*Alexa's POV*

I woke up with birds chirping on my window sill.

Checking the time, I noticed that it was only six in the morning.

Sighing, I stood up and banged my window hard, making the birds fly away. That's what they deserved, busy singing horribly and waking me up.

I went back to bed and messaged my online best friend, Cherry. I messaged her a 'Good Morning' and told her all about my brothers and the theory I had.

She wouldn't really understand much of it, though, as I was pretty sure that she had never read a mafia book before.

I didn't get a reply back, so I guessed she was either sleeping or doing her homework.

So on Wattpad, I went to my library and continued with my mafia book to find some clues for the puzzle I was joining together.

I was really happy to see that Wattpad was working as yesterday they had said that it wasn't going to be working for two days.

There was a small knock on my door before someone walked in, it was Will.

"You're up early," He said.

I shrugged,"Those stupid birds had to wake me up."

"Language," Will warned sternly before coming to sit on my bed. I quickly switched off my phone, not wanting him to see what I was reading.

"Anyways," He said,"What are you doing?"

It was time to act casual, I knew what to say as I had come up with a list of lies while reading mafia books.

"I was just looking for reading apps, I have Webtoon, Webnovel, Inkitt..."

I didn't mention Wattpad just to be on the safe side.

"None of them have caught my eye yet, do you know any good reading apps?" I asked.

"Well there's W-" Will started off,"Webtoon, but you just said that, so never mind."

I squinted my eyes in suspicion before shrugging it off.

"Anyways, I came here to wake you up for breakfast," Will said clearing his throat a bit.

I straight away sprung up, energy coming out of no where. I just realized how hungry I was.

Will chuckled, standing up as well.

"Carry me?" I asked, attempting to do puppy eyes. I knew I looked like a goat - no wait, that's just offending the poor goats.

Luckily Will said,"Just this once, don't want anyone to think that my sorella is a baby."

"Hey!" I exclaimed, but nevertheless wrapping my arms and legs around him like a koala as he took me to the dining room.

Am my brothers were there, surprisingly enough, even Elonzo.

"Good Morning!" I said.

I received five back as I knowingly slipped into the seat next to Blake, who had his phone out and staring at his screen.

"What you doing?" I asked him.

Blake just pushed my head to the side before murmuring a,"None-Of-Your-Bussiness."

"Ouc-" But I was cut off by Elonzo.

"We have a good day planned for you, Alexa. Blake, Ryder and Tyler are going to be taking you shopping," He said.

They all waited for me to say something.

What if I went out with my brothers and their enemies came out of nowhere ? I was too young to be shot!

I immediately shook my and four of my brothers gave me a weird look.

"I don't like shopping," I said, which was true.

Five minutes into shopping and I would start complaining to how tired I was. Like- just get me a hoodie and leggings and I was fine!

"You're lying," Blake straight away said,"Girls your age love to shop." He then showed my brothers something on his phone.

"It's true," They all sided Blake.

"Well then I guess I'm different," I said shrugging,"You can even ask mum, I'm not lying."

"You're still going," Blake forced.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Exactly," Blake said smirking.

I face palmed myself, why did it only work in books.

"I am not going, and that's final. Full stop."

"Bambina," Will said trying to convince me,"If you go, I'll buy you ice cream."

I brush out laughing.

"I-I don't even l-like ice cream," I said, finding it hard to talk.

"Fine then," Will said thinking,"What about cake?"

This just made me laugh harder,"I-I don't even like t-that either."

"Weird child," Ryder and Tyler said at the same time.

Will sighed and looked at Elonzo for help as my laughter died out.

Elonzo took one look at me, and I gave him my best -most probably ugliest- puppy look.

I don't know how it worked, but after his cold eyes searched through me, he sighed,"Forget it, she'll just stay home."

Blake snorted,"Watch her get bored and plead us to take her out."

He then showed my brothers something from his phone, completely ignoring for the fact that I wanted to see as well.

But I just pushed my plate, that was empty, away.

"I'll be in my room if you need me," I said.

The moment I got onto my phone, I checked if Cherry had messaged me, but there was nothing.

Where she lived, it was six in the evening. Why hadn't she messaged me yet?

I shrugged it off, she was probably busy with her own life.

I then decided to scroll through Tiktok as it has been a while.

Shopping for Alex had been difficult because most of what he liked seemed to be directly related to food and Claire had already filled his stocking with snacks. She ended up primarily getting him clothes because he owned so few of them but also got him a thousand-piece puzzle and a few board games she didn't already own. 
The Oreo pajamas had by far been the most sentimental gift she had gotten for him but he didn't seem to mind. He looked quite pleased with all of his presents. 
Claire's presents from Alex included cookie cutters, an illustrated plant guide, a new pair of running shoes, and some anime merch from shows they had watched together. Once again she was touched by his thoughtfulness. 
Ethan was probably the happiest out of everyone with his presents though. Most of her budget for him had gone into buying a used iPad so he would be able to watch movies on his own back at his foster home but she also got him a Lego set and a pair of Nerf guns with extra foam bullets. 
"These guns won't hurt anyone? They're meant to be played with?" he asked curiously. 
"Yep. Kids play with them all the time," Claire explained. "You and Alex can have a Nerf battle if you want. I'm probably severely outmatched against either of you."
And that was exactly what they did as she opened Alex's gift to Daisy, which ended up being a strawberry shaped cat bed that the cat curled up in the second it was opened. She cleared away the wrapping paper and started setting up Ethan's iPad with games and streaming service apps linked to her accounts as the vicious Nerf battle raged around her. 
"Make sure you find all of those bullets when you're done because if you don't I guarantee Daisy will chew on them," she advised as she settled deeper into the couch. 
"Got it!" they yelled simultaneously as they carried on. 
Nerf guns had been the right choice because no matter how skilled they were, they couldn't turn foam bullets with rubber tips into deadly weapons. The toys could only shoot them out with so much force. It was something familiar that wouldn't hurt anybody so Claire considered it a win-win. 
Once the battle was over and they had gathered up all of the bullets and stuck them in a plastic bag for safekeeping they came back into the living room and played some of the games Alex had gotten as gifts. Even Claire wasn't familiar with the rules for all of them so they had to check the instructions frequently. 
They snacked on various treats she had made throughout the day and had Thai leftovers for lunch in between playing games and trying to put that puzzle together. The day passed pleasantly yet uneventfully until it was time to go to dinner at Ray's house. 
He had texted her in advance to warn her that they would all be in their pajamas so she figured it would be fine for them not to bother changing. They put on their boots and coats and headed over there with the presents Alex had bought for Ray, Zoe, and Nolan. 
"This is for your whole family and these are for Zoe and Nolan," he explained once they arrived and Heather opened the door. 
"Thanks Alex! I didn't realize you guys would have someone with you. Who's this?"
"I'm Ethan," he piped up right as his fellow Numbers came out of nowhere and pounced on him in a sneak attack. He certainly seemed happy to see them, even though Heather made them quit wrestling before they accidentally broke something. 
"Which number was he?" Heather asked Claire quietly as she watched him talk animatedly with the others. 
"Fourteen. He's having a hard time in his foster home so we told him if he behaved that he could spend Christmas with us. Sorry to impose," she whispered back. 
The older woman shook her head. "No need to apologize. Poor thing. At least he looks like he's having fun now. You must have spoiled him this morning."
"A little."
Heather rushed off to take something out of the oven and called for everyone to come sit down a few minutes later. Her table normally seated six or seven (there was a bench on one side) but it looked like she had a leaf insert for it that made it barely long enough to fit everyone here after adding in some folding chairs. 
Claire's mouth watered as she saw the ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and so on get set out on the table. It had been so long since she had a proper Christmas dinner. Her mom used to prefer ham over turkey too; rationalizing that they had barely had turkey at Thanksgiving. 
The food was delicious but being surrounded by so many other people was what made her truly happy. She had never had a Christmas dinner like this before with multiple children and multiple adults present, laughing and talking together. 
This was the kind of family she wanted for herself someday. Mother. Father. Kids. Extended family. 
For the longest time Claire had thought that sort of thing wouldn't happen unless she married someone with a big family but she was coming to realize that Ray and Heather included her among the ranks of her family already. She wouldn't have to wait for that on holidays after all. 
She was filled to the brim with happiness and appreciation for what she had all the way through the meal, opening the presents the two of them got her and Alex, and playing games with the Jorgensen family until it was time for the kids to go to bed. Forget being the best Christmas since her mom died; this might be the best one she ever had! 
Wherever her mom was now, she hoped that she was able to see her daughter having a wonderful holiday with people who cared about her. At the end of the night she thanked Heather and Ray profusely. 


Your typical boy meets girl love story...if the boy was a highly trained super soldier and the girl was a target he was hired to kill. Six knew there was something different about Claire Conway the moment he laid eyes on her but he never would have guessed how she would turn his entire world upside down!

*Cover art by polkadottedscrunchie*

When Ryn returned to her hotel room, she was beyond exhausted. She crawled to her bed and went to sleep immediately, forgetting to inform the latest development to Mei Li, her manager. She even forgot to eat her fried bread and cola!
When she woke up the next day, she spent almost half an hour dazing at the white wall. Was it all a dream? She must be dreaming, right? How could it be from just the 'extra' to become the spokesperson?
It was too good to be true!
She sighed and reached for her ringing phone blindly. She must be dreaming...
"Hello, Ryn? Where are you?" it was Mei Li and she sounded weird.
"Still at the hotel. Why?" Ryn asked back. 
She scratched her head and made a beeline to the toilet without bothering to tell Mei Li what she was doing. She placed the phone on the counter and put it on speaker.
"I received an e-mail from SS," Mei Li said.
"What about it?" Ryn turned to flush the toilet. Then, she washed her hand with the soap provided by the hotel.
"You... what have you done?" Mei Li choked out.
"What did I do?" Ryn asked back in a puzzle. She did not make the connection between what happened yesterday with the email Mei Li received.
"You... what have you done?" Mei Li repeated her question.
Ryn simply squeezed the toothpaste onto the toothbrush. She narrowed her eyes at the phone, "Maybe you can explain to me what you mean by that before I can answer your question."
Ryn started to brush her teeth.
"You... you... what did you do yesterday until you became the spokesperson? You didn't do anything weird, did you? You didn't follow any man, did you? Catherine, are you alone?" Mei Li gasped in horror.
Ryn's face darkened when she heard the questions. Who did Mei Li think she was? Someone who would do anything beyond work just to get a job? It was even rare for her to have lunch and dinner meeting now. She did not even care how many jobs she got. The ones she received from Mika's brands enough to last her for years to come. She only took jobs that interest her. Even the perfume gig, she agreed to do it because she liked the scent from the brand. 
"Mei Li," she muttered her manager's name slowly and warningly.
"How come from just being one of the models you manage to be the spokesperson?" Mei Li was so confused. Of course, she was happy when Ryn managed to grab the chance to add to her portfolio but this sudden? She did not want her charge to do something weird just to sign the contract. How could she explain this to Ryn's parents? Not to mention, Jeremy. 
How could she explain it to him?
"How do I know? You should ask them," Ryn spat the bubbles and replied. She continued brushing her teeth while listening to her manager getting flustered. 
"Besides, I'm meeting them later. Please book another flight for me."
"What time?" Mei Li quickly opened the apps for the flight company. She checked the time.
"I don't mind," Ryn replied after washing her mouth. She then took her face cleanser and made a quick work washing her face.
"Then, I'll send you the detail once I've confirmed the time," Mei Li said. 
Ryn said okay and disconnected the call. She wanted to take a quick shower to freshen up herself. She was still sleepy!
She checked the time and slowly put on another set of clean clothes. There was a huge bundle of clothes she needed to wash. Hopefully, she had the time.
"First thing first, breakfast," she muttered under her breath and reached for her phone and the hotel's key card. Her stomach was growling in hunger.
 "Did I have dinner last night?"
She could not remember what she did last night. Did she have breakfast? But the way her stomach was behaving, it looked like she did not have anything at all. Sigh.
Yesterday was a long day.
When she reached the restaurant for the buffet for breakfast, she found there was a lot of people there enjoying their breakfast. She handed the breakfast voucher to the boy in charge and then made a beeline to the food. 
She licked her lips hungrily seeing so many delicious foods in the display. Without wasting another moment, she took the top plate and scooped a huge serving of sausages. And then, she looked for eggs. She wanted to eat 3 sunny-side-up eggs. And a bowl of porridge. And pastries. And brownies. And maybe some noodles. 
Ryn ate everything except for greens. She avoided those like she was avoiding her enemy. Her worst enemy.
"You again..."
She frowned when she heard the now familiar voice. Not again.
She lifted her head and looked at the two women, then, lowered back her head to enjoy eating her porridge. It was such a waste of waiting facing these two crazy women. It was better for her to ignore them and enjoy her breakfast.
Jennifer shivered angrily. Without thinking, her hands reached for the glass of juice to pour onto this hateful woman. Luckily for Ryn, her manager managed to stop her.
"Jen, no. We're in public," her managed hissed, holding her hand tightly.
"Let me go. Let me go," Jennifer struggled to free herself. Her temper went up to the sky when she realized her own manager was on this hateful woman's side. She turned and without warning slapped her manager's right cheek.
The loud slapping sound made everyone stopped their chatting and looked at both Jennifer and her manager. Even Ryn lifted her head and looked at the duo in shocked.
The manager covered her bruised cheek and pushed a weak smile. 
"I'm sorry. It was a slipped of a hand."
In order to salvage the situation and protect Jennifer's reputation, she again tried to pull Jennifer away. It was important to leave this place quickly before someone recognized her and took her picture to post on the internet. It would be a PR nightmare if it happened.
"What are you doing? Let me go," Jennifer did not realize how her action could ruin her name and career. She was too angry to care about anything else.


On the surface, Ryn looked like a normal quiet girl who only focused on her study and did not even bother
about things outside her study. However, the whole campus was shocked to know she was actually a
popular model who just made a comeback after two years 'retired'. To make them more shocked when a
very popular singer, Jeremy was her ex-boyfriend and now wanted her back. Of course, to add the spice in her life, a model who is her university's mate fell in love with her.
Now she had to choose between these two, as well as balancing her life as a boring student but an exciting model.

*******

“Sign this contract.” He nudged the contract toward her.

“Can I think first?” she asked weakly.

“Five seconds.” Jack felt generous and gave her time to think. “See how good my mood is today?”

5 June, LY Studio, City K
Joan stood there stunned for a few seconds before saying "What did you say?"
Hearing the slight reduction in the anger in Joan's voice, Lexi quickly said "You heard what I said. Stop being a bridezilla."
"How dare you!" Joan immediately responded, the anger in her voice ratcheting up again.
"You really want me to explain why you are being a bridezilla. I get that you are stressed because you want to perfect wedding, but seriously look at your behaviour."
"You said it, I want the perfect wedding, and why should I not have it?"
Lexi slightly shook her head, which Joan reacted to "How dare you shake your head at me. I deserve the perfect wedding."
Lexi at that moment realised that Joan could get even worse about the situation. They needed to have this out, but not here. "You want the perfect wedding? You think as your friend I do not know that. But the perfect wedding, starts with getting the perfect dress for the bride. That, given you being my friend and your fiancé's money, will happen. But getting there, you need to cooperate or it will be impossible. Plus, I can ensure that your groom and both of your attendants are wearing the perfect items. But seriously, you want to keep going, do you think getting the perfect dress will happen? No. And any other designer. Most would have told you with the time frame that you gave my team and I where to go, because it is almost unachievable. You keep going or want to go to another designer, go, but do not think that you will get the dress you want nor will I give over my team and my hard work to any other designer simply because you ask to enable you to get the dress you want because that is the only way they have a chance to pull off giving you want you want."
Lexi paused for a couple of seconds, looking directly at Joan, and said "You want to continue? Go ahead, but…"
"How dare…"
"I? I do Joan? Let me put it this way. Do you want the perfect dress or not? Your choice, but if you do not cooperate or accept that in ensuring the perfect fit you might occasionally get accidentally stabbed with a pin, you can change and go elsewhere."
Lexi observed Joan looking at her and attempted to keep her face as serious and determined as possible. If she relented at this time, Joan would work over everyone until the wedding. That was something she did not need to address, as despite the design team working together for the benefit of the business, they had egos that challenging clients would upset causing friction afterwards.
As she maintained eye contact with Joan, eventually Joan broke away. Lexi paused before saying anything because that was interesting. All the time she had know Joan, she liked to be the one who dominated the situation. Even with what happened with heir holiday, in the end Lexi despite being terrified with what happened and Joan's games was not able to control the situation. Joan ended up winning. Yet, this time Joan was willing to give in. What was going on?
Without saying anything Joan moved over onto the pedestal and allowed a couple of assistances to come in and make sure the dress was draping properly as she stood.
Sensing she had control at this time Lexi calmly said "Joan, I know we have discussed it before, but I need an absolute answer today. Are you going to wear a tiara?"
Joan closed her eyes briefly, dealing with Lexi currently was testing her patience. She knew what she wanted for her wedding and needed to push for it. That was despite her knowing that the ceremony would not happen. Fooling everyone was part of the plan. She knew, despite what people would say, there were things Lexi could pick up on. That was especially true when it came to close friends like her and Rachael. Thinking of Rachael, that made Joan wonder, what had that witch said tom Lexi. That, however, was a discussion for later because there were too many people around. She knew she required plausible deniability when it came to the discussion that had to be had.
Opening her eyes Joan calmly said "Yes, but I can not give it to you. There is no way that I would even think of trying to get my hands on the family tiara, as I suspect the old man has had a replica made and sold the original simply because he needs money for his w*ores. But after discussions, my David told me he decided the other day to have one commissioned from a jeweller who owes him a couple of favours, but it will not be ready until just before the ceremony."
Lexi resisted snapping. This was a critical piece to the design puzzle. She could produce the most amazing dress with the most perfect embroidery on it, and on the veil and train, but if it clashed with the design of the tiara, it would look ugly. Shifting slightly in the chair Lexi, said "What is his number. I need to talk to him."
Joan, stunned for a couple of seconds opened her mouth, without anything coming out. No way would David want Lexi and by extension that idiot Matthew Rong, to have a contact number for him that could be used to undermine his plans. As she quickly pulled herself together, thinking on her feet, Joan responded "Let me call him. He hates anyone having his number as apparently in the early stages of his business a competitor used his mobile to try and hack the computers. Luckily, he was conscious of tactics like that, but you can understand his desire to minimise the risks to the business he created with his own hard efforts, because you have done the same thing."
-------
If you are reading this novel anywhere other than at Webnovel or its apps then you are reading work that has been stolen in breach of the authors rights and those rights assigned to others.
Please support this author and only access this novel through Webnovel at https://www.webnovel.com/book/15095783406874805 and report the illegal posting of this work.


Having left his hometown with shattered relationships due to his decision to join the military Matthew Rong returns after nine and a half years, uncertain of how people will treat him.

Lexi Yao, the only person who supported his decision, left less than two years later leaving her family and her child.  Just weeks after the birth of her child in an arranged family marriage her husband of less than a year died, putting her in a position that she could not cope.  Eventually, when she was ready, she returned to her hometown to resume full-time care of her child bringing her now successful fashion business with her.

Matthew had never forgotten the promises Lexi made to marry him prior to and in the twelve months after he joined the military, despite her marriage and becoming a widow.  He hoped that he would be able to marry her and secure for them both the future that they had believed was there for them as teenagers.

Just after Matthew’s return, having reluctantly agreed to drive Matthew home after a celebration for not only his return but the engagement of their brothers, Lexi and Matthew were kidnapped by the terrorist who helped make Matthew’s career seeing his rapid promotion to General.  To protect Lexi, Matthew knew he needed to use changes in the law to protect her and their assets that the Terrorist sought to exploit and committed to her through a forced marriage ceremony at the hands of the Terrorists.

For Matthew this was the one thing that had kept him going, and for Lexi she only agreed to protect herself believing there was no legal validity in the ceremony.

On their rescue Lexi was confronted with the truth of another forced marriage and was determined to escape this to have her own life, free from domination by men.

Matthew not only was left to fight to secure the love of his life but to protect his friends and family from the terrorist who decided that they were fair game in the pursuit of his goals.

Can Matthew succeed and win?  Can Lexi learn to trust and forgive Matthew?  Will the one secret that she has been keeping for eight years drive them apart?

This is the story of their journey, with their friends and family along for the ride.

Note – for those who have read my first story Offer to the CEO, our favourite couple makes appearances here, with Anna becoming a huge supporter and friend of our Female Lead.

Extract:

“Matthew, you b*stard.  You knew our marriage would be valid, and you forced it on me.  You are no better than my parents who arranged my first marriage?”

“What did you want me to do?  Let you be killed?”

“You should have thought about me, not your own selfish needs.  Get the hell out of my sight and let me be I'm going to stay away from you.”

“Forget it.  You are the wife of a military officer.  You will live in my villa and forget about going anywhere without my permission.  It is not safe.”

“Safe?  I am not safe from you, everyone, everything and everywhere else is safe!”


Please note the cover artwork is not mine.
Also while at the start of this story it may seem that the lead is male, in fact the lead is a female lead (be patient for this to be shown)


### Earth AU - December 21st, 2020 - Juneau, Alaska - Hospital


George Franklin born December 21st, 1967 turns 53 today. He expected that when he woke up he would be in his home in Miami, Oklahoma; and not a hospital bed. The room was slightly cold, as you would expect for December; but maybe a little too cold for a hospital. He was used to freezing temperatures during night, but the daylight would typically bring warmth.


The average low for December is 26 degrees Fahrenheit for Juneau, Alaska; which is 2 degrees lower compared to Miami, Oklahoma. However, the average high for December is 34 degrees Fahrenheit for Juneau, Alaska; which, shockingly, is an entire 14 degrees colder than Miami, Oklahoma.


He saw a small tablet on the table to the side of his bed, it was not his phone as he remembers. However, it felt familiar. He wanted to unlocking the device, but 9 dots came on screen... He guessed it was a connect the dots type of puzzle, but did not know the shape required. By mistake his index finger touched the fingerprint scanner and he unlocked the device. The device UI (User Interface) was different from what he was used to. He did manage to find the all-apps button on the home screen and started to scroll through what was installed on his phone. Before spending more than 15 seconds on the phone scrolling through the apps, two women entered his room.



### POV George


When I heard footsteps of more than one person enter my room, I moved my eyes from the phone to look at who entered the room. I saw a nurse with a clipboard and a woman wearing business suit with white gloves, who looked like a butler now that I think of it.


The nurse started a conversation, "Hello. Please try not to move rapidly. Can you hear me? My name is Alice and I am a nurse. What is your name?"


I managed to hoarsely reply, "Hello. I uhm, George, Franklin." It felt a little difficult to speak. I noticed a glint in the other woman's eyes, but didn't put any thought into it.


She smiled with a reply, "Hello George. How are you feeling?"


I replied with a frown, "Thirsty." I didn't notice the thirst until I had mentioned it unconsciously.


She gave me a small cup with barely a quarter ounce of water. I think I saw a shimmer of a blue glow from the water. It felt the water was adequate only to wet my mouth and lips. It felt like something was hitting me as soon as the liquid touched my lips. I was exhausted and wanted to sleep.



### POV Claire


My name is Claire Evans, and I am a new personal servant to Sarah Raeturn. The previous personal servant apparently betrayed mistress, which seems impossible from my viewpoint. Servants are trained from young age while a ritual using their masters' blood would be used to key their loyalty. The ritual can only be done once while the person is still a young child. The ritual makes it so that the person in question would die if the keyed person dies while also inducing honesty when talking to the keyed person.


Everything started 4 days ago, December 17th 2020, when the Frankenstein clan was massacred by the Deulis clan. The Raeturn and Frankenstein are less allies and more neutral in recent years; however, we have an old pact where we would protect each other from extinction in the event the other met calamity providing the other a sanctuary and protection.


The Deulis clan are recognized as allies with ties to the second branch family, and this is definitely known to the Frankenstein clan. The 4 surviving elders and their core younger generation, who had escaped the yank of their roots being pulled, arrived at our door steps knowing our ties with their pursuers. Deulis clan has it out for the new mine that was discovered between their and Frankenstein territory. The Frankenstein clan thought the mine was merely a copper mine, unaware of the silver and gold it also had veins of. The Deulis clan wanted to swallow everything up and grabbed 2 like minded conspirators, with our second branch being one of the conspirators. In reality the Frankenstein should have been our choice to help, but apparently the branch family thought was less favorable as that wouldn't give benefits to their branch.


The first and second branch families have always been in conflict with our main branch family, and mistress is the only descendant left of the main branch; the only other member being her great great grandfather, one of two clan ancestors. The personal servant, who betrayed, was indoctrinated with a ritual operated from the second branch for mistress when she was 4 years old.


I arrive at the hospital ward where the fiancee to mistress is located. She has had over 10 fiancees over the last 10 years. They almost always end up dead. Numerous bad rumors have tarnished mistress's reputation. They say becoming her fiancee is the same as a death sentence. As the last descendant of the main branch, her children will inherit the family. The young master from the first branch Luke Raeturn has always vied for her hand in marriage. The clan ancestor had said 12 years ago that if she can't marry and have children by 30 she would be given to Luke for the sake of the family. Ever since that announcement Luke has done everything to mess up her relationships, leaving no incriminating evidence of his involvement. The clan ancestor has no interest involving himself in matters he believes are mundane issues, such as reputation.


I look at the young man I have seen images of, he is 18 years old today as it is his birthday. I can empathize with him considering that he will be marrying into our family. He will need to go through training and brainwashing for such responsibility of course, as today is also the day he is officially an adult.


He observed me, almost like an appraisal. The nurse introduced herself trying to keep Georgick as calm as possible. When asked for his name he said George Franklin instead of Georgick Frankenstein; I hope he hasn't had his memories tampered with. I tried to see through his facade staring at him for a moment, a glint in my eyes while my imagination ran full throttle.


I had decided that we need to place him back to sleep while I report the news to mistress and receive further instructions.


When I text my mistress the information related to everything that happened, I received her intentions instead of any direct instructions. She wants him to be an ally rather than a plaything if possible. I have heard of cases where people believe they remember previous lives before; while rare it is not unheard of. However, many such people are skeptical to mention this fact thinking that they would be viewed as a danger for being too intelligent or powerful. I was told to just directly ask. Maybe he would prefer being called his new name anyways. At the end of the day, he will still be joining our family regardless of his intentions, desires, dreams, or other nonsense.



### POV George


I woke up again, but this time I felt less stiff and thirsty apparently. I had a few dreams, and realize that I have memories of a Georgick Frankenstein. I saw the same two women from earlier. The nurse was replacing the nutrient bag on my intravenous (IV). When my eyes met the woman in a suit, I could feel her inquisitive gaze wishing to speak.


"What name do you wish to be identified with?"


I felt an extreme infliction hearing this question in my heart. I remember earlier I identified myself as George, but considering my name is Georgick it shouldn't be too far fetched to be a nickname. However, I also stated my family name was Franklin and not Frankenstein. I also feel that there are no bad intentions from the question, but I feel off from it. My memories from Georgick show this is a world with magic so maybe this is not as uncommon as I think.


"My first name is Georgick, but I also feel comfortable going by George. Just call me Georgick. My family name is of course Frankenstein, I have no issues with my memories if you are wondering."


I don't think this is too weird, but the silence is very awkward for me. She then starts to explain slowly to me.


"I was tasked to identify if you have received maliciously altered memories or just a previous life. I will just ask a few probing questions. You need not answer these questions, but if you feel a question or one of your memories or thoughts are different bring it up. Who are you loyal to? Are your personal interests the only important thing? Is there someone you love that you don't know? Are you allowed to make your own decisions? Are your thoughts important? What types of magic do you know? Do you believe in fate? Do you feel any of your memories are out of place? Do you remember what happened to Stephanie? You can answer that last question, actually mistress wants to know if you are going to attempt to commit suicide, so that last question is important."


"I remember Stephanie Thompson and how she died. I do not feel the desire to end my life. I feel indifference actually."


"So I want to ask to clarify, you don't think there are maliciously altered memories and are they your own?"


"Yup."


"Okay. Young master Georgick, you are the fiancee to my mistress. In 6 days you will begin to receive the family training in the mornings. It should be a few hours of etiquette and self-defense. Your Frankenstein family is known for their spatial and pressure magic. My mistress has our family's lightning and metal magic talent blossoming. From what I hear from others, you have never had magic training. Is this because you do not have the talent, or is it for a different reason?"


In my first life, magic was not a thing people could use. I am a 52, no 53, so I was a 53 year old year old accountant at a brickyard for crying out loud. My memories of this life was very dull. I have been on house arrest as far as my memories are concerned. Ever since I have been 7 years old, when my mother died, my servant named Stephanie was my confidant that I told everything to. I don't think I ever saw her as my friend or lover, but the only person I could trust to keep all my secrets. However, there was an insidious event that I choose to ignore and continued to trust her, because she was the only person I could speak to in my family. She was 7 years old than me, and on my 12th birthday I was humiliated in front of my entire family. However I also didn't notice the physical abuse she probably received either until now when I think of the signs. I was blindfolded and wore a dress to the party for my honor. When I arrived at the venue the announcers yelled, 'If I was a princess I would be very very pretty too. Entering the scene the birthday boy Georgick!' However, when I took off my blindfold, I couldn't find Stephanie, and thought It was not her who tricked me.


I do remember before my mother's death, she told me I have very high potential and affinity in our family's magic. I think that was right before her death.


"I remember before my mother died, she once told me I have a very high potential and affinity in our family's magic; but after she died everyone started to call me useless or worthless."


"This can be a blessing in disguise. Our mistress said you will be joining our family regardless of your intentions, desires, dreams, or any other nonsense. You can freely use any magic you learn and anyone you teach must join our family."

.

Subtitle: Forts, Finance, Farms, Factories, Factions, Faith, Foundation and Fighting.

I have always like 4X games, but everything changed when I tried this 8F game. I was addicted and did not plan to stop.

I have never played a game that was so different from real life, but so alike. It was when I realized that paper currency from some computer-generated NPC had serial numbers attached when it hit me. The game tracked the serial numbers on the virtual currencies in the game. Game developers do not just add boilerplate and unnecessary content to be processed when players receive no stimulation from it. What started as me thinking of a city simulator ended up being what ever I could imagine.

I could live life on the country side breeding horses or playing match maker as a village chief. Turning a region into a vineyard could lead to either death from bandits or becoming an aristocrat in one fell swoop. I even tried counterfeiting and other nefarious things in the game. The game had some exaggerations, learning magic or becoming god for example. Monsters spawn randomly, events where the environment mysteriously improve, non-renewable resources can now regenerate, or portals open and allow waves of monsters to invade like a tower defense. It reminded me of that game where you are only having fun when you lose, but this game still allowed the unexpected. You could just teleport away from danger or become a skeleton or spirit after death and start a new adventure as an undead wanting revenge on the dragon that killed you.

However, I did not know.

This was an alpha test and something had plans for me to try the beta next. I was taken from my reality and placed in an Alternate Universe (AU).

---

The world is filled with war, martial arts, cultivation, dao, magic, psychic, and other energy forces. I wake to find the previous me who lost everything. Everything was in ruins or tatters; whether it would be family, loved ones, dreams, or even my situation. With my only allies being a fiancee I do not trust and my personal magical ability, I decide to rely on my new memories.

My still half awake sister slammed the door closed annoyingly and went back to bed despite the time. I went to the living room since I had nothing better to do. Alice was resting there too so I sat beside her.
"Miss, have you told Miss Andrea?"
Yes, at the worst timing ever.
I nodded and she seemed to have understood the situation.
"Was she in a bad mood?"
"You bet."
Alice blinked and chuckled. She told me it wasn't too bad. After all, at least she answered me, not just remain ignorant whenever she's in a bad mood like how she used to.
I thought about it and agreed with Alice, when a maid called me for dinner. My sister just woke up when I went to wake her up in her room.
The dishes served on the dining table surprised me until I doubted my eyes for a second. They were the same dishes as the lunch I had today but lesser in quantity.
Andrea explained that she wanted to try just how good was the food until I didn't want to return for lunch. Mother contacted her earlier and told her about how I loved the food there.
Was she mad at me for not having lunch with her?
She took one bite after another and muttered, "Not bad."
I sighed in relief. I was worried she would snap since she just woke up.
I picked up the cutlery and started eating when my tummy growled. It was indeed delicious, but looking at the plate of meat in front of me let my guard up.
I was afraid my sister would do the same as Eric's mother so I hesitated to take the last bite on my plate. But fortunately, she just asked me to take more if I was still hungry.
Dinner that night was great. Either because of the delicious food or my sister wasn't fully awake and wasn't in the mood to tease me. We had a very rare, peaceful meal. Well, that's good news, I suppose.
"I'm done," I said as I brought the empty dishes to the sink for washing. For the first time, I did not ask for seconds and just returned to my room immediately. Lunch really had my stomach filled, not even water could fit anymore.
There was still some time left before it was time for the moon to show itself. So I decided to read some messages for a while. I skipped all those nonsense texts my dear classmates sent and changed my plan to scrolling through social media apps.
I double-tapped on every post on my feed to like it. I made sure to follow interesting accounts so I would see interesting posts everyday without getting bored.
"Oh, they went to the beach for vacation."
One of my classmates had plans with her family today. She posted a photo of her having fun by the beach side with her family.
That vacation of hers was the reason we did not plan our class trip today. After all, leaving out one person is like missing a puzzle piece.
Is going to the beach for vacation a trend?
Time passed while I was having fun and before I knew it, the clock ticked 10. Just how long have I been on my phone?
I quickly put my phone down and went to the bathroom. I didn't shower when I returned earlier so I thought of taking a bath despite how late it was.
"A late bath once in a while won't hurt," or so I thought.
The next morning was the worst morning I've ever experienced. The morning sun shone brightly into my room, making me squint my eyes the moment I woke up. When I checked the time on my phone, it was already 7.
How long have I slept? What about my alarms? Ah, I must have snoozed all of them!
Let's recall what happened last night that made me so tired.
After my long bath, I played some games despite the sleepiness. I turned off to sleep only after I've cleared all the events and finally ranked up. Guess that was what kept me up, huh?
Anyway, now is not the time to regret my past actions.
I sped up my morning routine, changed into my school attire and combed my hair neatly. I didn't even bother to tie it up and just pinned my bangs to the side with a bobby pin. It was the first time I've ever been this late, so it was normal to panic.
When I arrived at the dining room, pancakes were served warm and fresh on the table. I wanted to skip breakfast but seeing my sister eating made me hungry. That left me no choice but to sit down and eat.
I shoved the pancakes into my mouth hurriedly. The glass of water prepared by a maid saved me when I nearly choked.
"Miss, I implore you to slow down."
"I'm late already. There's no time to waste!"
I finished the crumbs on my plate and grabbed my bag. Alice was already waiting for me in the car when I went to the gate. She opened the doors for me to enter.
"Miss, you're late!"
Oh Alice, don't you remind me of that stressful fact.
Out of seven days in the week, why do I have to be late today? What's more, there's a quiz on the first period! I can't possibly miss it.
I buckled my safety belt and Alice stepped on the accelerator. She drove at the speed of lighting until it felt like the car could leave the road anytime. 
Usually, it would be me who asked Alice to speed up but she would say "speeding is dangerous" then continue her normal speed. It was really surprising to see Alice act like this.
'She's speeding like she needed to use the bathroom,' I chuckled at my own thought. Who knew there would be a day where even Alice would speed?
"Miss, I'll make sure you reach on time, so sit tight," Alice said with a smug and sped up. She was driving so fast until the view outside can't be seen. Everything was so blur until she hit the brake.
We were already in front of my school gate. I got out of the car and the first bell rang the moment I crossed the gate. Alice kept her promise.
Without further ado, I rushed to my classroom without looking back. The quiz will be starting in a few minutes, I can still make it!
The teacher just arrived when I entered the classroom. She gave me a surprised look and welcomed me.
"Miss Asia, you're rather late today, aren't you?"
I just laughed off a little while my classmates giggled. Just when I was about to take my seat, the fire bell rang.
We thought it was just a fire drill so everyone didn't take it seriously. Not until someone yelled out, "Fire!"
The fire spread rapidly and before I was able to flee, smoke filled my vision and I couldn't see anything. I was having difficulty breathing until...
Gasp!
I woke up and saw a familiar ceiling above me. It was the ceiling of my very own bedroom, with me lying on my bed. I opened the curtains to see if there was any fire.
Phew. Fortunately, it was all just a dream. A nightmare, I suppose?


Amanda is a teenager, whose marriage has been arranged by her parents. However, she started to develop romantic feelings towards Eric, whose marriage was arranged too. She later found out that he feels the same way towards her. Will they break their engagement?

Talk to me on Discord! : keqingr#4885 https://discord.gg/j8QgQzy
Follow me on Instagram: @lyuin_niuyl

Cover by stella_xin on Instagram!

As I went to my bed and closed my eyes to sleep.
I saw my Android mobile home screen and at the bottom I saw an app called status and I clicked it.

Name:  Lucifer morning star
age:  06 
Strength: 0.6
Agility: 0.4
Vitality: 0.4 


sigh....
seeing my stats I really felt sad.. 
after that I came back to the home screen and opened app store. 
and finally the waiting period was over, today I can download 3 more apps from the app store .

what.
are you wondering why I was waiting because the first time I came into contact with this typical 'system type' Android interface there was my home screen * the wallpaper which I last used on my mobile  was deadpool's * and there was nothing,  no 'home button' on 'clock'  there was not even gallery  except for the app store ,  I was wondering why. 
Then I opened the app store and the only apps that are available were  [Alexa]  [status]  [clock].and then there was this message out of nowhere saying to download [Alexa]. at first I was sceptical thinking about  'is this really happening to me just like that'. (because all the novels that I read and I was excited about it.) (getting a system)
and after downloading that I gave the whole control to Alexa to download any more apps that may appear in the app store.

" Alexa ,Alexa can you tell me why there was a waiting period to download apps"

[host is not authorised to know.]

"ok Alexa  then list out the number of apps that are available in app store now"

1. physique trainer
2. vision trainer.
3. analyser 0.1 
4. encyclopaedia.
5. maps.
 
[Beep]

 [These are the only apps that are available in app store]

 [May  the host choose which 3 apps to  download]

"Any suggestions Alexa"

[Beep]

[Alexa suggest  host to download physique trainer and vision trainer and to upgrade the already installed Alexa]

"Is there any use for upgrading Alexa"

[Beep]

"After upgrading app Alexa can run even when host he is awake and can fully take control of the other apps at the expense of host's permission"

"Alexa is there anything more I need to know" 

[Beep]

[downloading , installation and upgrading of these 3 apps requires 5 hours]

"Ok set the time at 5 in the morning and wake me up" 

[Beep]  [noted]

After saying that I closed down  the Android system and open my eyes and gazed that the night sky.
"From tomorrow I have to start physique training and Vision training
and see how does it go tomorrow."
sigh...

It was after a week that I got transmigrated 
into this world 
that night was first time that I got to see Android system and I scared so much that 
I didn't believe and I thought it was a dream.

This is the story of a lazy MC who has the 
Android system powered by a mysterious app store.

"So you are the number one scouting mage of the mage association that successfully found two more areas for establishing survival camps in the newly found planets.."

"Don't you worry, I can do it too cause I have [Google maps]."
.

"So you are the president of celestial merchants association  and the number 1 merchant across the mage world."

"Don't you worry, I can have anything in this world as long as I have money because I have just downloaded [Amazon app]."

.

"So  you are the number one thief mage across the mage world who can escape from any organisation that's pursuing you.."

"Don't you worry,  I can escape any sticky situation that I can't beat.
do you know how.... cause I have the [Uber app]
 I just have to enter the pickup location and drop location you know how it goes"

Join the journey of our MC that b**** slaps anyone that comes across his way
.
.
.
.

Rex felt weird as he was being pulled towards an unknown location. Along with it he could see some mystical things happening to him. His body which was transparent slowly started to go back to its original conditions.
Before he couldn't even touch his body as his hand would go through it but now that it was going back to normal he could feel his body again.
His clothes also seemed to have regained their physicality. Checking up on his body Rex soon fumbled in his pocket when he suddenly felt something cold and hard.
'Huh?' Grabbing it Rex took it out of his pocket.
"Oh yeah my smartphone!" He finally remembered that his smartphone was also with him. It was only because of it did he managed to regain himself. Although it was already too late when he came to.
'I wonder if it still works.'
Rex pressed the power button and saw his smartphone lighting up. The familiar homescreen background was shown and Rex looked over his smartphone. All the apps were all there the only thing was his smartphone only had around 23% battery.
'Dang hopefully what ever world I enter has electricity so I can charge this thing.' Saying so Rex waited as he was still flying through this weird tunnel inside the vortex.
While he waited his system finally showed up. Just like that being had said, he was getting a system for his troubles. Rex waited for this system to bind itself to him.
[Help You System is scanning for the host... Ding! Host detected, Starting the binding.]
Hearing this message Rex closed his eyes and waited for it to bind itself to him. But unlike his expectation the next message caused him to pause in his tracks.
[Binding to the Host <Smartphone: Ae#2111> , binding, binding, Ding! Binding completed!]
"HUH?!" Rex felt like he might of heard wrong but what did this message just say. Rex instantly took out his smartphone with shaky hands. He couldn't help shake with anger.
He then turned the smartphone on. But like before the homescreen was still the same.
'Ugh!' Before he could get happy that he had heard the message wrongly, a seen of all the strange apps on his smartphone had caused him to be slapped on the face.
'You gotta be kidding me!' He thought. 'You didn't bind to me but my f*cking smartphone!' He almost wanted to smash it straight away but decided to hold off as he had no idea if the system would be transferred from his smartphone to himself.
Right now Rex was being sent to an unknown world with the system being his only chance to live that nice nice life.
Rex quickly calmed himself down thinking that maybe the smartphone can be more useful now that it's bound to the system.
Looking at the smartphone's apps he couldn't help but be a little bit more assured.
On it was only about 3 apps. The icons on each where a little different. One had the icon of a dialog bubble, another had an icon of a up arrow key and the third had a shopping cart icon.
But then Rex suddenly realized that his smartphone itself seemed to be slightly different. The charging port and other features seemed to have disappeared leaving only the power button.
'Hopefully these three apps are helpful to me.' Saying so he decided to first click on the dialog bubble icon. The name was the app was called Texter.
The screen changed on Rex's smartphone.
[Friends: 0]
[Friends Online: 0]
[Messages: 0]
[Friend Request: 0]
Looking at his smartphone Rex felt strange. He saw these lists but what was the usage of this app. He started to play around with it, which was when he clicked on the search button. But unlike a keyboard appearing something seemed to be connect his thoughts and feelings straight to the smartphone.
It felt weird but he didn't dislike it. Rex tried out a idea of his by thinking about that being he had just met. This was when a pop up appears on his smartphone's screen.
[Do you wish to send a Friend Request to this being?]
Under it were the button's yes or no and Rex wanting to test it out clicked on Yes. After which it then showed that he had sent out one friend request and it was now in que.
A few minutes later a notification was sent to his smartphone.
[Friend Request has been accepted, You are now friends with "Lucky Charm".]
Then a text notification appeared.
[Lucky Charm: My goodness! Your a crazy guy you know that, a crazy crazy guy, we just gave you your personal system and you already have such a crazy ability.]
[Lucky Charm: This is so similar to those messaging apps in your world. I wonder how it works since I am multiple dimensions apart from you.]
[Rex: Oh wow this sh*t actually worked crazy!]
While he was waiting for himself to be sent to the other world, in the tunnel he was texting with the being he had met recently. He felt like this app was better than he had thought.
Through some questioning, he learned that when he sent out that friend request the person receiving the friend request would then see a similar texting screen in front of them. They would first be asked to create a username than the friend request would show up.
If they accepted then they could also see Rex on their friends list. Clicking on it they could directly send messages to Rex with their minds. But unlike Rex they didn't have a search button and Rex speculated that if they didn't accept the friend request then they wouldn't be allowed to even use the text screen.
While Rex could do the same he felt more comfortable texting with his thumbs. Learning that this first app could be so powerful, giving him the ability to text to people that were multiple dimensions apart he was now excited for the other two apps.
He quickly went back to his home screen and checked out the next app which was the one with the up arrow key icon. The name of the app was Upgrade.
[Smartphone Upgrade] (Sp: 0)
<Upgrade Battery capacity (+100 sp)>
<Upgrade Artificial Intelligence (+1,000 sp)>
<Upgrade Storage Space (+200 sp)>
 <Upgrade Refresh Rate (+300 sp)>
...
Rex could see it's first couple upgrades but scrolling down he soon realized that the amount of upgrades on this smartphone was insane. Ultimately he had no idea how to get sp right now so all of these were useless. 
That didn't mean he couldn't check out the information beforehand so he knew exactly what he should strive for. 
"Oh this one is nice!"
One of them finally managed to catch Rex's eyes. He quickly clicked on it and sent to another screen on his smartphone. On it was the cost of it and also a lot more information about the upgrade.
[Upgrade Solar Self Recharge]
Upgrade Effect: Allows the phone to recharge by it self using solar energy. Able to recharge 1% of battery every 10 minutes. 
Cost: 500 system points
Purchase Type: One Time buy. 
Looking at it Rex felt like this was the upgrade he needed the most. His smartphone's battery was only at 21% now and he had no idea if the other world would have a way to recharge his battery. 
Other than this upgrade he also saw a crap ton of other self recharge upgrades. Although this one was only a one time buy he could probably stack the other upgrades along with it recharge his phone quicker. Some of them used the same type of energy like solar while other upgrades used other types of energies to recharge the smartphone.
Stuff like ether and mana could also be used but the prices for those were crazy. Thinking about this Rex decided to hold off on the upgrade app since he couldn't use it yet.
Rex then checked out the last app that he had. It was the shopcart app. Clicking on it a new screen was shown on the smartphone.
[App Store] (Storage Space: 0/5GB)
<Fighting Apps>
<Information Apps>
<Mission Apps>
Rex clicked on the Fighting apps first.
[Fighting Apps]
<Beginner Sword Skills App (300MB)>
<Elementary Magic Spell App (500MB)>
<One Star Summoning App (1GB)>
...
Rex had a small understanding of how this worked. Unlike the upgrade app this one allowed him to download these other apps but the cost would not be sp but instead his smartphones storage.
Rex checked out the other categories. 
[Information Apps]
<Scanning App (2GB)>
<Language Translation App (500MB)>
<GPS App (5GB)>
...
[Mission Apps]
<Daily Missions App (1GB)>
<Abrupt Missions App (2GB)>
<Special Mission App (10GB)>
...
Looking at all of these apps Rex knew he had to think about which ones to choose as he only had 5GB of space on his smartphone. 
With some thought, Rex decided to go with a mixture of all three app categories. He downloaded, <Daily Missions App>, <Scanning App>, <Language Translation App>, <Elementary Magic Spell App>, and <One Star Summoning App>. 
All of these were then downloading. From the download speed it looked like it would take about 1 hour before all of them finished downloading.
'Hopefully these will be enough until I can upgrade the storage space.' Thinking this he turned his smartphone off as he didn't want to waste anymore charge as it was now at 20%. 
Rex then floated silently as he waited. Around 2 hours in Rex could finally see the other side of the tunnel. It also had a similar looking vortex as the one that had sucked him up.
Rex was pulled into this other vortex and was sent out from the tunnel starting his adventure in the other world.

Rex felt a sudden impulse to jump off a building. Only when he was already falling did he realize what he had just done. 

"WTF!"
"I'm so f*cking stupid!!!"

Like that his life ended, ultimately this death was so so dumb that God gave him another chance at life, he was sent to a whole new world, But some complications happened and the system he was promised mistakenly binded to his smartphone.

Now Rex has to live in another world with a system that's not his own. 

"F*ck it!"
"Let's just go with the flow!"

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