MTL - Naruto Caged Bird - Chapter 174 : under the mask

“Block him.”“He's technically still my boss.”“Then block him with dignity.”The call ended again.And then started again.I let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a sob, then finally answered with the enthusiasm of a snail crawling through salt.“Yes, Mr. Walton?”“Have you changed your mind yet?”I collapsed onto the towel and gazed at the sky as though it might consume me entirely if I pleaded sweetly enough.“Do you ever take a break?” I asked, shielding my eyes with one hand.“You're avoiding the question.”“Because it's a dumb question.”He exhaled, the sound sharp and irritated even over phone. “It's not a dumb question. It's a business offer.”“It's a weird offer-one that I already said no to.”There was a brief pause, and I could practically hear him clenching his jaw through the speaker.“You are acting unreasonably.”“ Unreasonable?” I sat up. “I'm not the one drafting fake girlfriend contracts like it's a normal Tuesday.”“Isabella-”“Certainly not, Mr. Walton.” I mimicked his tone perfectly. “I told you I'm not doing it. You need to find someone else to play pretend with.”SYNOPSISIsabella Miller thought saying no to her boss’s fake dating offer was the end of the story.But Adrien Walton doesn’t take no—especially not when he’s convinced she’s a gold digger.Suddenly, her student loans are piling up, her father’s vet clinic is on the brink of eviction and her brother is about to be kicked out of college. Coincidence? She thinks not.Adrien Walton is calm, calculating—and he's just pulled every string to corner Isabella into the perfect position.Now she’s stuck choosing between pride and survival.So she agrees to his offer: be his fake girlfriend.No feelings attached. No drama. Just business.Or so she thought.“Conference Room B. Fifteen minutes,” he said, passing by without a glance.The folder he pushed across the table landed with a thud.I opened it. The contract. All of it.---Enemies to lovers? Check.Slow burn? Hmmnyea.Banter so sharp it might file your nails? Yes.Delicious workplace tension? Of course.Tension that could melt steel?Absolutely.Smut?? Wanna find out?Welcome to corporate romance warfare. There’s no escaping this contract.

********(WARNING: This novel’s MC is Laurence’s disciple, since both of them love to cuss at everyone’s faces…. Just kidding! xD xD. Just like my other work that has a warning at the top… So, please read at your own risk! ^_^)*********Not all villains are evil. Sometimes, their experiences and how others treated them shaped them into what they are today.*********“How amusing! Do you really think that being labeled as a [tyrant], a [bully], and a [villain] would be that outstanding?! Why don’t you come here right now and let me punch you in the face so that you can wake up from your f*cking delusional sh*t!”*********In his first life, for some unknown reason, he was betrayed, framed, and stripped of his status as a noble and labeled him as a “traitor” or in the worst case, a “villain”.Now, as he faced execution and prepared to die when suddenly an unknown entity called [system] offered him a chance to be a world-hopper and complete various tasks in different worldlines. The system also promised him to grant his greatest desire should he ever consent to be bound by the [system].With no other choice, he accepted the entity’s offer and after millennium years’ worth of transmigration, for some unknown reason, the system prompted him to be reincarnated back to his first life that he had forsaken….As the “villainous” Third Young Master of Marquis Chevalier Household from Stellarus Empire.

Today’s headlines –
   “The Malaysian Master has broken through nine products and fought the world!”
   “The pony master is the best, sweeping Eurasian!”
   “Joe’s helper once again, suspected of nine major masters!”
   “The god of the gods is not old, the global master list re-enters the top ten!”
   “…”
   Looking at a piece of news flashing, Fang Pingxin is so tired, this script is wrong!

- Description from 69shu.org

Eternal battlefield descended, and the reality transformed into a hellish place for those who couldn't awaken a class and those who were lucky enough to awaken were known Awakeners.When living beings turned Eighteen they might awaken their class and gain the ability to wield mana at their fingertips. Awakeners would venture into the Eternal battlefield to fight for survival, gaining godlike strength in the process.Dawn reincarnated into this world, strangely while just a few days old, he successfully awakened the Superhero class as a result he was forced to venture into a dangerous world with an infant body.Thankfully for him he managed to unlock some unique skills which allowed him to survive and thrive.....[Ding! New Class Achievement unlocked][Grade - Epic, Gazing into the eyes of Death with a smile][Have a near brush with death 1,000 times in succession in a span of a few days. Young hero, Death had been chasing you but you have been faster][Your efforts have been awarded, young hero, and a new skill has been unlocked.][Nine Abyss Laser Eyes Level 1 - Launch a laser ray with temperature exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius at your target.]