Sword Among Us - Chapter 1242: The Zither Players Egress

Lilian laid on his deathbed, his life nearing its end.Surrounded by the cold quiet of a hospital room, he had spent his last months immersed in novels on his phone.One novel, in particular, had captured his heart, and he yearned to finish it before succumbing to his incurable disease.But as the end drew near, he realized he couldn't access the final volume.Helplessly, he regretted the opportunities he had missed in life.And death had finally come knocking.“If only there were another world... that could offer me a second chance,” He whispered.“If only I could live a second life... in a time when I had listened.”

Power comes with a cost... and it was something she was willing to trade her soul for.A few nights before her wedding, Lauren sought a way to break her fourth engagement. Known for her bad reputation as the rebel princess, she was the only lady who had the guts to step foot on the Everston mansion, the house of a notorious warlord, in the middle of the night.She offered him a wicked alliance that the entire kingdom did not see coming: a marriage.A vixen pretending to be a damsel in distress and a man whose crimson eyes screaming for bloodshed. Could something blossom in this treacherous dance of lies and deception?--“Are you upset?”She eyed him sharply. “Should I be honored that I got tricked by you, milord?”He drank the remaining wine in his glass with one gulp and put it on the wooden table.He stepped in front of her. His hand was on the rail on her side while his other hand grabbed her glass and finished her wine before putting it down.The way his Adam's apple moved with his every violent gulp made her feel a tickling heat around her nape.When he brought his attention back to her, he licked his lips to wipe off the trace of wine.“How shall I make it up to you then?” he asked with his deep voice, like a seductive devil asking his victim how she would like to be killed. Dangerous yet… enthralling.

Ethan Blackwood wasn’t used to being defied. As the CEO of a global empire, he crushed obstacles with a single glance. But when Lily Anderson stood before him, her chin lifted in quiet defiance, and something in him snapped. “Sign the contract,” he said, his voice like ice. “30 days. You’ll obey every command. After that, you’re free.”She hesitated, her fingers trembling as she gripped the pen. “And if I refuse?”His smirk was cold, but his eyes burned. “Then you’ll spend the rest of your life paying off your father’s debts. Your choice.”Trapped, Lily signed. But she vowed one thing: she wouldn’t let him break her.From the first day, their clash was electric. He demanded perfection; she gave him rebellion. “You think you can control me?” she spat, after he criticized her for being late.Ethan stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “I don’t just control you. Lily, I own you.”But as the days passed, the lines between them blurred. Late nights in his penthouse turned into whispered conversations. His cold demeanor cracked, revealing glimpses of a man haunted by his past. One night, after a heated argument, he pinned her against the wall, his breath hot against her ear. “Why do you fight me so much?”Her voice trembled. “Because I’m afraid if I stop, I’ll lose myself to you.”Their connection deepened, but danger loomed. Secrets from Ethan’s past resurfaced, threatening to destroy everything. When Lily discovered the truth behind his obsession with her, she confronted him. “Was I just a pawn in your game? A way to settle an old score?”His eyes darkened with pain. “You were never just a game, Lily. You’re the only thing that’s ever felt real.”As the final days of their contract approached, their bond was tested like never before. Enemies closed in, and trust hung by a thread. Could they overcome the shadows of their pasts, or would their love crumble under the weight of secrets and pride?

After a cruel betrayal in the hands of people he thought he could trust, Ethan Carter lost everything—his idea, his future, even his life.But when he wakes up fifteen years in the past, he realizes fate has given him a second chance!And this time, he’s not alone.[Ding!][OmniTech System Activated!]With a system guiding him and access to groundbreaking technology decades ahead of its time, Ethan was about to rewrite history!Supercomputers? AI? Quantum processors? Bioengineering? The system provided blueprints to all.Now, armed with the knowledge of the future, Ethan will rise as a tech industry giant, crush his enemies, and build an empire that no one can overthrow!Wealth, power, and revenge—this time, he’s taking it all!