Start With Contracting Sprites - Chapter 651 - everything's ready except for one sword strike!

What do you do when your brother dies because of some entitled assholes? You go undercover.My real name? Clare. But at school, I’m Clause—just another guy blending in. Disguised. Watching. Yes, a boy. No, it's not an all-boys school—I'm just deep undercover, hunting down the bastard responsible for my brother’s suicide. Nobody—and I mean nobody—messes with my precious brother and gets away with it. They better pray I never find them, because when I do? Death will be a mercy, and trust me—I don’t do mercy.And as for the egotistical Alpha and the narcissistic Vampire Prince? They can go fuck themselves. I don’t do mates, I don’t do claiming, and I sure as hell don’t do them.

Nora is shattered a month before her wedding when she uncovers her fiancé's deceitful affair. As she manages this betrayal, she discovers a deep ploy to hinder her from claiming her rightful inheritance. Devastated but determined, Nora takes a daring step to regain control of her life. Enter Demetri 'The Demon' to those who know him, a formidable man barely known to her, who offers her protection and support in return for a contract marriage to satisfy him. In a twist of fate, Nora marries Demetri to claim her inheritance and fight those who plotted against her. But as she battles her own family and Demetri's many rivals, will she be able to keep from falling for the man known to crush people beneath his booted heel.Excerpt:She had forgotten that the man was intimidating and directly challenged him.Rather than speaking, Demetri rose from his seat and approached her deliberately. Although it was a mere few steps, time seemed to stretch for Nora. When he was almost within touching distance, his hand gently landed on her knee, moving it sideways. His touch moved with a hint of a caress, and he stepped between her open legs. Nora sat there in frozen silence, her eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights.Catching her chin between his fingers, he tilted her face upwards and spoke unhurriedly,“ You are my wife.”She nodded her head slowly in affirmation while his thumb slowly traced her lip. “I have given you time to gather your emotions.”Another nod. Nora's nervousness made her lick her lips, acutely aware of his intense gaze fixed upon them.“Your reason for the marriage was to secure your inheritance and get away from under your mother's thumb.”“Yes...” Nora whispered in confusion. Her confusion was not about his statement but about the bewildering sensations coursing through her. What was happening with her?”It's time for you to fulfil your end of the contract, yes?“ He continued.”Yes,“ Nora whispered breathlessly. Why was she breathless? Had the oxygen level in the house dropped? Was the air suddenly thinning?Abruptly, his hand left her face, and she watched as he drew closer. It was then that Nora comprehended what was unfolding. All those tantalizing, heart-pounding kisses she had read about in novels were about to possibly become her reality.But the anticipated kiss didn't happen. Instead, he paused near her and commanded, ”Kiss me.“

In her previous life, she rose from a country girl to become a CEO, working diligently until she died of overwork at 38, only to find that she had been greatly betrayed by her useless husband, who even had a child outside their marriage.When she opened her eyes, she was back to being eighteen years old, facing grandparents who favored boys over girls, a father who was honest and kind but dared not resist his parents, her mother who loved them deeply but was easily bullied by others, and her brother who still loved her despite her coldness.In this life, she decided to take her family away from those greedy relatives, save her brother from a fate of disability, and stay away from her useless ex-husband.Unexpectedly, she saved an even more important person by the roadside.“Your husband is just a country bumpkin; he didn't even get into university. How could you live well with him?” her ex-husband said.One day, a Bentley stopped next to her. A driver got out and bowed to her, saying, “Madam, the Boss is waiting for you for dinner.”“I know that car! It belongs to a rich family!” someone exclaimed.“Did he just call her Madam?” another person asked....“Did you hear? He brought a country girl home?”“They say that girl is his wife. Isn't it funny?”“Madam has arrived!” said the steward.“OMG, it's the talented girl from the famous university!”“Dear lord! She is the legend of the A-shares!”“I'm just so shocked...”“Hey, guys, she is my wife,” he said.