Phoenix Rising: The Billionaire's Revenge Plan

In a musty old basement, the air was thick with the smell of rot.

A woman with unkempt hair was sprawled out on the floor. An iron chain was wrapped around her ankle. You could see the signs of abuse on her frail body and a nasty knife wound slashed across her cheek.

"Get her up!"

A sudden splash of freezing saltwater snapped Isabel Aston back to reality. The pain made her wince. She propped herself up on her elbows, and her eyes flashed a fiery red as she recognized the man standing over her.

"Isabel," the man warned, "this is your last chance. Tell me where Bronson's holed up, and maybe I'll let you die in one piece."

"Why are you doing this to me?" she managed to get out.

All she got was a look of revulsion from the man.

"You said, Kairo, that if I helped you snatch the Lambert family fortune, you'd marry me," Isabel's voice was shaky and full of bitterness. "And now you're going to kill me?"

Kairo Lambert's patience was clearly wearing thin. His eyes were icy. "Do you really believe Bronson will come to save you, Isabel? Even if he does, he's a goner!"

Isabel felt a sharp pain in her chest. "I betrayed my own family, the Astons, to help you get the fortune. I brought my family to ruin, my mother to a terrible death, my brother to sickness and death. Even I married another man to help you, bringing harm and disgrace. All for you!"

She just wanted to know why. His betrayal was a brutal answer.

Suddenly, a woman's voice echoed from beyond the door.

"Because Kairo has always been in love with me, Isabel." Naya Aston sauntered in, looking poised and stylish. "My dear cousin, we only used you to deal with Bronson Lambert. Did you really think someone as coarse and vain as you were ever good enough for us? Every time I see you, I feel sick."

Isabel was speechless, her face full of disbelief. This was her cousin, the girl she had donated blood to without a second thought.

She realized they had been working together from the start.

"You're the result of your mother's shameful affair with the Aston men, an illegitimate child. How could I possibly marry a woman like you?" Kairo spat out.

Isabel's face turned white, a rush of blood rose up in her chest, and she threw up blood.

"Do it! Take out her heart for Naya's gift!"

"No! Kairo, you can't!"

"Naya needs a heart transplant to live. You should feel lucky that your heart's a match."

Isabel, filled with anger, tried to stand up, the iron chains making a chilling noise. But she was quickly held down, unable to move.

"I damn you to a life of endless suffering!"

With no painkillers, agony exploded as a sharp knife cut into her chest. One slice... then another, each one cutting away a piece of her heart. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. The pain was so intense it threatened to knock her out.

Suddenly, Naya squatted down next to her, whispering, "Does it hurt? Like when I found out Bronson loved you? That's when I decided you wouldn't have an easy death, Isabel."

Isabel let out a wild laugh, full of deep hatred, like a ghost out for revenge.

As she lay there, eyes wide open, her mind started to fade...

Her blood spread out around her, filling the dirty basement with the smell of death.

"Is she dead? Why are her eyes still open?"

Kairo, looking nervous, pulled Naya close, "Let's get out of here before we get caught."

Naya gave a careless smile, her innocent face not showing any concern. "A fire will burn away all traces of this place."

As she finished speaking, a loud clap of thunder sounded overhead, and a brilliant flash of lightning lit up the sky. Suddenly, a shadowy figure burst through the door. His good looks were as cold as a devil's, his eyes gleaming with deadly anger.

It was Bronson! He was covered in blood, a chilling sight of his anger and desperation.

He gazed at Isabel's collapsed body on the floor, his heart torn apart by the scene.

Screams filled the night as Bronson moved like he was dancing with death. His sword swiftly cut through the air, making decisive strikes. The guards around him dropped like flies.

"Naya!" Bronson's sword found its way into Naya's heart with a quick, ruthless push. She fell lifeless to the ground.

Kairo, white with fear, started backing away. But as he tried to escape, Bronson's firm grip held him. With a quick twist and a terrible "snap," Kairo's left arm was out of place. Bronson then pushed him against the wall, fresh blood running down his forehead.

"Bronson, this is a trap. If I go down, you're coming with me!" Kairo spat back.

Bronson pressed his foot onto his throat, pushing hard. "Well, I never planned to get out of here alive."

His words were still hanging in the air when he stuck his sword into Kairo's chest. He pulled it out then stabbed him again.

Kairo's screams filled the room as he squirmed in agony, sweat soaking his face. "Does it hurt? Can you feel her pain now?" Bronson mocked.

Kairo gasped, "Uncle...you can't kill me..."

"You broke her trust, leaked secret info, took over the Lambert family's wealth, and this is how you thank her?" Bronson roared with uncontrollable anger. Without waiting for a response, he struck the final blow.

"You deserve to die!"

Kairo thrashed around in a puddle of blood, his screams fading until, at last, he was still.

The winter wind howled outside as Bronson held Isabel's fragile body, his face softening into a smile starkly contrasting to his earlier fury. "Did I scare you again?" he whispered softly.

"I've avenged you..."

The powerful man, a god-like figure who ruled the capital, a world boxing champ who could easily knock down his opponents, was now holding her, crying like a baby.

"I'm sorry...I failed to protect you."

Isabel was in a fog. She had seen it all, and her heart was hurting. She tried to reach out to dry his tears, but her hand went right through him.

A thousand words were reduced to a silent apology...

She had been married to Bronson for two years, yet she hadn't done her part as a wife. She was always scheming, always calculating.

He knew it all along, and still, he pampered her...

She suddenly got it. He loved her, didn't he?

But it was too late. All too late...

She regretted everything.

A loud "bang" echoed through the room. Something had pierced through Bronson's chest!

……

Isabel woke up with a start, sitting up abruptly. Dried tears were on the corners of her eyes.

Her whole body was sore, probably from sitting up too quickly. A wave of dizziness hit her.

Was Bronson dead? She didn't know...

"Ah, you're finally up." The voice belonged to a woman. Her tone tinged with sadness.

At the sound, Isabel looked up at the woman in front of her, her voice shaky, "Aunt Danna?"

Aunt Danna was Bronson's nanny. Since she was kicked out from the Aston family at 13 and taken in by the Lambert family, Aunt Danna had treated her like a daughter. But after she went back to the Aston family, Aunt Danna followed her, only to meet a gruesome end...

Did that mean she was dead too, and had now joined Aunt Danna in the afterlife?

Isabel's mind was racing, and she hugged Aunt Danna, crying her heart out. "Aunt Danna, I messed up. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have been dealt such a raw deal..."

But there was a kind of warmth in this hug...

"What? Why are you cursing me?" Aunt Danna shot her a look, her eyes a little teary. "Did you lose your marbles or something?"

Isabel stopped crying abruptly, her eyes foggy. Something was off. This felt way too real.

She quickly scanned the room: the familiar pink canopy, the room decor she knew so well, the picture next to the bed, and her reflection in the mirror...

Her young face, as small as a hand, was unmarred. Her eyes sparkled as bright as peach blossoms, and not even the slight bruise under one eye could spoil her youthful beauty.

She was back to being 19 years old!

Isabel gave her thigh a pinch and yelped in pain.

So, it wasn't a dream.

She had been given a second chance, sent back six years to the time when she had just been taken back in by the Aston family.

"You ungrateful little brat, how could you do such a thing? Instead of learning from the master's teachings, you headbutt a wall?" Aunt Danna looked disappointed, "What, do you think the wall is made of tofu, or do you think you're some kind of kung-fu master? All these years, the young master's care for you has been for nothing."

Isabel touched her head and remembered the 'thing' Aunt Danna was referring to...

She had accused Bronson of doping in a boxing match, which got him suspended for six months.

She had slapped him in public and even stabbed him.

Kairo had encouraged her to marry Kevin Lambert, Bronson's cousin.

She had upset Madam Lambert to the point of a heart attack...

……

Was she even human?

She had been on a path of self-destruction!

"Aunt Danna, where is he?"

"The young master is in his bedroom."

No sooner had she heard this than Isabel jumped out of bed, didn't bother with her shoes, and ran barefoot to the third floor.

Bronson's door was unlocked. She strode in without a second thought.

He was sitting with his back to her, half-naked, his muscular body on full display. The white bandage on his shoulder was soaked with fresh blood. Unable to see the wound, he was clumsily trying to apply medicine.

A pang of guilt hit Isabel.

She had been longing to see him, but now she was a bit jittery...

Bronson, I'm back. This time, I'll take good care of you!

"What is it?" The man's voice was deep, gravelly, magnetic, and captivating. "I told you, I don't need a doctor."

She bit her lip, walked over gently, took the medicine bottle from his hand, and said, "Let me do it."

Bronson paused, looking back at her as if he'd seen a ghost. His lips parted in surprise.

But he quickly regained his composure, turned his head away, and muttered, "No need."

Isabel ignored him and continued to apply the medicine and bandage the wound. She was gentle, careful not to hurt him.

There were two wounds, one on his shoulder, which she had caused, and one on his chest, near his heart, which he had made her cause.

Isabel was lost in her memories.

…

In a chilly voice, he stated, "You're not marrying Kevin Lambert, not unless I die first."

Ignoring his words as if driven by an invisible force, she reacted in anger. She grabbed a fruit knife and lunged at him. He didn't even blink, letting his shirt get stained red before she screamed in horror.

His eyes, as dark as a stormy sea, narrowed. Bronson was always a mystery, but this angry look was a warning sign of something evil, something close to madness.

"You want me dead? Aim here!" he dared her.

Quick as a flash, he grabbed her knife-wielding hand and stabbed it into his own heart with a wild force. She would have landed a deadly blow if her fear hadn't made her arm shake.

Isabel was brought back to her senses, tears streaming down her face. How could she be so cruel?

Having lived two lives, she now saw that Bronson was more complicated and obsessive than he seemed at first glance.

…

Suddenly, Bronson gripped her wrist. His voice was emotionless as he said, "Don't push yourself if you're upset."

He sighed softly and took the bandage from her hand, skillfully starting to cover his wound, shielding the gruesome sight from her.

Isabel didn't fight back this time, but she couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Was she really forcing herself?

"I'm not upset," she managed to say, taking a deep breath before asking, "Do you hate me?"

He pursed his lips, and after a long pause, he finally said, "I could never hate you."

Isabel felt a lump in her throat.

Under the lamp's soft glow, his handsome face looked unnaturally pale. His once clear, chestnut eyes now seemed to be covered in a misty haze.

She could sense a vague feeling of distance and indifference from him.

Not hating someone and being incapable of hate are two different things.

Considering how heartless she had been, wouldn't it be fair for him to hate her?

She sniffed in the room's soft light, "I know I've upset you. It's my fault. Please, give me another chance to make things right."

He only raised an eyebrow, silently checking her out from head to toe.

Angry? He was a bit, considering the coldness of the floor.

"Why are you barefoot again?"

He removed his shoes, crouched down, and gently slipped them onto her feet. "Go back to your room," he said softly.

The emotional wall Isabel had been struggling to uphold finally crumbled at that moment. "Why are you so good to me? I'm a terrible person! Yell at me, hit me! If that doesn't satisfy you, stab me once, no, twice!"

The kinder he was, the guiltier she felt.

Bronson, looking at her tear-stained face, was a whirlwind of emotions. He moved his lips to speak but, in the end, said nothing.

She wiped the corners of her eyes, suddenly wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her face to his chest. "I'm sorry, truly sorry... Don't worry, I will prove it to you."

It was the first time she embraced him while fully aware...

Bronson's face grew rigid, and his eyebrows furrowed. The affection in her eyes was something he found hard to resist. Though he intended to push her away, he couldn't bring himself to do so.

Isabel struggled out of his embrace, placing her hand on his forehead. "Ah! You have a fever! You need to rest in bed immediately."

As she spoke, she pushed him towards the bed and started looking for medicine in the first aid box.

Bronson's expression became even more complicated. After a moment, something seemed to click in his mind. His eyes grew colder, and the normally cool aura around him turned gloomy.

"Do you love Kevin Lambert that much?" His voice dripped with scorn and arrogance.

"What?"

His towering presence was oppressive.

"What's wrong?" She looked at Bronson's inscrutable expression, feeling a bit apprehensive.

"Isabel—" he sneered coldly, "Changing your tactics won't work. As I said, if you want to marry him, it would be over my dead body!"