The Villain's Reluctant Bride
Emma died at twenty-four, reading a webnovel in bed. The last thing she remembered was the tragic ending: Duke Kael Draeven, the story's villain, executed for treason after killing the beloved Crown Prince.
When she woke up, she was five years old. And she was inside that novel.
Reborn as Seraphina Ashford, the neglected illegitimate daughter of a duke, she spent seventeen years preparing for one goal: save the villain from his doomed fate.
She knows the future. She knows Kael will be framed for murder, manipulated by a scheming countess, and driven to rebellion. She knows he'll die alone, betrayed, and broken.
So when Kael Draeven offers her a contract marriage—one year, political convenience, no emotions involved—Seraphina accepts without hesitation.
Her plan is simple: marry the villain, gain his trust, prevent the tragedy, and rewrite the ending.
But Kael Draeven is nothing like the character in the novel.
He's colder. More dangerous. And far more broken than she imagined.
Haunted by his mother's unsolved murder, isolated by his terrifying reputation, Kael trusts no one. His shadow magic—rare, deadly, and consuming his life force—makes him the most feared man in the kingdom.
Everyone sees a monster. Seraphina sees a man who's been hurt so deeply, he's forgotten how to hope.
As they navigate a treacherous world of court intrigue, assassination attempts, and political conspiracies, Seraphina finds herself doing the one thing she swore she wouldn't: falling in love.
But loving Kael means lying to him. Because how can she explain that she knows his future? That she's read his story like a book?
When the Crown Prince's schemes escalate and Kael is arrested for treason—six months earlier than the original timeline—Seraphina realizes a terrifying truth:
Her arrival changed everything. The story isn't following the plot anymore.
Now she's racing against a fate she can't predict, protecting a man who doesn't trust her, and fighting enemies who want her dead.
Worse, someone else in this world knows she doesn't belong. And they're watching.
To save Kael, Seraphina must risk everything—her secrets, her safety, and her heart.
Because if she fails, Kael won't be the only one who dies.
She will too.
And this time, there are no second chances.