

Matthew Tipton is one breakthrough away from immortality, held back only by unresolved mortal ties. Sent down the mountain to cut them loose, he finds Cristal Bridges, a woman who wants nothing to do with her father's arranged marriage and makes that very clear. But trouble keeps finding Cristal, and Matthew keeps stepping in to pull her out of it. Somewhere between reluctant proximity and quiet acts of protection, feelings take root that neither of them planned for. The immortal who came to leave ends up staying forever.

My younger sister, Sophie Sawyer, got pregnant before marriage, gave birth to a baby boy in a small clinic, and then disappeared. The doctor used the address she left behind to find my family and handed the child to me. My parents knelt and begged me to raise him, and that was how I, an unmarried young woman, struggled through life with a child on my hip. When I finally managed to raise him, Sophie came back, standing beside a big-shot boss dripping in gold. She held her son and cried, accusing me of being jealous of her, stealing her child, and tearing them apart. My nephew cut ties with me without hesitation, choosing her over me. My parents kicked me out of the house. The neighbors all condemned me. In despair, I jumped to my death. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Sophie gave birth.

When we were about to head to the amusement park, my Beta boyfriend, Drew, brought along a woman and her daughter. There happened to be one seat short in the car. Drew told me to get out and give my seat to the two of them. “Laura has a kid with her. Let them go first. I’ll come back for you later,” he said. I calmly stepped out and watched as the car slowly pulled away from the pack. Three hours later, they arrived at the amusement park for the fireworks and feast. When a friend asked Drew why he still hadn’t come back to get me, Drew was patiently helping Laura light a giant firework. He wasn’t in a rush at all and even said, “It’ll be fine if I pick Sienna up later. She won’t mind. I’ll coax her a bit, and she’ll stop being mad.” Anger only worked on people who cared about someone. My dad, mom, and brother never cared, and now, not even Drew cared anymore. It was time for me to leave for good.

At eighteen, Charlotte had spent years being mocked for her weight. When her online boyfriend Derek told her, “I’ll love you no matter what you look like,” she believed for the first time that she was worthy of being loved. Determined to attend the same college as Derek and finally meet him in person, Charlotte spent a year losing weight, going from 220 pounds to 110. But the day before classes began, Derek posted her old photos in a freshman group chat with hundreds of members. He also twisted an ordinary party game into a humiliating bet to “lose his girlfriend to Nathan,” openly wagering that Charlotte would be too embarrassed to show up at the party. Charlotte never reveals what she looks like after losing weight. Instead, she bets that she will be there. When she arrives at the party dressed to impress, no one recognizes her at first. In front of everyone, she completes all three couples’ challenges, wins the bet, takes the prize money, and breaks up with Derek on the spot. Amid the chaos, she also reunites with Nathan, a childhood classmate from elementary school. Once college begins, Charlotte uses the tactical skills she developed from years of analyzing matches for Derek to earn a place on the university esports team through an anonymous tryout. Derek, however, steals her strategy notes, while Brianna uses an anonymous gossip account to spread rumors that Charlotte only earned her position because of her looks and connections. Determined to prove herself, Charlotte faces one setback after another: her tactical work is stolen, she is pressured by a contract that exploits her appearance and body image, she collapses during a livestream, and private training footage is leaked. In the end, Charlotte stops measuring her worth by her weight or appearance. Relying on her own skill and judgment, she recognizes that their old strategies have been leaked, leads the university team to a comeback victory in the semifinals, and ultimately wins the interstate championshi

Annie never knew her mother's love. Carole despised her, reserving all her doting affection for Fiona, the daughter of a past romance. Carole believed her marriage to Ben was a drunken mistake, and Annie was simply the regrettable result. Unable to bear the abuse Annie suffered, Ben resolved to take Annie and leave Carole for good. Despite this, on her own birthday, Annie chose to give her mother one final chance.

When Adriano Morelli realized I hadn’t submitted a single household request in three days, he called me himself for the first time in months. “Serafina,” he said, his voice smooth and patient, “the clinic has been cleared. Your file is back on priority. See? When you stop making things difficult and learn how this family works, I make sure you’re taken care of.” He always sounded the gentlest when he was reminding me who held the power. What he didn’t know was that by the time his name lit up my screen, the divorce papers were already drafted. From the outside, I had everything a woman could want: a guarded penthouse, a driver on call, designer clothes, and the last name of one of the most feared men in the city. But almost none of it was mine. The cards were monitored. Cash had to be approved. Staff took Viviana Costa’s orders before they ever listened to me. Even the wardrobe budget, my schedule, and access to the family office all ran through her hands. Adriano called it convenience. Three days ago, I was rushed into a private clinic, blood soaking through my dress, while a doctor told me there was still a chance to save the baby if the emergency deposit was paid immediately. I called Adriano until my hands shook. Viviana stalled the transfer. First there was no direct authorization. Then the amount was too large. Then Adriano was in a meeting and could not be disturbed over something that might not be serious. By the time the money came through, it was too late. The baby was gone. I had stayed with Adriano for two reasons: I loved him, and I believed that when it truly mattered, he would choose me. I was wrong about both. Our child died first. My marriage died with it.

In my past life, I married the golden Seraphim heir Jax, bore his white-winged son who became Sovereign, and was burned alive by my jealous sister Bellatrix. Reborn on the day of the Rite of Union, I watched Bellatrix steal Jax again and beg me to step aside. Our father sided with her as always. This time, I refused to play the victim. Instead of choosing the powerful Seraphim, I married Damon — the despised, “poor” heir of the Shadow Demon clan that everyone mocked. Bellatrix laughed at my “terrible” choice and proudly announced her pregnancy within months, flaunting her future as the mother of the next Sovereign. But I knew her dirty secrets. My peaceful pregnancy became her nightmare. When her monstrous, multi-fathered children were exposed, the Seraphim clan turned on her. Jax abandoned and tortured her. In her final madness, she tried to kill my babies. She failed. I watched her die screaming, just as she once watched me burn. Now, with my children safe and my revenge complete, the heavens call me back as the Shadow Saint.

For three years, Cecilia Nixon had been in a loveless marriage with Nat Gold, untouched by him, and her mother-in-law insisted she leave empty-handed. In a sudden act of defiance, Cecilia managed to force Nat to sleep with her and then vanished, pregnant. Six years later, upon her return to her homeland, the first person she bumped into was Nat. As they engaged in a chase, her rage got the better of her, and she confronted him, demanding a proper distance between them.