The second son of the Davenport Ducal House and the top student at Arkansis Royal Academy. And officially, the best scumbag at the Academy, second to none.... more>>

A man who seemed like proof of an unfair world. So different from herself, who was desperately trying to escape her own tr*shy family.

Tilia Ambrose hated Ilex Davenport.

But who would have known?

That she would end up in the same bed as that prestigious scumbag. <<less

[From the very beginning, wasn’t our relationship just a game? Ah, but I’ll admit this much—it was fun.] ... more>>

With nothing but a single cruel letter declaring that everything had been a lie, Emeline’s first love disappeared. Now, he has returned—upon hearing the news of her engagement.

***

It all began with rivalry between families. That man, Zenon Trancium, was a delinquent aristocrat who never failed to scratch at her pride. One summer day, when they were both young and naive…

“Have you ever kissed anyone?” Oh, right, you’re so high and mighty that you would freak out if someone even touched you, wouldn’t you?”

“I’ve done it too. Want me to show you?”

What started as a battle of pride from his taunts quickly turned into first love. But before long, Emeline realized it had all been a game to him, and she erased him from her life—or at least, she tried to.

“It’s been a while, Lady Delzeier.”

Until the moment he appeared again, right after hearing of her engagement.

“Do you hate me so much you’d die? Funny, it doesn’t feel like the truth to me.”

Despite being the one who abandoned her, he now stood before her with the look of someone who had been left behind. Her first love was intruding upon Emeline’s life once more—this time, not to offer love, but to ruin her engagement.

“Lady Delzeier, we may still be rivals tied by our families, but let me make one thing clear.”

We’re no longer the naive children of that summer. <<less

"This doesn't make any sense."... more>>

That you can't recognize me.

Ju-eon is diagnosed with 'weathering syndrome', a terminal illness that worsens when near Espers. Though Ju-eon tries to hide his deteriorating condition, it gets worse day by day. While experiencing an awkward atmosphere with his long-time lover, S-class Esper Myung-hwon, an S-class Guide joins them, and Ju-eon is pushed out of Myung-hwon's guiding duties.

Then one day, Myung-hwon breaks up with Ju-eon. He's given a chance to participate in a clinical trial to treat his weathering syndrome, but for the treatment, he must fake his death....

Can Ju-eon overcome the clinical trial's side effect of memory loss and escape his terminal life?

[Preview]

"I must be really drunk."

His heart felt like it stopped for a moment at the man's voice. A deep fragrance penetrated his lungs, making Ju-eon shiver.

"......"

Ju-eon stood speechless, looking at the man blocking his path. Despite not being close, the strong smell of alcohol wafted heavily.

"Or maybe I've really gone crazy now."

He could just brush off a drunk like this and leave. But curiosity raised its head. He was curious about the face that was only faintly visible in outline. What expression was this man making?

'I wonder what kind of expression he's making....'

He wondered why he'd stopped him with such a voice full of despair.

The force gripping Ju-eon's wrist was so sorrowful and desperate that, even though he could easily shake it off, Ju-eon couldn't. As he blinked quickly, his eyes adjusted to the darkness and took in the man's face. For a moment, he forgot to breathe.

The grown man was crying. Ju-eon's eyes widened at the tears flowing like silence. His eyes grew hot, perhaps from not blinking for so long. The man stepped back. This time, Ju-eon took a step forward.

"Um... why are you crying..."

He didn't think he was foolish enough to care about the actions of someone who was drunk, but his heart sank. The man cried silently. His voice, wet and low, clung to Ju-eon's heart. Ju-eon suddenly caught a sense of foreboding.

"I waited nicely."

A boiling emotion could be felt in his deeply sunken voice. A premonition that his voice, now stuck to his heart, wouldn't detach for a long time.

"Hey. What does that even mean..."

Despite Ju-eon's call, the man continued to say only what he wanted to say. The man whispered incomprehensible words without pause.

"Don't go today."

Every day, I just stood far enough away not to touch you.

At the desperate voice, Ju-eon forgot even to hold his breath for a moment. With each blink, the outline of the face became clearer and clearer in his vision. Logically thinking, even though he knew the probability of this man being drunk and mistaking him for someone else was higher than him being someone he knew.

"I think you're mistaking me for someone else."

"...Eon-ah." <<less

On the day she, as the villainous sister-con supporting character, prepared to meet her death, she discovered her darkened brothers suddenly gained the ability to read her mind?!... more>>

Qiao Chuchu stood on the high platform, wailing: "You'll always be my brothers! I'll die right in front of you, haunting your memories for all eternity!"

But what the seven gorgeous brothers heard was: [Hahaha, goodbye suckers! With my billion-dollar assets, I'm going to be a rich lady! You can all stay in this world and suffer! After all, none of you will meet a good end!]

Before she knew it, someone grabbed her arm. She looked up in confusion to find her brothers gripping her tightly: "Tell us more about how we won't meet a good end."

Qiao Chuchu: "?"

-

Seeing the female lead, Qiao Chuchu thought: [So this is the woman my brothers fell in love with at first sight, the one they'd die for.]

The seven men uniformly looked at the female lead: ? That's it?

Seeing the villainous second female lead, she felt sympathetic: [Although you and the male lead are in love now, he'll emotionally cheat with the female lead who'll become the third wheel, and you'll end up committing su*cide.]

The elegant young lady second lead: ??

Seeing the powerful bosses, she sighed: [Although the big shots have class, unfortunately, you'll all soon end up dead in the streets because of the female lead.]

The powerful and wealthy bosses: ???

Soon, Qiao Chuchu noticed her brothers had changed, becoming increasingly doting towards her.

She also found herself surrounded by villain bosses who stuck to her daily, seemingly trying to win her favor.

Not only that, why did the male and female leads end up bankrupt and dying miserably on the streets?!

Qiao Chuchu turned around in confusion, only to see a group of bosses and her brothers looking at her with adoration: "Because we have you."

Qiao Chuchu: "Huh?" <<less

[1] ... more>>

At sixteen, Chen Die first met Wen Liang on the street. The young man toyed with his hat, his dark eyes unreadable as he stood over her.

After a long moment, he leaned down, meeting her gaze.

"Want to come with me?" he asked.

And just like that, Chen Die followed him--- for six year.

[2]

Everyone knew Wen Liang was wild, untamable, and cynical, yet rumors swirled that he had a beauty at home--- the campus belle of the Film Academy. Stunning and radiant, playful and elusive, she had grown spoiled and willful under his care.

For years, the two indulged in a passionate, mutually beneficial relationship, fully aware of what they meant to each other. Then, the day Chen Die graduated, she waved goodbye and left.

Decisively, more so than the day she had nodded and followed him.

Wen Liang lit a cigarette, exhaling through the blue-gray smoke, lips curling into a cold smirk as he murmured, "Good."

After she left, Wen Liang lived as recklessly as ever, seemingly unaffected.

Everyone marveled at how heartless and indifferent Young Master Wen was--- so many years together, and yet he let her go without a trace of hesitation.

Then, one day, a tabloid headline surfaced, capturing them both in a scandalous scene---

On a deserted street late at night, rising film star Chen Die delivered a vicious slap to the biggest investor of her new film, leaving the man stunned for a long time.

After the slap, she casually swept her long hair back, her allure undeniable as she softly remarked, "President Wen, I believe we broke up a long time ago."

Far from angered, the man leaned lazily against his car, l**ked his lips, and praised her, "My little leopard, even your slaps are fierce."

Chen Die gazed at him with detached indifference, saying nothing.

The ever-playful Wen Liang, known for his devil-may-care attitude, fell silent for a moment. Then, slowly his eyes reddened.

His hands trembled as he carefully pulled her into his embrace, murmuring a name only he knew--- "Lingling, be good... come back with me."

"I would never reach for the moon; I want the moon to come to me."

-Audrey Hepburn <<less

I was abandoned in the house, and with only a few days left to live.... more>>

I had no regrets in my life.

So I tried to accept death on the day I got married to a monster.

However, my cute first love who became a duke and is said to be a monster was looking at me enthusiastically.

"A divorce? If you want to do it, you should kill me first. Then you can ask for a divorce."

Besides, the cold-blooded mother-in-law is weird.

She says I am a fairy.

"What?"

I came to die, and somehow my husband and in-laws won't let me go. <<less

On the first day of her repeated senior year, Zhou Leqi completely shut herself off. She told herself not to have any expectations for this repeat year and to avoid unnecessary relationships at all costs.... more>>

But the boy who everyone called “God Hou,” who happened to be late on the first day of school, quietly barged into her life. Later, in the dimly lit hallway of her apartment building, he pulled her tightly into his arms.

His voice was as scorching as the hands that held her close. He said, “It's okay if you don't like me... but could you try liking yourself a little more?”

Years later, on a gentle and warm spring night in Rome, she appeared before him once again.

He pushed through the crowd toward her, presenting an entirely different demeanor—cold and brooding compared to his teenage years.

But ultimately, she touched his heart again and heard his lost murmurs in the darkness:

“...Are you here to take me home?”

We part ways at the very last moment of our youth, only to meet again in the world of adults.

If we can still say “I love you” by the time we meet again, perhaps that’s what true love is. <<less

【Funny + Raising Kids + Group Pet + 1v1 + Both Pure + Female Lead Meets CP Lu Jinghuai After Adulthood】... more>>

【Funny Little Sun with 800 Schemes Beneath Her Cheerful Exterior x Holy Beauty with a Sinister and Cunning Nature Beneath His Saintly Appearance】

Nian Nian found herself transported into a group pet novel, becoming the despised biological daughter of her foster father, who wields immense power. Her birth was steeped in conspiracy, a bloodline tainted by a wicked family.

In the original story, due to jealousy over the female lead effortlessly receiving all the affection, she commits a grave mistake, provoking her furious father to expel her from the Ji family. Eventually, she is treacherously plotted against by the male lead and dies a tragic death.

Nian Nian thinks: Who says this book is old? The plot is fantastic, with excitement hitting the roof!

To survive, she decides to cling to the unpredictable and temperamental father's thigh. When the female lead arrives, whoever wants to be the Ji family's eldest daughter can have it; she's saving up to run away.

Little did she expect, this cling turned into a decade-long affair. By the time she wanted to escape, those around her weren't willing anymore. Under Nian Nian's influence, the cold-hearted father learns to love, the future male lead who was supposed to have eight children with the female lead becomes indifferent, and even a future major antagonist is willing to be the third wheel, humbly submitting for love.

A group of side characters with severe childhood traumas find their body bags (figuratively, their lives) becoming warm and fuzzy.

"Mr. Ji, the eldest young lady has been gone for three days."

"Has she admitted her mistake?"

"No, she's been spreading rumors outside that you can poop three tons at once."

Father: "…………" <<less

Jiang Siyi experienced two major turning points in her life during high school.... more>>

First, after being kicked out of her home, the older sister next door took her in.

Shen Shiwu, a business tycoon, was busy with work, but still patiently helped her with homework and attended parent-teacher meetings.

One day, Jiang Siyi was sitting in the office engrossed in solving a problem when an employee came to deliver a report without looking carefully: "Boss, please review this."

Little Jiang: QAQ

***

Second... she fell in love with this older sister.

A young girl's heart is always sensitive.

In order to impress Shen Shiwu, Jiang Siyi, a problematic student, changed her usual image.

Not only did she study hard, but she also never violated a single school rule again.

Until—

"Sister Jiang Siyi, we meet again. This time it's for fighting..."

Listening to the class teacher's sigh, Jiang Siyi couldn't help but bury her head lower.

"I understand, teacher. I'll discipline her when we get back."

This was the first time the other party said they would discipline her.

Little Jiang was looking forward to it.

As a result, that night, she was held down on the desk, unable to move.

"Our little Siyi is really amazing, even good at fighting."

Don't, don't get so close.

Jiang Siyi wanted to dodge, but the other party directly clasped her waist. Her chin was lifted, forcing her to look into the other person's eyes.

"It seems it's time for a lesson."

***

Four years after their breakup and reunited again, Shen Shiwu abandoned her usual gentle demeanor and immediately took Jiang Siyi back home.

Her words of hatred rang in her ears, but it wasn't difficult to hear the remnants of love.

Looking at the trembling woman beneath her, she lamented that the other party's acting skills were still as poor as ever.

Clearly a rabbit, why pretend to be a butterfly?

Shen Shiwu gritted her teeth: "Naughty children should be punished." <<less

On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, I prepared a table full of dishes, waiting for my wife, Lin Muyao, to come home and celebrate together.... more>>

However, she sent me a message saying, "Hubby, I promised my parents I'd go home to celebrate with them. You eat by yourself, okay? Next year, I’ll definitely spend Mid-Autumn Festival with you."

But her first love had already posted on his social media moments earlier—not only did he share a nine-grid collage of the two of them, but he also added a caption: "True love means that even if you can't be together, your hearts will always remain connected."

Lin Muyao not only lied to me but also liked his post.

I ate my meal in silence, then casually left a comment: "Wishing you both a happy ending."

The next moment, Lin Muyao called me, her voice urgent and sincere as she explained, "Hubby, I didn’t mean to lie to you. I was just afraid you’d be upset... I just felt sorry for Wang Chuan being alone..."

I let out a soft scoff and, for the first time, hung up on her first.

Since her heart and mind were entirely focused on her first love, I chose to let go and give them my blessing.

Yet, when I no longer loved her, she was the one who regretted it the most... <<less

Once, Charlotte and Leo had shared a deep bond as lovers, but their relationship was severed by Charlotte’s betrayal. Years passed, Leo returned from the war, now blind, and under the king’s orders, he is now bound to marry Charlotte.... more>>

“To see me in this condition must stir old emotions within you.”

As the silence stretched, Leo broke it with a tone laced with sarcasm.

His words seemed not only aimed at Charlotte but also at himself, and the bitterness in his voice left Charlotte no choice but to force a response.

"..It’s been a while.”

She wanted to call him Leo, but the word was lodged in her throat, too painful to utter.

Charlotte buried her trembling lips in her hands, trying to stifle the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.

As their unstable marriage continues, Leo begins to uncover the hidden truths that Charlotte has long kept concealed. <<less

Celian Berrienne was once the daughter of a Marquis but fell to the status of a fallen noble along with her family. Without even having time to lament her miserable situation, she jumped into the workforce, because she had something to protect. ... more>>

However, she didn't expect to meet that man in the house where she became a tutor, attracted by the high salary. The son of the gardener whom she once

treated as a lover, but who is now the heir to the Duke, Izer Chesterfield.

"Why are you staying still? You're not the kind of person who just stays still like this."

"Is it because you've been through so much hardship that this doesn't bother you anymore, or are you thinking of clinging properly to Chesterfield now that it's come to this?"

I walked right into it.

Into the house of the man who hates me. <<less

I came to this world after eating the World Tree.... more>>

TL Description: Eat The World Tree is about a strange guy, who happens to be extremely curious and unable to stop himself from acting on his curiosity. The MC makes a slight mistake and travels to another world, and must fulfill specific quest or face varying levels of consequences (normally death). <<less

Shen Xiling was once like a golden thread grass clinging to Qi Jingchen for survival. He gave her life, education, and even love.... more>>

Shen Xiling once thought this man was omnipotent, until one day disaster struck, and she watched helplessly as Qi Jingchen fell from the clouds into the mire. Even at that moment, he was still trying every means to protect her, eventually sending her under someone else's wings.

Ten years later when they met again, shattered mountains and rivers and tangled marriages stood between them, creating countless barriers. This time, it was finally Shen Xiling's turn to hold up the lotus leaf, sheltering the man who always cherished her like a treasure from wind and rain.

When the mountains and rivers are stabilized, let us watch the lotuses rise together in the wind. <<less

Three years ago, the captain of the champion team SY, Cen Xi, left the team for no apparent reason. The SY team began to enter a period of fatigue, and each time it was eliminated in the quarterfinals.... more>>

One year after Cen Xi left the team, a talented player suddenly appeared in the foreign WSW team – Xi Xue, but because he always wore a mask and a voice changer when playing on the court, he was called a masked sniper in the circle.

Three years later, on Cen Xi’s birthday, the current captain of the SY team, Luo Yan, who was the former deputy captain of the SY team, saw a person who looked very much like Cen Xi (it was Cen Xi) on the street after drinking in a bar. He walked over and slapped Cen Xi, and then cried in Cen Xi’s arms.

“You still know how to come back!” Luo Yan accused. <<less

Vanessa’s inheritance, upon the death of her parents, was a mountain of debt and an arranged marriage. Her greedy uncle had eagerly sold her off to be the aging Count’s latest bride. To break the engagement, she needed a scandal. A truly dreadful, utterly ruinous scandal.... more>>

***

“Vanessa.”

“….”

“Is life so tedious?” he drawled, incredulous. “That you’d waste it entangled with the likes of me?” <<less

Qin Ran’s muse died, and so did his art. Running out of inspiration, he accidentally stumbled into a mysterious mountain village after a car accident, where he met a blindfolded beauty with a face as cold as ice, and was captivated by him at first sight. ... more>>

In order to get a new source of inspiration, Qin Ran relentlessly pursued the beauty using every means possible, but the beauty rejected him coldly.

Later, they got married in the village. Qin Ran grew bolder and tried to use himself as bait to trick him into going back to the city with him, only to discover that the beauty he shared the bed with was not a human being at all. He wanted to escape, but it was already too late—

“Ranran, didn’t you want to draw me?”

“Ranran, didn’t you say you wouldn’t abandon me?”

“Ranran… you should call me husband.”

“…I want to devour you whole, both skin and bones.” <<less

Serienne was a commoner maid who worked under Count Tremain. One day, her lost memories of the past 10 years flooded back to her. ... more>>

Her original name was Ashella de Ach. She was not a commoner, but a lady of the prestigious de Ach duchy, a household framed for an incident she barely escaped death from.

After recalling her memories, she vowed to find her family and return to her beloved husband, the emperor of the empire, Lahadelt…

“If you want to live, don’t say a word or even take a breath that I can hear.”

However, he became a crazy tyrant feared by the entire empire.

He was definitely the cute scaredy-cat she had loved, so what in the world happened in the last 10 years?

“There’s a rumor that the emperor lost his lover and went crazy.”

There’s no way that’s because of me, right? <<less

The greatest heretic inquisitor in history, Julius Tapnel suddenly found himself in a dilemma, as his wife, who had passed away five years ago, appeared... more>> before him once again. Could it really be her? Or was it the temptations of the devil? <<less

Model student Lee Won has a one-sided crush on Seo Hangeon, the school’s most popular delinquent. Just catching a glimpse of him from afar makes Lee Won’s day, and his happiness doubles when, by a stroke of luck, he ends up in the same class as Seo Hangeon in their third year of middle school. Contrary to the rumors, Hangeon turns out to be unexpectedly kind, and the two grow closer and closer.... more>>

They become the most special friends to one another and the kind of boyfriends who want to see each other every day.

But reality forces them apart, and the promise to reconnect a few months later is shattered.

Eight years pass without contact.

At 28 years old, Lee Won is living with PTSD and an inability to feel arousal. Returning to his hometown of Busan to pursue graduate studies, he unexpectedly reunites with Seo Hangeon…

I spotted a figure in the distance and blinked a couple of times. Someone was lingering around in front of several rows of stacked milk crates.

Seo Hangeon was standing there.

‘…?’

No matter how much I tried to make sense of the situation, only one answer came to mind: he had set this up to talk to me deliberately.

Hangeon slowly walked toward me and gently snatched the milk crate out of my hands. I furrowed my eyebrows and lowered my gaze. The dark navy knit vest of his school uniform rustled as he moved. His angular thumb brushed by for a moment before revealing two pills.

“The yellow one’s for digestion, the white one’s for headaches.”

“…”

“Take whichever one’s more urgent.”

It seemed like I had to accept them, so I held out my palm. My mind was practically soaring into another dimension.

“Won-ah.”

The voice I’d longed to hear made me look up instinctively. Seo Hangeon was staring at me with an expressionless gaze.

“Don’t acknowledge that bastard.” <<less

"Ah Xuan, I will haunt you, whether in the green fields or the yellow springs."... more>>

"It's such a blessing to die together with you."

Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice.

She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold.

For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan.

She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes.

The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman.

Su Qiang comes to steal the bride.

Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out...

【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】 <<less

In the winter before he was due to graduate from university, Su-hwa ran away from Jin-woo.... more>>

The two had been bound by a persistent, ill-fated affair caused by an accident… Unwittingly, Su-hwa found himself drawn in, only for his unrequited love to be trampled on mercilessly.

“Ah, for f*ck’s sake… I’m not some worthless rag.”

Jin-woo treated him like nothing more than a toy, wearing Su-hwa down, body and mind. In the end, Su-hwa, exhausted, hid the fact he was pregnant with Jinwoo’s child and disappeared.

Yet a few years later, the quiet life Su-hwa had believed he could enjoy with his child was shattered by Jin-woo’s sudden reappearance.

“You wretch! The heavens will surely punish you!”

“Hey, lady. You’ve certainly set up quite a show here, messing about with someone else’s partner and kid, have you?”

Su-hwa was terrified. He wanted nothing more than to flee, but he couldn’t.

“Your little run’s over, Yeon Su-hwa.”

Like a nightmare resurrected from his university days, Choi Jin-woo stood before him once again.

“You’ll never escape from me again.”

*This work contains depictions of violence, gaslighting, and coercive relationships, which may be triggering. Please take this into consideration when reading. <<less

Shen Ying is a task performer for the tragedy system. Her mission is to transmigrate into the role of the female lead in tragic romance novels, enduring one heart-wrenching love story after another.... more>>

Unlike most task performers who resist such assignments, Shen Ying absolutely adores her job. The tasks are easy, the pay is high, and there are various hidden perks she can freely explore.

The only downside is that the system keeps urging her to resign, insisting that someone of her talent shouldn't be wasted in such a "small-time" system. It even actively recommends her to join a rival system next door.

Moved to tears by the system's concern, Shen Ying firmly declares that she will work here for a lifetime, dedicating her entire life to the system.

Upon hearing this, the system is so touched that it sheds tears of gratitude. <<less

Post-apocalyptic World, Otherworldly Creature Invasion.... more>>

Monsters, strange phenomena, and disasters are constantly looming… Humans struggle in agony on the edge of life and death every day.

—Ye Yunfan woke up in such a world.

Upon opening his eyes, the whole world was dark and gloomy, with towering waves that made it seem as if it was the end of the world.

At that moment, Ye Yunfan realized he had transformed into a small, palm-sized pink octopus.

…Although not human, at least he wouldn’t drown.

However, in the next second, countless terrifying monsters roared and crawled out of the huge waves. They opened their bloody mouths wide like sacrificial bowls, exposing their sharp teeth.

Ye Yunfan: !!!

The little octopus immediately turned its head, and its eight small tent**les turned into propellers.

In this critical moment, someone suddenly descended from the thunderclouds a hundred meters high and, with one stroke of his knife, cut the monster in half.

Cut.in.half!!!

Ye Yunfan: “…..?”

—This guy is the real monster.

Before he could finish complaining to himself, he was lifted up by the guy using the back of the blade. The youth with heterochromatic eyes stared at him for a long time, tilting his head in confusion.

“Pink…jellyfish?”

Ye Yunfan: …It’s an octopus!

It’s a small pink octopus!!!

Yuan Ye is the most powerful, gifted ability user in history, but he suffers from a severe phobia of physical contact. As a result, he wraps himself up tightly all year round, even wearing two layers of gloves.

His therapist suggested that he first find something similar to human touch to adapt to. So Yuan Ye searched for a long time and finally caught a small jellyfish to try it out. Unfortunately——

“The little jellyfish had too few tent**les, only eight.”

Baby octopus Ye Yunfan: “……”

However, the little jellyfish did have a miraculous effect, and Yuan Ye’s illness was finally cured.

It’s just that the effect of the medicine was a bit too strong, causing him to develop a craving for the touch of tent**les.

Ye Yunfan: “……” I told you it’s an octopus!

And Yuan Ye, can you please put me in a normal place!!! <<less

A man whose arrogance was as effortless as breathing. The noblest of nobles. A man who would set the world on fire for love.... more>>

That was my husband, Curtis.

I was nothing more than a wife destined to die at my husband's hand the moment Irvelyn - his 'woman' - became his love.

mu*dered by the very man who once called me his, I opened my eyes to the past. Given a second chance, I knew—I had to survive.

So I began to play the role of a lifetime.

A desperate, one-time performance to escape the man who would kill me again in a year.

***

"Dalia, time... Don't say the time we spent together meant nothing."

"And if it was nothing?"

Dalia's voice was calm, almost detached, her expression unreadable. It was so effortlessly indifferent that it left Curtis speechless.

Never in his life had anyone silenced him. No one had ever dared. But now, for the first time, his tongue refused to move.

Meanwhile, Dalia's pale lips - lips that had never spoken freely in his presence - parted, her words as soft and fleeting as a lark's song.

"It was nothing, Your Grace. That time... meant nothing."

A bond is not measured in time alone. Some fall in love in an instant, while others remain strangers even after a lifetime together.

"Memories that should have been built over time, something to hold on to..."

With a faint smile, Dalia spoke the last words of a relationship that never really existed.

"There was never anything between us, was there?" <<less