Imperator: Resurrection of an Empire - Chapter 37: Bitter Victory (1)

【First angst, then sweetness (bittersweet struggle) + uncle and nephew rivalry + broken mirror reunited + strong take and win + mild coercion + breaking defenses for pursuit】Renee Winslow went to The Yates Family for the first time as the girlfriend of Jack Yates' nephew, Caleb Yates.Caleb Yates repeatedly warned: Third Uncle has a cold and ruthless personality and has injured his leg; he's very scary, so don't get close to him.Later, Renee Winslow was forced to enter the small building where Jack Yates was recovering.In the dim light, the man's face was darker than the sky, his long, bony fingers resting on the wheelchair, veins bulging on the back of his hand.That night he tightly held Renee Winslow's waist, kissed her fiercely as if he wanted to devour her, buried his face in her neck, and whispered hoarsely, “Break up with him, be with me.”Since then, they maintained a forbidden relationship unknown to others.After three years of entanglement, Renee Winslow used all her efforts to finally leave Jack Yates.Five years later, she returned to Northcity.Jack Yates buried his face in her neck again, his voice hoarse, “Renee Winslow, I let you go once before, but I can't let myself go. Will you come back?”

The first time they met they had battled fiercely, just for a mere bunch of herbs. She needed it to save people, and he wanted to use it to save his own life.

“Let go of it, or you will die.” The man’s violet eyes were cold and sinister as he said in a low voice.

She held on tightly to the base of the herb and pulled its roots right out of the ground, before she turned her eyes back with a crafty smile. “It’s mine now. Snatch it from me if you can.”

When they met several years later they were no longer on opposing sides in hostility. In order to repay the debt for having stolen the herb back then, she went on to miraculously cure his body’s condition, relieving him of the inhumane torment that wrecked at his body day and night. He was amazed by the godly skills in Medicine she possessed and his heart went on to fall irrecoverably head over heels in love.

- Description from novelupdates

Elara’s first life crashed hard. Cruel tricks ruined her name, broke her dreams, and turned the whole entertainment world against her. Friends betrayed her. Lovers sold her out. Everyone she trusted stabbed her in the back. The pain piled up until she felt trapped with no way out. One night, she couldn’t take it anymore. She walked to the river and ended it all in the cold, quiet water.Later, proof came out. Messages. Recordings. Everything showed she had been framed. People posted apologies online. But it was too late. She was already gone.The universe, though, clearly has a twisted sense of humor.Because somehow, Elara came back. She woke up in her own past, every awful memory still sharp in her head. Right then she made a promise she would never break: protect her gentle grandfather no matter what, and never let anyone push her to that dark place again.This time she steps into the entertainment world with her head high. She trains harder, sings better, fights smarter. The same people who once crushed her? Now they get to feel the pressure.Love? Not happening. Her heart is locked tight. But why is it that as she rises and shines brighter, handsome, powerful men start circling her—guys who never even glanced at her in her previous life were now hovering around her.The actor smiled at her during a press interview, leaned closer, and said softly, “We should have dinner sometime.”The footballer sent flowers so big they blocked her room door.The surgeon she met at a charity event checked her pulse and then forgot to let go of her wrist.The singer she collaborated with kept calling her name during rehearsals, as if the mic could not hear him well enough.Elara stared at the ceiling that night and sighed.She only wanted to sing. Why did everyone look like they wanted to adopt her, date her, or both?But the worst one came after the concert.The lights had just gone off. Her ears were still ringing. Sweat clung to her neck. She had barely stepped backstage when a shadow blocked her path.She looked up.The CEO of the greatest company in Aurelia stood there. The same man who once said her voice was “not worth investing in.” The same man who did not even know her name before rebirth.Now he held her wrist lightly, but firmly.“Let’s talk,” he said.Elara blinked. “About… sponsorship?”“No,” he replied calmly. “About marriage.”Her brain froze.“…What?”“I will give you everything,” he continued, as if asking for a glass of water. “Resources. Protection. Freedom to sing. Become my wife.”Elara stared at him, her mouth open, her thoughts running in circles.This was not how it was supposed to be.Why was the world now skipping steps?NB:This story takes place in a fictional world. Aurelia is a country. Solmere, Veston, and Starfall City are the three capital cities of Aurelia. Other cities, such as Lorien and Crelou, are smaller cities.

In the last life, Jiang Xi, who loves acting, devoted her heart and soul to Yuan Jinchen, and she worked hard for her acting skills, and finally gave up to become a first-line star for him. As a result, the Yuan Jinchen brought another woman to their house, intimate in front of her, so she accidentally fell to the floor and died.

In this life, she re-entered the showbiz circle. Jiang Xi said that she would live for herself. She would not give up her career for the scum. The person who harmed her in the last life stood at a low place to bear her dazzling light. But Star Road is not a thoroughfare, beauty and acting skills are not enough to support her to go on smoothly. She needed a backstage that would give her stability.

“So when you marry me, I’ll be your backstage .” Jiang Xi just blinked and agreed. Jiang Xi, who marries Qin Cheng in a low-key manner, is starry, and occasionally there are a few jumping clowns to make trouble.

- Description from Novelupdates