Marriage First, True Love Later - Chapter 162 - A guarantee

Ethan Blackwood wasn’t used to being defied. As the CEO of a global empire, he crushed obstacles with a single glance. But when Lily Anderson stood before him, her chin lifted in quiet defiance, and something in him snapped. “Sign the contract,” he said, his voice like ice. “30 days. You’ll obey every command. After that, you’re free.”She hesitated, her fingers trembling as she gripped the pen. “And if I refuse?”His smirk was cold, but his eyes burned. “Then you’ll spend the rest of your life paying off your father’s debts. Your choice.”Trapped, Lily signed. But she vowed one thing: she wouldn’t let him break her.From the first day, their clash was electric. He demanded perfection; she gave him rebellion. “You think you can control me?” she spat, after he criticized her for being late.Ethan stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “I don’t just control you. Lily, I own you.”But as the days passed, the lines between them blurred. Late nights in his penthouse turned into whispered conversations. His cold demeanor cracked, revealing glimpses of a man haunted by his past. One night, after a heated argument, he pinned her against the wall, his breath hot against her ear. “Why do you fight me so much?”Her voice trembled. “Because I’m afraid if I stop, I’ll lose myself to you.”Their connection deepened, but danger loomed. Secrets from Ethan’s past resurfaced, threatening to destroy everything. When Lily discovered the truth behind his obsession with her, she confronted him. “Was I just a pawn in your game? A way to settle an old score?”His eyes darkened with pain. “You were never just a game, Lily. You’re the only thing that’s ever felt real.”As the final days of their contract approached, their bond was tested like never before. Enemies closed in, and trust hung by a thread. Could they overcome the shadows of their pasts, or would their love crumble under the weight of secrets and pride?

That night, the delicate purple-eyed woman in a wedding dress sat on their bed as her husband observed her with a grin.

“So,” he drawled, his voice wicked and magnetic, “I can't see my wife's face even on my wedding night?”

“My lord has promised to fulfill my one wish,” the woman commented, securing the veil that covered the lower half of her face with slightly trembling hands.

He stared into her mysterious rare purple eyes. “May I ask, why such a wish?”

She stared back at him. “My lord might not like to see ugly things.”

He smirked and stepped towards her. “I never had a liking towards pretty things.”

------

Seren, the infamous daughter of the witch, and Drayce, the ruthless and vicious son of the Devil.

No one had ever seen her face as the witches are meant to be ugly, but he was the one who never searched for beauty.

She was cursed to never fall in love, but he wished to be the only man she would ever love.

A cursed princess married off to the Devil's son to destroy his kingdom but the Devil's son had a different plan for her.

The secret of her birth will be revealed only to lead the way to unleash the hidden powers inside her which no one can control.

With the hidden dangers desiring her power, can Drayce and Seren protect one another or will the darkness swallow them whole?

In the Tranquil Sun province of the empire, there exists an unremarkable lordship known as Xue Ying Territory! This is the home of the Dong Bo clan, the clan of our hero Xue Ying!

His father, a commoner turned noble; his mother, a noble who abandoned her clan for love, and his brother, an innocent toddler. But peace cannot last forever, Xue Ying’s peaceful life is shattered, and the only way to reclaim it is through power!

- Description from novelupdates

Gu Chaoyan is the eldest daughter of the Gu Family, yet the least favorite one. She is mostly despised and belittled by everyone around, only because she isn’t pretty.