The Grandmaster Strategist - Volume 5, Chapter 26: Surrounded by an Inescapable Trap

Darkness. The ultimate ruler, the true One-Above-All. Everything starts from it, and everything returns to it eventually. People say that in your final moments, darkness seeps in your very existence, engulfs your whole being. They say it’s an incredibly relaxing feeling that takes you on your journey to your afterlife. They say that in the very darkness, the ‘nothingness’ your weary soul will finally be able to rest and relax. This brings up some very philosophical and existential questions. Do you even exist?

Follow the epic journey of Aiden, the last primal, a unique and ancient race as he finds his place in a strange, new world, filled with threats and violence.

A powerless woman’s worst nightmare is marrying someone against her will. When those who are supposed to protect her betray her in the vilest of ways, Leonor is forced to marry a Duke known for his cold nature and repulsive appearance. After a miserable childhood, it shouldn’t have been a surprise to her that her future was never truly in her hands in the first place.Duke Desmond de Montclair was nobody before the war. He garnered the King’s favor by doing the impossible in battle. Unfortunately, any achievement is eclipsed by his appearance and unbearable personality. In a kingdom that idolizes beauty, there is no room for someone like him.At first, Leonor finds life with the Duke to be what she’s used to - walking on eggshells and never speaking what’s truly in her heart. Eventually, things slowly start to change as the Duke learns about the horrors she faced while living with her family. His power becomes the key to her revenge.However, in a moment where she feels cornered, Leonor confesses to the Duke that she’s in love with someone else. The progress she has made with the Duke comes crashing down around her.Will her magic abilities be enough to convince the Duke not to throw her out? If she can make herself useful to him, perhaps she can gain his sympathy somehow…

Genius prodigy ​Ji Yu married the icy ​CEO Gu Yan out of gratitude, assuming their union was a temporary transaction. Wrong. While she breezed through their sham marriage, Gu Yan—her “husband-in-name-only”—quietly rewrote the rules.Post-divorce, Ji Yu thrives: clubbing with models, sipping champagne, and flaunting her freedom. ​Post-divorce, Gu Yan implodes: stalking her parties, hijacking her dates, and growling, “Try replacing me. I dare you.”But fate laughs at their feud. On the night their divorce is finalized, a reckless encounter ignites—hotter, messier, and utterly unforgettable. Now Gu Yan, the once-detached tycoon, is addicted to the wife he never truly let go.“Marry me again. Legally. Shamelessly. Forever.”“No. But thanks for the one-night souvenir, Mr. Ex.”

There are all sorts of lunatics in the world:Self-centered, reckless, psychotic, impulsive, obsessive, and pe*verted.As far as Suin knows, that man embodied every single one of those traits—an obsessive, pe*verted psycho.And now, that lunatic is back.“Finally, we meet.”“Adult Lee Suin.”He didn’t even try to hide the sticky hunger in his gaze, like a starved lion finally spotting its prey.“A job reassignment?”“I want Lee Suin to help me.”Chairman Woo Ilhwa, unaware of his son’s true intentions, reassigns Suin, his chief secretary, to serve as his son’s personal secretary.This forces Suin into close proximity with the man who’s been preying on her from the shadows.“Wait for me, Lee Suin.”During his eleven years of exile, Jaehee had dreamed of one thing:A proper relationship—not as a restricted minor, but as a full-grown adult.A relationship where he could take what he wanted, whenever and however he pleased.That’s why, even though Suin was as rigid as a steel rod, his sly persistence ignited the spark within him whenever he faced her.“What do you want from me?”“You.”“Lee Suin.”But it seems Suin has been flirting with some bastard behind his back, and Jaehee’s jealousy and obsession explode.“Don’t take a single step.”“Unless you want to see me go completely insane.”What nonsense.You were already insane to begin with.