The Soufflé of Sweet Revenge

I spent seven years sacrificing my own culinary dreams for my boyfriend, Collin. For our fifth anniversary, I baked his favorite soufflé and waited for him to come home to the romantic dinner I' d prepared. He never showed. Instead, a video surfaced online of him at a party with his rival chef, Frankie. He was laughing as he mocked me to a crowd. "Emma's probably at home crying into her pathetic little soufflé," he slurred. The next morning, he tried to apologize with a "make-up gift." It was a cheap silver necklace, an exact copy of one Frankie always wears. He' d forgotten I'm allergic to silver. In seven years, he never even learned that about me. I wasn't his partner; I was just a dress rehearsal for the woman he really wanted. I packed my bags and flew home to Chicago. When Collin texted, demanding to know what "stupid designer bag" I wanted to make things right, I sent my final reply. "I'm engaged. And trust me, he's everything you're not."

Chapters

Chapter 3

Emma Lang POV:

Frankie's eyes, wide with a fake innocence, met mine. It was a performance, a deliberate jab. She wanted me to react. She wanted a scene. I felt a familiar pang, but it wasn't pain. It was a dull ache of memory, of all the times Collin had chosen her over me.

There was the time he canceled our Valentine's Day plans to judge a last-minute culinary competition he later admitted Frankie was also competing in. He said it was a "professional obligation." The time he missed my birthday dinner because Frankie needed help with a pop-up kitchen. He' d apologized, of course, promised to make it up to me. And I, like an idiot, had always believed him.

I used to argue. I used to beg him to see how much he was hurting me. He' d always twist it, make me feel like I was the insecure, jealous one. "You're suffocating me, Emma," he'd say, his voice strained. "Why can't you just trust me?" I would back down, convinced I was the problem.

But that Emma was gone. Replaced by someone colder, sharper. Someone who had learned, painfully, that some apologies are just words, and some promises are made only to be broken.

I took a deep breath, the expensive wine a comforting warmth in my stomach. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction. I wouldn't play her game.

I rose from my table, smoothing down my dress. My steps were slow, deliberate, each click of my heels echoing in the quiet restaurant. I walked directly to their booth. Collin's head snapped up, his jaw dropping in shock. Frankie's smirk widened, a predatory gleam in her eyes.

"Everything alright here?" I asked, my voice calm, almost sweet. I looked directly at Frankie. "Need me to take a picture? You two look so... cozy."

Collin stammered, "Emma! What are you... what are you doing here?" His face flushed a deep crimson, a mix of embarrassment and anger. "Are you following me now? This is ridiculous! You're being suffocating!"

I turned my gaze to him. "Following you, Collin? Don't flatter yourself. I'm having dinner. Alone. Which, as you can see, is clearly going much better than yours." I paused, letting my words sink in. "And for the record, we broke up. Remember? I believe I made that quite clear."

Frankie, ever the manipulator, reached for Collin's hand. "Oh, Emma, darling. I'm so sorry. I didn't realize you two were still... working through things. Collin told me you were just being a little emotional." Her eyes, however, sparkled with malicious glee.

I ignored her completely. My eyes remained fixed on Collin. "Enjoy your evening, Collin," I said, my voice dropping to a low, dangerous whisper. "You've earned it." Then, without another word, I turned and walked away, back to my own table.

I ordered dessert, a rich chocolate lava cake, and another glass of champagne. I ate slowly, savoring each bite, the distant murmur of Collin and Frankie's agitated whispers a faint backdrop to my newfound peace. I could hear snippets of their conversation, their voices rising and falling.

"You handled that terribly, Collin!" Frankie hissed. "Why didn't you just make her leave?"

"What was I supposed to do?" Collin retorted, his voice strained. "She just showed up! And she was... so calm."

Frankie scoffed. "Calm? She's just being passive-aggressive. She wants a reaction. She wants you back."

"No," Collin said, his voice softer, almost thoughtful. "No, she didn't. She looked... different. She wasn't begging, Frankie. She wasn't even upset. She just looked... done." He sighed. "She's not like the others. She's not easy to, you know, just get rid of."

A small, sharp ache pierced my chest. Not pain, not regret. Just a quiet understanding. He still didn't get it. He still thought I was just another problem to be "gotten rid of." But his words, "she's not like the others," resonated with a surprising clarity. Maybe, just maybe, I had always been more than he deserved.

I finished my dessert, paid the bill, and left the bistro without a backward glance. The night air was cool and crisp. I felt a profound sense of lightness, a liberation I hadn't thought possible. I wasn't hurt anymore. I was free. Free to be myself, free to pursue my own dreams, free from Collin and his toxic orbit. The pain had finally morphed into clarity.

Continue to next part

Trigger Warning: This book contains dark themes including captivity, violence, abuse, and explicit scenes. Please read responsibly. Sold like a commodity. Claimed like property. Desired like an obsession. Tobias Shane thought he had lost everything when his uncle betrayed him-until he was stripped, chained, and auctioned to the highest bidder. Benjamin Shaai, New York's most feared mafia boss, didn't come for a pet. But when he sees the quiet fire in Tobias' eyes, he wants him. Buys him. Owns him. What begins as a cruel arrangement of pain and pleasure turns into something neither of them expected. But Tobias carries a secret-one that could collapse empires. As enemies circle and betrayal festers from within, the devil finds something he never wanted... a heart. But loving Tobias might be the one war Benjamin can't win.

Action LGBT+Mafia Modern

9.1

Eighteen Broken Promises, One Way Out

9.1

He postponed putting my name on the deed 18 times. Each time, his mentee Ciera had an “emergency.” Each time, he ran to her. I watched him give her his prized Montblanc pen—the one he wouldn’t even let me borrow. I saw her post their late nights on Instagram. I ate anniversary dinners alone while he “mentored” her. Then he bought me a necklace—identical to the one she just flaunted online. That was when I stopped feeling anything. I didn’t cry. I didn’t fight. I simply packed two suitcases, resigned from our firm, and booked a one-way ticket to London. He thinks I’m coming back in a week. He has no idea I’m gone for good. Nineteen broken promises. One silent goodbye. And a new life waiting across the ocean.

Action Modern

8.3

Faked Death, True Revenge Begins

8.3

For five years, I was the devoted girlfriend of a corporate heir, Alden Stone. He gave me a single red rose every month, a symbol of his love. But it was all a beautifully crafted lie. On our anniversary, I discovered the truth: the roses were named "Gabriella," for the woman he was obsessed with. He didn't just break my heart; he stole my life's work-a revolutionary cancer formula-and gave it to her to secure their family alliance. At the gala celebrating her supposed genius, I confronted him. "Don't make a scene," he hissed, his eyes cold. "Gabriella is pregnant. If you try to expose her, I will personally see to it that your career is over." From the stage, Gabriella gave me a predatory smile, flaunting a diamond bracelet I had designed for myself. My love, my future, my life's work-all sacrificed for his obsession. He had played me for a fool and left me with nothing. So I faked my death. I recorded a video exposing their lies, set it to go viral, and sailed his yacht straight into a storm. The world would believe Katelynn Walls was dead, but I was just getting started.

Action Modern Romance

8.6

From Victim to Victor

8.6

After being framed for a horrific crime he never committed, a man is forced into a desperate fight for survival. To clear his name, he must navigate a dangerous underworld of corruption and betrayal while hunting down the true culprits. As he evolves from a helpless victim into a formidable force, he uncovers a massive conspiracy. Every step toward justice brings more violence, testing his resolve to reclaim his life and settle the score.

Action Modern Mystery

9.0

His Vengeful Game: The Bankrupt Heiress

9.0

Once a pampered princess, Alaina now clutched a deactivated American Express card, staring out at Central Park. Her family’s fortune was gone, her life, over. Her family's Hamptons estate, a four-generation legacy, was seized by Dyer Capital. The name hit her: Hardin Dyer, the poor boy she’d once scorned, had returned. Hardin marched in, serving a divorce agreement. He'd orchestrated her family's downfall for revenge, giving her 24 hours to vacate his property. Penniless, her father faced prison, needing $50 million. Her mother forced her to beg Hardin, who sneered, offering the money for her body. Alaina ripped up the contract. Hours later, her father had a heart attack. Desperate, she became "Lexi," a club girl enduring humiliation. In the Viper Room, Hardin's lackeys demanded she lick whiskey off his shoe for $10,000. Hardin watched. Outside, her brother Ashton's hand was threatened for a $3 million debt. Spirit shattered, Alaina returned, knelt on broken glass, offering to sign. But Hardin declared her family "dead," offering $10 million for her body, commanding her to use her mouth. In a furious act of defiance, Alaina threw whiskey in his face, snatched the check, and fled. Yet, when he finally took her, a searing, foreign pain and blood on the sheets revealed a shocking truth: he had never touched her three years ago. Why had he let her believe such a monstrous lie?

Action Billionaire Modern

9.5

One night with my father's best friend

9.5

"I've tried to not want you, but everytime I'm near you, my whole being craves for you. It's not supposed to be that way, Lola," I held in an excited scream. Even though I was happy, I still had a mission to accomplish. "Then let's play a game. Let's get rid of all these sexual tension between us. I'm sure one night will be enough to clear it away," "One night," He growled. "One night is all there will be," In one quick movement, my towel dropped to the floor with his lips devouring mine. ~~~~ Lola thought her life had come to an end when she lost her father, but it was only an invitation to a new phase when she accidentally meets her late father's best friend in a club. A myriad of sparks flicker at first sight, but he never pays any attention to her until one rainy evening, followed by a passionate steamy night, Rowan falls twice harder for the lady he's supposed to protect. Now he's ready to fight the world and even his son to keep the woman he's hopelessly in love with by his side.

Action Adventure Romance

The Soufflé of Sweet Revenge

Chapter 3

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