MTL - Deliberately Contaminated - Chapter 72

Themes: Black Market Trading, Global Crime Networks, Boundaries of Human Nature and Morality, The Struggle Between Truth and SurvivalStory Background:In a modern metropolis, the surface level of prosperity conceals the darkness and corruption lurking beneath. Ethan, a highly skilled detective, spends his life navigating the shadowy corners of the city, uncovering the hidden secrets buried beneath the mundane facade of everyday life. When he is drawn into what initially seems like a simple suicide case, he becomes entangled in a conspiracy involving the global black market, power struggles, and transnational crime.Main Characters:Ethan (Protagonist): A seasoned, calm, and intuitive detective who excels at finding the truth in complex cases. On the surface, he is a quiet, solitary man who prefers to avoid social interaction, but deep down, he is haunted by unresolved cases from his past. Faced with dark forces, he is both determined and full of doubt.Lila (Female Protagonist/Key Ally): Ethan's investigative partner, an intelligent and resourceful intelligence officer with a mysterious background. Her past is also shrouded in secrecy, and she seems to have an undisclosed connection to the “Black Angels” organization. She provides crucial assistance in Ethan's investigation, but her motives remain unclear, casting suspicion on her true intentions.Victor Saville (Antagonist/Main Adversary): A charismatic yet dangerous businessman, who appears to be a successful entrepreneur but is, in fact, one of the central figures of the global crime syndicate “The Black Angels.” Cold-hearted, clever, and ruthless, he controls a global black market network, overseeing arms trafficking, human trafficking, and drug smuggling. He is not only a key figure in Langley's death but also the biggest obstacle in Ethan's investigation.The Mysterious Woman (Key Character): An elusive woman who repeatedly appears during Ethan's investigation, warning him not to delve deeper into Saville and the “Black Angels” organization. Her identity is unclear, but it is evident that she holds vital secrets about Saville and his network. Her appearances leave Ethan bewildered—whether she is an enemy or his only ally remains uncertain.

In the first reincarnation of Earth, the immortals vanished.In the second reincarnation of Earth, the dragon race disappeared.In the third reincarnation of Earth, mankind faced despair.Living in the third reincarnation of Earth, Ding Huan does not want to die.

“Darling, you are the moon that gave light in my darkest times.”

Giving up to find a man who could make her heart skip a beat and fall in love, Hailey Hillson accepted her best friend’s marriage proposal, and then she relented after hearing from another woman saying she couldn’t please a man in bed.

When it was just a week away from their wedding day, Bryan got back together with his ex-girlfriend Eva Lan. Hailey broke up with Bryan and called off their wedding.

But then, she discovered an interesting fact about Eva Lan—she is married.

‘Didn’t her husband know she cheated on him?’

After her heartbreak, Hailey focused on completing her life project. To achieve it, she went abroad where she came across the CEO of Shen Group Construction Firm, Vincent Lopez Shen, who offered her a contract later to pretend as his mistress to get his wife's attention.

As she has also had an ulterior motive, she signed it without thinking twice.

But what will happen after she lives with Vincent on one roof when he is Eva’s husband—the woman who destroys her relationship with Bryan?

Will Vincent find out her secret regarding her true identity? Would she find out the secret Vincent keeps that is related to her?

EXCERPT:

“Miss Eva Lan, why won’t you sign the divorce papers if you are happy with someone’s fiancé’s bed?”

Glancing at her with disbelief, Bryan turned his head to the woman inside his arm; he asked, “What the hell is this, Eva?”

Hailey cut in. Her words are a bomb to Bryan. “Oh, you didn’t know Miss Lan is a married woman, my dear ex-fiance?”

“You shut up! Don’t believe her, Bryan! She is just jealous of me because you love me over her!”

Hailey scoffed, a playful smile playing on her lips; before she could spout another word, the woman in front of her paled like a ghost.

“Vincent, what are you doing here?” Horror, panic, and shock linger on her face to see her husband appear out of nowhere and his arms wrapped around the girl’s waist.

Vince shoots a cold glare at his wife, which he feels no familiarity in between them.

He withdrew his gaze from the two people before them. He turned his head to the woman standing next to him, he looked at her with tenderness in his eyes, and with a loving tone, he asked her, “Darling, who upsets you? Tell me, and I will remove them from your sight in an instant.”

As her eyes flickered, her cheeks were flushing scarlet red. Hailey lifted her chin, then whispered, “Honey, Miss Lan bullied me. She said I couldn’t satisfy a man in bed. She told me, I didn’t know how to… do that….”

He contorted the corners of his mouth, Vince beamed. “That’s interesting.”

“What do you mean by that?” she pouted.

“What I’m trying to say is… Honestly, you are a fast learner. All you need is the right partner.”

Aurelia Holt had quietly sacrificed her career to be a stay-at-home wife for her husband, Blake Carson, so that he could work full time while also pursuing his dream of becoming a successful producer in the future.But on the night of their second wedding anniversary, she watched her husband come home with another woman in his arms. It was Stella, his first love whom he was never really over.“She is already upset, you don’t have to make her feel worse. Is it wrong to show care and concern for my friend?” He argued as he clenched his jaws and kept his gaze steady on my face.“She isn’t just your friend, she was your ex, your first love. And isn’t it so convenient that everytime she needs you or something happens whenever I just want to spend some time with you?”He had always chosen Stella over her, putting her needs and feelings above hers. And that night, she finally had enough.“All you ever care about is Stella!” I continued to yell so loudly that I could practically hear my voice ringing in my ears. “You always do this! You always choose her over me, you always put her feelings above mine.”I watched as a smirk tugged at Stella’s lips as she watched me argue with my husband over her. Blake walked to her side, wrapping his arm around her as she curled her fingers around his arm with a pitiful look.“Stop yelling, you are scaring Stella. Why can’t you be more understanding and stop being so self-centered? Not everything is about you!”The last thing she remembered was her running out into the pouring rain and the next thing she knew, she was asking a stranger to marry her. That stranger was Xavier Wilder, the billionaire CEO of one of the most successful companies in the country. But there was more to him that Aurelia didn’t know just yet, something he was hiding from her.Together, she vowed to make her ex-husband’s life a living hell. There were only two things he cared about the most―his reputation and his ego. And she planned to destroy it all, bit by bit.