Reborn in Red Heels

PROLOGUE Rain poured heavily onto the dark highway. Selene’s hands trembled against the steering wheel. Her vision blurred from tears. On her phone screen were hundreds of messages. “You’re disgusting.” “Homewrecker.” “Gold digger.” Vanessa had leaked fake photos online. Adrian had publicly denied knowing her. Everything she built collapsed in one night. Then— A truck’s headlights appeared. Too bright. Too fast. Selene screamed. CRASH. CHAPTER 1 — Rebirth Selene gasped awake. The smell of coffee and cheap perfume filled the air. Music played softly nearby. “…Table seven is asking for another bottle!” Selene froze. She looked down. Black waitress uniform. Red heels. Silver tray in her hand. This was impossible. She knew this place. Moonlight Lounge. Three years ago. Before Adrian betrayed her. Before Vanessa destroyed her. Before she died. Her breathing became uneven. “I’m alive…” she whispered. A memory flashed violently in her mind. Vanessa smiling beside Adrian in a hotel room. A signature forged under Selene’s name. Blood on broken glass. The truck. The darkness. Selene clenched her fists. “No,” she muttered coldly. “This time… I’ll destroy all of you first.” CHAPTER 2 — The Man in the VIP Room The lounge was crowded that night. Rich businessmen filled the private rooms upstairs. Selene moved quickly between tables, ignoring the stares she always received. “Miss, table twelve wants your number.” “Not interested.” “VIP room is requesting service.” Her manager leaned closer nervously. “It’s Damien Laurent.” The entire lounge became tense. Even hearing his name made people careful. Selene entered the VIP room calmly. A tall man sat alone under dim golden lights. Black suit. Sharp jawline. Cold eyes. Damien Laurent. He looked up slowly. Their eyes met. And for the first time in years— Damien felt something. Interest. Selene placed the whiskey bottle down professionally. “Anything else, sir?” Damien studied her face carefully. “You’re new.” “No.” “You just never looked at me before.” Selene almost laughed. Because in her previous life, she remembered him. The powerful CEO who attended her funeral silently. The man who crushed Adrian’s company months after her death. At the time, she never understood why. Now she wanted answers. CHAPTER 3 — Dangerous Attraction Over the next weeks, Damien kept returning to the lounge. Only when Selene worked. Only requesting her section. Rumors spread quickly. “Did you seduce him?” “Maybe she wants to marry rich.” Selene ignored everything. She had bigger goals. Revenge. But Damien became a problem. Because every time he looked at her, she felt dangerous tension in the air. One rainy evening, a drunk customer grabbed Selene’s waist aggressively. “Come sit with me, baby—” Before she could react— CRACK. Damien punched the man hard enough to send him crashing into a table. The entire lounge went silent. Damien grabbed Selene’s wrist gently afterward. “Are you hurt?” Selene stared at him. In her past life… No one protected her. Not once. Her chest tightened unexpectedly. “I can handle myself,” she whispered. Damien stepped closer. “I know.” His voice dropped lower. “But I still want to protect you.” CHAPTER 4 — The First Counterattack Selene began changing the future carefully. This time, she refused Adrian’s fake kindness. She exposed Vanessa’s lies before they spread. And secretly— She started collecting evidence. Bank records. Illegal deals. Bribery. Affairs. Everything. One night, Adrian cornered her outside the restaurant. “You’ve changed,” he said suspiciously. Selene smiled beautifully. “Yes.” The smile made him uncomfortable. Because her eyes no longer looked in love. They looked dangerous. “You should stay away from Damien Laurent,” Adrian warned. Selene tilted her head. “Why? Jealous?” Adrian grabbed her arm roughly. “You think a man like him actually cares about you?” A black luxury car suddenly stopped nearby. Damien stepped out slowly. Cold fury filled the air. Adrian released her instantly. Damien walked toward them with terrifying calmness. “She works for me now,” Damien said. Selene blinked. “What?” Damien handed her a business card. “Personal assistant position.” Adrian looked shocked. Because everyone knew— Working beside Damien Laurent meant entering the highest level of power. And Selene accepted immediately. Not because she trusted Damien. But because revenge required stronger weapons. CHAPTER 5 — The Obsession Begins Working at Laurent Holdings changed everything. Luxury offices. Private drivers. Designer clothes. Dangerous people. And Damien always watching her. Sometimes silently. Sometimes intensely. One late night, Selene stayed overtime organizing documents. She removed her heels with exhaustion. Damien entered unexpectedly. His eyes lowered briefly to her bare legs. Tension filled the room instantly. “You should go home,” he said quietly. “You too.” Neither moved. The city lights glowed outside the glass windows. Then Damien walked closer slowly. Too close. Selene’s heartbeat quickened. “Why do you look at me like that?” she whispered. Damien’s jaw tightened. “Because every time I try not to want you…” He touched her chin carefully. “…you make it impossible.” Their faces inches apart. Breathing mixing. Dangerously intimate. But before they kissed— Selene pulled away first. Because she remembered something important. Falling in love ruined her once already. And she refused to become weak again. CHAPTER 6 — Revenge in High Heels Selene’s counterattack finally began. Vanessa lost sponsorships after hidden recordings leaked online. Adrian’s investors discovered his fraud. Public scandals exploded everywhere. Their perfect lives started collapsing piece by piece. And behind every disaster— Was Selene. Elegant. Calm. Untouchable. One night Vanessa stormed into Selene’s penthouse apartment. “You ruined me!” Selene sipped wine slowly. “No,” she replied softly. “You ruined yourself.” Vanessa slapped her. But Selene slapped harder. Years of anger burned in her eyes. “You took my life from me once,” Selene whispered coldly. “This time I’m taking everything back.” CHAPTER 7 — Truth of the Past Damien eventually discovered the truth. Selene knew things she shouldn’t know. Future deals. Future scandals. Future betrayals. He cornered her inside his office. “Who are you really?” Selene’s eyes trembled slightly. She wanted to tell him everything. About dying. About rebirth. About the second chance she never asked for. But fear stopped her. Would he think she was insane? Damien suddenly held her face gently. “I don’t care what secrets you have,” he murmured. “I just need to know one thing.” His forehead touched hers. “Will you stay?” For the first time since returning— Selene felt her walls crack. Not from weakness. But from the terrifying possibility of being loved correctly. CHAPTER 8 — Burn for Me The gala night changed everything. Selene appeared in a black silk dress that left the entire ballroom speechless. And Damien? He nearly lost control seeing her descend the staircase. Every powerful man stared at her. Damien hated it. Possessiveness darkened his expression. During the dance, his hand pressed firmly against her waist. “You’re driving me insane tonight,” he muttered. Selene smirked slightly. “Sounds like a personal problem.” Damien suddenly pulled her closer. Their bodies collided. The tension between them snapped. And finally— They kissed. Slow. Deep. Hungry. Years of loneliness and restraint exploded between them. The ballroom disappeared. Only the two of them existed. And for the first time— Selene allowed herself to want something beyond revenge. To Be Continued…