The Reborn Duke's Hated Bride

. The river below churned with an angry hunger, its dark waters swallowing the dying light of the fading s

st. The story of Beatrice and Lucien, of revenge and redemption, had become her obsession. She had memorized the fate of Danik

ead it th

nika was go

hoved it aside, her grey eyes fixed on the water below. The river seemed to call

re?" she whispered to herself.

l away. Where she could forget her loneliness, her isolation, the weight of bein

footsteps

ure was cloaked in shadow, their face obscured by the dying light. Sandra squinted, tryin

ut, her voice tentati

ht a glimpse of pale skin, of eyes t

she felt

came fro

novel slipping from her fingers and spinning through the air like a wounde

sound was swallowed by

s. She gasped, and the river rushed in to claim her. Her body thrashed against the current, her l

read a hundred times. The characters she had

l who spent her nights reading about other peopl

e, the one place where s

above her. The figure who had pushed h

ipping away, the cold no longer biting but soothing. The river carried

e felt some

hook caught in her soul, dragging her upward, toward a

oke with

ing for hours. Her body ached in ways she could not explain, as

et hung above her, embroidered with silver stars that seemed to dance in the flickering candl

s not h

s not h

estries. A fire crackled in the hearth, casting dancing shadows across the walls. The air s

s. They were smaller, more delicate. Her skin was a

eeks were different, her nos

neath her. She staggered to a mirror mounted on the wall, a gil

ared back at her

iful and haunted. Dark curls cascaded around her shoulders, untamed

n touched its cheek. She parted her

d, her voice crack

d happened. She had died. She had been reborn. And she had bee

r of the Sun King. Side c

to die

hit her like a

nd she collapsed onto the bed, gasping for breath. The room spun around he

racter in a novel of grand romance and epic revenge. The girl who existed only to die, onl

her, take her family's fortune, and arrange a convenient accident. He would lea

d not di

harp and clear. She had been given a second chanc

ld not

ts. Her heart was pounding, her breath coming in short, ragg

o change

d to s

ounded at

blood r

sistent. A voice followed, smooth and polished,

awake? I have c

r betrothed. The man who would smile at her and feed her poison. The man w

d to a

floor. She pressed her ear to the door, listening. She could hear him breathing on t

are in there. The servants said you wer

door. She would smile and curtsy and pretend everything was fine. He would smile back, his

did somethi

and in that moment,

ld not be the side character. She wo

uld be the heroin

ed open

and broad-shouldered, with sandy hair and eyes that gleamed with false warmth. He was dresse

his eyes. "There you are, my dear," he said, reachin

ngers, the possessive squeeze. She felt the hunger beneath

e smil

e, a smile that promis

dy despite the trembling in her heart. "But I have bee

surprised. "

. "I have realized that I cannot marry you. It would no

rkened, the false warmth replac

ou saying?"

inching. "I am saying that

danger. She could see the rage building behind h

t let her g

e low and threatening. "The contract is

her voice as cold as his. "And

will regret this, Danika. You will regret

ep back. She d

things," she said softly. "Bu

urning with fury. And then he turned and strod

r and leaned against

t made a po

was stil

as all tha