MTL - World of Cultivation - ~ One hundred and twenty-fifth

It all started when a minute before we began morning activities, something suddenly occurred. The floor started shining a dazzling light, the shining expanded in an instant, and 30 classmates, including me, were laying on top of a place we didn’t recognize.

“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.

“Mommy!! Daddy’s new mate said she’s having a baby. Does that mean he won’t want us anymore?” little Colin cried, clinging to my legs.“Mommy! That rude lady said Daddy doesn’t love us.” my twin Amy whispered, her lips trembling.I looked up from my sobbing children at my Alpha King mate, who had come chasing after them once his so-called mate had hurt them.“She’s pregnant? You told me she was just a fling,” I choked.“You and the kids will never lack luxury or comfort,” he uttered, refusing to meet my gaze.So that was his excuse? That was his answer to cheating?“You’ve already lost me. Now you’ve lost your children too. We’ll live better without you, and one day you’ll regret losing us.”The moment I said it, his eyes finally met mine, they were wet too.“Alpha King Kash, I reject you!” I hissed...Iris thought she had the perfect mate until she caught her Alpha husband cheating. Heartbroken and pregnant, she ran away, hiding in the woods with her unborn pups.Years later, Iris returned to the werewolf world, not as a weak Luna, but as a mother and a woman determined to take her place. But her Alpha had already married his mistress. When he discovered that Iris had left with his children, rage and regret consumed him.Now torn between betrayal and love, Iris faced a choice: protect her babies and destroy the mate who broke her, or risk giving him a second chance.