The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era - Chapter 823 - 822: Thirtieth Birthday Gift

[Mature Content:]Alaric was too close to Nicolette.Her mouth was just inches away from his.He could smell the lavender on her skin, the heat radiating from within her.But he held back, refusing to be carried away by her charm…“Mr. Allens…” she purred, and he looked down at her.Her eyes widened with desire, and he knew, in that moment, that if he wanted to kiss her, she would let him.The last thing he wanted was commitment. He knew that Nicolette didn’t want that either.But why was she this tempting?So willing?It was that willingness that confused him.She blinked, then swallowed as she pulled the jacket off her shoulders. His eyes lingered on her exposed neck.God.He just wanted to bury his mouth in that hollow spot.“Here,” Nicolette said calmly, extending the jacket to him.He took the jacket, his hand brushing hers just a second. She flinched, her face turning pink as she clutched the towel against her chest.His stomach flipped at the sight.If only that towel would give way to…Before he could stop himself, Alaric pressed his arousal against her stomach, pushing her against the wall, cornering her.She gasped at the sudden movement and for a moment, he lost his mind.“Cole…” he breathed, crushing himself against her.Her eyes gleamed with desire and a vulnerability that rocked him to his core.He would be foolish not to give in to this feeling.But he would also be a fool if he did.She had chosen to marry him.Not her boyfriend.And definitely not Lucian Crawford.Yet, he couldn't help it.She was only his for a year.But still…***************When her business and the gallery she inherited from her mother burn to the ground, Nicolette Voss is determined to rebuild—and get revenge on her father.She turned to her father’s rival, Alaric Allens, for an alliance.Alaric is willing to help, but on one condition—she must be his wife for a year.They called him Ruthless Alaric after an infamous incident 6 years ago. Alaric is back in town, and so are the crumbs of his past. But he is determined to change everything with a wife.He has his hidden agenda.She needs her revenge.But will this marriage between storm and steel survive the heat? And what will they do when deep secrets threatens to destroy them both?

oung Master Shen Yanshi from the Shen family's conglomerate is known to be very picky when it comes to women, but Xiang-Nuan managed to catch his eye with her face that bore a striking resemblance to his first love.She played the role of a naive and innocent little white flower, doing her best to fulfill her duties as a stand-in.Yanshi was generous towards her, providing her with many opportunities in the past two years, transforming her from an unknown extra to a somewhat famous second-tier actress.However, when the actual first love, Miss Gong, returned, Xiang-Nuan obediently took the initiative to break up with him, and Yanshi nonchalantly let her go, saying, “Do as you wish.”After parting ways with Yanshi, Xiang-Nuan's once pure and innocent style underwent a drastic transformation, evolving into a sweet and spicy elegant lady style that drifted further away from her previous path.One day, as Xiang-Nuan was leaving the set, she spotted Yanshi's car parked outside.He looked at her coldly, “You acted well.”She modestly replied, “President Shen is too kind.”“Come back and continue acting.”Feigning affection, putting on a show, the one who falls in love first is the loser.

When I cleared the final chapter of a game that was a national failure, I became an unnamed side character in it.

A non-standard, unmeasurable, EX rank supporting character.

Qin Chuan arrived in a parallel world and got bound to a system.