Contractually Yours: The Billionaire's Unlikely Bride - Chapter 13 - : THE IMAGE OF BRIAR IN THEIR EYES

Elias “Grim” Kingsley, a nine-year-old orphan with a hardened heart and sharp tongue, dies alone from pneumonia in an overcrowded orphanage. Known for his perpetual scowl and biting remarks, he's labeled a “problem child” by caretakers and “damaged goods” by potential adopters. Years of rejection have built thick armor around his young heart.In death, he encounters the God of Balance who offers him a second chance at life in a different world—this time as Grim Van Ambrose, son of a noble house. Balance explains that every soul deserves to know love and connection, something Elias was cruelly denied in his first life.Promised the family and belonging he never experienced, Grim begins his new life only to suffer an immediate tragedy: his mother dies moments after his birth. This cruel twist of fate reinforces his belief that loss is inevitable, leaving him with a distant father and the mysterious voice of a “Guidance Assistant” in his head.As Grim grows into his new identity, he struggles with his dual nature—the emotional scars of his past life bleeding into his present one. His difficult personality and sharp tongue remain, now paired with noble privilege and expectations. Despite his outward brashness, he carries the deep wounds of his first life and the fresh loss that welcomed him into his second.What begins as one orphan's second chance evolves into an epic journey through a world of ancient beasts, elemental magic, and deadly political intrigue. As Grim uncovers the truth about the Ambrose Clan's fall from grace and the conspiracy that framed them for treason, he faces increasingly dangerous adversaries—both human and monstrous. His quest for revenge against those who destroyed his family's legacy will challenge him to master forbidden techniques, forge unexpected alliances, and ultimately decide whether to rebuild the Ambrose Clan as it was, or transform it into something entirely new.In a realm where power determines survival and ancient secrets lurk beneath noble facades, Grim must learn that sometimes the greatest battles aren't fought with swords, but with the choices that define who we truly are.

Su Leyun, the legitimate daughter of the Hou family, was replaced by a peasant woman during a plague when she was still in her infancy.

After experiencing hardships in life for more than ten years, she finally returned to her parents, but she was plotted and framed at every turn. She was even looked down upon and treated coldly because she grew up in the countryside.

She originally thought that her sincerity would impress her husband and win him the gift of betrothal, but she didn’t know that he only married her for the sake of pretending to be a match.

After resurrecting her life, she vowed to make those who bullied her pay the price. She knew what it meant to be respected as a legitimate daughter!

- Description from novelbuddy

He is the strongest soldier of the Chinese Special Forces, and the ultimate demon in the eyes of the enemy. Now he is disarmed and returned to the fields, returning to agriculture and forestry, hiding in remote mountain villages and enjoying a peaceful life.

However, gold always shines, pure white and rich beauty wants to marry him, the president of Meiyan wants him to be his lover, and the hot police flower always wants to take him as his own, which makes the village chief very headache.

This is the life story of a young village chief with a stunt, soaking in the most beautiful beauties, drinking the strongest wine, and vigouring Niucha’s life.

- Description from novelbuddy

Marcella Valemont was a villainess wrapped in silk and thorns.The alluring, selfish daughter of the High Priest, she was forced into a cold marriage with the Black-bellied Duke Berith Montclair. She longed for power and would stop at nothing to claim the crown, even if it meant seducing the incorruptible Crown Prince Lucian and clawing her way to the throne into becoming the Queen.Until it all burned.Her ruthless schemes led to betrayal, rebellion, and ruin-- an empire on its knees, a virtuous king destroyed, and a rebellion led by the man she discarded. Desperate and full of regret, she barters her life with the Duke to save Lucian.In an interesting turn of events, Marcella gets to go back in time to fix her wrongs, save the man who was ruined because of her and hopefully stop the bloodthirsty rebel Duke Berith.She finds herself reborn as her 18-year-old self with a chance for a do-over and vows to do better this time.But the past does not forget. Nor does the devil in her husband’s skin.Secrets long buried begin to surface, and Marcella discovers that her former husband is far more than he seems—a man cloaked in darkness, harboring a purpose that threatens everything she holds dear.They say second chances come with thorns and to fix the past, she must trust the devil who destroyed it.