Caged Pheonix

Violet has always been the perfect daughter and the loyal friend, moulded by expectations, driven by guilt, and too afraid to disappoint. From childhood, she was taught that "good girls don’t argue," and so she spent her youth silencing her desires to fulfil others’ dreams. She chose the degree her parents wanted, behaved like her parents wanted, and even married a guy who's father was her dad's business partner. She worked hard, hoping love could change her life, but all she earned was humiliation, no matter how much she gave, it was never enough. Her so called family never even asked what she wants. All her life she spent earning love from her parents who raised her to bear the responsibility of a good daughter. She never say no to her parents knowing they are the reason of her living a good life. She wants to repay the debt for raising her in a safe environment like her real parents even though they are not. But she didn't expected her soon to be husband will turn out her bully.

Chapters

Chapter 1

"Stop acting like a nerd and put this on. I've had enough of your excuses."

Violet stood frozen before her mother, eyes lowered, fingers fidgeting as if searching for an invisible thread of courage—one more excuse to escape this nightmare masquerading as a wedding.

"Mom, I... I don’t want to get married. I—"

"And you think that matters?" her mother, Amelia Joseph, snapped, voice sharp as glass. "Violet, listen carefully. We didn’t adopt you so you could live in comfort without consequences. It’s time you paid us back. Your father needs this alliance with Mr. James William, and that means you marrying into their family. Have we ever treated you poorly? Didn’t we give you food, a home, clothes? This deal is crucial for our future. How can you be so selfish when everything is at stake?"

As her mother went on about our family, Violet felt a cold smile tug at her lips—bitter, knowing. She had never truly belonged. Yes, they hadn’t abused her, but love? That was never part of the arrangement. They had always made it clear: she could stay, as long as she didn’t speak too much, didn’t cause trouble. Adopted at fifteen, not for love, but for her beauty—an investment. A pawn. And now, it was time to collect.

"O-okay... I’ll d-do whatever you want."

Her mother’s expression softened into satisfaction. She gave a nod to the makeup artist standing by.

"Good. Make her beautiful. Whatever it takes--"

"Ma'am you have phone call from--"

One of their house maid came with a phone and before she could complete her sentence. Amelia snatched the phone.

"I need to take the call, you guys can continue."

The makeup artist nodded, gently ushering Violet toward the chair. As she sat down, her reflection stared back at her—painted, polished, and silent.

The makeup brush grazed her cheek like a butterfly's wing, but Violet felt it like a noose tightening around her throat. Her reflection in the mirror was pale, too still—like a ghost being painted to look alive.

"Beautiful," one of the artists murmured, unaware of the irony.

But Violet didn't see beauty. She saw a mask being built, layer by layer. A mask for a girl who was never really herself.

Her mind drifted back to the night they brought her home. She remembered the silence. Not the warm kind, but the type that suffocated. The way her adoptive father had studied her face like a merchant inspecting goods. The way her mother’s voice always dripped with sugar when guests were around—but tasted like poison when no one was listening.

They had always told her to be grateful. For the bed. The food. The clothes. Gratitude was expected, not affection. And now—marriage was her price tag.

She stared into the mirror, but the girl looking back felt unfamiliar. Her lips moved before her thoughts caught up.

"What kind of man agrees to marry a girl he’s never met?" she whispered, her voice too soft to hear.

But the makeup artist paused. "Mr. William’s son is… quiet. Reserved. A bit strange, if I may say so. They say he doesn’t like women who talk too much."

A chill crept down Violet’s spine.

Perfect. Just the way her "parents" liked her—silent, compliant, disposable.

She suddenly felt like she wasn’t being prepared for a wedding… but for sacrifice.

_______

Violet shifted uncomfortably in the dress, the fabric clinging too tightly to her skin like a second, unwanted layer of identity. The heels bit into her feet with every uncertain step. She wasn’t used to showing so much skin. She wasn’t used to being someone else.

She tripped again. Her mother’s eyes flicked over her, sharp and scolding. Violet quickly lowered her gaze and sat, clasping her hands in her lap, forcing herself to breathe as they waited.

"Be careful with your steps"

Her dad, Liam Joseph, warned her in a dull tone

Fifteen minutes passed in a silence so tense it made her ears ring.

“Aunt, I told you—I’m not interested in marriage. Please...” A voice came from the hallway.

Violet’s head turned slightly, her pulse skipping.

That voice. She knew it.

A flicker of hope bloomed in her chest. Maybe... just maybe, the person standing behind her didn’t want this marriage either. Maybe they could both walk away from it. Maybe fate was being kind for once.

“Keep your voice low. We're already here. Just meet her and then decide.”

Her breath caught. That voice—no, it couldn't be. Her stomach churned.

“Aunt, please—”

He stepped into the room, eyes lazily scanning the space—until they landed on the girl with her back straight and hair cascading down her waist like black silk. His words died in his throat. Recognition flashed across his face.

She slowly stood and turned.

And their eyes met.

"YOU??!"

"You!?"

The room blurred around her. Violet collapsed back onto the chair, her eyes hollow, her body limp. She couldn’t breathe.

It’s over, she thought. Of all the people in the world... it had to be him.

To be continued...

Continue to next part

My adoptive sister drugged me and sent me to a hotel for a fake audition, where a powerful stranger assaulted me in the pitch-black suite. When I escaped home, my fiancé, Ethan, and my entire family ambushed me. They threw staged photos in my face, accusing me of selling my body to a sleazy director. They called me a whore, stripped me of my trust fund, and threw me onto the street. But Ethan refused to let me go. He had me blacklisted from every job and even froze my only friend's bank accounts, trying to break me completely. Forced into a corner, I had no choice but to attend a high-society party as his date, where he and my sister made sure everyone in New York saw me as worthless trash. I couldn't understand the depths of their cruelty. Why would the very family who took me from an orphanage orchestrate such an elaborate plot to ruin me? But during a sudden blackout at the party, I ran straight into the arms of my attacker. When the lights came back on, I finally saw his face. He wasn't a director—he was Abraham Bush, the most ruthless billionaire in the country. And just as my ex-fiancé is about to strike me after discovering I'm pregnant, Abraham's men have surrounded the house.

Billionaire Modern Romance

7.9

Boyfriend's Cruel Scheme

7.9

The taxi's worn seats had never felt more uncomfortable, but I barely noticed. My fingers kept drifting to my carry-on bag, where the gold medal from the Global Design Awards rested in its velvet case—proof that three years of relentless work had meant something. The weight of it felt both substantial and surreal. I'd texted Thomas twice from the airport. No response. Typical lately, but I'd convinced myself he was just busy. After all, I'd been gone for two months—first for the preliminary rounds, then the finals. He was probably planning some small celebration. The thought made me smile despite my exhaustion. But as the taxi turned onto Elm Street, my smile faltered.

Modern Mystery Romance

7.1

CELINE:The Sheikh Dessert Bride

7.1

* **One night of betrayal. One night of passion. A lifetime of consequences.** Celine was always the shadow-the reliable twin who worked while her sister, Celeste, basked in the spotlight. But when she finds her boyfriend of five months in her sister's bed, the shadow finally snaps. A reckless night at a dive bar with a hazel-eyed stranger was supposed to be her escape, a way to forget the people who saw her as a spare part. But the stranger wasn't just a face in the crowd. He was **Idris Al-Miraj**, the billionaire Sheikh and the owner of the very hotel where Celine works. When her parents attempt to sell her into a sacrificial marriage to save the family's reputation, Celine finds herself hunted by her past and trapped by her future. Idris doesn't just want her back in his bed; he wants to own every brick of the wall she's built around her heart. Jobless, homeless, and backed into a corner by a family that only needs her when they can use her, Celine prepares to run again. But Idris has other plans. He doesn't want her to run. He doesn't even want her to surrender. He wants her to fight back. **"Use me,"** he says. In a world where power is the only currency, Celine must decide if the man who dismantled her life is her greatest enemy-or the only weapon she has left.

Action Modern Romance

9.0

Divorce After Wife's Cheat

9.0

On the day of the piano concert, my wife sat in the audience with the new intern from the orchestra, clutching the VIP ticket I had given her. She had told me she was catching a flight out of town to gather inspiration and wouldn't be back in time for my performance. From the stage, I could see Eliza, but she was focused on the intern rather than the performer, who was obviously me. Even though there was no crowd blocking her view, she seemed unaware. Seeing her joy, I suddenly understood her words from earlier that morning: "As much as I love turkey, sometimes you crave a burger." Three days after the concert, I bumped into Eliza outside our apartment building. She stood bashfully beside a gleaming motorcycle, with the orchestra's intern, Quinn, at her side. Normally aloof around strangers, she allowed Quinn to cup her face in his hands. Eliza even rose on her tiptoes to give him a brief, almost invisible kiss on the lips. Then, like a young woman head-over-heels in love, she turned back with a coy smile and reluctantly headed upstairs. Snow began to fall suddenly.

Modern Romance Young Adult

9.8

He Chose His Secret Wife Over Me

9.8

I reached for my fiancé's phone to silence an alarm and found a hidden folder named "The Protocol." Inside was a spreadsheet that systematically dismantled my entire existence. Task 399: Buy blue hydrangeas. Note: Her favorite. For Denzel. Task 400: Schedule anniversary dinner. Note: Make sure she feels special. For Denzel. In that heartbeat, I realized the man I had loved for three years hadn't looked at me once without seeing a chore list left by his dead brother. I wasn't Elfrieda Stewart, the woman Jaxon Tate loved. I was a legacy project. The truth turned lethal at our engagement gala. When a massive chandelier detached from the ceiling, Jaxon didn't lunge for me. He tackled his "ex" Janice—who I later discovered was his secret wife—to safety. He left me standing in the center of the target to be crushed by shattering glass. But the cruelty didn't end there. On a "reconciliation" yacht trip, Janice pushed me overboard. Jaxon looked at me struggling in the freezing black water, then threw the life preserver to her. He saved the shark and left me to drown. I lost everything in that water, including the unborn child I hadn't even told him about. He thought I was dead. He thought he was free to play house with Janice. But my brother pulled me from the darkness. And when I resurfaced in Norway, wearing the ring of a man far more dangerous than Jaxon could ever dream of being, Jaxon realized too late that he had destroyed the only thing that could have saved him.

Modern Mystery Romance

8.8

My Groom’s Mistress Claimed She Was Carrying His Baby

8.8

The mirror in the Plaza Hotel’s bridal suite was an antique, the glass slightly warped at the edges, distorting my reflection just enough to make me look like a ghost. I smoothed the lace of my bodice for the hundredth time. My fingers were trembling. Not with excitement, but with a cold, creeping dread that had settled in my stomach three months ago and refused to leave. "Stop fidgeting, Oaklynn," my mother said, her voice tight as she adjusted my veil. She didn't look at me, only at the image of the Palmer daughter she was about to sell. "You look perfect. The Richardsons will be pleased." *Duty.* That was the word etched into my bones. I was the bridge between the fading elegance of the Palmer name and the raw, staggering wealth of the Richardson empire. I took a shallow breath, the corset biting into my ribs.

Billionaire Modern Romance

Caged Pheonix

Chapter 1

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