Life Without Hope: A New Chapter Novels & Stories

She died a naive heiress. She woke up a cold-blooded ghost. Clara Vane was murdered by the two people she trusted most: her husband, Marcus, and her best friend, Sienna. Pushed from a rooftop on the night that should have secured her future, she was supposed to be a forgotten sacrifice. Instead, she wakes up three years in the past—before the lies took root, and before the betrayal cost her everything. This time, Clara isn't playing the victim. She’s the predator. To dismantle Marcus’s empire, she enters a high-stakes contract with the "Ice King" of the corporate world, Alistair Thorne. Alistair is a man whose name alone silences courtrooms and ruins bloodlines. He offers her the protection she needs, but his shadow comes with a price that blurs the line between a business deal and a dangerous obsession. Revenge is a cold game, and with Alistair at her side, Clara is ready to play. But in a world of wealth, ancient secrets, and absolute control, she’ll have to decide how much of her soul she’s willing to burn to watch her enemies ash. Some betrayals cut deeper than death. Some second chances are written in blood.

Seven years ago, Aria was left shattered when Liam Brooks, the golden heir, denied her after spending the night with her and made her the center of ruthless humiliation. Once the broken nerd girl, she disappeared from that world—only to rise again, stronger, sharper, and untouchable. Now she's a celebrated fashion icon, Aria stands on the cusp of defending her crown at the Haute Couture Awards. But fate twists cruelly when Liam returns, no longer just her past tormentor but a powerful figure entangled in her present. What begins as a battle of ambition soon sparks a dangerous game of attraction and revenge. Aria is determined to win, to never bow again, even if it means turning Liam’s own fire against him. This time, the clash is personal—and only one of them might walk away unscathed.

My father-in-law said he wanted to experience "how the young folks have fun these days," so I took him to my wife's newly opened upscale cocktail bar for a quiet drink. I’d just finished ordering him a custom cocktail when a man from a booth across the room swaggered over, glass in hand. His eyes scanned the drink menu on our table, and a condescending smirk twisted his lips. "Only ordering the cheapest well drinks?" he sneered. "Brought the old man here to enjoy the free air conditioning? Trash like you belongs in a dive bar. Who even let you in here?" Anger burned in my chest. I stood up, my jaw clenched. "We're paying customers. What's it to you?" But before I could say another word, his face darkened with pure rage. He snatched the half-finished beer bottle from our table and smashed it on my head. "My girl owns this place!" he snarled. "Even if I crack your skull open, I can afford the payout! You filthy pauper—either get on your knees and lick my shoes dry, or get the hell out of my sight. You're an eyesore." The beer dripped down my face. My hands trembled with fury as I wiped it away. Then, a cold calm settled over me. I opened my phone, switched to the camera, and went live. "Alright, everyone," I said into the screen. "You won't want to miss this. We're going live to catch my cheating wife and see the double life she's been leading."

Princess Elara was destined to rule the Mooncrest Pack—until betrayal stole everything from her. Her so-called mate chose power over love, leaving her to die with a shattered heart and a stolen crown. But the Moon Goddess is not done with her. Reborn into her younger self, Elara remembers every lie, every deception, every knife in her back. This time, she will not be the naive princess who trusted the wrong wolf. This time, she will seize her destiny with fangs bared. Yet fate has its own cruel twist. The mate bond burns again… not with the traitor who destroyed her, but with his greatest rival—a ruthless Alpha prince feared across the lands. Torn between revenge and the pull of an irresistible bond, Elara must decide: will she risk her heart once more, or use her second chance to rewrite both her fate and the kingdom’s future?

I've spent the day trying on bridal gowns with my fiance, Philip Dillon. Just as I'm about to pay for the wedding gown that I really want, another woman suddenly snatches it out of my hands. "Sorry, but I had my sights set on this gown first!" I frown instantly at her words. That's when one of my friends suddenly pats me on the shoulder before murmuring to me, "Hang on. Let your fiance deal with this situation. He already placed an order on this wedding gown when it was first released, so he must be specifically waiting for you to come here and pick it out." I turn to look at Philip instinctively. As expected, I see him approaching the woman… only to help her stuff the gown's hem, which is sticking out, back into the gown's bag. "Since someone else has already set her sights on the gown, then I suppose we don't have any other choice." Philip then pinches me on the cheek, the smile on his face tender yet casual. "My Elyse is the most gracious woman I've ever known. It's not like this is the one and only gown for you, right?" I just stare at the woman's smug look, feeling very dazed. Instead of responding to Philip, I just shoot a small smile at my friend, who looked pretty awkward on my behalf. "It's fine. I don't want the wedding gown anymore." It's true that the gown isn't the one and only gown for me. Similarly, it's not like Philip is the one and only man for me in life as well.

My dad, Frank Stanford, was an Alpha. I, Lana Stanford, was his only daughter. The year I turned eighteen, he told me to choose a mate from the nine werewolf warriors he had taken in. I avoided Simon Eaton, the one I used to be obsessed with. In my previous life, I was kidnapped by rogues on the very day of my marking ceremony. When they drove silver nails soaked in wolfsbane through my palms, I endured the agony and sent a desperate plea through our mind link. “Simon, help me.” All I got back was his cold response. “Lana Stanford, are you done yet? Is this another lame trick of yours? “You actually hurt yourself just to get me to come see you? You're disgusting.” I closed my eyes in despair. As the silver cage sank into the frozen lake, icy water filled my lungs. My wolf let out a final, broken cry and died with me. When I woke up again, I'd returned to the day my dad asked me to choose a mate. This time, the very first thing I did was cross Simon’s name off the list. Later, he stood in front of me with tearful eyes and asked why I hadn’t chosen him. I didn’t answer. I just looked at him strangely. “Simon, this time, I did exactly what you wanted. Why are you crying again?”

In my past life, my mother had adopted me out to my aunt, but kept my older sister close to her. I followed my aunt into the world of business and became a success that everyone envied. My sister, consumed by jealousy over my life, seduced my husband. To claim my fortune, she even schemed to burn down my villa. But she hadn't counted on the fire spreading too fast—we both perished in the blaze. Reborn, I now had a second chance. And of course, my sister was the first to step forward, claiming she should be my aunt's daughter. I smiled. Things were panning out just as I'd hoped.

On New Year's Day, my childhood friend asked me for the passcode to my new house. I thought she was planning to bring a housewarming gift, but when I opened the door, I froze in shock. There were more than a dozen people inside. She walked over with a smile before giving me a subtle look. "Ryan, what are you doing here? Come on in. You're just in time. You're lucky enough to catch our family gathering." I stood there in stunned silence. Before I could even ask what was going on, her boyfriend suddenly spoke in a mocking tone. "Is your childhood friend very persuasive? I'm curious how he sweet-talked you into giving him your house's passcode." Her expression instantly turned serious. "He didn't sweet-talk me. He got on his knees and begged. He said he had a fight with his family and got kicked out with nowhere to stay. You know how soft-hearted I am. I didn't think much of it and just gave it to him." Her boyfriend's eyes had a look of contempt. "No normal man would stoop that low. Who knows how many women he's begged behind the scenes just to get what he wants." She gave him a look of approval. "Babe, how are you so smart? There was a time he stripped naked and begged me just to buy a watch he liked. I've told you about it." Her boyfriend burst out laughing. "So that was him? He's honestly shameless." Seeing her spew lies so casually and irresponsibly, I couldn't contain my anger. I stepped forward and slapped her hard across the face. "Who the hell do you think you are? Taking over my house and slandering me? Get out."

"I am your husband, Leah! We're still married, and we love each other!" cried Jerome as he glared at her. "He lied to you, and you know it! You have been separated since more than a year ago!" said Adrian, his jaw tightening and his fists clenching tightly. Leah stood between the two with a throbbing pain in her head. If that damn memory had appeared soon, it wouldn't have been like that! Three months ago, Leah woke up from her long coma and found that her life had completely changed. The doctor said she had lost some of her memory, so she had no idea what had happened in the past five years of her life. Suddenly, a young billionaire named Jerome introduced himself as her husband, and when she started to believe that fact, a mysterious man named Adrian showed up and broke everything by telling her that she was being manipulated by her own husband.

On the Lunaris Festival, the palace banquet glittered with candlelight. It lasted until the Crown Prince rose and dismissed every consort of his for the sake of his first love, the woman he had never stopped idolizing. Everyone else accepted the gold coins from the prince and returned home for reunions. I had nowhere to go. I found a rope and hanged myself at the gate of the Withered Court. I had been reborn into this world and spent 21 years locked in the System's mission. It demanded that I court four designated male leads and earn absolute affection from at least one of them. I failed every route. The final path collapsed in my hands. The System offered one last mercy. If this body died, I could return home and reunite with my family. As my consciousness slipped away, I thought I heard someone scream my name, as if the world itself were breaking.