Phoenix Mode, Activated: Burn Me Once, Watch Me Rise
Chelsey loved Brett for seven years and tried everything for a baby-doctors, IVF, surgeries. Then she found out he'd been dosing her food with contraceptives.
She woke back at the fire years earlier and watched Brett carry another woman out, leaving Chelsey to choke in smoke. She realized he'd been reborn too-and picked his "true love."
Chelsey walked away and married Julian, her friend's cousin and the hot firefighter who saved her; he gave her all his money the day they married.
Brett scoffed... until Chelsey shone at an AI summit and Julian's real identity shocked him.
Seeing her with twins and another baby coming, Brett begged, "Come back to me! Please!"
Chapters
Share
Chapter 7
Chelsey's words left Gretchen momentarily stunned, and her gaze lingered on her daughter without focus.
Reaching out, Chelsey took Gretchen's slightly cold hand and whispered, "Mom, from now on, you need to pay closer attention to Dad."
After a brief silence, she made her point clearer. "This matters most when money is involved. You should watch the household spending and keep track of the company's accounts as well. No matter the situation, having funds that belong only to you is never a bad thing."
Gretchen had never been foolish. The meaning behind Chelsey's advice was obvious, and she understood it without needing further explanation.
As she reflected on Jorge's strange behavior earlier that day and connected it with certain moments from the past, a wave of unease washed over her, making it hard for her to steady herself.
"Chelsey, I know what you mean," she finally answered in a strained voice.
Later, once Chelsey returned to her bedroom, she shut the door and secured the lock.
According to her maternal grandfather's will, she held shares in Galaxy Ventures, and the terms were clear—until she reached the age of twenty-five, those shares would be managed jointly by her parents if she remained unmarried. If she married, she would obtain forty percent of the management authority.
In her previous life, she had been scheduled to marry Brett the very next day, which would have placed those rights firmly in her hands.
Now, however, the wedding had been called off, and Brett was no longer an option.
Because of that, she needed to find a suitable husband as soon as possible, ensuring that the inheritance stayed protected and leaving no opening for Jorge or Brett to take advantage of it.
After settling her thoughts, Chelsey reached for her phone and searched for her best friend's contact.
Moments later, she sent a short message. "Tessa, do you have time right now?"
No sooner had the message gone through than her phone rang, and Tessa Cooper's voice burst through the speaker, buzzing with excitement and gossip.
"Chelsey, I just saw someone mention in the group chat that Brett showed up at your house today to cancel the wedding. They're saying he plans to marry Lydia instead. Tell me that's not true."
Pressing her fingers to her temples, Chelsey answered calmly, "It's true."
"Are you kidding me?" Tessa shouted. "Has he completely lost his senses? He throws away someone as rare as you for a manipulative woman? Is he blind or just stupid? I warned you before. Brett always puts on a gentle front, but underneath it all, he's nothing but calculating and dishonest. He was never worthy of you, and you refused to listen!"
Without pausing, Tessa went on and on, her anger spilling freely with every word.
Quietly, Chelsey listened, and her eyes slowly filled with moisture.
If she had taken Tessa's advice seriously in her previous life, she would never have fallen so deeply into that deception.
At least this time, fate had shown mercy and given her another opportunity to make a different choice.
After Tessa's rant finally lost some of its heat, Chelsey said, "Tessa, you once mentioned your cousin..."
Caught off guard, Tessa asked, "Which cousin are you talking about?"
"The one whose family keeps pushing him to get married, but he's still single."
"So you mean him?" A sharp note of surprise entered Tessa's voice, followed quickly by excitement. "Why would you suddenly bring him up? Wait a second. Did you finally wake up?"
Without hesitation, Chelsey answered, "Yes. Is he still searching for someone to marry?"
"Obviously. Why wouldn't he be?" Barely able to contain herself, Tessa sounded like she was about to leap off the sofa. "I'm serious. My cousin is insanely attractive. He's around 1.9 meters tall, with broad shoulders, a lean waist, and long legs. He looks amazing in clothes, and honestly, even better without them. I won't sugarcoat it, though. His temper can be rough, and he tends to come off cold. You'll understand once you meet him. That said, his character is flawless. He's a hundred times better than Brett, who only knows how to look decent while being rotten inside."
Listening to the unfiltered praise, Chelsey felt a faint smile tug at her lips.
After a brief moment of thought, she asked, "Tessa, can you help me arrange a meeting with him?"
"That's easy. I'll handle it. I'll reach out to him immediately. But... are you sure?"
"Yes. I need to get married." A steady calm settled into Chelsey's voice.
Silence followed for a few seconds before Tessa spoke again, this time in a heavier tone. "Chelsey, is Brett canceling the wedding really affecting you that much? You're not doing this just to get back at him, right?"
"This isn't revenge. I'm thinking clearly," Chelsey replied. "I'll explain everything later. Right now, I just need you to set up the meeting as soon as you can."
"Alright. Wait for my message. I'll let you know the time and place once everything is arranged."
Tessa worked quickly and sent the details to Chelsey later that very night.
You may also like
7.4
In a world ruled by dominance and desire, being an Omega is a curse, especially when you're mine.
On his eighteenth birthday, Luca wakes to a nightmare, his wolf has chosen the lowest rank of all. An Omega. The scent of submission, the mark of shame and the kind of wolf others own, use, and discard.
But Luca isn't broken, he's burning and the only one who's ever made him feel safe is Rafe, his best friend, his protector and his temptation.
Then Rafe shifts and becomes an Alpha and their wolves recognize each other, the bond between them is instant, magnetic, and utterly forbidden.
Because an Alpha claiming a Male Omega?
That's forbidden, but this Omega? He's different
Now their connection is more than a secret, It's a sin to their world, a deadly craving, slow, delicious and primal to fall into.
And when one bite can seal a bond or spark a war, how long can they resist it?
He's not supposed to want him.
But gods, he does.
And once an Alpha touches what's his... he never lets go.
8.2
In my previous life, I, Claire Holloway, was eight months pregnant, kneeling in a storm, begging Lucas Ashford to save the bankrupt Holloway family.
But he held his first love, Vanessa Wren, in his arms, looking down at me with cold disdain.
"The Holloway family's downfall was orchestrated by me. Did you really think I'd fall for a spoiled rich girl like you? If it weren't for getting my revenge today, I'd have found even touching you disgusting."
In despair, I died that freezing night—two lives lost with me.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I was diagnosed with pregnancy.
Lucas was gently peeling shrimp for me, smiling as he asked what kind of diamond ring I wanted.
I looked at his hypocritical face and let out a quiet, cold laugh.
This time, I wouldn't make the same mistake again.
7.2
The Royal Pack’s glowing moonstone token rested in my palm.
Before I could even process the miracle of my rebirth, my half-sister Alyssa snatched it right out of my hand.
"This destiny is mine, little sister. Enjoy your cursed Alpha," she sneered.
My family easily caved to her whining. They forced me to take her place and marry Alpha Kaelen, a man they called an insane, crippled monster with three feral adopted sons. They laughed, expecting his beast to tear me apart before the honeymoon was over.
Alyssa thought she was stealing my crown. She didn't know she had just stolen my death sentence.
In my previous life, that exact token had made me the Alpha King’s Luna. But I was just a convenient, disposable meat shield for his true human mate. I died agonizingly, choking on poison meant for her, while the King didn't even blink.
I lowered my head, forcing my shoulders to tremble as if holding back terrified sobs. I played the part of the pathetic, wolfless Omega they all believed me to be.
But beneath my fake tears, I felt a profound relief.
I remembered the Kaelen from my past life. He wasn't a monster. He was powerful, agonizingly lonely, and slowly destroyed by a dark magic no one understood.
I wisely accepted the marriage pact and walked right into his freezing manor.
I know exactly who cursed him. And this time, I will save him, protect his boys, and make his entire pack mine.
7.2
Christa discovered her adopted daughter Evelyn was sneaking around with a street thug named Dante.
When she furiously confronted her, Evelyn squeezed out a few tears and played the tragic, abused orphan.
"Mom is so cruel to me, I just want someone to love me," Evelyn cried to the men of the house, who instantly took her side.
Christa didn't realize her anger only gave the girl the perfect victim card. Evelyn manipulated the family's guilt to drain their wealth and orchestrate a massive corporate fraud.
When the authorities closed in, Evelyn let Christa's eldest daughter Julianna take the fall, sending her to federal prison.
The Stephenson family went completely bankrupt.
Christa's husband Grant, crushed by the betrayal and debt, jumped off a Manhattan skyscraper.
Until her family was entirely destroyed, Christa couldn't understand. They had given the orphan a home, a trust fund, and endless love.
Why did Evelyn treat them like easy marks? Why did she use their kindness as a weapon to tear them apart?
Opening her eyes again, Christa saw the heavy velvet drapes letting in the pale morning light.
She was back seven years ago, on the exact day she first caught Evelyn texting that thug.
This time, Christa wouldn't scream or fight. She would cut off the money, drop the rules, and watch the parasite dig her own grave.
8.7
On the day of our mating ceremony, I wore a beautiful white dress, waiting to become the Luna of the pack. To ensure my Fated Mate, Kade, loved me for my soul and not my rank, I had hidden my true Alpha nature and lived as a fragile Omega.
But instead of my groom, my best friend Selena walked into the room. She flashed a fresh silver rejection rune on her wrist, smiling as she told me the ceremony was canceled. Kade had chosen her, the daughter of a powerful Beta, to secure his Alpha transition.
When I rushed to his study in disbelief, the words I heard through the cracked door shattered my heart completely.
"She's just an Omega. Her value doesn't compare to the loyalty of Selena's father."
Kade laughed coldly with his friends, calling our sacred bond a leash. He even planned to keep me trapped in the packhouse as a docile, broken toy under his and Selena's rule.
Every whispered promise of love was just a lie built for power. My disguise to test his true heart became the very excuse he used to discard me like trash. How could the man who promised to cherish my soul be so utterly ruthless?
Wiping my tears, I kicked the door open and publicly initiated the impossible: I, the "weak Omega," formally rejected him. After smashing a whiskey bottle over his head, I walked straight into the territory of his most feared rival—his older brother, Rowan. This time, I would tear his world apart.
7.4
As a princess who could not wield magic, Princess Daphne's only value to her kingdom was her arranged marriage. The task was simple, but when Daphne was kidnapped and brought to the cold mountains of Vramid, she realized that she was in over her head.
She had heard of these cursed mountains before― rocky terrain, freezing temperatures, and the land was ruled by a man feared by many within the continent.
King Atticus Heinvres, the blood-thirsty ruler of the North.
Even though she had never met him before, tales were spread of King Atticus's ruthlessness. Some said he was a monster, others claimed he was the devil himself, but whatever the story was, everyone knew of the man who had powers beyond anyone's imagination. He could topple armies and crumble nations with just one wave of his hand, aided by what others rumored to be a cursed obsidian ring.
No one outside of Vramid had ever met the fearsome king before. Not until Daphne.
However, upon meeting the formidable man, Daphne found out that the king might not really be the monster others had claimed him to be.
In fact, what was hidden under that obsidian shield could just be a diamond in the rough.
―
[Excerpt]
"Now... where should I put you both?" he asked casually, not expecting a reply. "It's regretful that I only have one chandelier."
"Underneath my bed? No, no, too dirty. My dust bunnies don't deserve this," Atticus mused to himself. "The mantlepiece? How about the vanity table? I suppose if I lop off one of your heads I could mount it over... Wife, which head do you want to stare at while you do your hair?"
"Atticus!" Daphne screamed. "I don't want any heads! Let them go."
"Fair enough." Atticus shrugged, and flicked his fingers.
There were two identical cracks as both necks snapped at once.
Daphne gasped, horrified. This man, her husband, had just killed two men with a flick of his finger, as though he was snuffing out candles.
"I told you to let them go!" Daphne cried out.
"Yes, I let them go," Atticus said. Then, his eyes darkened. "To receive divine judgment from the heavens."