Pixiu Eatery No Way Out

One divorce. One hundred dollars. One hell of a mistake. Katherine West had it all, until her husband, George, dropped a bomb on their five-year anniversary: He’s gay, he’s in love, and she’s evicted. Left with a frozen bank account and a shattered heart, Katherine decides to go out with a bang. She spends her last hundred dollars on the most dangerous-looking man at The Gilded Lily, hoping for one night of friction to erase five years of lies. It worked. It was the best mistake of her life. Until the next morning, when a court order forces Katherine and George to live together for ninety days of marriage counseling. George has lost his fortune and moved them into his mysterious new lover’s penthouse to save face. The door opens, and Katherine meets her new landlord: Killian McLeroy. The man she hired last night. The man her husband calls the love of his life." Now, Katherine is trapped in a house of glass with the man who knows her body, the man who stole her husband, and a secret that could burn all of Manhattan down. Ninety days. Two enemies. One bed. Let the games begin.

I am the only son of the richest man in Fairmont. Before my coming-of-age, my mother selects nine girls for me, one of whom I am to marry when I turn 18. I choose Ruth Lonsdale, the girl who had grown up by my side since we were kids. But on our wedding day, Ruth secretly leaks my whereabouts to kidnappers and takes every single bodyguard my mother had assigned to protect me. After I am abducted, I call her and beg for help, but she answers with a cold laugh, "You're still acting? You had a bunch of thugs go after Jack, and I haven't gotten even with you for that yet! Anyway, I only took your bodyguards to protect him and make him feel safe. Don't make such a big deal out of it." She then hangs up. Enraged, the kidnappers stab me repeatedly before throwing my body from the rooftop. When I open my eyes again, I'm back to the day I'm supposed to choose my bride. This time, I didn't even glance at Ruth's photo. I point to the most ordinary-looking girl of them all and say, "I choose her."

I stand in the hospital after my two older brothers decline all 99 of my phone calls. They finally appear, bringing with them the biological sister they found. My gentle eldest brother, who had once rescued me from my so-called abusive parents, raises his hand and slaps me across the face. "Cynthia, you're actually pretending to have a terminal illness just to compete with Sarah for our affection? And you came to this kind of place to frighten us?" I clutch my swollen cheek and listen as my second brother, who always says he'll trust me no matter what, holds Sarah in his arms and laughs out loud. "Are you trying to fake being sick to get our attention after seeing that Sarah is in poor health? "Just cut the act. You've been living in luxury since childhood and have always been in perfect health. How could you possibly be ill?" Sarah Crawford speaks up thoughtfully, "Don't blame her, you two. I think she just feels like I've stolen away your love for her, which is why she has become so unreasonable..." I look at the two brothers who have doted on me for ten years and suddenly feel that nothing matters anymore. After all, I only have seven days left to live. In seven days, everything will return to normal after my departure. But by then, they'll be the ones unable to accept it.

I was preparing a gift for our six-year anniversary when my best friend sent me a photo of my Alpha boyfriend kissing another she-wolf. "Wait, when did you get to Chicago?" The she-wolf in the picture looked a lot like me, but it wasn't me. That's when I found out that my boyfriend of six years had been searching for replacements for his dead childhood sweetheart the whole time. I was number 5. The she-wolf in the photo was number 18. I rushed to Chicago and tracked down Lucas using his phone's location. "Dude, this number 18 really looks like Ally, even more than Sophia does!" "Nah man, Sophia still looks more like her. She's number 5 after all - if she didn't look so much like Ally, why would Lucas have stuck with her for six years?" Lucas flicked his cigarette ash, looking completely relaxed: "They both look pretty similar, but number 18's way better in bed. Sophia's too uptight." "I heard you had someone pick out a diamond ring. You planning to propose? To Sophia or this new chick?" Lucas leaned back into the couch with a cocky grin: "Haven't decided yet. Why don't you guys choose for me?" I turned around, my whole body shaking as a chill ran from my head to my toes. After calming down, I texted my best friend: "Your Alpha cousin, the one who had a crush on me and waited four years - is he still single?"

Tres años atrás, Mariana Ordóñez le había arrojado una suma de dinero a su novio, Emiliano Valdés, y había terminado con él sin mirar atrás. Después, había regresado al país para casarse por conveniencia. Tres años después, en la víspera de la boda de Mariana, Emiliano también regresó. El chico pobre de entonces resultó ser el heredero de la poderosa familia Valdés... y, además, el mejor amigo de su prometido. Ella lo abandonó. Él la engañó. Para Mariana, estaban a mano, así que decidió mantenerse lejos de Emiliano, de ese peligro al que no quería volver a acercarse. Pero Emiliano no estaba dispuesto a dejarla ir. Paso a paso, la fue acorralando, observando con burla cómo su prometido la hería. Frente a los demás fingían no conocerse. A solas, se enfrentaban en silencio. El único que conocía la verdad le preguntó a Emiliano: —¿De verdad la odias tanto? Emiliano guardó silencio. Después, Mariana rompió el compromiso y se fue al extranjero. Se convirtió en corresponsal de guerra. Entre el estruendo de las explosiones, Emiliano volvió a aparecer. Una bala perdida silbó en el aire. Con los ojos enrojecidos, Emiliano cubrió a Mariana con su propio cuerpo. —Aunque tengamos que morir... te mueres conmigo.

Fui la Beta principal del Alfa Damon. Durante seis años, fui su mano derecha y su compañera en la cama. Cuando anunció nuestro ritual de unión, la manada entera lo celebró. Mi sueño estaba a punto de cumplirse. Pero entonces, afuera de su salón de trofeos privado, lo escuché presumir sobre sus Pruebas de la Luna. Y en ese momento, supe la verdad. No era la única para él, sino una de treinta candidatas. Había pasado un mes con cada una de nosotras, calificando nuestros cuerpos, nuestra sumisión y nuestro desempeño. Mi calificación fue más baja que la de una Omega. Más baja que la de Lydia. —Lydia fue increíble. Apenas y podía separarme de ella. Y luego veo a Elysia… tan tiesa, siempre tan controlada… y la verdad es que… me aburre. La conmoción me paralizó. Dejé de sentir el cuerpo. Seis años de lealtad. Incontables noches entre sus brazos. Al final, todo significó menos que un capricho momentáneo y una loba que sabía arrodillarse. Mi dolor se convirtió en una resolución inquebrantable. Le envié un mensaje a un Alfa que me había pretendido tiempo atrás. “Adrian, dijiste que tu oferta de ser mi compañero seguía en pie. ¿Estás seguro? Ya terminé con Damon.”

Después de renacer, hice todo lo posible por evitar cualquier cruce con Sebastián Luján. Él se inscribió en la universidad más prestigiosa del país. Yo elegí irme a estudiar en el extranjero . Cuando viajó hasta Grandoria para buscarme, me fui todavía más lejos, acepté trabajos como reportera en zonas de conflicto. Años después, regresé a mi país tomada de la mano del hombre que amaba, para celebrar nuestra boda. Sebastián fue detenido en la entrada del lugar, sus ojos estaban enrojecidos, y sólo decía: —¿Por qué… por qué dejaste de amarme?

“Srta. Castro, preparamos um corpo idêntico ao seu conforme solicitado e o entregaremos no local do seu casamento com o Sr. Martins daqui a dez dias.” Ao ouvir a confirmação do funcionário do outro lado da linha, a tensão que há dias apertava os nervos de Naiara finalmente começou a aliviar. “Ótimo, muito obrigada.” “Não há de quê, é nosso dever. Pode ficar tranquila, ninguém vai suspeitar desse corpo.” Com essa garantia, Naiara soltou um suspiro de alívio. Após confirmar novamente os detalhes para o dia da entrega do corpo com o funcionário, ela desligou o telefone e empurrou a porta da sala privada. O burburinho que antes preenchia o ambiente cessou instantaneamente quando ela entrou.

“Ella is only a housekeeper, that is not my mother!” I heard the contemptuous words coming from the mouth of the child I had loved and cared for like my own for ten whole years. My husband did not love me, and his two children only regarded me as someone who served them. Until the moment I opened my eyes once again and was reborn at the age of twenty-two. And once again, the Oliver family forced me into a political marriage with Leo Dominic. “I agree, but only if I receive five million dollars.” I realized one thing: in this world, the most reliable thing is only money. When I met Leo Dominic, I received the marriage contract exactly as I wished. As long as I remained his wife for three years, I would receive freedom and one billion dollars! But suddenly, when I divorced and lived a carefree life, enjoying luxury, those people began trailing behind me and asking for love. “I’m sorry, Mom, I want you to come back home!” The children cried until they developed fevers and fainted, and the ruthless billionaire who had never once looked at his contract wife stood outside the million-dollar villa I had just moved into with my best friend all night. What should I do now, when I am clearly living a new life after divorce and happily spending money?

Everyone knew how much I was in love with Alex Carter. I was willing to do anything for Alex just to see him happy and never bothered if they ruined my dignity or worth. But to Alex, I was seen as a desperate shameless lady who wanted him by all means even though I knew he always had a lover. After we got married, he treated me like dirt and threw me in prison, accusing me of financial crimes. Killed by a jailer sent by him, I died with regret of loving him. When I woke up again, I found myself back on my wedding day with Alex in my previous life and realised it was an afterlife, a second chance at life. This time, I wouldn't let him ruin me twice.