I woke up as the Villainous Empress - Chapter 239: Retreating was no longer an option

They say opposite attracts, that's a lie. Opposites kill each other!When a hot blood meets another hot blood, things are bound to get burnt.That is exactly what happens when the pompous and prideful elven princess, Neriah of the Avelah Kingdom is forced to marry the brash dragon Prince, Barak of the Trago Kingdom.Neriah's goal is to someday break away from her marriage and run away with the love of her life, Lyle of the Niles. While Barak will do everything to keep her as a wife.Neriah is certain she's in love with another, but she's also certain that no one can ignite the kind of passion her husband brings. Her husband who she hates more than anything.Can the flames of passion be drawn from hate? Can that same passion burn down the walls of lies, betrayal, and hurt? Can its ashes transcend into love?Excerpt“I am a rose, a beautiful flower, delicate and precious! But you my dear sir are nothing but the thorny stem! Prickly, dangerous and very harmful!” ranted Neriah while poking his chest with her index finger.“Well you seem to forget one important detail, my love.” He calmly grabbed her poking hand.“And what would that be, my fine sir?”“That the thorny stem and the rose grow together. The delicate rose and the prickly thorn, they belong together my dear.”“You—”“And no amount of ranting and raging will change that. You think I want to keep a witch like you? You are a pain in the neck. If I am a thorn then you are a piece of fish bone stuck inside my neck. I cannot swallow and I can not spit it out! I just have to bear it!”“You insolent bastard! Do you mean to say I am a burden!”“Well you are no precious prize, are you?”And that was it, she threw herself at him with her claws ready to mar his face, but he was quicker and he caught both her hands with one of his own and pressed her heaving chest upon his. Golden eyes stared deep into hers. They were as green as the fresh leaves on an orange tree.His fingers caressed her face, “You might not be a precious prize, but by the heavens, you are mine.” And his lips fell on hers, and once again, another argument was drowned.

As soon as Bai Lu opened her eyes, she became the boss’s little wife.

***

When we met for the first time, even though the traces of time had crept up to the corners of our eyes, the man’s graceful and handsome appearance was still stunning. His cruelty, cold-bloodedness, and ruthlessness were all hidden under the deep and silent cold eyes, creating a deliberately hypnotic environment. It had no effect on him.

His consciousness was clear and he looked at her calmly.

Bai Lu has been a good child from other people’s families since she was a child. She is well-behaved, sensible, and listens to her parents. After graduation, she works step by step as a psychological hypnotist.

If she hadn’t accidentally learned that the international case her father was trying was related to Xiao Cheng, she would not have been involved in the danger privately, trying to hypnotize him into his memory and obtain relevant clues.

She had seen Xiao Cheng’s information. His father was addicted to gambling, and his mother abandoned him when he was three years old. Shortly after his father remarried, he and his stepmother died one after another, leaving behind a younger brother who later accidentally disappeared.

Xiao Cheng climbed out of the darkness alone, starting from scratch. His psychological defense was too strong. Bai Lu was no match at all. The hypnosis only read part of the memory and was interrupted unexpectedly.

During their second appointment, her plane unfortunately disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle.

When I opened my eyes again, I was transported back to more than twenty years ago.

She became Xiao Cheng’s little wife who died young…

What’s even more unexpected is that it turns out that the evil dragon is also gentle, and is willing to turn into a thorn to protect her and the rose will bloom brilliantly.

- Description from novelbuddy

Learning crude martial arts had always made Fourth Miss Zhu the laughingstock of Beijing’s elite families. In their eyes, such skills were fit only for common bodyguards.Yet Zhu Changle, who considered herself invincible, felt no shame. On the contrary, she took pride in her abilities.Not everyone could protect their own household, but she could! And exceptionally well at that! She’d even dare to turn the whole of Beijing upside down for the sake of her family’s estate!Don’t believe it? Just try her!

Facing extinction, humanity seeks salvation in the Astral Verge, a dangerous dimension accessed via portals that threatened to wipe out the entire planet.Few years later, aspiring recruit Daniel Vance enters the Verge for his final assessment, hoping to Awaken a Talent and secure his future. While others gain common abilities, Daniel secretly Awakens the mythical SSS-Grade Talent: [Soul Assimilation]. This allows him to absorb essence, enhancing gear, gaining stats and EXP from slain creatures, and crucially, absorbing attributes and skills from fallen Awakened.Witnessing the swift death of the arrogant Jaxon Rex, Daniel makes a grim choice: he assimilates Jaxon, gaining his first skill, [Kinetic Pulse]. This sets his path: scavenging the aftermath of others’ battles. He enhances gear and, after achieving his first kill on an injured beast, waits patiently to assimilate two more fallen recruits, acquiring [Quick Step] and the invaluable passive [Aura Sense].Starting as average, Daniel rapidly gains power in secret, enhanced gear, multiple skills, and boosted stats , far exceeding his peers while remaining outwardly unremarkable. He navigates the lethal Verge alone, using its inherent dangers to fuel his growth, wrestling with the moral cost of his unique, overwhelming power.