why do deciduous trees lose their leaves in autumn

I'm lying here, my body burning from within as the wolfsbane spreads through my veins. Meanwhile, my Alpha mate, Ryan, is giving the antidote I discovered to his childhood sweetheart, Vivian. With what little strength remains, I beg him to spare just a portion of the cure—enough to keep me alive for a few more days while I search for another remedy. Ryan doesn't even glance my way. He snarls, "I can't believe you're faking illness when Vivian is fighting for her life! Control your jealousy before I lose all respect for you!" Under his command, I'm confined to my quarters to "contemplate my sins." In the end, the wolfsbane consumes me completely. When Ryan discovers what he's done, he digs my grave with his own hands, howling with regret that comes too late.

Leo is fated for disaster—until his master reveals the only way out: marry Wynne, the Sutton family heiress. But his outrageous demand for a 1.88 million dowry nearly makes her lose it. Things take a turn when Leo saves the beautiful CEO Jean, finally earning some respect. Back home, his future mother-in-law objects and pushes her daughter toward her childhood sweetheart, Martin—only for Leo to repeatedly put him in his place. So a deal is made. If Leo can get the Sutton Group into the Sky Trade Union, the marriage is approved. Armed with medical skills, he secures production deals, wins over allies, and even takes in a new disciple. At the Sky Trade Union Conference, Leo crushes his rivals, cures the chairman's decade-old illness, and seals the deal. In the end, with sparks flying, Wynne takes the lead and drags him straight to register their marriage.

"Why does your son look so much like me?" Upon hearing this question, Holly Shaw fell silent. Five years ago, her parents divorced, and her callous father expelled her from their home. In order to pay for her mother's medical treatment, she agreed to substitute for another girl's companionship that night. Now, five years later, she returns with two adorable children, determined to reclaim what is rightfully hers. Little does she expect to once again encounter the man from that fateful night—Allen Carter.

Xandra Quinn has only ever had her grades. So when school heartthrob Robert Miller confesses publicly, she shocks everyone by saying yes. She knows it's a trap set by her jealous rival Amelia Moore, but why refuse? Xandra stops studying, openly wasting time with Robert, while Amelia celebrates her "victory." What she doesn't know—Xandra already has a Harbard offer. On exam day, Amelia mocks her, only to find Xandra revealed as the national top scorer—with a perfect score.

Game streamer Rena Truman wakes up in a virtual interstellar realm as a top-tier heiress armed with a "villain system." To earn points and cash out, she throws herself into playing the vicious rich girl. But her 21st-century conscience keeps backfiring—every "evil" act she commits turns into an accidental redemption. When a disillusioned priest, a cold-blooded general, an innocent merman, and the empire's iron-fisted commander all gather around her, each falling hopelessly in love, Rena is left stunned. She was supposed to make them hate her. So why is everyone head over heels?

Game streamer Rena Truman wakes up in a virtual interstellar realm as a top-tier heiress armed with a "villain system." To earn points and cash out, she throws herself into playing the vicious rich girl. But her 21st-century conscience keeps backfiring—every "evil" act she commits turns into an accidental redemption. When a disillusioned priest, a cold-blooded general, an innocent merman, and the empire's iron-fisted commander all gather around her, each falling hopelessly in love, Rena is left stunned. She was supposed to make them hate her. So why is everyone head over heels?

Zac Lowe is a student who moonlights as a welder. One day, he receives an order that has requested a 16-foot mecha. In fact,the more sci-fi it looks, the better! Apparently, the beautiful customer who has placed this order wishes to give the mecha to her scientist grandpa as his birthday gift. She also makes sure to claim that she's super rich.Since building a 16-foot mecha is far too difficult, Zac is about to give up on the order when he accidentally awakens a Supreme God-Tier Technology System,which allows him to successfully build the huge mecha.At the scientist's birthday banquet, the mecha makes its first appearance there. Its extremely cool and polished appearance instantly attracts everyone's attention. This leaves the customer feeling very confused.Now that she thinks about it, she might have accidentally written the wrong measurements when it comes to the mecha's height…Everyone merely thinks the mecha is just a decorative model, nothing more. But when bright blue flames erupt from the mecha's thrusters, waves of hot air propelling from it instantly steamrolls the entire scene, causing the guests to topple from their seats in shock.

To prevent her stepmother from seizing control of the Sullivan Group, Chairman Yvette must secure the 10% company shares left by her grandfather for her future husband. She plans to pick a random candidate for a marriage of convenience, but after discovering a traitor among the suitors, she rejects them all. Instead, she marries the handsomest and poorest man she found at the city hall—Ethan. Soon, Yvette finds him not only diagnosing her poisoning effortlessly, but also nourishing her with rare herbs as if they were ordinary. She wonders, "Ethan claimed to have nothing, but why is everyone secretly calling him 'young master'?"

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'?"

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'?"

To prevent her stepmother from seizing control of the Sullivan Group, Chairman Yvette must secure the 10% company shares left by her grandfather for her future husband. She plans to pick a random candidate for a marriage of convenience, but after discovering a traitor among the suitors, she rejects them all. Instead, she marries the handsomest and poorest man she found at the city hall—Ethan. Soon, Yvette finds him not only diagnosing her poisoning effortlessly, but also nourishing her with rare herbs as if they were ordinary. She wonders, "Ethan claimed to have nothing, but why is everyone secretly calling him 'young master'?"

Zac Lowe is a student who moonlights as a welder. One day, he receives an order that has requested a 16-foot mecha. In fact,the more sci-fi it looks, the better! Apparently, the beautiful customer who has placed this order wishes to give the mecha to her scientist grandpa as his birthday gift. She also makes sure to claim that she's super rich.Since building a 16-foot mecha is far too difficult, Zac is about to give up on the order when he accidentally awakens a Supreme God-Tier Technology System,which allows him to successfully build the huge mecha.At the scientist's birthday banquet, the mecha makes its first appearance there. Its extremely cool and polished appearance instantly attracts everyone's attention. This leaves the customer feeling very confused.Now that she thinks about it, she might have accidentally written the wrong measurements when it comes to the mecha's height…Everyone merely thinks the mecha is just a decorative model, nothing more. But when bright blue flames erupt from the mecha's thrusters, waves of hot air propelling from it instantly steamrolls the entire scene, causing the guests to topple from their seats in shock.

The night before our 17th wedding attempt, my mafia husband, Rafaeal Holloway, looks at me and promises an uninterrupted wedding. He solemnly swears. "Gianna, I promise you. I told Natalia that even if the sky falls, she'll deal with it alone." I am five months pregnant by then. After three years of dating and five months carrying his child, we've never managed to make it down the aisle because he's canceled the past 16 weddings. Every single time, it's for his sworn sister, Natalia Sullivan. The first time, she claims she has a fever. I spend the whole night at the hospital, still in my wedding dress, just to find out she has a mild cold. The second time, she claims her chest hurts. Rafael abandons me mid-wedding and rushes to her side, while she's out laughing over afternoon tea with friends. The third time, she cries for fear of thunder. He bolts mid-vows and leaves me alone in a hall full of staring guests. But everything's different now. Three days ago, a letter arrived from Northern Silenzio. My father, the Don of the Rossetti family, has finally summoned me home. If Rafael walks away for Natalia one more time, I'll leave for good.

Sophie Quinn, from an ordinary family, dated Spencer Xavier, heir to a wealthy family, for nearly three years. After graduation, his mother's interference and Zoe Sanders' schemes indirectly caused her father's death. Heartbroken, Sophie quietly left with their dog.Four years later, Spencer reappears as her new boss and appoints her as his assistant. In public, he is a cold, untouchable CEO. In private, he relentlessly pressures her to explain why she disappeared. Though he claims it is revenge, he is always the first to protect her when she is in pain.When the truth is finally revealed, Spencer becomes her unwavering protector, even if it means standing up to his family.

After her father's betrayal destroys her family, Jeri Snider abandons her fortune and disappears, only to be saved by struggling entrepreneur Clayton Lynn. She helps him build his empire in secret, but once he rises to power, he turns on her, even cheating with her relative, July. When July exposes Jeri and sets her up to be assaulted, mysterious tycoon Craig Lawson intervenes. But why does he care? Jeri once left him without explanation, and now his sudden return feels… calculated. Is love the real motive? Or is this marriage just another trap? Jeri must outsmart them all—before she loses everything for good.

Six years ago, Winni and Chester were a loving couple, until Chester's old friend Ruth returned to the country. Ruth disguised herself with a kind face and became friends with Winni, secretly plotting to replace Winni as Chester's wife. Not long after, Winni became pregnant, but the doctor informed Chester that the child had no blood relationship to him. Chester iced out Winni and gradually grew closer to Ruth. Six years later, Winni's son, Ron, was critically ill with leukemia. Only Chester's bone marrow could save him. In order to please Chester, Winni had to bow down to Ruth. However, during their interaction, she gradually uncovered why Chester thought Ron was an illegitimate child.

Felix Asher is one breakthrough away from immortality and completely stuck. His master's solution: descend the mountain and find the woman bearing the Dao mark. He finds her on his very first night down. Faye Linden is a powerful CEO who has no idea why this man keeps showing up wherever she goes, and even less idea how he ends up as her boyfriend. Felix rolls with it. She has enemies, and a cultivator with mastery over medicine and combat turns out to be exactly what a CEO in a dangerous city needs. He heals, he fights, he baffles everyone around him, and somewhere between the boardrooms and the battles he stops thinking about going back up the mountain.

I go into business with my childhood friend, Ian Ziegler. The business is a success, earning 1.2 million dollars in profit. Ian gives me my share—a whopping 5,000 dollars. Noticing my dissatisfaction, Ian puts his arm around my girlfriend, Nina Foster, and tosses the keys to his Bentley onto the table. "What, is five grand too little for you? Fine. Since you're so broke, I'll give you a chance to turn things around for yourself. There's going to be a soccer game tonight. We're both going to place our bets. If you win, you can get all 1.2 million, plus my car. "But if you lose, your girlfriend's mine. You'll also have to get on your knees and lick my shoes right here in front of everyone." Everyone else in the room cackles gleefully, eager to watch me humiliate myself. Smirking, I nod. "Sure. I'll take that bet." These people have no idea that five years ago, I'd single-handedly taken down the Northwest Aravian illegal soccer betting circuit. I'd set a trap for a match-fixing syndicate, beating the crooks at their own game. I'd walked away from that life after that. But now, Ian has seriously decided to challenge me to a soccer bet?