The New Gate - Volume 1 - Chapter 3 – Part 1

Warning: Matured content.Maya DeLuca was born as a result of adultery. She is the fruit of the shameful love affair her married mother had. Her mother passed away shortly after giving birth, leaving Maya to bear the consequences of her mother's sins.Right from birth, Maya was loathed by everyone in her family, especially her stepfather, her late mother’s husband. Maya is the evidence of his wife's betrayal; hence, she is a thorn in his flesh. He abused her, punishing her for her mother’s betrayal.Maya is a junior chef at a five-restaurant and also works as a waitress at her Stepfather’s gentlemen's club to pay off the debt she owes him.Maya's Life becomes more complicated when she gets entangled with a handsome billionaire, Dalton Black, as he hires her as his personal chef.Maya obliviously captivated Dalton's heart as love blossomed between them.However, in order to fight for her love for Dalton Black, Maya must face the nefarious plans devised by Dalton Black's enemies and those who wish to break them apart.Maya is Dalton's only desire, the light in his grimy world. He would do anything to be with her forever, even though she is a weapon that his enemies plan to use against him.

Ethan's head throbbed violently as he opened his eyes, his vision hazy and unfocused. A dull ringing filled his ears, drowning out his thoughts.“What’s happening…?” he thought, his mind sluggish, struggling to catch up with reality. One moment, he was asleep—or at least, he thought he was—and the next, searing pain forced him awake.His vision swam, shapes blurring together in a disorienting mess. But then, muffled noises filtered through the haze—frantic, panicked sounds. Someone was trying to scream, their voice smothered, choked by something.A cold shiver ran down his spine.As his sight gradually sharpened, Ethan's breath hitched.He was on all fours, looming over someone. A girl.Her body twisted and writhed beneath him, ropes biting into her wrists and ankles. Her mouth was gagged, muffling her cries. Her wide brown eyes, brimming with fear and fury, glared up at him.Ethan's body locked in place, his blood running cold.“What the…?” His mind reeled, thoughts slamming into each other in chaotic disarray. “What kind of bizarre dream is this?”Panic clawed at his chest. His breath came in ragged, uneven gasps as he scrambled backward, only to realize his limbs felt sluggish, uncooperative, like they didn’t belong to him.“Is this… is this some kind of twisted fantasy I never knew I had?” A sickening thought slithered through his mind, making his stomach churn.The girl's frantic squirming slowed for a moment, her gaze flickering with confusion as she took in his expression—his trembling hands, his wide, horrified eyes. But the fear returned just as quickly. She struggled harder, her body arching, her muffled screams rising in pitch.Ethan wanted to speak, to say something, anything, but before he could force out a word, a glowing blue window materialized before his eyes.His breath caught.A translucent, hovering screen?“What…?”Lines of glowing text scrolled across its surface.---[System Activated…][Host Confirmed.][Simulating Previous Data…]Ethan awakens in a mysterious world, shackled by a curse that clouds his judgment and drives him toward choices he never wished to make. Burdened by guilt and responsibility, he must navigate the fallout of his actions while unraveling the truth behind the curse—and his place in this enigmatic new reality.

Lee Jin Woo once lived a dismal life.
He lived pitifully on a day to day basis in his five-pyeon studio filled with mold.

Then, one day, he died in a sudden fire.

When he wakes up, he finds himself inside a novel.
But there’s just one issue…
He had become the novel’s villain!