The Duchess and the Devil - Chapter 20

***Completed*** Talia... An heiress of a conglomerate. But she had to leave her own country in shame after a big scandal. She got used to her normal life in another country.She hid who she really is and built up her own life. Her peaceful, safe life that she didn't want to lose for anything.She tried to move on from the traumatic incident that almost crippled her mentally, ten years ago.But her usual life got disrupted by him - an old acquaintance. Acquaintance is not the right word for him. He sure was more than that. Friend? Boyfriend?She wasn't sure about her relationship with him back then.But according to their national records, he is her husband!All she knew for sure was he is the one person she can trust to not trust.He is from her family's enemy family whose family feud spanned for centuries.He will betray her for his family, she knew. So she will never trust him.And back when she needed him the most, he left her alone!And now he wants me to return? Heh! Like I will!Is it not enough he took over my grandfather's company? He wants me too? Let him dream on!Using his authority as her husband! Like she'd care!Arthur Sinclair... He has a mission. To bring that heiress back home. But he knew she is hurt, a lot. And she hated him, a lot.He couldn't understand why she hated him that much.She used to love me so deeply. What changed?As far as he knew, he only tried to support her. He even let her leave him just because she wanted to.So why doesn't she trust me?She is his wife. They are legally married even if she doesn't acknowledge it.She left everyone she knew, right after tearing their marriage certificate and haven't even returned once to their country in the past ten years. She doesn't even want to look at him and even went on dating other men.But he still loves her! He believes she loves him too!And now, her grandfather, her only living relative on her mother's side is gravely ill and wants to have one last look at her before he passes away.Will Arthur find out what's in her heart? Will he be able to change her mind? Will she accept him?That scandal ten years ago that broke their relationship... Will it be resolved?

Lao Chen was just an old, underpaid security guard in a rundown apartment complex, living a miserable life under a stingy, ungrateful boss.His wife left him, his daughter wanted nothing to do with him, and poverty was his only constant companion.In the end, death came in the form of a drunk driver, leaving him broken and forgotten on the cold pavement.But fate wasn’t done with him. In his final moments, he prayed—desperate, pleading to any deity who would listen.And someone did.The God of Wealth and Love took pity on his wasted life and granted him a second chance.Wake up again as Zhao Yiming, a 25-year-old gambler and alcoholic drowning in debt with nothing but a good face and a strong body to his name, he was given the Affinity Money Maker System—a mysterious power that let him gain wealth and influence by forming relationships, whether as lovers, friends, or even enemies.Before he knew it, he had stumbled his way into unimaginable riches.But things never go as planned. One moment of recklessness—one affair with the wrong woman—led to an unexpected murder.Now, the system has thrown him onto a new path: The Villain Route. With a negative perk that keeps the police off his trail but tightens the noose around his future, Zhao Yiming is faced with an impossible choice.Will he claw his way to the top and become the billionaire he was meant to be? Or will his second life end behind bars, just as tragic as his first?

Ella has the most perfect life. A life that everyone could envy her. She has a beautiful face, a beautiful body, abundant wealth.

The most important thing to her is that she has her someone that she thinks is her soul mate.

But a betrayal makes herperfect life shattered. She was lied to, toyed with and thrown into a much worse place than hell.

She was expelled from her family and locked up in a mental hospital, a place that shatter both of her wings.

Five years later, Ella returns with one goal in life. She handed over her body to Christian, a CEO who is notorious for being the cruelest.

In exchange, Christian will help him achieve his dream: REVENGE!

Born and raised as a nameless shadow guard for his kingdom’s crown prince, his life’s purpose was to be used and discarded at the whims of his liege.

And his meaningless life ended when the gaze of a princess lingered on him for too long. The crown prince had him beheaded without a second thought, as if throwing out trash.

Transmigrating into the body of a baby girl, the nameless shadow finally had a name, a family, and a place to call her own. Throwing away his past, the shadow guard was now called ‘Emilia’, and walked on a new path to seek fulfillment.

It was not meant to be, however, as the girl whom she had loved with all her heart and soul ended up mercilessly plunging a dagger through Emilia's love-struck heart at the highest point in her life.

The crowd clamored at the ‘deserved death of the villainess’, and at that moment, the shadow could only wonder… why?

Why am I always the one to dedicate myself fully to someone, only to be thrown away like trash in the end?

And thus, as her soul floated away while cursing in resentment, ‘Emilia’ vowed to herself that in her next life she shall never be the one to fully dedicate herself.

Whatever she likes shall be held in her palm, and shall never escape.

The moment the vow was made, a self-proclaimed villainess system proposed to partner with her, to explore and conquer the worlds through their anchors—the heroes and heroines.

And by cultivating this energy, she shall one day go back. Back to the world she was born as ‘Emilia’ in, and face the so-called heroine once more.

The second time they meet, Emilia won’t be the one drowning in regret!

...

Author's Note: The heroines are not just trophies she’s collecting, only to be forgotten once she collects them. Each of them will remain relevant throughout the story. And it won’t become a mess, promise!