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!"
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Chapter 8
"All set. I already forwarded your photo to my cousin, and he confirmed he's available tomorrow. Make sure you bring all the necessary documents and be at the city hall by exactly 9 AM. He doesn't waste time." The message from Tessa was brief and confident.
Chelsey lifted one brow. So he valued efficiency. That worked just fine. Right now, she had no patience for delays or complications.
When morning came the next day, Chelsey waited outside the city hall while holding her prepared documents.
She had chosen a white dress and layered it with a beige knitted cardigan. Her long hair was loosely tied, which left her neck exposed.
According to Tessa, her cousin moved quickly and without fuss, and that claim proved accurate.
The moment the clock hit 9 AM, a tall silhouette walked toward her from the bright entrance.
He stood close to 1.9 meters in height.
He was dressed in a plain black T-shirt paired with cargo pants. His broad shoulders contrasted with his narrow waist, and his long legs were hard to miss.
Once he stepped closer, Chelsey was finally able to get a clear look at his face.
It was him! The firefighter who had pulled her from the heavy smoke just nights ago.
Without the bulky firefighting gear in sight, his appearance stood out even more clearly.
A defined jaw gave him a severe edge, while his lips stayed firmly set and his eyes carried a depth that was hard to ignore.
Everything about him projected an untamed, masculine presence.
For a brief moment, Chelsey felt her heartbeat falter.
Stopping in front of her, he stood almost a full head taller, and his height caused his shadow to fall over her.
"Chelsey Holden?" he asked.
Beyond his striking appearance, his voice demanded attention. It was low and compelling, roughened by a faint rasp.
Pulling herself together, Chelsey nodded once. "Yes, that's me. You must be Tessa's cousin."
With a subtle nod in return, his eyes stayed on her face briefly before he looked away, and he introduced himself in a calm, controlled tone. "Julian Walsh."
Even then, disbelief lingered with Chelsey. Tessa truly had an extraordinary cousin.
She met his gaze and said with genuine gratitude, "I want to thank you for saving me that night."
Without his intervention, she likely would have died in that blaze, never given the chance to rebuild her life.
"I was only doing what I'm paid to do," he answered plainly.
For a moment, Chelsey did not know how to respond. This perfectly fit Tessa's comment about him being distant and easily irritated.
"Do you have all the documents with you?" Julian asked next.
"Yes, I have them," Chelsey said as she handed the papers over without thinking.
After taking them, Julian turned toward the building. "We're heading inside."
"Wait," Chelsey called after him. "Don't you think this feels a little too fast? Wouldn't it make sense for us to learn more about each other first?"
Her questions seemed pointless to Julian. "Tessa already filled me in on everything. Spending time getting acquainted would only slow things down."
Once again, Chelsey found herself speechless.
Judging by his response, Tessa's talkative nature had clearly left nothing unsaid about her.
Even with that in mind, Chelsey stood her ground. "Before we obtain the certificate, there are several matters I believe we must address first."
In response, Julian lifted a brow, silently urging her to go on.
"To begin with, this marriage is a practical arrangement meant to serve both our needs," Chelsey explained. "I will stay out of your private affairs, and in return, I expect the same respect from you."
Without hesitation, Julian gave a brief nod. "I agree."
"Next, our finances will stay completely separate after we're married. I have no interest in your assets, and I expect you to feel the same about mine."
After casting a short look in her direction, Julian answered evenly, "That's acceptable."
"Last, and most important, I cannot tolerate dishonesty. If I discover any form of deception, this marriage will end immediately. Can you accept that condition?"
For Chelsey, dishonesty crossed a line she would never tolerate.
Julian's eyes sharpened, and the casual air around him faded into something more restrained.
Several seconds passed as he continued to look at her.
Without flinching, Chelsey held his stare.
After the silence stretched long enough, Julian finally spoke a single word. "Alright."
"My terms are clear," Chelsey said. "Mr. Walsh, what conditions do you have?"
"I only have one requirement." Julian slightly lifted his chin. "Women do not interest me. This marriage exists solely to satisfy my family. Because of that, keep your emotions under control and do not form feelings that cross a line."
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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."