MTL - Anti-Cheater Strategies - Chapter 55 Vase Beauty (19)

“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.

October is a woman who was cold and devoid of emotions. This was true, until she met Lexus who let her experience a whirlwind of emotions she never thought she had with a gift she never thought she'll receive.Lanna October Park is the calm and charismatic Assistant Director of the Halo Company. She talks only when needed and was not yet seen smiling by her colleagues which made her known as the Halo Company's Ice Director. But unknown to them, she was in fact the eldest daughter of the Park Real Estate Empire of the whole City D.Indifferent with her family's wealth, she decided to be independent and climb the ranks in the business world using her own capability but her stepmother is more threatened by her and so baked a lot of schemes to bring her down and make her unfit to inherit the business.Because October let her guard down for just once, she fell for one of her stepmother's schemes and was then became the talk of the city the very next day.Unbeknownst to her stepmother, the man she was with was in fact the notorious CEO, Lexus Song.Getting her innocence was one but getting pregnant was another making her career and work credibility being questioned.“I'll take responsibility.” He said.“No need. I'm already responsible enough to take care of my child.” She rejected and turned to leave but was then yanked back and bumped into his hard chest.“Then take responsibility to me.” He said shamelessly as he leaned down to whisper in her ear, “You took my innocence so you have to take responsibility, dear wife.”

Fiona thought losing her mother was the worst pain she would ever feel.But six years later, life proved her wrong.Her father’s new wife turned her home into a prison. Beaten, blamed, and silenced, Fiona lived as the unwanted daughter—her voice ignored, her tears unnoticed, her happiness stolen. Every day was a fight to survive under the watchful eyes of a stepmother who seemed to take pleasure in her suffering.One night, after another cruel punishment, Fiona finally breaks. She escapes through her bedroom window with only a small bag, some hidden cash, and a heart full of fear.The streets are harsh and unknown, but fate leads her to a kind elderly woman who offers shelter—and a grandson, Mason, who seems cold and indifferent. Fiona thinks she has found safety… but life has other plans.Soon, another man enters her world. Gentle, patient, and perceptive, he offers her a deal, for her to be his engaged girlfriend to get his wealthy family off his back.For the first time, Fiona experiences kindness, love, and acceptance. But the shadows of her past are never far behind. Will she be able to embrace this new life and the love she deserves, or will her family’s control pull her back?Fiona must fight for herself, for freedom, and for the life she was always meant to live.

Zhou Yu, a reclusive otaku, who did not like to go out of his house, was one day forced out of his house by a series of unexpected events.

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