Shadow's Hand - Chapter 21: Pawn

“Did you just marry the richest man in the country… by accident? How does that even happen?”Delphinia sighed dramatically. “I know, I’m such an overachiever. But it’s easy, really. Step one: drink too much. Step two: find the perfect man. Step three: say ‘I do’ before he realizes I’m a walking disaster.”“And the revenge?”She raised her glass. “Served cold, with a diamond bigger than my ex’s ego.”—After years trapped in a loveless, abusive marriage, Delphinia had one plan: leave her toxic past behind and never look back. But freedom isn’t as sweet as she’d hoped. With no family to turn to and no place to go, she crashes with her best friend…only to end up at a party where one too many drinks lead to one tiny (accidental) marriage to Evander Walton.Handsome, rich, and absolutely off-limits, Evander is everything Delphinia thought she’d never have. And he has just one condition if she wants to break things off: she’ll have to pay him back…for the huge diamond ring she barely remembers accepting. Broke and in no position to negotiate, she’s got no choice but to play along with her accidental husband and the lavish life that comes with him.Now she’s living in luxury, holding her head high, and plotting the sweetest revenge against the ex who tried to ruin her. Because if there’s one thing Delphinia knows, it’s that payback is best served in designer heels.

Pinning her tall body against the hard wall, he looked into her beautiful emerald green eyes as he spoke in a deep voice, "I have two options for you," his body came closer to hers as he continued, "Be my girlfriend. Or," his lips turned into a sly smile as he whispered close to her ear, "Be my boyfriend." He even dared to wink right before her as his dark orbs glinted amusingly.

Betrayed by his sister. Betrayed by chosen one's humanity. Betrayed by the Gods.That was how the life of Leonard, the Defier of Fate and the world’s greatest heretic, came to an end.When demons invaded human lands, he received a revelation from the Goddess. She commanded him to act as a spy, to infiltrate the enemy ranks and expose their secrets for humanity’s sake.To fulfill this mission, he had to sacrifice a part of his soul. He accepted a demonic contract, surrendered his soul, and became a demonic human. Risking everything, he provided critical information to the humans and helped them turn the tide of battle.But then, he had a shocking discovery.The war was nothing but a gambit between various gods and before he could act, the war was stopped out of nowhere.In an unexpected turn, humans and demons put aside their hatred and signed a peace treaty.Before Leonard could make sense of it, he was betrayed. Both demons and humans joined hands to kill him.“Fuck! If there is a next life, I swear I will tear you gods apart!”With this scream, he thought his suffering was finally over.But…When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the body of Kael Veydrin, the son of the Grand Duke of the Heizen Empire. But this new life was no different from the last.His sister wanted to get rid of him.Born with clogged vessels and no talent, he was nothing but a disappointment.A subject of fun and ridicule among the fellow nobles.Despite rebirth, nothing seems to change.The cursed fate.The distorted history smearing his name.A world that was against him.Leonard, now assuming the identity of Kael, let out a low chuckle.“Don’t worry, Kael. I will have revenge for both of us.”“They called me heretic right? I will show them how a true fucking heretic acts.”Follow Kael's journey, as he fights against the fates and injustices to drag the ones ruling above.

With the descent of the first blood rain, the world underwent a dramatic transformation.Once bustling cities became playgrounds for zombies.Some people merely survive in this post-apocalyptic world, while others thrive using their strength in this new world.Opportunists are on the move, and lone wanderers roam the land.Firearms, artillery, superhumans, and mutated creatures drive the world in a new direction.Clove Russell is reborn at the dawn of the apocalypse, leveraging his Space Element superpower to unlock the genetic limits of the human body, dominating the post-apocalyptic world without rival.Linda: “This bastard has no feelings whatsoever, only using me to vent his desires!”Kelly: “He's so strong, so formidable!”Wendy: “I will conquer him! Clove conquers the world, and I will conquer Clove!”