The Warden of The Witches - Chapter 228:

Elaine Monroe never meant to fall in love with him. She never meant for her heart to betray her like this. But as she watches him stand beside another, hand resting on the waist of the woman he’s meant to be with, she wonders if she was always destined to be the outsider.“You knew,” she says, voice barely above a whisper. “You knew how I felt.”His jaw tightens, but he doesn’t deny it. He never does.“It wouldn’t have changed anything,” he finally says.She laughs bitterly. “I know.”Loving him was always impossible. He belonged to someone else. To his family’s expectations. To a future where Elaine had no place.“Forget whatever you think you feel,” he tells her, voice firm, but there’s something unspoken in his eyes—something that makes it hurt even more. “It will never happen.”And yet, his gaze lingers, just for a second too long.Then there’s her best friend—the one who stands beside her when the world turns its back. The one who sees her pain without asking.“You don’t have to do this to yourself,” he says, handing her his jacket on a cold night. “You deserve more than waiting for someone who will never be yours.”She wants to believe him. She wants to move forward. But some loves are impossible to forget. Some wounds never truly heal. And some desires, no matter how forbidden, refuse to die._____“loving him best decision i ever made” Elaine“you are my world”

A one-night stand was all she wanted. A one-night stand was not his style. Still, they ended up together in a night of passion. No names, no feelings, and no complications.

They thought that their unexpected encounter was an isolated incident. However, fate had something else in mind.

As they found each other, back in each other’s arms. Not in a passionate embrace, but with a contract that would bind them for a long time. An agreement they were both bond to honor.

Daniella Hamilton was an heiress who wanted nothing to do with her father and her inheritance. She pursued her career to become a lawyer for the masses who could not defend themselves from the injustice in their current judicial system.

Alexander Princeton, as the name suggested, was a possible heir, next in line to his father, the Duke of the Blackstone House. He also wanted nothing to do with the title or the prestige of the dying Royal Empire. To him, wealth was the real power.

Would their agreement lead them to the fulfillment of their dreams or would it end up in a disastrous union?

Just days before his final discharge, Sergeant Shin Young-joon, a military chef by profession, witnessed the doom of the world.An apocalypse, that came out of nowhere and ruined the world that he used to know.In the blink of an eye his battalion fell into shambles, all the communication lines, and radio frequencies were severed, and before him was a message stating:[Congratulations on your awakening!] [Occupation: Novice Chef Lv.1] If only he had a profession like a warrior or an assassin, he might have attempted to stand his ground alone.But what was given to him was clearly the supporting job of a chef.With the recent developments in progress, he didn’t have any choices, other than saying, “From now on, I’ll be the one to feed you all.”

The Morandi color palette refers to colors with low saturation and a muted, smoky feel.Chen Ningxi, who usually seems untouched by worldly concerns, finds herself unexpectedly moved upon meeting Cheng Qiaobei, who embodies the Morandi hues.At their first meeting, Cheng Qiaobei is in a subordinate position, striving to meet the demands of Chen Ningxi’s client role.Three days later, they meet again when Cheng Qiaobei is inspecting a hotel and Chen Ningxi, a VIP client, calls to make a complaint that goes directly to his office.Two weeks later, a newly built chain hotel urgently requires electric equipment installation approval, and the responsible person is Chen Ningxi.Cheng Qiaobei visits her for negotiations but gets caught in the middle of Chen Ningxi’s blind date, and weighing his options, he lets himself be used as a temporary shield to deflect the matchmaker.With a glance, they fulfill each other's needs—he gets the approval, and she avoids matchmaking.In the charade of their fake relationship, they end up truly connecting. He gets drunk, she listens earnestly; he's busy, she remains focused on her work.He does not intrude on her, and she does not disturb him. Chen Ningxi realizes she might have found someone easy to get along with and never tires of.Regarding love, Chen Ningxi has the ability to both love deeply and restrain herself. In terms of career, Cheng Qiaobei has the capability to conjure miracles and rise again from setbacks.As for them, they are a couple wandering within the hues of the Morandi palette.