The Returner - Chapter 6: Ah, is that so? (3)

Ethan Blackwood wasn’t used to being defied. As the CEO of a global empire, he crushed obstacles with a single glance. But when Lily Anderson stood before him, her chin lifted in quiet defiance, and something in him snapped. “Sign the contract,” he said, his voice like ice. “30 days. You’ll obey every command. After that, you’re free.”She hesitated, her fingers trembling as she gripped the pen. “And if I refuse?”His smirk was cold, but his eyes burned. “Then you’ll spend the rest of your life paying off your father’s debts. Your choice.”Trapped, Lily signed. But she vowed one thing: she wouldn’t let him break her.From the first day, their clash was electric. He demanded perfection; she gave him rebellion. “You think you can control me?” she spat, after he criticized her for being late.Ethan stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “I don’t just control you. Lily, I own you.”But as the days passed, the lines between them blurred. Late nights in his penthouse turned into whispered conversations. His cold demeanor cracked, revealing glimpses of a man haunted by his past. One night, after a heated argument, he pinned her against the wall, his breath hot against her ear. “Why do you fight me so much?”Her voice trembled. “Because I’m afraid if I stop, I’ll lose myself to you.”Their connection deepened, but danger loomed. Secrets from Ethan’s past resurfaced, threatening to destroy everything. When Lily discovered the truth behind his obsession with her, she confronted him. “Was I just a pawn in your game? A way to settle an old score?”His eyes darkened with pain. “You were never just a game, Lily. You’re the only thing that’s ever felt real.”As the final days of their contract approached, their bond was tested like never before. Enemies closed in, and trust hung by a thread. Could they overcome the shadows of their pasts, or would their love crumble under the weight of secrets and pride?

Liola—the best assassin in his world—has vowed to kill no more. He was being chased by an assassination organization when he accidentally dropped into a parallel universe: through a dimensional gate and into poor teenager Kaiser’s apartment. Instead of going to the government shelter for lost dimensional travelers, Liola and Kaiser wind up going to school together.

Liola has been trying his best to live the life of an ordinary person, but after certain things happen one after the other, he begins to realize that being an ordinary person could be harder than being an assassin.

Li Yi once lived the dream of every pro gamer. He was at the top of his game with the best equipment, the highest stats, and everything a gamer could ever hope for. However, he soon realized that none of his ill-gotten gains for his to keep when he was branded Public Enemy Number One and killed in the biggest battle of the ages.

Now, he has the chance to turn back the clock and return to a time before his first mistake put him on the path of no return. This time, Li Yi will make different choices. With that, comes many interesting encounters — like saving a woman in distress then making love to her seven times in a row while her child slept in the next room. However, will he get back to what truly matters?

One thing is for sure, with the memories retained from his past, he will become King of this game.

- Description from Novelupdates

10 years ago, after “the Gate” that connected the real world with the monster world opened, some of the ordinary, everyday people received the power to hunt monsters within the Gate. They are known as “Hunters”.