Ruthless Lady Series #1: The Ruthless Comeback
Avyanna has spent her life mastering survival. A brilliant scholarship student by day, a strategist and fighter by necessity, she carries the weight of a childhood tragedy that left her orphaned. When she falls for Kairus Chu—the rebellious heir of a powerful conglomerate—she allows herself a fleeting moment of happiness. Their love defies all odds, culminating in a secret marriage despite his mother’s ruthless opposition. But behind the scenes, Avyanna’s trusted mentor, Lord Mendez, pulls unseen strings, shaping her fate for his own ends.
Their love is shattered when Zhen, a cunning rival, conspires with Kairus’ mother to frame Avyanna for murder. Betrayed, sentenced to life in prison, and pregnant with Kairus’ child, she refuses to be broken. With her only ally, Huan Yue, she orchestrates a daring escape, vanishing in fire and blood—reborn as Bernadette Lu, a shadow queen of the underworld.
Years later, Avyanna returns with a vengeance, dismantling the Chu empire piece by piece. She manipulates Dylan Chu, Kairus’ ambitious younger brother, and unearths the true enemy—Lord Mendez, the man who orchestrated her downfall and her parents’ deaths. As she leaves devastation in her wake, Kairus, now a pawn of his mother’s ambitions, is forced to confront the memories of the love he lost.
As Zhen and the Chu matriarch fall, Avyanna stands at the precipice of her ultimate choice: to reclaim the love that once defined her or to walk away forever, knowing that vengeance has carved an unbridgeable distance between who she was and who she has become. When Kairus finally finds her, face-to-face with the daughter he never knew, the question lingers—can love survive the ashes of war?
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Chapter: Chapter 14: Kairus' Defiance A call from his mother makes Kairus stand up. He quickly grabs his phone, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Avyanna is still asleep. Her steady breathing calms him for just a moment before the familiar tone of his mother's ringtone coils around his nerves. He silently steps closer to the window, cradling the phone to his ear.“Mom…” he answers quietly, trying to keep his voice low.“Zhen is waiting. She’s outside your apartment,” his mother says without preamble. Her voice is stern, expectant — the same way she used to sound when he was late for piano lessons as a child.Kairus closes his eyes for a brief moment and runs a hand through his hair, frustration bubbling under his skin. “I have my own business to deal with right now. I’ll call you later.”“No, Kairus,” she snaps, a sharpness to her tone that slices through the phone. “Pick Zhen up now. She came all this way. Do not embarrass us.”He exhales, a bitter chuckle escaping before he can stop it. “Embarrass us? You mean emb
Last Updated: 2025-04-21
Chapter: Chapter 13: Kairus' ConcernAt Avyanna’s apartment, the quiet was almost unsettling.Kairus stood frozen in the middle of her small living space, unsure of what to do next. The faint sound of the ticking clock was the only thing that kept him grounded as he glanced over his shoulder at the bed, where Avyanna lay unconscious but breathing steadily. She looked so different like this—so vulnerable, stripped of the guarded demeanor she always carried like armor.Ruth had gone out a few minutes earlier to buy medicine, telling him to keep an eye on Avyanna until she returned. He had agreed with a nod, but now that he was alone in her space, a strange wave of unease washed over him. He wasn’t used to this kind of stillness. Especially not when someone he cared about was lying pale and unresponsive just a few feet away.With a soft exhale, Kairus slowly sat down on the floor beside her bed, leaning back against the wall. His eyes scanned the room—small, modest, and filled with little things that made it unmistakably he
Last Updated: 2025-04-07
Chapter: Chapter 12: Avyanna's HesitationAfter sealing the deal, Ruth led Avyanna to a nearby café nestled along a quiet street corner. The warm scent of roasted coffee beans and freshly baked pastries wafted through the air as the door chimed softly behind them. It was a cozy little place, filled with soft lighting and scattered wooden tables that gave it a homey atmosphere. The kind of place you could settle into and forget the world outside.As she stepped inside, Avyanna’s eyes instinctively scanned the room, her gaze flicking from table to table, carefully searching for a familiar face among the patrons. There was a flicker of hope in her expression—subtle, yet visible. But as seconds passed and she found no sign of the certain someone she had hoped to see, a small sigh escaped her lips. Disappointment settled into her features, though she tried to mask it behind a neutral expression.Ruth noticed immediately. She could always tell when something was off with Avyanna, even when her friend tried to hide it.“Who are you
Last Updated: 2025-04-06
Chapter: Chapter 11: The Shadow of Lord MendezMonica lingers in the hallway instead of leaving, her gaze fixed on Avyanna with a weight that suggests there’s more she wants to say. She crosses her arms, her jaw tight.“Look, I’m not trying to be cold about it,” she begins, her voice lower now, more serious. “But you need to think this through. Kairus seems like a good guy, sure. He’s kind, stable, grounded. But that’s exactly the kind of person who doesn’t understand the kind of fire we’re walking through.”Avyanna looks up at her, already feeling the tension growing in her chest.Monica steps a bit closer, voice firm but not unkind. “Lord Mendez isn’t just some distant threat. His reach is wide, and his interest in you hasn’t exactly disappeared. You’ve kept a low profile lately, but if he finds out you’re close to someone new—especially someone outside the circle—it’s not just your life at risk. It’s his too.”Avyanna’s lips part slightly, but she doesn’t speak. There’s too much truth in Monica’s words.“He could use Kairus,” M
Last Updated: 2025-04-05
Chapter: Chapter 10: The First KissKairus looks at Avyanna with a tense gaze, his eyes filled with a mix of emotions that are hard to read. Avyanna doesn't know how to respond to what he just said—her mind spins with uncertainty, and confusion clouds her thoughts. The moment feels heavy, suspended in silence, as if time itself is holding its breath. Then suddenly, she becomes aware of something else—Kairus’s warm breath brushing softly against her skin. It sends a shiver down her spine, grounding her in the moment. Her eyes widen slightly as she realizes just how close their faces have become, the distance between them barely more than a whisper. The air grows thick with anticipation, unspoken feelings lingering between them like a fragile thread on the verge of snapping.Involuntarily, Avyanna's eyes flutter shut, her breath hitching slightly as a soft and unfamiliar warmth brushes against her lips. For a heartbeat, time stops. She feels something smooth, tender, and warm—it takes her only a second to realize it's Kai
Last Updated: 2025-04-05
Chapter: Chapter 9: First Confession“I’ll walk you to your apartment,” Kairus said casually, standing up and adjusting his jacket.Avyanna looked at him, her brows furrowed in mild confusion.“You… walk with me?” she repeated, unsure if she heard him right.He nodded without hesitation. “It’s getting late. I just want you to be safe, that’s all.”There was a beat of silence before Avyanna gave him a small nod, her expression unreadable. “Alright.”She gathered her things—her bag, the leftover bandages, and the wipes—and tucked them away neatly. As they exited the café together, she noticed the lights still glowing warmly inside. The place remained open, a few customers chatting in the far corner, and another employee had just taken over the shift behind the counter.The night air wrapped around them the moment they stepped outside. It was calm, with a faint breeze brushing past, carrying the scent of damp pavement and blooming flowers from somewhere nearby.As they walked side by side, Avyanna found herself unusually at
Last Updated: 2025-04-04
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