phoenix phire

Lawrence Hale has been Julia Ware's assistant and lover for seven years, but she's now getting engaged to someone else. She calls off their engagement during an auction, and he thinks she wants to propose to him. It's only when a face that looks almost identical to him shows up that he realizes he's never been more than a replacement.

“Please stop, you're drunk,” I whispered, my voice trembling as I tried to push him off. His body was heavy against mine, his movements sluggish but persistent. He barely heard me. “How old are you?” he murmured, his voice thick with alcohol. “18,” I gasped, heart racing in a mix of fear and confusion. “Then you're already an adult” he said with a low chuckle, as though that settled everything. I should’ve stopped it. I should’ve left. But I didn't have the strength to argue, didn't have the will to stop him. He moved against me again, and that's when I felt something cold touch the most intimate part of me…. I woke up alone in a dimly lit room. He was still there, his back turned to me, but his face-his identity-was still hidden behind the mask. I glanced down at his left shoulder. A Phoenix tattoo. Bold. Intriguing. But then, I didn't hesitate. I grabbed my things and ran, my heart racing as I left the room without another word. It was supposed to be just a night. One meant to be forgotten. And that's exactly what I intended to do. I didn't know his name. I didn't even know his face. It was a night meant to stay buried in the past. It was a night I promised myself I’d forget. But that promise broke when pregnancy came knocking.

Freya Xylla Hernaez's marriage to Phoenix Henderson was never meant to last. Forced into a shotgun wedding under the false belief she was pregnant, Freya quickly realized that she was just a wife on paper—ignored, mistreated, and unloved. Subjected to cruelty from his stepmother and stepsister and heartbroken watching him with other women, Freya’s resolve finally shattered. She made one desperate move, framing Phoenix into a one-night stand, and then left, disappearing with a signed divorce agreement. Six years later, she’s built a life in London with the two surprises Phoenix never knew about: their twins. But when Phoenix finds her and kidnaps one of the children to force her return to the Philippines, Freya is filled with fury. Determined to get her daughter back, she returns—this time armed with anger and a vow to exact revenge. Yet, amidst the fight, old feelings reignite, and a love that was never meant to be slowly begins to bloom again.