SHANA GRAY

The sterile white of the operating room blurred, then sharpened, as Skye Sterling felt the cold clawing its way up her body. The heart monitor flatlined, a steady, high-pitched whine announcing her end. Her uterus had been removed, a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding, but the blood wouldn't clot. It just kept flowing, warm and sticky, pooling beneath her. Through heavy eyes, she saw a trembling nurse holding a phone on speaker. "Mr. Kensington," the nurse's voice cracked, "your wife... she's critical." A pause, then a sweet, poisonous giggle. Seraphina Miller. "Liam is in the shower," Seraphina's voice purred. "Stop calling, Skye. It's pathetic. Faking a medical emergency on our anniversary? Even for you, that's low." Then, Liam's bored voice: "If she dies, call the funeral home. I have a meeting in the morning." Click. The line went dead. A second later, so did Skye. The darkness that followed was absolute, suffocating, a black ocean crushing her lungs. She screamed into the void, a silent, agonizing wail of regret for loving a man who saw her as a nuisance, for dying without ever truly living. Until she died, she didn't understand. Why was her life so tragically wasted? Why did her husband, the man she loved, abandon her so cruelly? The injustice of it all burned hotter than the fever in her body. Then, the air rushed back in. Skye gasped, her body convulsing violently on the mattress. Her eyes flew open, wide and terrified, staring blindly into the darkness. Her trembling hand reached for her phone. May 12th. Five years ago. She was back.

I died on a Tuesday. It wasn't a quick death. It was slow, cold, and meticulously planned by the man who called himself my father. I was twenty years old. He needed my kidney to save my sister. The spare part for the golden child. I remember the blinding lights of the operating theater, the sterile smell of betrayal, and the phantom pain of a surgeon's scalpel carving into my flesh while my screams echoed unheard. I remember looking through the observation glass and seeing him-my father, Giovanni Vitiello, the Don of the Chicago Outfit-watching me die with the same detached expression he used when signing a death warrant. He chose her. He always chose her. And then, I woke up. Not in heaven. Not in hell. But in my own bed, a year before my scheduled execution. My body was whole, unscarred. The timeline had reset, a glitch in the cruel matrix of my existence, giving me a second chance I never asked for. This time, when my father handed me a one-way ticket to London-an exile disguised as a severance package-I didn't cry. I didn't beg. My heart, once a bleeding wound, was now a block of ice. He didn't know he was talking to a ghost. He didn't know I had already lived through his ultimate betrayal. He also didn't know that six months ago, during the city's brutal territory wars, I was the one who saved his most valuable asset. In a secret safe house, I stitched up the wounds of a blinded soldier, a man whose life hung by a thread. He never saw my face. He only knew my voice, the scent of vanilla, and the steady touch of my hands. He called me Sette. Seven. For the seven stitches I put in his shoulder. That man was Dante Moretti. The Ruthless Capo. The man my sister, Isabella, is now set to marry. She stole my story. She claimed my actions, my voice, my scent. And Dante, the man who could spot a lie from a mile away, believed the beautiful deception because he wanted it to be true. He wanted the golden girl to be his savior, not the invisible sister who was only ever good for her spare parts. So I took the ticket. In my past life, I fought them, and they silenced me on an operating table. This time, I will let them have their perfect, gilded lie. I will go to London. I will disappear. I will let Seraphina Vitiello die on that plane. But I will not be a victim. This time, I will not be the lamb led to slaughter. This time, from the shadows of my exile, I will be the one holding the match. And I will wait, with the patience of the dead, to watch their entire world burn. Because a ghost has nothing to lose, and a queen of ashes has an empire to gain.

My husband, Liam Walker, threw an anniversary party – not for us, but for his vibrant new girlfriend, Chloe Vance. I was just the caterer, forced to serve them in his opulent penthouse. Five years ago, my parents’ drunk driving killed his entire family. For these five years, Liam has systematically destroyed me. This party was just another testament to his calculated cruelty, as he toasted to 'leaving the past behind,' his eyes boring into mine. He watched Chloe 'accidentally' scald me, only to rush to her side. My heartfelt gestures, like baking his favorite cake, were met with contempt and tossed into the trash. He believed every one of Chloe’s lies, accusing me of violence and even forcing me to donate a kidney to save Chloe after she 'fell' under my 'attack.' He left me to rot, bruised and barefoot, among the graves of our families. His vengeance was absolute, a torment I couldn't escape. Why did he hate me so profoundly, yet chain me to his side? What untold agony drove his every cruel impulse, and what was the true cost of surviving such a monster? I was tired, so tired. So I jumped from the Blackwood Bridge, embracing the cold bay. "It's over," I whispered. But instead of oblivion, I woke, gasping, to a miracle. It was the day before the accident that took his family. The day before our lives crashed. We had a second chance, but could a broken past ever be truly mended?

I married a billionaire to escape my Appalachian roots, fully aware I was just a pawn in his toxic game with Kiarra, the woman he was truly obsessed with. I thought I knew the rules, until he let her bulldoze my childhood home for a new resort, leaving my deaf-mute mother injured in the dust. He stood by as her friends beat me senseless. He broke my arm. When I finally fought back after Kiarra threatened my mother, he broke it again, his face a mask of cold fury. His final act of cruelty was forcing me to my knees in a crowded bar, ordering me to bark like a dog for their friends' amusement. As I knelt there, humiliated and broken, I looked to my husband for a shred of mercy. He just turned away and kissed Kiarra passionately, sealing my fate with her lipstick. They thought they had destroyed the "mountain mouse." But as I boarded a private jet with a divorce settlement that could cripple his empire, I knew my story wasn't over. It was just beginning.

The scalpel felt wrong in my hand, cold and alien. "Sarah, we're ready. It's time." My husband, Dr. Mark Johnson, stood beside me, his voice a smooth, confident hum. This was the moment. The surgery on my own father. The moment that, in another life, had destroyed me completely. I dropped the scalpel. "I can't do it," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. A flash of memory, vivid and real, flooded my mind: an orange jumpsuit, camera flashes, a "Guilty" verdict. I remembered dying alone in a prison cell, my name a synonym for malpractice and murder. A monster who killed her own father on the operating table. Why was I reliving this? I'd changed things. I hadn't operated. I'd deliberately injured my hand, smashing it against a metal basin to avoid that fate. Yet here I was, surrounded by public scorn, branded a "psycho doctor" and a "murderer" by a baying mob, all orchestrated by Mark and my mother, Eleanor. They even produced a manufactured video of me botching the surgery-a doppelganger, a staged performance meant to frame me. This was my second chance, but it felt like a replay of my death. They thought they had me trapped again, burying me under fabricated evidence and public hatred. But I had a secret weapon, a desperate, wild gamble up my sleeve, a suspicion rooted in old family secrets. When the autopsy results came in, Mark and Eleanor believed they had fully sealed my fate. They brought out reports of my fingerprints on the scalpel, a massive overdose of a powerful opioid, and a fake email from my deleted files-a confession to a mercy killing for insurance money. They had built an airtight case. Despair washed over me. I was going to lose. Again. But then, a thought clicked. A distant cousin from my mother' s side. The truth began to crystallize, sickening and monstrous. My only way out was to play their game, just for a little longer. "I'll confess," I croaked, my mind racing. "But I have one condition. One last request. Just let me see him one last time. Let me say goodbye at the funeral home. Alone." They thought it was the last gasp of a defeated woman. They were wrong. This was my opening.

The grand Thorne Estate gala, meant to celebrate my husband Richard' s legacy, became my public execution. He arrived late, not with apologies, but with his mistress, Chloe, and their son, Leo, brazenly announcing them as his new family-his "firstborn son." As whispers turned to a dizzying cacophony, his mother, the matriarch, hissed warnings to me not to "make a scene." My dignity was shattered, my son Liam clutched my hand in fright, and then, the world went black. Waking in a sterile medical suite, the matriarch' s venomous hiss, "Do you have any idea the scene you caused? You have embarrassed this family, Ava," made it perfectly clear: my humiliation was the real scandal. Richard, meanwhile, knelt dotingly over Leo, openly displaying the affection he never showed our legitimate son. When I confronted him, he dismissed my pain: "It changes nothing for you." My heart, a vessel already shattered, broke again as he, his mother, and his conniving mistress conspired to force me into acceptance, threatening my very position. "You will remain the official Mrs. Thorne, but you will accept Chloe and Leo. It' s not a request." Was I simply to be a gatekeeper for his affairs, to raise my son alongside a bastard and pretend we were one big, happy family? The sheer audacity, the cold calculation, the utter disregard for my existence – it was a profound, chilling despair. But when Richard dared to slap me-not for anger or jealousy, but for protecting his cruel son' s "innocent" lie-a cold, hard clarity washed over me. I looked him dead in the eye, and told him, "It' s over." And then, I filed for divorce.

The Vermont chill, familiar yet unwelcome, clung to me as I pushed Caleb' s stroller through the cemetery. After three years in California, I' d hoped for a quiet visit to my parents' graves. But then I saw her: Mrs. Lester, standing by her husband' s tombstone. And almost immediately, Mrs. Lester's misplaced hope turned into a direct dial to Ethan, who was undoubtedly on his way. Moments later, Ethan's luxury car crunched on the gravel, and out he stepped, followed by Sabrina, clinging to his arm. Before I could explain, Caleb stirred, and Ethan' s eyes dropped to the stroller, a cruel smirk forming. "Working as a nanny now?" he sneered. "Apologize to Sabrina, and I' ll consider taking you back. Can' t have my wife working as a servant." His words, each a sharp blow, echoed the day he' d abandoned me at our engagement on stage, leaving me humiliated as Sabrina theatrically threatened suicide with a box cutter. He thought Caleb was my employer' s child. He thought I was broken, desperate for his scraps. And now, Sabrina, with a practiced gasp, stumbled dramatically, feigning injury when I dared to protect my son from her touch. Ethan' s rage turned on me. "You' re still the same cruel person! Apologize!" My world was crashing, and the old helplessness crept in. But then, a sleek black Rivian pulled up, and out stepped Andrew Scott.

Ava Chen, adopted into the Hamilton dynasty, lived a life of polished perfection, her cool-girl facade masking a vibrant inner world obsessed with cheeseburgers and artisanal donuts. Tonight, at the annual Children' s Literacy Gala, everything changed. Skyler, the newly discovered "true" heiress, fueled by jealousy, wished on an antique locket for everyone to see the "real" Ava. Suddenly, Ava' s every internal thought, from her deep-fried cravings to her scathing social commentary, became audibly broadcast to everyone nearby. Her meticulously crafted mask shattered, public embarrassment her constant companion. This bizarre "superpower" sabotaged her family's prestigious arranged marriage with the powerful Julian Astor, who rejected her publicly, sparking her adoptive parents' outrage. Branded a "liability" and a "public glutton," Ava was banished from their opulent mansion, deemed an utter disgrace. Humiliated and perplexed, Ava couldn't understand why her mind had betrayed her with such mundane, food-focused secrets. Why was she cursed with this bizarre ability? What was the true source of this unpredictable chaos that had cost her everything? Yet, even amidst the chaos, a strange sense of liberation stirred within her. Cast out but unburdened, Ava found refuge in an unexpected place: her childhood friend Rhys' s cozy bookstore cafe. Now, with nothing left to lose, she must navigate a world where her inner voice is a public spectacle, and somehow, find her true self amidst the delicious chaos.

The last thing Isabella could have ever imagined was that she would meet her end by her own father's hands. As she took her last breath, she finally realized that her father and boyfriend had only pretended to love her for the money her mother had left for her. But destiny didn't abandon her, and Isabella was reborn to the time when she was thirteen. With this second chance, she was going to strike back and get back everything she had lost. Those who had betrayed her would pay the price for what they had done and get a taste of their own medicine.

Aurora woke up to the sterile chill of her king-sized bed in Sterling Thorne's penthouse. Today was the day her husband would finally throw her out like garbage. Sterling walked in, tossed divorce papers at her, and demanded her signature, eager to announce his "eligible bachelor" status to the world. In her past life, the sight of those papers had broken her, leaving her begging for a second chance. Sterling's sneering voice, calling her a "trailer park girl" undeserving of his name, had once cut deeper than any blade. He had always used her humble beginnings to keep her small, to make her grateful for the crumbs of his attention. She had lived a gilded cage, believing she was nothing without him, until her life flatlined in a hospital bed, watching him give a press conference about his "grief." But this time, she felt no sting, no tears. Only a cold, clear understanding of the mediocre man who stood on a pedestal she had painstakingly built with her own genius. Aurora signed the papers, her name a declaration of independence. She grabbed her old, phoenix-stickered laptop, ready to walk out. Sterling Thorne was about to find out exactly how expensive "free" could be.

The sterile white of the operating room blurred, then sharpened, as Skye Sterling felt the cold clawing its way up her body. The heart monitor flatlined, a steady, high-pitched whine announcing her end. Her uterus had been removed, a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding, but the blood wouldn't clot. It just kept flowing, warm and sticky, pooling beneath her. Through heavy eyes, she saw a trembling nurse holding a phone on speaker. "Mr. Kensington," the nurse's voice cracked, "your wife... she's critical." A pause, then a sweet, poisonous giggle. Seraphina Miller. "Liam is in the shower," Seraphina's voice purred. "Stop calling, Skye. It's pathetic. Faking a medical emergency on our anniversary? Even for you, that's low." Then, Liam's bored voice: "If she dies, call the funeral home. I have a meeting in the morning." Click. The line went dead. A second later, so did Skye. The darkness that followed was absolute, suffocating, a black ocean crushing her lungs. She screamed into the void, a silent, agonizing wail of regret for loving a man who saw her as a nuisance, for dying without ever truly living. Until she died, she didn't understand. Why was her life so tragically wasted? Why did her husband, the man she loved, abandon her so cruelly? The injustice of it all burned hotter than the fever in her body. Then, the air rushed back in. Skye gasped, her body convulsing violently on the mattress. Her eyes flew open, wide and terrified, staring blindly into the darkness. Her trembling hand reached for her phone. May 12th. Five years ago. She was back.

Vesper's marriage to Julian Sterling was a gilded cage. One morning, she woke naked beside Damon Sterling, Julian's terrifying brother, then found a text: Julian's mistress was pregnant. Her world shattered, but the real nightmare had just begun. Julian's abuse escalated, gaslighting Vesper, funding his secret life. Damon, a germaphobic billionaire, became her unsettling anchor amidst his chaos. As "Iris," Vesper exposed Julian's mistress, Serena Sharp, sparking brutal war: poisoned drinks, a broken leg, and the horrifying truth-Julian murdered her parents, trapping Vesper in marriage. The man she married was a killer. Broken and betrayed, Vesper was caught between monstrous brothers, burning with injustice. Refusing victimhood, Vesper reclaimed her identity. Fueled by vengeance, she allied with Damon, who vowed to burn his empire for her. Julian faced justice, but matriarch Eleanor's counterattack forced Vesper's choice as a hitman aimed for her.

Trigger/Content Warning: This story contains mature themes and explicit content intended for adult audiences(18+). Reader discretion is advised. It includes elements such as BDSM dynamics, explicit sexual content, toxic family relationships, occasional violence and strong language. This is not a fluffy romance. It is intense, raw and messy, and explores the darker side of desire. ***** "Take off your dress, Meadow." "Why?" "Because your ex is watching," he said, leaning back into his seat. "And I want him to see what he lost." ••••*••••*••••* Meadow Russell was supposed to get married to the love of her life in Vegas. Instead, she walked in on her twin sister riding her fiance. One drink at the bar turned to ten. One drunken mistake turned into reality. And one stranger's offer turned into a contract that she signed with shaking hands and a diamond ring. Alaric Ashford is the devil in a tailored Tom Ford suit. Billionaire CEO, brutal, possessive. A man born into an empire of blood and steel. He also suffers from a neurological condition-he can't feel. Not objects, not pain, not even human touch. Until Meadow touches him, and he feels everything. And now he owns her. On paper and in his bed. She wants him to ruin her. Take what no one else could have. He wants control, obedience... revenge. But what starts as a transaction slowly turns into something Meadow never saw coming. Obsession, secrets that were never meant to surface, and a pain from the past that threatens to break everything. Alaric doesn't share what's his. Not his company. Not his wife. And definitely not his vengeance.

The roasted lamb was cold, a reflection of her marriage. On their third anniversary, Evelyn Vance waited alone in her Manhattan penthouse. Then her phone buzzed: Alexander, her husband, had been spotted leaving the hospital, holding his childhood sweetheart Scarlett Sharp's hand. Alexander arrived hours later, dismissing Evelyn's quiet complaint with a cold reminder: she was Mrs. Vance, not a victim. Her mother's demands reinforced this role, making Evelyn, a brilliant mind, feel like a ghost. A dangerous indifference replaced betrayal. The debt was paid; now, it was her turn. She drafted a divorce settlement, waiving everything. As Alexander's tender voice drifted from his study, speaking to Scarlett, Evelyn placed her wedding ring on his pillow, moved to the guest suite, and locked the door. The dull wife was gone; the Oracle was back.

My husband Julian celebrated our five-year anniversary by sleeping with his mistress. He thought I was a clueless trophy wife, too dim to notice the vanilla and tuberose scent on his expensive suits. He was wrong. For years, I played Mrs. Vance, hiding my brilliance while Julian claimed my patents. An anonymous email confirmed his ultimate betrayal: photos of him and Scarlett Kensington in ecstasy. My heart didn't break; it solidified into ice at five years wasted. I activated "The Protocol" for a new identity and escape countdown. Playing the doting wife, I plotted his downfall, catching him with his mistress selling my work, and publicly snapping his credit card. His betrayals and stolen work ignited a cold, calculated fury. He had no idea the monster he'd created. I was dismantling his empire. I shredded his patent papers, stripping him of his ill-gotten gains. With a final tap, I initiated "Identity Erasure." Mrs. Vance was dead. Dr. Evelyn Thorne had just begun her counterattack.

Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins-a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. "It's time to reveal your true identity, darling."

Betrayed by her fiancé and stepsister a day before her wedding shattered all Lina's dreams about love. She was heartbroken and in pain. Being drugged and unknowingly loosing her virginity to a stranger is not as painful as being betrayed by her loved ones. She promised to make her pretentious step sister and her unfaithful fiancé pay back hundredfold for what they did to her. On her journey to seek revenge, the stranger she had a one night stand with, came knocking at her door with a marriage contract in hand. Without her knowing he was the one she has that blissful one night stand with, she agreed on the marriage contract for some reasons. Will she find out he was the one she had that blissful one night stand with? Will she fall in love with him after being betrayed? Will she be able to get her revenge on those that betrayed her? Find out in this amazing book "Contracted After Being Betrayed"

The acrid smell of smoke still clung to Evelyn in the ambulance, her lungs raw from the penthouse fire. She was alive, but the world around her felt utterly destroyed, a feeling deepened by the small TV flickering to life. On it, her husband, Julian Vance, thousands of miles away, publicly comforted his mistress, Serena Holloway, shielding her from paparazzi after *her* "panic attack." Julian's phone went straight to voicemail. Alone in the hospital with second-degree burns, Evelyn watched news replays, her heart rate spiking. He protected Serena from camera flashes while Evelyn burned. When he finally called, he demanded she handle insurance, dismissing the fire; Serena's voice faintly heard. The shallow family ties and pretense of marriage evaporated. A searing injustice and cold anger replaced pain; Evelyn knew Julian had chosen to let her burn. "Evelyn Vance died in that fire," she declared, ripping out her IV. Armed with a secret fortune as "The Architect," Hollywood's top ghostwriter, she walked out. She would divorce Julian, reclaim her name, and finally step into the spotlight as an actress.

My wealthy husband, Nathaniel, stormed in, demanding a divorce to be with his "dying" first love, Julia. He expected tears, pleas, even hysteria. Instead, I calmly reached for a pen, ready to sign away our life for a fortune. For two years, I played the devoted wife in our sterile penthouse. That night, Nathaniel shattered the facade, tossing divorce papers. "Julia's back," he stated, "she needs me." He expected me to crumble. But my calm "Okay" shocked him. I coolly demanded his penthouse, shares, and a doubled stipend, letting him believe I was a greedy gold digger. He watched, disgusted, convinced I was a monster. He couldn't fathom my indifference or ruthless demands. He saw avarice, not a carefully constructed facade. His betrayal had awakened something far more dangerous. The second the door closed, the dutiful wife vanished. I retrieved a burner phone and a Glock, ready to expose the elaborate lie he and Julia had built.