Hollow Ascension - Chapter 17: Into the Fray

The devil would love you only in his own way: “Remember, don’t look at me, don’t hold me, and don’t kiss me! Turn your face away, as long as you lie down obediently and quietly! ” Just lie down obediently? What did he take her for? An inflatable wife?

- Description from Novelupdates

He had crossed into the dark, ruthless Wizard World.Lucien found his system somewhat different from the usual golden finger.System upgrade points? Chip activation?None of these, but rather becoming a role model, transforming into a nurturing breeze:Teaching students knowledge, receiving advanced knowledge in return.Caring for and maintaining students, earning generous rewards.[Your student has mastered the Magic Potion “Kuru's Cough,” congratulations on acquiring the improved formula “Kuru's Cough - Enhanced”!][Your student has mastered witchcraft “Fireball,” congratulations on learning witchcraft “Greater Fireball”!][Your student has successfully crafted the wizard's tool “Pale Mask,” congratulations on acquiring the wizard tool’s manual “Revised Pale Mask”!]Initially, Lucien was resistant.But after experiencing what it was like to teach disciples and outdo them, Lucien felt he had completely transformed into the form of the master system.This thing, isn't it much more useful than something called Cheating Device?

The clock struck midnight when Ruelle heard the echo of footsteps. She tensed, the fine hairs on the back of her neck standing on end in the cool night air.“You shouldn't be here,” Ruelle whispered, her voice a breathless murmur. The silhouette finally came to stand under the moonlight, his dark red eyes watching her and his inky black hair ruffling.“Shouldn't I?” His voice was a dark caress, and she stood there captivated by the danger he exuded like perfume.“I haven’t seen you for the last two days,” his tone low. His hand reached out, fingers brushing against the silk of her nightgown, tracing the trembling outline of her collarbone. “Tell me, were you avoiding me, or perhaps... entertaining other offers?”Ruelle’s heart raced, her breaths shallow. She declared, “I don't belong to anyone.”“A bold claim,“ he murmured, his breath a tantalising chill against her skin as he leaned in. ”Yet here you are, pulse racing, your body tensed as if in anticipation of my touch.”His fingers gripped her chin, tilting her face towards his. The moonlight caught his eyes, revealing a glint of predatory intent. “Or must I remind you whose touch you truly crave?”

#Married #Office RomanceJerica Evans, a devoted wife and clerk at City Hall, feels her world slowly unraveling as the cracks in her once-loving marriage deepen. Her husband, Jared, a high-powered lawyer with a fierce courtroom reputation known as “The Siberian Beast,” has grown distant, and his cold demeanor leaves Jerica questioning everything. Once the pillar of her life, Jared now feels like a stranger, more lighthouse than man—steady but unreachable, leaving Jerica adrift in loneliness and suspicion.When she catches him leaving work early with a mysterious woman in a red dress, her world shatters. As she balances her growing suspicion with the suspicious arrival of Harold Braddock, Jerica's former flame, the lines between loyalty, betrayal, and her own desires blur. Her once steady life spirals as her husband’s frosty demeanor and her own emotional wounds collide.As the emotional distance between her and Jared widens, Jerica must decide whether to fight for a love that seems to have slipped away—or walk away from the man who once completed her.What will she decide? What is Jared's secret? Was their marriage truly over? Has she truly stopped loving him?This is a heartstring-pulling journey of love, pride, and the devastating cost of hidden truths and unspoken desires, where one woman must decide if she’ll fight for the man she married or leave him behind to save herself.Please support the book by voting. Leave reviews and tell me what you feel in the comments.