Desolate Era - Book 43, Chapter 25 - The War Begins

After transmigrating to a world similar to Earth, Jiang Qiao was approached by a former goddess—Ocean Blue. As Bluestar is also on the verge of collapse from invaders of other worlds, Jiang Qiao must find a way to save this one. With the ability to create a virtual game world, he creates the world of Sacred Souls. In order for this new world to grow, it has to devour other worlds. Thus, the greediest, most cunning, and horrible beings came into existence—Players.

“Block him.”“He's technically still my boss.”“Then block him with dignity.”The call ended again.And then started again.I let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a sob, then finally answered with the enthusiasm of a snail crawling through salt.“Yes, Mr. Walton?”“Have you changed your mind yet?”I collapsed onto the towel and gazed at the sky as though it might consume me entirely if I pleaded sweetly enough.“Do you ever take a break?” I asked, shielding my eyes with one hand.“You're avoiding the question.”“Because it's a dumb question.”He exhaled, the sound sharp and irritated even over phone. “It's not a dumb question. It's a business offer.”“It's a weird offer-one that I already said no to.”There was a brief pause, and I could practically hear him clenching his jaw through the speaker.“You are acting unreasonably.”“ Unreasonable?” I sat up. “I'm not the one drafting fake girlfriend contracts like it's a normal Tuesday.”“Isabella-”“Certainly not, Mr. Walton.” I mimicked his tone perfectly. “I told you I'm not doing it. You need to find someone else to play pretend with.”SYNOPSISIsabella Miller thought saying no to her boss’s fake dating offer was the end of the story.But Adrien Walton doesn’t take no—especially not when he’s convinced she’s a gold digger.Suddenly, her student loans are piling up, her father’s vet clinic is on the brink of eviction and her brother is about to be kicked out of college. Coincidence? She thinks not.Adrien Walton is calm, calculating—and he's just pulled every string to corner Isabella into the perfect position.Now she’s stuck choosing between pride and survival.So she agrees to his offer: be his fake girlfriend.No feelings attached. No drama. Just business.Or so she thought.“Conference Room B. Fifteen minutes,” he said, passing by without a glance.The folder he pushed across the table landed with a thud.I opened it. The contract. All of it.---Enemies to lovers? Check.Slow burn? Hmmnyea.Banter so sharp it might file your nails? Yes.Delicious workplace tension? Of course.Tension that could melt steel?Absolutely.Smut?? Wanna find out?Welcome to corporate romance warfare. There’s no escaping this contract.

[Warning: Mature Content R18+]The taste of forbidden love is the sweetest agony!!They were fucking right.I, Frery Kane was whipped and captivated by a Lycan Shifter from the Bay Shifter pack in Paradise Bay. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, an irresistible pull I couldn’t deny. Alpha Tor Gale, a Lycan Shifter of unparalleled strength, only of his kind, his blood as intoxicating as ambrosia, his presence a temptation, I couldn’t escape. He made me crave more than I should or was allowed.In Paradise Bay, Vampires and Shifters are bound by ancient laws, their rivalry etched into the marrow of our existence. To meet him was to defy centuries of hatred; to love him was to risk everything.Each secret meeting was a dance with death, a betrayal of the Paradise Vampire Coven, and a rebellion against the laws that chained us. But Tor was my forbidden desire, my beautiful torment, and my greatest weakness. I knew the cost of this love, a love that could ignite war and destroy us both. But how could I resist the one thing that made my immortal heart beat once more?Excerpt from Alpha Tor's POV:“So you’ve been following me,” Tor’s deep growl echoed in the icy cavern. His golden eyes caught the flicker of torchlight. His breath misted in the freezing air, curling like smoke between them.“What gave me away?” I responded my voice as low, deep, and steady.Tor laughed a deep rumble that shook the cavern walls. “You reek of desperation. Do you think I didn’t notice your scent clinging to the trees? Are your footprints melting the frost? What is it, vampire? What do you want from me?”My jaw clenched and my gaze didn’t waver. “Your blood,” I taunted as my voice was laced with coldness to see if he could be threatened by my words. “Your kind is... intoxicating. Forbidden. I can’t stop myself.”I expected him to cover but he stepped forward and responded “If it’s my blood you want,” he murmured, his voice low and teasing, “then come closer and take what you need”The words struck me like lightning, and a fiery heat surged through my veins. My beast clawed at my control, drawn to him in a way that defied logic. His gaze held mine, and for the first time in my life, I didn’t know whether to run or to stay.___________________________________________________________________________________________In the end, they called me a betrayer. A traitor to the Paradise Vampire Coven. But how could I hold back when I had tasted something far sweeter than immortality? Alpha Tor was my forbidden fruit, the Lycan Shifter Alpha who defied everything I was taught to hate. But when I surged forward, ready to face anyone who dared stand between us, fate revealed the old prophecy hidden in Hanka Island. Alpha Tor wasn’t just my lover, he was my lifetime mate, our bond blessed by the ancient magic of Hanka Island itself.And our love was not meant to follow the rules, it was meant to break them.

Sheng MuMu was transmigrated into a novel.

While others transmigrate to become celebrities, she ends up becoming a stepmother to a 17-year-old young master of a prestigious family?!

She wants to escape! But wait, what’s this? Pretending to be his wife for a monthly allowance of 500,000 in pocket money that can be freely spent on her card? Suddenly she doesn’t mind so much!

Everyone guesses: “She’s just a stepmother, how much could he really care for her? President Qi just brought a woman home to take care of his son.”

On the day of the banquet, surrounded by the media, Sheng MuMu hooks her arm around the man’s neck and sweetly calls him: “Dear~”

The man’s eyes darken as he pulls her slender waist closer, naturally dispelling the rumors.

Then people say: “She’s just a brainless trophy wife, just a pretty face.”

Sheng MuMu: “You dare call this 700-scoring top-scoring beauty from the city just a trophy wife?”

She opens a flower shop, becoming an internet sensation with people lining up to take photos, earning pots full of money; she starts a brand, appearing on the cover of financial magazines’ annual rankings.

And after that…

Tsundere stepson: “Better than a real mother.”

Vicious mother-in-law: “Daughter-in-law, when are you taking me square dancing?”

Until one night, Sheng MuMu’s earlobes blushing as she pushes away the man pinning her against the wall.

“President Qi, our agreement is just a contract marriage. ”

The man’s eyes narrow as he loosens his tie and leans down:

“The agreement? I tore that up long ago.”

Sheng MuMu: “You…mmmph”