A Painting of the Villainess as a Young Lady - Chapter epilogue%204

Gu Qingli, a modern-day doctor and poisoner, was killed by her best friend. She was reborn as a weak peasant girl who could easily be bullied. Not long after she returned home, her wedding was called off. Everyone in the village started speaking poorly about her. A greedy matchmaker showed up and tried to convince Qingli to marry an older man! The matchmaker had barely been gone for a few seconds before returning once again. It seemed that Xiao Laosan, a man from the same village who was famous for bringing bad luck to his partner, wanted Qingli as his wife. The matchmaker wondered why a wretched woman like her was so popular. Gu Qingli did not mind. She thought that she, a wretched woman, was a perfect match for this man. For the days to come, she'd take her younger brother with her to forage for herbs, and they'd stir up trouble when they got bored. Wretched woman? A failed investment? Those things had nothing to do with her!

Melanie Collins was the perfect wife—caring, strong, and dependable. For the last few years, she had managed her husband’s messy family, and business alone while waiting for her husband to return from studying abroad. But when he finally came back, Melanie’s world fell apart—he wasn’t alone. Along with him was his 'best' friend.Broken and confused about the change in her husband, Melanie didn’t know where to turn. And then she stumbled into another cold reality. Everything she had believed was a lie.Seething with anger and humiliation, as she tried to come to terms with the betrayal, an unexpected person steps into the picture, intent on seducing her and conquering her.The only problem? The man was her ex brother in law...And against her better judgment, she is attracted to this bad boy...But as Melanie tried to make sense of the changes, she discovered there was more going on than she ever imagined. Had both brothers loved really fallen in love with her? Or was she just a pawn in a bigger game?excerptSince he had already been leaning against the table, he simply slid onto it, and with one swift motion, he hooked his boot around the leg of her chair and pulled it—pulled her—closer.The sudden movement made her jolt slightly, and when she looked up or rather when she looked ahead, she found herself staring directly at the zipper of his jeans... She looked up then and met his gaze.He caught her chin,“ Would you like to check if I am only pretending, sweet melon?”Melanie stiffened. And then pushed back her chair suddenly, so that Adam almost lost his balance, as she stood up.Before he could balance himself, she placed her hand on his shoulder, her fingers brushing against his neck. Adam stiffened, his eyes glittering as he waited to see what she would do next. And she, of course surprised him as her other hand, slowly settled on the inside of his thigh. And then, the hand on his shoulder started to move. Her fingers tracing the side of his neck before lifting as she shot a glance to the corner of his mouth. The little piece of metal glinting there. She flicked at it lightly, barely a touch, but Adam could feel the heat all over his body, as she leaned in close, her lips barely a few centimetres away...so that they could both feel each other's breaths…She smiled slowly then. “Careful, Adam,” she murmured, her voice playful, but carrying the unmistakable edge of a challenge. “Keep pushing, and I just might call your bluff.”

Her brother, who was the one who caused a coup d’etat, had sliced her throat. After she returned to the time before she died, she decided that she would somehow tame him and survive!

But..

Did she tame him too much?

***

“Brother, why don’t you get married?”

There was no reply from him, instead the glass that he held popped and cracked.

“Oh no! You’re bleeding.”

“Why should I get married?”

“Eh?”

“I already have you.”

Why should you get married, you say? You have to get the Empress so I can leave this castle! Sezh laughed strangely.

“Sezh.”

At that moment, she stumbled and Raytan pulled her body into his arms. His red eyes started to gleam suggestively while looking down at Sezh who was trapped in his arms.

“You know we are not real siblings.”

Meredith Carter was once the pride of her pack—until the Lunar Curse marked her as wolfless, unwanted, and a disgrace. Humiliated, abandoned, and rejected by her fated mate, she thought the Moon Goddess had forsaken her.But her curse came with a cruel side effect—wild, uncontrollable pheromones that drove men insane with desire and disgust. A scent so intoxicating, it made her a target.The night she was cast aside when her pheromones spiralled beyond control, Alpha Draven Oatrun—the most feared and untouchable Alpha in the kingdom—claimed her instead.But Draven doesn’t want love. He doesn’t even want her. His reasons for marrying her have nothing to do with fate.Thrust into a world of ruthless politics, deadly enemies, and a mate who sees her as nothing more than a pawn, Meredith must fight to survive, reclaim her dignity, and uncover the secrets behind her curse.Because something is awakening inside her. Something powerful. Something… ancient.And when the truth is revealed, not even Alpha Draven will be able to resist what she becomes.Rejected. Cursed. Desired. Chosen.Will Meredith break free from her fate?Above all, what is this mystical force pushing her to start a war?—Excerpt:“You may have claimed me,” Meredith whispered, her violet eyes burning with defiance, “but you will never own me.”Draven exhaled a low, dangerous laugh. His golden eyes gleamed as he caged her in, his presence suffocating.“Own you?” His voice was velvet and steel. “Little wolf, I don’t need to own you.”He brushed a strand of silver-white hair behind her ear—a touch so light, yet it sent shivers down her spine.“Because whether you like it or not…” His breath ghosted against her skin. “Your body already responds to me.”Meredith clenched her jaw, ignoring the traitorous warmth pooling deep inside her. It was the pheromones. It had to be.“I hate you,” she forced out.“Good,” Draven smirked. Because hate was just another form of obsession.