Julia Marcelli thought she'd won the dream. A husband who adored her, a family who lit up her world, and a home on the Miami coast that felt untouchable. But perfection has a way of splintering. Ethan Marcelli is a man who carries secrets as easily as he carries a case file, and when temptation slips into his world, Julia begins to sense cracks in their marriage she can't explain away. Love. Betrayal. Obsession. Control. In a life built on power and secrets, forever always comes with a price. (ETA The Silent Hour is now an omnibus edition, both books in a duet combined into one. This accounts for the higher chapter count. The story contains intense dark and graphic romance themes, crime-world elements, and later explicit steam. Please review the trigger warnings.)

In a gilded cage of silk and shadows, Wen Yanyi once lived a life of pampered delusion. She was the spoiled heiress, the childhood darling utterly devoted to Shen Jiyan, the aloof prince of the financial world. She believed his quiet acceptance was love, his indifference merely shyness. Until she arrived - the true heroine of this story, who stripped Wen Yanyi of everything: his name, his protection, and her very life. Dying alone, consumed by a mad obsession, Wen Yanyi tasted ruin. Her family, once revered, crumbled to dust. But fate, it seemed, had a twisted sense of humor. She woke up eighteen again, a year before history was set to repeat. This time, she wouldn't be the desperate villainess. She would become everyone's precious darling, admired and protected, a vision of ethereal purity that captivated hearts without effort. She would perfect the fragile innocence that made others want to shield her, all while concealing a mind as sharp as steel beneath her delicate facade. Shen Jiyan is returning, the countdown to his reappearance ticking like a silent clock. But Wen Yanyi isn't running to him, weeping for him, or begging for his attention. This time, she'll stand just out of reach, a sweet, untouchable enigma. And when his cold eyes finally find her, it won't be out of obligation, but out of a fierce, undeniable desire. ___________________________________________ Disclaimer: This is an original work of fiction. All characters, events, and settings are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to real people, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Lin Ziqi, a woman in her forties, is a dedicated wife and mother, having always adhered to the expectations laid out by her parents and husband. She married the man they chose for her, built a life around him and their children, and worked tirelessly to uphold the values of loyalty and obedience. However, her sacrifices go unappreciated. Her husband has a mistress, and in a brutal turn of events, it is her own son who, manipulated by this mistress, murders her. In her final moments, as she takes her last breath, Lin Ziqi's only regret is the life she could have had if she had chosen the boy from her past-the one who had waited for her, hour after hour, after high school, with a single withered rose in his hand. She wonders what her life might have been like if she had chosen to be loved, rather than loyal. When she dies, the world changes. Lin Ziqi wakes up. She is no longer a forty-year-old woman bound by regret. Instead, she is back in high school, the very place where her journey had once begun. Her best friend calls her attention to the present as the teacher asks her to answer a trigonometry question. Lin Ziqi's heart races. She is *reborn*. The realization hits her like a wave-the chance to rewrite her story, to make different choices. As she walks out of the school building, her gaze lands on him-the quiet boy who waited for her, holding that same withered rose in his hand. Lin Ziqi smiles softly to herself and approaches him. This time, she accepts the rose without hesitation, placing a kiss on his right cheek. The boy, taken by surprise, blushes but smiles in return. The world feels different now, a world where the past cannot hold her back.

The flames consumed her-body and soul. Betrayed by the man who swore to love her and the friend who pretended to kneel at her feet, Tang Min died with a heart full of venom and eyes burning with unspent vengeance. But fate is a cruel and whimsical thing. It gave her death. And then-it gave her revenge. Reborn from the ashes of her past life, Tang Min returns with a smile sharper than any blade. The world that once discarded her will now tremble at her feet. She plays the game of thrones with a serpent's grace, turning her enemies' schemes against them, watching as they unravel in the very traps they set for her. And then-he appears. A prince wrapped in shadows, a wolf hiding in silk. The world sees a nobleman of quiet restraint, but Tang Min recognizes the hunger in his gaze-the same fire that burns in her. He wants power. He wants the throne. But most of all... he wants her. And for her? He would conquer kingdoms. Together, they are a storm the world cannot withstand. This is not a story of forgiveness. This is a story of fire. And the world will burn. A/n 🌸 HUI SAYS "HI!!!" 🌸 "LET'S LEARN & LOVE TOGETHER!" (╥﹏╥)✧ "HIIIII~ THIS STORY IS MY WHOLE HEART... BUT MY CHINESE CULTURE KNOWLEDGE IS STILL GROWING (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑) PLEASE BE GENTLE WITH THIS SMOL AUTHOR-I'LL CHERISH YOUR KIND TIPS! (ノ'∀'*)ノ WHAT TO EXPECT: (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ LOVE? INFINITE!💕 (;'Д') EFFORT? SWEATY PALMS!📚 (◕‿◕✿) JOY? CONTAGIOUS! 💌 #NervousButExcited #CulturalGrowth #LetsBeKind 🌹 Your support fuels my research deep dives-expect more love in every chapter! 😊