MTL - Mercenaries and Adventurers - v4 Chapter 149 , 'clear weather', fruit forest

Ethan Blackwood wasn’t used to being defied. As the CEO of a global empire, he crushed obstacles with a single glance. But when Lily Anderson stood before him, her chin lifted in quiet defiance, and something in him snapped. “Sign the contract,” he said, his voice like ice. “30 days. You’ll obey every command. After that, you’re free.”She hesitated, her fingers trembling as she gripped the pen. “And if I refuse?”His smirk was cold, but his eyes burned. “Then you’ll spend the rest of your life paying off your father’s debts. Your choice.”Trapped, Lily signed. But she vowed one thing: she wouldn’t let him break her.From the first day, their clash was electric. He demanded perfection; she gave him rebellion. “You think you can control me?” she spat, after he criticized her for being late.Ethan stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “I don’t just control you. Lily, I own you.”But as the days passed, the lines between them blurred. Late nights in his penthouse turned into whispered conversations. His cold demeanor cracked, revealing glimpses of a man haunted by his past. One night, after a heated argument, he pinned her against the wall, his breath hot against her ear. “Why do you fight me so much?”Her voice trembled. “Because I’m afraid if I stop, I’ll lose myself to you.”Their connection deepened, but danger loomed. Secrets from Ethan’s past resurfaced, threatening to destroy everything. When Lily discovered the truth behind his obsession with her, she confronted him. “Was I just a pawn in your game? A way to settle an old score?”His eyes darkened with pain. “You were never just a game, Lily. You’re the only thing that’s ever felt real.”As the final days of their contract approached, their bond was tested like never before. Enemies closed in, and trust hung by a thread. Could they overcome the shadows of their pasts, or would their love crumble under the weight of secrets and pride?

In a world where talent is everything—what happens when someone dares to cheat the heavens?Xuan Wu awakened in the brutal Fire Haven World where the strong eat the weak, where practitioners cultivate techniques to live longer and grow stronger. But just as despair crept in...[Ding! Awakened the Supreme Cheat System][Anything you desire, reality will obey...]Cultivation? Piece of cake.Upper worlds? He can ascend and descend with a thought.Enemies? A single word is all that is needed for obliteration.As Xuan Wu overlooks the world in his grasp, he asks himself—should he dominate, conquer worlds, create planets?Or should he play along just like an ordinary disciple?

A new work from the author of 'My Senior Brother is Too Steady', welcome to enjoy it!------------------In the instant the Earth exploded, the fear of death finally transformed into physical torment, the agony of being scorched seared into the deepest recesses of Yang Ming's memory.“The universe is the abyss.”Yang Ming murmured softly among the stars.[PS: Not a game narrative; early game settings will have a complete logical explanation later in the plot. Starting anew on a different track, this isn't in the style of previous works so don't promote it in the old way, treat me as a newcomer. Just entering the domain of interstellar sci-fi, corrections on details are welcome. ]

“P-please let me go..” I stammered and before I knew it, I was word vomiting while crying. “—I won’t return. You won’t ever see me again. I know you don’t want me as a mate. You hate me, so please let me go.” I cried out.Cain’s jaw tightened with each word that left my lips “What gave you the idea that you have the power to choose what you want?” His voice was low, “You don’t get to decide what, how, and when you leave. Only I get to do that. You don’t get to leave me, you don’t get to run! You only leave when I want you to.”“I didn’t ask for this,” I whispered, trembling. “I didn’t ask to be your mate.”Cain stepped back, “Neither did I,” he muttered under his breath. “But the bond doesn’t give us a choice, does it?”~~~~As the only child of her late Alpha father, Avery Jae was meant to inherit her family’s legacy. But on the day of her arranged marriage to Alpha Lucian, her world crumbles. Rejected, humiliated, and cast aside for her own cousin, Avery barely escapes with her life only to find out a much deeper secret. One that changes everything.When Avery awakens, she finds herself in a foreign land, caught by the ruthless guards of the Vehiron pack, led by the infamous Alpha Cain. Tall, broad and as dangerous as the army he commands.Alpha Cain has a reputation that sends chills down the spine of even the most dangerous warriors. Haunted by his dark past, he has vowed never to take a mate, yet the moment he lays eyes on Avery, everything changes.With a single word, Avery is bound to Cain—whether he wants it or not. In a world where betrayal runs deep, can Avery ever trust the alpha who might just be her worst enemy.