Kage No Jitsuryokusha

Althea Johnson did not walk blindly into darkness. Before the contracts, the demands of blood and legacy — Dominic Valtieri had loved her. It was fierce, dangerous, and real enough to make her believe she could stand beside a man the world feared. Behind his ruthless reputation, she had seen a man capable of choosing her. For a while, he did. Until the weight of his name consumed him. By the time they marry, Dominic is no longer the man who once held her like something precious. He is colder, controlled by a dynasty that demands an heir and sees love as weakness. Still, Althea clings to the ghost of what they once were, hoping the man she loved is still buried somewhere inside him. On their wedding night, that hope dies. There is no tenderness—only possession. No love—only purpose. She is not a wife to him, but a necessity. When she discovers she’s pregnant, the truth becomes unbearable. Dominic did not choose her again. He chose what she could give him. An heir. A legacy. A continuation of a name built on power and fear. To him, she is no longer the woman he loved. She became a vessel. But grief hardens into something far more dangerous than heartbreak. Because Althea remembers who he used to be — and that memory burns. If legacy has consumed Dominic Valtieri, then she will become the one thing his empire never accounted for: defiance. She will not allow her child to be raised as a pawn in a dynasty built on fear. She will not let love be twisted into ownership. And if she must burn his empire to the ground to set her child free— She will.

En el quinto año de mi amor por Gabriel, él heredó el título de Lord Vampiro de su difunto hermano, así como a su viuda, Chloe, la antigua Reina de Sangre y, por sangre y ley, mi pariente por pacto. Cada vez que regresaba de los aposentos de ella, Gabriel me abrazaba con dulzura y me susurraba: —Isabella, Chloe es solo mi Consorte Elegida. Una vez que conciba y dé a luz al heredero del Aquelarre Blazetooth, me uniré a ti mediante un vínculo de sangre. Decía que era la única condición que su familia le exigía para ascender como Lord. Durante los seis meses posteriores a nuestro regreso al Aquelarre Blazetooth, él acudió a su llamado cien veces. Al principio, una vez al mes. Luego, una vez por semana. Y todas las noches. En la centésima noche que pasé despierta esperándolo, Chloe concibió. La noticia llegó junto con otro anuncio: Gabriel y Chloe pronto quedarían unidos por un vínculo de sangre. Mi hijo me miró, confundido e inocente. —Mamá... ¿no decían que papá formaría un vínculo de sangre con la Reina de Sangre a la que ama? ¿Por qué no ha venido a llevarnos a casa todavía? —Porque —dije con suavidad mientras le acariciaba el cabello—, la Reina de Sangre a la que ama nunca fue tu madre. No importa —añadí—. Yo te llevaré a casa. A nuestro propio hogar. Lo que Gabriel nunca notó fue que como la única hija de un Rey Vampiro en funciones, nunca me había interesado en lo más mínimo el título de Reina de Sangre del Aquelarre Blazetooth.

Me casé en secreto con Don Matteo. Cada vez que se acostaba con su amor de la infancia, me prometía una boda de verdad, frente a las Cinco Familias. Durante cinco años, Matteo me lo prometió noventa y nueve veces. Y noventa y nueve veces, me dejó plantada en el altar. La primera vez, el gato de exposición premiado de Cecilia murió. Para consolarla, pospuso la boda por tres meses. Yo me quedé sola en el altar, con los ojos enrojecidos, intentando calmar a los ancianos de la familia. La segunda vez, Cecilia hizo un berrinche en un casino y destrozó un jarrón antiguo valorado en cien millones. Él desvió el jet privado destinado a la boda y voló toda la noche para ir a arreglar su desastre. Y así cada vez, justo antes de nuestra boda, su amor de la infancia tenía algún tipo de emergencia. Yo lloré. Grité. Incluso llegué a apuntarle con un arma a la cabeza. Pero Matteo solo me empujaba contra la pared y me hacía callar con un beso frío y rudo. —Ella es solo un polvo. Tú eres la señora Falcone. Ten un poco de maldita clase. Después de la vez número noventa y nueve, finalmente me harté. Deslicé los papeles sobre la mesa. La tinta aún estaba fresca, con el sello de la familia Falcone estampado al final. —Nuestro matrimonio, nuestra alianza… se terminó.

I had returned from overseas to attend my foster son's wedding, already wearing my dress for the evening. My former high school classmates recognized me and pointed at me, laughing wildly. They tore my dress off me without hesitation. Ruby Saunders apologized to me, but it was all an act. She looked at me with malevolence. She had instigated her lackeys to strip me in public. When I tried to retaliate, she slapped me so hard that I fell to the ground. I closed my eyes and laughed coldly as I saw the cruel excitement on her face. She used to imitate me and accuse me of copying her, but I always endured it. However, today was my last straw. I would not allow her to marry into my family and turn me into her mother-in-law, no matter what!

No dia do meu casamento, fui traída diante do altar. Ryder Conti, meu noivo e herdeiro da máfia, não apenas cancelou nosso casamento, ele entrou na igreja de braços dados com outra mulher. Atrás dos portões de ferro, ele olhou para mim com um meio sorriso e disse: — Emilia, os Conti precisam de um herdeiro. A Carmela está esperando um filho dos Rossi. Quando eu garantir meu lugar na Família com a ajuda deles, vou me divorciar dela. Você continuará sendo minha mulher. Todos achavam que eu esperaria. Que obedeceria. Afinal, eu havia passado dez anos amando aquele homem mais do que a mim mesma — rompi com minha família, sacrifiquei tudo por ele. Mas naquela mesma noite, embarquei num jatinho rumo à Sicília para aceitar um casamento arranjado com o Padrinho da família Vettori. E desapareci do mundo de Ryder Conti. Três anos depois, retornei a Nova York, ao lado do meu marido e do nosso filho, para acertar as contas com um traidor da Família. Voltei para resolver uma traição na Família. Zayn teve um imprevisto, então mandou um dos capangas dele me buscar. Só não esperava reencontrar o homem que um dia destruiu meu coração. Com aquele velho sorriso arrogante, Ryder disse: — Acabou a farra? Que bom que voltou. O filho da Carmela precisa de uma cozinheira. Pode começar hoje. Cozinheira? Eu sou a Donna mais temida do submundo, e ele ousa me chamar de cozinheira?

She was the perfect wife—until he made her the perfect villain. Betrayed by the man she once loved, stripped of her dignity, and cast aside for another woman, Rebecca Belmont walks away from her ruined marriage with nothing—except a burning desire for vengeance. But when she uncovers a shocking secret about her son, the game changes. With the ruthless Kendrick Rayes by her side, Rebecca will take back everything that was stolen from her. And this time, she won’t just destroy Felix Sterling—she’ll make him beg.

Mi suegra fue secuestrada, pero mi esposo, que tiene influencia tanto en el mundo legal como criminal, llevó a todos sus secuaces a celebrar el cumpleaños del perro de su amor platónico. Los secuestradores dijeron que si no veían a mi esposo en persona, matarían a la rehén, pero yo no hice caso. Esto fue porque en mi vida anterior, estando embarazada de ocho meses, saqué a mi esposo de la fiesta de cumpleaños por fuerza y salvamos a mi suegra. Su amor platónico nos siguió a escondidas, pero fue descubierta por los informantes de los secuestradores. Ellos la violaron, e incluso la descuartizaron y la dieron de comer a los perros. Mi esposo, tan enfurecido, mató a tiros a esos secuestradores y desapareció por un mes entero. Cuando regresó, nunca volvió a mencionar el asunto. Hasta que di a luz a nuestro hijo, yo estaba llena de felicidad. Pero mi esposo me arrojó, débil como estaba, al bosque, dejando que las bestias salvajes me mordieran hasta morir, devorándome sin dejar ni los huesos. —¿Tú envidiabas a Mía, incluso sobornaste a los secuestradores para matarla? No mereces obtener la felicidad que le pertenecería a Mía. Al abrir los ojos de nuevo, volví al día en que mi suegra fue secuestrada.

Over five years I’ve lived a bittersweet lie as David Hargrove’s kept woman, Maria Bell. David’s shown no interest in me beyond what he wants. Love’s a bitter pill to love when it's not returned. I'm bought and paid for. Kept in a gilded cage. David suspects nothing of the secrets I hold. Tonight, David announced he’s marrying my stepsister. He doesn’t know. The level of betrayal I’ve experienced is unbelievable. Everything becomes complicated as the lies surface. Leaving and facing it alone are my only choices. I’m living in fear as I pick up pieces of a life, I believed lost. Blackmail, sabotage, and intrigue dog my steps. I don’t know who I can trust or how to win. I won’t surrender without a fight this time. They don’t recognize me. They won’t see me coming. My name is David Hargrove, and someone is trying to destroy my family. I must marry my rival’s daughter. His stepdaughter signed the contract. Before we learned, she couldn’t deliver the Belgrave empire to me. She can help me secure my family’s empire as my fiancée. I need the ugly biological daughter, Maria Belgrave, who’s hiding. Things get confusing. Maria Belgrave sent two women to represent her. One is my Maria. My missing woman. The betrayal and conflict of interest still stand. I will say when our contract has ended. How can I work with her? I know nothing about her. She owes me answers and loyalty. Perhaps I’ll use this to my advantage. When David learns of Maria’s past life. Will he help her? Or use her and take over the business himself? It starts with an engagement and the death of a patriarch.

After ten years as the Ghost Wolf, I finally learn that I am actually the Alpha's eldest daughter of the Blue Moon Pack. When I return home this time, I make no effort to rebuild bonds with my parents. They choose to hand the family succession to my younger sister, Tatiana Truss, so I volunteer to leave for the Northern Werewolf University. They let her steal my fiance, so I end the engagement myself and give them what they want. In my previous life, I spent my entire life chasing love, only to end up despised by everyone. My mate resented me for not breaking the engagement sooner to bless him and Tatiana. Even my own pup frowned at me on my deathbed and said, "Mom, stop fighting with Aunt Tatiana. She compromised for you her whole life. Now that you're leaving, give everything back to her." I died full of regret. I regret losing myself just to win their affection. So in this life, I refuse to fight. I let everyone have their perfect ending, while I finally chase a future that belongs to me.

My best friend has always been stingy to the bone, so the moment she volunteers to buy a bottle of water for the heir to Bellaris' most powerful family, who collapsed from heatstroke, I know she has been reborn, too. In my previous life, she and I sat for the college entrance exam together, and when the results were announced, we both got the same high score. Both of us had our eyes on Kingsley University, yet the admissions quota was limited, and neither of us wanted to jeopardize our friendship, so we kept delaying our application. In the blink of an eye, it was the last day to file our applications, and as I was about to start on mine, I stumbled upon the heir to Bellaris' most powerful family, who happened to be suffering from heatstroke. I not only bought him a bottle of water, but I also held an umbrella over him until he came to. By the time he regained consciousness, I had already missed the submission deadline. My best friend submitted hers just in time and got accepted into Kingsley University. Because I never submitted mine, the opportunity to attend university slipped past me. However, the heir apparent was touched by my act of kindness, and he asked for my hand in marriage. In the end, I married him and became a socialite, whereas my best friend, despite getting into Kingsley University, was overwhelmed by the demanding curriculum. Watching me live with more money than I could spend, she was fueled with jealousy until one day, she snapped and stabbed me. The moment I open my eyes again, my best friend and I are back on the day the heir to Bellaris' most powerful family passes out from the heat.