MTL - The Book of Troubled Times - Chapter 124 this game of chess

Madeline “Maddie” Brownwood is a nineteen-year-old college student and lives an ordinary life with her aunt. Her mother was dead, and her father was unknown to her until one day, she found herself in confusion when she arrived at her aunt’s house surrounded by gentlemen with black suits. One man approached her and told her to come with him to the Divenson Mansion to prepare for her wedding.

Hunter Divenson is the handsome and hot engineer and CEO of the largest mining company in the country, the Divenson Mining Corporation. He got entangled with his driver’s last dying wish to marry his estranged daughter when his car was hit by a drunk driver. He agreed to his request to stop his parents from forcing him to get married.

“I’m sorry, Maddie, Mr. Divenson already paid all of our debts, and you know my debts filed up when I accepted you and your mother in this house, and I am not going to lose this house anymore. You should come with them so that we will be all happy, and you will have a better life.” Her aunt said.

Maddie was left no choice, and go to the Divenson mansion where she meets her future in-laws, Mr. Divenson’s parents were super strict and showed to her face she doesn’t belong to their family, while her future brother-in-law always looks at her with lust that made her scared every time they cross paths, and her other sister loathes her. And only a twelve-year-old girl, his younger sister, loves and adores her, and carried out her stay at the mansion bearable.

The moment she meets Hunter, she falls in love with him. He is so sweet with her every time a member of his family is around, but he is so different when they are alone, and his actions sometimes contradict his words, but his remarks haunted her in her dreams most of the nights.

“We are only married on the paper since I don’t have time for love, business success is the only thing that makes me happy, and I can’t love someone like you. Don’t expect if something happens to us in bed; I will love you. I only need an heir of my empire.” He said coldly that made her entire body shivers, and she hated herself for falling in love with her husband every day, until one day she realized she couldn’t take it anymore.

Maddie asked Hunter for a divorce in a stern tone, and it made Hunter’s entire body turned cold. This is the first time his wife appeal to talk with him, and he couldn’t believe she was asking for a divorce. Her words drove him understood what a fool he had been, and now, all he can see in her beautiful eyes are hatred. He realized he couldn’t let her go because he loves his wife with all his heart.

Can Hunter win back his wife’s affection?

Is Maddie’s love for Hunter totally gone? Or it was still there and she is just trying to forget and move on? Can she give her husband another chance?

The world was never the same after that day.Humanity learned that they weren't alone in the universe, but that wasn't something they had the time to worry about.Their realization was accompanied by catastrophe.Creatures beyond their wildest imaginations poured down from the sky and appeared from the earth. They slaughtered humans as if it was their singular purpose, driving them to the brink of extinction.The people of the world did everything in their power, developing unique traits and technologies to create a united front their enemies couldn't penetrate.They secured victories and repopulated, feeling as if they stood a chance against the foreign invaders.They fought and they fought, doing everything they possibly could to ensure their survival.Until the Great Calamities appeared.In front of them, humanity was nothing regardless of its efforts.One by one, the worlds were turned into piles of rubble in between the cracks of their teeth. Civilization was torn apart, and the evolved humans living within could do nothing to stop its collapse.Humanity itself was left extinct, and in the end, only a single man was left alive amidst the chaos.Why?For what reason were they punished so?Nobody knew why the attacks began in the first place.He looked into the distance at the memories of the past and firmed his resolve.“It can only be me.”He knew of a miracle that could return him to the place of those memories.He knew of a way to make the wheels of time spin in reverse.And using it, he alone would save humanity from its doomed fate.That was his sacred duty as its final survivor.

There is always such a person in the world, his family background is better than yours, his status is higher than yours, while you work hard and think all the way up, but with just a wave of his hand, you are wiped out. What is even more sad is that he doesn’t even know who you are.

Zheng Jue met Han Jin like this but he didn’t realize this truth until he died. In the end, he had found the wrong opponent and ultimately lost his life.

- Description from Novelupdates

Set on a giant, almost finished bridge between Sadogashima and Niigata. Abandoned by the government, the bridge, and the giant man-made floating island at the center, has become a city of criminals and societal drop-outs.

Set in the same world as Durarara, but 15-20 years later. There is almost no overlap between Etsusa Bridge and the other novels.