White Online - Chapter 50: Hobgoblin.

[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?

The course of commitments never did run smooth.

On their third wedding anniversary, Qin Xi excitedly told Lu Bochen about her pregnancy, only to receive a 1 billion yuan check, an order to abort the child, and divorce papers in return.To protect her child, she fled.Five years later, she returned with her adorable twins and had become a revered miracle doctor in the medical field, with countless admirers.He regretted it. Qin Xi coldly watched as Lu Bochen, the CEO, apologized publicly on a live stream, “Weren't you the one who wanted a divorce and didn't want the child?”He humbly begged, “Xi Xi, I want to remarry and have the child.”“In your dreams.”“Xi Xi, the kids need a father.”The adorable twins stood with their hands on their hips in unison, “We don't need a daddy who bullies mommy.”Lu Bochen, who had even his bedding and luggage thrown out of the room, didn't dare lose his temper, “Take a good look and see who's really bullying whom!”

In her pursuit of saving enough money to return home, Hannah found herself playing the role of the “first-love” character in a beloved novel. Originally, this character was a typical stand-in supporting actress, taking on various substitutes for the female lead as dictated by the male protagonists, such as donating kidneys or sparing road for the female lead, which she all agreed. Eventually, the original character succumbed to the pressure, turning dark and meeting a tragic demise with a disfigured face on the streets after being killed by the male protagonists.Hannah's task was to follow this grim plotline and achieve the tragic story's intended outcome. However, in the eyes of George River, she was merely a substitute he had enlisted—an entity dependent on him. When his true love returned, he callously abandoned the woman who deeply loved him. Later, he regretted his decision, only to discover that the once-begging woman was now surrounded by various exceptional men.The individuals who had previously used her as a shield—the movie king, the ambitious young actor who climbed over her for his ideal goddess, and the president who regretted his actions upon regaining his memory—all found themselves humbly pleading for her affection: “Hannah, the one I love is you.” Confused by the sudden turn of events, Hannah observed her bank account steadily growing and stumbled upon a newfound skill for crafting tragic stories.As the main antagonist who successfully survived until the end of the story, Arnold Simmons was ruthless, dark, and violent. In his eyes, Hannah appeared to be the most naive woman he had ever encountered, her thoughts consumed solely by love. Witnessing her continuous deception by those around her, Arnold eventually reached a breaking point and seized her, declaring, “Stay by my side; let me handle your tasks.”[A seemingly fragile flower with an inner strength, Daughter of the Sea, crosses paths with an obsessed, dark, and sinister antagonist who contemplates disrupting the pond of bred fish every day.]