designing in procreate

For our wedding anniversary, my husband used my black card to buy me a limited-edition watch. I'd come home to grab some files, only to be met with the sickeningly sweet sound of my apprentice, Giselle Monroe, whispering with my husband. "Andre, your wife is nothing but a walking wallet. What does she know about being wild? She could never ignite you like I can." Andre sighed. Then, in an indulgent tone, he said, "Brooke is too perfect—perfect to the point of being suffocating. Not like you. You’re like a wild vine wrapped around me, making me feel the searing heat of life." Just then, his mother, Sylvia Cavanaugh, called. He put her on speaker. "Andre, you need to act fast. While Brooke still loves you, take control of all the secrets and assets she holds over the higher-ups and make them your own. That girl, Giselle, looks promising—she's much better than that icy queen you have for a wife." I gripped the cold doorknob, listening to the shameless pair in the study and the venomous woman on the phone. The family crest he’d tattooed on his back—for me—felt like it was burning a hole right through my skin. I immediately sent an encrypted message to our banker in Switzerland, my mind already fixed on my next move. See you at the family meeting, you ungrateful traitors.

At the anniversary dinner I personally orchestrated, my husband, Trey Valeriano—heir to the Valeriano family—publicly declared that another woman, Brielle Santoro, would be the family's next Donna. I was a bride in an arranged marriage, a piece of property branded "Mrs. Valeriano." He never allowed me to appear at any social events we were supposed to attend together. I had designed eighteen family projects for him, yet he wouldn't even let me stand by his side as his wife at our own anniversary dinner. For the nineteenth project, he finally relented. I was ecstatic, slipping into a silk gown he had never seen before, one that hugged every curve, only to arrive and see another woman—Brielle Santoro—already on his arm. They were wrapped around each other, and the family video montage I had poured my heart into creating had been replaced with a slideshow of their steamy vacation photos from Miami. Trey held Brielle, his gaze meeting mine with those cold, blue eyes I had once adored, as he announced Brielle would be the future Donna because I had never been "truly one of them." Everyone was waiting for me to break down, to scream, but I didn't. In fact, I felt the knot that had been tightening in my chest for three years finally come undone. Because in three days, our three-year marriage contract would expire. And I would be free.

After an uneventful life, an aging geek dies in a most ignoble of ways only to be offered the chance to try again and live, with at least fewer regrets. Restarting life complete with wish-fulfilling parameters to help him along. The first one is to have a system based on a TTRPG that he'd been puttering around designing for the last decade. Looking forward to correcting some of his mistakes, our erstwhile MC should have read the fine print. ------------------------------------------------------------------- I wanted to have more chapters ready before I put anything out, but then this Writing Prompt hit all the buttons, so... I'm still new at this and often bounce around to various projects. If it does okay, I'll keep it at a higher priority.

Max never expected to wake up in another world. Let alone a with monsters and gates where Designers are humanity's hope for fast growth. As Players flock to his dungeon and word spreads, Max discovers his true edge. Not raw power, but a the creativity of someone raised on Earth’s vast library of games. In a world where strength is measured by mana and ranks, Max will rise not as the strongest Player, but as the Designer who rewrites the very idea of what a dungeon can be. After all, if training is fun then who wouldn’t play?

GRAPHICS DESIGNER

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Aurelie Engel is a stunning model who has a hidden motive. She wants to seduce and destroy Nicolas Leroux. He is a famous designer and she believes he caused her best friend to overdose. As she gets involved with Nicolas, she starts to feel an unexpected attraction to him. She also begins to doubt her mission. He seems to be nothing like the monster she was told he was. There’s more to what happened to her friend. Will she discover the truth before she ruins his life? Or will she fall victim to her own revenge plot? Find out in this exciting and romantic story of love, deception, and decadent desires. Warning: There are mentions of suicide.

Reeling from a breakup with her unfaithful ex, Eliza Harris boards a luxury cruise seeking escape. But when a violent storm forces passengers into lifeboats, she finds unexpected solace in the enigmatic Adrian. As their bond deepens, Eliza uncovers unsettling secrets about Adrian's mob-connected family and her own past, unraveling a dangerous conspiracy. Stranded at a luxurious resort and caught in a web of betrayal, Eliza and Adrian must navigate shifting alliances and personal betrayals. Amid storms, passionate encounters, and hidden agendas, they confront the dark truth behind Adrian’s brother’s death and their families’ entangled fates. In a high-stakes battle against a powerful enemy, Eliza and Adrian’s tumultuous journey reveals shocking truths and tests their love. As they face the ultimate revelation, their future hangs in the balance, poised on the edge of mystery and desire.

Fu Xiaoxiao transmigrates into a book and immediately faces the crisis of being sent to the countryside. As the unloved middle child, her younger sister is the one meant to go — but her mother transfers her job to the sister instead. A disaster of a start. To avoid being sent away, she has to marry within seven days. She meets a few ordinary men and decides she'd rather go to the countryside. Then she runs into a neighbor who's also looking for a spouse — and his conditions are surprisingly good. A dowry of three hundred? Bicycles and a radio? Just take care of the kids, and separate rooms are fine? The others may pass, but she won't. Every day is a battle of wits with the two kids. Life is eventful, she gets a salary every month, and the boss is never home. Absolutely perfect. Except... wasn't this big shot supposed to be infertile? Then why does he keep strutting around naked in front of her? She has professional ethics. She won't be seduced by a good body. Hmph. Men only slow down her sword swing. Lu Feng grits his teeth at Fu Xiaoxiao, who remains completely unmoved by his countless attempts to seduce her, and traps her in his arms. "Boss, let's talk this through. I know forty a month is a bit much — how about... five less?" Trapped in his embrace, Fu Xiaoxiao thinks he's unhappy with her high salary and starts bargaining. "I'm giving myself to you for free." Lu Feng grinds out through clenched teeth. This woman has no heart. "...Can I say no?" Fu Xiaoxiao swallows, staring at the washboard abs so close. "Such a good deal — are you sure you don't want it?" Lu Feng squints, tempting her. "Fine." A fool turns down a bargain.

Before marrying Silas, Joyce had only met him three times. A marriage of convenience, a secret agreement, for a term of three years. She's fresh off a heartbreak — the man she chased for years told her they "weren't a good match." Silas has his own baggage: rumor says he's still hung up on a white moonlight who happens to look just like Joyce. So that's all she is. A substitute. ** In the second year of their marriage, on Joyce's birthday, she drank too much and, in front of everyone, tugged on his tie, pinning him underneath her: "You look... a lot like my husband." The Thorne family's second master, known for being rational and unfeeling, was flustered by her that night. He leaned in close to her ear and coaxed in a low voice, "Be good." The next day Joyce woke up to find her lips were swollen. This… Who did this! When she went to question him, she discovered Silas's lip was bitten. He stared at her and said slowly, "You crossed the line first." ** The scandal leaked. At a party, her ex-boyfriend stepped in: "She's mine. Who dares talk?" Then Silas walked in. The room went silent. "Yours? Since when?" "Joyce, tell me. Whose are you?" So much for the secret marriage. So much for being a substitute. This was supposed to be fake… wasn't it?