Masked Knight - Chapter 2: A Failed Robber

“Block him.”“He's technically still my boss.”“Then block him with dignity.”The call ended again.And then started again.I let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a sob, then finally answered with the enthusiasm of a snail crawling through salt.“Yes, Mr. Walton?”“Have you changed your mind yet?”I collapsed onto the towel and gazed at the sky as though it might consume me entirely if I pleaded sweetly enough.“Do you ever take a break?” I asked, shielding my eyes with one hand.“You're avoiding the question.”“Because it's a dumb question.”He exhaled, the sound sharp and irritated even over phone. “It's not a dumb question. It's a business offer.”“It's a weird offer-one that I already said no to.”There was a brief pause, and I could practically hear him clenching his jaw through the speaker.“You are acting unreasonably.”“ Unreasonable?” I sat up. “I'm not the one drafting fake girlfriend contracts like it's a normal Tuesday.”“Isabella-”“Certainly not, Mr. Walton.” I mimicked his tone perfectly. “I told you I'm not doing it. You need to find someone else to play pretend with.”SYNOPSISIsabella Miller thought saying no to her boss’s fake dating offer was the end of the story.But Adrien Walton doesn’t take no—especially not when he’s convinced she’s a gold digger.Suddenly, her student loans are piling up, her father’s vet clinic is on the brink of eviction and her brother is about to be kicked out of college. Coincidence? She thinks not.Adrien Walton is calm, calculating—and he's just pulled every string to corner Isabella into the perfect position.Now she’s stuck choosing between pride and survival.So she agrees to his offer: be his fake girlfriend.No feelings attached. No drama. Just business.Or so she thought.“Conference Room B. Fifteen minutes,” he said, passing by without a glance.The folder he pushed across the table landed with a thud.I opened it. The contract. All of it.---Enemies to lovers? Check.Slow burn? Hmmnyea.Banter so sharp it might file your nails? Yes.Delicious workplace tension? Of course.Tension that could melt steel?Absolutely.Smut?? Wanna find out?Welcome to corporate romance warfare. There’s no escaping this contract.

I’ve possessed the mid-boss who tortures the protagonist and receives true education.Am I crazy? How dare I do such a thing to the person who is supposed to be the protagonist?I even planned to treat all the protagonist’s friends hospitably…“Everyone, wait for me! I will definitely become stronger and come to save you!”Oh. Running away.

For money, Jin Jumo “signed” herself to the business tycoon Rong Mochen, for a period of one year.Upon their first meeting, the man's voice was icy, “I like women who keep their place, understand?”“Yes.” Jin Jumo nodded lightly.So, Jin Jumo always adhered to her place, tightly locking her heart away, never crossing the line.If there was anything in her relationship with Rong Mochen that Jin Jumo hadn't anticipated, it would be...---“Mr. Rong, our contract expired a week ago.” Jin Jumo lightly curved her lips, giving a smile that didn't reach her eyes as she looked at the man in front of her.“So?”“So, Mr. Rong, are you playing rogue now?” Jin Jumo gritted her teeth.“Hmm...” Rong Mochen frowned, leisurely raising his head to look at Jin Jumo, “Is my daughter behaving well in your belly?”“It's not even two months, how do you know it's definitely a daughter...”Wait... Jin Jumo's eyes widened in terror, she hadn't told him she was pregnant...Rumor had it, a car accident targeting Z City tycoon Rong Mochen resulted in the death of a seven-month-pregnant woman.Rumor had it, after the accident, the Rong Family's president underwent a drastic change, becoming ruthless and fierce from being coldly indifferent.Rumor had it, the person killed in the accident was the person closest to Rong Mochen's heart.---Four years later.“Brother, do we really need to find a new boyfriend for Mommy?” The little bun bit his chubby fingers, looking at the little boy beside him who was slightly taller.“Yes.” The boy squinted, his gaze coldly fixed on the televised global sensation of the Rong Family's president's luxurious engagement ceremony.“But didn't Brother say that the old man named Rong is our real dad?”Jin Jumo, who had just stepped into the house, was nearly collapsing inside. How did the two little guys know Rong Mochen was...

I have given up power that can make the strongest of men tremble. I bore scars very few can imagine; loved women, very few had the gall to talk; and tread paths with chaosfiends.

“And I'm still standing.”

- - -

Gale was summoned into a mysterious world of magic and monsters for no particular reason. Thrown into squabbles of beings vastly higher than him, Gale strived to make a place for himself in the vain dream of immortality and a better world.

That was six years ago.

Beaten and battered from years of brutal war, Gale finally had enough and resolved to start over a new peaceful life in a totally unremarkable town with his trustworthy companion, Vale. Give up the weapon of slaughter and take up a hoe? That seemed like a fine deal to him.

Unfortunately, the valley wasn't as unremarkable as he thought it to be. Dictatorial governing bodies, suspicious practitioners, an exceedingly unwelcoming guest, and a secret that would change the entire world, all impeded his peaceful life. Gale will need all his mental stability to keep his temper in check, lest he brutalises his way out of trouble. Again.