Reborn as the Villain's Wife

Reborn as the Villain's Wife

Edik Brandwein

5.0
Comment(s)
2.6K
View
222
Chapters

I died in a mangled wreck of metal and fire, abandoned by the man I thought was my soulmate. But instead of the void, I woke up pinned against a cold marble wall, staring into the turbulent, storm-gray eyes of Damian Vincent. This was the night I destroyed my life. In my past world, I spat in Damian's face and ran into the arms of Eddie, a parasitic loser who was secretly plotting with my cousin Jill to strip me of my inheritance. My "escape" turned into a slow-motion suicide. My brother Donavan died in a horrific car crash while racing to save me from another one of my messes. Damian, consumed by a toxic mix of grief and vengeance, crushed the Nelson family empire until my father was a broken man. I spent years as a drugged-up social pariah, finally dying alone while the people I trusted laughed at my funeral. The most bitter realization didn't hit me until the end. The "controlling monster" I spent years fighting was the only person who ever truly protected me. I had traded a man who would burn the world for me for a man who would burn me for the world. Opening my eyes three years in the past, I find myself back at the airport, the rain lashing against the windows. My brother is pleading with me to run, and Damian is standing there, braced for the slap he thinks is coming. But I don't strike him. I press my palm to his burning cheek and give him the only piece of my soul he couldn't buy. "I'm not going anywhere, Dami. Keep this as my collateral." The game has changed. This time, I'm not the victim-I'm the one holding the match.

Protagonist

: Elise Nelson and Damian Vincent

Reborn as the Villain's Wife Chapter 1 1

Elise Nelson sucked in a breath so sharp it felt like swallowing a knife.

Her eyes snapped open. Her body coiled tight, muscles locking in anticipation of the impact. The screech of tires, the crunch of metal, the searing heat of the explosion-she waited for the end.

It didn't come.

Instead, her spine slammed against something cold and unforgiving. Marble. Hard, polished marble.

Crash.

The sound of shattering glass exploded right next to her ear. Shards rained down, stinging her bare arms.

Elise flinched, throwing her hands up to protect her head. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic, bruising rhythm. She wasn't dead. She was breathing. The air smelled of ozone and expensive cedarwood, not gasoline and blood.

"Do you hate me that much?"

The voice was a low growl, vibrating with a rage so palpable it thickened the air in the room.

Elise lowered her arms slowly. Her vision blurred, then sharpened.

A hand was pressed against the wall, inches from her face. The knuckles were white, the veins prominent and throbbing. A trickle of blood ran down the wall where the skin had split.

She looked up.

Damian Vincent loomed over her.

His gray eyes were usually the color of a calm ocean, but tonight they were a turbulent storm, rimmed with red. His chest heaved, straining the buttons of his white dress shirt. He looked like a man on the edge of murder. Or madness.

"Answer me!" he roared.

Elise pressed herself flatter against the wall. The cold seeped into her skin, grounding her. She looked around the room. The overturned luggage. The shredded plane tickets scattered on the Persian rug like confetti. The rain lashing against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse.

Three years.

She had gone back three years.

This was the night she tried to run away with Eddie. The night Damian dragged her back from the airport, kicking and screaming. In her past life, she had spat in his face. She had told him she would rather die than be his wife.

And eventually, she had died. Miserable, used, and alone.

Damian's hand moved. He gripped her chin, his fingers digging into her jaw with bruising force. He forced her to look at him.

"You want to go to him?" His voice dropped to a whisper, more terrifying than his shout. "You want to run to that piece of trash?"

Pain shot through her jaw. Her instinct-the old instinct-screamed at her to fight. To claw at his eyes. To scream that he was a monster.

But the memory of her death was too fresh. The memory of Damian, years later, standing by her grave when everyone else had abandoned her.

Elise didn't fight.

She lifted her hand. Her fingers trembled uncontrollably.

Damian flinched as her hand approached his face, as if he expected a blow. His eyes narrowed, fixating on her smudged, dark lipstick, a flicker of disgust warring with the rage in his expression. His entire body went rigid, a man bracing not for a slap, but for filth.

She didn't strike him. She laid her palm against his cheek. His skin was burning hot. His stubble grazed her sensitive fingertips.

"Dami," she whispered.

The nickname hung in the silence between them. A ghost from a childhood they had both buried.

Damian froze. The contact seemed to short-circuit his fury. The pupils of his eyes dilated, swallowing the gray. His grip on her jaw loosened, just a fraction.

"What did you call me?" he rasped.

Elise didn't answer. She couldn't. Her throat was too tight. Tears welled in her eyes-not from fear, but from the crushing weight of regret.

She reached for her neck. Her fingers fumbled with the clasp of the silver locket she wore. It was her mother's. The only thing she had left of her. In her past life, she had screamed that Damian would never touch it. That it was the only piece of her soul he couldn't buy.

The clasp clicked open.

She pulled the silver chain free. It pooled in her palm, cool and heavy.

She reached out and took Damian's free hand. His fist was clenched so tight his fingernails were digging into his palm. She pried his fingers open, one by one.

She pressed the locket into the center of his hand and closed his fingers over it.

"I'm not going anywhere," she said. Her voice was hoarse, wrecked from crying, but steady. "Keep it. It's my collateral."

Damian looked down at his fist. He looked at the silver chain spilling out between his fingers. He looked back at her face, searching for the lie. Searching for the trick.

He found only wet lashes and a terrifying stillness.

His chest rose and fell, a jagged breath escaping his lips. The rage in his eyes fractured, replaced by something raw. Something that looked like panic.

He released her chin abruptly. He stepped back, stumbling slightly as if the floor had tilted.

"Wash your face," he said. His voice was devoid of emotion now, locked down tight. "Go to sleep. If you try to leave this room, I will chain you to the bed. Do not test me, Elise."

He turned and walked away. He moved fast, putting distance between them.

He slammed the bedroom door so hard the walls shook.

Elise slid down the wall until she hit the floor. She buried her face in her knees and exhaled. A long, shuddering breath that rattled her lungs.

I'm alive.

She sat there for a minute, letting the adrenaline fade, letting the reality settle in. Then she stood up. Her legs felt like jelly.

She walked to the vanity mirror.

The reflection staring back was a stranger. Heavy black eyeliner smeared down her cheeks. Dark purple lipstick. Fishnet stockings torn at the knee. The "Goth Disaster" of Manhattan. A costume she wore to push people away.

She grabbed a tissue and wiped her mouth violently. The purple smeared, then vanished, revealing pale, pink lips.

"No more," she whispered to the glass.

Jill. Eddie. The people who had turned her into this joke. The people who had drained her trust fund and laughed at her funeral.

A fire ignited in her chest. It burned hot and clean, cauterizing the fear.

Knock. Knock.

The door opened. Sterling, Damian's personal assistant, stood there. He looked pale.

"Miss Nelson," Sterling said, his voice tight. "Your brother is here. Donavan. He's... he's downstairs. He says he's taking you."

Elise's blood ran cold.

Donavan. Her big brother. The one who would die in a car accident six months from now because he was rushing to save her from another one of her messes.

"Where is Damian?" she asked.

"He went down to meet him," Sterling said. "Miss Nelson, please stay here. Mr. Vincent is... he is not in a state to be provoked."

Elise didn't listen. She kicked off her heavy combat boots. She didn't have time for shoes.

She sprinted past Sterling, her bare feet slapping against the cold hardwood floor. She had to stop them. If Donavan took her tonight, the cycle would repeat. Damian would destroy the Nelson family business in retaliation. Donavan would die. She burst through the living room just as Damian was about to step into the private elevator with two guards, his face a thunderous mask. He saw her running towards him, barefoot and desperate, and his hand shot out, grabbing her arm. "Going somewhere?" he snarled.

She wouldn't let that happen. Not this time.

Continue Reading

Other books by Edik Brandwein

More
My Quiet Wife Is An Elite Genius

My Quiet Wife Is An Elite Genius

Modern

5.0

I was the ultimate trophy wife, a polished ornament in Francisco Zimmerman’s billionaire empire. For three years, I perfected the "Zimmerman Wife Smile," playing the role of the devoted partner while smoothing the Egyptian cotton of his shirts. The illusion shattered when I stood outside his study and heard him laughing with his mistress, Annalise. "She’s just a vase that only knows how to smile," Francisco’s voice was cold, devoid of any warmth. "As long as I pay the maintenance fees on time, she stays obedient." I walked out that night with nothing but a canvas bag and the clothes on my back. But Francisco wasn't finished with his "asset." He froze my bank accounts and used his massive influence to blacklist me from every interior design firm in New York. He tracked my phone, watching me struggle from the shadows, waiting for me to starve so I would crawl back to his mansion. He even showed up at the dive bar where I was playing piano for rent money, mocking my desperation. "You have technique, but no heart," he sneered, tossing a silver coin into my tip jar as if I were a beggar. "You're hollow, Iris. Just like your pride." I couldn't believe this was the same man whose life I had saved during a bloody night in Macau. To him, I wasn't a wife; I was a stock price that needed stabilizing. The more I fought for my independence, the tighter he pulled the net, determined to break my spirit until I had no choice but to return to his gilded cage. Then, the morning sickness hit. I realized I wasn't just carrying my own life anymore—I was carrying his heir. If Francisco found out, he would never let us go; he would turn my child into another "performance bonus" for his brand. Looking at the sonogram, I knew a divorce would never be enough to escape a man who thought he owned the world. "I'm not going back," I whispered, staring at his yacht moored in the harbor. "To save this baby, Iris Potter has to die."

The High Price Of Father's Freedom

The High Price Of Father's Freedom

Romance

5.0

I was at a high-end law school mixer, hiding behind a pillar and eyeing the shrimp buffet because my bank account was empty and my fridge contained nothing but expired milk. My father’s name was a national headline for all the wrong reasons, and my only goal was to survive law school without being recognized. That’s when the room went silent for the arrival of Armond Woodward, the billionaire COO of a global media empire. I froze, because seven years ago in Paris, he was Armond Chevalier, the sweet art student I’d shared a life with. Now, he was a cold-eyed predator in a bespoke suit, and he was staring directly at me like I was a missing asset he’d finally located. I tried to escape, but the walls were closing in. My tuition payment was forty-eight hours late, and my father was facing a new indictment that would keep him in prison for the rest of his life. While a rich classmate named Miles tried to "save" me by parading me around like a trophy, Armond was working in the shadows. He didn't just offer help; he bought my student loans and my father’s legal liens, effectively making himself my sole creditor. The realization hit me like a physical blow when Armond cornered me in his private elevator. He knew about my broken apartment lock, my ramen-noodle dinners, and every cent I owed. He hadn't just found me by accident; he had been watching me drown for years, waiting for the exact moment I became desperate enough to be useful. "I've been waiting for you to hit bottom, Rose," he whispered, using the private name from our past as he trapped me in the back of his black SUV. With the threat of a two-million-dollar restitution fee hanging over my father's head and the prosecutors closing in, Armond laid out his final terms. He didn't want an apology or a second chance at love; he needed a wife to secure his family trust and defeat a hostile takeover, and I was the only person with enough debt to be completely controlled. "Marry me, Abbey. A three-year contract, and I make all of this go away." I looked at the man who had destroyed my life just to own it and realized that to save my family, I had to walk straight into the golden cage he had built for me.

You'll also like

Flash Marriage To My Best Friend's Father

Flash Marriage To My Best Friend's Father

Madel Cerda
4.7

I was once the heiress to the Solomon empire, but after it crumbled, I became the "charity case" ward of the wealthy Hyde family. For years, I lived in their shadows, clinging to the promise that Anson Hyde would always be my protector. That promise shattered when Anson walked into the ballroom with Claudine Chapman on his arm. Claudine was the girl who had spent years making my life a living hell, and now Anson was announcing their engagement to the world. The humiliation was instant. Guests sneered at my cheap dress, and a waiter intentionally sloshed champagne over me, knowing I was a nobody. Anson didn't even look my way; he was too busy whispering possessively to his new fiancée. I was a ghost in my own home, watching my protector celebrate with my tormentor. The betrayal burned. I realized I wasn't a ward; I was a pawn Anson had kept on a shelf until he found a better trade. I had no money, no allies, and a legal trust fund that Anson controlled with a flick of his wrist. Fleeing to the library, I stumbled into Dallas Koch—a titan of industry and my best friend’s father. He was a wall of cold, absolute power that even the Hydes feared. "Marry me," I blurted out, desperate to find a shield Anson couldn't climb. Dallas didn't laugh. He pulled out a marriage agreement and a heavy fountain pen. "Sign," he commanded, his voice a low rumble. "But if you walk out that door with me, you never go back." I signed my name, trading my life for the only man dangerous enough to keep me safe.

The Placeholder Bride's Secret Billionaire Revenge

The Placeholder Bride's Secret Billionaire Revenge

Luo Ye
5.0

For two years, I was the invisible force behind tech billionaire Kieran Douglas, convinced that our "private" romance was his way of protecting us from the tabloid spotlight. I managed his mergers, warmed his bed, and waited for a future that didn't exist. The illusion shattered at 6:00 AM when a Page Six alert debuted Kieran’s "real" romance with socialite Aspen Schneider. Before I could even process the betrayal, Kieran sent me a cold, professional text: "Order flowers for Aspen. Pink peonies. Her favorite." When I tried to walk away, my own mother called me a disgrace and threatened to lock my inheritance forever unless I married a sixty-year-old businessman to save her failing estate. At a high-society gala that same night, Aspen intentionally crushed my burned hand in front of the cameras, while Kieran stood by and dismissed me as a "mediocre assistant" who had overstayed her welcome. I stood in the cold New York rain, drenched in champagne and humiliation, realizing that every sacrifice I made for Kieran was a joke. I was a ghost in a penthouse that was never mine, discarded the moment his "soulmate" returned. To the world, I was just a placeholder whose time had run out. But Kieran forgot one thing: my father’s multi-million dollar trust fund unlocks the moment I legally marry. I didn't need love; I needed a signature and a shield. I walked into a discreet law firm and signed a marriage contract with a man I believed was the city’s most notorious, scandal-ridden playboy. I thought I was marrying a degenerate "beard" to buy my freedom and secure my revenge. I didn't realize the man who signed that paper wasn't a playboy at all, but Gaston Collins—the most powerful and dangerous man on Wall Street—and he had no intention of letting our fake marriage stay fake.

Rising From Wreckage: Starfall's Epic Comeback

Rising From Wreckage: Starfall's Epic Comeback

Huo Wuer
4.5

Rain hammered against the asphalt as my sedan spun violently into the guardrail on the I-95. Blood trickled down my temple, stinging my eyes, while the rhythmic slap of the windshield wipers mocked my panic. Trembling, I dialed my husband, Clive. His executive assistant answered instead, his voice professional and utterly cold. "Mr. Wilson says to stop the theatrics. He said, and I quote, 'Hang up. Tell her I don’t have time for her emotional blackmail tonight.'" The line went dead while I was still trapped in the wreckage. At the hospital, I watched the news footage of Clive wrapping his jacket around his "fragile" ex-girlfriend, Angelena, shielding her from the storm I was currently bleeding in. When I returned to our penthouse, I found a prenatal ultrasound in his suit pocket, dated the day he claimed to be on a business trip. Instead of an apology, Clive met me with a sneer. He told me I was nothing but an "expensive decoration" his father bought to make him look stable. He froze my bank accounts and cut off my cards, waiting for the hunger to drive me back to his feet. I stared at the man I had loved for four years, realizing he didn't just want a wife; he wanted a prop he could switch off. He thought he could starve me into submission while he played father to another woman's child. But Clive forgot one thing. Before I was his trophy wife, I was Starfall—the legendary voice actress who vanished at the height of her fame. "I'm not jealous, Clive. I'm done." I grabbed my old microphone and walked out. I’m not just leaving him; I’m taking the lead role in the biggest saga in Hollywood—the one Angelena is desperate for. This time, the "decoration" is going to burn his world down.

Chapters
Read Now
Download Book
Reborn as the Villain's Wife Reborn as the Villain's Wife Edik Brandwein Modern
“I died in a mangled wreck of metal and fire, abandoned by the man I thought was my soulmate. But instead of the void, I woke up pinned against a cold marble wall, staring into the turbulent, storm-gray eyes of Damian Vincent. This was the night I destroyed my life. In my past world, I spat in Damian's face and ran into the arms of Eddie, a parasitic loser who was secretly plotting with my cousin Jill to strip me of my inheritance. My "escape" turned into a slow-motion suicide. My brother Donavan died in a horrific car crash while racing to save me from another one of my messes. Damian, consumed by a toxic mix of grief and vengeance, crushed the Nelson family empire until my father was a broken man. I spent years as a drugged-up social pariah, finally dying alone while the people I trusted laughed at my funeral. The most bitter realization didn't hit me until the end. The "controlling monster" I spent years fighting was the only person who ever truly protected me. I had traded a man who would burn the world for me for a man who would burn me for the world. Opening my eyes three years in the past, I find myself back at the airport, the rain lashing against the windows. My brother is pleading with me to run, and Damian is standing there, braced for the slap he thinks is coming. But I don't strike him. I press my palm to his burning cheek and give him the only piece of my soul he couldn't buy. "I'm not going anywhere, Dami. Keep this as my collateral." The game has changed. This time, I'm not the victim-I'm the one holding the match.”
1

Chapter 1 1

06/02/2026

2

Chapter 2 2

06/02/2026

3

Chapter 3 3

06/02/2026

4

Chapter 4 4

06/02/2026

5

Chapter 5 5

06/02/2026

6

Chapter 6 6

06/02/2026

7

Chapter 7 7

06/02/2026

8

Chapter 8 8

06/02/2026

9

Chapter 9 9

06/02/2026

10

Chapter 10 10

06/02/2026

11

Chapter 11 11

06/02/2026

12

Chapter 12 12

06/02/2026

13

Chapter 13 13

06/02/2026

14

Chapter 14 14

06/02/2026

15

Chapter 15 15

06/02/2026

16

Chapter 16 16

06/02/2026

17

Chapter 17 17

06/02/2026

18

Chapter 18 18

06/02/2026

19

Chapter 19 19

06/02/2026

20

Chapter 20 20

06/02/2026

21

Chapter 21 21

06/02/2026

22

Chapter 22 22

06/02/2026

23

Chapter 23 23

06/02/2026

24

Chapter 24 24

06/02/2026

25

Chapter 25 25

06/02/2026

26

Chapter 26 26

06/02/2026

27

Chapter 27 27

06/02/2026

28

Chapter 28 28

06/02/2026

29

Chapter 29 29

06/02/2026

30

Chapter 30 30

06/02/2026

31

Chapter 31 31

06/02/2026

32

Chapter 32 32

06/02/2026

33

Chapter 33 33

06/02/2026

34

Chapter 34 34

06/02/2026

35

Chapter 35 35

06/02/2026

36

Chapter 36 36

06/02/2026

37

Chapter 37 37

06/02/2026

38

Chapter 38 38

06/02/2026

39

Chapter 39 39

06/02/2026

40

Chapter 40 40

06/02/2026