Gilded Ashes - Chapter 60: Dignity Missing

“Block him.”“He's technically still my boss.”“Then block him with dignity.”The call ended again.And then started again.I let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a sob, then finally answered with the enthusiasm of a snail crawling through salt.“Yes, Mr. Walton?”“Have you changed your mind yet?”I collapsed onto the towel and gazed at the sky as though it might consume me entirely if I pleaded sweetly enough.“Do you ever take a break?” I asked, shielding my eyes with one hand.“You're avoiding the question.”“Because it's a dumb question.”He exhaled, the sound sharp and irritated even over phone. “It's not a dumb question. It's a business offer.”“It's a weird offer-one that I already said no to.”There was a brief pause, and I could practically hear him clenching his jaw through the speaker.“You are acting unreasonably.”“ Unreasonable?” I sat up. “I'm not the one drafting fake girlfriend contracts like it's a normal Tuesday.”“Isabella-”“Certainly not, Mr. Walton.” I mimicked his tone perfectly. “I told you I'm not doing it. You need to find someone else to play pretend with.”SYNOPSISIsabella Miller thought saying no to her boss’s fake dating offer was the end of the story.But Adrien Walton doesn’t take no—especially not when he’s convinced she’s a gold digger.Suddenly, her student loans are piling up, her father’s vet clinic is on the brink of eviction and her brother is about to be kicked out of college. Coincidence? She thinks not.Adrien Walton is calm, calculating—and he's just pulled every string to corner Isabella into the perfect position.Now she’s stuck choosing between pride and survival.So she agrees to his offer: be his fake girlfriend.No feelings attached. No drama. Just business.Or so she thought.“Conference Room B. Fifteen minutes,” he said, passing by without a glance.The folder he pushed across the table landed with a thud.I opened it. The contract. All of it.---Enemies to lovers? Check.Slow burn? Hmmnyea.Banter so sharp it might file your nails? Yes.Delicious workplace tension? Of course.Tension that could melt steel?Absolutely.Smut?? Wanna find out?Welcome to corporate romance warfare. There’s no escaping this contract.

[CRIME/OMEGAVERSE]Was it possible for the devil to get his own happy ending?A major accident seven years ago had stolen He Juan’s memory away from him, wiping it so clean that the only things he were left with were only his name, numerous scars all over his body and a nasty side effect as a result of the aftermath.Seven years passed by and when He Juan thought he could live like a normal person again, a fateful day led him to be the prime suspect of the murder case of his neighbor who had written his name as her dying message — whom, in his defense, he had not even talked to!It was then that he met Mu Yuze, the lone wolf of the Violent Crime Investigation Unit; the cold, intimidating man with beautiful and intense midnight blue eyes who seemed to hate him at first sight for some reason He Juan couldn’t comprehend.One after another, bizarre cases intruded on He Juan's normal life and turned it upside down, bringing light to a dusty past he thought he could never remember again. In the end, he had to learn that even if he had forgotten who he once was… there were still some sins he had to atone.***Gentle, klutzy and smiling Alpha whom nobody dares to offend for some mysterious reason x cold, possessive and cinnamon roll Omega (maybe a little yandere here and there)Additional tags: top/gong/seme protagonist, action, case-solving, organized crime, thriller, gore, slice of life, tragedy, detectives, disabled characters, murders, teamwork, investigation, yaoi, mature, past plays a big part, 1 vs 1, love interest falls in love first

I’ve become a rogue lord in another world! This is the story of a game I was playing! The story of the protagonist, who has become a rogue lord who dies after two days, successfully uses the game’s history and system to escape his impending doom and become the strongest.

In order to marry a good husband, Liu Yuru had been a model lady for 15 years; but on the eve of her engagement, she was forced to marry Gu Jiusi, a well-known playboy from Yangzhou.

To marry such a person was to ruin one’s life.

Especially because after marriage, she learned that this person was also forced to marry her.

Liu Yuru was heartbroken, and after locking herself in the room for three days, she came to a realization.

Marrying such a dandy, why should she remain a perfect young lady?

So on the third day of marriage, the famously gentle lady shook her hands, carried a knife, and used all her courage to go to the brothel.

To the drunken Gu Jiusi, she said –

Get up!

After that, Gu Jiusi’s life was full of ups and downs.

Whether he was a miserable dandy or a great official, this woman stood beside him.

She supported him with her weak and delicate body, and told him, “get up.”

So even if he was cut to pieces, he would struggle from the mud, grit his teeth, carry her on his back, and walk through this life.

For the first 15 years of Liu Yuru’s life, she thought she was living only to find a good man.

It wasn’t until she met Gu Jiusi that she understood that a good man would help you realize that you live only for yourself.

— May this body of flesh and blood shield her from the wind and rain, protect her dress from dust, and protect her temples from frost.

- Description from Novelupdates