Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Phoenix's Rebirth and Revenge: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

Six months passed in a blur of transformation.Lorenzo taught me everything about being Natalia De Luca; heiress to an Italian-Indian crime dynasty that rivaled Rafael's organization in power and reach. I learned that my new body belonged to his sister, who was left brain-dead after an assassination attempt. The how and why of my consciousness transferring to her remained shrouded in mysticism and Lorenzo's cryptic explanations about ancient family gifts.Every morning, I woke up reaching for a face that was no longer mine, aching for the person I used to be. The grief came in waves. Sometimes a gentle tide, sometimes a tsunami that left me gasping for air, huddled on the bathroom floor. Lorenzo would find me there, silent tears streaming down Natalia's face, and wordlessly help me to my feet. In those moments, he became truly my brother, the family I'd lost when my parents died, the support I thought I'd found in Rafael.I learned to move in this taller, more lithe body. To speak wit

Café Milano at 8:55 AM was a calculated choice. Public enough to be safe, exclusive enough to talk business. I selected a corner table with my back to the wall, ordered espresso, and waited. Lorenzo had argued against this meeting. "Too soon," he'd insisted, his face tight with concern. "You're rushing things."Perhaps. But two years of waiting, of drowning and rebirth and training, had left me impatient. I needed to look into Rafael's eyes in the clear light of day. To confirm what I'd sensed last night,that some part of him recognized me, not physically but essentially. Soul recognizing soul, despite everything between us.My hands trembled slightly as I raised the espresso cup. I set it down before the liquid could betray my nerves. The truth was, I'd barely slept. The prospect of facing Rafael again, this time without the buffer of a crowded party, had brought the nightmares roaring back. Water filling my lungs, Isabella's cold smile above me, Rafael's voice calling my name too l

I've always prided myself on being a woman of control. Every move I make is calculated, every word chosen with precision, every action designed to secure my place beside Rafael. For twenty years, I have shaped and molded our empire, ensuring that nothing and no one could threaten what we've built. But Natalia De Luca is a disruption, an anomaly, and anomalies are dangerous.The cool night air hits my face as I step outside Rafael's office building, still seething from his dismissal. My heels click sharply against the pavement, each step punctuating my fury. The city lights of Milan blur in the distance as my mind races through potential strategies. Natalia isn't just a nuisance; she's a carefully placed piece on a board I thought I controlled. But who placed her there?I reach into my coat pocket and pull out my phone, my manicured finger scrolling through contacts until I find the number I need. Antonio Greco. The man is as dangerous as he is useful, a snake I once charmed into submi

NATALIEAs I stepped out of the shower, feet first, I was welcomed by the low ding sound from my phone—a sound I was well familiar with, of course, that was the sound of a text message entering my phone, not just as Natalie, but as Alina too.Slipping my feet into my flip flops, I secured the bath robe properly around my slender body as I walked towards the table where my phone lay.One thing I loved most about my Milan apartment is the translucent glass walls that overlooked the city, so that from the comfort of my room, I could watch the city. It was therapeutic, especially in a night like this where the sky had been completely overshadowed by darkness, and only had the lights from tall buildings and street lights illuminate the streets. A car would drive by now and again, and I couldn’t help the thought that crossed my mind—how many more of me were out there, that had been hurt, betrayed and were out for revenge.My manicured fingers carefully reached for my phone, lifting it off t

NATALIE Slowly, like a bug, unnoticed, I had crawled into Rafael’s life and positioned myself like a valuable asset that cannot be done away with. With power and resources, I took his hand and carefully guided him through passages that he would not be able to go through on his own. With my connections, I paved the way for him in places he wouldn’t normally find favour with his own power.But of course, just like the deal you make with the devil, nothing ever comes for free. In this case, unknowingly, he was trading his whole being, everything he was and had worked for all his life, everything he was before and after Alina, everything he owned and would protect with his life—his empire. He wouldn’t know what hit him.It was one of those days when I would take his hand through a difficult door.Rafael had called me the previous night just as I was about to retire to bed to inform me about a problem he encountered with a property where one of his structures was located. I had sensed the