Childhood Friend of the Zenith - Chapter 244: Unintended Companion (1)

When the system warned the world that it was coming a week in advance, Alex couldn’t have been more excited. In college for a degree he didn’t care about to get a job he didn’t want, the promise of a world where magic and challenge awaited — even at the potential cost of death — was the best news he possibly could have imagined. Alex was ready for a new life. He ready for his only friend to shove him through a portal into hell the moment the apocalypse started. Instead of getting to punt rabbits and farm wolves, Alex finds himself stranded in a warped world where even the bugs are stronger than he is. Even with a summoner class that gains the powers of its monsters, most people would have died. Alex didn’t get the memo. He might have liked challenge a little bit too much. Where others saw certain death, he found something else. Opportunity.

Reina Suzuki was an overworked office worker—until she died and woke up as Lavinia Devereux, the infamous villainess princess of the Elarion Empire.She knows how this story ends: she’ll drink poison and die. A painless, easy death. So why bother changing fate? Villainy, revenge, redemption—sounds like way too much work. She decides to do absolutely nothing and let the story play out.But her terrifying father, Emperor Cassius Devereux, won’t ignore her like he’s supposed to. He watches her, questions her, and—worst of all—starts acting like he actually cares.Lavinia just wanted a quiet villainess retirement… so why does everything keep changing?

“Mr. Zhang, it is said that you often make zombies work overtime without pay, is that true?” Zhang Ye, enraged, snatched the microphone that was pushed to his mouth and said righteously: “Who said that?” “I’ll sue them for defamation!” “Someone’s defaming me, you know!” As he spoke, he turned and grabbed a zombie, “Did I force you?” The zombie, silent, just went “Ugh ahhhh—” Zhang Ye immediately said, “See! He said no!” The next morning, the headlines of the Sanjiang Apocalypse Morning Post read: Zhang’s Group Chairman, Zhang Ye, not only admitted to making zombies work overtime, but he also abused a zombie in front of reporters, truly a man without conscience! Our newspaper expresses strong disdain for such a person! This book is also called “Who Let You Bring Zombies into the Factory”

I died in an explosion—a betrayal engineered by the man I trusted most.But instead of the end, I woke up in a new body. A noblewoman’s body. Evelina, disgraced and hated, accused of poisoning the Crown Prince of a kingdom where werewolves rule the land.And worse?The man whose life I supposedly tried to end is now my fated mate.Damian, the Crown Prince, is as cold as the moonlight that binds us, his piercing silver eyes filled with distrust every time they land on me. He doesn’t believe my innocence, and frankly, I don’t care.My only priority is survival in this dangerous, medieval world—and figuring out why fate decided to shove me into the life of a traitor.But the longer I’m near Damian, the harder it is to ignore the pull between us—the undeniable heat of the mate bond that makes his touch electric and his presence intoxicating.Enemies lurk in the shadows, including the woman who thinks she should be his Luna. Court intrigue spirals out of control, and the person behind Evelina’s betrayal might be closer than I realize.Damian’s trust is my only shield, but when the truth of my transmigration comes to light, I’m not sure even that will be enough to save me.Because in this world, it’s not love that conquers all—it’s power. And mine might not be enough.