Hard Enough - Chapter 29: The other Gyms

A struggling businessman on the verge of bankruptcy finds himself drunk one night, only to wake up in the past—specifically, in 1943 London, amidst the chaos of World War II.This is an era of both immense danger and unprecedented opportunity. It is a time when the British Empire, once the unrivaled superpower where the sun never set, is finally witnessing the dusk of its dominion. Meanwhile, the United States is rising to claim the mantle of global leadership, reshaping the world's balance of power.This is the era where everything begins—where old rulers step down and new powers rise to take their place. This is the era where Pierre finds himself, an era filled with the kind of opportunity he never had before. A small, precious chance to rise, to become a giant, to seize the throne of power, to become a ruler, a world hegemon.

[Warning: Mature Content 18+, Harem, No NTR!]He was only ten years old when his world turned to ash. Hidden behind a door, shivering with helplessness and fear, the boy peered through the keyhole and watched his parents die. He never knew who killed them. He never even saw the faces of those who took everything from him.The terror was too much for a ten-year old boy. His mind shattered, erasing that night from his memory. And then everything was blank, darkness in front of his eyes as he lost consciousness.When his eyes opened again, a man stood before him, a stranger with a gentle smile and eyes filled with something strange… pity? Or something else?“What happened here boy?”“Happened where?”“You don’t remember, do you?”“Remember what…? Where is father? My Mother?”“I guess this is for the best.”“Good boy. Your father was my dearest friend… and now, you are my responsibility. From now on, you will be my son.”“You have no one left, boy… but I can make sure no one ever takes anything from you again.” The man said gently.And then that man forged him into something inhuman. A weapon honed to perfection, a shadow lurking in the underworld. The mere whisper of his name - Draugr, A ghost that never truly dies, sent grown men into cold sweats, their legs trembling beneath them.The boy soon outgrew his master and carved his own legend in blood. But all this while he never stopped searching—for the ones who killed his parents, for the truth, for revenge.And finally, after fifteen years of silence, he was close. The last clue he needed was just within his grasp.It was so close, yet just an inch out of his grasp. He was ambushed, a trap he never saw coming.Wounded, bleeding out, fighting for his life against an army of men and women eyeing to claim his life, he should have died. But fate had something else stored for him.Barely holding onto life, he stumbled into a girl—fragile-looking, yet completely unafraid of the monster before her. She didn’t run. She didn’t scream. Instead, she smiled.She saved him. Took him to a hospital. And as he lay unconscious, she made her plans.But when he woke up… He had lost everything, He remembered nothing.Not just the truth of his parents' murder. Not just the years of searching. Not just the enemies and allies he'd made along the way. Not even his own name.Twenty-five years of his life—wiped clean.Now, in a world that fears his very name, with ghosts of a past he can no longer remember hunting him in the shadows—he must decide: Is he still the Draugr they all fear? Or is he just a man searching for the pieces of himself?And who is the girl who stole his fate and bound it to hers?

Lenora, an orphaned omega, has always known her place: at the bottom of the pack, toiling away in the kitchen while enduring constant insults. Headstrong and unyielding, she often speaks up for what is right—earning her the ire of her packmates, especially the ruthless Lycan King, Jax, and his confidante, Claire.On her twenty-first birthday, Lenora’s life takes an unexpected turn when she discovers that Jax is her fated mate. But instead of joy, the revelation brings humiliation. Jax, embarrassed by their bond, demands secrecy and rejects her outright. When a cruel setup orchestrated by Claire forces Jax to banish Lenora and her closest friend, Noah, tragedy strikes, leaving Lenora shattered and determined to abandon her werewolf roots.Haunted by his actions, Jax tries to bring Lenora back, but she is no longer the omega he once disregarded. Found and manipulated by Jax's estranged brother, Luke—a vengeful outcast—Lenora must navigate a web of lies, uncovering truths about her mate and the dark secrets that threaten to tear the pack apart.As power struggles ignite and betrayal cuts deep, Lenora must rise above the chaos to protect what remains of her heart and her pack. But when love and revenge collide, will Lenora and Jax find their way back to each other, or will their bond be forever broken?

The day of marriage. Lifting the sedan chair to the door, he lightly lifted the sedan curtain, but he saw no newcomer, only a piece of paper pressed under a stone.

Looking at her flamboyant font, his thousand-year-old pupils faintly spurted out a few flames. good very good. On his perfect and impeccable face, there was a faint smile, not angry but smiling.

However, no one saw the hidden chill in that smile. That woman dared to run away from marriage, he would let her know the consequences of doing so.

- Description from novelbuddy