strongfl

Old people used to say—"Watch your mouth. Once a word leaves, it never comes back." Nonsense, I thought. Pure, unadulterated nonsense. At least, that’s what I thought before today. Now, I’m sitting in an office that smells like pure disappointment, staring at a boss who can only be described as a fat, bald rhino. And I mean it. Not a single strand of hair. Smooth. Shiny. Reflecting my bad decisions right back at me. And the horn? Judging by his face, it looked like the rhino tried climbing a mountain and got the horn stuck halfway. Impossible, right? Yeah, that’s what I thought too. But look at this—today, a rhino is sitting in a chair, in an office, acting like he owns the world. Clearly, anything is possible. Now, all of this was supposed to stay in my head. A thought. A private, safe, non-life-threatening thought. But me? Why would I act normal? Why would I choose peace when I can personally ruin my entire life? So, instead of walking out quietly, I said it. "You fat rhino. I quit." ... Ah. Beautiful. Truly, I had the aura of a domineering CEO. Except for one small issue: I’m not the heroine of some high-end drama. There was no background music. No slow-motion exit. No hidden identity. Just me. A nuisance with no powerful family and no backup. If my ancestors could see me right now, they’d crawl out of their graves just to beat me up themselves. But it’s fine. Because according to every story I’ve ever read, I just need to raise my fist, land one punch, and—Boom. He flies two buildings away and I become a local legend. My fist landed. A solid, direct hit. ... Why was the rhino not moving? Not even an inch? New plan. There’s a door. There’s a security. There’s exactly one decision left: Die or run. So, obviously, I ran. "Grab her!" That was the last thing I heard before everything turned into chaos. I’m fast. I really am. Feet hitting the pavement, breath tearing out of my chest—I was doing great. I was surviving. I— Wait. Weren’t there people chasing me? Why did it suddenly go quiet? Their mouths were moving, but no sound came out. What kind of horror movie logic was this? And why were they looking at me like— BAM. Something hit me. My body lifted off the ground before crashing down hard enough to knock the soul out of my lungs. Right. So that part wasn't just in the movies. Damn. If I had known I was going to die like this, I would’ve at least shoved that novel straight down that old rhino’s throat before leaving. Seven Years Later... "Young Miss… would you be willing to marry me?" "Shut up." Isla didn’t even spare him a glance as she shoved the boy aside. He stumbled back, stunned, while another immediately stepped forward, far too eager. "Miss, I think I’m the better choi—" Slap. The crisp sound cut through the air, leaving the second boy frozen, his cheek reddening under her palm. "Both of you. Get lost." Before the silence could settle, another rushed in, holding out a delicately wrapped box. "Miss, here is a cake for you—" "Get. Lost." Her voice dropped an octave, sharp enough to slice through his courage. "The Young Miss only likes me!" another declared, pushing forward with ridiculous confidence. "Miss, this is a doll for you—" The voices overlapped. Gifts appeared one after another—cakes, dolls, trinkets—as if they thought piling offerings at her feet would win her over. In the middle of it all, Isla sat frozen. Her face flushed a deep red—but not from embarrassment. Her fingers curled against her lap, nails digging into her skin. What the hell is going on…? Her gaze swept across them, sharp and almost feral. Aren’t the male leads supposed to kill me? Her jaw tightened. Then why—God! How did I end up taming these crazy psychos?

[Warning: Mature content | Dark romance] Aliana Vanderbilt is the witty, fierce heiress to a multi-billion-dollar empire. She always lived life on her own terms, until one fateful night changed everything. After a brutal accident involving a "lost child" that only she could see, Aliana woke to a terrifying new reality. By day, she is haunted by restless spirits. By night, she is consumed by vivid, steamy dreams of a mysterious man with icy blue eyes. Her search for a solution comes to an abrupt halt when she finally comes face-to-face with Gavriel Valentine. An enigmatic man sitting at the pinnacle of a rival business empire. He is dominating, dangerous, and everything Aliana should avoid. Yet, he alone possesses the power to end her misery. Whenever she is near him, the ghosts vanish. Driven by a desperate need for peace, Aliana bulldozes into Gavriel’s life with a scandalous demand. However, what she does not expect is his counter-offer… that she must marry him. What happens when two strong-headed personalities are tied together in a sacred union? Will they find peace, or will it spell disaster? ..... Excerpt: “I warned you, didn’t I, Aliana?” His deep, masculine voice reverberated through the air like silk. Her name rolled off his sinful lips so seductively that it made her want to roll her eyes in reluctant delight. That thought alone made her brows knit in confusion until she heard him continue, “You step into my world, and I will ruin you in ways you never imagined.” Aliana shivered, not only at the warning he had given her far too many times, but also at the way his icy blue eyes pierced her so intensely that it felt as though she might burn and freeze all at once. Ignoring her thrumming heartbeat, she drew in a sharp breath and replied, “You did… but didn’t I say there is nothing I love more than a challenge? If you’re going to ruin me, Gavriel, at least make sure you’re the only one left standing when the dust settles.” His eyes widened ever so slightly before he rose from his armchair and padded across the carpet to stand right before her. The moment his fingers lifted to touch her chin, a jolt of electricity shot down her spine as he leaned in and said, “You want to play a dangerous game, Aliana…. and make no mistake, this devil loves to play.” Tilting her chin closer to his face, he whispered, “So here’s my offer, Aliana…. marry me.” .... The book cover is mine, don't use it.

On her engagement night, Louisa’s life falls apart. She is falsely accused of betrayal, humiliated in public, and exiled by her father. But the real devastation comes when she discovers her fiancé in an intimate moment with her own sister—on the very bed meant for their future. Heartbroken and disabled, Louisa soon discovers she is carrying a child from a night she can barely remember. With nothing left to hold onto, she flees the country to rebuild her shattered life. Five years later, she returns as Louisa Song, with a little girl by her side and something dangerous burning in her heart. Those who ruined her life would pay a hundredfold. Forgiveness? A second chance? To Louisa, those were luxuries she could no longer afford. Instead, she wanted to serve it cold—or hot, as she wished. But just when everything she needs seems impossible to reclaim, an unexpected man steps into her path with an offer she cannot refuse—a trial marriage that promises protection, power, and a way to reclaim everything she lost. The more time she spends with this man she was supposed to resent, the more unwanted feelings stir in her heart against her resolve. Beneath the fragile peace of their agreement lies a past neither of them can outrun… and a truth that change everything.

"Stop." His voice is low and controlled and furious underneath both. "Whatever you're doing in there the books, the reading, the tucking in — stop." "They asked me to read to them," I say evenly. "I don't care what they asked." He takes a step toward me and I hold my ground, which seems to make it worse. "You've been here for just less than two weeks, and you're already in Dorian's room, touching his things, letting them climb all over you like you're" He stops, jaw tight. "You're not their mother. You're on a twelve-month contract." "I'm aware of what I am," I say. "Are you?" Something sharp enters his expression. "Because from where I'm standing it looks like a woman playing a very long game. Soften up the children, charm the staff, make yourself indispensable — and then what? You think I don't see it?" Something cold moves through my chest, but I keep my face neutral. "You think I'm doing this to get to you." "Aren't you?" He says it like it's obvious, like I'm naive for pretending otherwise, and the contempt in it is so clean and practiced that for one second I almost believe I deserve it. "You should wake up from that delusion. Whatever you think you're building here — it won't work, you will never have me." He moves before I register it, closing the distance between us in one smooth step, and then his hand is at my neck, warm and deliberate, his thumb pressing lightly against my pulse like he's checking whether I'm afraid, and the answer my body gives him is humiliating. His mouth drops to the curve of my neck and shoulder, not rough — slow, purposeful, his lips dragging against my skin like he has all the time in the world and knows exactly what he's doing with it, and I shudder despite everything I know about this man and this moment and exactly what he's trying to prove. "This," he murmurs against my skin, his voice low and terrible and close, "is all you'll ever get from me." ********* Sloane Carter had her work stolen, her body broken, and her heart shattered in pieces. Then a truck ran her off the road on a rainy night, and she woke up inside the worst romance novel she had ever read. Wrong century, wrong country. Wrong body. Twelve-month contract marriage to a man carved from ice, three feral six-year-olds, and a dead man's secret buried so deep the whole empire is rotting from the root. In the novel, the heroine smiles gently, loves quietly, and dies before anyone notices she was worth saving. Sloane has bruised ribs, a stolen career, years of swallowed rage and absolutely no intention of following the original script. The cold CEO didn't bargain for a woman who'd already survived the worst he could ever be. Neither did the man who put her in that car. He thought killing Sloane Carter would silence her. He had no idea it would set her free.

After her inexplicable death in her sleep, Kurokawa Saki was thrown into the Death Game section selection. Receiving information that there are 12 players with various different IDs, she quickly found out how unreliable most of them were. Moreover, half of them were in the Red party and the other half was in the Black Party. So the werewolves game has started. Moreover, the game still gave them inexplicable missions from time to time. Kurokawa Saki: “...” It's so exciting. When the mainline started and the ‘dead’ players received new ID, they had just realized the game was driving them further and further away in various ‘fun’ scenarios. … [No. 1]: I know that I'm the member of the organization on the surface but what the hell is this task of dancing in the nightclub? Moreover, I'm being hit on and could only run away. That blond haired bartender has been glaring at me! [No. 2]: My second ID is a high school student and I transferred to Teitan High School. Due to the mission to get Sonoko's sister's phone number, I had to play with these two students and Conan has been glaring at me, ah, ah! [No. 3]: My first ID is a killer, the second one is a serial killer, and the third one is a drug dealer. Can't you give me a normal identity? I didn't even dare to come out of my house now! [No. 4]: I'm a police officer, but I'm not even as good as an elementary school student in solving cases. And what do you mean that I'm just a violent police officer, huh? Watch me break the telephone pole, you b*stard! + 8 more people. … After a few scenarios, everyone came to the same conclusion The players: This game is too hard! Not only do they have to act in accordance with their ID card, they also have to complete various strange missions. So… let's make trouble :) When the vice leader of their group sees what they have been doing through their daily share in the chat…. Public Security Officer [5]: … NO, What the hell is wrong with you? One of you is fighting with Shuichi Akai and the other one is fighting with Furuya Rei? You even earn exclusive titles from them! You two are on the freaking Red Side! The two troublemakers: Hehe, sorry, Vice Leader, we're under too much pressure and fighting can enhance ‘friendship.’ Public Security Officer [5]: No, your exclusive titles from them show how much they hated you. And when he tried to calm down, he found out the others are not any better. [6]: Wow, it's so fragrant to tease this pink haired post graduate school student~ [7]: Ah, I nearly died in the hands of Gin… when can I receive the death script QAQ [8]: Let me fight the FBI again. I'm itching to fight. [9]: Why do I have to be the attending doctor of the main characters, ah… [10]: Oh, I just threatened Vermouth [11]: Oops, Conan is glaring at me for teasing Ran [12]: Hey, this female announcer is really nice. I felt bad for lying to her. As the only serious one, no. 5 just wanted to say one thing: [5]: …Destroy it. I'm tired. … Note 1: There’ll be OOC and the character's interpretation might not be correct. A lot of original characters in the world’s settings, playing for fun and all. (more wines and police officers, a few original cases, and the player group’s self made case) Note 2: There will be a lot of personal subjective thoughts in the article. If you have any parts that you don’t agree with, please stop the loss in by clicking the arrow on the upper left corner in time. Thank you for your cooperation. Note 3: The style is mixed between comedy and tragedy… you’ve been warned Note 4: This is a fan fiction, I don't own the characters belonging to the comic. I only made a few original characters for the sake of the story Note 5: I made this more for myself and for fun so eh, don't expect too much

Freedom or mates for life? Rukiyo Asakane was an ordinary, overworked office worker who died and transmigrated into the body of an antagonistic character— Ryukiyo. The said character has ten elven husbands who are imprisoned and forced to sleep with her. What's more is that she's the author who wrote Ryukiyo's antagonistic character and gave those poor elven husbands a fate worse than any characters in the book! Now that she has transmigrated into the novel she wrote during her high school days, Rukiyo has to find a way to set these elves from Ryukiyo's imprisonment so she can live a new happy life in a fantasy world. But these elven husbands made it hard for her cut them off because why does every chance she had that will allow her to break the dragon bond, one of them suddenly would fall ill and needed time to recuperate? Not to mention, these elves are always fighting against her companion, who are always at her beck and call, and wouldn't leave them alone!

Targeted by the System, Protected by the Enemy By Lia Mara Hunted by her own system. Saved by the man she was trained to destroy. Agent Livia Hart was never meant to survive this mission. When an elite operation in Prague collapses within minutes, leaving her entire team wiped out without a trace, Liv realizes something far worse than failure is unfolding. Someone isn’t just targeting the mission. They are targeting her. Branded as expendable by the very system she devoted her life to, Liv becomes the center of a silent manhunt. Orders are issued. Teams are deployed. And this time, there is no extraction. Only elimination. But just as the trap closes in, a shadow moves before every bullet can reach her. Precise. Unseen. Always one step ahead. Leon. The man who vanished months ago during a classified mission. Declared dead. Erased from the system. And now, the one protecting her. He offers no explanations, only survival. But the closer Liv gets to him, the more the truth begins to unravel. The system she trusted is no longer clean. The mission she was given was never meant to succeed. And the enemy she was trained to destroy might be the only one who can keep her alive. As alliances fracture and the line between hunter and prey disappears, Liv is forced into a choice she was never prepared to make. Because this time, running won’t save her. And the man protecting her might be the most dangerous truth of all.

Things like transmigration were impossible until you became a victim! This was what happened to Sienna Mills, a competitive eater who died while livestreaming herself eating chicken feet! And when she opened her eyes, she was Sienna Miller, the notorious horny, lazy and fat wife of Fox Lord Elias Veythar, leader of the fox clan in an interstellar beast world! She was also an uncaring mother for their two pups. Even worse than her reputation, she had no mental or physical strength in a world where someone was supposed to have one of the two. She was a waste of air and space! Everyone was whispering about her looming divorce which would naturally lead to a miserable ending. In every novel she had read, a character like her was always abandoned, crippled or left to die alone as a beggar. She had arrived on the very day the divorce papers were served. But unlike the original Sienna, this one had a secret. A pet taming system that she could use to pass off as a mental ability. However, the system had other plans. It bound Elias Veythar as her pet, complete with loyalty protocols, obedience triggers and a collar! But how was she supposed to tame the beast man feared across the realm for his ruthless power and icy charm? Step 1-Rip up the divorce papers and turn the Fox Lord into a doting husband. When she said 'sit' he walked out of the house. When she said 'roll' his bodyguards put her in a rug and rolled her out of the house. Determined to save her life and change the dramatic ending in her mind, she eyed the pups. Step 2- Teach the pups first and the father will follow. Once again, she was put in a rug and rolled out. Step 3-Teach the in-laws, the pups would pick up and the father would fall in line. Water was splashed in her face, then she was rolled out in a rug! Step 4-Take no bullshit, kick ass and dominate! Then everyone would fall in line.

Once a bright and energetic young girl from the countryside, Ruby’s life took a drastic change after she involve herself with one of the potentially, most dangerous and frightening man in her country. The Fourth Prince, Julien Sterling. Or as they say, the crazy bastard who was both cruel and a sadist, treating human lives no better than grass. She had not only played such a figure around the palm of her finger, seducing the man to the point of obsession, but also conceived his son. Then, she ran away, only to return 6 years later for a secret mission. Ruby thought that the madman must have forgotten about her after so long, not knowing that the now mad tyrant had been searching for her to the point of madness. What would happen when the tyrant found out that his runaway bride hadn’t only sold him for a bag of gold, but also think of finding his son another ceo dad? When the time came for all deception to be shed and truth to be laid bare, would there still be any chance for the two to reach their happily ever after together? —— Excerpt: “H-How… did you recognize me?” She shivered against his touch, her heart beating wild as the man closed in, the familiar strokes of his sharp features emerging out of the cold shadows of the night. “I told you once, sweetheart.” He whispered against her skin, his breath slithering around her like a predatory snake rounding up its prey. “Even if your bones were to be grounded to dusts and every fiber of you, burnt into ashes, I would recognize you with just a glance.” The fingers on her chin tightened as he forced her to face the burning rage of his resentment. It had been 6 years… 6 years of waiting by the window like a fool who he himself looked down upon. However, he was no longer the fool of the past. And neither was he the powerless man who can only beg and wait. “Don’t you ever think about escaping from me again. In this lifetime, no, for as long as I stay in the same universe as you, you can only be mine, mine alone.” It was not a promise only to her, but also to himself. For he was now the mad tyrant who knew no reason, the tyrant who was bent on getting whatever that he had wanted. —— [Sweet 1 v 1 Fast-paced Romantic Comedy] [Male Lead Falls in Love First and Harder] [Extreme Pampering] [Naive Sweet White Rabbit x Cunning Black-Bellied Big Bad Wolf] Tags: #sweetlove #pregnancy #strongfemalelead #dark #royalfamily #pastplayhugerole #tragedy

On the day Aria Vale was meant to be chosen, she was publicly abandoned in front of everyone she knew. Her fiancé walked in—with another woman by his side. In that moment, something inside her broke cleanly—and did not repair the same way again. Because Aria Vale was not the kind of woman who stayed destroyed. She was the kind who learned how to rebuild herself into something they could no longer control.

After regressing, my second marriage to my ex-husband was solely for pregnancy. A miserable marriage life. My only hope in my loveless marriage was the child. My first life ended tragically, attacked by an unknown assailant. ‘If I could go back, I wouldn’t love him.’ In this second chance, unlike my past life of seeking love, I marry him solely to meet my child again. “Just maintain our marriage for a year.” In exchange, I’ll help him uncover the secret of the incident from 10 years ago. I thought we were just a couple in name… “There’s no need to consummate on the first night.” “I want to.” He was different from my previous life. * I planned to quietly leave once I had the child. But upon seeing his mistress, I couldn’t stay silent. “That woman, she’ll be the one you love.” Confronted with my words, his unexpected reply was, “You’re my wife until this contract ends.” “…….” “I’ll do this and more, only with you.” Seeing his chilling obsession, I reminded myself. Don’t forget, Blair. He doesn’t love you. So this time… I’ll leave you first.

He marked her, then he rejected her. Now, she must break the bond or break him. When seventeen year old Amanda Hale is uprooted and dragged to Moonridge after her mother’s sudden marriage to a powerful man, she expects awkward dinners and cold shoulders, not ancient forests that whisper secrets, a school where power is everything, and a stepbrother who looks at her like he wants to ruin her... or claim her. Skylar Blackthorne is next in line to lead the pack, untouchable, ruthless, feared. But when his father brings home the quiet, human-born girl with stormy eyes, everything changes. Because no matter how much he tries to deny it... She’s his mate.

Magic, a mysterious power granted at birth, often deciding a person's status in society. Lily Aedile, a young girl who has just awakened as a mage, discovers she possesses a rare and unheard-of ability: she can cast multiple spells at the same time. However, her gift comes with a serious flaw. Lily’s mana reserves are incredibly small—smaller than any mage recorded in history. Because of this, she can only cast the most basic spells, while more powerful magic remains out of reach. As she begins her journey to study magic, Lily must find creative ways to survive and grow stronger using only basic spells. Along the way, she searches for a way to overcome her weakness and ultimately unlock her true potential.

Jasmine Towers married billionaire Keith Acland in an arranged marriage meant to benefit two powerful families. There was no love, no romance—and Jasmine accepted it. As the CEO’s wife, she devoted herself to maintaining the perfect image and raising her son to become the rightful heir of the Acland family. Everything collapses when Keith’s former lover returns… with a child she claims is his. Overnight, Jasmine’s position is questioned. Her son’s inheritance is threatened. And the woman who once stood quietly beside her husband is pushed out of her own home. Betrayed by her husband and abandoned by high society, Jasmine is forced into a ruthless battle for survival—where losing means watching her son lose everything. Jasmine must fight to protect her child… and reclaim what was stolen from her.

SYNOPSIS They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend but what happens when that friend becomes an enemy you cannot escape? Fiona Brett's rise as a promising actress is abruptly derailed when her parents, desperate to save the family from financial ruin, accept a marriage proposal on her behalf from a man she barely knows. Forced to shoulder the burden of her family’s survival, Fiona is compelled to sacrifice her own dreams. Seeking solace, she turns to the love of her life, Alexander only to discover him entangled with her own sister. Betrayed and heartbroken, Fiona meets a tragic end at the hands of those she trusted most. But fate gives her a second chance. Reborn on the very day everything fell apart, Fiona awakens with a burning resolve: revenge. Determined to reclaim her life, she strikes a dangerous deal with her fiancé, a pact laced with thorns and unforeseen consequences. As her past wounds begin to heal, Fiona finds her heart ensnared deeper than ever by Manson’s dangerous game yet even he is unaware that he, too, has been caught in its snare. Together, they step into a world far darker than Fiona could have imagined: a world of deception, hidden truths, ruthless manipulators, and long-burried sins. She soon realizes that the game she thought was hers alone is far larger than any personal vengeance, orchestrated by forces far beyond Manson, herself, or any other player. In a tangled web of greed, betrayal, and power, one question remains: who will emerge victorious?

Selene Astrid spent seven years as the Saint, sacrificing everything to seal the Demon King—only to be betrayed and killed by the Hero, Crown Prince Cassian. The last thing she saw was the Duke of the North dying to protect her. She awakens as Rosalind Thorne, the villainess executed for trying to poison that same prince. With seven years of future knowledge and her holy powers sealed in a noble girl's body, Rosalind has three goals: avoid execution, expose the fake hero, and save the Duke who died for her. But the Duke remembers dreams of a silver-haired saint. The timeline is changing. And someone is pulling strings from the shadows. This time, the Saint won't be a martyr. This time, the villainess will rewrite fate.

A thousand years ago, he was the Emperor who ordered her death. Today, he is the CEO who controls her future. Su Yilin, a top historical restorer obsessed with the Great Yan Dynasty, begins suffering vivid nightmares of a princess's brutal downfall-memories so real they feel like a life she once lived. When she joins the Lu Group Museum, she comes face-to-face with its cold and powerful CEO... a man with the same face as the Emperor who killed her. Now trapped between her research and terrifying visions of the past, Yilin must uncover the truth: is she truly the reincarnation of a fallen princess bound by blood debt, or is her mind collapsing under the weight of obsession? Because inside the Lu Group Museum, the most dangerous artifact isn't the jade... it's the memory.

Getting shoved into a horde of zombies by a group of spineless survivors was not how Hana expected to die. Then again, neither was dying as the most notorious villainess among them—the kind who used people without hesitation and discarded them just as easily. An unflashy, pathetic end. She deserved it… didn’t she? But the universe wasn’t done with her yet. Hana wakes up in a completely different world with a system notification she can’t ignore: Karma Points: -1,250,000 To survive past one month, she must bring it back to zero. No shortcuts. No cheats. No killing. Just… being a ‘good’ person. “…You’ve got to be kidding me.” As if that wasn’t bad enough, during her quests, she keeps picking up strays—dangerous, powerful, clingy strays. “Hana, you need to pay attention to me today.” The dragon beastman murmured, crowding into her space. “No way, Hana promised to cuddle me,” the nine-tailed fox added sweetly, offering her a flower. “What nonsense? Hana said she would fly with me,” the falcon beastman cut in, wings twitching. “You’re all delusional.” The snow leopard beastman scoffed, tail flicking lazily. “Hana already made plans with me.” Hana this, Hana that, Hana blah, blah and blah! Hana pinched the bridge of her nose, exasperated. Saving her karma might be possible. But surviving them? That might be the real challenge. And the system was definitely not helping.

"Honesty and politics don’t belong in the same sentence," they say. Celine Yue, a kind-hearted social worker, stepped into politics to help more people. But what she didn’t know… was that her own party would be the one to end her life. After her death, she wakes up in another world as Cyrina Vaeloria, the Elf Princess—right on the day of her arranged marriage to Lucian Aetherion, the cold, mysterious Human Prince and strongest mage alive. A political union to keep two powerful races from tearing each other apart. But this so-called alliance is just a mask. She despises the way other races are trampled beneath noble boots. Cyrina refuses to be a pretty puppet. She dreams of building a new kingdom—where races aren’t divided by power, bloodlines, or magic. To do that, she’ll need power of her own. And lucky her... she just married the most dangerous man in existence. With sharp wit and stubborn grace, Cyrina slowly bends her cold husband to her will— She toys with the ruthless Archmage, tames the untamable… and drags him into a revolution wrapped in royal silk. After all, if you marry the strongest mage alive… you might as well make him yours. ***** excerpt~ Lucian’s voice is like a blade, low and sharp. “Do you even understand what you said in the royal assembly?” Cyrina lifts her chin, unbothered. “I understand perfectly. I said I’ll build a new kingdom—where every race can live together.” His eyes darken. “You don’t know what you’ve sparked. That speech—” he steps closer, “—could ignite a war. You’re underground now, Cyrina. Buried beneath politics you don’t even see coming.” She spins on her heel and waves dismissively. “Ugh. Kaelen Blackthorn, your master is giving me a migraine. Get me out of this castle before I set it on fire.” Kaelen gives a slow, exaggerated bow. “As you wish, my lady.” He takes her hand like the perfect gentleman and leads her toward the door— But Lucian’s voice booms behind them. “Kaelen. Don’t forget who your master is.” Kaelen pauses. Glances back. “I remember, my lord. But as per your standing order… I obey only my lady’s command.” A smirk tugs at his mouth. “Even if it means going against you.” **** Per Golden Ticket = 5 extra chapters