24 Hearts - Chapter 11

“Block him.”“He's technically still my boss.”“Then block him with dignity.”The call ended again.And then started again.I let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a sob, then finally answered with the enthusiasm of a snail crawling through salt.“Yes, Mr. Walton?”“Have you changed your mind yet?”I collapsed onto the towel and gazed at the sky as though it might consume me entirely if I pleaded sweetly enough.“Do you ever take a break?” I asked, shielding my eyes with one hand.“You're avoiding the question.”“Because it's a dumb question.”He exhaled, the sound sharp and irritated even over phone. “It's not a dumb question. It's a business offer.”“It's a weird offer-one that I already said no to.”There was a brief pause, and I could practically hear him clenching his jaw through the speaker.“You are acting unreasonably.”“ Unreasonable?” I sat up. “I'm not the one drafting fake girlfriend contracts like it's a normal Tuesday.”“Isabella-”“Certainly not, Mr. Walton.” I mimicked his tone perfectly. “I told you I'm not doing it. You need to find someone else to play pretend with.”SYNOPSISIsabella Miller thought saying no to her boss’s fake dating offer was the end of the story.But Adrien Walton doesn’t take no—especially not when he’s convinced she’s a gold digger.Suddenly, her student loans are piling up, her father’s vet clinic is on the brink of eviction and her brother is about to be kicked out of college. Coincidence? She thinks not.Adrien Walton is calm, calculating—and he's just pulled every string to corner Isabella into the perfect position.Now she’s stuck choosing between pride and survival.So she agrees to his offer: be his fake girlfriend.No feelings attached. No drama. Just business.Or so she thought.“Conference Room B. Fifteen minutes,” he said, passing by without a glance.The folder he pushed across the table landed with a thud.I opened it. The contract. All of it.---Enemies to lovers? Check.Slow burn? Hmmnyea.Banter so sharp it might file your nails? Yes.Delicious workplace tension? Of course.Tension that could melt steel?Absolutely.Smut?? Wanna find out?Welcome to corporate romance warfare. There’s no escaping this contract.

My method in getting stronger is very simple—eating.I just need to eat artifacts.I've regressed, so I'll be able to eat as much as I want now, right?

A fire destroyed the appearance of Miss Ling Yue Ling, the eldest daughter of the Ling family. Her fiancé broke off the engagement and she became a laughingstock across the city. Unbeknownst to others, she was no longer the person she once was.When she revived and reappeared before everyone, her beauty was peerless and shocked them all.Her former fiancé regretted his actions: “Yue Yue, could you give me another chance?”Miss Ling casually threw a tr*sh can at him: “tr*sh belongs in the tr*sh can. Also, we are not that close, please address me as Miss Ling.”

“Let me go Henry,” I said coldly. “I am not yours, not anymore.”Henry scoffed. “You will always be mine. I was your first mate.”“And yet you rejected me. I don’t need you anymore, I have-”“Who do you have, Nyssa? Him?” He laughed humorlessly. “You don’t even know who he is.”Rowan growled, a low warning sound. “Shut the fuck up!”“Why?” Henry shot back. “Tell her what you’re hiding, Rowan, let’s see if she still loves you after.”*********************Nyssa was once the beloved of the pack—the Beta’s daughter, mated to the Alpha.But once her parents died, and she was unable to shift, her life began to crumble until she was finally rejected by her mate, Henry.It was hard enough that he left her for her best friend, but as the Beta’s daughter, she was forced to remain with him until an attack leaves their pack vulnerable and they have to seek help for the lycans.What was meant to be a diplomatic trip turned into chaos when Nyssa realizes she is mated to Rowan—the lycan king.Lycans and wolves don’t get along, and there is a lot of history between the three of them.To Nyssa, the angel she doesn’t know is better than the devil she knows,But what happens when that angel is just another devil in disguise?After all, Rowan is hiding some dark secrets of his own, the kind that threatens their already fragile bond.Would she be able to handle the pressure? Or will she go back to Henry who may have never gotten over her in the first place?