Once beloved by the empire and betrothed to its greatest general, Cassia Valerius is betrayed and branded a traitor. Her family is slaughtered, and she is cast out to die in the wastelands beyond the empire's reach. But death never came. Instead, a forgotten god offered her life in exchange for vengeance. Now, years later, Cassia returns under a new name. Masked, feared, and wielding divine power, she infiltrates the very empire that destroyed her-intent on burning it from within. But fate is cruel, and so is love. Marcus Draven, the man who betrayed her, is now the Emperor's right hand. He believes she's dead. She plans to use his love to destroy him. But their bond was never ordinary-and neither are the gods watching them.
The execution did not happen.
Cassia Valerius had accepted her death. She had closed her eyes as the guards dragged her from the Forum, her hands bound in iron, her wrists bruised from the weight of the empire's betrayal. She had felt the blade of judgment-cold, sharp, waiting.
But the gods had other plans.
The soldiers, loyal to their orders but shaken by doubt, were intercepted on a deserted road past the city's edge. A sandstorm rose without warning, howling like a beast loosed from the underworld. Horses reared. Men screamed. And when it passed, Cassia was gone.
She awoke in darkness, face buried in sand, throat dry as ash. All around her: silence.
She was alive.
But her world had burned.
Three weeks passed in a haze of pain and wandering. The desert stretched endless and cruel, the sun a constant blade overhead. She should have died many times. She didn't. Something kept her moving. Something beneath her skin whispered, Not yet.
It was on the twenty-third night, delirious and near death, that she found the temple.
Or rather-it found her.
The ruins rose from the sands like broken bones, columns shattered, altar cracked down the center. Vines coiled around black marble like veins. And in the center, untouched by time or heat, lay a single laurel crown-withered, but still whole.
She should have turned away.
Instead, Cassia stepped forward, barefoot, bloodied, and whispered the only name she still dared to believe in:
"Velarion."
The ground trembled. The wind stilled. The sky opened.
And from the altar rose a voice-not kind, not cruel, but hungry.
"Do you seek vengeance, Cassia Valerius?"
She fell to her knees, trembling.
"Yes."
"Then give me your heart."
Daniel, a poor but determined young man, takes a job as a gardener for the Sinclair family to support his father. There, he meets Isabella-his boss's daughter. Despite their different worlds, they bond over a shared love for books and dreams of freedom. Their quiet friendship turns into a secret romance. But when Charles discovers their relationship, he threatens Daniel's family and forces Isabella into an arranged engagement. With everything against them, Daniel must decide if love is worth risking everything for. Isabella must choose between the life she's expected to live-and the one she truly wants.
In Lothlann Continent, talent in martial arts won cultivators respect. Darren Chu, a mediocre talent in martial arts, was deemed a loser by everyone. His status changed when a fireball fell from the sky and hit him on the head. He cheated death. Empowered with the ability to assimilate other creatures' talent, Darren sought to better himself and seek vengeance against those who had wronged his family, including his little sister. "You will kneel in front of me one day," swore the future lord of martial arts.
Kaelyn devoted three years tending to her husband after a terrible accident. But once he was fully recovered, he cast her aside and brought his first love back from abroad. Devastated, Kaelyn decided on a divorce as people mocked her for being discarded. She went on to reinvent herself, becoming a highly sought-after doctor, a champion racer, and an internationally renowned architectural designer. Even then, the traitors sneered in disdain, believing Kaelyn would never find someone. But then the ex-husband’s uncle, a powerful warlord, returned with his army to ask for Kaelyn’s hand in marriage.
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
Brenna lived with her adoptive parents for twenty years, enduring their exploitation. When their real daughter appeared, they sent Brenna back to her true parents, thinking they were broke. In reality, her birth parents belonged to a top circle that her adoptive family could never reach. Hoping Brenna would fail, they gasped at her status: a global finance expert, a gifted engineer, the fastest racer... Was there any end to the identities she kept hidden? After her fiancé ended their engagement, Brenna met his twin brother. Unexpectedly, her ex-fiancé showed up, confessing his love...