Horizon of War Series - Chapter 65: Punitive Strike

“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.

Cain was living his best life as the leader of CROSS, a gang ruling Zone A, District 4.At 21, thanks to constant cigarettes and booze, he looked older than his years. He didn’t finish college or have a job, but he made a living through “guard fees” from local markets and his shady side business.One night, his life turned upside down when a shooting star crashed through his window, transforming into a cute fairy girl in a pink dress and rabbit hat, who declared herself the Idol-Idol Goddess!Now, Cain has to juggle being a gang leader and a rising idol star. Can he balance both lives without blowing his cover?[RPG System Style. No Harem. Drama. Romance. Face Slapping. Idol. Magical Realism. Urban Setting. Beautiful Female Lead. Strong ML. Smart ML. Handsome ML. Cold ML] XD

Apocalypse had descended!Strange creatures sprung out from the earth bringing calamity upon the world, the earth was twisted beyond measure and even the moon was engulfed by the chaos.But it was only for a time, up until all waves of beasts would be cleared and the torment would lift, pending it's re-descent—in a never ending loop.A judgment from the gods.Their sins?No one had a clue.Their path to forgiveness?Even more unclear.Their only salvation was the Curse Bearers, people who could bend the wind to their will, move objects with as little as a thought and call mythical beasts to their aid.Ark was one of them, albeit with a little quirk.He was cursed to die, his curse set to consume his soul.But it was going to take far more than that to kill one born with the Heritage of a god!—————————————>R18 is for gore and Dark themes.Note: This is not your typical Apocalypse novel, the apocalypse is a well represented theme among many others.Just give it a read, I’m sure you’ll like it… or so they all say ;)Additional Tags:Two Worlds, Unusual system

The world’s worst offense, is called Love.