The Next Big Thing - Chapter 104: Bench Talks III

*Slow Burn Historical Fantasy Novel*

Elise had about to change into the dress that was lying on the corner of her bed when she heard a knock lightly calling from her door. Curious, she turned the door knob only to have a tall man towering in front of her.

“Master Ian!” She called.

Ian smiled with the usual mischievous smirk that he always used. His crimson eyes trailing a little over her room and spotted the black dress over her bed and shifted his eyes over to the woman in front of him. He stepped forward and spoke. “Where did you acquire that dress?”

“Mr. Harland gave it to me.” Elise replied and strained her neck to see Ian’s brows knitted in its elegance.

“Do you know why a man would love to give a woman a dress?” He gave the riddle that she always had to think twice before replying. But this time, she found no answer and instead shook her head. “I don’t know.”

His grin grew bewitching as though something had stirred deep inside the scarlet eyes that he had. He slowly slid his hand over the collar of her dress, sending a cold shiver that startled her for a moment due to its freezing temperature. After unbuttoning the first two buttons on her collar, he tilted his head down, whispering to her ears. “Because they want to be the one to undress the cloth.”

He paused and kissed her neck, turning the pale skin to red before retracting his move to fix his eyes on her and leisurely replied. “Unfortunately, you can’t wear the dress over there with this.” He chuckled and passed a box over to her hand. “And the fortunate news is I prepared a dress for you.”

Elise was a cursed little girl who could see ghosts. Her family hated her and threw her from one adoptive family to another. However, misfortune didn't act alone. When she was brought up by her aunt, she was sold as a slave. When she had thought she would become nothing but a sacrifice to the sorcerer, she was saved by a man whose identity was far different than a normal mythical being.

In the glittering, high-stakes world of Aurelia Bay’s beauty empire, Fiona Flare’s life shatters on what was meant to be her engagement night. Dumped by her fiancé for someone “more aligned with his trajectory,” she drowns her heartbreak in vodka and neon at the exclusive Eclipse Lounge.There, in a haze of bass and shadows, she collides with a mysterious stranger—tall, commanding, storm-gray eyes, hands that know exactly how to unravel her. No names. No promises. Just one raw, unforgettable night of passion that leaves her marked, aching, and blissfully unaware of who he really is.Weeks later, two pink lines on a pregnancy test turn her world upside down. Single, jobless, and determined, Fiona vows to raise the baby alone—no handouts, no hunting for the man who vanished at dawn.But fate has other plans.Unknowingly, Fiona lands a dream job at Voss Éclat—the city’s dominant beauty conglomerate—run by none other than Martin Mole, the enigmatic CEO who still dreams of emerald silk and the woman who slipped out of his bed without a trace.As Fiona rises in the company, sparks fly during tense meetings and late-night strategy sessions. Martin recognizes her instantly but keeps his distance, watching, waiting, torn between his guarded heart and the fierce woman carrying his child.What starts as corporate tension ignites into forbidden desire, corporate sabotage, family secrets, and a slow-burn revelation that could destroy everything—or build an empire stronger than either of them imagined.A story of heartbreak turned fire, one reckless night turned legacy, and two people who must decide whether to fight fate… or finally surrender to it.Secret baby. Slow-burn chemistry. Power, passion, and a bump neither saw coming.

Annabelle Asra:“Wait!” He commanded, hope surged within me. Maybe he will change his mind, but his expression turned icy, and my heart sank as I understood he had no intention of doing so.“I will never allow you to live a normal life, even if the Crimson Moon has shown you mercy, Annabelle. I will make your existence a living nightmare for what you did to my sister.”As I pondered his plans for me once I was no longer part of his tribe, he seized my throat, and his fangs pierced my neck. The pain was unbearable as he marked me. The agony I endured was nothing compared to the torment his mark would bring.Anger, resentment, and bitterness consumed me. A mark typically signifies acceptance and protection, but in my case, it signified the opposite.Betrayed by the Alpha's fiancée, Kari, I was sentenced to death but spared by the Crimson Moon, only to be exiled and marked by my ruthless Alpha, Zachary Ziglar.After surviving and joining a new pack, I discovered I was pregnant without remembering who I had been with. But why did my pup bear a striking resemblance to my tormentor?

Transmigrated into a world of swords and sorcery, Aaron awakens in the body of a lowly knight apprentice, an outcast born of a slave mother and ignored by his noble father, Baron Alfred. In a realm where steam has yet to meet steel, Aaron carries the knowledge of a more advanced world and a mysterious Map System that reveals everything around him, and rewards him with strength for every enemy he defeats.But Aaron isn’t content with swinging swords. As he carves out his own territory and introduces inventions that shake the foundations of this primitive land, he discovers whispers of a distant continent ruled by wizards. The knight’s path no longer calls to him. Magic, mystery, and power beyond imagination await.Will Aaron remain a forgotten noble, or rise to become a legend in a world that never saw him coming?