When Sullivan witnesses her parents being brutally murdered by Justin Lowell, her father's best friend and colleague, her entire world is shattered.
She swears to make Justin pay price for what he did and applies for law school to become a lawyer. It is not easy because she doesn’t want any money from Justin, who is also her legal guardian.
As she navigates the challenges of college life, Katerina keeps a secret: her part-time job at Penthouse Club as an exotic dancer to pay her way through school. But one fateful night, her double life is threatened to be revealed when Justin Lowell walks into the club with Victor Skrovonski, a notorious mafia boss.
Katerina's reality spins out of control as she becomes entangled in the dark crime underworld. A terrible mistake leaves her in dire need of help, and it's only Justin who steps forward to offer support. But their relationship is complicated; he can be cold and distant one moment, then unexpectedly kind the next, leaving Katerina questioning everything about him.
As they grow closer despite the danger surrounding them, a forbidden attraction blooms. Katerina begins to wonder: Does Justin have two personalities or is what she’s believed for the past six years a lie?

Claimed by My Dark Guardian by Lyra TaleSmith, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

Claimed by My Dark Guardian

The next class with Justin began with him deducting ten points from my next term paper. It seemed as if I’d woken the lion and angered the beast.


On another day, I’d be pissed about it and react like a child. Today, though, I was prepared. I knew he’d take another shot at me. I knew he wouldn’t stop.


I couldn’t believe this was the same guy in the washroom at Penthouse—his hand on my cheek, his breath in my ear, the bass in the air. The thought brought goosebumps, and that made me angrier. I watched him teach without a care in the world, as if he didn’t ruin my entire day with that comment. Move from one side of the board to the other, rambling on and on about natural law and positivism…


“Next time, choose high-end cosmetics,”


If I could afford them, would I be stripping in the first place?


And in my mind, I saw the entire evening again. The mafia boss. The sinister look on his face when he touched me. Justin’s subtle smirk. Lee screaming at me. 


Chapter 8: Surprise, Surprise