Thriller

A lonely princess, guided by a dragon, embarks on a perilous quest to redeem her father and save her kingdom.

Adanna Cole, a rising star in criminal law, has devoted her career to hunting the powerful crime syndicate that murdered her parents when she was 12. She finally gets her chance when the police arrest Ethan Cross, a charming, enigmatic businessman suspected of laundering money for the very syndicate she’s been chasing. But as she digs deeper, she discovers two dangerous truths: Ethan might be the only man she’s ever truly loved. He might also be guilty. She doesn’t know if he’s her greatest ally… or the enemy she’s been chasing all along. The deeper they go, the more the line between love and betrayal blurs. And in a city built on lies, trusting the wrong person could be the last mistake she ever makes.

Adrian Kaine was once the deadliest operative in Shadow Unit, a black-ops division buried so deep in the government that most agents never lived long enough to speak of it. But when a mission in Kargath Province turned into a massacre, Adrian became the sole survivor, then the government’s most wanted traitor. His squad was slaughtered. Evidence was planted. His name was erased. And those who orchestrated the betrayal made sure he was declared dead. They miscalculated. Eighteen months later, Adrian resurfaces as a ghost in the ruins of his old headquarters, hunting for the truth buried beneath the ashes. But he is not the only one searching. Marcus Hale, his former teammate and supposed friend, now leads a covert kill team tasked with eliminating him. Above Marcus sits Colonel Mason Kade, the official who signed the order that condemned Adrian’s entire squad. And watching all of them from the shadows is a faceless mastermind known only by a single encrypted codename: Cipher. As Adrian follows a trail of classified leaks, dead operatives, and impossible coincidences, he uncovers a horrifying secret: a covert plan known as the Ashen Protocol, designed to rewrite the balance of global power—using bodies like his as the foundation stones. But the deeper he digs, the more the truth twists around him. Old allies hide new agendas. Enemies speak with familiar voices. And the real traitor may be closer than he has ever imagined. Hunted by governments, mercenaries, and a ghost from his past, Adrian must become something colder than a soldier and deadlier than a weapon. He must become the nightmare they tried to bury. And this time… he’s not the one running.

In California, Mr. and Mrs. Maguire gave birth to a son, Edward. Fate had kept him distant from his parents at just seven years old. Two years later, he learned the bitter truth—they had been snatched away by the cold hands of death. Having lost this battle to destiny, Edward grew up in the bustling city of San Diego. The heir of a glorious empire was forced to live a life of loneliness and abject poverty. Now, becoming an adult, he wished to pursue his dreams and let go of the past, but the cloud of solitude and hardship wouldn't seem to let him be free. Is he to change his fate, or will he continue to cling to his present situation?