Step by Step Ascend to Immortality - Chapter 26 - 27 The battle between avenues

[Mature Content!]In the heart of a bustling metropolis where ambition and dreams collide, Ella, a talented yet struggling artist, finds herself facing a crushing blow. Her world shatters as her ex-boyfriend exchanges vows with her former best friend, a betrayal that leaves her feeling humiliated and lost.Desperate for a change, an escape from her heartache, she impulsively agrees to a marriage of convenience with Damien Stone, a mysterious and enigmatic billionaire CEO. Damien, needing a temporary wife to appease his demanding board of directors and secure his position, sees the arrangement as mutually beneficial. As they enter this calculated agreement, both with their own hidden agendas, an unexpected spark ignites between them.Amidst the carefully constructed facade of their marriage, a genuine attraction blossoms, challenging their preconceived notions and altering the course of their lives in ways they never imagined.

Marrying her best friend was a dream come true for Kelly, but everything truly has a limitation.Pierce is Kelly’s first love, but as his best friend, she knew well there was always another woman deep in his heart.Lexi Gilbert. The woman Pierce could never forget even if he had already been arranged to marry Kelly.***Kelly finally realized their happy marriage of the last three years was just a beautiful dream when Pierce asked for a divorce just because Lexi returned.She could only be his best friend even if she was carrying his baby.***Since their friendship had become a cage, Kelly chose to set him free, as well as the miserable herself.But why then, it was Pierce who became the one who refused to move on?To make matters worse, her devil stepbrother also domineeringly stepped in at the same time, asking her to be his.***Her Prince Charming vs. Her Devil Stepbrother?How could Kelly save her heart in this battle of love and hate?

Eric Maddox, a 70-year-old American retired football coach once hailed for his tactical brilliance, now forgotten by time—closes his eyes for what he believes is a normal nap in his quiet Florida retirement home.But when he opens them, he's not staring at ceiling tiles, instead, he's on a touchline.Wearing boots in the rain.With players running on the pitch, fans jeering behind barriers, and the smell of cheap turf pellets in the air.“What the hell is this?”He’s twenty-five again, but it’s not Earth. It’s a world where football reigns supreme. A world where the sport is religion, its practitioners, deities in cleats. Coaches are revered, players are worshipped, and even the kit man gets treated like royalty.But there's one catch: none of it is familiar. The clubs, the players, the leagues, the competitions, and even the currency—they're all different. Alien. Like waking up in a dream where the rules are the same, but the language is foreign.As if that wasn’t enough, the body he’s now in? A youth coach with a laughable win record, a looming divorce, and a measly fifty thousand in the bank that his ex-wife is fighting tooth and nail to take. All of it.Just when the spiral seems inevitable, a monotone chime pierces the noise.[Initiating Golden Finger…][…45%… 75%… 100%][System Integration Complete.][Welcome, host. You are now bound to the Pro Manager System. Objective: Dominate the Football World. A new era begins]From washed-up has-been to chosen one of destiny, Eric Maddox is about to trade arthritis pills for tactical boards, and shuffleboard for Prestigious Cup glory.Because in this world, tactics are power.And on this touchline, he’s about to become a god.

'When the heart is talking, the head has no choice but to shut up!'Chin-hwa always had everything done and solved for him.He was a loved and adored omega child who was spoiled rotten by his three parents, his two elder siblings, his grandparents, uncles, and aunties... Basically everyone.Chin-hwa never lacked and always had his problems solved for him by someone else. But he felt he stood out too much.So, he decided to be a wallflower after entering college. He wouldn't be on top of the class but wouldn't be in last either.The middle spot was just right for him.He had friends like everyone else, wasn't a loner, and was good at communicating, just that he often kept his words in his mind and nodded in response.He was the kind of guy in a friend group who just went with what everyone else was doing, making little to no suggestions and listening to their gossip with just the right amount of interest to make him less visible.He felt this was perfect.But then one day, 'he' arrived. And at the same time, one of his friends asked him for help.Ah, it was the first time anyone was asking for his help, so he was dedicated to helping out to the best of his capabilities, to give that feeling of satisfaction, just as he felt when anyone helped him out, only... The kind of help he was asked of was a sorta... Complicated.His friend wanted him to link them to 'him' his close childhood friend... Ah, his first crush, in fact.Byul.His sweetheart to whom he had given most of his firsts.The young Alpha he grew up with, the young Alpha that shone like stars as his name entailed... had suddenly become so tall and handsome and... Irresistible. Such dominance of an Alpha.And so Chin-hwa finds himself secretly longing for his childhood Sweetheart, all while trying to hook him up with his friend.Great, how was that gonna work out for him?Will he decide to help out for the first favor ever asked of him despite his feelings, or will he give it up and fall heavily for Byul's charms?Hm, either way, he's still gonna fall, so let's find out together and see how it goes.#fluffy with misunderstanding #green flag ML #slow and steady