The Reborn Duchess's Ruthless Revenge

I stood in the Royal Hall, clutching a glass of warm champagne while watching Senator Levine laugh. To the crowd, he was a pillar of the community; to me, he was the parasite who had already destroyed my life once. In my past life, this gala was the night the monarchy began to bleed. Levine successfully planted his cameras, the Vance empire funded a coup, and the kingdom I loved was sold off to the highest bidder. I lived through the consequences of my silence. I watched my sister, Seraphina, die in childbirth because the medical supplies were intercepted by traitors. I watched the man I loved, Duke Elliot, stripped of his titles and branded a criminal. I spent my final days in a damp, freezing cell, listening to the executioner sharpen his blade while the people cheered for our demise. The injustice burned in my throat like lye. I died wondering how I could have been so naive, how I could have let these monsters walk among us while I played the part of a perfect, quiet wife. Why did the gods let the wicked prosper while my family’s blood watered the palace gardens? What would I have given for just one chance to strike first? Then, the world shifted. I opened my eyes to find myself back at the gala, the scent of sandalwood and rain surrounding me as Elliot rested a possessive hand on my back. I wasn't just a Duchess anymore; I was a ghost from a future that would never happen, and I was ready to erase every name on my list.

Chapters

Chapter 9

The Royal Palace smelled of beeswax and old power.

Julian sat in his wheelchair in the antechamber of the King's private study. He was wearing his dress uniform, the medals pinned to his chest clinking softly every time he breathed.

Duke Elliot stood behind him, his hand resting on the wheelchair handle.

"Remember," Elliot murmured. "The King is generous, but he is a merchant at heart. Everything has a price."

"I have my wallet ready," Julian said dryly, adjusting his glasses. He was nervous. His palms were sweating inside his white dress gloves.

The heavy doors opened.

King Edward sat behind a desk that was large enough to land a plane on. He didn't look up from the documents he was signing.

"Enter," the King said.

Elliot pushed Julian forward.

"Your Majesty," Julian said, bowing his head as best he could from the chair.

The King finally looked up. He had cold blue eyes that assessed Julian's value in seconds.

"Dr. Harris," the King said. "Or should I say, the man who saved my best General."

"I did what any soldier would do, Sire."

"Modesty is boring, Doctor," the King waved a hand. "You took a poisoned blade for a superior officer. That earns you a favor. Ask."

Julian took a deep breath. This was it.

"I request permission to marry Lady Imogen Sterling."

The King paused. He leaned back in his leather chair, steepling his fingers.

"The Sterlings," the King mused. "An old name. Impoverished. Disgraced by her father's gambling debts. Why her? You could have a Duchess. A man of your talent and your family's standing..."

"She saved my life in the desert," Julian said. He looked the King in the eye. "She is the only one I want."

The King studied him. For a moment, the mask of the monarch slipped, revealing a man who remembered what it was like to be young and foolish.

"Very well," the King said. "But the Duke is right. Everything has a price."

"Name it," Julian said.

"My mother," the King said, his voice dropping. "The Queen Mother. The Levine incident has left her... rattled. Her paranoia attracts parasites. I need a medical advisor in her wing. Someone I can trust. Someone whose loyalty isn't to the old guard, but to the future of this Crown."

Julian understood immediately. The King wanted a spy. He wanted someone to watch the Queen Mother, to ensure no more "Levine incidents" happened, and perhaps to monitor her political meddling.

"I would be honored to serve as the Royal Physician," Julian said.

"Good," the King stood up. "Then you have my blessing. Do it tonight. At the Gala. Give the people a show. They love a romance."

Julian and Elliot left the study.

As they rolled down the hallway, Elliot chuckled. "You just sold your soul to the devil for a girl."

"Worth it," Julian said. He checked his pocket. The ring box was there. The real one this time. A three-carat sapphire from the Powers vault.

They reached the entrance to the Grand Ballroom. The doors were open, spilling light and music into the corridor.

Imogen was waiting there. She was wearing a midnight blue gown that hugged her curves. She looked nervous, twisting a handkerchief in her hands.

When she saw Julian, her face lit up. It was like the sun breaking through clouds.

"Did it go okay?" she asked, rushing over.

Julian smiled. He reached out and took her hand.

"Better than okay," he said. "Ready to make a scene?"

Imogen laughed. "With you? Always."

Continue to next part

Seven years ago, Ella's heart was shattered when the man she loved disappeared without a trace. Now he's back-older, dangerous, and holding secrets that could destroy them both. Drawn into a world of betrayal, lies, and enemies lurking in every shadow, Ella must decide... Can she trust Jerry again, when loving him might cost her everything? Passion ignites, hearts collide, and danger closes in with every step. Their love is tested by revenge, deception, and a past that refuses to stay buried. In a game of love and survival, every choice could be their last. 💔 A gripping, heart-stopping romance full of suspense, twists, and a love that refuses to die.

Action Mystery Romance

9.1

Finishing the Puzzle of My Corpse

9.1

Abducted from her mother’s grave, a young woman is brutally tortured by drug dealers targeting her brother, Zack Smith. Despite her desperate plea for help, the forensic pathologist rejects her, blaming her for their mother's death. After her captors discard her remains in a trash can, Zack is tasked with reassembling the unidentified body. He meticulously pieces her back together, unaware the victim is the sister he despised until the truth shatters his sanity.

Action Horror Modern Mystery

9.2

He Saved His Mistress, Not His Wife

9.2

I was trapped under a massive oak bookcase, my leg shattered, dust filling my lungs. My husband, Dante, the Underboss of the Chicago Outfit, finally found me. But just as he lifted the heavy beam to free me, his earpiece crackled. It was news about Sofia, his childhood friend and the woman he truly loved. "She scratched her arm on the car door, Boss. She's hyperventilating. She won't board the jet without you." Dante froze. He looked at me, bleeding on the floor, secretly ten weeks pregnant with his child. Then he looked at the door. "It's just a broken leg, Elena," he said coldly, slowly lowering the crushing weight back onto me. "You are a doctor. You know it's not fatal. Sofia needs me." He ran to comfort a woman with a papercut, leaving his wife and unborn child to be buried alive in the rubble. I miscarried alone in the dark, tracing the number of a divorce lawyer on the floorboards in my own blood. Three days later, while he was peeling grapes for Sofia in a VIP hospital suite, I packed my medical degree and a single gym bag. I didn't go to a hotel. I boarded a military cargo plane to a war zone in South Sudan. By the time the Ice Prince realized his castle was empty, I was already thousands of miles away, and I wasn't coming back.

Action Modern Romance

7.1

Her Vicious Art, His Dark Obsession

7.1

For ten years, my family kept me locked away, forcing me to play the part of a broken, mentally unstable girl. They controlled me with sedatives and treated me like a ghost in my own home, a prisoner in a gilded cage. But I had a secret. I was a world-famous anonymous artist with a hidden fortune, and I had an escape plan. On the day of my cousin's wedding, my rebellion was accidentally witnessed by a dangerous stranger who saw the predator beneath my fragile mask. To silence him, I dragged him into a dark closet. The encounter turned raw and reckless, a violent collision I used as the perfect cover for my escape. I vanished with a new name and a one-way ticket to a new life, leaving him with nothing but a bloodstain and the bitter taste of betrayal. I thought I was free, that I had successfully buried the girl I was forced to be and the man I was forced to use. Three months later, on a superyacht in Monaco, he found me. He wasn't just some wealthy guest; he was the ruthless head of a powerful crime syndicate, and I was trapped in his private penthouse. He locked the door, his eyes black with possessive rage. "The game is over," he whispered. "This time, you're not running."

Action Billionaire Mystery

9.2

I will never be yours

9.2

Rejected by Alpha Kian and forced into exile, Selena abandoned her pack to forge a solitary life in the wilderness. However, fate takes a dark turn when the King’s guards capture her as a perceived enemy, throwing her into the royal dungeons. As she faces the threat of torture, Selena must keep her identity as Kian's second chance mate hidden. With the lives of her loved ones at stake, she wonders if the cold-hearted ruler has changed or remains the same man who once cast her out.

Action Adventure Fantasy Romance Werewolf

8.3

Revenge Is A Daughter's Sweetest Dish

8.3

The first time I died, it was from a cancer my mother couldn' t afford. My father, who had left us for his wealthy mistress, refused to pay for my treatment. In a desperate attempt to save me, my mother tried to sell her kidney on the black market. She was scammed and left to die in an alley. She died of an infection a week before I finally succumbed to the cancer, alone in a hospital bed. I' ll never forget him telling my begging mother that his new family had expenses, handing her a few hundred dollars as if she were trash. Then, I opened my eyes. I was fourteen again, healthy, watching the divorce happen all over again. My father looked at me, expecting me to choose my mother. "Blake," he said, "you' ll have to choose who you want to live with." I remembered the hunger, the cold, and my mother' s broken body. I met her tear-filled eyes, my own heart shattering. "I choose Dad."

Action Modern Mystery

The Reborn Duchess's Ruthless Revenge

Chapter 9

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