The Neglected Wife Is A Hidden Genius

I woke up in the ICU, my lungs still burning from the freezing river water. Just outside the cracked door, I heard my adoptive family talking. That’s when the horrifying realization hit me: my drowning wasn't an accident. My adoptive mother had deliberately pried my fingers off the slippery rocks and pushed me in. "When is she going to wake up? This Rust Belt trash always finds a way to ruin our important moments." "If she's mentally unstable, we should just send her to that facility in the Hamptons and have her sign the inheritance waiver." My father and brothers coldly plotted my removal, while my fiancé, Eric, laughed flirtatiously with my younger sister. He had his arm around her waist, completely unbothered by the fact that I was fighting for my life after he had just scammed me out of half a million dollars. For ten years, I had smiled, obeyed, and shrunk myself to fit into their gilded cage, desperate for a sliver of their love. I couldn't understand how a decade of absolute devotion was met with calculated murder and such casual, cruel betrayal. But the pathetic, desperate Iona died in that icy water. As the suppressed memories of my true identity—"Silas", a master art restorer possessing centuries of dangerous, hidden knowledge—flooded my mind, my tears stopped. I picked up the phone, secured a marriage of convenience with the most powerful man in New York, and began my counterattack.

Chapters

Chapter 3

Kevan Sanders didn't move from the doorway. His gaze locked onto Iona, dissecting her. He didn't offer a smile, a nod, or a single word of comfort.

"What do you want from the Vance family?" His voice was low, flat. It wasn't a question from a potential husband; it was an interrogation.

Iona met his stare. She didn't flinch. "A name. A safe place to live." She paused, her thumb pressing hard into her index finger. "In return, I will play the role of Mrs. Sanders perfectly. I will make Eleanor happy, and I will stay out of your way. Completely."

Kevan's eyebrow lifted a fraction of an inch. He had expected tears, demands, or a sob story. He hadn't expected a business pitch.

"Kevan!" Eleanor scolded. "Don't be rude."

Kevan ignored his grandmother. "My lawyers will draft the agreement. The terms will be strict."

"I accept," Iona said instantly.

The silence stretched for three seconds. Kevan nodded once. "Fine. When you're discharged, we go to City Hall." He turned and walked out, his footsteps fading down the hall.

Eleanor sighed, squeezing Iona's hand again. "He's not as cold as he seems. Give him time." She promised to handle the legal details and hurried after him.

The door closed. Iona let out a long, slow breath. Step one was complete.

She picked up the phone again. This time, she dialed Eric's number. It rang twice.

"Iona?" Eric sounded annoyed. "Look, I'm busy, can we-"

"We're done, Eric."

There was a beat of silence. Then a condescending laugh. "Baby, don't be dramatic. I know you're upset about the river thing. I'll come by later."

"You don't seem to understand," Iona said, her voice deadpan. "The engagement is off. My lawyer will contact you tomorrow regarding the five hundred thousand dollars you took from me for your 'investment'."

The amusement vanished from Eric's voice. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? That was a joint venture!"

"I'm pulling out. Have the money ready." She hung up. She didn't slam the phone down; she placed it gently on the receiver.

She dialed the Harmon estate. Martha answered.

"Martha. Pack my things. Send them to the Hollis house. Tell Preston and Miranda I'm moving out."

Before the housekeeper could respond, Iona disconnected the call.

A nurse walked in, holding Iona's personal cell phone. "Your former family's assistant brought this."

As soon as the screen lit up, it exploded with notifications. Texts from Eric, ranging from wheedling to threats. Voicemails from Veronica, sickly sweet and probing.

Iona's thumb moved methodically across the screen. Block. Block. Block. Delete all.

She leaned back against the pillows, closing her eyes. The girl who had craved their love was dead. She was Silas now. And she had work to do.

Continue to next part

After being lost for years, I returned to the Hill family only to find myself a living medical spare part for Paisley, their "precious" adopted daughter. My biological parents demanded my bone marrow, while my husband, Silas, treated me as a mere shadow of his true love. He even forced me to hand over my inheritance and raise Paisley’s child, threatening divorce if I dared to resist. They mistook my silence for submission, but I was simply counting down the days. Behind their backs, I secretly enrolled in a classified national program, securing a future they could never touch. By the time Silas realizes he traded a diamond for glass, I will have vanished into the state’s protection, leaving him with nothing but a ruined career and the ashes of his betrayal.

Modern Mystery Romance

9.0

Buried Alive With My Fake Husband

9.0

I woke up in total darkness, the air smelling of stale chemicals and dying flowers. When I tried to sit up, my forehead slammed into solid wood just three inches from my face. I was trapped in a coffin, buried alive next to the cold, stiff body of my fake husband, Cedric. My stepmother, Hermina, had poisoned our champagne at the gala to seize my trust fund, and now she was hosting a lavish memorial service for us right outside the lid. I found a faint, erratic pulse in Cedric's neck, but I couldn't just scream for help. If Hermina realized the dose wasn't lethal, she'd finish the job with a lethal injection under the guise of medical assistance. To survive, I bit my tongue until I tasted blood and tore my hair into a tangled mess. When I finally kicked the lid open and spilled onto the marble floor, I didn't act like a rescued heiress; I crawled like a broken doll, shrieking about poisoned bubbles and "the bad man" while Manhattan's elite watched in absolute horror. The betrayal was suffocating. My own family watched as Hermina tried to sedate me back into silence, playing the role of a grieving saint while her eyes remained cold as ice. Even more shocking was Cedric, who rose from the casket like a predator, commanding the room with a terrifying authority that proved our entire marriage had been a lie. I couldn't understand how many secrets were buried in that house, or why my "boring" husband was suddenly acting like a man who owned the city. After kneeing Cedric in the stomach to break his iron grip, I bolted out into the torrential rain. I didn't care that I was barefoot or that the world thought I was insane. I had the key to my father's secret safe in my hand, and I was going to make sure Hermina paid for every second of darkness she forced me to endure.

Horror Modern Romance

8.0

Goodbye, My Dearest Enemy

8.0

After three years of marriage, the coldness between them has finally reached its breaking point. For her, the union was a labor of unrequited love, but for him, it was a prison of obligation. Now, she is ready to walk away, leaving behind the man who never truly saw her. However, as the divorce papers are signed, the power dynamics shift. A story of heartbreak and redemption begins as a billionaire realizes what he lost too late.

Billionaire Modern Romance

9.1

His Poisoned Love, My Shattered Heart

9.1

For three years, I flew across the Atlantic for my fiancé, Dale. He was a brilliant tech CEO who swore he'd travel to the ends of the earth for me, saving a thousand airline tickets as "proof of his love." But when I arrived a day early to surprise him, I overheard him confessing to our friends. "Our relationship is exhausting me, and my love for her is draining away." His words were just the beginning. I soon discovered his affair with a young intern, Jetta. When she drugged me, sending me into anaphylactic shock, Dale' s only punishment for her was docking half a day's pay. He then took Jetta on a lavish vacation while I recovered alone in a hospital bed, his excuse being that I had "provoked" her. The man who once showered me with diamonds and promises now defended my attacker. His love, once my bedrock, had become a poison. As I stood at the airport gate, I sent him one last email with proof of everything. Then, I snapped my SIM card in half and boarded a flight to Iceland, disappearing from his life for good.

Billionaire Modern Romance

9.4

Love in the Shadows of Legacy

9.4

Elara Vance leads a quiet life until a sudden inheritance thrusts her into the opulent world of the Blackwood empire. As she navigates high-stakes corporate schemes, she encounters Julian Blackwood, a cold billionaire determined to protect his family's throne. Their forced alliance sparks an intense, forbidden attraction. Surrounded by treachery and hidden agendas, Elara must decide if she can trust the man who represents everything she fears.

Billionaire Modern Romance

8.4

My Sexy Sassy Boss

8.4

May Boston is a sassy, powerful woman who owns the biggest fashion agency in the city. Her perfectly controlled world is thrown into chaos when she crosses paths with Luca, a homeless man suffering from amnesia. Out of pity, and curiosity, she lets him live with her. What she does not expect is to be bossed around in her own house, treated like a subordinate, and willingly doing everything he asks. Slowly, without realizing it, May falls deeply in love with him. That turns out to be her greatest mistake. Because before Luca lost his memory, he was the ruthless king of the largest Mafia group in Italy, Oliver de Luca

Mafia Modern Romance

The Neglected Wife Is A Hidden Genius

Chapter 3

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