The Retired Supporting Character Wants to Live Quietly - Chapter 99 - The Competition (2)

My wife betrayed me, but little did she know that I awakened the Immortal Emperor's inheritance, and from then on, I embarked on an extraordinary life against the heavens, embracing a top-tier beauty in my arms...

Zero – Where the End BeginsAfter 100 lives—lived as a king, a warrior, a scholar, a knight, and even a slave—he has finally reached the last.Life number 0.No rebirth. No second chances. Only death… or glory.Thrown into the most ruthless and enigmatic world he has ever faced, he must defy its crushing grip, where power dictates fate and survival is a battle against the inevitable. His ambitions collide with the weight of his past, driving him toward a relentless pursuit of absolute control.In Zero, you either carve your destiny… or vanish into oblivion.

Second Awakening? A System? Having lost the battle of the Dark Catastrophe to the demons—spawns of the Dark Gods— humanity is given a chance at making things right once again. Born as a twin into a family of high ranking talent awakeners, Damien Terrace is met with trouble when it is his turn to perform the ritual. After awakening the E-Rank Summoner talent, Damien loses everything to his twin. Exiled by his father to perish away from them, Damien goes through a second awakening that changes the play field for him. Ding! [The God of Summons is furious and has blessed you with a system!] [You have fused with the Mythics Summoning System—A system that only allows you to summon mythical beasts!] [Obtain nineteen Magic Essence Cores to boost your core to the next level!] [Slay 200 more demons to unlock another summon!] Damien’s only option is to evolve!

“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.