when does captain america: the first avenger take place

On our seventh wedding anniversary, I was straddling my Mafia husband, Lucian, kissing him deeply. My fingers fumbled in the pocket of my expensive silk dress, searching for the pregnancy test I'd hidden there. I wanted to save the news of my unexpected pregnancy for the end of the evening. Lucian's right-hand man, Marco, asked with a suggestive smile in Italian: "Don, your new little canary, Sophia. How does she taste?" Lucian's mocking laughter vibrated through my chest, sending a chill down my spine. He replied, also in Italian: "Like an unripe peach. Fresh and tender." His hand was still caressing my waist, but his gaze was distant. "Just keep this between us. If my Donna finds out, I'm a dead man." His men chuckled knowingly, raising their glasses and swearing their silence. The warmth in my blood turned to ice, inch by inch. The one thing they didn’t know was that my grandmother was from Sicily, so I understood every word. I forced myself to remain calm, keeping the perfect smile of a Donna fixed in place, but the hand holding my champagne flute trembled. Instead of making a scene, I opened my phone, found the invitation I had received a few days ago for a private international medical research project, and tapped "Accept." In three days, I would disappear from Lucian's world completely.

In the fog-choked steam city of Verlock, Chloe Ashborne survives a brutal family massacre and hides herself as a disfigured, mute maid sneaking into the obsidian Clock Tower Manor—the stronghold of the cold and powerful Duke Liam. Covered in wax scars and pretending to be timid and clumsy, she hides her true identity as the last heir of the Ashborne mechanical clan, a master toxic healer, top gear decoder, and deadly combat fighter. Her only goal is to retrieve the sealed case files that record the truth of her family's murder from the manor's confidential machine room. As she lurks in the shadows, she repeatedly arouses Liam's suspicion and curiosity. She narrowly escapes frame-up and fatal traps set by the jealous captain of the female guards, saves Liam from fatal steam poison and assassin attacks, and secretly controls the manor's defense gear system in crisis. While the line between hatred and attraction blurs, Chloe's layered disguises are gradually stripped away one by one. When she finally breaks into the secret chamber to obtain the files, she falls into a carefully laid trap, and her true face and identity are completely exposed to Liam. The two fall into misunderstanding and confrontation, until the real murderer behind the massacre launches a full-scale attack on Clock Tower. Standing amid fire, gunsmoke and collapsing steam machinery, Chloe and Liam lay down their hatred, fight side by side to defeat the evil guild, uncover the buried truth, and turn a revenge disguise into a fated love bonded by gears, steam and redemption.

Erin Moore believes her marriage to Seth Hart is just a transaction, so she studies hard and pushes herself relentlessly, striving to become someone worthy of standing beside him. When she finally becomes her best self, she realizes he has already cleared every obstacle for her and has quietly supported her dreams all along. Only then does she understand—true love doesn’t bind you; it helps you become who you are.

Erin Moore believes her marriage to Seth Hart is just a transaction, so she studies hard and pushes herself relentlessly, striving to become someone worthy of standing beside him. When she finally becomes her best self, she realizes he has already cleared every obstacle for her and has quietly supported her dreams all along. Only then does she understand—true love doesn’t bind you; it helps you become who you are.

Dorian Valmont, crown prince of the ancient Navorin era, awakens as a 6-year-old child in modern times after a drunken accident. With ancient wisdom hidden behind a child's face, he outsmarted every adult in the decaying Valmont family, tore down their corrupt legacy, and built a new empire from the ashes. Just when he's about to claim his rightful place as the head of the family, new enemies emerge from the shadows. Now, a storm is brewing—one that threatens to destroy everything he's built and expose the thousand-year-old secret he carries.

When the ruthless mafia boss Sable crosses paths with Daymond, a compassionate and determined doctor, their lives collide in an unexpected journey of obsession and unlikely affection. What begins as a tense power struggle slowly evolves into mutual respect. Together, they take on their enemies—and in the process, discover a love neither of them saw coming.

Elliot Blye spends all of his family's assets in order to cultivate the Top Crafting System. Only when his family falls from grace does the system finally get activated. Elliot receives the ability to craft as well as a newbie package. In order to save LumiTech, which is his family's company, Elliot sells off his assets at Olivia Ferrer's birthday party and gets her funding later on. With the system's help and Elliot's own skills, he will make LumiTech bigger and better.

Elliot Blye spends all of his family's assets in order to cultivate the Top Crafting System. Only when his family falls from grace does the system finally get activated. Elliot receives the ability to craft as well as a newbie package. In order to save LumiTech, which is his family's company, Elliot sells off his assets at Olivia Ferrer's birthday party and gets her funding later on. With the system's help and Elliot's own skills, he will make LumiTech bigger and better.

Philip Hinton, chairman of the Hinton Group, devises an extreme plan to temper his son Roger Hinton’s character and abilities. He strips off his expensive suits, dons faded work clothes, and sets up a cold noodle stall outside his own company headquarters. From childhood, Roger believes he comes from poverty and must fight to change his fate. Only when his father finally closes the stall does the truth emerge. The humble vendor was a billionaire all along.

The night before high school graduation, Ethan Luciano pulled me into his bedroom. His hands were rough, his touch demanding, yet my heart overflowed with a decade's worth of unspoken longing. I'd loved Ethan for ten years, and finally, it seemed my silent wishes had come true. Afterwards, as we lay tangled in his sheets, he whispered that he'd marry me after graduation. Once he took over the Luciano family's empire from his father, he'd make me the most cherished woman in the family. I believed him. The next morning, I sat curled up against his bare chest as he casually told my foster brother, Lucas, about us. My cheeks were flushed, and my heart raced, still clinging to the sweetness of the night before. However, then their conversation shifted into Italian. Lucas smirked, leaning back against the doorframe. "Not bad, Young Boss. Your first time, and the school's 'it girl' just threw herself at you. So, how's my little sister taste?" Ethan gave a lazy chuckle. "Looks like an angel, but a freak in the sheets. Who would’ve thought?" The room erupted in low, conspiratorial laughter. Lucas raised a brow. "So, should I call her my little sister or my future sister-in-law?" Ethan’s tone darkened, his arm tightening around my waist for a moment. Then he let out a sigh. "She’s nothing. Just practice," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I’m trying to hook up with the cheer captain, Sylvia Dawson, but I don’t want her thinking I’m clueless in bed. Cynthia Saville’s just a warm-up." He paused. "But don’t tell Sylvia. I don’t need her getting all emotional." They didn't know that I’d spent months secretly learning Italian, preparing for the life I thought I’d share with Ethan. I didn't say a word. Later that day, I quietly withdrew my early decision application to Caltech and applied to MIT instead.

After being jilted, Violet proposes to the first man she sees—who just so happens to be Sean, a former high school classmate who has always loved her. When he says yes, their marriage sets them on an unexpected path to revenge…and true love.

Kain Harris runs a small shop. He seems unremarkable. He is not.His abilities have quietly compounded into something the outside world, where the highest known level is thirty, has no framework to measure—wooden carvings that manifest as divine forms, comics that accelerate transcendence, a dog that devours celestial bodies, catfish soup that breeds dragons. His wife is a CEO. His admirer is a martial saint. His neighbors are the greatest cultivators in the nation, and they all know exactly what he is. The world beyond his street does not. When it eventually finds out, it will need a moment.

When they first met, he was a beggar, and she was wealthy. Years later, he became a CEO, and she, a humble employee. A twist of fate brought them together through an arranged marriage, revealing hidden connections. Misunderstood feelings and missed chances led to separation until a revelation prompted a second chance...

Aria was the beloved heir, but on her birthday, she was abandoned by her two Alpha fiancés, Adrian and Julian. The scheming maid Selena took her place, using a potion to fake a mate bond and steal their trust. Drowned, forgotten on her birthday, even wounded by their own hands — Aria's heart turned to ice. Just as everyone thought she would submit, she declared: ""I will marry Damien, the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack!"" The new engagement freed her and brought her a powerful guardian. When the truth was revealed, the regretful Alphas realized they had lost Aria forever—she was now the Luna of another pack.

When they first met, he was a beggar, and she was wealthy. Years later, he became a CEO, and she, a humble employee. A twist of fate brought them together through an arranged marriage, revealing hidden connections. Misunderstood feelings and missed chances led to separation until a revelation prompted a second chance...

In her previous life, when Marlene's son falls ill, she calls her husband Wesley Hoffman for assistance, hoping he can contact their family doctor. However, Wesley claims that his best friend's son is also sick, and the doctor is attending to that child. As a result, their own son dies due to delayed medical treatment. When Marlene finds herself reborn to the time before her son's illness, her first action is to divorce that guy.

Princess Freya Griffin spent ten years defending the borders to help her brother secure the throne. But when she learns her daughter was humiliated—an act by her husband and brother—rage and grief consume her. She divorces her shameless husband, abandons her treacherous brother, and vows to take everything he loves, claim the crown, and ascend the throne herself.

Tina Garcia's daughter, Candy Leed, clings to life after a terrible accident. She holds on, hoping her doctor father, Leo Leed, will arrive in time to save her. However, when Leo finally appears, he prioritizes his first love and her daughter, who are only pretending to be injured. He rushes them to the hospital and takes good care of them. Meanwhile, Candy, having lost too much blood, tragically passes away as she misses the critical window for treatment. Heartbroken, Tina then learns of the affair between Leo and his first love. Consumed by grief and anger, she vows to make them pay for what they have done to her daughter.