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thestrongactingweak

From Covenant to the Roses

When the "Queen of Jewels" needed a marriage of convenience to save her empire, she chose the one man who ever dared to tell her: "Bread comes before pearls." Elisa Rossi, youngest ruler of a jewelry empire. She possessed diamond-sharp judgment, presiding over a multibillion-euro business dynasty. With eighteen months left until her thirtieth birthday, the cold clause of the family trust tightened around her neck: "Marry before thirty, or forfeit all shares." The arranged match was Alessandro, heir to a banking empire—polished, shrewd, and certain of victory. But Elisa offered a very different contract. "I need a husband who will vanish cleanly in three years." Her choice fell on the man in a worn sweater, tucked away in a small-town archive. Lorenzo Costa, archivist of San Gimignano. On his left ring finger rested a plain platinum band, passed down through generations, inscribed inside with his family’s creed: "Il pane prima delle perle." Bread comes before pearls. His father’s critical illness demanded a fortune in medical bills. When Elisa slid the contract toward him, he calmly added three conditions: "Schedule the surgery at once. Establish an independent trust. And—respect my boundaries." A marriage of mutual necessity began under the glass dome of Milan. She gave him a signet ring of gold, a symbol of power and transaction. He placed on her finger his platinum band, imprinted with legacy and truth. When corporate ambushes, family betrayal, and hidden clauses exploded at once— on a cliff’s edge, with a gun aimed at her heart— Lorenzo threw himself before the bullet. His final words: "Now do you believe it? Some contracts were never meant to be transactions." What began as calculation ended as a choice made with a life. When the queen of jewels learned to feel the warmth of bread, when the archivist redefined the worth of pearls, they finally understood: The strongest thrones are not built on roses, nor guarded by thorns— but rise from the ruins where two real people choose to rebuild, together. —A story of how lies can give birth to truth, how calculation loses to the heart, and why sometimes the one who saves you is the very person you first saw as a tool.
DuoduoQian · 668 Views

(BL)Alpha Made

The world is diverse and flourishing. Humanity has changed, and with it, brought in a new era of prosperity. Males and females still exist, but the spectrum from which humanity is cast has broadened. With the introduction of alpha, omega, and beta, humanity has evolved even further. In such a word, Dr. Andrew Knox, known environmental researcher, is happy being a beta male. It has made his life easier by being middle ground, and as much as some wish he was one way or the other, he’s happy being who he is. Thriving even. He works in a world renowned research facility. He makes friends easily, and his projects are always funded. He even found someone who he thinks he could end up marrying if things continue in the right direction. That, and the vacant house next to his apartment building gets bought by a new neighbour. A cute, but cautious omega who relies on Andrew as a beta for help. Andrew couldn’t be happier. He loves being a helper, and loves when people rely on him. All in all, Andrew really thinks he has everything made. That is, until a research project with shoddy data is thrown back into his face that he has no recollection of working on, and all of his reputation disintegrates in between one heartbeat and the next. Heartbroken, it isn’t until Andrew wakes up, chained to a wall that everything becomes clear. He becomes a test subject to one of the scientists that he trusted. That he expected would never harm him. The life he had known, where he was a respected researcher was ripped out from underneath him. His identity and everything he’s ever known is stolen from him from a crazed researcher who he had trusted, maybe even loved. He has to relearn who he is, what he is, from scratch. Thankfully, he has one person in his corner. He just never expected to have to rely on someone whose shoulders were so small. This is an a/b/o story, and will have those tropes associated with it. I hope you enjoy :)
CalyB · 1m Views