rising from ashes: the formidable ruler

In the Corvona underworld, there is one unspoken rule. When a Don keeps a new woman by his side for three consecutive months, the Donna must personally remove the signet ring symbolizing her power and place it on the new woman's finger before the entire family. When my husband, Luca, the Don of the Bellini family, announced he would take Mia alone on a three-month business trip, the entire Corvona underworld waited for me to have a meltdown. I had been with Luca Bellini for seven years. I followed him everywhere, refusing to leave his side. I would even wake up in the middle of the night to touch him, needing to know he was there to feel secure. They were all aware of my clinginess and were betting I would never let go. But when Mia extended her hand to me, her voice dripping with saccharine, I didn't shed a single tear. I calmly removed the signet ring engraved with the family crest and slid it onto her ring finger. Luca, lounging in the leather chair at the head of the table, swirled the whiskey in his glass, satisfaction gleaming in his cold blue eyes. "Elara, you've finally learned your place." I lowered my gaze to my bare finger, saying nothing in return. What Luca didn't know was that a month ago, I had recovered all seven years of my lost memories. I wasn't some street orphan at all, but the long-lost Principessa of the Rossi family, the most powerful of the Old World families. In three days, my brother's armed convoy would roll into Corvona to take me home.

On the first day of my rebirth, I turn straight into the bedroom of Don Raffaele Caruso and begin undoing my clothes. In my previous life, I was in a marriage of convenience with his son, Matteo Caruso, but there was no love between us. We were notorious in Liberty City's mafia circle. Matteo believed I was the reason he lost his first love. He thought I had deliberately gone into his room the night he was drugged with an aphrodisiac, trapping him in a marriage. Hence, for eight years after our wedding, he stayed out drunk every night and refused to come home. Even when I went into obstructed labor and was on the brink of death, he never asked about me even once. Then, the hurricane came. A storm surge swallowed Liberty City. The harbor collapsed under the waves, and there was only one seat left on the evacuation boat. Everyone thought Matteo would keep it for himself. Instead, he shoved me hard onto the boat. "Go! I'm giving you my chance to live, Chiara. If there's a next life, don't come saving me again. I just want to be with Lucia." The next second, his body was dragged into the pitch-black sea. I survived, only to be hacked to death by a rival family afterward. What Matteo never knew was that he wasn't the only one who was drugged that night. His father was too. This time around, I step into the room just as the effects of the aphrodisiac take hold. Raffaele is currently forcing himself to endure it, his control stretched to the limit. I walk over and say softly, "Let me be your antidote, Don Caruso."

Tricia Harman is a seemingly ordinary delivery rider and mother with extraordinary motorcycle riding skills. When the coach of a struggling racing team discovers her talent, her life takes a dramatic turn. For years, she has endured brutal domestic abuse from her husband and constant mockery from professional racers who dismiss her as a low-class woman who belongs at home.Determined to build a better future for herself and her daughter, ricia braves prejudice and steps onto the professional racing track.

It is said that Marco Colombo, the heir of the Colombo family of Chiron, is holding a wedding for his mistress, Gina Bilotti, today. The scale is ten times grander than when he marries Isabella Pratico in a political union. I lean against the ebony railing on the second floor. Sipping my red wine, I watch the lively scene of clinking glasses and mingling guests below with quiet amusement. Gina is definitely favored—she is even wearing a ruby necklace. One should know that set of ruby jewelry is an heirloom of the Colombo family. It is something only the Donna and the wife of the heir are allowed to wear. "You must be Isabella, the one Marco who does not love." A voice suddenly comes from beside me. I turn my head and see the woman wearing the ruby necklace before me. Gina has come up to the second floor at some point and is now looking at me with a cunning smile on her face. I freeze for a moment, not yet able to respond. She suddenly grabs my hand and yanks it hard toward herself. There is a sharp tearing sound, and the hem of her wedding dress rips open with a long tear. Gina lets out a cry, and tears immediately stream down her face. "Mrs. Colombo, why did you tear my wedding dress? Marco specially commissioned this from an independent designer just for our wedding! "If you really cannot tolerate my presence, then I will break up with Marco today and leave Chiron…" The surrounding guests all lift their heads and glare at me angrily. I am stunned because I am not Isabella. I am the new wife of Marco's father, the woman of the current Don, and the Donna of the Colombo family.

Three years into my marriage with Dominick, Gia, his stepsister, sent me a video clip out of nowhere. I tapped on the video, only to find Dominick tying his stepsister to the bedpost with the tie I had given him. His stepsister lay naked under him, addressing him intimately. After getting their freak on, they shared an embrace, and Gia cozied up against Dominick and uttered, “I don’t like the ring you bought me. Give it to Luna, and tell her it’s a birthday gift from me.” The next day, I sat in an upscale restaurant and stared at the vacant seat across the table. Suddenly, the Underboss wheeled a massive cake toward me. “Don Costa was called away on urgent business. He sent me to deliver your birthday gift.” The box contained his stepsister’s discarded reject. My phone buzzed with new pictures from Gia. Dominick was at the hospital with Gia for a check-up. Without a fuss, I signed the divorce papers and made preparations for a wedding. “Donna Costa, whose names should I put down as the bride and groom?” “Dominick and Gia.” A week from now, I would show the world the kind of filth the supposed solemn Don had been rolling in with his stepsister.

Naomi Sand, hired to assassinate Levi Cart, is thwarted at the last moment and falls into a coma. Just as Levi is about to eliminate her after uncovering her identity, Naomi wakes up with amnesia. Playing the rogue, she demands that Levi take responsibility. To maintain control over Naomi, Levi makes her his personal bodyguard. As they spend time together, they gradually realize that they are orphanage companions they have been searching for for years, two people who redeem each other, once again coming together...

Five years ago, he was imprisoned out of a false accusation. Five years later, he returned in glory and controlled all the power. Finally, he would get back everything he had lost!

Vivian Hale transmigrates into a novel. She is assigned one goal—irritate the tyrant emperor badly enough that he puts her out of her misery, collects her hundred million, and goes home. She schemes, she provokes, she causes chaos at every turn. The Emperor just laughs, pulls her closer, and absolutely refuses to cooperate. What she doesn’t know yet is why. Adrian Kingsley has died and been reborn three times, watching her meet the same terrible ending each time, and has spent every subsequent lifetime dismantling the forces that killed her before she even knows they exist. When the truth finally surfaces, he takes her face in his hands, eyes red, and makes her one quiet promise—his life for hers, every time, as many times as it takes. Vivian, who came here to die on purpose, finds herself suddenly and inconveniently unwilling to lose him.

Maya Thornton, the Marquis Valen, is reborn six years after her death. Six years ago,moments after giving birth, she was murdered by her husband and his mistress while lying weak and vulnerable. Now, she wakes in the body of Talia York, a delicate and vain daughter of a military household. The original Talia has betrayed her fiancé, Tristan Wren, the Deputy Commander of the Regal Army, and become entangled with a frivolous young man. With her soul now in Talia's body, Maya secretly follows Tristan to the military camp while disguising herself as a man. There, on the very training grounds she once commanded in her past life, she throws herself into grueling training. She is determined to reclaim her martial prowess and returns to the capital to take her revenge and once again protect the realm.

Natalie had it all—engaged to football star Karl and carrying his child—until tragedy struck. Her brother caused Karl's sister's death, and Karl's injuries ended his career. Yet, she vanished for seven years. Now, Karl sees her with a "husband" and "daughter," seemingly happy. But he won't let her go.

After Reanna lost her parents, Stefan Shawn became her guardian. Though feared by many for his ruthless nature, Stefan had one exception—Reanna. He indulged her every whim, once declaring, 'Nothing comes before my girl.' Even when she stirred up trouble or picked fights, Stefan would only smirk with pride and say, 'That's my Reanna, my rose.'

At the birthday party for my Mafia husband, Galvan, I touched one of his blood-stained cufflinks and suddenly gained the ability to read minds. I read Galvan's thoughts. He was thinking, "Tracy's body is so tempting. Much better than my cold wife." Tracy, his employee, was with her broke boyfriend, Reuben. Her thoughts dripped with contempt, "Reuben is useless. His gifts were cheap. Once I dump him, I’ll be with Galvan." Interestingly, Reuben, the supposedly worthless boyfriend, was actually thinking, "My father's test is almost done. How do I tell Tracy I'm the heir to the largest Mafia family?" Fascinating. Galvan, the man I stood by, appeared wealthy on the outside, but the true heir was treated poorly. I lifted my wine glass and elegantly approached the penniless Reuben.

Lexi goes undercover as a mafia king’s long-lost sister to save her kidnapped mother—and destroy him. But nothing goes according to plan. He trusts her. Falls for her.Wants her. And the deeper she goes, the more dangerous it becomes to walk away. Because when the lies fall apart—he’s not letting her go.

For three years, Ariana Chambers nursed CEO Elias Hawkins through a coma. After he awoke, their life grew tender, and on his birthday, she planned to reveal her secrets: she was both the legendary Dr. Genius and his childhood savior. But when her sister Veronica—his first love—called, he chose her instead. Heartbroken, Ariana decided to divorce and concealed her identity. Her departure shattered Elias, but as he fights to win her back, he uncovers the stunning truth: the wife he took for granted is the very doctor he's been begging to save Veronica, and the childhood savior whose heart he broke twice.

Fifteen years ago, orphan Chloe saved bloodied boy Kevin with her star necklace. Now Kevin is New York’s fearsome mafia godfather plagued by manic disorder, while Chloe, a top fashion designer, is framed by her cruel stepsister and stumbles into Kevin’s room by accident. Her unique scent is the only cure for his outbursts, so they enter a contract marriage. Kevin becomes an overprotective husband, crushing perverted investors, hostile rivals and the stepsister who tries to impersonate his long-lost savior. He clears all hurdles for Chloe, who fights back against her toxic family and enters the top international haute couture contest with her stunning talent. The hidden star stitch on her design finally uncovers their 15-year fated bond. The two powerhouses hold a romantic grand wedding on the glittering global runway, standing side by side at the peak of their respective fields.

Na-yul had been having a miserable time lately. The workload was already overwhelming when shared among three people, and on top of that, she constantly had to clean up the messes caused by her junior colleague. “…Kwon Si-jin….” That bastard. Kwon Si-jin was a completely hopeless human being. Hopeless in character, hopeless in the words he spoke—a man who knew better than anyone how to trample on another person’s dignity and self-worth with his words alone. And once again today, because of that utterly hopeless man… Grinding her teeth, Na-yul stared at her frozen computer screen for ten straight minutes. It was already 11 p.m. Friday night. 11 p.m. Drawn by the distant glow of light, guided purely by rage and instinct, she marched straight into CEO Kwon Si-jin’s office and flung the door open. “Sir, I really don’t think this is acceptable. I—” “……” “Sir? Are you okay?” Their eyes met in midair. Hot breaths tangled with cold ones. Time seemed to stop completely— Leaving Na-yul face to face with her boss, who was behaving suspiciously late at night during overtime.

When the zombie apocalypse erupts, Mike is murdered by his wife Sarah and best friend Ethan. He wakes as a zombie with a bizarre romance system: win women's affection, earn powers. His target, Jessie, keeps trying to kill him, until desire, revenge, and undead armies turn enemies into lovers.

Vanished for five years, undefeated champ Enzo sweeps floors in a gym. But a ruthless mob pushes too far, threatening his woman. Time to drop the gloves. Re-donning his Ghost Mask, Enzo destroys the underground ring, opening an old grave of conspiracies to take back his glory and love.