Mind Thief: Pay for What You Stole
Daisy Swift · Completed · 7.1k Words
Introduction
When I confronted her about the blatant plagiarism, she burst into tears on the spot.
"You say I stole from you, but do you have even a single sketch to prove it?"
My boyfriend, Richard, sitting right there on the judges' panel, publicly condemned me.
He called me a sore loser and sneered that my vicious slander was absolutely disgusting.
Because the construct existed entirely within my mental sea, I had no physical proof.
I was crucified as a jealous bully, and ultimately, the violent magical backlash tore through me.
Right up until my last breath, I couldn't figure it out: how did she perfectly steal a top-secret construct I had only ever simulated in my mind, without leaving a single trace behind?
When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn—right back at the start of that very tournament.
Watching my roommate step forward, ready to rush the holographic projector, I clamped a hand around her wrist.
"This time, I'm going first."
Chapter 1
At the Ultimate Construct Tournament, my roommate beat me to the stage, unveiling the very runic matrix I had just designed in my mind.
When I confronted her about the blatant plagiarism, she burst into tears on the spot.
"You say I stole from you, but do you have even a single sketch to prove it?"
My boyfriend, Richard, sitting right there on the judges' panel, publicly condemned me.
He called me a sore loser and sneered that my vicious slander was absolutely disgusting.
Because the construct existed entirely within my mental sea, I had no physical proof.
I was crucified as a jealous bully, and ultimately, the violent magical backlash tore through me.
Right up until my last breath, I couldn't figure it out: how did she perfectly steal a top-secret construct I had only ever simulated in my mind, without leaving a single trace behind?
When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn—right back at the start of that very tournament.
Watching my roommate step forward, ready to rush the holographic projector, I clamped a hand around her wrist.
"This time, I'm going first."
......
The spotlights crashed down, the blinding white light forcing my eyes shut.
In that same split second, roof-shattering cheers shattered the lingering dead ring in my ears.
I was reborn. Back in the exact opening moment of the Ultimate Construct Tournament.
Seeing me frozen in place, the commoner students in the audience gripped their banners anxiously, screaming at the top of their lungs:
"Evelyn, snap out of it! Show them what you're made of and crush them! You're the pride of the commoners! You're going to be the champion today!"
Over the deafening roars, Cecilia, standing right next to me in the opponent's spot, turned my way. She slipped seamlessly into that admiring yet pitifully vulnerable smile she always wore:
"Evelyn, it's just the two of us again, isn't it?"
"I've been stuck in second place behind you for four whole years. But for today's final showdown... even if I'm only destined to be your foil, I'm going to give it my all."
Staring at her feigned, innocent face, I felt no warmth whatsoever. Instead, my fingernails dug deep into my palms.
The phantom agony of my past life—the magical backlash tearing me apart as I bled out—shot straight through my nerves.
For the past four years, Cecilia and I had shared a dorm room, and we had always swept the top two spots in the academy.
She was a billionaire heiress, drenched in an unmissable halo since enrollment, with access to countless top-tier magical resources.
I, on the other hand, crawled out of the slums, too poor to afford a single extra spellbook.
Yet, my mental capacity and talent for spell constructs had forever eclipsed hers.
Big tests, small exams—it didn't matter. I was always first. She had to settle for second.
I never backed down. Facing the blatant hostility of every aristocrat in the academy, I fought my way into the finals of this tournament, landing squarely in a duel against her.
I never understood it. In my past life, the second the impromptu topic was announced, how did she beat me to the stage and flawlessly cast the exact matrix that had just formed in my head?
In my last life, watching Cecilia bask in the audience's worship after her display filled me with a blinding, incredulous rage.
Tossing the rules out, I charged at her with bloodshot eyes, publicly demanding to know why she stole my work.
Cecilia simply dropped her tears right on cue. Shrinking back in fake terror, she asked:
"You say I stole your hard work... but Evelyn, where did you ever build this matrix? Do you have any proof, or are you just slandering me in front of everyone?"
Her tear-soaked, victimized act made me look like an unhinged, hysterical lunatic.
At that moment, not only did the aristocratic crowd explode in outrage, but even some of the students who had previously supported me defected, assuming I was a sore loser driven mad by jealousy.
Cecilia then graciously declared to every campus broadcast camera that if anyone could find even a shred of proof that I had built this matrix before, she would instantly forfeit and willingly suffer the ultimate penalty for using dark magic.
What a beautiful, airtight script.
She said it because she knew exactly that my concepts existed only in my brain. There were no blueprints, no physical drafts—meaning there could be absolutely no proof!
I died never understanding how someone could bypass an absolute mental defense and hijack the thoughts hidden inside someone else's head!
Perhaps thrown off by my intense glare, Cecilia guiltily averted her eyes.
She leaned into her microphone, her tone angelically soft. "Evelyn, the prompt has been announced. Honestly, even if I have to give up first place to you, it's okay. I just want to see you push yourself to your true potential."
Those words played the audience like a fiddle.
The noble students favoring Cecilia erupted in applause. "See that? That's what you call true class! Who cares if Cecilia isn't first today? Look at her grace. She's the perfect model of a highborn lady!"
Even the commoner faction began to waver. "Yeah... Evelyn is always giving everyone the cold shoulder. Compared to her, Cecilia is just so gentle and kind."
Word for word.
Hearing the exact same lines from my previous life made my stomach violently churn. She didn't put on this unbothered, peace-loving facade in broad daylight out of the goodness of her heart.
She was absolutely certain she was going to win today.
I remained frozen in place, refusing to entertain her with a response.
The host briefly surveyed my pale, bloodless face and raised his microphone to intervene:
"Now, competitors, please proceed to your soundproof construct chambers to begin your mental structuring! Mind you, you only have five minutes for mental prep before stepping back out to project."
The grand hall plunged into a brief, dim transition phase.
Taking full advantage, Cecilia smoothly closed the distance, generously wrapping both her hands around my arm to support me.
Just as I went to aggressively yank my arm away, it was as if she had anticipated my exact move.
"Evelyn, I am nervous," she whispered.
Her palms clamped down on my arm like a vice. At the exact same second, she leaned in until her face was inches from mine.
Her pupils trembled slightly before rapidly dilating, bearing down on me with an eerie, predatory pressure.
She forced me into an unbroken, locked gaze.
Last Chapters
You Might Like 😍
Avery and the Cursed Alpha
Then a mysterious billionaire offers her a deal that sounds too good to be true.
Alexander Ravenswood is powerful, wealthy, and feared throughout Tenebrous City. Behind his perfect public image lies a deadly secret. He is the Alpha of the Nocturne Pack, cursed by an ancient bloodline that is slowly driving him toward madness and death. His only hope lies in finding the legendary Aethon Orb—or the prophesied mate destined to save him.
When Alex discovers that Avery can draw symbols connected to the long-lost artifact, he offers her a contract she cannot refuse: become his fake fiancée for six months in exchange for enough money to erase her debts and save her home.
What begins as a business arrangement quickly becomes something far more dangerous.
As they search for the missing Orb, Avery is drawn into a hidden world of werewolves, ancient prophecies, and deadly pack rivalries. Powerful enemies want Alex's throne. A jealous Alpha heiress wants Avery gone. And a ruthless rival Alpha will stop at nothing to claim the Orb for himself.
But the greatest secret of all may be Avery herself.
Because the closer she gets to Alex, the more impossible truths begin to surface about her past, her strange abilities, and the destiny that has been waiting for her all along.
With a curse threatening Alex's life, enemies closing in from every side, and a forbidden bond growing stronger by the day, Avery must decide whether to walk away from the dangerous Alpha who needs her—or risk everything for a love written by fate itself.
In a city where secrets kill and destiny cannot be escaped, can a fake engagement become a love powerful enough to change the future?
From Substitute To Queen
Heartbroken, Sable discovered Darrell having sex with his ex in their bed, while secretly transferring hundreds of thousands to support that woman.
Even worse was overhearing Darrell laugh to his friends: "She's useful—obedient, doesn't cause trouble, handles housework, and I can fuck her whenever I need relief. She's basically a live-in maid with benefits." He made crude thrusting gestures, sending his friends into laughter.
In despair, Sable left, reclaimed her true identity, and married her childhood neighbor—Lycan King Caelan, nine years her senior and her fated mate. Now Darrell desperately tries to win her back. How will her revenge unfold?
From substitute to queen—her revenge has just begun!
The Vampire Prince's Hybrid Bride
Alpha VS Omega' Twin VS Twin (A Dark Werewolf Romance)
Stripped of everything, Callum is thrown into the Rookeries, where packless wolves go to die. But he survives. He builds a pack from the broken and the damned. He falls in love with Valentina, a dhampir hunted by the same vampire Parliament that destroyed his life.
In a city ruled by immortal aristocrats and controlled by ancient dragons, Callum learns the hardest truth: individual virtue cannot defeat systemic evil. But small victories matter. And some fights are worth losing everything
Mates: Regrets and Redemption
With my heart in pieces, I sought solace in the last place I expected—my Alpha's arms. One night turned into a dangerous entanglement, and now my Alpha refuses to let me go. As the Alpha’s obsession grows, I'm caught in a web of desire and fear.
Curtis, the boy I once loved, still holds a promise I made, but the Alpha’s powerful presence pulls me deeper into his world. Should I forgive Curtis and keep my word, or should I risk everything for a chance at something wild and unpredictable with the Alpha who won’t take no for an answer?
“There are no limits between us,” he chuckled, the mirth sparkling in his gorgeous eyes. “And all of this stems from the night you gave me both pain and pleasure. I’m simply returning the favor.”
He took two steps forward, and I stepped back. “But…” The memory of what I had done filled me with fear, and I knew I had to get out of there. “I…”
“No, Firecat.” He placed an index finger on my lips. “This will take your mind off that son of a bitch.” His strong hands pulled me by the waist until I felt his hard manhood.
Let Them Kneel
Cast out by her pack. Forgotten by the Lycans.
She lived among humans—quiet, invisible, tucked away in a town no one looked at twice.
But when her first heat comes without warning, everything changes.
Her body ignites. Her instincts scream. And something primal stirs beneath her skin—
summoning a big, bad Alpha who knows exactly how to quench her fire.
When he claims her, it’s ecstasy and ruin.
For the first time, she believes she’s been accepted.
Seen.
Chosen.
Until he leaves her the next morning—
like a secret never to be spoken.
But Kaelani is not what they thought.
Not wolfless. Not weak.
There is something ancient inside her. Something powerful. And it’s waking.
And when it does—
they’ll all remember the girl they tried to erase.
Especially him.
She’ll be the dream he keeps chasing… the one thing that ever made him feel alive.
Because secrets never stay buried.
And neither do dreams.
The Contract Wife: Marriage Of Malice
He didn't finish. He didn't need to.
I didn't tell him to stop.
Instead, my fingers curled into his shirt, clutching the fabric as though it was my only anchor. Something in him snapped—something he had been holding back for too long. His mouth found mine in a kiss that wasn't tender, but hungry, desperate.
I gasped into him, his hand sliding up to cup my jaw, holding me as if afraid I might vanish.
"You drive me insane," he breathed against my mouth, his lips trailing to my throat. "I can't lose you, Ella. Not you."
My head fell back, a soft sound escaping me as his fingers memorized my waist. My anger melted beneath his desperation.
"James..." I whispered, more plea than protest.
His hand caught mine, fingers threading together tightly. "I'll bring him back. I swear it. Just... don't turn away from me. Please."
The word please—low, ragged, almost broken—undid me more than anything else could have.
Ella never imagined she would marry the man she had secretly loved for years in such a way.
When her brother Theo faced twenty-five years in prison for massive embezzlement, the ruthless business tycoon James Lancaster offered her a deal: marry him in exchange for her brother's freedom.
This wasn't a fairy tale proposal, but a carefully orchestrated revenge. Because in James's heart, Ella was the culprit who had killed his sister Cecilia. He wanted her to pay the price—to atone with a lifetime of suffering.
HER ALPHA, HER SAVIOUR
Kane Hellboud, charm and wealth personified, wanted only me in exchange for her treatment. No cameras, isolation, or noose-like rules were part of the deal. Behind his smile? Cold, violent possessiveness that destroyed our fake marriage.
Most of all, I didn’t know the supernatural walked among us, hiding in the cracks of ordinary life. Not until Abel Stone stepped into mine—dark-eyed, sharp-tongued, and oozing dangerous promises. He’s my new boss. He shouldn’t make my skin tingle or my pulse race. I shouldn’t feel this primal pull, this illogical recognition that tugs at something deep in my bones.
Around him, lights burst, electronics fry, and something ancient in me awakens.
Kane feels it. His grip tightens, punishments turn brutal, and he hides the truth of what I am.
Trapped between two powerful men, I’m no prey, no pawn—no helpless victim.
Prisons burn. Monsters bleed. As for me? I'm the storm in skin—deadly beyond suspicion.
Accardi
“I thought you said you were done chasing me?” Gen mocked.
“I am done chasing you.”
Before she could formulate a witty remark, Matteo threw her down. She landed hard on her back atop his dining room table. She tried to sit up when she noticed what he was doing. His hands were working on his belt. It came free of his pants with a violent yank. She collapsed back on her elbows, her mouth gaping open at the display. His face was a mask of sheer determination, his eyes were a dark gold swimming with heat and desire. His hands wrapped around her thighs and pulled her to the edge of the table. He glided his fingers up her thighs and hooked several around the inside of her panties. His knuckles brushed her dripping sex.
“You’re soaking wet, Genevieve. Tell me, was it me that made you this way or him?” his voice told her to be careful with her answer. His knuckles slid down through her folds and she threw her head back as she moaned. “Weakness?”
“You…” she breathed.
Genevieve loses a bet she can’t afford to pay. In a compromise, she agrees to convince any man her opponent chooses to go home with her that night. What she doesn’t realize when her sister’s friend points out the brooding man sitting alone at the bar, is that man won’t be okay with just one night with her. No, Matteo Accardi, Don of one of the largest gangs in New York City doesn’t do one night stands. Not with her anyway.
The Alpha's Stripper Mate
"What?" It was out of my mouth before I could stop it. I did not wait for him to answer me, I walked toward him.
"Dance on my lap."
My head screamed at me to turn around and run. But my whole body responded to his command.
"Yes, Alpha," I pulled my dress over my body, it dropped over my head and fell to the ground behind me. I was left in nothing but my matching bra and thong. My hands covered my chest on reflex.
"Let me see."
My hands dropped to my sides.
I lowered myself into his lap, facing him. His eyes peered into mine, and I could feel his hot breath fan my face. His dick responded to all my moves, hardening against my now-moist vagina. I swallowed hard, allowing my lips to part in a ragged breath. His hands trailed up to my waist.
"No touching."
At the tender age of eleven, JoJo Wyatt was forced to grow up far sooner than she should have. Born to a cruel father and a weak mother, she quickly realized she had to become the breadwinner for herself and her sister. Nothing else mattered to her, not even the hottest men. In fact, she despised them. After one horrific night, she swore never to have any contact with the male species again. That was, until she started working for him as his stripper.
Meanwhile, Alpha Lake Rush, thirty, was the most feared Alpha in the country. Burdened by his own share of life's struggles, he had learned only to be cruel and reckless, rejecting not one but two mates. But what happens when he discovers yet another mate, and she turns out to be his stripper?
Tempted By The Enemy
She escapes to Preston Island to attend the wedding without informing him only to collide with Lucas’s hot, fiery and arrogant brother, the twenty-three-year-old, Nicholas Donnelly. Sparks immediately fly between them but Alyssa refuses to acknowledge them fearing her brother's wrath.
The wedding is over and Alyssa tries hard to forget the mysterious Nicholas Donnelly but can he forget her? Can he ignore the attraction he feels for her, feelings that have resurfaced after ten years?
What will Allyssa do when she is stalked by the man who has been invading her dreams since the day she met him? What will she do when she is whisked away to a deserted island by the unpredictable Nicholas Donnelly? Can she tame her heart or surrender to sinful temptations? Read to find out!
Part of the Temptation Series. Can be read as a standalone.
The Hunter and The Hunted
Mihai’s hand slowly slides up my stomach, his fingers wrapping around my neck as he cuts of my ability to breathe, black spots clouding my vision, and yet, I am not afraid. I want more. I want everything that he can give to me.
He slowly inserts a third finger, the intense fullness that I feel teetering me over the edge of a cliff I cannot even see, and then he sucks and pulls at my clit. Sparks erupt throughout my body, the orgasm shaking my soul, and destroying what was left of my resistance.
She was the Daughter of a Hunter, he was one of the creatures that her family had sworn to destroy, what could possibly go wrong?
When their worlds collide, who will be left standing, will it be the hunter or the hunted, and which is which?
