King of Underworld - Chapter 188

I was always alone, throughout my life. People looked at me with disdain because I was an orphan without parents. Constant abuse followed me everywhere. I lost touch with how to interact with others.With each passing day, I grew more distant from my emotions until I scarcely recognized myself. The warmth of family and friendship felt foreign to me.In the end, I snapped, and I became what I hated the most... something that wasn't human anymore... something that shouldn't have been born...That was until I was reincarnated as Lucas Nightstar, granted a second chance at a happy life with a loving family. Now, I would do anything to protect them, live my life to the fullest, and was willing to destroy anyone who dares stand in my way of my newfound peace. Yet...Little did I know what fate had in store for me.

“I cannot come to you with my problems when you have the weight of the kingdom on your shoulders. I would rather suffer in silence so I do not bother the king-”“Your husband,” Tobias corrected Hazel, placing his hands on her shoulders to comfort her as her eyes filled with tears. It pained him that he had not noticed how much the palace had been slowly breaking her. “I am your husband first. Do not hide your sadness from me,” he said, wiping away a single tear that slipped away with his thumb.…Hazel Wallace never thought she would make it far when she was picked to enter the selection for the next queen. In a surprise turn of events, she finds herself tangled up with the future king, Tobias Castro.Hazel once thought she would be strong enough to survive living in the palace walls. As queen and with Tobias by her side, she had nothing to fear. That was until the crown was placed on her head. Soon she realised the dangers in the palace and how not even the queen was safe from scheming men and women.Each day she spent in the palace, Hazel felt like a piece of her was slowly breaking away. Eventually, Hazel wanted nothing more than to run out of the palace, but after betrayals from people she thought she could trust, Hazel sought to become the person she was before entering the palace and get revenge on those who sought to take away her crown.Tales of Castro Nobility story timeline order -The King’s Unbreakable WifeThe Knight’s Mysterious MaidThe Duke’s Masked Wife

'Nina?'The thought hit me before I even really processed who it was. Nina Shoka from my class. She was just walking along, probably listening to music, totally unaware that this car had lost control and was sliding right toward her.I didn't think about it. Didn't weigh the pros and cons or consider my options. My legs just started moving.I dropped my phone and sprinted toward her. The car was maybe three seconds away from hitting her when I slammed into her side, pushing her as hard as I could toward the sidewalk.She went flying, landing hard on the concrete but definitely out of the car's path.Me? Not so lucky.The impact felt like getting hit by a train. One second I was pushing Nina to safety, the next I was flying through the air. Then I hit the ground and everything went wrong at once.I couldn't move my legs. Couldn't really move much of anything, actually. There was this weird warm feeling spreading across my chest and stomach, and when I tried to breathe, it felt like drowning.'Well, this sucks,' I thought, staring up at the sky. 'Guess that's what I get for being a hero.'My vision started getting all swimmy and weird, but I could make out Nina crawling over to me. She had pulled out her earbuds and there were tears streaming down her face.“Why did you do that?” she kept asking, over and over. “Why would you do that?”I wanted to shrug, but my shoulders weren't really cooperating. It seemed pretty obvious to me - she was in trouble, so I helped. That's what you do, right? Nothing fancy about it.She was talking to me, saying my name a lot. I didn't realize she even knew my name, to be honest. We had been in the same class for like three months and I don't think we had ever actually had a conversation.“Kofi, stay with me, okay?” she was saying. “You're gonna be fine. The ambulance is coming.”

Ethan Blackwood wasn’t used to being defied. As the CEO of a global empire, he crushed obstacles with a single glance. But when Lily Anderson stood before him, her chin lifted in quiet defiance, and something in him snapped. “Sign the contract,” he said, his voice like ice. “30 days. You’ll obey every command. After that, you’re free.”She hesitated, her fingers trembling as she gripped the pen. “And if I refuse?”His smirk was cold, but his eyes burned. “Then you’ll spend the rest of your life paying off your father’s debts. Your choice.”Trapped, Lily signed. But she vowed one thing: she wouldn’t let him break her.From the first day, their clash was electric. He demanded perfection; she gave him rebellion. “You think you can control me?” she spat, after he criticized her for being late.Ethan stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “I don’t just control you. Lily, I own you.”But as the days passed, the lines between them blurred. Late nights in his penthouse turned into whispered conversations. His cold demeanor cracked, revealing glimpses of a man haunted by his past. One night, after a heated argument, he pinned her against the wall, his breath hot against her ear. “Why do you fight me so much?”Her voice trembled. “Because I’m afraid if I stop, I’ll lose myself to you.”Their connection deepened, but danger loomed. Secrets from Ethan’s past resurfaced, threatening to destroy everything. When Lily discovered the truth behind his obsession with her, she confronted him. “Was I just a pawn in your game? A way to settle an old score?”His eyes darkened with pain. “You were never just a game, Lily. You’re the only thing that’s ever felt real.”As the final days of their contract approached, their bond was tested like never before. Enemies closed in, and trust hung by a thread. Could they overcome the shadows of their pasts, or would their love crumble under the weight of secrets and pride?