Power of Runes - Chapter 168: Before you celebrate, Check the Ashes

When powerless, unfavoured Princess Soleia was arranged to marry the newly titled Duke Orion Elsher, she assumed they would find love eventually.Who knew that her father would send off her husband mere hours later to fight a war?Soleia was left alone to deal with an impoverished fief, a crumbling estate, and spiteful, vindictive relatives of the Duke who all wished to see her gone.She couldn’t leave― there was nowhere else to go. Soleia desperately wanted her husband to return so he could offer her a helping hand. However, when he did, he returned with Elowyn, a woman he claimed was his true love.A woman hellbent on taking her place as the rightful Duchess, no matter what she had to do to get Soleia out of the way.Mistreated, misunderstood, and miserable, Soleia was eventually thrown out of the estate she helped build.Fortunately, when one door closes, another one opens. Unknown to Soleia, a man more powerful than her husband had been watching her, waiting for the right time to snatch her into his gilded cage. Duke Elsher had been foolish to let go― but the crown prince of Raxuvia wouldn’t make the same mistake.***Prequel to Stolen by the Rebel King.

Madeline “Maddie” Brownwood is a nineteen-year-old college student and lives an ordinary life with her aunt. Her mother was dead, and her father was unknown to her until one day, she found herself in confusion when she arrived at her aunt’s house surrounded by gentlemen with black suits. One man approached her and told her to come with him to the Divenson Mansion to prepare for her wedding.

Hunter Divenson is the handsome and hot engineer and CEO of the largest mining company in the country, the Divenson Mining Corporation. He got entangled with his driver’s last dying wish to marry his estranged daughter when his car was hit by a drunk driver. He agreed to his request to stop his parents from forcing him to get married.

“I’m sorry, Maddie, Mr. Divenson already paid all of our debts, and you know my debts filed up when I accepted you and your mother in this house, and I am not going to lose this house anymore. You should come with them so that we will be all happy, and you will have a better life.” Her aunt said.

Maddie was left no choice, and go to the Divenson mansion where she meets her future in-laws, Mr. Divenson’s parents were super strict and showed to her face she doesn’t belong to their family, while her future brother-in-law always looks at her with lust that made her scared every time they cross paths, and her other sister loathes her. And only a twelve-year-old girl, his younger sister, loves and adores her, and carried out her stay at the mansion bearable.

The moment she meets Hunter, she falls in love with him. He is so sweet with her every time a member of his family is around, but he is so different when they are alone, and his actions sometimes contradict his words, but his remarks haunted her in her dreams most of the nights.

“We are only married on the paper since I don’t have time for love, business success is the only thing that makes me happy, and I can’t love someone like you. Don’t expect if something happens to us in bed; I will love you. I only need an heir of my empire.” He said coldly that made her entire body shivers, and she hated herself for falling in love with her husband every day, until one day she realized she couldn’t take it anymore.

Maddie asked Hunter for a divorce in a stern tone, and it made Hunter’s entire body turned cold. This is the first time his wife appeal to talk with him, and he couldn’t believe she was asking for a divorce. Her words drove him understood what a fool he had been, and now, all he can see in her beautiful eyes are hatred. He realized he couldn’t let her go because he loves his wife with all his heart.

Can Hunter win back his wife’s affection?

Is Maddie’s love for Hunter totally gone? Or it was still there and she is just trying to forget and move on? Can she give her husband another chance?

One day, the majority of humanity had a collective thought.

‘I wish the world would just collapse.’

And then, that wish came true.

In the land of magic and beasts, Sylvia was betrayed by her family and sold off as a slave. She was expecting the worst, but fortunately, it was a handsome prince who had ‘bought’ her! Who doesn’t love a charming, benevolent, and kind prince, not to mention ridiculously handsome?

But, little did Sylvia know that the charming handsome prince was no angel but rather a devil in disguise!

The calm, kind and good-hearted Sylvia found herself slowly changing under the devil's influence but worst of all, she found herself becoming more and more addicted to the two-faced devil who harbored dark and dangerous secrets.

But could she ever fully trust the shameless devil? Or was he just one of the many who desired her hidden powers? Let the games begin!

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Excerpt:

“Are you getting ready for your engagement, my sweet kitten?” The devil's familiar voice drawled, making Sylvia's entire body tingle with an unfathomable need.

She gazed into his dark coal black eyes, lost within them, as he rubbed her lips with his thumb. This man... This man in front of her alone had the power to make her knees weak and her heart crumble.

“Heh. Being silent, are we?” The devil chuckled, his hand moving away from her lips to the back of her head. He clutched a handful of her soft silver hair and pulled her closer to him, capturing her lips with his.

Sylvia snapped out of her trance and commanded her body to push the devil away but her traitorous body only yearned for him more and she wrapped her hands around his neck instead.

The devil's lips curved upwards, his grin widening in satisfaction. His hand then moved down to her gorgeous engagement gown laced with diamonds and rubies which came undone as soon as he touched.

The laces, the veil, the flowers, the jewelry, everything was ripped to shreds, leaving behind only herself. An entire morning spent on getting ready and dressing up gone to waste just like that!

“You!” Sylvia glared at the shameless devil angrily. She had given him an inch but he went for the mile!

She pushed him away with all the force that she could muster, pinning him against the wall, imprisoning his rude mannerless hands.

“Heh? Why are you angry, my darling? Aren't I helping you? Why waste your time attending the meaningless engagement, when you already know that you belong to me and me alone?”

“Go to hell! Who said I belong to you! I belong to no one.”

“Is that so?” The devil leaned forward, gently knocking his forehead with hers. “Shall I leave then...?” He whispered, his warm breath caressing her cheeks.

Sylvia's face instantly reddened as she couldn't resist the devil's sweet temptations anymore...

She gave into the man's wicked allure and pressed her lips over his, stopping his mouth from taunting her and teasing her any further.