N_orahh

In a world where blood ties and betrayal go hand in hand, Valentina Rossi and Lorenzo De Luca were born to be enemies. He is the ruthless king of the north, ruling through fear and violence. She is the heir to the Rossi empire, raised to be cunning and untouchable. Their families have been at war for generations, but when a deadly conspiracy threatens them both, they are forced into an uneasy alliance.

Torn between hatred and a dangerous attraction, Valentina and Lorenzo play a game of power, seduction, and survival. Every glance is a challenge, every touch a threat, and every kiss a war. But as they navigate ambushes, betrayals, and an unseen enemy pulling the strings, the lines between enemy and lover begin to blur.

In a world where loyalty is a lie and desire is deadly, can they survive long enough to uncover the truth—or will their sinful alliance be the weapon that destroys them both?

sinful alliances

The air inside Lorenzo's war room was suffocating, thick with tension that had nothing to do with strategy or revenge. The attack on the estate had pushed them both to the edge, but it wasn't just anger burning between them. It was something far more dangerous.

Lorenzo dismissed his men with a sharp wave of his hand, his jaw tight, muscles coiled like a predator ready to strike. The second the door shut behind them, silence filled the space.

She leaned against the heavy oak table, arms crossed, watching him carefully, like she was studying a weapon she wasn't sure she could control.

His knuckles cracked as he flexed his fingers. "I'm fucking livid."

His voice was low, rough—the kind of anger that ran deep, controlled but barely. The kind that made him dangerous.

Valentina took a slow step forward, her heels clicking against the marble floor. "Good."

Lorenzo's gaze snapped to hers, dark and unreadable.

Her lips curled. "Use it. Let it fuel you."

His lips curled into something dangerous. "You always this reckless?"

She smirked. "Only when I'm bored."

His laugh was short, humorless. "You're playing with fire, Rossi."

Valentina closed the distance between them until they were toe-to-toe, her chin lifted, her voice like silk.

Faster than she expected, his hand wrapped around her throat, pinning her back against the cold surface of the mahogany table. His grip wasn't tight, wasn't threatening—but it was a warning.

Valentina's breath hitched, her hands bracing against his chest. He was solid, unyielding, a wall of power and danger wrapped in a tailored suit.

She arched a brow, despite the way her pulse betrayed her. "And if I want to play?"

Lorenzo's grip flexed. "Then you're a bigger problem than I thought."

She smirked, pressing up just enough so her lips nearly brushed his. "I was always a problem."

His other hand slid to her waist, fingers digging in as if testing her, as if daring her to push him further.

Tilting her chin, she let her lips ghost against his jaw, not quite a kiss, just enough to drive him insane. She felt the way his body tensed, the way his breathing deepened.

For a second, she thought he might give in. Might take what they both wanted.

Lorenzo pulled back, his grip tightening just enough to remind her who he was. Who they were.

"I don't mix business with pleasure," he rasped.

Valentina smiled, slow and knowing. "Liar."

Then he let her go, stepping back, his control razor-thin.

"I have a war to fight," he said. "And so do you."

Valentina exhaled, her own pulse betraying her.

She turned, heading for the door—but before she left, she glanced over her shoulder.

"You can keep pretending, Lorenzo," she murmured. "But one of these days? You're going to break."

She'd be right there to watch him burn.

Chapter 14