《To tame an Earl (four hoydens #2)》Chapter 8
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"What's wrong, Alice?" Sarah asked her as she sat in her seat.
"Nothing," Alice tried to smile at her, but she feared that it may have looked like a grimace.
"You followed Ralph out and you ran back in without him," Vanessa narrowed her eyes.
"I had to relieve myself, you know I have a tiny bladder," she replied, knowing neither of them were going to believe her.
She certainly couldn't tell them that Ralph had kissed her, that she'd let him, that she'd more than participated in it and that she'd enjoyed it even. She couldn't tell them that she felt strange and flustered, that no kiss had ever made her feel that way.
But most of all, she could never explain to them or to herself why her chest had hurt when Ralph had continued on his way to meet Vitoria Ludovica seconds after their kiss. Alice had peeped out of the door when she'd reached the box. She'd seen him go down those stairs. To Vitoria.
Mercifully, Sarah and Vanessa stopped hounding her after a while.
Ralph had managed to almost convince her of his innocence, she'd been close to trusting him again. But not anymore. He won't been able to fool her this time.
And this time, she was going to expose him. To Rosalyn, if not to the ton. She had to do it to protect Rosa.
To protect herself.
Ralph had earned the title of a gentleman. No one would believe her words unless she had proof.
So she decided she would follow him. Surely he would make a mistake somewhere. And she would do so while giving him a taste of his own medicine.
He didn't want her talking to Sir Bates, did he?
Ralph returned in time for the next scene.
Only to find Alice giggling with that bastard Bates.
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What the hell?
He knew Alice could feel his gaze on her but she refused to meet his eye. Bates didn't look at him either. He was looking at Alice with unveiled lust. How could she talk to that toad?
"You're so funny, Sir Bates," she laughed throatily, angering Ralph more.
"You must call me George," the toad smiled.
Ralph turned, unable to watch what was happening.
Sarah and Vanessa were looking at him sympathetically. He ignored them.
Why did Alice have to defy him at every turn? Had that kiss meant nothing to her? He knew it had affected him, changed him in some elemental way. But he didn't want to dwell on that just now. He needed his wits about him until this case was solved and if he thought about that kiss, he wouldn't get anything done.
"We have a few unoccupied seats here, would you like to join us in our box, George?" Alice asked bastard Bates.
"I'd be honoured, provided Lord Orford doesn't mind," he said and looked at Ralph, his eyes gleaming.
"Why would Ralph mind?" Alice said airily, turning and finally looking at him.
"Yes, why would I mind?" Ralph replied, his voice dangerously low. Bates had the gall to smirk, the wretch.
When they took their seats, Alice decided to choose the seat in the row in front of them. And so she was alone with Bates in that row leaving Ralph with Sarah and Vanessa.
He tried to act like it wasn't bothering him.
"You'll burn a hole through his head if you keep staring at him that way," Sarah said, throwing him an amused sideways glance.
Was he that obvious?
Ralph tried his best to focus on the Opera after that. Tried, but failed. He was a spy and it was his job to keep an eye on a suspect, he justified to himself as he went back to staring at Bates' balding head.
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He realised something then. Alice was enjoying this no more than he was. Her shoulders were stiff and her laugh was fake. She was only doing this to annoy him.
Unbeknownst to him, the corners of his mouth lifted a little. He was positive that he was expressionless this time. But then that cheeky toad had to bend closer to Alice and whisper something in her ear.
That was it. Ralph's thinly leashed control snapped then. He stood up and made his way to the front row, not bothering about blocking the view of the few people behind him.
Alice's eyes widened when he went to sit on the seat next to her. She was looking at him as he was mad. He turned to look at twin expressions of shock on Sarah and Vanessa's faces. He merely offered them a shrug and a, "I couldn't see a thing from there. Terrible seats."
Vanessa snorted and Sarah grinned.
Alice was not amused and neither was Bates. The man's face was as red as a tomato. It did nothing to improve his below average features, Ralph thought distastefully.
"What is wrong with you?" Alice whispered furiously.
"Why my lady? Are you upset that I interrupted your tête-à-tête with Bates?" he asked in a tone harsher than he'd intended.
He knew he was baiting her. But he was tired of her childish behaviour. Tired and angry.
She turned away from him and leaned a little to her right. Towards Bates. He threw Ralph a victorious look over Alice's head.
Really?
After a few minutes, they were all silent. Every single person in the audience entranced by the singer's voice. Everyone except Ralph.
He was thinking about how his life would've been much more easy if not for Lady Alice Woodbury.
And then she shifted a little. Just so that her skirts brushed against his leg. Ralph fancied that he could feel the shape of her calf as it rested against his leg. It lasted only a few seconds because she shifted again. She had never been good at keeping still. And she was a fidgeter. Alice was not as poised and elegant as she would've liked the ton to believe.
She squirmed again, moving her bottom this way and that on the seat. Good God, she'd make a terrible spy, he thought amused even as his body was reacting as though she was squirming on his lap and not the seat.
A particularly comical scene had the audience laughing, even Ralph chuckled.
He turned to look at Alice who was laughing in a very unladylike manner, her mouth open, her eyes squeezed closed as she forgot about how she was seated between two unpleasant men and just enjoyed the moment with unbridled joy.
It occurred to him then that while Alice did indeed make his life hard, he wouldn't have it any other way. All her hateful barbs were worth it because then he got to see this side of her as well. The part of her that was so passionate and expressive. He'd give his right arm to see her laugh that way for him.
Thankfully, the play ended after what felt like forever and Ralph could finally take Alice away from Bates.
She didn't realise what a dangerous game she was playing. And Ralph could do nothing to protect her from Bates. From herself. Why did the woman have to be so stubborn?!
As Alice bid him a stiff goodnight, Ralph was surprised to discover that he'd actually enjoyed this Opera. Enjoyed Alice Woodbury.
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Rise
Su Xue, a woman in her mid 20s, is struggling both in paying rent and finding her path in life. Her latest stint has her trying to become a popular League of Legends streamer, though to poor results. One day, she is interrupted in the middle of a livestream by a surprise visit from her landlady. She is informed that she will be having a new roommate. The landlady’s nephew, Lin Feng, a 18 year old boy who has just transferred over to Shanghai for his last year of high school.Though initially opposed to it, Su Xue reluctantly agrees to the arrangement. She learns that the two share a common interest—League of Legends—and that he’s really amazing at the game. Lin Feng also reveals to her he wishes to become the best professional League of Legends player in the world.The next day. Lin Feng attends his first day of school as a transfer student at High School 13. He meets Ouyang and Yang Fan, and the trio find a common passion in League of Legends. Lin Feng is then introduced to Ren Rou, the president of the esports club with a fiery personality, and Tang Bingyao, a quiet bookworm with a love for money and a surprising talent for the game.A little about Lin Feng’s past is revealed. He was a once pro player, the youngest in history and a contender for the best player in the world. Until the finals of the Season 1 World Championship. There, he lost to his arch-rival, an equally brilliant Korean youth. That was the peak of his career, and also the turning point in his life. He stepped down from his team and disappeared from competitive play altogether. Now, after a four year long hiatus, he aims to make a comebackOver the next couple of weeks, Lin Feng learns about the upcoming Shanghai 16 School Tournament, and that his school’s esports club had performed especially poorly the previous year. He agrees to coach the club’s team and help them win the first place trophy this year. And so, he starts the members of the club out on an intense training bootcamp.Meanwhile, the Season 5 League of Legends World Championship is taking place at around the same time. Tian Tian, one of Lin Feng’s former teammates and best friend, is on one of the Chinese teams playing at Worlds. After a poor showing, he is on the verge of a mental breakdown. Lin Feng witnesses everything in a viewing party with the esports club members and becomes worried.On the day of the Shanghai 16 School tournament, Lin Feng reunites with Tian Tian on the phone. He tells Tian Tian he’s going to return to the professional scene, that he’s making a new team and plans to invite him. But Tian Tian has to vow not to give up at Worlds and keep winning. Tian Tian agrees, and Lin Feng promises he’ll fight alongside him. Lin Feng then heads into his match with renewed resolve, to climb from the bottom all the way back to the top, and overcome the rival that defeated him so many years ago.
8 1136The Deal
COVER MADE BY Lakshminambiar --------------------Blair Sherwin, twenty-five-year-old from Los Angeles works for a cosmetic's company. She comes from a wealthy family, is spoiled, and gets what she wants. What she wants is to own and run her own company and when the cosmetic company goes up for sale she decided to buy it. The problem is the present owner is a devoted family man and will only sell to someone who is married and in a loving relationship. Blair is willing to do whatever it takes to get her hands on the company, even if it means getting married. She comes up with a plan to find someone who will agree to be a temporary husband. She has the perfect man in mind, someone she knew from high school, Austin Cooke. He used to follow her around like a puppy dog, knowing he had a crush on her she could get him to do anything back then and suspected she still could. Back then he was one of those nerds, a straight A student and not much to look at. He was her best shot so she looked him up. Blair was in for a big surprise when she tracked him down, he had changed and she was going to find herself in deep water, her smarts and beauty will prove to be no match for Austin.
8 192Walking Wet Dream
An ordinary girl falls for an extraordinary soldier.
8 194The Ultimate Puppeteer, Aristia's Brother || The Abandoned Empress
[Harem x OC] ・・・・☆・・・・☆ ・・・・A prodigy among prodigies. Is a way to describe him. Having no reason to use his full potential, he became a lazy person on his second life. Though he was lazy that didn't mean he became rusty, instead he mastered new things he never had time to learn in his first life.Already on his third life, he realised that he was in a manhwa he read about in his first life. The Abandoned Empress, he pitied the girls. Both suffering because of Fate and the Damn God.Read the story of how our protagonist deals with the path he took as a huge siscon."Nincompoops they're all nincompoops!"・・・・☆・・・・☆ ・・・・[Note: Do not mind the A/N's in the early chapters because the voting was years ago and it is now a harem]This story is undergoing intense formatting and editing
8 128Abstract Theories
Highest rank #10 in spiritual"Take me home, please-" She requested him in a broken voice. Haani paused to look in her direction for a moment but she refused to meet his gaze. Nodding more to himself, he understood at once what she meant by home. Walking towards her side of the car he opened the door for her. Without a word she got out and started walking towards the house before Haani could clasp his large hand around her arm to stop her. She abrupty stopped and turned around to face him. Her face as blank as a stone sculpture yet to carve. "It's not safe here." He informed her with genuine concern. "Then where is it safe? With you?"......Famous artist Haani Fateen knows that nothing comes for free, you always have to set a bait to catch your fish. So, when he finds the source of inspiration to his art, he sets his game. Sanari Abdul knows one thing, men are enslaved to their desires. So, when she finds herself trapped in his games, she can't escape anymore.
8 79Emilia ✔️ NOW PUBLISHED!
⚠️ Published version Available in Paperback & E-Book through Amazon!This WattPad version is a well-loved rough draft, enjoy it! But be warned it's the unedited, raw version of the book. •••Even when it seems that all hope is lost, is it truly lost forever? The continuation of Aiden. ♥️♠️-------**Mature Romance****Mature Audience 18+****Strong Language****Sexual Content**
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