The Ghost Surgeon's Revenge: Rising From Ashes

I was the trophy wife of Wall Street’s golden boy, Spencer Elliott. For three years, I played the part of the perfect, silent spouse, enduring his coldness and his mother’s venom. I did it all because Spencer was the only person paying for the experimental medical care keeping my dying mother alive. But during a high-society gala, the gilded cage finally broke. I overheard Spencer laughing with his mistress about the "custom cocktail" he was feeding my mother. He wasn't paying for her cure; he was paying a doctor to systematically poison her with sedatives to keep me dependent and compliant until his forty-million-dollar inheritance vested. When I tried to confront him, the mask of the perfect husband shattered. He dragged me by my hair into our bedroom and slammed me against the wall, his eyes cold and murderous. "If you ever try to leave, your mother gets an overdose. Accidentally, of course." He told me I was nothing more than a pawn for his payout. I realized then that my entire marriage was a calculated swindle, and the man I thought was my savior was actually my mother's executioner. The betrayal was so deep it turned my blood to ice. Every sacrifice I had made and every humiliation I had swallowed was built on a monstrous lie. I felt a cold, sharp rage replacing my despair, a surgeon’s focus shifting from healing to a much more dangerous kind of excision. That’s when Julian Sterling, the most feared man in the city, stepped out of the shadows to burn my world down. He rescued me from Spencer’s violence and promised me a life of freedom, but as I finally exhaled in his arms, my secret burner phone buzzed with an encrypted message. The man who originally ruined my family was back, and the last time he was seen, he was standing right next to Julian. Is my new protector my greatest ally, or the target I've been hunting all along?

Chapters

Chapter 3

Ayla needed air. She needed to scream.

"Excuse me," she murmured, pushing back her chair. "I need to check on the dessert."

Spencer didn't even look up from his conversation with Chloe. "Don't be long."

Ayla walked out of the dining room, keeping her head high until the double doors swung shut behind her. Then she slumped, gasping for breath. The hallway was empty. The staff was busy in the main kitchen.

She ducked into the butler's pantry, a narrow, walk-in storage room lined with floor-to-ceiling shelves of silver platters and crystal glassware. It smelled of silver polish and dried lavender. It was quiet. Dark.

Ayla leaned against the cool metal shelving, pressing her forehead against the wire rack. Just breathe. Just survive tonight.

The door handle clicked.

She spun around. "Henderson, I was just-"

It wasn't Henderson.

Julian slipped inside, closing the door behind him. The lock clicked with a sound that echoed like a gunshot in the small space.

"Julian," Ayla hissed. "You can't be here."

"Neither can you," he said. He moved forward, crowding her. The pantry was tiny. There was nowhere to go. Her back hit the shelves, the crystal glasses rattling ominously.

"If Spencer sees you-"

"Spencer is too busy staring down his mistress's dress to notice I'm gone," Julian said. His voice was hard, angry.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out something small and sharp. Ayla's disposable scalpel, glinting in the sliver of light from under the door.

He held it up between his thumb and forefinger. "You forgot this."

Ayla reached for it. "Give it to me."

He pulled his hand back, lifting it high above his head. He stepped closer, his body pressing against hers. She could feel the heat radiating off him through his tuxedo.

"Why do you stay?" he demanded. "Was this meant to be a message? A surgeon's warning? I watched them tonight. They treat you like a dog. Worse."

"It's complicated," she whispered, staring at his tie knot because she couldn't look him in the eye.

"It's money," he corrected. "It's always money. How much is he paying you to take that abuse?"

"It's for my mother," she snapped, tears pricking her eyes. "He pays her medical bills. She has cancer. Without his specialists, she dies. Is that simple enough for you?"

Julian went still. The anger in his eyes shifted, replaced by something darker, something unreadable.

"So you sold yourself," he said softly. "To save her."

"I did what I had to do."

"And last night?" he asked. He lowered his hand, but he didn't give her the scalpel. He placed his palm flat against the shelf next to her head, boxing her in. "Was that part of the sale?"

"No," she breathed. "Last night was... a mistake."

"Liar." He leaned down, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. She shivered violently. "Last night was the only honest thing you've done in years."

Footsteps sounded in the hallway. The heavy tread of the butler. Voices.

Ayla froze. Julian didn't move. He just watched her, his eyes gleaming in the semi-darkness.

"Mr. Sterling?" Henderson's voice called out from the other side of the door.

Ayla held her breath, her heart hammering so hard she thought it would crack her ribs. If they were found...

Julian waited a beat. Then another. Torturing her.

Then, he leaned back slightly. "I'm in here," he called out, his voice calm. "Looking for the restroom. Took a wrong turn."

"Ah," Henderson said. "The restroom is down the hall to the left, sir."

"Thank you."

The footsteps faded.

Ayla's knees gave out. She sagged against the shelf. Julian caught her, his arm wrapping around her waist to hold her up. His grip was iron.

"You enjoy this," she accused, pushing at his chest. "You enjoy terrifying me."

"I enjoy making you feel something other than misery," he countered. He grabbed her hand and slapped the scalpel into her palm. His fingers lingered, squeezing hers.

"Get out," she whispered.

"I'm leaving," he said. "But this isn't over, Ayla. I don't like sharing my things."

"I'm not a thing. And I'm certainly not yours."

He smirked. "We'll see."

He unlocked the door and slipped out.

Ayla waited five minutes, counting to three hundred, before she dared to leave. She checked her reflection in a silver platter. Her cheeks were flushed. Her lips looked swollen.

She walked back into the dining room. Dessert was being served.

Spencer glared at her as she sat down. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Bathroom," she muttered.

"You missed the toast," Chloe said, licking chocolate mousse off her spoon. "Julian had to leave early. Said he had an urgent matter to attend to."

"Probably bored," Spencer said dismissively. "He's a busy man."

The dinner dragged on for another hour. By the time the last guest left, Ayla's feet were throbbing and her head was pounding.

She walked toward the stairs, desperate for sleep.

"Ayla," Spencer called out from the living room.

She stopped, hand on the railing. "Yes?"

He was pouring a brandy. Chloe was sitting on the sofa, her shoes kicked off, her legs curled under her. She looked at home.

"Sleep in the guest room tonight," Spencer said, not looking at Ayla. "Chloe had too much to drink. She can't drive back to the city."

The air left the room.

"You want me to sleep in the guest room," Ayla said slowly, "so your mistress can sleep in our bed?"

Spencer turned, his face cold. "It's my bed, Ayla. My house. You just live here. Now go."

Chloe giggled.

Ayla looked at them. The hatred she felt was so pure, so sharp, it almost frightened her.

"Fine," she said.

She turned and walked up the stairs. She didn't cry. She was done crying.

Continue to next part

Waking up with a cold, scaly hand wrapped around my throat wasn't the worst part. The worst part was realizing I'd transmigrated into the body of Terra Mason—the most despised woman in the entire Enclave. She drugged high-level beast-men and forced them into life-binding bio-contracts. She locked an aquatic warrior in a dry basement until his organs failed. She treated the most lethal males in the city like broken toys. Zev, the Level 6 serpent who's currently choking me, would rather blow up his own heart than spend another day as my slave. His affection metric? Negative ninety. His trust? Zero. Then my system activates: the Kore AI. It gives me exactly 500 credits, a medical nano-gel, and a recipe for neutralizing the radioactive poison in mutant meat. Real food. In this world, that's worth more than gold. I save Rhys, the dying aquatic male everyone left for dead. I season a slab of purple mutant steak until Sam, a battle-scarred grizzly shifter, groans at the taste—and his trust points finally tick above zero. When my backstabbing ex-best friend tries to steal my males and destroy me, I don't scream or throw a tantrum like the old Terra. I dismantle her with the truth. But earning their trust means more than grilling meat. A scorpion swarm ambushes us at midnight. Sam throws himself between me and a stinger the size of my arm. As he stands over the corpse, fur receding from his claws, he stares at me and whispers, "You were testing me." Yes. I was. Because in this world, the weak don't survive. And I refuse to be weak again. Four beast-men. Four contracts. One system. And a whole lot of steak. Let this dystopian wasteland know—I'm not the monster they remember. I'm worse. I'm the one who's going to feed them until they'd kill for me.

Action LitRPG Mafia Sci-Fi

7.5

Heiress Betrayed: My Sweet Revenge Wedding

7.5

For seven years, I hid my identity as a wealthy heiress to be with my boyfriend, Ewing. I followed him across the country and made myself small so he could feel big. On Thanksgiving, he ditched our celebration for his first love, Bree, who supposedly had a "burst pipe." Later, she posted an intimate selfie with him, calling him her "hero." Then she sent me a video of him at a bar, laughing with his friends. "She's just being dramatic," he slurred, smirking at the camera. "A new necklace and she'll forget all about it. She's easy." Easy. Seven years of my life, my love, my sacrifice-all reduced to that one word. I realized I was never his partner. I was just a placeholder. I didn't cry. I packed my bags, booked a one-way flight to New York, and sent him one final text before blocking his number. "Don't bother coming home. I'm getting married."

Action Billionaire Romance

8.8

Mate's VENGEANCE

8.8

To destroy him, I've traded my pride for a maid's uniform. My plan is simple: infiltrate his estate, seduce him into breaking his royal engagement, and lead his enemies to his doorstep. I want to see his pack burn. I want to see the light leave those storm-grey eyes as how he did to my mate

Action Romance Werewolf

8.5

MY REVENGE MY RULES

8.5

After enduring a brutal betrayal that shattered her life, a resilient woman rises from the ashes of her past. Fueled by a cold, calculated fury, she orchestrates a meticulous plan to dismantle those who wronged her. As she navigates a world of high-stakes action and hidden agendas, she enforces her own brand of justice. Along this dangerous path of retribution, she encounters a complex romance that tests her resolve and her rules.

Action Modern Romance

8.0

Our Marriage: A Twisted Revenge

8.0

My husband, Aiden, brought his mistress to a gala. She was carrying my clutch bag, a gift from him. He was laughing, daring me to make a scene. But the ultimate cruelty wasn't the affair. It was when he brought up my kidnapping from ten years ago, using my deepest trauma as a weapon to publicly shame me. His mistress, Ember, piled on, her voice dripping with false pity. "Oh, Julia, I just can't imagine what you went through. Aiden told me everything. How you were… so damaged." I suddenly realized who she was: the daughter of the man who had orchestrated my kidnapping. This wasn't just an affair; it was a long-con revenge plot to destroy the company I had sacrificed everything to save. Aiden, the man who once swore to protect me, was her willing pawn. His cruelty had already cost me our unborn child years ago. In that moment, the last bit of love I had for him turned to ice. He thought he was breaking me. He had no idea he was just handing me the keys to his destruction.

Action Modern Romance

8.1

Red Moon

8.1

Blood Moon – Story Description Blood Moon is a dark, thrilling tale of forbidden attraction, supernatural rivalry, and the fine line between predator and prey. Set in the seemingly ordinary Silver Hollow College, the story unfolds in a world where vampires and werewolves secretly coexist alongside humans, each hiding their true powers while battling their own instincts, rival clans, and the pressures of legacy. In this shadowed world, every glance can hide a threat, every conversation can carry hidden meaning, and every full moon can unleash the beast within. At the heart of the story are Catrine Nella, a powerful young vampire, and Edwardo Zee, a disciplined yet conflicted werewolf. Catrine is sharp, cunning, and deadly, raised under the constant pressure of her ambitious step-sister who insists she feed on human blood to grow stronger. Catrine's natural talents in both magic and combat make her a force to be reckoned with, yet she struggles with morality, identity, and her own desire for control. Edwardo, on the other hand, is torn between his instincts as a wolf and the manipulations of his ruthless step-brother, who demands that he become a killer to claim alpha status. Edwardo wants to be a true alpha, not through bloodshed, but by protecting others and leading with honor-an ambition that sets him apart from his family and makes him both a target and a misfit among his kind. The story begins with a violent, electrifying encounter between Catrine and Edwardo in the forest during the full moon. Both are drawn by their own impulses-Catrine performing a vampire ritual, Edwardo struggling to control the wolf within-and the resulting clash is fierce, brutal, and unforgettable. This first meeting ignites a dangerous rivalry, with each recognizing the other's extraordinary abilities while also sensing something forbidden and magnetic between them. Though enemies by instinct and heritage, the connection they forge amidst conflict sets the stage for a tension-filled enemies-to-lovers narrative that drives the series forward. As the story unfolds, Silver Hollow College becomes a battlefield not just of physical strength but of intellect, cunning, and emotional power. Catrine and Edwardo test one another constantly-through subtle glances in class, tense encounters in crowded hallways, and increasingly dangerous confrontations in the forest. Each battle pushes them further, revealing vulnerabilities and strengths, and slowly transforms their relationship from animosity into fascination, grudging respect, and eventually, desire. Amidst this, both characters are confronted with the pressures of their families. Catrine's step-sister threatens her with weakness if she does not feed on human blood, while Edwardo's step-brother pressures him toward ruthless dominance, creating a constant tension that challenges their morality and tests the limits of their powers. At its core, Blood Moon is a story about choice and identity. It explores the struggle between instinct and conscience, power and restraint, hatred and attraction. It examines what it means to be strong-not just physically, but emotionally and morally-in a world where strength often comes at the cost of humanity. Through fast-paced action, supernatural intrigue, and the slow-burning, dangerous pull between Catrine and Edwardo, the story blends romance, suspense, and fantasy into a gripping narrative. It is a saga of blood and moonlight, of predators and secrets, of rivalry and passion, and of two young supernatural beings whose lives are forever intertwined by fate, desire, and the power of the Blood Moon.

Action Fantasy Vampire Werewolf

The Ghost Surgeon's Revenge: Rising From Ashes

Chapter 3

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