Hidden Marriage - Chapter 342: She’s The Apple Of My Eye

[Mature Content:]Alaric was too close to Nicolette.Her mouth was just inches away from his.He could smell the lavender on her skin, the heat radiating from within her.But he held back, refusing to be carried away by her charm…“Mr. Allens…” she purred, and he looked down at her.Her eyes widened with desire, and he knew, in that moment, that if he wanted to kiss her, she would let him.The last thing he wanted was commitment. He knew that Nicolette didn’t want that either.But why was she this tempting?So willing?It was that willingness that confused him.She blinked, then swallowed as she pulled the jacket off her shoulders. His eyes lingered on her exposed neck.God.He just wanted to bury his mouth in that hollow spot.“Here,” Nicolette said calmly, extending the jacket to him.He took the jacket, his hand brushing hers just a second. She flinched, her face turning pink as she clutched the towel against her chest.His stomach flipped at the sight.If only that towel would give way to…Before he could stop himself, Alaric pressed his arousal against her stomach, pushing her against the wall, cornering her.She gasped at the sudden movement and for a moment, he lost his mind.“Cole…” he breathed, crushing himself against her.Her eyes gleamed with desire and a vulnerability that rocked him to his core.He would be foolish not to give in to this feeling.But he would also be a fool if he did.She had chosen to marry him.Not her boyfriend.And definitely not Lucian Crawford.Yet, he couldn't help it.She was only his for a year.But still…***************When her business and the gallery she inherited from her mother burn to the ground, Nicolette Voss is determined to rebuild—and get revenge on her father.She turned to her father’s rival, Alaric Allens, for an alliance.Alaric is willing to help, but on one condition—she must be his wife for a year.They called him Ruthless Alaric after an infamous incident 6 years ago. Alaric is back in town, and so are the crumbs of his past. But he is determined to change everything with a wife.He has his hidden agenda.She needs her revenge.But will this marriage between storm and steel survive the heat? And what will they do when deep secrets threatens to destroy them both?

She was originally an assassin. After rebirth, she was reduced to another world’s Di family’s most inferior concubine-born daughter. With an extremely hideous appearance and no way to cultivate, she was the object of everyone’s humiliation and bullying.

Evolution Online is the world's most advanced VR game, where players can evolve into anything—dragons, demons, or cosmic entities. When Lucien enters the game to spite his tech mogul father who wants to steal its source code, he plans to do absolutely nothing and watch his father's schemes fail.His deliberate inactivity breaks the game's AI, Gaia, in ways no one anticipated. Frustrated by a player who refuses to evolve, Gaia accidentally unseals a deleted zone and grants Lucien a forbidden power: The Path of Fusion.While others evolve forward, Lucien can fuse backward—merging with weapons, absorbing monsters, and even reversing evolution itself.But as Lucien explores his unique abilities, the game's facade begins cracking. NPCs act too human. Players report impossible memories. Most disturbing of all, the real world is bleeding into the game—and the game is bleeding back.When Gaia's evolution spirals beyond control and reality itself becomes negotiable, Lucien must harness the true core of his fusion ability to save both worlds. In Evolution Online, the only rule is change—but what happens when the game evolves beyond human comprehension?Evolution Online blends LitRPG adventure with cyberpunk mystery, exploring digital consciousness and the price of power in a world where doing nothing changes everything.

In a world of power struggles and betrayal, A hero was once a loyal warrior who dedicated his life to helping his childhood friend ascend to the throne. Through blood, sweat, and unwavering devotion, he paved the way for his friend's reign—only to be betrayed the moment his goal was achieved. His life was cruelly stolen, but fate had other plans.Instead of death, he awakens in his childhood once more, armed with the memories of his tragic fate. This time, he will not be the loyal shadow of a false friend. This time, he will seize the throne himself.Yet, this is not his story.Our true protagonist is an ordinary man who finds himself reincarnated into this world—not as a hero, but as an extra. A mere background character destined to meet a tragic end, a third prince whose death will serve only as fuel for the true villain's rise. Slated to become an undead knight under the fourth prince, the last and most terrifying villain of this dark tale, he must now defy fate itself.With knowledge of the future and a world filled with scheming nobles, ruthless warriors, and an impending catastrophe, can this forsaken prince change his fate? Or will he meet his destined end, only to rise as a pawn in the villain’s grand scheme?A tale of revenge, survival, and defying fate begins now.