MTL - Mercenaries and Adventurers - v4 Chapter 153 , the conversation in the barracks, the Baron's help

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?

When a young woman is killed in a traffic accident on her way home from work at a tax bureau, she suddenly finds herself transported to the world of the otome game she was playing the night before – but instead of the heroine, she’s been reincarnated as the bad guy! Using her knowledge of the game, “Iris” manages to avert personal disaster and decides to rebuild her life with her modern-day economic know-how. This is one mean girl who isn’t going to let her perceived reputation stop her from being a heroine!

“Teacher Zhu, the retake student from your class has arrived.”When the security guard brought Chen Nan to the entrance of Class One in the third grade, Zhu Keren's beautiful eyes instantly revealed a look of disbelief, but more than that, there was panic and unease.She hadn't expected that the young man she had encountered on the bus would turn out to be a student in her class.This made her scalp tingle, and she felt almost suffocated.After all, she was an advanced teacher at the school, whose reputation and teaching ability were well recognized.Yet previously, she had behaved like a slut, taking the initiative to grab Chen Nan's vital part, even seeking pleasure in her own private area.

In the realm of Nexaria, where elemental spirits and divine beings shape the fate of the world as a land of mortals striving to become gods against the demons of the Abyssal universe, a young boy named Lassim Vanthar embarks on an extraordinary journey of advancement, adventure and becoming a bastion for those around him in their fight against the Dragal.Born into a noble family with a legacy of Fire elemental martial prowess, Lassim possesses an unparalleled gift on his 8th birthday—a connection to two differing elemental spirits, a feat unheard of in the history of his world. A gift and a tampering of the order until now that is an omen. It is a sign of the Gods influencing the future fate of Nexaria on a more serious level.Lassim must harness the power of his dual spirits to protect his loved ones and confront the looming threat of the Abyss' encroachment on his universe, but one step at a time as he grows from just a tool of the God's to a major power as the hero ofnot only Nexaria, but the entire universe.Lassim faces daunting challenges, battles fierce adversaries, and unlocks the mysteries of his own destiny that has been tampered with by the Gods of this universe. How will he react and adapt to his situations?