The Queen's Rise to the Top - Chapter 223: The Gap is Too Big

He’s her stepbrother, her sin and her biggest mistake waiting to happen.Catherine Brown thought moving in with her mother’s new husband couldn’t be harder until she met the cold, arrogant and sinfully attractive Julian Vaughn, her stepbrother.He hates her, teases her and gets under her skin everyday. He’s everything she should stay away from, off-limits and untouchable.But when his anger turns into something darker and hungrier, when he looks at her like he wants to ruin her innocence, Catherine realizes danger has a new name.And no matter how hard she tries, she can’t stop wanting the one man she’s not supposed to have.When hate turns to desire, who’s really in control?EXCERPT✨“You’ve never had sex before?” Julian asked, disbelief flickering in his eyes.Catherine hesitated, then nodded, staring at the floor instead of him.He bit his lower lip, trying to rein in the thoughts crowding his mind. Goodness, she was too innocent for her own good.“So all you did with your previous boyfriends were just kisses and smooches?”She immediately stood, her cheeks flushed. “There are no boyfriends,” she blurted. “I’ve never even been kissed. Please don’t laugh at me.”Laugh? Hell no. Julian wasn’t laughing. He was fighting the urge to pull her close. Knowing she’d never been touched only made his hunger worse.She didn’t realize he’d moved until his breath brushed her ear, his voice dropping low and dangerous.“Catherine, just say the word and I’ll show you what it means to be touched by a man.”Her heart stuttered in her chest and he could hear every beat.

Li Chang'an is reincarnated into a Cultivation Immortality World, becoming a Loose Cultivator in a Marketplace after failing to be selected by an Immortal Sect.His talent is mediocre and his status is low. Just when he thought longevity was a hopeless dream, he awakens the [Daily Divination] system.[Today's Divination · Auspicious]: You go into the mountains to chop wood and unexpectedly discover a fox den. Inside the den, you find a Jade Scroll containing a “Talismanic Inheritance.”[Today's Divination · Inauspicious]: You are targeted by a Tribulation Cultivator who is trying to lure you out of the Marketplace.[Today's Divination · Greatly Auspicious]: In the Marketplace's trading area, you discover a “Profound Water Turtle” egg with a mutated bloodline. Its actual bloodline strength is comparable to an Earth Grade Spirit Beast, yet it is being sold as an ordinary Beast Egg.[Today's Divination · Greatly Inauspicious]: The Marketplace's Array Master colludes with the enemy, causing the Marketplace's Array to be broken. A Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator is about to slaughter his way into the Marketplace, and your life is in danger.

In the wake of the first wave of shadow creatures, the world was plunged into ruin, a desolate yet enchanted wasteland. Humanity, driven underground, clung to survival while desperately plotting to reclaim their shattered world.But from the abyss of darkness, something miraculous stirred—a mysterious tree, shimmering with ancient power, appeared overnight. It chose only the strongest of heart, those with unbreakable will, gifting them extraordinary abilities. With these powers, humanity rose from the depths, waging war against the shadows.Yet beneath the surface of their heroic deeds lay a hidden rot. Corruption seeped into their ranks, and arrogance clouded their judgment. As their powers grew, so did the whispers of betrayal. The true battle may not be against the creatures lurking in the shadows—but against the darkness festering within their own hearts.A question lingers: When heroes fall, who will rise to take their place?

Though he received the skills necessary to teleport across worlds, the king who performed the summoning ritual attempted to trick him into wearing a slavery collar, this annoyed him so he kidnapped the princess and returned to Earth.