Hunter of the Lost Gates - Chapter 26 - : Echoes of the Abyss

The notorious firearms crime lord Chen Zhang An a.k.a Old Fox was placed under house arrest by the very successor he groomed.

Three rejections. Three shattered dreams. That was Layla’s reality, all because she was different—a half-shifter in a world obsessed with purity. Ostracized, shunned, and finally sold off like a pawn to the most feared ruler alive—the Lycan King. He was ruthless, a king with a graveyard of brides, each one a ghostly reminder of a fate worse than death.Layla loathed him. Hated the way his gaze cold and fathomless, held no warmth for her. Hated how his touch, both thrilling and terrifying, sent an uninvited chill down her spine.---“I hate you!” I screamed, hands clenched so tight my knuckles ached.He sighed, a smirk curling at the edge of his lips, his tone mocking as he closed his book with a deliberate snap. “Stressed, are we?” he asked, strolling toward me, each step reminding me exactly who held the power here.“Lucky for you,” he drawled, rolling up his sleeves as he stopped just inches away, “I know exactly 70 ways to ease those nerves.” His fingers brushed my cheek, a touch that seemed to burn into my skin. “The first… a hug.” His voice dropped to a rough whisper as he leaned in, breath hot against my ear. “And the rest... well, that's 69? what do you say about that?”I swallowed hard, my heart thudding wildly as he tilted his head, waiting for me to react, that insufferable smirk still in place.“What’s the matter, darling?” he murmured, a taunt lingering in his gaze.---A Dangerous ObsessionCan she resist the pull, or will she dance into the flames of her own destruction?A dark dive into obsession, raw need, and the razor’s edge between desire and devastation.---LYCAN KING CASSIANI will tear her apart piece by piece, feeding the wildfire that grips her with each shuddered breath. Like air to flame, I’ll claim every inch, drawing heat from her skin until it sinks into her bones.Her pulse will race under my hands, her breaths shallow, pleading. Her eyes may scream, but her lips will still murmur my name. That first taste of fear will only feed something deeper—a need that burns through her veins, molten and fierce.And just when she’s too far gone to turn back, I’ll twist the knife, giving her the pain she’s learned to crave.She’ll be the moth to my flame, helpless against the very thing that will consume her.

Chen Meilan was reborn, finding herself back in 1988 when she had been abandoned by her nouveau riche ex-husband and was struggling to raise her daughter alone.Her ex-husband had left her with a large courtyard house in the suburbs and a bank balance with four zeros.In her previous life, Chen Meilan’s pride had caused her to lose both of these assets, a decision she later deeply regretted.Yan Zhaocai had just returned from the battlefield, decorated with medals for his valor in the war of self-defense.Yet he voluntarily gave up his honors, transferred back to his hometown, and joined the police force. As soon as he arrived, he received divorce papers from his wife.After reporting to the police station, Yan Zhaocai, with his child in tow, was urgently seeking a place to settle down.Chen Meilan, with her rural household registration, couldn’t legally own the courtyard house given by her ex-husband. She too was in a desperate situation.At this moment, someone brought Yan Zhaocai to meet her.Yan Zhaocai was drawn to the fact that she also had a child. He thought that if he could be accommodating, she wouldn’t mistreat his child.Chen Meilan observed this man in his military uniform, tall and well-built, with a stern face. She remembered that in her previous life, it was his uncompromising integrity at work that had landed the nouveau riche and his mistress in jail after a coal mine collapse.Suddenly, she realized this man was quite a catch. Definitely marriage material!And so, their blissful second marriage began…

Nidel, who belonged to the Technological Magic Order that held low prestige, became the bodyguard of a foreign prince behind the scenes. Left with no choice, he assumed the role of a bodyguard, turning into a black cat using the transformation magic he prided himself in, but the one who assumed the role as official bodyguard was the Royal Knight Legato. Nidel, who one-sidedly held feelings of affection towards Legato, thought of this circumstance to be interesting, butー