Hidden Dead Ends - Chapter 2

On the day of her wedding, Ivy Quinn vanishes, leaving behind only a note: “I’m sorry, I can't marry a blind man.”To protect her son from heartbreak, Elizabeth Winters strikes a desperate deal—Ruby, Ivy’s identical twin, must take her sister’s place at the altar. Trapped by duty and family pressure, Ruby agrees, believing it will only last until Stefan’s eyesight is restored.But from the moment they marry, Stefan senses something is different about his “wife.” The woman beside him is nothing like the shallow fiancée he once knew. She’s sharp, resilient, and understands his business in a way Ivy never did. Against all odds, he falls harder than ever for this new version of her.And Ruby? She never expected to fall in love with a man who was never meant to be hers.But just when she finds the courage to tell him the truth, Ivy returns, ready to reclaim the life she abandoned.When Stefan finally opens his eyes, will he see the woman who truly stood by him—or will he be too blind to recognize real love?****Excerpt****“By the way, did Ruby come to the wedding?” he asked, catching her off guard since she hadn't expected him to ask her that all of a sudden.Was he already suspecting that it was her and not Ivy?Ruby’s fingers froze on the door handle for just a fraction of a second.It was enough to set off alarms in Stefan's head.“I—uh…” She hesitated, but only briefly. “No. She had work. She couldn’t make it.”Was he suspecting a switch already? What must have set off the alarm in his head?Stefan hummed, tilting his head slightly. “Oh, I see. How is she, then? I hope she's coming to visit one of these days?”Her fingers tightened on the handle, though her voice remained steady. “Yeah. She would, the moment she is chanced and can come.”A slow smirk tugged at the corner of Stefan’s lips, though he kept his expression neutral.Interesting. Very interesting. His wife had just lied to him and he didn't know why.Even though he was blind, he'd find out why soon enough.

When Etienne Blessad crawls from the wreckage of a plane crash that should have killed him, he returns to Astoria, Oregon as something more than human and far more dangerous. He has returned with strange new abilities and a violent temperament. With these powers, he only has one goal: take revenge against the extended family who murdered his parents and built their empire on blood money. But in a world where caped crusaders and masked villains clash in the streets, his personal vendetta threatens to spiral into something far bigger and more dangerous than simple revenge.Tags: Superpowers, Superheroes, Action, Urban, Ninjas, Martial ArtsSchedule: 1 chapter/day at 10 AM EST.

A broken prince, a shadowy scheme, all that amidst a bloody fight for a throne wrongly succeeded. Join a group of youngsters as they take their first steps into the martial world, towards the grandest adventure of their lives. It all begins in a certain inn, set against verdant mountains and facing a scenic lake.

“Bring us your finest wine and best meat!” Yelled a hulking man who seemed to be the leader of the dozen strong group.

“How much?” The waiter anxiously nodded his head.

“As much as you have!” The hulking man yelled back.

“That’s…”

“HUH?” The hulking man shot the waiter a furious glare.

“Dear guests, our inn operates on the principle of ‘pay first, dishes later’. As such, it will be better if you tell us exactly how much meat and wine you need.” Xiao Se returned their furious stares with a thin smile.

“Who are you supposed to be?” The hulking man eyed him with bulging eyes.

“This humble one is known as Xiao Se, the owner of this inn, the Fallen Snow Villa.” Xiao Se replied with the same smile and with a level of courtesy worth a solid 12/10.

“Well, we have no money.” The hulking man stabbed his blade into one of the nearby tables.

“Oh?”

“But I’m sure you have some!” The man pointed his finger at Xiao Se.

At that, Xiao Se furiously shook his head. “I’m sorry to break it to you but our little inn hasn’t made a single sale in almost a month. I’m about to owe them salaries myself…”

“Like hell if I care!” The hulking man smashed his palm down on the table. “Even if you have no money, that fur coat of yours should at least be worth a hundred odd silvers.”

“NONSENSE!” Yelled Xiao Se, eyes wide open and gaze as sharp as daggers.

The hulking man was stunned, his body even shivering involuntarily for that split second.

“I, Xiao Se, ride only the finest horse and wear only the richest threads! This fur coat of mine was specially sewn by some of the finest seamstresses in the imperial capital in the August Threads. Just sewing it took three whole months, shipping it, another one. Hmph, a hundred silvers? That’s not even enough to buy the sleeves of my coat!”

Ken was about to take his own life, after he had experienced a very tragic emotion. However, he was stopped by a mysterious cyan screen before his eyes.“What is this?”The Cyan screen displayed a message. It called itself the Guarantee System, and told him that it would guarantee whatever mission he desires. And through these missions he was to earn a reward, and these rewards were to be massive if the mission he takes, is relating to a… female.Then the question followed…[What will be your first mission?]At that moment, Ken knew… just the right thing he wanted. With a smirk on his face he said.“I WILL GET ALL THE LADIES I WANT!”Hehe'Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and organizations are imaginary and any resemblance to real persons or events is purely coincidental. The narrative is intended for entertainment purposes only and does not reflect real-life occurrences or perspectives.Enjoy!