Eva Basista

The sequel to Dangerous Hate I turned my life upside down and bolted to the capital. But the second I stepped out of the train car, I bumped into an insufferable jerk. We had a fierce war of words, only for me to discover the very next day that he was my new boss. What started as pure animosity soon morphed into something I am terrified to admit...

Years ago, I broke his heart because I wanted more than he could give. Now, I have it all: a wealthy fiancé, a wedding dress, and... a life that has turned into a living hell behind its perfect facade. I thought I had left the past behind forever, but fate had other plans. He is back in my life...

What would you choose? Your reporting has set a vampire clan against you, and your powerful boss (who’s also a vampire) gives you three paths: die by the enemy, die by his hand... or become his bride. I picked the bride. But little did I know, the surprises were just getting started.

My life crumbled like a rotten tooth trying to bite into a walnut. My fiancé and I split up, my workplace went bankrupt, and on top of it all came the autumn blues and non-stop gloom. It felt like the absolute end of the line. But a single phone call changed everything. I packed my bags and bolted to the capital to chase a better destiny. Truth is, I had barely stepped off the train before disaster found me again...

— Hands off! She’s my girl, — Mikhail appears out of nowhere. I turn. It’s him. He yanks me toward him without hesitation, wrapping an arm tightly around my waist. — Yours? — the man sneers, squeezing his glass of liquor. — Yes, — Mikhail pulls me even closer. I glare at him. I could slap him right now too! I’m furious. — Then why isn’t she wearing a collar? — the man growls. — She slapped me! Do you know what that means? — Maybe you shouldn’t have laid a hand on me! — the words burst out of me before I can stop them. I don’t get to finish—Mikhail covers my mouth with his hand and says calmly: — I know. But she’s new, — then adds. — She just forgot to put on her collar. — Girls like her need to be trained. — I’m on it, — he says coldly and starts dragging me away.

I thought I had left the past behind. That everything remained there—the love, the betrayal, the danger. But now, I see him again...

I became his property, thinking I would just work off the money I borrowed from him. But I was wrong. He claimed my heart, and his kisses became my venom. The gripping sequel to "The Serpent's Property".

— You can't write things like this down on paper, — he says, his eyes slowly stripping me. — As long as the contract is valid, I’ll have full access to your body… and I’ll take you as many times as I want. I sink deeper into the couch. What did I expect? Once a week? Stupid girl. — Your only job is to always want me, —his voice grows husky, desire thickening each word. — And to obey every one of my erotic whims. His gaze ignites, burning into me. — For these four months, I own you. You’re mine now. I signed a contract with a sinful billionaire to save my brother’s life… and my own. I didn’t want to. But life didn’t care.

— You’d really do anything? — he turns to me, his face unchanged after all these years. The same man. The same intensity. — Yes… If I have to, I’ll even become a killer. — Bold claim, — he smirks. — But I don’t need that kind of service. He glances at his watch. — Time’s up. Oleksandr stands. He’s ready to leave. But I grab his hand — tightly. I won’t let him walk away. I look into his eyes and whisper, trembling: — Please. Don’t go. Life has brought me face to face with Lypovskyi again. I wish I could say I never wanted to see this man again… But life didn’t ask. It forced me to come to him.

My husband cheated on me. He broke my heart, shattered my dignity, and crushed every ounce of confidence I had left. And now… he wants to take everything from me. Even my children. To stop him— I became a plaything for two.

— You’re fired, — his voice cuts through the air. — And not just fired. With the kind of reference I’ll give you, you’ll be lucky to land a job as a street cleanerю. He turns and walks away. I freeze. My insides go cold. — No! — I jump up from my knees and run after him. — Mr. Anton Oleksandrovych, please don’t fire me! I’ll do anything! Anything—just don’t let me go! I cling to the sleeve of his shirt, stretched over his strong frame. He stops, frowns, and mutters: — Anything? His gaze drops slowly over my body, unsettling. Intense. — Anything at all? I nod desperately. I mixed up the gift bags… and instead of a proper present, my boss handed his business partner a sex toy. From an actual adult store.

— Cat got your tongue? — his burning gaze lingers on my lips. — What happened? The other day you were yelling so loudly, half the city heard you. And now you’re quiet... He smirks. — This is your fault! — I manage to snap, forcing courage into my voice. — I was just crossing the street, and you— — And what about me? His right hand drops to my thigh, lifting the hem of my skirt just slightly. — You should’ve stepped out of your car and apologized instead of insulting me, — I protest, my breath hitching as his hand slides higher. It’s already halfway up my thigh. — Excuses won’t save you, — he murmurs, his eyes locking with mine as his grip tightens. — One way or another, that thing you drew on my hood... will end up between your lips.

— Inna, calm down! — he grabs my wrists and pins them down. I can’t move. He’s too strong. — Stop it! — Get off me! Let me go! — And where exactly should I let you go? Out on the highway? So someone mistakes you for a hooker? — Why do you care? Isn’t that what I am to you? Just a whore?! — I scream, thrashing. — Let me go! — I won’t! — he growls, tightening his grip around me until it’s hard to breathe.

— Dad, can you please explain what’s going on? — I try to make sense of the situation. — Why am I supposed to pack my things and go with you? — Because you're getting married soon, — he says flatly, shocking me to the core. — And today, you’re meeting your fiancé. So hurry up and stop asking unnecessary questions. — What wedding? — I stammer, frozen in disbelief. — This isn’t funny! Your sense of humor is awful! — It’s not a joke. It’s the truth, — he replies without flinching. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. — I’m not going anywhere. And I’m definitely not getting married! — I protest. — Margo, I don’t care what you think, — he cuts me off coldly. — This marriage benefits everyone. I’m sealing a deal with a reliable business partner… and you’ll be saved from your own mistakes.

— I won’t let you go, — he says calmly. — This marriage is convenient for me… Margarita, stop the drama and accept your fate. — Herman, I don’t love you, — I snap. — And I won’t accept it. Every single day, I’ll remind you of that until you beg for a divorce. I’ll drive you mad—until your hands and legs start twitching. — You say you don’t love me, yet you kissed me—passionately—both then and now, — he smirks, gathering his lips in that wicked smile. Then he lifts my chin with his fingers. And that touch… it shoots straight through me. Betraying shivers. Pleasure I hate to feel. — Those kisses were mistakes, — I whisper. — I don’t think so...

Did I want a more exciting life? Well, I got it. In the form of a near car crash, a heated argument, and a cocky jerk with the face of a cute hamster. I spilled coffee on him. He spilled a whole speech full of threats on me. We both thought we’d never see each other again. But fate has a wicked sense of humor. Now he’s sitting right in front of me. And I realize… I’m screwed.

I look at Arseniy Viktorovych. My breathing is deep—yet far too quick. This man overwhelms me. Something inside urges me to reach for the sweetness of my boss’s lips again, but his strong, yet surprisingly gentle hands grab me and push me back. A second later, we’re standing still. I tilt my head up to meet his gaze. There’s a storm raging inside me. I want nothing more than to throw my arms around his neck. To kiss him again. — Yanina, — Yarovyi’s voice snaps, firm and cold. — What do you think you’re doing? I hear his question— but I’m in a trance. All I want… is to look at him.

My father vanished, leaving a thirty-thousand-dollar debt in his wake. I have nothing to my name, no connections, no one to turn to. All I have is fear. And a single choice. They call him the Serpent. Cold. Powerful. While others stay clear, I’m walking straight into his grasp. I don’t know what he will demand in return, but it doesn’t matter. I will do whatever it takes. Because in this world, everything has a price.

"No one in this world needs a frigid, wooden thirty-year-old woman." Those were the last words my husband spat out before slamming the door behind him. For eleven years, I lived a quiet life. I had a family. I thought I was happy... But one single day shattered everything—splintered my so-called happiness into sharp, bitter fragments. Because the truth is, it was never real. Just a sweet illusion. My husband cheated on me. He broke my heart, crushed my dignity, and tore away what was left of my self-worth. And now, he wants to take everything I have left. Even my children. To stop him— I accepted a most unexpected offer.

— I could’ve forgotten you, — Podolskyi says, his gaze shamelessly locked on mine. — But it seems fate brought you right back to me… so I could settle the score. — Settle the score? — I ask flatly, hiding the fear twisting in my gut. Is he really going to punish me… for that slap? — Why not? — he smirks slowly. — You’re not getting away this time. We’re tied together now, in more ways than one. Sure, you could turn around and walk away… but I doubt your father, Natalia, would be too happy to see a video of his daughter dancing on a bar, showing off her juicy little assets. — Video? — I whisper, stunned. — Where did you get that?