The Bloodline System (Web Novel) - Chapter 18: Rumors Of Violence

Sara Falcone, the eldest daughter of the prestigious Falcone family, has always been bright, ambitious, and determined. Groomed to take over her father’s empire, she quickly rose to prominence as the company’s CEO, earning respect in the business world.But when Falcone Industries teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, her world begins to crumble.Desperate to save her family’s legacy, Sara turns to the last person she ever thought she would, her greatest rival, and once, her secret crush: Luca De Augustino.Cold, calculating, and infuriatingly powerful, Luca offers her a way out, but at a cost. In exchange for rescuing her company, she must agree to a contract marriage with him.Luca De Augustino, heir and CEO of the mighty Augustino Group, was raised to lead without compromise and to never bow to anyone. Yet there was one person who always challenged him, Sara. Years ago, when she confessed her feelings, he shattered her heart with cruel rejection.Seven long years have passed since that day, but fate brings them back together. Now, bound by a one-year contract marriage, Sara must navigate a dangerous game of pride, power, and unresolved emotions while Luca sees this as his chance to finally claim the one woman who once loved him.~~~~~“You think I'll help you just because you pathetically kneel in front of me!” Luca chuckled. “What happened to the woman who always held her head high in pride?”“If you don't want to help me, then just say so!” Sara raised her voice. Standing up, she turned to leave when Luca grasped her hand, thus making her turn to him.“Fine, I'll help you. But there's a condition,” Luca pronounced.“And what's this condition?” asked Sara.“Become Mrs. De Augustino. In short, marry me, Sara Falcone.”~~~~~*All the names and places used in the story have nothing to do with the reality. It's a fiction.*

In a world where rank determines your worth, Adrian Vale awakened at the very bottom.F-Rank.In a single ceremony, he lost his fiancée, his status, and his freedom. Sold under the Civil Utility Act, he became a transferable asset—property in a society that worships strength.Then an S-Rank elf noblewoman purchased him.Not for love.For political marriage.Bound to the most powerful woman in the capital, Adrian is expected to remain silent, obedient, and insignificant. But the moment their hands touched, something awakened inside him—something the World Core never measured.In a society built on absolute hierarchy, he may have discovered the one flaw in the system.And the higher her rank…The stronger he becomes.

Her childhood was forged in shadows, and she was sharpened into a weapon, trained to be a ghost, a killer—an instrument of vengeance. The target: a decorated general who brought down her family.But fate doesn't follow orders.Just as Lara was about to execute her long-planned mission, everything spiraled out of control. A military convoy intercepted her escape route—escorting none other than the general himself. And then came the moment that changed everything.A blinding crash. Screeching tires. Her body was thrown like a ragdoll, then darkness.She had a fleeting recollection of another world, another lifetime where kings ruled the land with an iron fist.But she woke up, and twelve long months had passed. She did not know where she was or who she was. She remembered nothing.They told her different names.A child with trembling hope whispered, “Mommy, your name is Moira Torres.”Her doctor insisted, “Your admission slip says Larissa Reyes.”A hardened general leaned close and commanded, “Remember who you are. Remember your mission.”Then another general—dangerously calm, incredibly familiar—looked at her as if she mattered and asked, “Can I call you Lara?”The name unlocked something buried deep in her soul.Lara Norse Kromwel.Daughter of General Odin Norse.Empress of the First Empire.But the man who watched her most closely dismissed it with cold certainty.“This is the 21st century,” he said. “What nonsense are you spouting? What Empress? You are my woman. You can only be mine!”

The great journey of an ordinary martial artist.“Once your habit is tainted, you have no choice but to live as a dog forever. Do not turn the wolf inside you into a dog.”