Genius Wife's Revenge: Too Late For Regret

For two years, I played the role of the "Midwestern mistake," the mousey wife Julian Ford-Sterling IV kept hidden like a shameful secret. I hid my true self behind thick glasses and ashen foundation, acting as the perfect, cowed charity case while he lived a life of marble and indifference. The day our marriage contract ended, the headlines were already screaming about his affair with Hollywood’s sweetheart, Lana Vane. Julian didn't even grant me a final conversation; he simply sent his legal team to hand me divorce papers that gave me nothing—no alimony, no shares, just a non-disclosure agreement and a one-way ticket out of his life. I signed the papers and walked away, but a drugged encounter in a dark club that same night led me back into his arms. We collided in the shadows, two strangers stripped of their titles, but I fled before dawn, accidentally leaving behind my vintage silver locket. By the time I reached my secret design studio the next morning, I discovered Julian had executed a hostile takeover of my entire life’s work. To my horror, Lana Vane was already there, clutching my stolen locket and shamelessly claiming she was the woman Julian had spent the night with. Julian stood before me in his charcoal suit, looking at me with total lack of recognition. To him, I was just a "gold-digging" architect he had bought along with the furniture. I watched them together, the man who had discarded me and the woman who had stolen my identity, realizing that Julian was obsessed with the genius of "Rose" while despising the woman who stood right in front of him. He had no idea that the wife he’d just divorced was the very person he was now desperate to control. I straightened my spine, my violet-blue eyes cold and lethal behind my new designer frames. "Mr. Ford-Sterling, you wanted the best designer in the city? You’ve got her. But you should know—I don't just build empires. I know exactly how to tear them down."

Chapters

Chapter 6

The elevator ride to the 40th floor of the Sterling Tower took exactly 45 seconds. Vivian counted every one of them to keep her heart rate under 70 beats per minute.

When the doors opened, she stepped into the chaos that was the Design Department.

It was a sea of panic. The original S.W. team was huddled in corners, clutching their coffee cups like life rafts. The Sterling HR team was moving through the space like sharks, dropping policy manuals on desks with loud thuds.

"Vivian!"

Winnie, the intern, came running over. She was a tiny girl with glasses too big for her face-a painful reminder of Vivian's own disguise.

"Are you okay?" Winnie whispered. "They fired three people already. They say the new standards are impossible."

Vivian squeezed Winnie's shoulder. "Breathe, Win. It's just corporate posturing. They need us."

"Attention!" A sharp voice cut through the room.

A woman in a severe grey suit stood on a platform. "I am Mrs. Gable, Head of HR. From this moment on, all creative IP belongs to Sterling Group. No freelance work. No side projects. And..." She scanned the room, her eyes landing on Vivian. "Miss Sullivans. Mr. Ford-Sterling expects you in the penthouse immediately."

The room went silent. Xavier, the former Creative Director of Sterling who had been demoted to merge with S.W., smirked from his desk.

"Looks like someone's in trouble," he sneered.

Vivian ignored him. She smoothed her skirt, lifted her chin, and walked back to the elevator.

The ride to the penthouse was silent. When the doors opened, Gavin was waiting. He did a double-take when he saw her.

"You..." he stammered. "The crash."

"Is he in?" Vivian asked, breezing past him.

"Yes, but..."

Vivian pushed open the double mahogany doors.

Julian was sitting behind a desk that looked like it had been carved from the hull of a pirate ship. He was reading a file. He didn't look up.

"Sit."

Vivian sat. The chair was low, forcing her to look up at him. A classic power move.

Julian closed the file and looked at her. Recognition flickered in his eyes-not of his wife, but of the woman from the street.

"So," he said, leaning back. "Vivian Sullivans. The woman who destroys my cars and my acquisitions."

"I didn't destroy the acquisition," Vivian said evenly. "You bought it. Hostilely."

"And you came with the furniture." Julian picked up a pen. "I've reviewed your portfolio. The work under the alias 'Rose'. It's... adequate."

Vivian felt a vein in her temple throb. "Adequate?" Her designs had won awards in Milan under that name. "It is exceptional."

"It shows potential," Julian corrected, though his eyes betrayed him. He had spent the last hour marveling at the blueprints, wondering how a ghost could design with such life. But he wouldn't give her the satisfaction. Negotiation 101: never let the asset know their value. "Confidence," Julian mused. "I like that. But here at Sterling, we require obedience." He slid a document across the desk. "This is a supplementary contract. It binds you to the 'Rose' identity exclusively for Sterling. And it increases the penalty clause."

Vivian read it. It was a golden cage.

"Why?" she asked. "Why do you want Rose so badly?"

Julian stood up and walked to the window. "Because my ex-wife," he said, the word dripping with disdain, "had zero taste. She filled my life with beige. Rose... Rose understands passion. Color. Life. I want that energy in this company to wash away the stench of mediocrity."

Vivian gripped the armrests of the chair. He was talking about her. He was insulting her to her face, praising her alter ego to replace the memory of her real self.

The irony was so thick she could choke on it.

"Your ex-wife," Vivian said, testing the waters. "She must have been terrible."

Julian laughed, a harsh sound. "She was a ghost. A contractual obligation. She had no spine, no fire. Unlike you." He turned to face her. "You have fire, Miss Sullivans. I saw it in the street."

Vivian stared at him. "Maybe she just didn't show it to you because you never looked."

Julian's eyes narrowed. The air in the room grew heavy. He walked around the desk until he was leaning against the front of it, inches from her knees.

"Are you married, Miss Sullivans?"

"Divorced," she said quickly. "Recently."

"Good," Julian said. "Then you know that marriage is a trap. Work... work is honest." He tapped the contract. "Sign it. Or pay the fifty million."

Vivian picked up the pen. Her hand shook, just once. She signed.

Vivian Sullivans.

"Welcome to the team," Julian said. He reached out a hand.

Vivian took it. His skin was warm, calloused. A shock of electricity shot up her arm, just like in the hotel room.

Julian pulled his hand back sharply, as if he had been burned. He looked at her hand, then her face, confusion clouding his eyes.

"That's all," he dismissed her, turning his back.

Vivian stood up and walked to the door. Before she left, she turned.

"Mr. Sterling?"

"What?"

"Beige is a very calming color. Maybe you just needed peace."

She slammed the door before he could respond.

Julian stared at the closed door. He rubbed his hand where he had touched her.

"Who the hell is she?" he whispered.

Continue to next part

For ten years, I disguised myself as my dead twin brother, fighting bloody mob wars to build the Falcone family's bootlegging empire. When the war ended, I thought I could finally take off the men's suits and be Anya again. Instead, my parents stole my victories to secure my father's power, demanding I disappear forever. When I tried to expose the truth, my family dragged me into a soundproof basement. My younger brother forced a metal funnel past my teeth and poured corrosive chemicals down my throat, dissolving my vocal cords into a blistered ruin. They chained me to a freezing pier, whipped me bloody, and let the men I used to lead spit on me as a jealous traitor. Then, under the guise of a family reconciliation dinner, my mother drugged my wine. While I lay paralyzed but fully conscious on my bed, my brother took heavy iron pliers and crushed all ten of my fingers, bone by bone. They wanted to ensure I could never hold a gun or write the truth again. I had slaughtered for them, bled for them, and craved only their love. In return, they pulverized my body and painted me as a hysterical madwoman just to keep the crown I had won for them. The foolish girl who wanted a family died in that agonizing pain, leaving behind only a ghost. Dragging my mangled, bandaged body into the rival Romano family's charity gala, I collapsed at the feet of their ruthless matriarch. "I invoke the sacred code," I rasped through my chemically burned throat. "I demand a Vendetta."

Action Mafia Modern

8.0

Bounded by moonlight

8.0

In a world divided by species, alliances, and betrayal, Elora, a fearless human wanderer, stumbles into a forbidden territory-a hidden pack of werewolves led by the enigmatic and battle-scarred alpha, Joel. When an ancient prophecy foretells that a human will hold the key to the pack's survival, Elora becomes both their savior and their most dangerous liability. Bound by secrets, hunted by those who fear her power, and torn between loyalty and love, Elora must navigate a treacherous path where every choice could shatter alliances and ignite wars. As tensions rise, she and joel must fight together to protect their pack and uncover the truth behind her destiny, all while grappling with a bond they were never meant to share. Will Elora embrace the magic of the moonlight or let darkness consume her soul?

Action Fantasy Werewolf

7.8

Bullied at the Salon, I Snapped

7.8

When a woman takes her mother to her brother's high-end beauty salon, a luxury facial results in severe chemical burns. Instead of offering help, the director claims the disfigurement is a natural detox and demands one hundred thousand dollars for supposed damages. The protagonist soon realizes her brother, Stellan Fallow, and his girlfriend are running a predatory scam. Trapped and accused of being a fraud, she must take action against their extortion as the confrontation turns hostile.

Action Modern Mystery

8.0

Love and Revenge

8.0

Six months ago, Lila Falcone thought she knew love. She never imagined that a man she trusted, Nikolai, could vanish and that his death would drag her into a world of darkness she didn't even know existed. Now, trapped in the hands of his twin brother, Nico, Lila must confront a twisted reality where desire and danger collide. He blames her for his brother's death, yet the line between punishment and pleasure is blurred. Every glance, every touch, every cruel game pulls her deeper into his world a world ruled by power, blood, and unrelenting revenge. As Nico tests her limits, Lila discovers that survival might require more than just courage it might demand surrender. But can she trust the man who claims to love her while plotting vengeance? Or will passion and betrayal consume them both before the truth is revealed? Love and Revenge is a dark, intense romance of passion, obsession, and the ultimate price of loyalty.

Action Mystery Romance

9.4

My Boss's Costly Game of Love

9.4

For five years, I poured my soul into my career and my secret lover, my boss Hudson. But for the fifth time, he gave the promotion I bled for to my incompetent rival, Kaitlyn. My world shattered when I overheard him callously admitting our entire relationship was just a "cost-effective strategy" to keep me motivated without the director's salary. The humiliation didn't end there. He physically forced me into a deeper bow before Kaitlyn, re-injuring my back. When I finally quit, his revenge was swift: an assignment to a notoriously dangerous remote site. That night, I was brutally attacked. My desperate emergency call to Hudson went straight to voicemail. A notification later revealed why: he was on stage at a company party, singing a love duet with Kaitlyn while I was fighting for my life. The man I loved had left me to die. After I cut all ties and finally started to heal, he showed up at my parents' door, begging for forgiveness. This time, I wouldn't just walk away. I would make him face every lie he ever told.

Action Modern Romance

9.6

My Revenge: His Empire Crumbles

9.6

I woke up in my husband's office to a chilling discovery. Stamped across my face in bold, red letters was "USDA PRIME"-a cruel joke from his intern, Karma. But my husband, Josiah, the man whose tech empire I helped build, didn't defend me. He called it a harmless prank and shielded his mistress from my rage. The humiliation was broadcast for the world to see. He then gave her my custom anniversary gown and took her to a charity gala. As if that wasn't enough, she announced she was pregnant with his child. He chose her. He chose their new "family" over our seven years of marriage, over the memory of the child we lost together. The look he gave her, full of a tenderness I hadn't seen in years, shattered the last piece of my heart. So as he walked out the door with her, my lawyers walked in. At the next board meeting, I watched the color drain from his face as I froze every asset to his name. "Sign the divorce papers, Josiah," I said, pushing a pen across the table. "My responsibility now is to clean house."

Action Modern Romance

Genius Wife's Revenge: Too Late For Regret

Chapter 6

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