The Next Big Thing - Chapter 28: Aftermath

“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.

Due to a mistake on his student’s part, a super Martial Artist had received a wrong class in an online game and had become a mage. He who was used to curbing violence with violence and using strength to subdue strength could only make the best out of his mistake. Taking on a new lease in life, he became a violent close combat mage. When strength and magic came perfectly together, a new gaming path had been opened by him!

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“Fireball spell? Lightning Chain? Frosted Ice Mirror… etc.”

“Wait, I came here to practice Kung Fu! What has magic got to do with me?”

“I am a mage?”

“Oh, that’s right. I am a Mage!”

“However… do you really firmly believe that I am a mage?”

“Alright then, look at my knives! Look at my sword! Look at my fist! Look at my concealed weapons!”

“What? You’re now saying that I’m not a mage?”

“If you don’t believe me, I will prove it to you: If you believe me, I will show you a performance: No one can get in the way of a mage who knows Kung Fu!”

- Description from Novelupdates

An old baseball player gets another chance to live the sport he loves, but this time as a system! The son of one of Japan's greatest pitchers has a dream to follow in his father's footsteps and become a great professional, but he has a major problem, lack of talent.Follow the journey of Shun Takahashi, a young baseball player without talent who receives the old baseball player system. Hellish training, legendary skills, impossible missions, good friends, talented rivals, and maybe luck in love. Shun and the system have a complicated relationship, but they both share the same goal, to be the greatest of all time!

Alex, a veteran soldier, meets an unexpected end on the battlefield. But instead of the final rest, he finds himself reborn into a new world—the magical realm of Harry Potter. Now a young boy, Alex is born into a Muggle family. Yet, despite his non-magical origins, his disciplined training and fierce determination uncover a rare, powerful talent for magic. With a world of spells, wands, and ancient secrets ahead of him, Alex will need every bit of his skill to face the growing darkness led by Voldemort. It’s a time before Harry Potter’s birth; James and Lily Potter are still alive. Join Alex’s journey as he navigates his way through Hogwarts, learns the mysteries of magic, and rises to face the deadly challenges that await, determined to become one of the greatest wizards in history.