Category: English

My husband had this strange-looking piece of meat in the fridge for half a year, and he never touched it. I got curious. What was so special about it? I secretly took it for testing. Turns out, it was a two-month-old embryo. When I got home, I frantically searched through every drawer and closet until I found it: a miscarriage report. On it, signed beside my husband’s name, was another woman’s name. My husband. He’d hidden it from me. He’d had a child with another woman. Five years of marriage, a bond that felt unbreakable. In that single horrifying moment, it all crumbled into a sick joke. When Leo got back, that box of meat was gone from the fridge. He rushed into my study, his voice laced with panic. “Skylar, have you seen the box of meat I put in the fridge?” I looked up at him, my fists clenched so tight my knuckles were white. I wanted to scream, to ask him why he’d betrayed me. But in the end, I just set my book down, pretending to be utterly unfazed. “Oh, that weird-looking stuff? I fried it up with some peppers for lunch. Honestly, it wasn’t bad.” “What?! You *ate* it?!” Leo’s eyes went wide, filled with a horrified disbelief. “Skylar, are you out of your mind?!” I let out a cold laugh. “It’s just meat, Leo. Why are you making such a big deal?” His face instantly flushed, his voice trembling as he demanded, “How could you eat *it*? That was mine! You ate my things without asking! Have you become so disrespectful?” “Eating a piece of meat is disrespectful now?” “It wasn’t just a piece of meat!” Leo’s face was beet red, his chest heaving with uncontrolled anger. I just found it darkly amusing. “Then what was it?” He bit down hard on his lip, a flash of profound grief crossing his face. He looked like he wanted to say something, but then he just choked back his tears and said, “Nothing… I don’t feel well tonight. I’ll sleep in the guest room.” With that, he turned and walked into the guest room. Five years of marriage, and this was the first time he’d ever yelled at me, the first time we’d slept in separate rooms. The irony was so bitter, it made my stomach churn. If that box of meat meant so much to him, then why did he let *her* get rid of it in the first place? For five years, Leo had been, in my eyes, the perfect husband. He was gentle, attentive, worked hard, and meticulously looked after my every need. My stomach was sensitive, so he’d spend hours perfecting recipes that were easy on my stomach. I often had social obligations that involved drinking, and he always had a hangover cure ready for me. In front of others, he was an ideal partner. So how could this wonderful man have a child with someone else? I couldn’t believe it, couldn’t accept it. It felt like a venomous sting deep in my heart, a searing, bone-deep pain. The name on the miscarriage report, I recognized it: Chloe Meng, Leo’s college junior. Chloe had pursued Leo for years. Even after we were married, she shamelessly clung to him. She’d cried, begged, threatened to jump into a river, even slit her wrists for him. She’d tried every trick in the book. But Leo had always seemed disgusted by her persistence. He’d constantly complain to me about how annoying Chloe was, how her pursuit bothered him, how he couldn’t stand the sight of her. Then, one night, I took a few friends with me and we jumped Chloe on her way home. We gave her a good beating, leaving her bruised and bloody. I warned her to stay away from my husband. After that, Leo never mentioned Chloe again. I thought she’d finally gotten the message. I never imagined that a year later, Leo’s name would appear on Chloe Meng’s miscarriage report, right there in the “partner” section.

That night, Leo and I went to bed angry. The next day, he met up with his friends for drinks. I put my work aside and secretly followed him. Through a crack in the door of a dimly lit private room at a bar, I caught a glimpse of Leo, his arm intimately wrapped around a woman. She was leaning against him on the couch, her arms around his waist, her face flushed with shyness. Even in the low light, I recognized her instantly: Chloe Meng! If there had been any doubt before, it was now crystal clear: that embryo, that lost life, was Leo and Chloe’s! A surge of white-hot fury rushed through me, and my fists clenched tight. Just as I was about to burst in, I heard one of Leo’s friends speak up. “Leo, Chloe chased you for years, and you never gave her the time of day. What finally changed your mind?” I froze. Leo turned his head to glance at Chloe, a doting smile on his face. “I wasn’t going to accept her, honestly. But then, that time my wife had her jumped and beat her until she was bruised and bloody… Chloe still showed up at my office, crying, saying she’d never give up on me, even if it killed her. I don’t know why, but in that moment, my heart just… softened.” After he spoke, they looked at each other, smiled, and then kissed right there, in front of everyone. The room erupted in hoots and cheers. I stood frozen outside the door, as if struck by lightning. So, my rage, my attempt to protect my marriage, had actually created the perfect opportunity for them to get together? A sharp, needle-like pain pricked at my chest, tightening until I could barely breathe. As my heart twisted in agony, Leo and Chloe finally broke apart, lingering in their embrace. Chloe cupped Leo’s face, her voice thick with emotion. “Leo, I’ll never love anyone but you. Only death can separate us.” Tears welled in Leo’s eyes, his face full of profound emotion. “Chloe, if I’d known being with you would be this incredible, I would have accepted you sooner. Don’t worry, for the rest of our lives, I’ll give you everything, except the title.” I stared at the sickeningly sweet scene before me, my heart aching to its very core. Suddenly, all my strength to confront them, to demand answers, drained away. I turned around and walked away, numb and disoriented. I floated like a ghost, aimlessly making my way to the bar. I ordered several strong drinks and drank until I was completely wasted. Five years of marriage. Eight years together. From college until now, Leo and I had been a couple for eight long years. Back then, to marry him, I’d given up an opportunity to study abroad. I didn’t ask for a dowry, just married him. After we wed, I’d always been a devoted wife, attentive, caring, always making sure he was comfortable. He didn’t want kids, so I’d used the excuse of being infertile to keep both our parents quiet. But in the end, he’d had a child with another woman, behind my back. Eight years of a relationship, shattered by one persistent woman. How utterly laughable.

Drunk, I stumbled out of the bar. Night was falling, the sky a heavy twilight. Suddenly, brilliant fireworks exploded in the sky, dazzling and mesmerizing. As I walked by the river, I ran into Leo and Chloe again. This time, his friends weren’t there. It was just the two of them, passionately kissing beneath the vibrant display of fireworks. They looked like something out of a fairy tale. In that instant, I couldn’t hold back anymore. A monstrous surge of rage erupted within me. I raised my hand and lunged at Chloe, screaming, “Bitch!” Chloe was caught off guard. My slap sent her stumbling back a few steps before she lost her balance and fell to the ground. The back of her head hit a rock, leaving her head bleeding. Leo’s eyes widened in horror. He immediately rushed to her side. “Chloe, are you okay?!” He spun around, his eyes blazing, and yelled at me, “Skylar, what the hell are you doing?! Are you insane?!” Me? Insane? “Leo, that’s what I should be asking *you*!” I pointed at Chloe on the ground, my voice sharp with fury. “Tell me, what were you doing with her just now?!” Leo didn’t even flinch, instead, he frowned in disgust. “Are you drunk again? How many times have I told you, drink less! You always go crazy when you drink, acting like some unreasonable shrew!” Unreasonable? I actually laughed. Leo ignored my anger. He tenderly wiped the blood from Chloe’s head, his eyes reddening, his voice choked with emotion. “Chloe, get up. I’ll take you to the hospital.” The sight of it sliced through me again. My husband, right now, was tearing up for another woman. I angrily raised my fist and lunged at Chloe again. But Leo stepped in front of Chloe and forcefully slapped me across the face. “Skylar, haven’t you caused enough trouble?! Can you just stop your drunken tantrums?!” His gaze was cold, like ice. In five years of marriage, he had never looked at me like that before. I stared at him, suddenly feeling like I was looking at a complete stranger. A fresh wave of agonizing pain ripped through my chest. Leo gently helped Chloe up, his face full of concern, and then he brutally shoved me aside. I stumbled, lost my footing, and tumbled into the freezing river beside us. *Splash!* The icy cold hit me, making me gasp and shiver. Leo didn’t even look back. Chloe called out to him, “Leo, your wife…” “Forget her!” Leo’s voice was as cold as a stranger’s, without a trace of warmth, as he walked away without so much as a glance at me in the water. “She can swim. A little dip will do her good, help her sober up!” With that, he walked away, helping Chloe, not once looking back. I tried to swim to the bank, but my thigh suddenly cramped up. I couldn’t move it. Finally, I sank into the river in despair, letting the frigid water fill my lungs. The violent sensation of drowning choked me, consuming me completely. My heart turned to ash. … When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital bed. A kind passerby had rescued me. Leo didn’t check on me at all. It wasn’t until the next afternoon that he finally called. His voice sounded tired, laced with subtle accusation. “Skylar, Chloe is out of danger. You went too far this time. You hit her head, and she almost got a concussion! Luckily, Chloe is big-hearted and isn’t holding it against you. But in the future, you absolutely can’t be so reckless!” My heart was a barren wasteland. His only concern was Chloe’s injury, completely oblivious that his wife had nearly drowned yesterday. After a brief silence, Leo lowered his voice and tried to explain. “Skylar, you misunderstood yesterday. Chloe and I are just good friends. It’s not as complicated as you think.” “Friends?” I laughed coldly. “Friends kiss?” Leo’s voice immediately turned icy. “You were drunk last night, you must have seen things! Chloe and I didn’t kiss! It was Chloe’s birthday yesterday, and I was just celebrating with her by the river. Can you just let it go? I’ve given you so much these past years. Am I not allowed to have other friends?” I hung up the phone. I was physically and mentally exhausted. I had no strength left to argue with him.

After being discharged, I claimed I had a business trip and didn’t go home for two weeks. Leo seemed busy caring for the injured Chloe and didn’t press me for details. It was Eleanor, Leo’s mom, who called me. It was the same old song and dance. “Skylar, when are you finally going to give me a grandchild?” In that moment, I found her words so bitterly ironic. She probably had no idea that she was supposed to have a grandchild, but her own son had personally snuffed out its life. “I’m not planning on having children.” “Not planning on it?” Eleanor’s voice rose sharply, a furious shout. “If you’re not having children, then what good are you to the Miller family? Your background is nothing special, your career’s a joke, and you can’t even pop out a kid. What good are you? I should have never agreed to Leo marrying you!” I knew Leo’s parents had always looked down on me these past five years. Before, for Leo’s sake, I had always endured it. But now, I didn’t have to keep quiet anymore. “Anyway, let’s not talk about that for now,” Eleanor paused, then lowered her voice. “Next week is Leo’s dad’s sixtieth birthday. You and Leo both need to come home. Make sure to prepare a grand gift for him. Don’t you dare embarrass my son!” I was silent for a moment. Then, I smiled. “Alright.” Oh, I would definitely give them a grand gift. … In the blink of an eye, it was Arthur’s sixtieth birthday party. When I arrived at the Miller family mansion, the grand hall was already packed with relatives and friends, buzzing with conversation and laughter. What surprised me was that Chloe was there too. Leo made no effort to hide her, introducing her to relatives and friends one by one. My face set in a grim expression, I walked towards them and asked coldly, “Leo, it’s your dad’s birthday today. Why did you bring that persistent pest, Chloe, here?” Before Leo could answer, Arthur rushed forward. “Skylar, what kind of talk is that? Chloe is my god-daughter! We met fishing. Don’t you dare be rude to her!” “God-daughter?” I was stunned. I hadn’t realized that not only had Leo’s heart drifted, but even his parents were slowly being charmed by Chloe. I, on the other hand, had become a complete outsider. Chloe suddenly extended a glass of wine towards me, her face plastered with a fake smile. “Sister-in-law, you’ve arrived just in time! I’d like to propose a toast! Honestly, you misunderstood last time. Leo was just celebrating my birthday, nothing more. And even though you almost gave me a concussion last time, thanks to Leo’s careful attention, my injuries are almost healed.” “What?!” Arthur heard her words and looked at me in shock, his nostrils flaring with anger. “Skylar, the injuries on Chloe’s head last time, *you* did that? Chloe has no quarrel with you! Are you insane?!” “Godfather, please don’t be angry,” Chloe said, feigning concern. “My injuries aren’t serious, and I’ve already forgiven Sister-in-law.” Chloe forcefully placed the wine glass in my hand, smiling artificially. “Sister-in-law, let’s drink this glass, and we can put this behind us.” With that, she raised her own glass and chugged it. I glared at her, my fingers tightening around my glass. Then, I abruptly flipped it over, splashing all the wine onto her face. “Chloe Meng, who the hell wants to put anything behind them with you?!”

“Skylar, what are you doing?!” Arthur’s eyes widened in outrage. “Chloe was being nice, toasting you. What is your attitude?!” Eleanor’s face was dark as she scolded me. “Skylar, it’s your dad’s birthday today. Are you deliberately trying to ruin the party?!” Chloe wiped the wine from her face, her shoulders trembling slightly as she feigned hurt. “Sister-in-law, do you have some misunderstanding about me? If I did something wrong, please tell me. I’ll apologize, okay?” “Chloe Meng, you know exactly what you did! Stop pretending!” No sooner had the words left my mouth than Leo stepped forward and savagely slapped me. His eyes were wide with fury, his face terrifyingly grim. “Skylar, don’t you dare take this too far! Chloe was being kind, toasting you, even humbling herself to apologize to you, and you’re still targeting her? What is your problem?!” “My problem?” I laughed, a bitter, angry sound. “I’d like to ask *you* and *her* what your problem is!” Chloe quickly stepped in to mediate. “Leo, darling, please don’t argue with Sister-in-law. It’s Godfather’s birthday today. Don’t let me upset him!” With that, she pulled a gift box from her bag and, like a child showing off a treasure, opened it in front of Arthur. “Godfather, this is the gift I prepared for you. Do you like it?” Arthur’s anger vanished the moment he saw the gift in her hand. “A top-grade red jade!” Arthur beamed, his mouth unable to close. “Chloe, you’re so thoughtful! Truly my good daughter!” “This jade must be hundreds of thousands, right?” Eleanor’s eyes sparkled. “Chloe, I had no idea you were so wealthy!” Chloe smiled, feigning shyness. “It’s just a small token of my appreciation. I hope Godfather likes it.” Then she turned to me, a provocative smirk on her lips. “Sister-in-law, what grand gift did *you* prepare for Godfather? Why don’t you show it to everyone?” “Yeah, let’s see it!” The relatives chimed in, echoing her. Watching Chloe’s smug face, I wanted to laugh with bitter irony. I knew she wanted to humiliate me in front of everyone. But I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction! “A grand gift? Of course!” In front of all our friends and family, I slowly pulled out a sealed, clear plastic box. I parted my lips and spoke softly, “This… is the grand gift I’m giving to my father-in-law!” Chloe froze instantly. Leo’s pupils constricted, his gaze locked on the box in my hand, his face turning deathly pale. Arthur frowned, looking confused. “What is that? A box of meat?” Eleanor exploded in anger, scolding me. “Skylar, Chloe bought your dad jade worth hundreds of thousands, and what did *you* prepare? Something so tacky and inappropriate!” The surrounding relatives and friends began whispering, mocking me for being cheap and embarrassing. I remained calm, my eyes fixed on Leo and Chloe, and slowly began to speak. “Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, haven’t you always wanted a grandchild? What I’m holding in my hand… is the grandchild you’ve been so eagerly awaiting!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296930”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

My husband got a racy photo from his mistress. He raced to the hotel, leaving our three-year-old son in the car. Under the scorching summer sun, the locked car became a furnace. Our son suffocated to death. When I told my husband the devastating news, he answered, panting, “Let’s just get the funeral over with. We can always have another kid.” I was sobbing, choked with grief, but he was disturbingly calm. “Chloe’s already pregnant. Once her baby is born, they’ll be our family’s heir.” “She’ll move into our house, but it won’t affect your status as Mrs. Arthur. I’ll still spend a few nights a week with you.” At his words, my heart completely died. I walked straight into my husband’s arch-rival’s office. “Interested in partnering up to take down Arthur’s empire?” I was a stay-at-home mom, not because my husband made a fortune, but because our son was often sick and needed constant care. On Leo’s third birthday, I’d decorated a private room at a local restaurant. It was all superhero-themed, just like Leo loved, even the cake was a custom flavor. Before the party even began, my husband offered to take Leo out for a stroll, giving me more time to set up. But three hours went by. My husband refused to answer my calls, and I couldn’t track his location. It wasn’t until late afternoon that the police called with the devastating news of Leo’s death. The cramped car had turned into an oven. Leo’s tiny body was already stiff and bruised. Under his small fingernails were marks from his desperate struggle to survive. “What kind of parents leave such a young child alone in a car?” “Look at that mom, all dressed up. She was probably too busy shopping or socializing to even realize her kid died in the car.” Facing the ignorant public’s accusations, I had no strength to defend myself. I collapsed beside the car, sobbing until I had no strength left. It was the female officer who gently pulled me into the patrol car. My hand trembled as I dialed my husband’s number. He answered, panting, “So he died. It’s just a funeral. We can always have another kid.” Then he hung up. I next saw my husband at the police station. Fueled by fury, I slapped him across the face, shrieked, my voice raw with anguish, “Where were you?! Why did you leave him alone in the car?! Why didn’t you answer my calls?!” I thought Arthur would be as heartbroken as I was, but he angrily pushed my hand away. “Can you stop acting like a lunatic?” Arthur went through the procedures in the interrogation room. When he signed Leo’s death certificate, his face showed absolutely no emotion. As if the person who had suffocated to death was a complete stranger, utterly unrelated to him! “Arthur, tell me what you were doing?” I clutched his hand, my voice trembling. “You said you were just taking Leo for a walk. Why was he locked in that car for over two hours?” Just thinking about it, I remembered the dashcam footage. The video showed Leo’s cries, starting strong, then gradually fading, charting every agonizing step of his journey towards death. I couldn’t help but cry again, but Arthur remained indifferent. “I was conducting business, okay? I was too busy. What was I supposed to do, I forgot.” “Enough, stop making a scene. Come home with me. You’re embarrassing our entire family.” Arthur dragged me along, showing no sign of grief even as he practically shoved me through our front door. He even flung his perfume-scented suit jacket at my face. “Get this dry-cleaned. Don’t you dare ruin it.” I stood my ground, speaking coldly. “Arthur, let’s get a divorce.” But Arthur just looked at me blankly. “What tantrum are you throwing now?” “You’re talking about divorce over an *adopted* child? Are you out of your mind, Avery?” “Let me be blunt. Chloe’s already two months pregnant. Once her baby is born, I’ll bring it home, and you’ll raise it just like you raised Leo. It’ll even call you ‘Mom’ when it grows up.”

While Arthur was in the shower, I unlocked his phone using Chloe’s birthday as the password. My heart clenched when I saw the racy photo Chloe had sent him at 1:50 PM that afternoon. So he was in such a rush to hook up with Chloe that he forgot our son in that scorching car?! *Ding-dong*. A new message arrived from Chloe. **[Arthur, you’ll come with me to my prenatal appointment tomorrow, won’t you?]** Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. With trembling hands, I blocked Chloe from Arthur’s phone. Arthur, fresh out of the shower, witnessed this. He quickly snatched the phone, pushing me away angrily. “Who gave you permission to touch my phone?!” Arthur quickly re-operated his phone. He was a tech whiz, and he easily found my block history. Without a second thought, he unblocked Chloe and sent her a voice message: “Avery just went a little crazy and blocked you. Don’t mind her. She’s just grieving for her son.” “Was Leo only *my* son?” Arthur just glanced at me, didn’t even bother to reply. He just barged past me, shouldering me aside, and walked into the room. That night, I lay awake in Leo’s room, wide eyed with grief. Arthur, meanwhile, slept soundly. The next morning, he even loudly demanded I get up and make his breakfast. My tears had long since dried, my eyes horribly swollen. My fingers scrolled through my contacts, but before I could find the person I was looking for, a trending news alert popped up on my phone: **[Arthur Enterprises CEO’s Wife, Preoccupied with Shopping and Socializing, Forgets Three-Year-Old Son in Car, Leading to Tragic Suffocation.]** I clicked on the article. It wasn’t just gossip accounts spreading rumors; even Arthur Enterprises’ official account had reposted it, implicitly confirming the story. Arthur was the one in charge of Arthur Enterprises. No one would dare do something like this without his approval. I rushed out to confront Arthur, who was eating breakfast. He just kept his head down as he answered, “You’re just a stay-at-home mom anyway. If your reputation is ruined, it’s ruined. This can’t be allowed to affect *my* reputation.” “Your reputation? What reputation?” I stormed over to him, smashing the dishes. “Breaking up with Chloe was *your* choice. Marrying me was *your* choice. Even adopting Leo was *your* decision. So why am I the one stuck bearing all the blame now?” “Before my patience completely runs out, you’d better not piss me off again.” Arthur stood up, looking down at me. “Chloe needs extra care during her early pregnancy. I’m having her move into our house. You’ll take good care of her and the baby.” Seeing my continued silence, Arthur casually added. “Even if Chloe has my baby, it won’t affect your status as Mrs. Arthur. So stop being so immature, okay?” It wasn’t comfort; it was more of a warning. But he didn’t know I didn’t care about being Mrs. Arthur. The only reason I stayed in this house was Leo. Now that he’d killed our son, there was no reason for me to stay. On my way, I scrolled through photos from years ago. Arthur was still Chloe’s boyfriend back then. She cheated on him and left the country, and only then did he get together and marry me. Arthur and I had been married for two years without children. It was my idea to adopt, and I chose Leo from a children’s home. The more I thought about it, the more miserable I felt. My eyes were still glistening with tears when I walked into Marcus Group’s office. Marcus looked at me, offering a tissue. “What, your husband treating you badly?” “I’m divorcing him.” “Interested in partnering up to crash Arthur Enterprises and absorb all their assets into your company?”

When Marcus dropped me off, we saw Arthur getting out of a car, his arm wrapped around Chloe. Before I could speak, Arthur frowned and demanded, “Now you’re not only causing trouble at home, but you’re also trying to get back with your ex, trying to make a fool of me?” Chloe deliberately stroked her belly, looking at me with a smirk. “Mr. Marcus just gave me a ride. What about you? You brought your mistress directly into our home.” “Watch your mouth!” Arthur rounded on Marcus. “It’s been five years! Haven’t you given up on my wife yet?” Marcus and I had long since lost any feelings for each other. We dated for three months and had thirty arguments. We even had a huge fight on the day we broke up. So, no, we’re not getting back together. But to provoke Arthur, Marcus deliberately put on a smug face. “You don’t appreciate Avery anyway. What’s wrong with me pursuing her?” “You wouldn’t dare!” Arthur was about to confront Marcus further, but Chloe suddenly let out a little gasp. He immediately rushed to her side, anxious. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” “My feet are a little numb, Arthur. Can you carry me inside?” Arthur didn’t even spare me a glance. He simply scooped Chloe up bridal-style, taking every step with exaggerated care. That scene couldn’t stir my heart anymore; it was already as cold as ashes. Marcus watched, then turned to remind me, “He treats you like this. Don’t you dare go soft on him now.” “Don’t worry. I’ll stick to our agreement.” After saying goodbye to Marcus, I walked inside to find the usually high-and-mighty Arthur kneeling before Chloe, massaging her swollen, pregnant calves. I tried to avoid them, but Arthur called out, “Go prepare lunch for Chloe.” I smiled, looking at him. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll *add something* to her lunch?” “Don’t you dare provoke me, or I can’t guarantee what might happen to her in this house.” With that, I went upstairs to my room. I opened my long-unused laptop. I could still access Arthur Enterprises’ financial data. I spent the entire afternoon in my room preparing for my collaboration with Marcus. I only snapped back to reality when Chloe’s voice cut through the door. “Avery, come out! My legs are aching a bit. Come massage them for me.” I didn’t respond, so she kept knocking and shouting. Only when I finally opened the door did she flash a triumphant smile. “Do you think playing dead will work if you don’t answer? You don’t run this house.” “I’m not Arthur. I won’t indulge a mistress who thinks she can do whatever she pleases.” “Oh, you’ve got some nerve. You still think Arthur loves you, don’t you?” Chloe suddenly burst out laughing. “Wanna bet?” The words were barely out of her mouth when Chloe suddenly smashed a vase beside her and flopped backward onto the floor. “Avery! Why did you hit me?!” Chloe’s trembling, sobbing voice echoed through the house, reaching Arthur, who was working downstairs, and drawing him up.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296946”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

I was Darian, the Apex Vampire of the Nether Realm. A decade ago, nine humans willingly traded their souls, signing a pact with me to become my blood servants. They believed that if chosen as my companion at the Grand Embrace Ceremony, they would gain eternal access to my potent blood. Every single blood servant worked tirelessly, collecting soul fragments for me daily, showering me with flattery. All of them, that is, except for Seraphina. She alone disdained to fawn over me. Yet, she was the one I desired most. I even gifted her rare, powerful souls I’d hunted myself. I genuinely believed that by choosing her as my companion at the upcoming Grand Embrace Ceremony, my deepest wish would be fulfilled. But then, Seraphina, who usually showed me no emotion, *dared* to forcefully kiss Caleb, the human boy I had rescued. And Caleb? He was her own brother. They’d become my blood servants to save a dying Caleb. I should have realized it then. Yet, when I granted them their twisted wish, they were consumed by a furious regret.

“Oh gods, the Ceremony is almost here! What if the King chooses *me*?” “What are you scared of? The King despises our attempts at flattery. Just keep up your act, and you’ll be safe.” “Thank goodness for Seraphina. If she hadn’t caught the King’s eye with her aloof demeanor, we might never have been able to stay with Caleb!” “Shh, keep your voice down! She’s the unlucky one, stuck with the King’s attention.” “I’d rather *die* than be chosen by him. I have to marry Caleb. He’s my only light in this damn Realm!” I sat beneath the garden gazebo, my fingertips subtly tightening. So, all this time, their obedience, their excessive flattery, their pathetic attempts to appear inferior… It was all a charade. They were simply infatuated with Caleb, hoping to disgust me enough that I’d reject them as potential companions. Caleb, the one I’d saved a decade ago by sharing my blood, had never signed a pact with me. Naturally, his power couldn’t compare to that of my blood servants, and he couldn’t complete his daily tasks alone. My blood servants would regularly share their collected soul fragments with Caleb, Allowing him to submit his quotas to me. Vampires cannot fall in love with humans. I had always believed their actions were out of pity. It never once crossed my mind that it was *love*. Just then, a strange sound drifted from another corner of the garden. I followed the noise, my gaze falling upon a patch of ground where moonlight dappled through the leaves. There, the usually cold and aloof Seraphina was clinging tightly to Caleb. She kissed him with a desperate urgency, a burning passion I had never witnessed in her before. “Caleb, don’t worry,” Seraphina’s voice was urgent, yet firm. “I will *never* let him choose me.” “Even if he does, I won’t agree to the Embrace. I will *never* become his companion.” Caleb gently pushed her away, a perfectly feigned look of distress on his face. “But, Seraphina, to be embraced by the King grants you his purest blood, eternal life just like him. It’s an opportunity countless souls dream of.” “I don’t care!” Seraphina immediately retorted, cupping his face. “I have no interest in eternal life. I only care about you. I just want to be with *you*.” Standing in the shadows, a chilling realization washed over me. The blood servants I had chosen, the ones who had showered me with flattery… they *all* loved Caleb. I, Darian, the mighty King of the Nether Realm, had become nothing more than a pathetic joke. I was never short of blood servants desperate to be my companion. Since they were so unwilling, I decided to grant them their wish. The next day, I issued a new decree. “Effective immediately, all blood supply to my blood servants will cease.” My blood servants primarily subsisted on the blood I provided, supplied by human thralls. Cutting off this supply meant they would have to hunt humans themselves. “From this day forward, you will hunt for your own blood and soul fragments in the human world.” They exchanged bewildered glances, assuming I was simply in a bad mood. No one dared to object, accepting their fate. With this, they would be constantly busy, traveling between the human world and the Nether Realm, with no time left to coddle Caleb. Without Seraphina and his other admirers “feeding” him, Caleb’s tasks naturally went unfulfilled. He knelt before me, his face ashen, unable to even utter a plea for mercy. “Task failed. You will report to the Sun-Scorched Peaks of the Nether Realm for sun-desensitization training,” I declared, my voice devoid of emotion. The Sun-Scorched Peaks were the closest point to sunlight in our realm, a torture chamber, a living hell for us vampires. When Seraphina heard the news, her face went deathly pale. She raced there without a moment’s hesitation. I watched from a distance as she unfolded her not-so-broad bat wings, Straining every fiber of her being to shield Caleb from the scorching sunlight. The sun pierced through her wings, leaving her almost desiccated, yet she stubbornly held on. I averted my gaze, my heart untouched by a single ripple of emotion.

That night, I led my elite vampire guard in a brutal raid on the human Templar Knights. The battle raged on through the night. Only as dawn approached did we finally claim victory. I had expended a vast amount of blood and dark energy, leaving my body weaker than it had ever been. Even the faint glow of the rising sun on the horizon felt almost unbearable. I stumbled back to the Sun-Scorched Peaks of the Nether Realm, where the intensifying sunlight instantly enveloped me. The rays seared my skin, piercing my very bones. The pain was so intense I could barely stand. Seraphina and Caleb stood not far away. She saw me, saw my agony and my weakness. But she didn’t come to my aid. She didn’t spread her wings to shield me, not even for a flicker of sunlight, as she had done for Caleb. She simply stood there, cold and unmoving, a cruel satisfaction gleaming in her eyes. “My King,” she sneered, “you look utterly pathetic right now.” “This is your karma for punishing Caleb yesterday.” I looked at Caleb, standing so perfectly protected beside her. Suddenly, the decade of favoritism I had shown Seraphina felt utterly ludicrous. While I was recovering, the special Blood Artifact Auction, held in preparation for the Grand Embrace Ceremony, began. Most of the vampires in the Realm would attend, either to choose suitable artifacts for their future companions or to bid on rare, powerful souls. I had no intention of choosing a companion, but I was still intrigued by the countless bizarre blood artifacts on display. The auction was held within a massive cavern, its walls embedded with glowing crystals. My eyes immediately fixed on a potent soul, sealed within a crystal vial. The energy radiating from it was pure and immense, enough to completely heal the wounds I’d sustained in the recent battle. Just as I prepared to bid, I saw Seraphina fiercely competing for that very same soul. “Seraphina, darling, let it go. It’s too valuable. Besides… the King is here too.” He glanced in my direction, his eyes devoid of any reverence. Seraphina shook her head stubbornly, gently patting his hand. “You were burned by the sun, Caleb. You need this to heal.” Then, she abruptly turned to me, her eyes filled with their usual contempt. “Unlike *some* vampires, who only fight a minor skirmish with humans and then need a powerful soul to heal. What a disgrace to our kind!” A vampire’s hearing far surpasses that of any human. Her words, every single one of them, pierced straight into my ears. Fine. *Excellent*. I raised my hand, announcing an even higher price. Seraphina, not one to back down, immediately countered. Whispers began to ripple through the cavern. “Isn’t she the King’s blood servant? Why is she bidding against her master?” “Bidding? She’s using soul fragments granted by her master to compete for an item for *another man*! Isn’t she publicly humiliating the King?” A cold sneer touched my lips. I triggered the final bid. It was the signal for the highest bid, meaning the item was mine. I thought I had won, that I had thoroughly humiliated her. However, as I prepared to draw on my dark energy, to retrieve the soul fragments from my spatial storage to pay, I found my power utterly blocked, refusing to obey. What in the hell was going on? The entire hall fell silent for a beat, then erupted into thunderous laughter. “Hahahaha, have I been out of touch with the royal family too long? Since when was the King nothing but a hollow shell?!” “He just fought *one* battle and now he’s this pathetic?” “Can’t even produce the soul fragments and still dares to trigger the final bid? How utterly clueless!” While they didn’t dare say these things directly to my face, out of respect for my title, My enhanced senses picked up every mocking whisper. The tide of their laughter still threatened to drown me. At that moment, Seraphina, holding Caleb’s hand, slowly approached me. A victorious smile played on her lips as she calmly paid for the soul fragments, claiming the powerful soul. Right in front of everyone, she opened the crystal vial and allowed Caleb to absorb the soul on the spot. Watching the unbridled, triumphant smile on her face, a chilling truth suddenly dawned on me. Last night, she had uncharacteristically delivered my tribute blood herself. She’d said it was the sweetest human blood she’d specially hunted, hoping it would help me recover quickly. She, who had always disdained to flatter me. That sudden warmth, that tainted blood… it was all for this auction. For Caleb, to publicly humiliate me, she had been willing to cast aside her dignity and play me like a fool. “My King, thank you for your generosity.” Caleb, his strength restored, walked up to me, a taunting smile on his face. “If you hadn’t generously gifted Seraphina so many soul fragments before, we really wouldn’t have been able to afford this precious item today.” A sharp, searing pain suddenly tore through my heart. The dark energy within me began to surge uncontrollably. This was… a sign of my transformation into a demon. I couldn’t be bothered to endure their petty, gloating faces any longer. Under the confused and wary gazes of the crowd, I rushed back to my castle. I needed to seclude myself immediately.

The day of the Grand Embrace Ceremony was also destined to be my day of transformation into a demon. All I needed was to infuse my lifeblood into the ancient Blood Artifact, and I would shatter the shackles of my current power, becoming the first true demon in the entire history of the Nether Realm. I sat on my throne in the center of the ceremony hall when a raven descended from the sky, landing on my shoulder. It carried a message from the Divine Realm. It was Astraea. That woman had been stuck to me like glue for centuries. Knowing she was coming, a headache immediately bloomed behind my eyes. I was just about to announce that no companion would be chosen at this ceremony. Suddenly, a violent tremor of dark energy erupted from deep within the castle. Someone had breached the barrier I’d set for my seclusion. The backlash hit me, my dark energy spiraling out of control, forcing the demonic transformation ritual to begin prematurely. Beneath my skin, power surged like boiling lava. “Quick, bring the Blood Artifact!” Seraphina, seeing my state, immediately commanded in a loud voice. A blood servant rushed forward, presenting the ancient Blood Artifact to her. I struggled desperately to control the raging power inside me, cold sweat beading on my forehead, reaching out to take the artifact. Just as my fingertips were about to touch the Blood Artifact, Seraphina suddenly lunged into my arms. Something cold, something radiating a divine aura, plunged violently into my heart. Blinding pain erupted. I shoved Seraphina away with all my might. Looking down, what was impaled in my chest was no Blood Artifact at all. It was a gleaming silver cross—a holy relic of human priests! She had conspired with humans, swapping out my artifact! My dark energy, as if finding an outlet, was being violently siphoned away by the holy relic. Strength drained from me. I crashed to my knees. The hall erupted into chaos. Meanwhile, my nine blood servants, as if on cue, swarmed me, pinning my limbs and body down. Just then, a human priest in white robes appeared before me, seemingly out of nowhere. He chanted arcane words, casting a spell that steadily transferred the dark energy siphoned from my body directly into Caleb. “My King,” one of the blood servants whispered, pressing down on my shoulder, “when you were poring over ancient texts in your private chamber, you must have overlooked that tattered scroll in the corner, didn’t you?” “It records that a vampire’s bloodline and sufficiently powerful dark energy are the keys to becoming a demon.” “Ten years ago, you used your own blood to save Caleb, so your bloodline flows through him.” “Now, by transferring all your dark energy to him, he can take your place and become the Nether Realm’s first demon!” Caleb greedily absorbed my dark energy, while excitedly calling out to the priest, “Father!” Father? It clicked. They had been deceiving me from the very beginning. This wasn’t some impulsive betrayal. This was a ten-year-long conspiracy. “Did you really think we *wanted* to be your blood servants?” Seraphina pressed down harder on my profusely bleeding chest, twisting the holy relic deeper. “You are the most powerful vampire in the Nether Realm, the King of all our kind. To utterly destroy the vampire race, we had to start with you.” “That’s why we orchestrated that pact a decade ago.” “Once Caleb becomes a demon, his power will transcend yours, and our soul pact with you will be null and void.” With my dark energy completely drained, I collapsed, my consciousness fading. Seeing my power gone, the vampire forces below descended into chaos, scattering in a frantic flight. The blood servants, along with the priest, slashed my flesh, broke my bat wings, and gutted my insides. They dragged me to the human world, throwing me into a grand cathedral, where they strung me up high with chains. The skylight above, completely unobstructed, was aimed directly at the scorching sun. They intended for me to hang there, exposed to its relentless rays for ninety-nine days. After hoisting me in the center of the cathedral, they busied themselves attending to Caleb, who was adjusting to his new demonic bloodline. This, ironically, gave me a chance to breathe. I don’t know how long passed. The scorching sun finally receded, and a full moon slowly ascended. Its cold, clear light filtered through the skylight, bathing my broken body. A melodious female voice, laced with a hint of schadenfreude, echoed softly in my ear. “Only a few months apart, and the Nether Realm has fallen so low?” “Tsk, utterly pathetic.” Astraea, the crazy woman who had chased me for centuries. She slowly walked up to me, raising a hand to brush against the chains binding me.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296962”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

My boyfriend, Daniel, never lied. He said I had a ‘fat gene’ that would shorten my life, so I needed to diet. I bit back my protest and agreed. He told me I was a bad omen for my parents, that my presence could harm their health, so I had to stay away. After much agonizing, tears blurring my vision, I agreed. Then he claimed my features weren’t ‘right’ for our future, that they needed to be ‘adjusted’ for our marriage to work. After agonizing over it, I still said yes. The day of the surgery, lying in the operating room, it suddenly hit me: I was allergic to a certain anesthetic. As I got off the bed to find a nurse, I accidentally overheard voices just outside the door. “It’s been six years since you broke up, and you still can’t let go of Lily?” Daniel’s voice, sickeningly familiar, came from just beyond the door. “Yeah, Lily’s etched into my very soul. I can’t let go.” “Since I’m destined to marry someone else, I’ll just try my best to make Chloe look more like Lily, then even more…” After a long silence, Daniel’s casual, almost dismissive voice floated back. “Honestly, Chloe is so easy to mold. I tell her anything, and she just goes along with it.” In that instant, I felt like the most ridiculous fool alive. Luckily, it wasn’t too late. The wedding plans could still be adjusted. “Hello, wedding plans have changed. Please replace the bride with a scarecrow.”

All these years with Daniel, he knew I was an introverted social recluse, always needing someone by my side. So this morning, he’d woken up early and prepared everything. When I woke up, all that was left was to eat breakfast and follow him to the plastic surgery clinic. Before he led me into the operating room, he even kissed my forehead, his eyes overflowing with what looked like deep affection. “Chloe, as soon as this surgery is done, we’ll make it official.” “Chloe, you know? I can’t wait to tie the knot with you!” Looking at the man before me, I felt so incredibly lucky and happy, convinced I’d found the perfect guy. Lying in the operating room, I suddenly remembered I was allergic to a specific anesthetic. Just as I reached the door, I saw Dr. Miller, the plastic surgeon, in his white coat. I opened my mouth to speak, but then I heard Daniel’s familiar voice from just outside. “Seriously, I can’t believe it. It’s been six whole years since you broke up, and you still haven’t moved on from Lily? She’s married now, her kid’s two years old! You’re not still fantasizing about her, are you?” After a few seconds of silence, Daniel’s voice came through, filled with a bitterness I’d never heard before. “Yeah, Lily’s etched into my very soul. All these years since we broke up, I’ve dreamt of her every single night. How am I supposed to let go?” “Since I’m destined to never marry Lily, I might as well find a woman who’s easy to mold and reshape her into Lily’s image.” “And honestly? This Chloe, she’s the easiest woman I’ve ever met to string along.” “She believes everything I say. She even believes I never lie? It’s actually hilarious. Who in this world never lies?” Dr. Miller’s voice came again. “But you clearly love Lily, yet you’re marrying Chloe. Is that fair to Chloe?” Just seconds later, Daniel’s indifferent voice replied, “Fair or not, what’s it matter? I’ll treat her well after we’re married, won’t I?” “Besides, Chloe likes me so much. The fact that I’d even agree to marry her? She should buy a lottery ticket, she’s so lucky.” I leaned against the cold wall, and in that instant, I felt my body temperature drop even lower than the frigid surface beneath my back. Before I met Daniel, I never believed anyone in this world truly never lied. But then, I saw him risk everything to speak the truth for an old lady hit by a car, or choose to lose millions to be honest about his company’s finances. Time and again, in countless crises, even life-or-death situations, he always chose the truth. I’d known Daniel for seven whole years, and I’d only ever seen him lie once. And that single lie, though it was for me, almost cost him his life. That’s when I learned that since birth, whenever he lied, his body would break out in rashes, severe enough to be life-threatening. Yet Daniel’s casual ‘easy to string along’ comment effortlessly negated seven years of my love for him. Their conversation wasn’t over. Clenching my teeth against the searing pain in my chest, I picked up my phone and hit record.

“Are you really going through with this? If you do this surgery, you’ll owe Chloe even more!” Daniel’s voice, now tinged with impatience, retorted, “Owe her? What’s there to owe? It’s not like I dragged her here against her will, is it?” “This was *her* decision, okay? What does it have to do with me?” “Even if I *do* owe her, I’m compensating her with marriage. Isn’t that enough?” Daniel’s voice was so familiar, yet utterly alien. All this time, the Daniel I thought I knew—kind, warm, thoughtful—deserved every beautiful word in the dictionary. Now, I realized that even the most profound, uncontrollable love could be faked. He truly was a brilliant actor. The marriage I’d dreamed of, to him, was nothing more than meaningless compensation. At this point, I had no more courage left to listen. I didn’t want to imagine what other ‘surprises’ I’d overhear if I stayed. Ignoring the two outside, I grabbed my coat from the side table and quietly slipped out through another door in the ward. I saw Daniel’s car parked at the entrance, and a bitter, twisted smile pulled at my lips. I’d always wanted to get my driver’s license, but Daniel, under the guise of ‘it’s for your own good,’ insisted he could drive me everywhere, always on call. Now, it dawned on me: he was probably just used to chauffeuring his ‘true love,’ Lily, and didn’t want to change his routine. I walked past the car, standing at a crossroads, watching the vehicles come and go, momentarily lost, not knowing where to turn. Just as I was about to step away, a hand clamped onto my wrist from behind. I knew that touch too well. I didn’t even need to turn around to know it was Daniel. I’d never really liked his cologne; it was always too sweet, too cloying. I could never understand why Daniel, of all people, would wear such a strong, sugary scent—it completely clashed with his aura. But he liked it, and after so long, I’d just gotten used to it. Now, it all made perfect sense. That cologne was probably Lily’s favorite, wasn’t it? The moment my eyes met Daniel’s, a jolt of shock went through me. The man who was always so gentle and patient was now seething with rage. As if sensing my shift, Daniel reined in his anger, forcing his usual gentle smile back onto his face. “Pear,” he said. “Why are you running off?” “Pear, the surgery isn’t done. Let me take you back, okay?” “Pear, I know you’re scared of surgery, but if you don’t do it, how can we tie the knot? Didn’t you want to marry me more than anything, huh?” Hearing ‘Pear’ over and over again, I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. Soon after Daniel and I started dating, he started calling me ‘Pear.’ I’d asked him, confused, why he called me that. Everyone else just called me Chloe. He’d ruffled my hair, his eyes full of what I thought was adoration. “My favorite word is pear, and you’re my favorite woman. Of course, that’s what I’ll call you.” Back then, I’d just shyly buried my face in his chest, repeating his special nickname over and over. Now, I realized. All these years, he’d only been using me as a stand-in for Lily.

“Daniel,” I said softly, my voice barely a whisper, “Did you forget? I’m allergic to anesthetic.” I quietly took half a step back, tears stinging my eyes. My words made Daniel frown, but I distinctly saw a flicker of guilt flash in his eyes. He took two steps forward, pulling me into his arms, his voice laced with obvious remorse when he spoke again. “Baby, I’m so sorry. It’s my fault.” “How about we skip the surgery today? I’ll talk to the doctor later and adjust the plan. Will you wait for my call?” I pushed him away, my voice barely a choked whisper. “Daniel, can’t we… just not do this surgery?” “No, we can’t.” His tone was as gentle as always, but his eyes held a rare, unyielding resolve. “Didn’t we agree? As soon as the surgery’s done, we’re tying the knot, babe!” “Alright, just sit in the car and wait for me, okay? I’m going to call the doctor.” His tone was supposedly ‘negotiating,’ but Daniel didn’t wait for my answer. He simply pushed me into the car and casually shut the door. I leaned against the car window, watching him on his phone, a strange, bitter ache coiling in my gut. I pushed the door handle, trying to get out, but found he’d locked the doors. As I sat there, stunned, voices suddenly filled the car. It took me a moment to realize Daniel had forgotten his phone was still connected to the car’s Bluetooth. “What? Daniel, are you insane? You know she’s allergic to anesthetic, and you still want to go through with the surgery? Do you have any idea how painful plastic surgery is without it? Forget her, no one could stand that!” Daniel’s indifferent voice replied, “She can just bear with it.” “What am I supposed to do? Stop the surgery just because she’s allergic to anesthetic?” “It’s fine. She listens to me. I’ll just sweet-talk her later. You just schedule the surgery as planned.” I sat in the car, the heater blasting, yet I felt like I’d plummeted into an ice cavern, shivering uncontrollably. I couldn’t believe it. The man who used to tear up if I just scraped my knee could be so utterly cold-blooded. And there Daniel stood, just a short distance away, mouthing the most tender ‘I love you, baby’ at me while simultaneously uttering the cruelest, most heartless words. I couldn’t even manage a fake smile. Bitterness seeped into every cell, flowing through my veins, poisoning me from the inside out. My phone buzzed in my pocket, perfectly timed. My hand trembled as I pulled it out. It was the wedding planner, asking if there were any last-minute adjustments or additions I wanted for the approaching wedding. Holding my phone, I stared at the man outside the car. After a long moment, I spoke softly, “Yes, an adjustment. Please replace the bride with a scarecrow.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296978”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

My Girlfriend’s Family Had the Most Twisted Animal Fetishes. Now, They’re Trapped in the Beast Realm. My girlfriend’s family harbored a truly disgusting obsession with animal cruelty, their methods barbaric and utterly bizarre. She’d feed hormone-inducing drugs to horses and dogs. Her mother enjoyed tormenting snakes, and her father had a depraved fondness for female monkeys. I brought them all into the Beast Realm. They were ecstatic, believing they could indulge their sadistic urges to the fullest. But then, to their horror, the small animals around them began to undergo bizarre transformations. Now, they’re destined to spend an eternity in endless despair! Cassidy Miller brought me home and showed me an animal courtship video, then told me she wanted to marry me. She said she adored animals and slid a ring onto my ring finger. She proudly showed off her years of “treasures.” “Kael, what do you think? Shocking, right?” It was more than shocking. A whole wall of photos—all evidence of her animal abuse. I stared at the wall, trembling, but she whispered from behind, wrapping her arms around me. “Don’t be scared. I’d never do that to you. After all, you’re human!” My own voice sounded cold and hoarse. “What… if I wasn’t human?” Cassidy traced my face, her other hand taking a photo from the wall. In it, she had a dog tied down, as a horse in heat mounted it… Cassidy’s chilling voice echoed in my ear. “If you weren’t human… I’d throw you into the horse stable!” Cold sweat streamed down my forehead. I suppressed the surge of excitement building inside me. Damn it! My mission was finally complete! The next day, Cassidy took me back to her hometown to meet her parents. Mrs. Miller met us at the airport. She wore horse-hair shoes, a tiger-skin vest, a rabbit-fur hat, and a necklace of unknown animal bones around her neck. A faint, metallic scent hung in the air around her. I smiled and told her she looked quite fashionable and unique. Mrs. Miller’s eyes flickered with a cold gleam, then she forced a stiff smile. “Hehe, just decorations.” Cassidy quickly changed the subject. “Honey, Dad made a lot of delicious food for you. Let’s go home quickly!” I nodded, following the mother and daughter, my eyes narrowing. Lunch was filled with dishes I’d never seen before. Mr. Miller enthusiastically piled food onto my plate. I stared at the deep-fried whole rabbit, the steamed bear paw with fur still attached, the braised snake meat… A wave of fury surged to my head. Beyond their usual games of torture and abuse, their very lifestyle – their food, clothes, shelter, everything – was derived from animals. I fought back the urge to vomit and said awkwardly, “Sir, I’m vegetarian. Cassidy knows.” Mr. Miller paused with his fork, a flicker of displeasure crossing his face, but quickly replaced it with a forced, amiable smile, pushing the vegetable dish towards me. Mrs. Miller looked annoyed, tossing her fork onto the table and leaning back in her chair. “This once is fine. But once you marry our daughter, we’ll be family, and this habit needs to change!” After lunch, her parents pulled Cassidy into a room for a whispered conversation. When they emerged, their eyes were bloodshot and menacing as they looked at me. Mrs. Miller even had an axe hidden behind her back.

My heart sank. No! I had to find a way to make them feel I was valuable, and make them willing to come back to the Beast Realm with me. At that moment, a nature documentary about exotic animals in a primeval forest was playing on TV—it was their favorite channel. I quickly pointed at the screen and cut in. “The animals back home are much rarer than these! The pythons are more beautiful, and we have rare monkey kings too.” All three faces turned to me, their eyes lighting up with excitement. Cassidy was even more eager. “Honey, I can’t wait to go to your place and meet your family!” I curved my lips into a smile. Goal achieved. Go on, go to your deaths! Cassidy didn’t know that where I lived was a secret, in another world entirely populated by beasts. My home village was called Beastkin Village. Don’t laugh, it’s literal! Our family was a rare sight in the Beast Realm—a clan of weaklings. My fox father loved me, but he was constantly worried. “If only my Kael could absorb human vitality daily, he’d surely be the most outstanding child in the Beast Realm.” My mother blamed herself too. “If only I had a little more power, our family wouldn’t be bullied so much in this Beast Realm.” Even my sister’s fiancé cheated on her constantly because of her lack of strength. So, three months ago, my grandmother, the ancient fox spirit, sacrificed herself, her very essence tearing open a rift between the human world and the Beast Realm. She told me to bring back as many humans as I could. “Kael, my dear, if our fox clan can absorb fresh human life force, we will surely rise to power, claiming our rightful place as rulers of the Beast Realm.” And so, I came to the human world with this daunting mission. But most humans were kind. I searched for a long time before finally choosing Cassidy Miller’s family. On the surface, she was a pet shop owner, but in reality, she was violent and twisted. I deliberately let her catch me in the wild. My cat-like, foxy appearance was something she found exceptionally peculiar and captivating. She locked me in a cramped cage and fed me some powder that left me weak and paralyzed. For a long time, I couldn’t process or get rid of the drug, forced to watch her atrocities. When a sick calico cat became ‘useless,’ she simply tossed it from the rooftop. Its agonizing cries echoed through the night as its bloody body lay sprawled on the concrete. Occasionally, passing cars would crush its remains, and Cassidy would snap photos, utterly satisfied. At that time, Cassidy also had a male friend named Blake, who joined her in tormenting animals. Later, when her poodle went into heat and obscenely humped Blake’s leg a few times, Cassidy saw it. Her eyes flashed with cruelty. She choked the dog, forcing it to eat a paralyzing drug, and Blake personally threw the little dog into the horse stable. The two of them laughed maniacally, watching the horse in heat mount the dog… My claws frantically scraped at the iron cage, but the drug’s effect kept me weak. I could only watch as the little dog whimpered and died. And the horse in heat didn’t escape its doom either; just because Blake said it was “a complete eyesore,” Cassidy downed the small horse with a single injection. The two of them were busy in the secret room for half the night, cruelly dismembering the horse. Foxes naturally possess an acute sense of smell, and the thick stench of blood from the secret room assaulted my nose. I absorbed the bloody aura, and my strength returned significantly. I clawed open the cage and bolted out. Cassidy clearly heard the commotion. She grabbed a dissection knife and chased after me. I stumbled, my strength failing, just as I reached the door. I was about to be discovered.

Summoning the last of my strength, I transformed into my human form. Cassidy, seeing me sprawled by the door, approached cautiously. When she saw my face, her eyes widened in shock. The greatest advantage of us foxkin is our stunning beauty, almost beyond reproach. Clearly, Cassidy wasn’t blind. Blake, seeing her embracing a man, looked stunned, his eyes filled with jealousy. My animal instincts told me he wanted me dead. And when I saw the bloody horse tail in his hand, I couldn’t help but shiver. I, too, was wondering how to kill him. Cassidy, I needed to bring back to the Beast Realm and keep around permanently so I could drain her life force. But young Blake? I could certainly bring him back for my family to enjoy. I leaned into Cassidy’s embrace, intensifying the animalistic aura she found so alluring. Foxes are naturally skilled in enchantment, and though I was young, captivating a human for a short time was no challenge. She was helping me to the car when Blake caught up. “Cassidy, you’re taking him back?” Cassidy was twisted, and with her mind clouded, lust quickly took over. “This boy looks unwell. I’m taking him back for a check-up.” Blake was infuriated but clear-headed. “Then send him to a hospital, or just call the police!” “To a hospital for what? Am I not a doctor? And are you insane? Don’t you remember what we just did? You want to call the police?” With that, Cassidy, impatient, turned and didn’t look back. Blake shouted after her, “Cassidy Miller, I think you’re slipping back into your old habits!” Cassidy rented a villa in the suburbs. As soon as I entered, I smelled an unusual scent. But inside, the decor seemed normal, except for a tightly locked basement door. She placed me on the sofa, affectionately stroking my head, her gaze growing obsessive. “What a beautiful face!” I let out a soft whimper. Her eyes darkened with increasingly intense desire, and she tugged impatiently at her skirt hem. She leaned in, her hands exploring downwards. Beast! I cursed inwardly, completely forgetting this was the result of me over-emitting my foxkin allure. After blowing some fox-specialized sedatives into her ear, Cassidy collapsed naked onto the sofa. I tossed a pillow at her. She drifted into a hazy dream, hugging and kissing it, her body movements more lewd than any animal’s. I scoffed. Taking advantage of her deep immersion in her battle with the pillow, I pushed open the basement door. The scene inside shocked me to the core, a pain so profound it stole my breath. Half-dissected living civet cats lay helplessly on the table, neither alive nor truly dead. There were also tigers tied to posts, skinned alive. On the floor lay discarded bodies of rabbits and birds. On the wall, snakes were pinned, writhing. Though I despised snakes, even I trembled with fear. Suddenly, a high-pitched cry echoed from upstairs – Cassidy was about to finish and snap out of it. I immediately returned upstairs. Once clear-headed, Cassidy opened her eyes, looking utterly sated. I clutched the blanket around me, whimpering, feigning the aftermath of being violated. “W-who are you? I’m calling the police, w-w-w…” Suddenly, a handgun was pointed at my face.

“Good boy, what’s your name?” Facing the threat, I feigned terror and told her my name was Kael. Cassidy smiled playfully, lowered the gun, then gently pulled my head to her chest. She clicked on the TV remote. She played an animal courtship video for me and slid a ring onto my ring finger. “Kael, I’m completely smitten with you. You and I, we’re like those male and female animals who’ve never met, but our hormones are destined to draw us together. Let’s get married!” But in the video, the female animal, once rejected, was being torn apart and devoured by the male. She forced me to nod. Suddenly, the villa’s front door burst open. Blake stood there, drenched in the thunder and rain. He held a knife and said he was going to chop me up. “Never seen a male fox demon before. I’m going to tear your face off and preserve it as a specimen!” Heh, he was actually right. I am a fox. Cassidy snatched the knife from him and kicked him into the wall. Blake looked incredulous. “Three years of our relationship! It means nothing compared to this fox demon you just met?!” Cassidy frowned, her eyes icy cold. “Kael has that scent I’ve always dreamed of.” Blake sneered, “Oh yeah? What scent? Fox body odor?” Hearing that, I feigned weakness and hurt, while discreetly intensifying my scent towards Cassidy. Who the hell says us foxes smell bad?! That’s too much, man! While comforting me, Cassidy delivered another kick. Blake was bleeding and was then locked in the basement. Her actions suited me perfectly. Good. After all, the males in the Beast Realm needed men too. However, the passage between the Beast Realm and the human world was closing soon. Shortly after meeting Cassidy’s family, I suggested we quickly go to my homeland to meet my parents. Cassidy, inhaling my scent daily, was impatient. But her parents were slow, preparing many things before joining us. Blake was skilled in making potions, so Cassidy brought him along, claiming he was her brother. Fearing I might be upset, she even took me to the basement to torment Blake a bit before we left, just to prove her heart was only for me. Blake cursed, but he was met with whips and insect bites. Three days later, after much prodding from me, they finally set off for my homeland. My grandmother had placed the entrance to the passage in a poisonous forest in the southwest, a place ordinary humans couldn’t approach. But I had a special potion, and I led Cassidy and the others through the forest without difficulty. Blake, half-dead from exhaustion, didn’t forget to make cynical remarks. “Heh, I’m telling you, Cassidy Miller, what kind of normal guy’s home requires trekking through mountains and over ridges? You two are probably being stalked by spirits and don’t even know it!” Hearing that, Mr. and Mrs. Miller exchanged glances, clearly suspicious. I stopped, looking distressed at the Miller family. “Mr. and Mrs. Miller, my home is indeed a bit remote. But otherwise, where would all those rare animals come from?” I pouted, feigning innocence. Mr. and Mrs. Miller nodded, understanding. Immediately, Cassidy slapped Blake across the face. “You almost got to us. You talk too much, you idiot!” At the end of the forest was an invisible wall. Beyond the wall was the Beast Realm. On the other side of the wall, several figures were faintly visible. I happily shouted, “Mr. and Mrs. Miller, look! My parents have come to meet us!” With that, I darted towards my parents, Cassidy following close behind. The humans didn’t notice, but as Blake’s foot stepped across, the passage immediately closed.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296994”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #惊悚Thriller

My fiancé Lucas never missed a chance to criticize dark-skinned models, saying they’d always be at the bottom of the modeling world. No matter how stunning Giselle’s runway performance was, Lucas would never let her wear his designs. “Darling, my clothes are all designed for you. She’s not worthy of them!” he’d say. I thought this was his way of expressing love for me. Until at the international fashion week, Giselle dazzled the crowd wearing the wedding dress Lucas had designed for me. Lucas knelt on the spot, proposing to her with eyes full of passion. I rushed onto the stage in a frenzy to confront them, only to be labeled as the other woman and face online backlash. Wandering the foreign streets in a daze, I was ultimately assaulted by a group of drunk thugs and left to drown in a filthy gutter. When I opened my eyes again, Lucas was discussing his new collection’s model choices with me. “Aria, who do you think should be the lead model for this new collection?” Lucas’s gentle voice reached my ears. Looking at his hypocritical face, the pain and humiliation from my past life surged through me like a tidal wave. It was this very face that had showered me with sweet nothings. “Aria, my designs are all born for you.” “That Giselle, her skin is as rough as sandpaper. It’s an insult to even let her touch my work.” But in the end, he embraced Giselle, had me dragged off stage by security, and left me to die in a foreign land. Thinking of this, I clenched my fists, my nails digging deep into my palms. The sharp pain kept me focused. I couldn’t act rashly. I suppressed the hatred bubbling up inside me and forced a smile onto my face. “Lucas, I actually have an idea. Would you like to hear it?” Lucas immediately put on a loving expression and held my hand. “Of course, your ideas are always the best.” His touch made me nauseous, but I endured it. I pulled my hand away and picked up the model profiles on the table, flipping to Giselle’s page. In the photo, she exuded confidence and wild beauty. “I think this Giselle isn’t bad.” Lucas’s pupils constricted sharply, and he quickly put on a look of disgust, just as I remembered. “Her? Aria, are you joking?” “My designs are so noble. How could we let her showcase them? She’d only lower our brand’s standards.” I shook my head thoughtfully, pretending to have given it deep consideration for his sake. “Lucas, listen to me. The fashion world is all about diversity now. Wouldn’t going against the grain give us more buzz?” I looked at him with sincere eyes. “Think about it. You’ve always claimed your designs are only for the classical beauty of Eastern women.” “If we suddenly use a black model with a completely different style, it’s called reverse marketing. The media will explode.” The disgust in Lucas’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by a glimmer of excitement. He pretended to ponder for a moment, furrowing his brow as if making a difficult decision. “But I’m worried about hurting you,” he said, looking at me with concern. “A little discomfort for the sake of your career is nothing,” I smiled graciously. “Let’s do it. I’ll go talk to her.” Lucas finally stopped protesting. He hugged me joyfully and kissed my forehead. “Aria, you’re truly my better half! I love you so much!” I stiffened in his embrace, my stomach churning.

Lucas accepted my suggestion and put me in charge of liaising with Giselle. Using the Snow family’s connections, I quickly got in touch with Giselle. On the phone, her tone was haughty, but as soon as she heard it was Lucas Reed’s brand inviting her to be the lead model, she immediately agreed. The next day, I accompanied Lucas to the studio to wait for her. For this act, I deliberately wore the white dress Lucas had custom-made for me last season. It was the piece that won him the national design award, supposedly inspired by me. Giselle strode into the studio doorway in 4-inch heels, right on time, exuding a powerful aura. When she saw me, a flash of contempt crossed her eyes. Her gaze lingered on my dress for a moment, her lips curling into a mocking smile. Lucas immediately went to greet her, but with a cold expression on his face. He deliberately spoke loudly: “Miss Giselle, Aria should have explained all the terms of cooperation to you.” “This collaboration is purely business. I hope you don’t have any other ideas.” Giselle crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “Rest assured, Mr. Reed. I’m only interested in your designs, not you personally.” The two went back and forth, acting as if it were all real. I sat quietly on the sofa, watching their hypocritical performance. When it came time for the fitting, Lucas took out the main piece of the new collection, a sleek black gown, and handed it to Giselle. “Try it on. The size is based on standard model measurements, so it should fit.” Giselle walked into the changing room. I stood up and walked to the rack holding the new collection, my eyes falling on a champagne-colored gown. Lucas had shown me the design for this gown a few days ago, saying it was to be my birthday gift, with every detail crafted for me. I reached out my hand, wanting to feel the fabric. But Lucas suddenly came over and grabbed my hand. “Aria, don’t touch. These are all samples. The fabric is delicate, and it would be bad if they got damaged.” I grew suspicious but kept my face neutral, obediently withdrawing my hand. Just then, the changing room door opened. Giselle walked out wearing the black gown. In that moment, even I had to admit her presence was truly stunning. The dress seemed to come alive on her body, every line flowing smoothly and powerfully. Lucas’s eyes instantly lit up with undisguised amazement and fascination. But he quickly caught himself, schooling his features into a critical expression. He walked up to Giselle, adjusting her shoulder straps. His fingertips deliberately brushed against Giselle’s exposed collarbone. Their eyes met briefly in the mirror, the atmosphere suddenly turning ambiguous. I watched all of this with cold eyes. “Well?” Giselle asked lazily, looking at herself in the mirror. Lucas cleared his throat and spoke in a businesslike tone: “It’s alright, but something seems to be missing.” He suddenly turned to look at me, frowning. “Aria, come try it on.” I was taken aback. “Put it on. I want to compare the effect.”

I walked into the changing room and put on the same black gown. The me in the mirror was beautiful too. But the cut of this dress was clearly not suited to my figure. The waistline was too low, and the chest area was loose and baggy. When I walked out, Lucas and Giselle were standing side by side. Lucas looked me up and down, shook his head, and turned to Giselle: “Ah, it’s still you after all.” “Aria is too thin. Her figure isn’t as curvy as yours. She can’t bring out the soul of this dress.” Giselle let out a smug chuckle, her eyes full of challenge as she looked at me. I said nothing and returned to the changing room to change back. From that day on, the ambiguity between Lucas and Giselle grew increasingly obvious. Lucas would use adjusting clothes as an excuse to keep his hands on Giselle’s waist for far too long. Giselle would wear revealing outfits and deliberately bend over in front of Lucas, showing off her proud curves. And I, always wearing a proper smile, would serve them tea and water, even thoughtfully offering band-aids when Giselle complained about her high heels hurting her feet. My compliance and magnanimity made Lucas increasingly brazen. He would praise Giselle right in front of me, without any restraint. “Giselle, you have a natural camera presence. You’ve brought this dress to life.” “Your skin tone paired with this bright yellow is simply perfect, like the sun on the African savannah.” While to me, he grew increasingly impatient. “Aria, don’t always hang around the studio. You don’t understand anything, you’ll affect my creativity.” “How many times have I told you, coffee without sugar? Why can’t you ever remember?” Giselle’s provocations towards me also became more direct. One day, I went to the studio as usual to deliver afternoon tea. When I pushed open the door, I found it empty. I was puzzled until I heard muffled, ambiguous gasps coming from the direction of the changing room. I silently walked to the changing room door. It was slightly ajar. Through the crack, I saw Lucas pressing Giselle against the mirror. They were entangled together, clothes disheveled, their faces reflected in the mirror showing ecstasy and frenzy. Giselle, while responding to Lucas’s movements, caught sight of me outside the door in the mirror. Far from panicking, she flashed a provocative smile and deliberately increased her volume. Lucas, stimulated by her, became even more frenzied, completely unaware of my presence. I turned away expressionlessly, preparing to leave this filthy place. Just as I reached the door, Giselle chased after me. She had already tidied her clothes, her face still flushed, her eyes full of mockery. “Miss Snow, saw everything, did you?” I looked at her without a word. “It’s good that you did.” “Some things aren’t yours, so don’t try to grab them. Men are like clothes, they prefer curves.” She chuckled and leaned in close to my ear, speaking in a voice only we could hear: “You’re just a vase with no appeal. What do you have besides your family background?” “Lucas said being with you is like hugging a wooden board, no fun at all.” I listened quietly, looking at her smug face, and slowly spoke. “Are you done?” My calmness took her aback. “If you’re done, move aside. You’re in my way.” I walked around her, heading straight for the fabric area to find the silk I needed. I didn’t look at her again, nor at Lucas as he emerged from the changing room. I completely treated Lucas and Giselle as if they were air. I stopped asking about any of their fashion week affairs and stopped footing their bills. Lucas hinted several times that the budget was tight, but I brushed him off, saying, “Father’s been auditing the accounts lately, he’s keeping a tight rein on things.” Without the Snow family’s financial support, Lucas’s face grew darker by the day. But he still put on a brave face, relying on his previously accumulated fame and loans to maintain the Paris show’s grandeur. I didn’t interfere and continued doing my own thing. While tidying up the office, I stumbled upon a fashion magazine from twenty years ago. It featured Quincy Yan’s gold award-winning work from the “Rising Star” competition back then. The stunning design and unique style left me momentarily stunned. I immediately rushed back to my own studio and pulled out all of Lucas’s designs from over the years. As I compared them one by one, my hands began to tremble uncontrollably. They were exact replicas, blatant plagiarism!

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297010”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #惊悚Thriller

I was playing basketball with Scarlett, the school’s infamous rich girl, when I accidentally broke her Cartier watch. My boyfriend, Justin, carefully cradled her wrist, then turned to me and snapped, “How could you be so careless?! Can you even afford to pay for that?!” It’s just a Cartier, right? I’ve got a drawer full of Vacheron Constantins and Rolexes at home, and I’ve never seen him look at me with that much concern. The student council organized a women’s basketball game. While trying to steal the ball from Scarlett, my elbow hit something hard. It’s impossible to avoid bumps and scrapes in a game, so I didn’t think much of it. But then she screamed, “Stop! Hazel, you broke my watch!” It was just a watch. Why was she so dramatic? The game was heating up, and our team was about to win. I really didn’t want to stop. “I’m sorry, I’ll pay for it. Can we talk about this later? Let’s just finish the game first.” Scarlett pulled a dirty move, snatching the ball from my hands and throwing it out of bounds. The game was forced to stop. I wasn’t happy about it. She held her head high. “Hazel, this is a Cartier.” I glanced at it. I’m not really into watches and rarely wear them. I just knew it was a Cartier, but I had no idea about the series or how much it cost. It definitely wasn’t an antique, so it probably just cost several tens of thousands of dollars. Fixing the crystal wouldn’t cost much. There was no need for her to get so worked up. Everyone gathered around. “Oh my God, Scarlett, what are you going to do?” “The watch crystal is shattered like this, seriously, it makes my heart ache just looking at it!” Seeing everyone looking so distressed, I asked, “What? Is this watch really expensive?” Someone who knew their stuff said, “Of course! It’s a Blue Balloon!” Scarlett shoved her wrist in front of me. “Over forty thousand!” Everyone gasped. That was a bit different from the several hundred thousand I’d imagined. At that price point, fixing the crystal would probably only be a thousand or two. She looked impatient. “I have to send this watch to the boutique, and then they’ll have to send it to Switzerland for repairs. It’ll take at least a month, back and forth!” How annoying. I said, “I’ll just get you a new one.” I just wondered if she’d like a Vacheron Constantin. My parents’ gifts to me usually start at tens of thousands of dollars and up, but I don’t like wearing watches, so I just store them at home. I thought it would just be a spare one for her. “A new one?” Scarlett scoffed. “This isn’t some knock-off! My dad brought it back from Switzerland for me!” I wasn’t planning on getting her a fake one anyway. What was wrong with this person? I’d heard she had some money. She swapped between LV and Chanel bags daily and often treated classmates to coffee. But my family wasn’t exactly struggling either. That new building at school? My dad donated it. I asked her, “So, what do you want to do?” My boyfriend had just gone to get me water and was only returning now. After figuring out what happened, he looked at me reproachfully. “How could you be so careless?!” How was I supposed to know someone would wear a watch while playing basketball?! Doesn’t it feel uncomfortable? Doesn’t it affect your game? “Hazel, look, can you even afford to pay for this?!” Justin had never said such harsh words to me before. He carefully held Scarlett’s wrist, as if it were the most precious thing in the world. It was just a stupid watch. My elbow still hurt. “So, Scarlett, what do you want to do? How much do I owe you?” She still looked heartbroken. “It has to go to the store first, then we’ll see.” Fine. “Okay, then just show me the receipt when you get it, and I’ll transfer the money.” That seemed like a pretty reasonable solution. After all that drama, I didn’t feel like playing anymore. Everyone else had lost their enthusiasm for the game too and just stood around chattering. “Damn, how can Hazel be so calm? That’s at least a few thousand, right? It would take months of saving every penny to pay that back.” “She probably has no idea how much it costs to replace the crystal! She probably thinks it’s just putting on a piece of glass.” I usually kept a low profile at school. I never flaunted my wealth. My clothes and dorm supplies were very simple. Even though they were expensive, they didn’t have big logos, so most people couldn’t tell what brand they were. In a situation like this, I couldn’t exactly show them my bank account balance and shout, ‘I’m rich!’ Whatever. I couldn’t be bothered with them. I picked up my stuff and left the basketball court.

Justin caught up to me and put an arm around my shoulder. “Hazel, are you mad?” It would be a lie to say I wasn’t. He hadn’t considered my feelings at all. “Don’t be mad, babe. I did that for you. Didn’t you see me winking at you just now?” I actually hadn’t noticed. “I talked to you like that to shut Scarlett up. If I criticized you, she’d be too embarrassed to keep going.” Is that how it works? Why did it feel a bit off? “And I kept emphasizing that you couldn’t afford it. I thought Scarlett would back down, but I had no idea you’d be so silly, you totally missed my point! You immediately agreed to pay her!” I just thought it wasn’t that much money. My housekeeper spends more than that on groceries every day. There was no need to stand there arguing about it. “Hazel, I’ll pay half for you.” I waved my hand. “No need.” “We’re a couple. If we get married later, it’ll be shared assets. Half and half, perfect.” He took my hand, his smile sweet. So, he was being so calculating because he was planning our future. How nice. I leaned my head on his shoulder. “Do we have any plans for tomorrow?” Tomorrow was Valentine’s Day, and my family didn’t know I was dating. My brother, Declan, had said we should hang out, since we were both single, and wanted to take me out. He sighed. “Hazel, I have to tutor students tomorrow.” Oh, I had hoped he could meet my brother. I felt a little disappointed. But his eyes were firm. “It’s all for our future.” Justin had always been hardworking. As his girlfriend, I should support him. “Okay… fine.”

Early on Valentine’s Day, Justin asked me to come downstairs. He held a bouquet of red roses and a pretty gift bag. As soon as I came down, he gave me a big hug. “Happy Valentine’s Day, babe. Even though I can’t be with you, we still need to have our moment!” I thought I wouldn’t see him at all today. Turns out he’d prepared a gift for me. After chatting for a bit, he left. I went upstairs happily and only opened the gift in my dorm room. It was a YSL gift set. My roommates exclaimed, “Wow! Hazel! Your boyfriend is so good to you!” “That must have cost a lot! No wonder your boyfriend’s been busy lately, he was earning money to buy you a gift.” He’d given me what he thought was the best. I was very satisfied. Chloe, one of my roommates, a beauty blogger with a keen eye, looked at the gift box but didn’t say anything. Seeing her silence, the other two roommates, afraid of putting their foot in their mouth, also kept quiet. I asked, “Chloe, is there a problem?” She picked up a lipstick and looked at it, a bit hesitant. “I can’t quite tell right now. Let me have my friend take a look.” My heart dropped. I’d never encountered fakes before, nor paid attention to the differences between real and fake. But if Chloe said that, it was almost certainly fake. She was just trying to save my feelings by saying she’d have a friend look at it. My roommates tried to comfort me. “Oh, Hazel, maybe Justin just doesn’t know brands and got scammed.” “Yeah, how would guys know what’s real and what’s fake?” That made sense too. I sent Justin a message: [Where did you buy this gift set?] He replied a few minutes later: [From the official online store.] He even sent me a screenshot of the purchase history from the official store. Could you buy fakes from an official store? Or had Chloe really misjudged it? Justin: [What’s wrong, babe? Don’t you like it?] Me: [No, it’s fine. I love it.] Justin: [Glad you like it. I’m off to tutor students now. We’ll talk later.] My brother took me to an amusement park, but my mind kept wandering. It wasn’t until Chloe sent me a message: [Fake.] She sent several pictures showing the differences between the authentic product and the fake. [Justin most likely bought it on Wish.] She sent a link to a YSL gift set that cost just over a hundred dollars. The details in the buyer’s photos were identical to mine. [Hazel, if he tells the truth, maybe he just didn’t know and thought YSL was that price. But if he lied to you, you’re better off without a guy like that.] I didn’t know what to say. I asked her, [Can you buy fakes from an official online store?] [Let’s put it this way: this set is an obvious fake at first glance. Even if an official store sold fakes, they’d only fake the quality, making it hard to notice.] But Justin really did buy a gift set from the official store. I sent the screenshot to Chloe. She replied, [What if that official store gift set wasn’t meant for you at all?] She was right. What if Justin bought two sets—one from Wish and one from the official store—and gave one to me and the other to someone else? That would make sense. But how could that be? How could Justin do something so despicable? We’d been dating for over a year, and our relationship had always been good. He surely wouldn’t do that to me. Just as I was thinking this, I saw a familiar figure in the crowd. It looked like Justin. Wasn’t he supposed to be tutoring students? Why would he be here?

I was about to go after him when my brother came back with ice cream. Seeing my hurried expression, he asked, “What’s wrong?” “I think I saw a friend.” In the blink of an eye, that figure disappeared into the crowd. I licked my ice cream and sent Justin a message: [Where are you?] He replied half an hour later: [Tutoring a student.] As if to prove it, he sent another picture: a child bent over a desk writing. [What’s wrong, babe? Missing me? How about I come find you after my class?] Once the seed of doubt is planted, it easily takes root and grows. I suddenly wanted to video call him. But with my brother next to me, I had to drop the idea. After my brother politely declined the nth girl asking for his number, he finally had time to pay attention to me. “Hazel, you seem a bit down.” “Yeah.” “Is it because you didn’t get a Valentine’s Day gift?” I shook my head. My brother didn’t care what I was thinking. He snapped his fingers. Then, a group of exaggeratedly dressed “princes” seemed to pop out of nowhere and surrounded me. “Pick whichever ones you like most. I’ll have them hang out with you.” My brother always did this crazy stuff. How was I supposed to handle ten or so of them? “Oh, bro, I…” My brother’s jaw dropped. “What?! You want all of them?!” When did I say that? He waved his hand. “Fine, kids make choices, but we adults have it all.” I was a bit speechless. “Forget it, bro. Let’s just go get some food.” The princes were all handsome, but I had a boyfriend. It wouldn’t be right to do that. But very soon, I changed my mind. Not long after we got in the car, Chloe sent me another message. [Hazel, weren’t you with Justin today?] [He’s busy tutoring students. I’m out with my brother.] But then she sent me a photo. It was Justin and Scarlett playing the claw machine together. The location was the amusement park I was currently in. This amusement park wasn’t cheap. Other places might be a dollar a game, but here it was ten dollars for a single coin, and one try cost twenty dollars. Scarlett was already holding several stuffed animals. With Justin’s skill, he probably wouldn’t even get one in ten tries. He bought me a hundred-dollar gift set on Wish and tried to fool me with a screenshot of an official store purchase! But he was spending hundreds, maybe even a thousand, dollars at the amusement park playing the claw machine for Scarlett! Chloe asked me, [Hazel, do you want to come over now? I can keep an eye on him for you.] [No, Chloe, you go hang out with your boyfriend. I’ll handle this myself.] I couldn’t take it anymore. I called Justin directly. One ring, two rings, three… He didn’t pick up until the fifth! “Hazel, what are you doing? I’m in class! The student’s parents are right here!” I took a deep breath, trying my best to control my emotions. “Video call me.” “I’m really busy here. I’m tired after a full day of teaching. Don’t be unreasonable, okay?!” His tone was incredibly impatient. This time, he didn’t even bother making up a lie. “Am I being unreasonable, or do you just have a guilty conscience?” He snapped, furious, “Hazel, what do you mean by that? I’ve been working so hard for our future, and now you’re doubting me?!” He kept saying it was all for our future! But my future wasn’t going to come from him sucking up to some rich girl! I hung up, sent him the link and the photo, and left a message: [We’re over.] Then I blocked and deleted all his contacts. When did he start seeing Scarlett? That authentic YSL gift set must have been for Scarlett too. Scarlett, that kind of rich girl, so proud, claiming she never bought second-hand goods, despising vintage and antiques. But a person like that actually liked stealing other people’s boyfriends?

After dinner, my brother drove me back to school. I hadn’t walked more than a few steps when a bank text came in. My brother had transferred seventy-five thousand dollars to me. [Hazel, bro sent you some spending money. Spending makes you happy~] My smile hadn’t even fully formed when I heard a loud shout from behind me. “Hazel! I never thought you’d be such a gold-digger!” It was Justin. I didn’t have a good look on my face when I saw him. I just wanted to walk away quickly. But he wouldn’t let up, grabbing my arm. “I saw you get out of that Maybach! Who were you out with today?!” The pot calling the kettle black? Fine, I’ll clear things up with him. “You weren’t tutoring anyone today at all!” He took a deep breath. “Yes, I was out with Scarlett. I thought if I made her happy, she wouldn’t pursue the watch thing.” It was astounding he could even come up with such a ridiculous excuse. Of all days, why Valentine’s Day? Didn’t he know what day Valentine’s Day was? Did he really think I was an idiot? He softened his voice. “Hazel, I did it for you.” I sneered. “What does that have to do with me? Did I force you to pay her back? Did I force you to go to the amusement park with her? Did I force you to play the claw game with her?” My sudden outburst left him speechless. “Justin, next time you try to pass the blame, could you at least come up with a better excuse?” I stepped back, creating distance between us. But he closed in again, took my hand, and looked at me with a sickly sweet look. “Hazel, I like you.” I felt a little sick. “This was really unavoidable, you know. I’m a senior, about to enter the professional world. I just wanted to find a good internship.” “Scarlett’s family owns a company. I thought maybe she could…” I understood everything. “Hazel, love without material things is like a pile of loose sand; it’ll scatter without a breeze. I just wanted to give you a better life.” Great, quoting clichés now. He’d really mastered that line. I laughed, but it was out of anger. “Justin, stop lying to yourself. You just wanted to take a shortcut. Using ‘giving me a better life’ as an excuse is just to cover up your guilty conscience and despicable actions.” “We’re done. I can’t accept your Wish ‘grand gift.’ I’ll return it tomorrow.” My parents had given me the best since I was little. I wasn’t going to degrade myself like this. That stuff would probably give me a rash, right? “I sent you the screenshot! Who said it was bought on Wish? Was it your roommate? She’s just jealous!” He suddenly raised his voice, glaring angrily, completely different from his usual gentle, amiable self. As the saying goes, the louder they get, the emptier their words sound. He just assumed I didn’t know much about brands and thought I’d be easy to fool. Laughable. What was Chloe jealous of, a hundred-dollar item? She was swamped with gifts from brands all the time. What would she be jealous of? “You gave the authentic official store gift set to Scarlett, didn’t you? Buying fakes and then using the official store’s screenshot to trick me—only you could think of that.” One authentic gift set to charm two people. How ‘resourceful.’ Justin panicked. “You can’t take back a gift once it’s given!” I shrugged. “Oh, then I’ll throw it in the trash.” “Transfer me the money! Nineteen dollars!” What a cheapskate! How could he even say that?! It was just nineteen dollars. Normally, I wouldn’t bother arguing with anyone over that. But I couldn’t stand this insult! I sneered. “Did you forget to buy shipping insurance, perhaps?” His expression froze. Damn! I hit the nail on the head! “I’ll have your roommate return it to you tomorrow. As for me transferring money, no way.” He pointed at my nose and yelled, spit flying in my face. “Hazel, you really are a gold-digger! And you’re cheap and poor!” “You want me to buy you something from an official store? Look at yourself, do you even deserve it?!” So, it wasn’t that he didn’t have money. He just thought I only deserved a nineteen-dollar gift? I looked down at myself. A custom-made bag worth over thirty thousand dollars, shoes worth eight or nine thousand… Everything I was wearing probably added up to a nice condo in a major city. How did I not deserve it? “Scarlett wouldn’t even let you carry her shoes, she’d be too embarrassed!” My eyes stung. I never thought he’d see me as cheap goods, not even a fraction as good as Scarlett. If I kept arguing with him, I’d just burst into tears. I turned and walked away. He continued to babble behind me. “Hazel! No one will ever treat you better than me! They’re just playing with you! Do you really think anyone will genuinely like you?!” “Don’t expect me to beg you to get back together this time! Scarlett has already agreed to be with me! You’ll regret missing out on me, you’ll see!” “So what if you rode in a Maybach? I’ll just wait for you to be abandoned!” I sped up my pace. If he wasn’t ashamed, I certainly was.

Disappointed in love, I went on a shopping spree. My brother really does understand women. Spending money genuinely makes you happy. After returning to my dorm, I even bought gifts for my roommates. Chloe gasped, holding a new Dior bag, unable to put it down. “Girl, where did you make a fortune?” I smiled, saying nothing. The main reason was that Chloe had my back. When she heard I’d been tricked by a scumbag, she recorded a video about the absurd situation and shared it with her followers. She didn’t name names or reveal too many details. But her followers knew she was a student at University A. So now everyone was guessing who the cheating, super cheap scumbag at University A was. Some even posted questions on the campus gossip page. Anyway, Justin would have to keep a low profile for a while. Otherwise, he might accidentally reveal his true colors. … Friday afternoon, I went to a student council meeting. Before I even entered, I heard people chattering inside. “…She’s just come into money somehow, buying all those bags to give away. I heard her ex-boyfriend Justin spilling details, saying she was two-timing, hooking up with a rich kid on the side but also unwilling to let go of her ex, a real potential catch.” That sounded exactly like something Justin would say. Calling himself a potential catch, how shameless. “Even if a rich kid gave her bags, she wouldn’t flaunt them by giving them to others, right? I bet they’re knock-offs…” “Exactly! And last time on the court, she said she’d pay Scarlett for a new watch. Oh my God, that’s a Cartier, not some dollar store cheapie!” I was thoroughly enjoying eavesdropping when someone suddenly tapped my shoulder. Just as I was about to yelp, that person covered my mouth. I turned my head; it was Liam, the student council president. He gestured for me to be quiet, then let go of me and stood by the door, listening in with me. Wasn’t this guy always cold, distant, and perfectly put-together? Why was he doing something like this with me? The people inside kept repeating the same things, and I quickly got bored. Liam leaned close to my ear. “Done listening?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297026”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn

For our graduation trip, my boyfriend Jake chose South Korea, the country where Chloe, his first love, the one he always looked up to, was studying. I had my reservations, obviously. He just shrugged it off. “I’m just dropping by to say goodbye to her.” But once we landed, he completely abandoned me, sick and miserable from the foreign climate. He rushed off to deal with some “mistake” Chloe made at her part-time job. And then, he brought her back to our hotel. “Chloe is so amazing, and just because of a small mistake—using the wrong medicine on a client—her salon is firing her,” he explained, totally oblivious. “She can’t deal with that kind of injustice. So, Lily, you’ll just have to put up with finding another hotel for tonight.” I grabbed my luggage and walked. He had no idea. This trip was my way of saying goodbye to him too. Because when it came down to just love, the chasm between his community college and my Ivy League aspirations was simply too vast to cross. After Jake told me to find another place to stay, Chloe Price, clearly afraid I’d object, bit her lip and chimed in, “Lily and I are different. I’m not some delicate girl who can’t handle hardship.” “It’s just that I can’t go back to the salon’s staff dorm right now, and it’s too late for the university’s international student dorms, they have a curfew. I literally have nowhere to go.” “And it’s peak vacation season, hotels are so hard to find. Otherwise, I wouldn’t bother you guys.” I was about to say there was an empty room right next door. A couple had just checked out. But before I could even open my mouth, Jake, looking annoyed, cut me off. “Enough! Stop making things difficult for her. She’s all alone here!” “Her parents passed away years ago, her family background wasn’t as fortunate as yours.” “Now she’s having trouble in a foreign country, and I’m all she has left to rely on.” Chloe seemed deeply touched by his words. She turned away, secretly wiping tears from her eyes. Jake looked at her, his eyes filled with such heartache. So, having a happy family background was a crime now? What else could I possibly say? Besides, from the moment we landed this evening until now, since Jake had ditched me and rushed off to play the hero, I’d thrown up multiple times due to the change in environment. Now I was freezing, dizzy, and utterly drained. I just didn’t have the energy to argue with them. I packed my bag, pulled my suitcase, and started to leave. Jake must have sensed my mood. He took two quick steps, grabbed my arm, and sighed deeply. “It was just a moment of emotion getting the best of me.” “When I think about Chloe, and how she, like me, suffered from outsiders’ cold stares because of a tough family, I just lose it a little.” “You’ll understand, right?” All I wanted was to end this conversation and find a bed. So, I just nodded vaguely. His expression softened. “Okay, then you go find a new place. Chloe’s pretty shaken up, so I’ll stay and comfort her for a bit.” “Oh, and leave the spare medicine kit we brought. “Some unreasonable client splashed water on Chloe, and I’m worried she might catch a cold tonight.” I frowned, annoyance bubbling up. “Did you forget I’m the one who’s sick from the trip? I need those meds.” Just then, Chloe let out a very deliberate sneeze. “Jake, it’s fine, really.” “Like you, I’m not some delicate, pampered person. A little cold or fever is nothing.” Her words precisely hit Jake’s ego. His face turned cold. He yanked my suitcase open, rummaging through it until he found the medicine kit. “It’s just a few pills. Why are you being so petty?” “You already took your medicine, didn’t you? I’ll buy you new ones when I come find you later.” Watching his rough actions, I remembered something my mom once told me. She said, “You and Jake are from completely different worlds.” “You’re a confident, sunny rich girl, and he’s a dark, insecure poor kid.” “And extreme insecurity can make a person incredibly rude.”

I don’t know if it was my mom’s words finally sinking in, or if I had already made up my mind to give up on Jake. But suddenly, his once charmingly arrogant and wild personality now just felt irritating. At that moment, I was simply fed up. Once Jake had taken the medicine, I casually zipped up my messy suitcase. And hurried away. My mind was a blur, drowsily recalling the past. I remembered when I first transferred to a new high school in Portland my freshman year. Unfamiliar with the area, I accidentally stumbled into local thugs’ territory. Just as they were about to drag me into an alley, Jake appeared. Tall and lean, with the hood of his black hoodie pulled up, he stood at the alley entrance, radiating a casual arrogance. A fierce fight ensued. Afterward, I emptied my pockets and offered him a hundred dollars. Jake lifted his bruised eyelids, batting away the money. “What do you take me for? Get lost!” “Think your money makes you special?” From then on, like many girls who always played it safe in their youth, I found myself deeply drawn to that type of rebellious bad boy. When I found out Jake was not only at the same school but in the same class, I used the excuse of “repaying a favor.” I revolved around him like a little sun. Not only did I bring him coffee and snacks, but because of a single comment from him, I, who never cooked, ignored my onion allergy to make him his favorite braised beef dish. But no matter how much I did, Jake’s gaze always lingered on Chloe, a year older than him. Until the end of junior year, when Chloe ignored Jake’s desperate pleas and went abroad for college. Jake spent the entire summer in a slump. I was the one who stayed by his side, took care of him, and slowly, step by step, helped him out of his funk. When senior year started, Jake asked me to be his girlfriend. I happily agreed. I knew he might have been doing it out of gratitude, or perhaps to forget Chloe. But none of that mattered. Because I was so confident. I believed Jake would fall in love with me someday. But the truth proved me terribly wrong.

When I woke up again, I was in the empty room that couple had checked out of. I thought a good night’s sleep would help me adjust. But I woke up in the middle of the night with a high fever, feeling utterly miserable. I forced myself out of bed and went to knock on the next door for help. The hotel manager, who happened to be passing by, spoke in Korean, which I didn’t understand. I just kept shaking my head and waving my hands, indicating I couldn’t understand. In a strange city, unfamiliar with the surroundings, and unable to communicate, plus the vulnerability of being sick, I was on the verge of tears. Finally, I resorted to a translator app. The hotel manager told me the young couple staying there had already left to go sightseeing. The resentment and bitterness in my heart made me dial Jake’s number. But no matter how many times I called, it wouldn’t go through. “Do you need any more help?” the hotel manager asked through the translator. After the tenth call went unanswered, I numbly spoke. “Please take me to the hospital.” I spent that night in a hospital in a strange city. I almost forgot to mention. That day was also my eighteenth birthday. Originally, Jake and I had planned to climb to the top of Namsan Tower in Seoul at night. We were going to hang a lock on the love lock wall. And there, I’d make my eighteenth birthday wish. But now, that plan was ruined. My phone, lying by my bed, vibrated. It was birthday wishes from family and friends back home, trickling in. Among all those greetings, there wasn’t one from my official boyfriend. I swallowed the bitter ache in my heart. And scrolled through Ins. My body stiffened when I saw Chloe’s latest video post. I’d added her on SnapChat back in junior year when Jake asked me to take turns visiting Chloe in the hospital after she broke her leg. My fingers trembled as I tapped into her post. Chloe had posted a video of her and Jake climbing Namsan Tower at night. The caption read: [Role-playing, being a K-drama lead today.] In the video, Jake, with the mountain wind blowing through his hair, shouted at the night sky. “Chloe Price, you are my bride, and my first love. For 939 long years, I never waited for death, but for this moment, to meet you!” It was even set to the classic OST from ‘Goblin’—‘Stay With Me’. The entire video was both romantic and filled with a fated connection. Even passersby were offering their well wishes. My throat tightened. Tears silently slipped from my eyes, tracing paths down my cheeks. They then dropped, precariously, onto the two laughing faces on my phone screen. I should have known. No matter how hard a doormat tries, they can’t compare to the power of a first love. Especially since Jake and Chloe had known each other since middle school. They had seen each other’s vulnerable sides, witnessed each other’s growth. They were two broken souls recognizing and cherishing each other, a symbiotic relationship. I, a mere supporting character, couldn’t easily intrude. After realizing this, I no longer held any lingering feelings for Jake. I opened my phone. And rebooked my flight home.

I changed my flight from a week later to two days from now. All travel plans with Jake were canceled. But since I was already in South Korea, I couldn’t miss out on the aesthetic treatments I’d booked. The next day, after being discharged from the hospital and feeling better, I returned to the hotel to shower. But I discovered my silk nightgown was missing. It occurred to me that Jake might have pulled it out when he was rummaging for the medicine last night. I got dressed and went to knock on his door. However, the person who opened it was Jake, shirtless. He froze when he saw me. Before I could even ask anything, he stammered, clearly flustered. “Chloe was upset last night, so I took her hiking to clear her head.” “We were just too exhausted when we got back, and you didn’t send me your new address, so I just crashed on the couch.” I sneered internally. He said all those lies without even bothering to wipe off the lipstick marks on his neck. “Jake, is that the housekeeper? “How inconsiderate of them to come now. We’re still in bed.” Chloe’s sweet, complaining voice floated from inside. She skipped over like a little bird, looking bashful. I saw the familiar purple silk nightgown on her. My anger instantly flared. I pushed past Jake and strode in, grabbing the hem of her gown. “Are you a beggar? So poor you can’t even afford clothes?” “How dare you wear my clothes without asking!” She shrieked, clutching the hem of her gown and looking at Jake for help. Jake, who had just moments ago looked apologetic toward me, came over, his face dark. “It’s just a nightgown! And I bought it for you!” “Do you have to say such nasty things? Who are you looking down on?!” I knew the words “beggar” and “poor” stung him just as much. When we were together, I was always so careful, weighing every word for ages before speaking, mindful of Jake’s deep insecurity and fragile ego. This kind of spoiled rich-kid mentality (of a poor kid). I was now too lazy to deal with it. I let go of the gown’s hem, about to tell her to pay for it, when I noticed my palm was sticky with a white, gooey liquid. Chloe’s face flushed, and she stammered, “It’s a milk tea stain. I accidentally spilled it.” “My bad. I shouldn’t have been drinking milk tea in bed.” The more she spoke, the more wronged she sounded. And the more certain I became that it was absolutely not milk tea. It was something *they* had produced. It was so disgusting! So filthy! The moment I realized what it was, I rushed to the bathroom and threw up.

I didn’t want the nightgown anymore. Even if it was the first gift Jake ever bought me from his part-time job. Even if I had never dared to wear it. I just didn’t want it. After leaving their little love nest of deceit, Jake sent me a SnapChat message. Asking where I was. Then explaining he’d forgotten his phone last night, which was why he couldn’t answer my calls. He even apologized. And asked why I’d called so many times. I didn’t plan to reply. A little while later, Jake sent another message. [Did you come looking for trouble this morning because you’re jealous, and you’re mad I didn’t come to find you last night?] [But what happened with Chloe was for a reason. I can explain everything later. Don’t be angry.] [Today is your birthday, I haven’t forgotten. I already scoped out Namsan Tower last night.] [We’ll go up tonight. Before that, come to this address. I have a birthday gift for you.] I only skimmed Jake’s rambling message, not paying attention to the address he sent. So, when I arrived at the beauty clinic I’d booked, based on online recommendations, I ran into Jake and Chloe. Chloe’s eyes flashed with a hint of jealousy. But on the surface, she came over and warmly took my hand. “Lily, it’s great you still came. “I thought with your temperament, you wouldn’t bother with us anymore.” “I’ve felt so guilty. Luckily, Jake mentioned you wanted to get some work done while in South Korea, so I shamelessly asked my former boss for a discount for you.” I pulled my hand away, rolling my eyes. “Getting a facial counts as plastic surgery? Then what about all that Botox on your face, is that genetic modification?” Her eyes instantly reddened. She looked like she’d said something wrong and didn’t dare to speak again.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297043”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

My Vengeance, His Redemption I woke up in a shifter romance novel. Not as the heroine, but as the sickly, wicked villainess, married off to the Lion King himself, a brute known for his violent rages. The System told me: Bear him an heir. Use my super-fertile body to stabilize his royal bloodline, and I’d live. Simple as that. And he did. He grew gentler by the day. He’d awkwardly try to soothe my morning sickness, fiercely fend off all the scheming rivals who eyed his throne, and even cast aside the original heroine for me. I genuinely believed I’d softened his heart with love, bending the story to my will. But he had no idea. The very day I gave birth, the System’s cold, metallic voice echoed in my mind: [Congratulations, Host! Breeding mission complete. Energy full. Initiating sacrifice protocol. Your flesh and blood will reconstruct Queen Lyra’s body.] It hit me then. All his tenderness, all his supposed love… it was all a ploy. He needed me to willingly become a human sacrifice for his true love, Lyra – his ‘White Moonlight.’ On the brink of death, I gathered my last ounce of strength and forged a symbiotic pact with my newborn, divine bloodline cub. “My darling husband, you want my life for her rebirth? Why don’t you ask your own son if he agrees first!”

I held my newborn cub, and Rhys’s kiss brushed my forehead. “My Queen, you’ve been through so much.” His voice was gentle, his eyes overflowing with affection. The cub slept peacefully in my arms, his tiny face flushed, his breathing even. This was the happiest I’d been since I woke up in this cursed book. [Ding! Congratulations, Host! Breeding mission complete. Energy full. Initiating sacrifice protocol. Your flesh and blood will reconstruct Queen Lyra’s body.] The System’s cold, metallic voice rang in my ears. My blood ran cold. Rhys’s eyes turned to ice. All tenderness vanished without a trace. He roughly snatched the crying cub from my arms. “Rhys? What are you doing? Give him back!” I reached out to reclaim my child, but he pushed me away. “Time to fulfill your final purpose.” I was forcibly dragged from the bed, my legs so weak I could barely stand. Post-birth weakness left me utterly defenseless. The altar was ready, bathed in silver moonlight pouring through the high dome. At the altar’s center, Lyra’s ‘perfect doll’ lay still. Her face was identical to mine, yet somehow more exquisite, flawless. Her soul drifted out from a shimmering prayer crystal, clad in a Queen’s gown that should have been mine. Golden embroidery gleamed on the hem of her dress in the moonlight. “Well done, my little breeding tool.” She contemptuously ran a finger down my cheek. “Thank you for bearing such a perfect vessel and bloodline for me.” “Now, it’s my turn to be reborn.” Her smile was beautiful and venomous. Rhys forcibly shoved the wailing cub into Lyra’s arms. The cub, sensing a stranger, cried even harder. “Look closely, this is your true mother.” Rhys pointed at me, his eyes filled with disgust and disdain. “She? She’s just a stain, a filthy vessel that polluted your pure bloodline.” The cub struggled desperately in Lyra’s arms, tiny hands reaching frantically for me, tears blurring his golden eyes. “Mommy… Mommy…” It was his first word. It might be his last. My heart tore into a million pieces. Rhys raised the sacrificial blade, its edge glinting coldly in the moonlight. “Don’t be afraid. Sacrificing your life for Lyra’s rebirth is the greatest honor you could ever achieve.” “You should be proud.” The blade point hovered over my heart. Gazing at his alien, cruel face, everything clicked into place. From start to finish, I was nothing but a tool. A tool to bear their child, to provide the very flesh they needed. The instant the blade was about to plunge into my heart, I bit down hard on my tongue. My heart’s blood surged out, arcing a crimson line through the air. “By my blood, I bind thee! By my soul, I swear!” I screamed the ancient symbiotic pact, pouring every ounce of my spiritual energy into it. “In life and death, we are one! Blood to blood, heart to heart! Harm me, harm my son!” The crimson pact transformed into golden chains, swirling and dancing in the air. One end bound to me, the other searing itself onto the cub’s brow. Golden light flared. The pact was sealed. Rhys’s blade plunged into my shoulder without hesitation. Excruciating pain flared, but I bit back a scream, gritting my teeth. Blood streamed down the blade, dripping onto the altar. At the same moment, the cub in Lyra’s arms let out a shrill wail. An identical wound appeared on his tiny shoulder! Blood stained his swaddling clothes, and his little face instantly went pale. “What’s happening? Why is the Royal Heir injured?” Rhys stared, horrified, at his bleeding son. The blade in his hand trembled, unable to plunge deeper. “A symbiotic pact! It’s a symbiotic pact!” Archon Gabriel rushed in, face ashen. “My King, you cannot kill her! If she dies, the Royal Heir dies too!” Rhys’s hand trembled violently. He frantically poured his power into me, desperate to stop our bleeding. Warm healing energy flooded my body. The sacrifice was halted, and Lyra’s scream ripped through the entire altar. “No! My rebirth! My perfect body!” Her soul-form trembled violently, on the verge of dissipation. “It’s all your fault! You cursed wretch!” “I’ll kill you! I’ll tear you apart!” I collapsed into the blood, holding my child close. His wound was already healing, his breathing steadying again. At least we were alive. And I still had a chance to protect him.

I was imprisoned in the deepest chambers of the royal palace. My body was weak, clinging to life only through the power Rhys forcibly infused into me daily. They stripped me of the right to see my son. “You are the source of the curse, the carrier of this plague.” Rhys stood at the door, his eyes as cold as ancient ice. “Do not approach the Royal Heir, and never defile his pure bloodline again.” The heavy iron doors clanged shut before me, sealing me within this gloomy cage. Lyra, under the guise of ‘purifying the Royal Heir,’ monopolized the nursery day and night. She deliberately had a magic scrying mirror transmit everything for me to see. To make me watch her seize everything that was mine. In the mirror, she wore my clothes, sat at my vanity. Using my lipstick, styling her hair like mine, even mimicking my tone of voice. “See this, my dear ‘sister’?” She smirked at the scrying mirror, her eyes venomous and triumphant. “Your husband, your clothes, everything you have, will be mine.” “And you? You’re just a trapped mouse in a cage.” She walked to the cradle and clumsily picked up Jasper. Jasper, sensing a foreign touch, immediately started wailing. “My Jasper, say ‘Mommy’.” Lyra forced his gaze onto her face. “I am your true mother. Forget that woman.” The cub cried harder, his little face flushed crimson. He struggled desperately, trying to escape Lyra’s embrace. “He doesn’t like me. It’s all that woman’s fault.” Lyra’s face darkened, becoming truly frightening. “Her tainted bloodline has corrupted my child.” She glared venomously at my image in the scrying mirror. “Burn everything she prepared for this bastard child!” She ordered the handmaidens to dispose of all the clothes I had prepared for my child. Those tiny clothes I’d hand-stitched, the swaddling embroidered with gold thread. “Burn them all, every last one! They reek of her lowly presence!” Flames soared, turning my heart’s effort into ashes. Rhys entered the nursery, his face grim. Seeing the cub’s persistent cries of discomfort. Instead of soothing him, he turned his anger on me. He warned coldly through the scrying mirror: “Your bloodline is rebelling. It’s causing chaos.” “It seems a more thorough purification is needed!” “If he continues to wail, I’ll sever your connection completely.” Late that night, I bore the agony, sensing my son’s faint cries of hunger and fear through our bond. That heartbreaking pain, ripping through me, was transmitted via our pact. I could only weep silently in the darkness. Lyra deliberately brought the cub to my door. Letting the child cry out for me, but refusing to let me near. “Did you hear that?” She chuckled triumphantly, her eyes brimming with malice. “He’s begging *me*, his ‘mother,’ not you, the ‘sinner’.” “You filthy vessel, you’ll never be worthy of being his mother.” The cub’s tiny hand reached through the bars towards me, his golden eyes filled with longing and sorrow. “Mommy… Mommy…” His voice was hoarse from crying, as weak as a kitten’s whimper. I reached out to touch him, but an invisible barrier blocked me. Rhys issued a final command, setting up a powerful barrier outside my chambers, completely severing all connection between me and the cub. “From this moment on, you will have no ties.” His voice was cold and merciless. “He is the Royal Heir of the Lion Clan, and you are nothing but a criminal.” I was confined in darkness, unable to hear or feel my child. All I could do was silently pray that my Jasper would survive each day. Pray that he would remember, somewhere in this world, there was someone who truly loved him.

By the third day, the cub’s cries grew weaker and weaker. Lyra’s inept care was rapidly draining his life. High fever, refusing to eat, his life hanging by a thread. She knew nothing of infant care, only roughly shaking him, trying to make him stop crying. Archon Gabriel burst into the nursery, his face etched with horror. “My King, the Royal Heir is failing!” “His temperature is too high, his breathing shallow. He could die at any moment!” Rhys’s face turned ashen, rage burning in his eyes. “How can this be? Wasn’t Lyra taking care of him?” “The Royal Heir needs his mother’s essence. Only his true mother’s essence can save him.” Archon Gabriel pointed, trembling, towards my prison. “The Queen must come here. Otherwise, the Royal Heir won’t survive the night.” “She’s the source of the curse! Letting her near will only worsen things!” Rhys’s fists clenched, veins bulging. “There must be another way!” “My King, bloodlines do not lie.” Archon Gabriel’s voice was stern and urgent. “The Royal Heir’s body is instinctively rejecting everything but his true mother.” “He cannot wait. Any more delay and it will be too late.” Rhys gritted his teeth, finally giving in. He had no choice but to bring me from my chambers to the nursery. My clothes were disheveled, and I was dragged along like a prisoner, heavy shackles clanking on my wrists. Lyra stood nearby, her eyes burning with hatred. “Hurry up. Don’t waste time.” Her voice dripped with disgust and impatience. “Once he’s recovered, you can crawl back into your cage.” The moment the cub was back in my arms, I nearly broke down in tears. His little face was pale, his breathing ragged. But sensing my presence, he instantly calmed, greedily suckling. His tiny hands clutched my clothes tightly, as if afraid I’d disappear again. “My precious, Mommy’s here.” I gently stroked his little face, tears streaming down my own. “Mommy will always love you, and I will never abandon you.” It was my only comfort in days. Feeling his strong suckling, hearing his satisfied murmurs, my heart finally found a moment of peace. The cub’s temperature slowly returned to normal. His little face regained its color, his breathing steadied. He slept contentedly in my arms, his tiny mouth still softly moving. Just then, Rhys abruptly snatched him from my embrace, handing him back to Lyra, who had been waiting impatiently. “Enough. Your purpose is served.” His voice was icy and devoid of gratitude. “Your use is at an end.” Lyra took the child, flashing me a cold, triumphant smirk. “Thank you for the ‘nourishment,’ my good milch cow.” She deliberately emphasized the words ‘milch cow’. She turned to Rhys, malicious glints in her eyes. “My King, since her purpose has been fulfilled…” “It’s time for the ‘Severance Ritual’.” “To completely eradicate this curse and restore the Royal Heir’s pure bloodline.” Rhys looked at me, his gaze utterly devoid of warmth. As if I were a tool, used up and ready to be discarded. “Tomorrow, at the Hundred Clans Homage Ceremony.” “I will, before all assembled…” “Drain every last drop of your tainted blood from my son’s life.” “Drain it all, until nothing remains!” “Let everyone witness the consequence of defying the royal will!” I was roughly dragged back to my chambers, my shackles scraping a harsh sound across the floor. I stared at my fingers, where my child had suckled. Feeling the ancient power stirring within me, awakened by the Sacred Fruit. A plan, for mutual destruction, began to form in my mind. If you want my blood, then I’ll give you a ‘gift’ you’ll never forget. Let you pay the price for your greed and cruelty. The Hundred Clans Homage Ceremony began as scheduled. The entire royal palace was adorned with colorful banners and flowing flags. I was chained like a sacrificial offering, dragged to the foot of the hundred-step staircase leading to the throne. All the tribal chiefs were present, observing the ritual. The Tiger Clan, the Eagle Clan, the Wolf Clan… hundreds of nobles gathered. Their gazes held curiosity, indifference, and cruel excitement. Rhys, in his golden royal robes, stood majestically on the throne. Crown on his head, scepter in hand, he seemed sacred and inviolable. “Fellow kin!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296873”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance

It’s been three years since Lily started treating me as a replacement, and she still doesn’t love me. She replaced all our travel photos with those of her deceased childhood sweetheart. She even turned these photos into a travel diary of their love story. Under each photo, she meticulously wrote: “Journeying together with you.” From the beaches of Miami to the mountains of Colorado, I accompanied her every step of the way. Yet in every picture she recorded, the face wasn’t mine. Until once again, with tears in her eyes, she looked at me and said in a pitiful voice: “I’m feeling so awful with this pregnancy. Don’t you know how to comfort me?” I brushed her hand away, my voice trembling slightly: “If it’s so awful, then get rid of it.” I discovered that travel diary while cleaning up the mess she had vomited all over the floor. She had brazenly left her love diary right on the desk. She wasn’t afraid at all that I would find it and be hurt. She didn’t even bother to close the cover. The photo on the first page was of her and her deceased childhood sweetheart, Ethan. It was from 7 years ago. The edges of the photo had yellowed, and some parts were worn from being frequently touched by its owner. Below the photo was a line of text, written in a strong hand that was clearly not Lily’s. “First stop on our love journey.” With trembling hands, I flipped through the travel diary. At the end were photo records of our trip to Miami last week. On Miami Beach, she cupped my face in her hands, smiling brilliantly. In the photo now, Lily was still smiling just as brilliantly. But the face she was cupping wasn’t mine – it was that of her childhood sweetheart who had died 7 years ago. She had replaced every single photo of us with someone else’s. My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Lily getting up. After hastily closing the diary, I walked out of the study. As always, she called out to me in a soft, sweet voice: “Honey.” On any other day, I would have pulled her into my arms and gently kissed the top of her head, telling her: “Breakfast is ready. I’ve already eaten and am about to head to the office.” But today, I only said: “I have an early meeting.” Ignoring the surprise in her eyes, I walked towards the front door, ready to leave. But she ran over, planting a light kiss on my cheek of her own accord. Looking at her still-swollen eyes, a wave of nausea suddenly hit me. Because in her travel diary, there was a yellowed note tucked inside. It looked quite old, and on it was written: “Ethan says he must get a good luck kiss before leaving each day.” I thought back on the 3 years I’ve been with Lily. Every single day when I left for work, no matter what she was doing, she would run over to give me a kiss. Little did I know, this was just her fulfilling a promise made to Ethan. She was carrying out with me the things she never got to finish with Ethan.

It wasn’t until I got in the car and saw the capybara charm hanging from the rearview mirror that another memory from that diary surfaced. She had written: “Ethan says capybaras are cute.” Because of one comment from Ethan, she became obsessed with capybaras. Her clothes, phone case, and even the charm in my car – all featured capybaras. Feeling irritated, I took down the capybara charm and tossed it out of the car. The car display lit up with a call from my assistant. “Mr. Chen, the proposal site you asked me to prepare is ready. The capybara robot to deliver the ring has also been produced by the factory as requested.” I pressed my lips together, silent for a long moment before saying: “Alright, I got it.” The words “proposal” echoed in my mind. When I had brought up marriage to Lily before, she seemed somewhat reluctant. She said: “Didn’t we agree we’d visit all the travel spots on our list before talking about marriage?” I had taken her words to heart back then. After checking off the final destination of Miami, I started preparing for the proposal. But now… I had always known she had a childhood sweetheart she grew up with. I understood and accepted that. I was just jealous that the one who got to grow up with her wasn’t me. I thought 3 years would be enough time for her to fall in love with me. But I never imagined that even after 3 years, I still couldn’t melt Lily’s heart. I hadn’t even pulled out of the driveway when Lily called. “Honey, didn’t you say you had a meeting? “Why haven’t you left yet?” I forced out words through my hoarse throat: “I was just on a call. About to leave now. “Hold on, I’ll take you with me today.” I was about to refuse, but she had already opened the car door and sat down. She was wearing perfume, a faint woody scent. I frowned slightly. It was a scent I had long grown accustomed to, but now found somewhat irritating. I instinctively lowered the window a bit. Once when we were shopping together, I had picked out a perfume for her – one with the scent of crisp white shirts on a summer day. It was the androgynous style she liked. But she had shaken her head and instead chose a men’s cologne with a heavy scent that didn’t match her pure looks at all. She had said then: “I’m going to use this one. If I ever smell women’s perfume on you, I won’t let you off easy!” The sales assistant who witnessed this had covered her mouth, giggling and saying how sweet our relationship was. Little did she know, Lily had only bought that perfume because of something Ethan once said. In her diary, she had written: “Ethan says he likes the scent of cedar.” Just because Ethan liked the scent of cedar, she had been using that fragrance daily for 3 years. Even when she got sick of the smell, she never switched.

“Honey, can you close the window? The wind is a bit chilly.” I lowered my eyes, still closing the window. The scent of cedar – Ethan’s favorite – filled my nostrils. An awkward silence fell over the car. After a while, Lily suddenly said: “Honey, where’s the capybara charm I hung in your car? “Why did you take it down? “I made that charm specially for you as a good luck charm.” I turned the steering wheel, saying offhandedly: “I think I lost it.” Lily immediately frowned, her tone tinged with impatience: “Adrian, what are you saying? “That was a good luck charm I made for you with my own hands! “What do you mean you ‘think you lost it’?” I glanced sideways at Lily. It seemed she had always been like this. Usually gentle and sweet. But the moment something she liked was challenged, she would immediately lose her temper. She took advantage of the fact that I loved her, always pushing my buttons on this point. But this time, I didn’t feel like indulging her anymore. “Lost means lost. I don’t like capybaras. “I’m the CEO of a public company after all. We don’t have a housekeeper, and I don’t have a driver. “How does it look to have a capybara charm hanging in my car?” Lily had said she didn’t like having extra people in the house, so I had let go of the housekeeper. We didn’t even have a part-time cleaner. Every day after finishing work at the company, I still had to come home and clean. At first, Lily would help with the housework, but she always had excuses – this part hurt, that part was sore. Of course I wouldn’t expose a young girl’s little tricks, so I just went along with it. But later she became more and more excessive, not even letting me hire a driver. It wasn’t until today that I understood why. “Ethan says a home is a little nest for two. With a third person, it’s no longer just the two of us.” “Ethan says his passenger seat is only for me to sit in. Even he won’t sit there, because he’s the driver.” “He can only be my driver.” In her diary, she had meticulously recorded every memory of her love with Ethan. Suddenly I felt utterly drained. Lily hadn’t spoken for a long time in the car, just sitting there with red-rimmed eyes, waiting for me to comfort her. But when my gaze fell on the redness around her eyes, I was reminded of how she had locked herself in the study drinking alone last night.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296889”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance