in the heat of the night: by duty bound

Betrayed by my mate and left to die in chains, I was rescued by the one man who shouldn't have cared—the Alpha King. I’ve survived the dungeon and escaped my past, but as I stand by his side, can a broken soul like mine ever truly find love again?

Olivia Jones had failed five times to win over the school heartthrob, Boyd Chappell. On her sixth reincarnation, the system finally suggested a change—try his quiet best friend,Ethan Carter.She braced herself for another uphill battle, but to her surprise, Ethan was easy to get close to. He remembered everything she liked, always showed up when she needed him, and even… had photos of her from all five of her past lives.Turns out,he had secretly loved her for years, silently watching her through every cycle of rebirth."This time… could you look at me?"he asked softly.Olivia wavered. She had come to fulfill a mission—but found herself falling for his quiet tenderness instead.When the system declared the mission complete and asked for her final wish, she didn't hesitate:I want him.—After all the chasing, it was the one who waited for her that became her true redemption.

Sophie, a beggar girl with a dying mother, is caught stealing food, but her capture reveals a Firemark on her forehead, proof of royal blood.Guard Harvey is stunned and rushes to report it. The emperor is shocked: "She's my daughter?" But his stepdaughter Lucy is furious, publicly tormenting Sophie and her mom. Worse, Lucy's mother, Consort Winson, orders the two girls to swap faces to secure her daughter's position. Sophie, now locked away and bled as the "princess," watches the impostor call Consort Winson "Mother." Sophie's real mother breaks down: "Why is my daughter calling someone else 'Mother'?"

Five years ago, Su Li and the fugitive Fu Jiuchen shared a whirlwind, passionate night that led to an instant and deep connection. But they were soon separated. Now, five years later, Li has a sickly son and is at her wit's end. Desperate, she decides to pawn the jade pendant Jiuchen had left her. However, fate takes a strange turn when Jiang Ting acquires the pendant and, using it as a key, infiltrates the Fu household pretending to be Li, bringing her son along. In order to raise money for her son's medical treatment, Li takes up a job as a maid in the Fu residence. Unknowingly to Jiuchen, the woman he has been searching for all this time is living right under his nose. Unable to resist his intense attraction, he finds himself drawn to her once more, repeatedly taking what he desires by force...

In a world of advanced martial arts and military prowess, Matthew Gilmore serves three years in the military in place of his brother,rising to Six-Star General. Upon his triumphant return home, his father Benjamin Gilmore coldly demands that Matthew transfer all his military achievements and honors to his favored son Zachary.Heartbroken, Matthew severs all family ties. Benjamin steals Matthew's military credits for Zachary. When Matthew tries to expose this conspiracy, Benjamin uses an enemy invasion as cover, deploying nuclear weapons to kill Matthew and silence him. Matthew survives but loses an arm.Matthew returns and exposes his father's crimes. He then travels to the capital with his close friend for the Star Generals Tournament, fighting his way through each round and emerging as a top-tier general. Having achieved vindication, Matthew protects the nation's peace and begins a happy life with his trusted companion.

After a second chance at life, Sandra escapes the treacherous Sean family and flees with her mother to the Wildes. There, allies Simon and Ryan help her navigate the Seans' treacherous schemes and traps. Culminating in both sweet revenge and a newfound love, Sandra weaves a tale of redemption and triumph.

On the day Natalie was discharged from the psychiatric hospital, she became unusually docile. However, her adopted sister was even more adept at pretending than she was. Her two brothers doted on their adopted sister while regarding Natalie with utter disdain, but she didn't care about it at all. Outwardly, she played the role of a well-behaved, sane person, but in truth, she had long since slipped into genuine madness!

After rebirth, Megan Whitmore transforms from Estania's top commander in the apocalypse into a weak and powerless heiress. At their first meeting, she's covered in blood but uses her superpower to help Dylan Smith win a street racing championship before leaving gracefully. At their second encounter during a high society banquet,she kicks her scheming sister into a pool, shocking all of Dragonstan's elite circles. Think you can control someone who's already died once?Good luck with that.

Aspiring painter Celine Anderson catches boyfriend Daniel cheating with her half sister Bella at a banquet. Seeking revenge, she kisses a stranger, Theodore Kane, who happens to be a major art investor and a billionaire. Theodore proposes marriage to appease his mother for her surgery, and Celine agrees if he grants her three wishes. Theodore must marry by 35 to inherit his family's fortune, and his siblings try to thwart the union. Amidst the chaos, Celine discovers her true identity.

Tina and Alan escape an orphanage as children, but years later, their reunion sparks jealousy and betrayal. As secrets unravel and hidden truths come to light, Tina confronts her past and walks away from everything she once knew. In the end, the reunited siblings stand strong, overcoming the lies and infidelity that once tore them apart, ready to face their future together.

Jana was the ultimate admirer of the school heartthrob Zell for three long years. She brought him breakfast, bought him medicine,and was on call 24/7, 365 days a year. On New Year's Eve, after her 1,081st confession was publicly humiliated, she declared "game over" and walked away. It turned out that she was actually the heir to the Carter Group. Three years ago, to win a bet with her childhood friend Zed, Jana had pretended to be a poor girl to pursue Zell. Three years later, with the bet concluded, Jana reclaimed her identity and left Zell. When Zell learned the truth, he was filled with regret. He teamed up with the malicious Wendy to seek revenge at Jana and Zed's wedding, but their plan backfired and they were utterly defeated!

In a frozen apocalyptic wasteland, Elara harbors a deadly secret: her blood runs like liquid fire, making her the world's last living heat source. Kael, the Citadel's most lethal and emotionless cryo-assassin, is sent to eliminate her. But a desperate struggle permanently binds their fates, injecting her burning blood into his icy veins.Now, a lethal curse forces them together—if they step more than ten meters apart, his system will combust and she will freeze to death. To survive, this ruthless killing machine must do the unthinkable: keep his prey dangerously close.As the freezing nights force them into intimate, skin-to-skin embraces, Kael's cold survival instinct morphs into a dark, irresistible fever. He was built to feel nothing, but as he strips away his armor to absorb her heat, he realizes he would burn the entire world down just to keep her safe. She was his target, but now, she is his only cure.

Professional male model Nathan Reed transmigrated three years ago into a world where humans and ghosts coexist. To survive, he returns to his old profession as a mortuary model for the dead. He even binds himself to multiple ghost wives just to stay alive. But an unexpected incident pulls him into a dungeon competing for national fortune, and the dungeon boss turns out to be one of his bound ghost wives.

Mandy's son and daughter-in-law, eager to make money from a bride price, pressured and threatened her—a widow for many years—into marrying Seth, a man in a vegetative state due to a car accident. With no way to refuse, Mandy went through with the marriage, feeling scared and reluctant. However, she was surprised to be warmly welcomed and treated kindly by Seth's daughter, Kira. At first, Mandy resisted the idea of staying, but over time, she grew more willing to remain by Seth's side. What she didn't realize was that Seth was slowly regaining awareness, deeply touched by her presence and care...

Customs officer Wynne Sutton died in the line of duty, only to wake up in the body of a character from a novel. She was now the wife of the hero, Lance Shelton. In this new world, she weighed 200 pounds and was mocked by everyone as Madma Pig. She also had a five-year-old son, Henry, who was considered slow-witted. Armed with a weight-loss system, Wynne was determined to turn her life around—and soon discovered that Henry possessed the power of prophecy: his words could come true, he could see people's nationalities, and he could hear their thoughts. When Henry said, "Aunt Lane has 'I am Gapanese' written on her head," Wynne became alert. Riding her motorcycle, she crashed a banquet and confronted Lance, who dared not acknowledge her. Thus began the dramatic tale of her spectacular rise.

Legendary diplomat Wanda Jason once left the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for love, only to be rejected by her husband, Marshal Liam Joy, and their son Felix. Resolute, she divorced him and returned to diplomacy under the name Wan,stunning the world once more. When Liam realized his mistake, it was too late. Yasmin Zeal,desperate to marry Liam, exploited her brother's life-saving debt and drove a wedge between Liam and Wanda, until her true identity as a traitor's sister was exposed. Regretfully, Liam went to war and died in battle, leaving a final confession: "My only wish was to grow old with you." Wanda, with her son and adopted daughter,took up a new mission—walking toward a new dawn.

Adana Young, a brilliant businesswoman, was betrayed in her past life by her own brother, Cecil Young, and her husband, Jeffrey Shaw.Manipulated into surrendering her entire career to her sister-in-law, Trista Saul, she never imagined Trista's treachery ran deeper; not only stealing her success but also secretly sleeping with Jeffrey, ultimately leading to Adana's tragic demise.Now reborn, Adana returns with vengeance. At her engagement banquet, she stuns everyone by publicly calling off her marriage to Jeffrey. As the rightful head of the Young family, she crushes Trista's gold-digging ambitions. But Cecil, still blind to Trista's deceit, remains under her spell. Left with no choice, Adana tears off Trista's mask, finally opening her foolish brother's eyes and proving what it truly means to be a powerful woman.

Evelyn, heartbroken by her boyfriend's infidelity, drowned her sorrows in alcohol and unexpectedly had a one-night stand with renowned pilot Grayson. Afterward, fate kept them apart. Evelyn forgot what Grayson looked like, but Grayson fell head over heels for her at first sight. He found her lost employee badge and sent his assistant to track her down. Unfortunately, the assistant made a mistake—Evelyn's coworker Katie claimed the badge and impersonated her, sparking a series of misunderstandings and conflicts between Evelyn and Grayson. Finally, heartbroken and disillusioned, Evelyn accepts her friend Liam's proposal for a fake marriage to comfort her ailing grandmother. Just then, Grayson returns and publicly steals the bride...‍