The Rise of the White Lotus - Chapter 66 I canst risk your life, you know.

Manchester United, once a dominant force in world football, finds itself struggling under Erik ten Hag despite having the financial power to rebuild.Big-money transfers fail to restore the club’s glory, forcing Ten Hag to shift his focus to homegrown talent.Among the overlooked prospects in the U18 squad is Leo Calderon, a 17-year-old central midfielder buried deep in the pecking order.Lacking physicality and dismissed by teammates as weak, Leo endures constant ridicule from those who dominate with strength and athleticism.But during one ordinary training session, everything changes—Leo suddenly sees passing lanes no one else can, angles of play invisible to even the most talented prospects.Yet, there’s a problem. His vision surpasses his ability. The passes he attempts don’t connect, his technique unable to match his newfound awareness.Coaches dismiss his efforts as sloppy, and his struggles continue. But one unexpected observer—a visiting League One assistant coach—notices something different.He watches Leo’s movements, seeing potential where others see failure.As Leo fights to prove himself in an unforgiving system, the question lingers—can he refine his raw talent before the club moves on without him?

Chu Ning transmigrated into a novel as a fake young lady who was switched at birth. The real young lady, Ye Ting, was supposedly in Chu Ning’s original poor family, and was forced to drop out of school to work and raise Chu Ning’s seven brothers. In the original story, once the real young lady was reclaimed by the Ye family, the fake young lady’s life fell apart.

She started going against the real young lady without knowing that the real young lady was the female lead. The latter even had seven brothers to support her, and she eventually made a comeback with her overwhelming advantage. Meanwhile, the fake young lady had resorted to every scheme she could, even faking suicide, only to end up tragically with everyone hating on her. Chu Ning transmigrated over at the crucial time when the real young lady just returned, and the fake young lady was fighting to stay at the Ye family by threatening suicide.

Outside the door, her foster mother spoke in an icy tone, “I don’t care. She has to return to the slums. I get annoyed whenever I look at her now. Why does she get to live a lavish life while my biological daughter had to suffer in the slums? She even had to stop schooling to work and raise her brothers!” Her foster father said, “Still, we’ve raised her all her life, and our family can afford to feed another. Now that she’s threatening suicide, let’s just let her stay.” Chu Ning rushed out of the ward. “I’ll leave! I’ll discharge today and go back at once. I’m not a member of the Ye family, so I have no reason to insist on staying.”

Her foster mother was surprised, and her foster father was puzzled. Chu Ning ignored them. After knowing how the original plot went, she set three goals for herself. One, to stay away from the female lead! Two, to stay away from the male lead! Three, to live a good life in the slums! Yet, to her surprise, after being successfully abandoned by the Ye family, her biological brothers all became tycoons in their respective industries. Chu Ning effortlessly made a comeback all of a sudden! Even the male lead who had called off their marriage now forced her into a corner, saying, “Ningning, be mine!”

When his wife left without a word when they were young, he entrusted their child to his mother and spiraled into despair, drowning his sorrows in alcohol.Sixteen years passed in a blur, and his daughter was diagnosed with depression.As she lay on the hospital bed, she struggled to smile.“Dad, I don't blame you, and I never blamed Mom. If I have another life, I still want to be your child, but please, don't leave me again.”With that, she closed her eyes and departed from this world.It felt like something tore apart in the depths of his heart.Gu Chen fell into a coma.Upon awakening again, his two-year-old daughter was calling him “Daddy” with a sweet smile and a childish voice.He was reborn!This time, he vowed to make up for his regrets towards his daughter, to hold his wife's hand and never let her go.This time, he was determined to change everything!

Lucinda Perry, a social recluse and a workaholic, makes a pledge to herself to go all wild on her twenty-fifth birthday and even score a one night stand if she gets her long deserved promotion at work. Few days to her twenty-fifth birthday, she gets promoted to not just a higher position but to the head office in a different city.

Having to spend her birthday night in a new city, she goes to the club where she meets a very handsome stranger, Thomas Hank, who offers to be her one night stand after catching a glimpse of her dare-to-do list, which included having a one night stand.

Thomas Hank, after having been used by several ladies in the past, is bent on getting the lady of his dreams who would love him for himself and not his wealth. So when he meets the cute and naive Lucinda Perry at the club, he decides to keep his true identity from her and find out if she was worth keeping.

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***Excerpt***

“What are you doing here?” Lucy asked in alarm when she walked into her boss' office and saw Tom standing by the window,

“Who let you in here? Come with me, you should leave now before he comes in and sees you here. He can be really mean.” Lucy said reaching out to grab his hand, but he made no move to reach for her hand, and just kept staring at her with a slightly amused expression.

“I came to fulfill your fantasy.” Tom said looking into her eyes with an unreadable expression.

“Fantasy? What fantasy?” She asked with a frown as she hurried to the door to shut it so her boss wouldn't walk in on them.

“You've forgotten? You said you would love to have sex with me on your boss' table. I want to make it happen.” Tom said making her heart skip a beat.

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?” She half yelled as she took his hands and tried to drag him to the door, “I could lose my job if my boss finds you in here.” She snapped at him.

“Nevermind about that. Tell me the thought of this doesn't turn you on? I'm here, you're here, and the table is right here. I could have you on your back in a second and you'd be crying out my name...” Before Tom could finish, the office door was pushed open.

“Sup Tom? Can I talk to you for a sec?” Harry asked as he walked in, his eyes on the documents in his hand. He stopped when he raised his head and realized Lucy was in the office. He almost kicked himself when he saw the frown on Lucy's face, “Shit!” Harry muttered, and gave Tom an apologetic glance when he realized he had just screwed up.

“I thought you were going out?” he asked her with an awkward smile.

“Tom? You know him? I mean... other than him being my driver?” She asked both men, looking from one to the other when she noticed Harry didn't look surprised to see Tom in the office.

What was going on here? What was she missing? Lucy asked herself as her gaze shifted from Harry to Tom who was glaring at Harry. There was no way Tom could be her boss, right? All the pieces of the puzzle was beginning to fit now. It was all beginning to make sense now, she thought as she glanced at Tom one more time before walking out of the office.