Oh.. baby,” he murmured, his thumb brushing the lone tear filling the side of my eyes. “I never called you by your name for a reason.” “As much as I love your name,” his gaze softened even more, “‘Baby’ just sounds way better. And so does the many more pet names I have on my belt. How do you like ‘my angel’?”

"So what is this about? You want to f*ck me again?!” My voice shook with a mix of fury and something dangerously close to want. “Do you have no shame? You're married, Mr. Vale. Please, stay behind the line." He closed the distance until his breath brushed mine, the air between us suddenly thick and intoxicating. My breath caught as his lips grazed my ear. "I'm not married, Ivy. Not yet. I'm engaged." Well, if that wasn’t the terrible truth. "And no, I do not only want to f*ck you.” The crudeness of his words hit me somewhere below. He continued, “I want to possess you, and it won't happen now, so don't hold your breath. When I take you again, it will be because you have accepted this spark between us. Because you also acknowledge the fact that you want me just as madly as I want you. Because this feeling is mutual, and my greed is a reflection of yours." Ivy Watson left her old job with one too many bruises, the kind that come from choosing peace over silence. Getting cheated on by her boyfriend, who was also her boss, was bad enough. Getting slapped for being “the other woman” was worse. She resigned before it could spiral further, choosing to keep her last shred of dignity intact. One wild night with her friends and a handsome stranger was supposed to be nothing more than a mistake, a secret she’d never have to revisit. Until life proved it had a twisted sense of humor. After weeks of failed interviews, Ivy finally lands her dream job only to discover that her new CEO is the same man she spent one unforgettable night with. Tristan Vale is powerful, irresistible, and completely off-limits. Because he’s engaged. Determined not to become the other woman again, Ivy decides to quit before history repeats itself. But Tristan has no intention of letting her walk away. As his obsession deepens and temptation blurs every boundary, Ivy is forced to choose between protecting her heart and morals or surrendering to a man whose greed knows no limits. Can Ivy break free of this pattern or will she fall right back into being the other woman, this time for a boss who’s obsessed with keeping her?