right behind you by lisa gardner

On Uccaro, some awaken as Undead Calamity, some as Shadow Assassins, but Ashton Sherwood rejects all SSS choices to become the Godforsaken. Being chosen is just a trap by the gods,and with his unique growth, he edges closer to their secrets.Show me your health bar, even if you're a god, I'll cut you down!

My adopted sister won the Elixir Challenge by stealing my potion. To her shock, she was informed that the event was a selection event for the future wife of the Serpentkins' future head—the same heir who was infamously impotent, barbaric, and hideous. When the Serpentkins sent over a proposal letter, demanding her hand in marriage, my fiance panicked and promptly took my adopted sister away for a quick marriage and even consummated. Once the deed was done, she returned triumphantly, showing off the mark on her lower back. "Well, what are you going to do now, Winnie?" she gloated. "Your fiance is mine now, and you'll be twenty-five in three days. If no one comes to pick you up, you'll just be dumped into the hands of some wife-beating Rogue who is ageing and unwanted…" Actually, she was wrong—I had a choice. I went to the parlor where my parents—who were busy fixing the mess my adopted sister made—were, announcing, "If she refuses to marry the future head of the Serpentkins, I will!"

Carol, a part-time food delivery worker who lost her mother, coincidentally helped the grandfather of Denton's wealthiest man. Later, this elderly gentleman tried to fix his grandson Nigel up with Carol. In order to repay the debts left behind from her mother's medical treatment, Carol agreed to marry Nigel for the sum of $200,000. Nigel, pressured by his grandfather, entered into the marriage reluctantly and hid his identity from Carol. However, their feelings for each other gradually grew as they started living together. Yet, Nigel's concealed identity remained a ticking time bomb in their relationship. Events such as Nigel's mother visiting their home and the party hosted by Nigel's group further fueled Carol's suspicions about Nigel's true identity, leading to a series of tense yet comical situations.

My father's adopted daughter was only locked in the cramped storage closet for around fifteen minutes, yet he punished me by tying me up and throwing me inside. He even sealed off the ventilation with towels. "As Wendy's older sister, if you can't take care of her, then you should also experience how scared she was," he declared coldly. He knew I was claustrophobic, but my desperate pleas for mercy, my terror, were met with nothing but heartless reprimands. "Let this be a lesson on how to be a good sister." As the last sliver of light disappeared, swallowed by the oppressive darkness, I struggled helplessly. A week passed before my father finally remembered my existence and decided it was time to end my punishment. "Let's hope this week served as a good lesson for you, Jennifer. If this happens again, you will no longer be allowed in this house." He would never know that I had already taken my last breath in that suffocating room. My body had begun to rot in the darkness.

Carol, a part-time food delivery worker who lost her mother, coincidentally helped the grandfather of Denton's wealthiest man. Later, this elderly gentleman tried to fix his grandson Nigel up with Carol. In order to repay the debts left behind from her mother's medical treatment, Carol agreed to marry Nigel for the sum of $200,000. Nigel, pressured by his grandfather, entered into the marriage reluctantly and hid his identity from Carol. However, their feelings for each other gradually grew as they started living together. Yet, Nigel's concealed identity remained a ticking time bomb in their relationship. Events such as Nigel's mother visiting their home and the party hosted by Nigel's group further fueled Carol's suspicions about Nigel's true identity, leading to a series of tense yet comical situations.

In her past life, Stella begged the Smith family for affection her entire life but never received even a shred of it. They broke her hands, stole her company, and in the end, Wendy Smith ran her over and killed her. After rebirth, Stella leaves behind a massive sum of money, severs all ties with the Smith family, and reunites with her real father, billionaire tycoon Ben Harrison. Ben becomes utterly devoted to his daughter, showering her with endless love. The heir of the Fenton family falls for Stella at first sight and vows to marry no one else. Using cutting-edge technology, Stella heals herself and reclaims everything she lost in her previous life. The Smith family is left completely stunned, begging Stella to come back and be part of their family again. Stella just laughs in their faces.

Dean Brady is the disgraced young heir of Clearview Antiques antique house, scraping along the bottom, until a piece of ancestral jade awakens inside him and grants him the Divine Appraisal Eye, the ability to see the true nature and worth of anything. Armed with this sight, he begins hunting treasure at flea markets and street stalls, striking finds that make him impossible to ignore. Rayne Drake, heiress of Shedo City's prestigious auction house Winter Pavilion, spots him and brings him in as chief appraiser. Wealth and reputation accumulate quickly, drawing the envy and scheming of rival house Cloudmist Gallery and its cunning beauty Bayleigh Barrett.Meanwhile, Winter Pavilion's chief auctioneer Iliana Roman and head of security Lexie Drake find themselves increasingly captivated, not by the eye, but by the man behind it.

In her past life, Myla Scott sacrificed the respect and dignity of being the eldest daughter of the Scott family to marry Shawn Ford, only to endure endless humiliation. In Halton, everyone knew that Shawn's true love was Susan Quinn, and Myla was nothing more than an afterthought. Shawn despised her, drained every last ounce of value from her, and left her to die a painful death on the operating table. But this time, in her second life, Myla is determined to take control. She focuses on rebuilding herself, striving for success in both her career and love life. What she doesn't expect is for her cold and indifferent ex-husband to suddenly change, becoming obsessed with winning her back. As their complicated relationship reignites, the truth behind her tragic death in her past life begins to surface.

While they slice me apart, I desperately call my brother, Nathan Slade. He finally picks up as my consciousness starts to slip and answers in an annoyed voice, "What now?" "Nathan, help—" I don't get to finish before he cuts me off. "Can't you ever go a day without drama? Gemma's graduation is at the end of the month. Miss it, and I swear I'll kill you!" Then, he hangs up without a second thought. The agonizing pain swallows me whole, and my eyes close for good, tears still trailing down my cheeks. Well, good news, Nathan… You won't have to kill me because I'm already dead.

My adopted sister won the Elixir Challenge by stealing my potion. To her shock, she was informed that the event was a selection event for the future wife of the Serpentkins' future head—the same heir who was infamously impotent, barbaric, and hideous. When the Serpentkins sent over a proposal letter, demanding her hand in marriage, my fiance panicked and promptly took my adopted sister away for a quick marriage and even consummated. Once the deed was done, she returned triumphantly, showing off the mark on her lower back. "Well, what are you going to do now, Winnie?" she gloated. "Your fiance is mine now, and you'll be twenty-five in three days. If no one comes to pick you up, you'll just be dumped into the hands of some wife-beating Rogue who is ageing and unwanted…" Actually, she was wrong—I had a choice. I went to the parlor where my parents—who were busy fixing the mess my adopted sister made—were, announcing, "If she refuses to marry the future head of the Serpentkins, I will!"

Dorothy, an andrologist, was forced to marry Jerome, the wealthiest man in the capital, to save her mother. She soon found herself entangled in a web of family conspiracy and a puzzling case of dual personality. On her wedding night, she encountered Jerome's "brother," Samuel. From then on, she found herself navigating between the cold, domineering Jerome and the gentle,persistent Samuel. As Dorothy unraveled the secret of his dual identity, she discovered that Jerome had developed the "Samuel" persona as a result of the trauma of his brother's kidnapping and death 17 years prior.She also uncovered that Jerome's uncle was behind the tragic abduction. Joining forces, Dorothy and Jerome confronted his uncle. Through their struggle, she helped him overcome his trauma and integrate his fractured personalities. In the end,their lives finally returned to a peaceful harmony.

When my mind-link request had been ignored by my parents for the twentieth time, I went to the Werewolf Council, clutching the report on silver dust corrosion in my hand. “Hello. I’d like to renounce my pack identity—effective immediately.” Ten minutes later, my parents burst in, dragging my adoptive younger sister, Elsa, with them, panic written all over their faces. The door burst open with a bang, and my Beta father charged in like a storm. His fangs bared, claws twitching. “You’re nothing but a spoiled brat craving attention! Stop this pathetic act. You’re an embarrassment to a Beta’s name!” My mother, a forensic specialist for the pack, immediately snatched the report from my hand. After a brief glance, she let out a cold sneer. “You faked this report just to get our attention? You’ve been a liar since you were a pup.” Elsa clung to both of them, tears in her eyes as she sobbed, “I’m sorry, Jenifer. It’s my fault for holding the shifting ritual. But please... don’t lie to our parents just to make them feel guilty!” Blood was still pouring from my nose, but I wiped it away calmly and stood tall before the werewolf councilors once more. “I haven’t had a real family for a long time. Please—remove all my personal records from the pack. I just don’t want my funeral—scheduled for three days from now—to be delayed.”

In his past life, musician Zack Shelley was framed by his adopted brother Zed Shelley and fiancée Ruby Lewis, left disabled after seven days trapped in a mudslide, and died betrayed by his own sisters. Reborn on the day of the disaster, he is determined to survive and reclaim his stolen life. Despite Zed's efforts to sabotage rescue attempts, Zack endures six grueling days and escapes. He exposes Zed's plagiarism at a pivotal piano competition, but his sisters, Flora and Luna, turn against him even more. Heartbroken, he severs ties with his family. With the help of business titan Whitney Lynd, he defeats Flora in a public contest and unmasks Zed at a high-society banquet. By the time his sisters overhear the truth, it's too late—Zack has already moved on, ready to start a new life abroad, leaving his past behind for good.

Brandon Cole is a seasoned veteran detective with decades of solved cases behind him and wakes up in the wrong century as an eight year old ninth-rank official in ancient era, the lowest rung of the imperial ladder. The local gentry have already decided he is a figurehead they can control. They miscalculate immediately. A celestial magistrate system activates just in time, and Brandon, drawing on every interrogation technique and investigative instinct from his past life, begins dismantling their assumptions one case at a time. He cracks a child abduction case in broad daylight with the whole town watching, outmaneuvers the gentry at their own game, and drives out the bandit threat they thought nobody could touch. Every victory earns system rewards: martial arts manuals, attribute upgrades, the tools of a legend in the making. He is eight years old. He is also the sharpest mind in the province. The locals call him Mr. Justice. They mean it with complete sincerity.

When my mind-link request had been ignored by my parents for the twentieth time, I went to the Werewolf Council, clutching the report on silver dust corrosion in my hand. “Hello. I’d like to renounce my pack identity—effective immediately.” Ten minutes later, my parents burst in, dragging my adoptive younger sister, Elsa, with them, panic written all over their faces. The door burst open with a bang, and my Beta father charged in like a storm. His fangs bared, claws twitching. “You’re nothing but a spoiled brat craving attention! Stop this pathetic act. You’re an embarrassment to a Beta’s name!” My mother, a forensic specialist for the pack, immediately snatched the report from my hand. After a brief glance, she let out a cold sneer. “You faked this report just to get our attention? You’ve been a liar since you were a pup.” Elsa clung to both of them, tears in her eyes as she sobbed, “I’m sorry, Jenifer. It’s my fault for holding the shifting ritual. But please... don’t lie to our parents just to make them feel guilty!” Blood was still pouring from my nose, but I wiped it away calmly and stood tall before the werewolf councilors once more. “I haven’t had a real family for a long time. Please—remove all my personal records from the pack. I just don’t want my funeral—scheduled for three days from now—to be delayed.”

To save her brother's struggling company, Queenie Jones mistakenly identifies Tyrone Yale—who has secretly loved her for 11 years—as her blind date. A rushed marriage follows, binding two strangers by a single certificate. After the wedding, Queenie faces workplace sabotage from an old classmate, pressure from her mother-in-law, and constant attacks from a romantic rival, while her troubled family continues to weigh on her. Behind the scenes,Tyrone stands firmly by her side—shielding her at work, confronting every scheme, and slowly revealing the truth of his long-hidden feelings. What begins as a marriage of convenience turns into something real. Through every crisis they face together, love grows, misunderstandings fade, and hearts finally open. A mistaken marriage leads her to the love she was meant for—a tender, triumphant romance of redemption and devotion.

I grew up abroad. My mother feared I might marry a foreign man, so she arranged an engagement for me with a talented and handsome man in Flodon. She insisted that I return home to get engaged. I came back and started shopping for an engagement dress at a luxury boutique. I selected an off-white strapless gown and decided to try it on. Suddenly, a woman nearby glanced at the dress in my hand and told the saleswoman, “That’s a unique design. Let me try it.” The saleswoman immediately yanked it out of my hands. I protested indignantly, “Excuse me, I was here first. Don’t you understand the principle of ‘first come, first served’? Or do you just not care about common decency?” The woman scoffed and retorted, “This dress costs $188,000. Do you really think a broke nobody like you can even afford it? “I’m Lucas Goodwin’s sister in all but blood. He’s the chairman of Goodwin’s Group. In Flodon, the Goodwin family sets the rules.” What a coincidence! Lucas Goodwin was my fiance! I immediately called him and said, “Hey, your ‘sister in all but blood’ just stole my engagement dress. Do something about it.”

I grew up abroad. My mother feared I might marry a foreign man, so she arranged an engagement for me with a talented and handsome man in Flodon. She insisted that I return home to get engaged. I came back and started shopping for an engagement dress at a luxury boutique. I selected an off-white strapless gown and decided to try it on. Suddenly, a woman nearby glanced at the dress in my hand and told the saleswoman, “That’s a unique design. Let me try it.” The saleswoman immediately yanked it out of my hands. I protested indignantly, “Excuse me, I was here first. Don’t you understand the principle of ‘first come, first served’? Or do you just not care about common decency?” The woman scoffed and retorted, “This dress costs $188,000. Do you really think a broke nobody like you can even afford it? “I’m Lucas Goodwin’s sister in all but blood. He’s the chairman of Goodwin’s Group. In Flodon, the Goodwin family sets the rules.” What a coincidence! Lucas Goodwin was my fiance! I immediately called him and said, “Hey, your ‘sister in all but blood’ just stole my engagement dress. Do something about it.”