MTL - Lords Trying to Survive: Strategizing from a Rundown Yard - ~ Say 1 about the recent update schedule

“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.

He was the hunting hound of the Baskerville family.

But at the end, he was branded as a traitor and executed.

— — —

Now, he has returned… after 40 years.

“This time, they will be my prey… and I’ll bite every single one of them to death!”

“Heroes killed my parents. Now I wear the mask of one. Until I can bury them all.”At seven years old, Hernan Vale watched his parents — two powerful heroes — brutally executed in their own home by the very people they trusted most: the legendary super-team known as the Zodiac 13.They thought he was dead.They made sure the world blamed villains.They covered their tracks.But Hernan survived — and never forgot.Ten years later, under a false name, Hernan enters the prestigious Hero Academy, hailed as a prodigy. To the world, he’s a rising star. To his classmates, he’s charming, calm, unstoppable.But inside?He’s a weapon. Waiting. Smiling. Counting names.As he trains to become a licensed hero, fights real villains, and rises through the ranks, Hernan plays the long game — earning the trust of the Zodiac, learning their routines, studying their weaknesses. One by one, he’ll bring them down.And this time, he won’t hide in the closet.But the deeper he goes, the more blood he spills — the more he wonders if he’s becoming worse than the monsters he’s hunting.And when love, loyalty, and lies collide, Hernan may have to decide:Will he save the world like they think he will...or finish burning it down?

(Warning: Mature Content After Chapter 70)Is this one of your typical teen fantasy romance novels? Well if you think that then you better read further!Her family disliked her. Her tendency to turn feral scared her grandfather.But that was exactly what Dmitri was looking for!Her tendency to turn feral, could it be any good? Entering into a forced union with him was something she would never do. She had built a castle around her heart, not letting anyone approach it. Witty, sharp, intelligent and fun-loving, Adrianna did not trust anyone.What happens in werewolf romance books, when an alpha who is calm, in control, merciless, extremely handsome and someone all werewolves feared, comes into the picture?Unfortunately, Dmitri doesn’t have many options open.The fights, the secret glances from across the room and the heated blushes.It is difficult to accept him.---She was conflicted between herself and her wolf. Her wolf dragged her to him while she thought that Dmitri was wrong. If he was so wrong, why was she attracted to him?As she was struggling with her emotions, she heard a menacing growl and a threat. “Back off,” he warned Pryce. Adrianna looked at his face. He looked so dangerous , but she found it natural when her hand went up to his face to cup his cheek. She brushed her fingers across his cheek as though to calm him. Dmitri leaned his face onto her hand and closed his eyes. The two of them looked like two perfectly fitted puzzle pieces. What was she doing, comforting the man who wanted to snatch away her freedom for a lifetime? Her thoughts stopped as her heart took over when she saw him leaning his face ontoin her hands. For Dmitri, this was the first time she had shown her affection for him and he was savoring every second. He squeezed her tighter just to check that she was really there, body and soul. She felt right in his arms and he wanted the world around them to melt forever.