fastpaced

[Divorce+ Contract marriage+ Faceslapping+ Second chance love] Evelyn Carter had always believed that while her husband and first love did not share her feelings, he cared for her and respected their marriage. That illusion was shattered when she discovered his affair. She made the decision to part ways amicably in order to hold onto her last shard of self respect. But he threatened her. One case later and she took half his empire. After this ordeal, she gave up her dream of starting a family —until he showed up. He was no stranger to her. Damon Blackwood, her ex-husbands greatest rival. Yet, this same man stood before her with an offer she never expected. "Marry me." Cover is from Pinterest. Credits to the original owner.

"New rule," he growls, rubbing the tip of his cock against my pussy. "From now on, you call me Daddy no matter what. You understand me?" I nod as much as his grip around my neck will allow, my pulse hammering against his palm. "Yes, Daddy." I obey. °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° Valentino, Raffaele, and Angelo, are the princes of Le Vipere Nere—the most feared Mafia family in Italy. I was just a stripper when Valentino first laid eyes on me. To him, I was supposed to be a fleeting distraction meant for nothing more than a night of passion and sin. But we became so much more. At first I was tangled only in his sheets until his brothers wanted a taste of me. Once they decided I was theirs, there was no escaping. Now I’m trapped between three Mafia heirs who don’t know how to share. They claim me. Worship me. And fuck me until I forget my own name. They make me crave the pain as much as the pleasure. They make me theirs—body, mind, and soul. But the truth is I’m living a lie, and when they discover my secret, this game of lust and obsession might end in blood. Welcome to a story of sin, power, and forbidden desire—where love and hate are separated by nothing more than a single heartbeat.

Moshi Moshi, Satoru desu. I have no idea how I got here but I’m the strongest so… Slay demons, okay. Save people, you bet. Muzan Jackson, Nah, I’d win. I’m overpowered but so what? I alone am the honoured one. Summary: In which our MC is isekai’d as a version of Satoru Gojo who ate all twenty of Sukuna’s shrivelled up fingers into the world of Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer). Will eventually crossover with other worlds. Worlds so far: Kemetsu no Yaiba* (Demon Slayer) AU JJK (Jujutsu Kaisen) AU PJO (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) Bleach AU *The Homeworld Disclaimer: Obviously I’m not Gege or Koyoharu. I don’t own Jujutsu Kaisen or Demon Slayer. This story is a work of fiction, any similarity to any person found in it living or dead, is entirely coincidental. The fact that I even need to point out that this is very clearly an Alternate Universe (AU) fucking blows my mind. How do people read the synopsis and go “Oh… It’s basically Gojo Satoru in Demon Slayer? Man I hope that everything is still canon and nothing changed or I’ll be very very big angwy.” Formerly: Nah, I’d Slay Demons

"So needy, little El," he murmured, his voice thick with dark amusement. Then, i felt the press of his finger at my entrance. When he plunged it inside, a jolt of pure, electric shock seized my body. I jerked, but their hands hend my hip down, pinning me.  What was this new, overwhelming sensation. I clenched around his finger involuntarily, a broken moan escaping me as he pulled out, only to thrust back in slowly. This wasn't fair. They were the ones who had deceived me. Why was i the one being punished like this? Another skilled finger found my clit, rubbing tight, frantic circles. I didn't know which was one of them was doing it as Kieran's pace inside me wasn't slowing and my body was jerking helplessly with every thrust. With my hands still pinned, i was completely at their mercy. The control I'd seized has been ripped away too soon. It wasn't fair. But stars above, I wanted more. **** I don’t want to be with the triplets, so I will give them a reason to reject me, by getting entertained by these male entertainers that makes my body feel different” *** Treated as a scapegoat to please her sister. Her boyfriend of two years saw her as someone to pass time and “pay his checks” and will blindly do anything for him. And he goes ahead to be engaged to her sister, Priscilla, who faked an incurable illness to gain everyone’s sympathy and make Eleanor’s life miserable. After a devastating heartbreak and a near-fatal accident, Eleanor’s life takes an unexpected turn when she begins experiencing unnatural abilities. Things that no ordinary human should be capable of. Then she meets the enigmatic CEOs of Vexxons, a powerful tech empire, and feels an inexplicable pull toward them, followed by a voice filled with resolve whispering in her mind. When the Vexxon triplets, the tycoons to the most advanced tech firm in the world cross paths with Eleanor, their inner wolves recognize her, but they don’t. But they are hiding a dark side of them. They think they already have their mate but Eleanor is their real destined mate. Also, Eleanor is human… or so they thought. Now, torn between her painful past and a dangerous, supernatural future, and a prophecy, Eleanor must navigate a world of power, secrets, and primal instincts. Can she embrace her true nature and heal from the betrayals that once broke her? what happens when she finds out even people close to her are also werewolves? Will the shadows of her old life destroy her before the triplets can claim what is theirs? Fate has chosen her. But will she choose them back? I appreciate your support, and would want you to help make this story last. your support is my income. I hope I don’t disappoint

[Mature Content R18+] Two days before my wedding, my fiancé told me he would marry my twin sister, because it was her dying wish. My family, his family, everyone dear to me, turned me into a villain for being defiant. The decision was final. The bride had changed. They forced me into a golden cage, waiting for my turn to be another substitute. Then he came. The man who should have been my enemy offered his hand. Led us into one wild night. "Be my wife. Six years. Let's have a contract for exactly that long." "You lost your mind. You promised-" "And I'll give you five years. You can be free. Do whatever you want with the Kingston name. I promised that." "Wh... what?" "But you must promise me, you will be back, and let's live like we burn for each other in that last year." "Rafael... what are you planning to?" "Get things back to their right place." I was tired of being anyone's pawn. So, I play my own game. Five years later, I am back. Revenge is an understatement. The price for my suffering is due. My children keep asking for their father. They'll meet him soon, but there's a problem:  I’m not sure who the real father is. "Viona... I never stop loving you. Tell me they are my flesh, right? I want you back. I want us back." My ex-fiancé shamelessly pleaded before me. "They are mine. The four of them are mine." And there he was, my contracted husband declared with a glare that was ready to burn the whole society down. This should be a simple game of power. But love always meddles between the players. ====== Author's Note: This Novel is a character-driven plot. Every character has their own motivation and is layered. Every choice has no easy way out. If you enjoy slow burn, this might be to your liking. Please read all the free chapters before you decide to continue or not. Thank you for giving this story a chance.

A synopsis? Like, you want me to explain what I'm gonna talk about? Fine, whatever, I'm Jay, and I'm a hot mess. Twenty years ago my mom cought me in bed with a dude and kicked me out, my friends betrayed me, and every fucking one is dead to me. But now, my mom is really dead, and I have to go back and deal with all this shit that I really really reeeeeeally don't want to deal with. There! Fun right?

There are times—far too many times—when you feel that uncontrollable urge to kill someone. For Kaya, this… this was exactly that moment. “Repeat what you just said?” She’d seen hell on the battlefield—second-in-command of a military unit, dodging bullets, dragging traitors by the collar, and coming out alive with grit under her nails. But nothing, absolutely nothing, prepared her for the sight of her spineless husband flirting with her own sister. Right in front of her. “I could never marry a barbarian like you. The one I... I like is Meera—” Blah blah. The same pitiful nonsense again. You think—what could possibly be worse than this? And then, right on cue, your idiotic sister chimes in, completely serious, “I just poisoned you.” Wow. BANG. Before anyone could even react, Meera collapsed. Dead. Her so-called husband gasped like a fish dragged out of water. “Y-you…” He dropped to his knees, staring at Kaya like he was seeing a monster rise from the dark. “You killed your sister?! How could y—?” BANG. Second bullet. Same spot. He dropped like a puppet with its strings cut. Silence. ... Just when Kaya thought her story had finally reached its bitter end, the universe—no, god himself—decided to throw in one last, ridiculous twist. “Wife… wife, didn’t you say you were gonna eat me? Why’d you stop?” A snake beast, ridiculously charming and glowing like some immortal fantasy, clung to her, eyes gleaming. Another voice interrupted. “Shut up! My wife wants to cuddle me now—” A sparrow beastman leapt into her arms, like that made any sense. “Hic… wife, don’t you want me anymore?” A panda-like beastman sat beside her, huge, sniffly, and wronged like a child abandoned at a festival. Sitting in the middle of all this, Kaya was absolutely dumbfounded. ‘When the hell did all of this even start?’

Fred, a disillusioned white-collar worker from Torrance, California, has his life violently upended when he is struck by a fragment of an alien meteor. The impact grants him two impossible abilities: perfect X-ray vision and the power of Item Identification, allowing him to instantaneously discern the history, composition, and true value of any object. Furthermore, his physical capabilities are steadily enhanced throughout the story, progressing from double (2x) to an ultimate five-fold (5x) peak. Fired from his job and facing mounting debt, Fred leverages his newfound gifts. He abandons his ordinary life and, with the cynical help of his pawnshop friend, Dusky, he dives into the cutthroat world of estate sales, container auctions, and flea markets. His goal: to turn small savings into the fortune needed to hunt for legendary global treasures and perhaps, finally, impress Diana, the glamorous model he secretly loves. His initial scores lead him to the first fragment of the ancient Mithraic Star Map, triggering a global, high-stakes hunt. As Fred's powers increase—granting him superior reflexes (3x), perfect memory (4x), and eventually cellular mastery (5x)—he draws the attention of two powerful forces: Elena, a savvy, ethical researcher who becomes his hesitant colleague, and The Syndicate, a shadowy, international organization led by the ruthless figure known only as Janus. Janus, who is revealed to be an earlier, more powerful Aetherium-impacted individual, seeks to acquire all meteor fragments and use the Mithraic Map to trigger a second, cataclysmic impact. Fred's journey spirals into a race against annihilation, forcing him to master his 5x enhancement and the profound implications of his powers. He must risk everything—including exposing his secret and placing Diana and Dusky in extreme peril—to choose between a quiet life of unimaginable wealth and becoming the world’s last, best defender against a cosmic threat.

Vicky, a high-schooler from Jaipur, ends his 12th-grade exams and heads home in the evening. A dupatta from a nearby balcony blows across his face, blinding him for a second. In that instant, a tiny unknown object — about the size of a bearing ball — rips through the cloth, grazes his hand, and disappears without a trace. That small encounter unexpectedly redirects the course of his life. Slowly, Vicky is drawn from everyday normalcy into a path that reaches far beyond his city. His journey takes him from handling an AWM to confronting Titans to finally stepping onto massive space cruisers — one event leading to the next, all connected to that brief moment on his way home. A simple walk becomes the start of an extraordinary journey into the stars.

After catching her boyfriend cheating on her, Alvira Gibson accepted a two hundred million dollar deal to marry the Alpha of the moonstone pack, Kaldric Verlith. Her job was to act as his wife until the real Alvira returns and takes her place; however, unaware that she is his mate, Alvira quickly finds herself falling in love with Kaldric, a man she shouldn't want, but her growing desire for him makes her turn her back on the money and the people who had hired her, and unfortunately, it was a decision she soon regrets when the man she loves turns against her. When everything begins to work against her, will it be too late for Alvira to find out that the heart beating inside her is that of a 200-year-old hybrid who wishes to possess her body? Cursed by the moon for being a creature that shouldn't exist, Kaldric never expected to have a mate. She was everything he didn't know he needed, and for the first time in his life, he believed someone actually loved him for who he was until he found out that it was all a lie. The marriage. The bond. Her love. Everything became a lie to him, pushing him to become the monster everyone already believed him to be, and when he finds out that the heart he needs to break his curse beats in the chest of the woman he loves, Kaldric will be forced to make a decision—either live with his curse or end it by ripping the heart of the woman he claims to now hate.

ƪ⁠(⁠‾⁠.⁠‾⁠“⁠)⁠┐Participating in WSA 2025, Please vote for me(⁠づ⁠｡⁠◕⁠‿⁠‿⁠◕⁠｡⁠)⁠づ In a world ravaged by environmental disasters and societal collapse, 18-year-old Ava Raven Blackwood awakens a powerful system, Environmental Control and Habitat Optimization-- ECHO, which guides her in surviving the apocalypse. Before the disaster strikes, ECHO helps Ava prepare by gathering resources and developing skills in a secret space, Hope's Refuge. As the apocalypse unfolds, Ava and her best friends, Lyra, Kael, and Zephyr, use Hope's Refuge as a base to launch missions, gather resources, and help other survivors. The training ground within the refuge allows them to hone their skills, preparing for the dangers that lurk in the new world. With ECHO's assistance, Ava becomes a symbol of hope for those who have suffered and survived. She must confront the consequences of her newfound leadership, navigate the complex web of alliances and rivalries, and face the darkness within herself. As Ava and her friends work to rebuild and restore the planet, they discover hidden secrets about ECHO, the apocalypse, and their own destinies. With the fate of humanity hanging in the balance, Ava must make impossible choices and confront the ultimate question: what does it mean to be human in a world gone mad? Author’s Note This is a happy-go-lucky apocalypse story! If you’re here for constant tragedy, grimdark despair, or MCs who barely cling to life… sorry, wrong book (≧▽≦). But if you want a fun ride with laughter, friendship, and good vibes in the middle of the end of the world, then welcome aboard ! Don’t forget to add this to your library and support me~ (｡・//ε//・｡)

Lola is an unwanted child, often looked down on and shamed. At a young age, people kept saying that even when she got married, only good-for-nothing scums would want her! Years later, Lola comes back to end ties with her family once and for all when two children cling to her legs, saying; “Mommy, please let us adopt you!” “Mommy, Daddy misses you so much! He said he wants another baby!” When everyone was only interested in Lola’s misery, the richest and most influential hotshot announced, “My wife, please come home.” *** Join my Discord server: https://discord.gg/gXCMQwmrGY

Konoha, Year 58. Kitagawa Gen never expected his life to change so drastically. After sending his teammates to the hospital and becoming Kakashi Hatake’s first disciple, he finally unlocked his long-awaited starter gift: [Reward: Ōtsutsuki Clan Bloodline (Dormant)] [Host, please develop wisely.] Armed with the dormant power of the ancient Ōtsutsuki Clan, Gen embarks on a journey to uncover its secrets and unleash its full potential. But mastering this legendary bloodline is no simple task—it’s a guidebook with no instructions, a power that could either save the ninja world or throw it into chaos. With the world already on the brink of turmoil, can Gen rise to the challenge and rewrite the destiny of the Ōtsutsuki bloodline?

• 1-2 New Chapters Every Day Jake Vance is a good man. A history teacher who knows the horrors of the past. One night, he goes to sleep in the 21st century. He wakes up in another time. He is no longer himself. He is now a young Joseph Stalin. His goal is simple: prevent the atrocities that will kill millions. But survival in the Russian Revolution is a brutal game. He is not alone. Kato, a fierce revolutionary, is the woman he loves. To protect her, he must gain power. To save the future, he must change history itself. He tries to use his modern morals. He attempts mercy, kindness, and reason. But the ruthless 20th century punishes the weak. To climb the ranks of the Bolsheviks, he must impress the brilliant but cold-blooded Lenin. He must outmaneuver the fiery orator, Trotsky. With every political battle he wins, a piece of his soul is chipped away. To build a better world, he must become a monster. To save the woman he loves, he must embrace the darkness of the man he inhabits. He is no longer just preventing a tragedy. He is becoming one. Can a good man become the devil to save the world from himself?

• 1-2 New Chapters Every Day Han Yoo-jin never stood out. He worked long hours at a Korean entertainment company, doing what he was told, blending into the crowd. That was his life—ordinary, predictable, and a little empty. Then one night, he met Jung Sae-ri, a young actress who seemed to shine brighter than anyone else in the room. Something about her stayed with him long after the event ended. The next morning, Yoo-jin woke up to a strange new ability. He could see a person’s potential as if it were written on a screen—numbers, stats, the raw truth of who might become a star. It was a power that could change everything in the entertainment world. At work, he came across Choi Mina, a trainee still in her teens. She had the kind of spark that could move millions, but she didn’t believe in herself. The industry had already worn her down. Yoo-jin saw her differently. He decided to help her, not just as a producer, but as someone who wanted her to find her place in the world. But the road to fame is full of traps. Jealous rivals, greedy agencies, and the ever-hungry press are ready to tear down anyone who rises too fast. Yoo-jin will have to protect the people he cares about, keep his secret hidden, and prove that not every success story ends in a scandal. Because in a world built on fame and lies, staying true might be the hardest thing of all.

• 1-2 New Chapters Every Day A 21st-century tech manager from 2035 wakes up in the body of Emperor Commodus—the mad ruler fated to die by his own guard. Marcus Holt doesn’t plan to go down like that. He’s got one advantage: JARVIS, a solar-powered AI he built back on Earth, still running on his battered laptop. With it, he can predict famine, stop riots, and even outsmart senators. But in ancient Rome, a machine that thinks like a god is the most dangerous secret a man can have. Lucilla, Commodus’s brilliant sister, senses something wrong. Her brother suddenly speaks with reason instead of rage, reforms instead of blood. To her, that means one thing—he’s possessed. And she will stop him before he tears apart the world she knows. Then there’s Marcia, the former slave who once feared Commodus but now sees something human behind his eyes. She becomes his ally, his love, and the only person he dares to trust with the truth about JARVIS. Together, they dream of saving Rome—even as it turns against them. But the closer Marcus gets to building a better empire, the clearer it becomes that changing history might destroy him first. Will Commodus’s heart win over his logic—or will the god he created decide his fate?

[WARNING R19+ CONTENT] "I have eight hours to live." That's the first thing I hear after waking up in the beast world novel I was reading. A pop-up screen flashes in my face: [Welcome, Host! Activate the Baby Making System!] [Task 1: Get pregnant in 8:00:00.] [Penalty for Failure: Horrible Death.] To survive, I have to find a man, any man, and do the deed. As a worthless side character, my options are limited, and my time is running out. I'm forced to make an impossible, desperate choice. I didn't know why the system chose me until after that first, desperate night. In a world where the powerful are sterile, my human body has the highest fertility ever seen. I thought my first task was to survive. I was wrong. That first man was just the beginning. Now, I'm not just a side character... I'm the only hope for this world, and every possessive male from every powerful clan is coming for me. **** If you are looking for a female lead who loves to curse out loud and do whatever the fuck she wants with her life, then this book is for you. She is also very picky with the males and makes sure they are very handsome and have the right *assets*... ahem. OTHER TAGS: NPC Character • Posessive • Polygamy • Beast World • Sassy System • Sassy Female Lead • Smart / Cunning Female Lead • Anti-Heroine • Comedy • Obsession • Romance • Shameless • Sexy Men • Chaotic.

For eight years, Lara Quinn has lived with an unrequited love for her cold, untouchable boss, Marco Blackwell, the powerful CEO of Blackwell International Holdings and heir to an ancient bloodline. He is brilliant, ruthless, and already engaged to his elegant childhood sweetheart. To everyone else, he is untouchable. To Lara, he is the dream she can never have. Lara does not believe in supernatural beings or in the legends that speak of humans bound to creatures born of the moon. Until one night changes everything. During the company's annual team building in the mountains, a violent storm traps them together beneath the Blood Moon. When desire breaks through restraint, Lara gives herself to Marco, unaware that one night of passion will awaken a bond older than time itself. By dawn, she bears his mark, and her life is no longer her own. The following morning, Marco returns to being cold and distant, treating her as if she means nothing after what happened between them. It breaks her heart, though she tries to hide the pain behind quiet smiles and lowered eyes. Back in the city, Marco proposes marriage. For one blissful moment, Lara believes her dream has finally come true until he tells her the truth. Their marriage will be nothing more than a contract, an agreement made to appease his clan and fulfill a prophecy that demands an heir. Once she gives him the child destiny requires, he will end their marriage and reward her with a fortune before marrying the woman he truly loves. Lara refused his proposal and threw the engagement ring at him out of anger, her voice trembling as she told him she would never marry someone like him. Still, she was left with no choice and said yes when life cornered her once again, forcing her to depend on the one man who had broken her heart. Even if it meant swallowing her pride and pretending she felt nothing, she wanted to stay by his side a little longer. It was foolish, she knew, but a part of her still hoped that one day, he might learn to love her too. But when she discovers she is pregnant, her fragile hope turns to fear. Determined to protect her child from the darkness that surrounds Marco's world, Lara runs. Yet Marco Blackwell is not a man who lets go of what is his, and now he will stop at nothing to find his wife. He thought fated mates were only a myth. But under the Blood Moon, one choice bound their souls forever. And now, as danger closes in, she must make an impossible choice: protect her child from the world that hunts them, or protect her heart from Marco Blackwell.

WARNING: MATURE CONTENT I was eight when my world burned. My family was slaughtered; my home was reduced to ash. And the ones responsible? Gone. All they left behind was a black bandana embroidered with a nightshade thorn—a symbol of death. For ten years, I trained in the shadows. I became a weapon. Now, my hunt leads me to Prestige Supernatural Academy (PSA), the most elite werewolf school in the world—a place ruled by four Alpha heirs with too much power, arrogance, and dark desires. The night I arrive, I cross paths with Dristan, Kai, and Axel—heirs to the East, North, and West Alpha Kings. Arrogant. Vicious. Gods among wolves. They see me as nothing. A weak, powerless stray. They humiliate me, taunt me, overpower me— making me want to rip them apart. So, I make a vow: I’ll destroy them before they ever get the chance to destroy me. Then, on the eve of my 18th birthday, the Blood Moon rises. My wolf awakens. My power surges. And fate? That cruel, twisted bitch shackles me to all three of them. Mates. I want to reject them. I burn for them instead. And when I meet Xade, the wicked, silver-tongued heir to the Middle Belt Alpha King, the final bond snaps into place. Four possessive, dominant, and dangerously irresistible alphas. One vengeful, unbreakable wolf. And a deadly secret tying them to my past. Loving them could destroy me. Hating them could kill me. But in the end… who will ruin whom? And, fuck—why does my traitorous body want all four of them to do it? *************** “Say it.” Dristan’s voice was smooth and controlled in a way that promised devastation underneath. I swallowed hard, my pulse hammering as he cornered me against the desk. Kai was behind me, his warmth pressing into my back, his breath teasing my neck. Axel leaned in, lips curved in a sinful smirk, his hazel green eyes dark with amusement. “Say it, sweetheart. Say you don’t want us and we’ll let you be—maybe.” I clenched my fists. I wanted to tell them to fuck off—but my traitorous body? It was already betraying me.  My skin burned. My heart raced. My thighs clenched against the insufferable ache they caused just by existing. I lifted my chin, ignoring the heat curling low in my stomach. “I don’t—” “Liar.” The single word came from Xade, who had been silent until now. He was sitting in the professor’s chair, his crystal blue eyes burning into mine. He didn’t have to touch me. His voice alone was enough to undo me. He smirked, tilting his head. “You can fight it all you want, little wolf. But we can smell it.” Axel’s fingers traced the pulse at my throat. “Your heart’s pounding.” Kai’s lips brushed my ear. “Your body’s betraying you, love.” Dristan exhaled slowly, his gaze locked onto mine like a predator savouring its prey. “Your scent doesn’t lie, mate.” Fuck. My entire body was on fire. My legs trembled. My wolf purred in my head, eager to submit. I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. So, I did the only thing I could—I shoved Axel back, spun around, and tried to escape. I didn’t make it. Kai grabbed my wrist, yanking me back into his chest. I gasped, my palms slamming against his rock-solid torso. His golden eyes burned into mine. “Where do you think you’re going?” Axel was behind me now, his fingers sliding under my jaw, forcing my head up. “We’re not done with you, sweetheart.” Dristan smirked. “Not even close, mate.” "We're just getting started," Xade drawled. I was trapped. Caged. And the worst part? I didn’t want to run. ***************** Disclaimer: Cover mine, kindly do not use or replicate. Instagram: Baevidaa Join me on Discord: https://discord.gg/68t5Pv3Gmn BaeVida#7176

Year 19,001 since Founding. Russell Auburn, the youngest mage in history to be granted the nobility rank of Baron from a commoner status thanks to his numerous contributions to the kingdom, exited the royal palace after having been awarded the unprecedented title of “Greatest Detective of All Time” by the reigning monarch himself. Journalists swarmed him outside the palace gates and questioned one after another, “Esteemed Baron, there are rumors in the royal capital that only by relying on your wife's background did you reach your current heights! What's your opinion about this?” “At the recently concluded sensational case of ‘Frost Willow Conspiracy’ we received some dubious tipoff that you exposed their treachery only because the price they offered couldn't satisfy your appetite? Please give your comments to expel such negative rumors.” “During The Massacre of Little Clover Township, the tragic incident over a hundred years ago, an unconfirmed source says that you could have saved more people but deliberately didn't do so for personal motives! Is there any truth to this or could you perhaps have had some unknown difficulties at that time?” “Esteemed Baron…” Hearing their nonstop smearing campaign Russell felt his blood pressure soar! If not for the fact that all of these journalists had backers in the royal court then he would have shown them the consequences for questioning an aristocrat so blatantly. He kept a calm expression as he replied, “Everyone! Those are all nothing but rumors spread by jealous people! I hope that journalist friends would uphold their professional values and not endorse the words of rumormongers.” Russell summoned his Pegasus with a wave of his hand while adding arrogantly, “As for me relying on my wife's background? That's a foolish joke! She proposed marriage first not only because of our deep love but also because I was very talented in my profession. She had the foresight to see my potential way back in my humble beginnings. That's all!” He gracefully sat on top of the Pegasus, riding away in style but not before forcefully saying his famous line, “I have reached my current position only by relying on talent, loyalty, and righteousness!”