Drake stood there like a statue with a big grin on his face. And Shirley, she was also smiling the whole way up to her flat. It turned out to be a great night. And that was the first of many.
The next few days passed away happily. Drake and Shirley texted, called even video called each other. During one of that video calls, Shirley disclosed that she met her grandpa. She told him the back story and how she felt about it. Drake listened patiently although at some points he was boiling inside at how her father was treated, his face showed no outrage, understanding only.
Shirley has also talked with Sam. The very same evening after waking up she has driven to her friend's house and told her everything. Sam helped her and gave a new perspective on some matters. Because when she has woken up a part of her was so angry at her grandpa that she has decided to never go back despite her promise.
Aunty helped her calm down and they had a very long discussion. That night she stayed with them. She has already brought over clothes and some necessities that she would need in the morning like the urgent documents. She fell asleep in her aunt's lap while listening to one of her retelling of their childhood adventures.
It was Saturday evening and Shirley was all set. Grandpa would be arriving shortly and she has her bag ready. She was a little nervous as to what would happen. It was only natural, her heartbeat speeds up when she heard the doorbell. She quickly opened the door and as expected Grandpa was there with a big smile on his face.
During their journey, initially, the car was filled with silence and Shirley felt suffocated. Patrick sensed her discomfort and started asking her questions about her work. With her mind distracted Shirley calmed down and even started asking questions of her own. She was curious about her newfound family members.
Grandpa told her in detail.
David was his son who looked after his business, he might be a bit difficult to win over as her father and David had their differences. It was because he had him with Zara his first wife. She died when David was only six. David never seems to approve of his second marriage with Isabel.
Isabel loves him and treats him equally as Dean but David never actually warmed up to her either. David is married to Ellenor. She is a sweet one. She balances him. How in god's name she fell for David was really beyond him. But he was happy that both of his sons got to marry the love of their life just like him.
David and Ellenor have three kids Jackson and Justin are twins and Lily is the youngest. Jackson, he is the eldest and quite an introvert. He never gave a hard time to Ellenor, always the obedient one. He got married three years back and last year he became the proud father of a baby girl.
He has changed a lot since then. Daughters do that to fathers, make them open up. Jackson smiles often now. His marriage was arranged one. His wife Audrey is full of energy. Justin is an artist, he paints. He has also opened his own art gallery. He has not found his soul mate yet. He is searching for her. Justin is also a prankster and he gets along with Lily very well. Both of them are thick as thieves. 
This information surprised Shirley very much.
'I know what you are thinking, after your father left, I changed too. When Justin showed his love for paintings and David said no, I supported him. I could not change back past but the present was his to mold and he adapted.'
'What about cousin Lily? And grandma?' Shirley asked.
'Lily, she is a professor. She teaches literature. And she loves her uncle's works. We often have discussions over that. And as for your Grandma, I do not have enough words to describe her. You will learn about her when you meet her.'
This news also surprised her. She never thought that her grandpa would read her father's work. She was looking forward to meeting them.
After fifteen minutes they entered the villa. Grandpa has told her that all of them live here. Although Justin has his bachelor pad. But when it was told that Shirley was coming and staying here for the night he also came back.
He wanted to meet his cousin.
It really was a full house. As soon as she saw the main door she spotted them. They were standing there outside waiting for her. This somehow warmed her insides. Never has she thought that she would feel like this. One of the twins rushed ahead and opened the car door as it stopped moving.
She assumed by the mischievous smile that he must be Justin.
She got out and was engulfed in solid arms. He faintly smelled of oil paints. Shirley relaxed. This smell was familiar to her. Her brother, Dennis also liked to paint. Her eyes got misty and she hoped that these tears won't fall.
It might ruin the lovely atmosphere.
She was then passed into many arms like a toy. One by one she was hugged almost by everyone and finally the last one, her grandma. That felt warmest. After the hugging session, they were chased into the house by none other than Grandpa.
Lily showed her room and along the way she told her many things. Shirley was reminded of her friend Sam. She was one chatterbox. Shirley wondered how her friend was doing. It has been some time and she has not called her. Shirley decided to change that but tomorrow when she leaves here.
'So this is your room. Did you like it? I did not know what color you would like so I decided on light violet. It has a slight resemblance to your eyes. Grandpa told me so I thought that you might like it. So I went with it. Everything here is personally selected by me. I have always wanted a sister but I got not one but two elder brothers who like to torment me. But now that I have you, and the scale is even we can overpower them.' Lily stopped and then turned to look at Shirley with wide brown eyes that oozed excitement.
Shirley was sure that her eyes held magical powers as she was already convinced by them. They seemed hypnotic.
'Okay okay. We will have our revenge.' Shirley said and then raised her fist in the air as if declaring war. Both of them laughed at that.
Shirley was pampered a lot, that was given. She basked in the love that everyone showered over her. Her Grandma baked lots of goodies for her. Shirley loved them all but her favorite was Lemon pie. She also got to see the picture albums. Naked Jackson running after an equally naked Justin gathered lots of laughter from her.
She was surprised to see that in childhood the roles were reversed. She saw many such naughty pictures of her cousins and made new memories. She bonded well with everyone. Shirley looked at the people standing together waving at her. She was feeling melancholic. She glanced at her uncle David and was surprised to see that he still carried the diary. He was not smiling at her but she could see the warmth in his old eyes.
This really was a huge development. She smiled and waved her hand for the last time. Then she drew herself back into the car and no longer looked back. Her time to go back came too soon to her. She did not want to leave. But she has to so with a promise to come and visit every Saturday and Sunday she left with lots of return gifts.
This time she was alone in the car. She has asked for that. She needed time to look over things that she experienced there and she did not want them to see her crying.
She recalled everything from the first stiff encounter with her uncle to an awkward one with cousin Jackson. But in the end, everything turned out well. She even bonded with Jackson. They shared a mutual love for computers. He had a degree in software engineering and loved to dabble in the world of codes. This made their bond stronger.
After getting to her apartment and having a shower Shirley looked at the gifts that everyone gave her. She was excited and opened them one by one.
A picture album from Grandpa and Grandma, her aunt gave her a beautiful necklace, Jackson gave her a pen drive, Aurdey's gift was a beautiful scarf. She was a fashion designer. Shirley thought that Sara and Audrey would get along very well.
They need to have a girl's day out soon.
Lily gave her a photo frame and surprisingly it also had a picture. It was a selfie they clicked. She wanted to have one with her cousins. How did she get it framed so fast? Shirley had no idea.
Lastly, it was turn for Justin's gift. There was no surprise there given the size of his gift. She has already guessed it. Most likely it is a portrait. Nonetheless, she was excited to see it. Justin has only shown her some pictures of his work and then given her the address of his art gallery.
She has promised to come and see it when she has time. When Shirley finally unwrapped it she was astonished. She was correct to think that it was a portrait. But what surprised her is the content.
It was a family portrait, her family to be precise. He has painted family of four and it looked so lively. Tears of joy welled up in her eyes and slowly they started to fall. Shirley quickly put away the painting fearing if it got destroyed by her stupid tears.
She got up and started looking for something.
Finally she found it, taking the nail and hammer she got to work. It was not new for her so she was done in no time. She hung the painting in her room and then stepped back to admire it. She took out her phone and then clicked a picture of it then sent it to Justin with a short text and heart emoji.
She was happy and grateful. She thanked God for giving her this opportunity to reconnect with her family she thought she never had.
It really was a blessing. 


Shirley was in a dilemma, she has two options, first, to trust her gut feelings or second, to wait it out.

Her instincts have never betrayed her but if she followed them this time, she was sure of her defeat. She can’t live in doubt. That is not how she lives her life. She gives her all or nothing. She has given her everything to this relationship. She has turned her back on rumors. And now, all of it has come to this point. It's now or never, she has never regretted a single thing in her life and she sure not was starting with this. So she took a deep breath and took the plunge.

Aaron was drowning in a sea of despair. He had declared her guilty in his own warped sense of justice by jumping to the conclusion. What he had thought of her betrayal turned out to be his misunderstanding. But what could be done now? She was gone, left without a trace.

How could he ever ask for forgiveness, nonetheless, a second chance when she is not here? Even if she was here does he deserve her forgiveness?

In the end, it was he who had abandoned her without giving it a second thought.

What will happen when destiny gives him a second chance? Will he be able to grasp it with both hands or let it slip like sand between his clenched fists?

Or there will be someone else who would whisk her away?

As time passed by, the queue gradually lessened and it was finally their turn to purchase the tokens, but there came the problem!
"Remove your masks, let us verify that you people are people who are not wanted by the Tripartite Alliance." A person spoke monotonously as if he had said these words plenty of times.
He stood there with a languid look on his face, urging the other party to be quick with his eyes.
A few meters away from him to the right, were some members of the Tripartite Alliance, sitting on some chairs as they yawned. Some cast a look over to Davis's entourage while some other cultivated as if they weren't bothered about the crowd.
'Sixth Stage Cultivators...' Davis silently mused and waved his hand.
A token plate appeared in his hand which he then displayed to the person who told him to remove his mask.
[Mid-Level Sky Grade Alchemist]
Davis held the token and flipped to display the rear of the token which had the words [Thousand Pills Association] inscribed. The person's brows slightly lifted up and he then shot a look towards the other Sixth Stage Cultivators to the side.
One of them stood up and slowly walked to their side before verifying that the token plate was not forged with a few known means. He then nodded his head at the person and looked over to people behind Davis, however, he did not gaze intently and moved back to his position in quick steps at if he could not wait to laze around.
Behind the mask, Davis's lips curved into a grin as he knew that the Misdirection he cast on the Sixth Stage Cultivator worked.
Otherwise, there was a chance that the person would've asked who were all the people who were behind him, leading to an awkward situation.
Of course, he could just work his way out by giving out various reasons, but suspicion would be more or less cast over his group.
And as expected, the person in charge of handing out the tokens glanced at the people behind Davis before glancing at the Sixth Stage Cultivator, wondering why that person did not choose to check the people behind the Alchemist.
At this time, Davis cast Misdirection on the person in charge of the inspection and made him think that the queue should be relieved as soon as possible.
That person with a Fifth Stage Cultivation didn't even wonder why he suddenly thought of the matter like that and asked, "How many tokens does Esteemed Alchemist need?"
"Twenty-two..." Davis answered and indeed his group held twenty-two people including him.
Evelynn, Claire, Logan, Princess Isabella, Jackson Lars, Katrine Blackwell, Imryll Berilan, Mulia, Hadian, Uncle Erik, Ophelia, Sasha, Haus, Daniuis, Lucas, Lucia, Nina, Su Hualing, Su Huabing, Su Huajing, and Su Hualing's child.
From their initial five to twenty-two people. Even he didn't expect that his trip to the Alstreim Family Territory would be this hectic.
Maybe if Ellia and Shirley didn't make a mess in the Desolate Plains, he would've been able to quickly arrive at the Alstreim Family Territory along with his initial five-member group.
However, if Shirley and Ellia didn't create that mess, he wouldn't have had a chance to meet his aunt Lucia and save her family from the clutches of the Tripartite Alliance.
Davis had some inkling to this phenomenon, wondering if it was the working of fate.
The way he thought, if Karma Laws existed, then why can't laws governing fate can't exist? Perhaps, even laws governing destiny existed but cannot be comprehended.
Nevertheless, this was such a silly thought that it made him inwardly laugh and even if Fate Laws and Destiny Laws existed, he garnered that it would be in the control of the heavens.
As for why he was sure that there was the presence of the heavens, it was because Fallen Heaven had spoken so in the past. It even said that the underworld doesn't exist.
Only the cycle of reincarnation that cleaned out the souls of a person to reincarnate them existed and that too was in the control of the heavens according to Fallen Heaven.
When Davis thought about it, it really made sense.
The 'heavens' was not like a god, who can only display his or her grand character by defeating evil and saving people. As far as he heard, the 'heavens' was a neutral kind of presence that reigned over the entire cultivation universe.
At least, that was what he heard from Fallen Heaven when he used one of his chances to inquire about the heavens.
By this time, another person exited from the compartment and had 22 green tokens in his hand, placing it on the table before heading inside.
The person who spoke to them opened his mouth, "That would be 22 Mid-Level Spirit Stones or double the amount of Low-Level Spirit Stones."
"44,000 Low-Level Spirit Stones if you're paying with the latter."
Davis unhesitatingly took 44,000 Low-Level Spirit Stones out of his spatial ring and exchanged it for the twenty-two tokens which were only useful for making one cross the territory gates.
He pursed his lips and thought how much they would be earning each day but couldn't put a finger on it but he did feel that their expenditure would also be enormous, enough to not give them an enormous amount of profit.
Even if they profited enormously, it did nothing to the higher stage experts of the Alstreim Family since Low-Level Spirit Stones would only be helpful for Fifth Stage and lower stage cultivators.
Mid-Level Spirit Stones were helpful to Sixth Stage Cultivators.
For this reason, it's exchange rate could range from anywhere between 1:1,000 to 1:3,000.
Meaning, for one Mid-Level Spirit Stone, it could be exchanged for up to 3,000 Low-Level Spirit Stones depending upon the demand.
It might be even more when Mid-Level Spirit Stones turns scarce, and it's the same for High-Level Spirit Stones, just even more expensive.
Davis also paid with Low-Level Spirit Stones to be normal.
As a Mid-Level Sky Grade Alchemist, it would be a little bit suspicious to see him squandering 22 Mid-Level Spirit Stones instead of using Low-Level Spirit Stones.
For this reason, combined with millions of Low-Level Spirit Stones he had, he didn't bother losing much and just paid with Low-Level Spirit Stones instead of paying with Mid-Level Spirit Stones.
His group was then let into the huge gate which let people, carriages or flying boats enter the inner region of the territory gate. From there, they would have to walk out fly a few kilometers and get to the core region and enter the Territory Gate.
Davis's group choose to fly and they quickly arrived at the core region.
When they saw the towering territory gate, they were all flabbergasted and the sense of awe in them only increased.
Davis took a step forward and walked through the translucent Territory Gate, followed by the others. As they walked through the territory gate, they didn't feel much other than a heavy pressure weighing on them.
However, the pressure was equal to all, regardless of the cultivation base they were at. This was common knowledge to people who frequently entered territory gates but to Davis and the ones who hadn't experienced traveling through the gates, it came as a shock!
Even Princess Isabella who had the toughest body and physical might despite her frail build was slightly trembling from the pressure, her eyes displaying a shocked expression!
[The novel you are reading is from 'webnovel.com'. If you are reading this in any other site, then it is stolen content. Please visit the website to read and support or at least support the novel by voting power stones.]


Tian Long, an orphan without much of a life in both his thirty year long life and lifespan!
To him, a single opportunity was displayed to transmigrate into another world with his Death Book!
"What's this? Is this the body of a three year old? Davis? Is this my name from now on?"
Finding himself possessing a small child, he becomes inwardly conflicted before he faces the truth and his reality! 
Young Davis finds himself as the legal heir, the Crown Prince of the Loret Empire in the Grand Sea Continent, becoming a powerful cultivator in a short time...
However, is that all?
Follow his journey as Young Davis becomes a full fledged death's advocate while embodying into the Divine Emperor of Death in the world of cultivation!
"Mn? The route to become the Emperor is a given? Nah, I still don't want it..."
"Oh? I'm courting death you say? Unfortunately for you, death is already my woman..."

==
Almost 200,000 (Around 170 Chapters) words available for free!
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P.S. Cover is not mine, so if you want it taken down, please message me. Credits to the cover goes to the real owner, not me.
==

English isn't my main language. 

==

Discord link
https://discord.gg/xcqXR6p

==

Power Stones Ranking
We've reached around 30's so far in 2018, 70's in January 2020. hope we can make it again! 


Power Ranking Milestone (Updated : 6th July 2020)
We've reached 75th the previous week.
Top 70 - 1 Bonus Chapter + 15 chapters per week
Top 65 - 1 Bonus Chapter
Top 60 - 2 Bonus Chapters 
Top 55 - 1 Bonus Chapter
Top 50 - 1 Bonus Chapter + 16 chapters per week
Top 45 - 1 Bonus Chapter
Top 40 - 2 Bonus Chapters
Top 35 - 1 Bonus Chapter
Top 30 - 10 chapters mass release! 

Other than this, I'm planning for individual mass releases as well but don't rely on it.

"Then what makes you so angry?"  

At this time, Shirley did not know why her father had flared up. She did not know that Jean, who had always smiled and borne all hardship from her family, had completely changed. Jean had now become bold enough to directly challenge their father.  

At last, Mr. Wen's mood became slightly more stable. He turned to face his daughter. He glowered as he spoke, "Zed terminated the process of the land transfer."  

"terminated!"

When Shirley heard what had happened, her mood worsened. Her expression hardened but her tone gave away the worry she felt.  

No wonder her father was so angry. She knew that her father had worked really hard to get the land.  

"It must be because I beat Jean. She is such a disobedient daughter. After what happened last night, she must have complained to Zed. That must be why Zed stopped the land transfer. It's the only explanation."  

Mr. Wen was extremely upset. He gnashed his teeth and cursed Jean so much that he did not notice Shirley's reaction. From his outburst, it was rather obvious that his hatred toward Jean was strong.  

Shirley thought for a moment and then said slowly, "Dad, don't be cross. You said that Zed only terminated the transfer process, right? This proves that it is not quite over yet. So if we butter him up, there might be a chance!"  

"Butter him up? It is by no means easy. Now, whether Zed will see me or not is a different problem altogether. Besides, I kicked Jean out of our home yesterday. She is Zed's wife. Even if they have a bad relationship, our behavior toward her will bias Zed. That is a fact, " said Mr. Wen.  

As he discussed alternatives with Shirley, Mr. Wen calmed down. With a clear mind, he was able to look at the problem from all angles.  

He cursed himself for beating Jean the night before. Had he known how Zed would react, he would have controlled the anger he felt when he saw what Jean had done.  

Instead of acting harshly, if he had talked with Jean more calmly, he might have had the chance to change this situation into a better one.  

Mr wen was seized with remorse. 

When Shirley heard her father talk about Jean and Zed, she felt very jealous and resentful. Jean was undeserving of this opportunity to marry such a rich and influential person.  

After a bit of hesitation, Shirley contrived an eager, ingratiating smile and said to Mr. Wen, "Dad, how about letting me talk to Zed."  

The tone of her voice allowed Mr. Wen to guess what she was thinking.  

And since Mr. Wen knew his daughter, he was certain that talking was not the only thing on Shirley's mind.  

Once he had guessed her intentions, Mr. Wen turned to face his daughter. Her eager expression confirmed his fears.  

So Mr. Wen glared at Shirley, and replied crossly, "That's enough. Isn't the situation messy enough already?"  
 " I just...."

Shirley wanted to say something more, but she happened to see her mother Joy coming downstairs leisurely. She suddenly seemed to think of something important, and so she turned to address her mother. "Mom, sister Jean... "  

"Your sister? That woman is not your sister!" said Joy.  

"Oh, I see." Shirley responded meekly before glancing at her father. He still looked gloomy. She knew he must still be thinking about the land.  

Joy also noticed her husband sitting next to Shirley. As she neared, she could feel the awkward silence between father and daughter. She didn't know why they were behaving like this.  

"Are you troubling your father?"  

Joy asked.  

Shirley feigned innocence. Her lips curled in a frown and sadness reflected in her eyes. She looked like she was about to cry. "Why would I trouble my father?  It was my sister, Jean, who asked Zed to take back the land."  

"What?" Joy looked as if she had discovered a new continent. She was certainly shocked that Shirley had referred to Jean as her sister again.  

"I mean, I mean that..." Shirley cast a quick glance at her father before speaking in a low voice, "I mean that woman, Jean, tricked Zed into stopping the land transfer process."  

"What?"  

Joy exclaimed again. Her tone was much sharper than before. It seemed that she couldn't believe what Shirley had said.  

Then she shifted her gaze to Mr. Wen and asked him anxiously, "Henry, is what Shirley just said true?"  

Mr. Wen was still annoyed by the termination of the transfer process. He was not in the mood to answer her question. Joy's tone and insolence angered him even more.  

When Joy didn't get an answer from Mr. Wen, she persisted as she wanted more information. "Is everything that Shirley said true? Did Zed take the land back?"  

He did not give an answer this time either. His face turned dark and his expression was grave.  

Shirley tugged on her mom's skirt as though silently imploring her mother to stop. Even a blind man could see that Mr. Wen was on the verge of losing his temper. And if he did lose his temper, the consequences would be terrible.  

Joy realized that she had approached her husband too aggressively. Perhaps it was because she had been anxious. She paused and composed herself before speaking in a much gentler tone, "I am sorry, I was too anxious. How do we deal with this situation?"  

"You are asking me? Who am I going to ask?"  

'Must I visit my son-in-law and beg him to give the land to me?' thought Henry Wen.  

Shirley leaned forward and whispered, "Actually, I have a solution."  

"I will never allow you to meet Zed. So if your solution is to talk to him, stop daydreaming." Henry Wen knew his present situation. 'If Zed is protecting Jean, anyone from the Wen family who says anything against Jean will not earn any favors from Zed.  

I don't know what magic Jean has done to earn Zed's implicit trust. Why is Zed so addicted to her? How does he benefit from canceling the land transfer?' thought Mr. Wen.  

Shirley smiled and shook her head slightly. She replied, "I know that you certainly won't let me go to Zed. And you know that he won't listen to us. We can't do anything to Zed, but it doesn't mean that we can't do anything to Jean!"  
jean!
 when henry wen heard what jean said, he narrowed his eyes.

growing up without mother can be hard. for Jean wen but life became worse when her father , Henry  brings home his mistress. 

with two half siblings intent on causing trouble. Jean was shunned by her Henry. desperate to earn his love, she agrees to be sacrificed for familial interest. she marries a rich CEO in exchange for a land her father wants. however her failure added complications with her family means that everyone abandons her. to find out the truth about her mother's death, she even risked her life." Is it a accident?" " or a murder?"  when her stepmother turns back at her father, she chooses to stand by Henry side and save his company from bankruptcy. 

Alone in the world Jean comes across her ex boyfriend. will his consideration rekindle her love toward him. will she be able to make her marriage work? turn the page to find out more!

South of the Alzar Kingdom mainland was the Teria Sea. Home to countless islands, it was a captivating sight to behold at any time of the year. Yet, it was also home to one of the most tragic conflicts in the Second Great Kingdom War: the Teria Sea Campaign. That campaign had ravaged the entire southern border of the kingdom for many years. Even after the war ended, the refugee crisis caused by it had not settled and that was putting aside the Invasion of Aereon or the Battle of the Millennium which followed shortly… It sufficed to say that the Teria Sea was one of the central battlefields of the war!
On Lour Island, atop of a large hill, was a single lonely tree. It was bare, swept clean from the winter, but fresh buds were growing on the branches. Shirley was knelt and had her eyes closed in a prayer before her father's gravestone. Shirley's mind was calm as memories of the past flowed into her head. Her mother, her father, her childhood… Each was lost, gone with the ashes of war. Her once happy family was shattered like that. However, it was not all bad. Her two brothers were still alive and well. She met Elizabeth, Benedict, and Freon. Life was moving on.
"Father, I hope you're well," she whispered. "I know that it hasn't been long since I came to visit, but I can't help but think you're lonely here." 
The wind rustled the branches as if replying to her. Shirley smiled and opened her eyes. Beside her was her two younger brothers: Charles and Robert. The older Charles had a slightly muscular build, forged from the years of working in the family business. The younger Robert was skinny but possessed a sharp mind. Both sported the same brown hair as their sister without the additional glamor that a girl would have. Right now, the two boys were still in prayer. Shirley felt grateful for them. If her brothers had died as well, she might have taken her own life too. In a way, they saved her.
Gradually, the two opened their foggy red eyes. Shirley hugged the two and together they descended back to town. Their town, Tino, was the largest settlement on the island with a mere several thousand inhabitants. The only reason people bothered with this island was its rich abundance of metals. Many miners had struck a fortune by mining here. That was why the island was owned by the Star Household, a Grand Nobility Household, which also attracted its fair bit of trouble during the war. 
However, that was long ago. Now, most of the mines had dried up. The war had made it worse, leaving the town as a shell of its former glory. Hundreds of families fled and many of the houses remained as ruins. Those that stayed had crudely patched up their homes with scrap wood or metal. People were barely living through the next day. Miserable and tormented, their mood had permanently transformed the atmosphere into one of dread and desolation. Just seeing the town from afar was enough to send Shirley's mood into melancholy.
She scowled further walking through the town as the townspeople shot her hostile gazes. That was no surprise. Her memorable return months ago on the Alzar Kingdom's crown flagship Excellica had showcased her closeness with the Royal Family! These poor people were simple folk. Whether it was the Alzar Kingdom or the Xingyuu Empire that ruled them, they did not care. If their lives were the same, then why care who wore the crown? But not everyone thought the same way which led to the tragic invasion years prior. Furthermore, the Alzar Kingdom and the Star Household had not bothered with this place! They were completely abandoned… So, obviously, their frustrations would turn into hatred for the Alzar Kingdom, especially the Royal Family!
Shirley inwardly thought that if funds were no issue and her mother was healthy again, they should move. The Zino Kingdom was a good alternative since it was nearby. Speaking of the Zino Kingdom, her mind fell onto Freon and her friends. She wanted to send a few letters out, but it was unfeasible. Ships rarely came to Tino and when they did, they were disinterested in couriering her letters. In fact, she had yet to learn about Elizabeth's one-year deadline since it was announced months ago in Algard… Thinking along those lines, she fancied the idea of popping in and saying hello to Freon. Of course, that was just a passing thought. Travel was not only expensive, but time-consuming. Without a good reason, she pushed that thought away.
"What are you thinking about?" Robert wondered.
"Hmm?" Shirley mumbled. "I was thinking about moving in the future. What do you think?"
"Moving? You mean to the Zino Kingdom? Aren't you worried about you know… Magic and all?"
"Charles, it's wrong to think like that," she said. "There are good and bad Arcanists, just like how there are good and bad people."
"I know but…" he replied wryly.
"When do you plan on moving?" Robert asked.
Shirley patted her little brother's head. "At least, not until mother gets healthy. I'm not sure how she would fare with the voyage."
"Have you thought about money? We'll need money if we're going to move," Charles frowned.
"Well… The family business…"
"You're planning on selling the shop?" Charles was stunned. "You're joking, right?"
Shirley smiled bitterly. "We don't have any business. No one wants to buy our wares anymore and worst of all, our father…"
Back when the mines were roaring, their father had moved here with their mother to start a blacksmithing business. Through refining and forging the raw metals, their business was exceptionally popular. Hardly a day went by without customers rushing in to request jobs. Thanks to that, they were able to accrue a decent wealth and buy a house next door. But nothing lasted forever. With the mines drying up and the invasion, their business essentially reduced to zero. And that was before considering that their father, the only blacksmith, had died…
"I'm just speaking the truth. When was the last time we had a customer?" Shirley sighed.
"It'll get better when I learn to become a blacksmith!" Charles shouted.
"Without the mines, who's going to bother?"
"There'll be new mines! We haven't dug through everything yet!"
"We have to face reality. We can't keep living like this…" Shirley also felt sad.
"I don't want to hear it!" Charles stormed off.
"I don't want to do it either…" she whispered. "What do you think, Robert?"
"If you think it's best, then I'll listen to you," he said.
Shirley laughed. "You're much more mature than your older brother."
The two returned home in light spirits just in time to see their neighbour, Inari Riverend. He was a suave-looking man with a clean beard. His clothes were always sharp, and his expressions were friendly. Despite that, he was unmarried without a family. Furthermore, Shirley had the strange feeling that he was hiding something, but she had no idea what it was. At the very least, it was nothing against her family. The man was an old friend of their father who moved in shortly after the invasion. He wanted to help the family in their time of need.
"What's the matter?" Shirley asked.
"It's nothing. I was thinking about heading to the Zino Kingdom for business," Inari replied while hiding away a piece of paper. His actions were so smooth that the two siblings noticed nothing. "How was Wilford?"
"Same as usual," she replied. "I think he might be a bit lonely up there. You should visit him too."
"I will. I will," he said with a smile.
"You said you were headed to the Zino Kingdom?" Shirley picked up.
"Why? Are you interested?"
"Maybe," she said, thinking if she should visit Freon.
"I shouldn't be gone for more than two weeks. If you want to come along, then you're free to. I can pay for your portion of the fare too," Inari purposed.
"I'd have to think about it more…"
"Don't take too long. The ship is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. The next ship will be in two weeks time."
"I'll keep it in mind," Shirley said as she turned around to face Inari. However, to her surprise, the man had vanished into thin air. She scratched her head in confusion.


Elizabeth Silvera, a simple girl, is thrown into the chaotic world of Sor where she embarks on an epic journey. Alongside Benedict Hawken, Shirley Adonina, and Freon Adnire, these four will rise from nothing to the top! However, it will not be easy. Strength is only gained through pain and suffering. This is the story of how these four not only change their fate, but also the fate of the human race and the world! From the weak and insignificant Rank 1 rising to the pinnacle Rank 5, their story of how they became legendary is here! This is the Chronicles of New Havens!

Book 1 progress: Completed! (2-22-2020) 
Book 2 progress: In progress... 
Estimated Arc 1 progress: 25% 

Chapter updates are either daily or once every two days. Please support the release!

Chapter 68: Disappointment 3

Amy Shen knew that Jin somehow saw her, but she pretended not to see him because it was better off that way.

She did not know how to respond or what to say to Jin. If Amy Shen told him that she was there quite early, she did not want to find out what would Jin thinks of her. So it was probably better for her not to talk at him at all.

Ling Qi was sweet enough to volunteer to send Amy Shen home, so Amy Shen let him send her home because it would be quite hard to catch a taxi around the jetty area.

Amy Shen thought she could get away with it. As she stood up, Jin stood up too and walked towards her direction.

"Amy…" Jin did not know what to say to her. He felt terrible about canceling dinner with Amy Shen only to be found out that he went out with someone else.

When Jin was in front of her, Amy Shen feigned her surprise. "Oh, hi." She even waved at Jin.

Jin was speechless for a moment; he did not know what to say to Amy Shen. Shirley Wang was looking at Jin and Amy from her table. Her face frowned.

"I'm about to go back. Enjoy your dinner." Amy Shen smiled, and without waiting for a response from Jin, she gestured for Ling Qi to walk away from Jin.

As he could not say anything, Jin can only turn around and saw Amy Shen's back. Jin did not know what went wrong, but everything felt wrong to him at the moment.

"Is that your friend with her boyfriend?" Shirley Wang had a hunch about Amy Shen, but she purposely asked Jin to confirm her intuition.

"Not her boyfriend." Jin answered begrudgingly. When he realized that his tone was not right, he smiled and tried to ease the atmosphere. "Our food is here. Let's dig in."

Shirley Wang could not help but remember the lipstick she saw in Jin's car. Jin put the lipstick on the car dashboard, so Shirley Wang saw it. She did not ask about the lipstick, but now that she saw Amy, Shirley Wang could not help but think there must be something going on with Jin and Amy.

After dinner, Jin sent Shirley Wang back to the hotel. Even though Jin had a feeling that Shirley Wang wanted to spend more time with him, but Jin tactfully said that he wanted to send Shirley Wang back early so that she could rest soon for her journey the next morning.

The excuse was believable enough as Shirley Wang agreed and went back to the hotel docilely. Even if the reason was not credible, there was nothing Shirley Wang could do to make Jin spent more time with her.

After saying goodbye to Shirley Wang, Jin drove to Amy Shen's apartment complex without realizing it. He automatically drove and turned to junctions until he reached Amy Shen's apartment complex.

Jin stayed inside his car. He thought about twenty things that he could use to apologize to Amy. He did not know why, but he had a feeling that he better asks for forgiveness from Amy Shen regarding today's event.

He had a hunch that said if he did nothing to mend the thing he did today, the kittens at home will not have their mommy anymore.

But no matter how much Jin thought of words and topics to start a conversation, he could not do it. Jin stared at Amy Shen's room and wondered what she was doing at the moment.

Jin did not realize how much time he spends wandering what Amy Shen did or felt at the moment that he did not know that the time was already so late. If Qiao An did not call him, he might spent his night staring at Amy Shen's room until the light went off.

"Brother, how could you? It's not even ten o'clock, and you already lock the door." Qiao An even put sad emoticon at the end of her sentence, which was rare for her to do.

Jin looked at his wristwatch and it was a quarter before ten. "I'm on my way," Jin replied Qiao An's text.

He looked at Amy Shen's room one last time before starting his car and went back to his house.

Qiao An did not know that Jin had cancelled his dinner with Amy Shen. Since Jin told her that he was on his way, Qiao An thought that Amy Shen and Jin had a good time eating dinner together until nine.

Shen Jun Shan was quite happy that he could spend more time with his girlfriend. They talked a lot during dinner, and Shen Jun Shan learned a lot of new things about Qiao An.

"Don't you think Amy and my brother are getting along well?" Qiao An knew that she should not be playing Cupid but even though how quiet she is, she felt like gossiping sometimes. Gossiping is in every woman's blood. Qiao An could not escape that.

Shen Jun Shan said nothing because he did not want to comment on things that he was not sure of. Of course, he thought that Amy Shen seemed to get along well with Jin, but Jin is not the only one. 

His sister gets along well with almost everyone. Amy Shen even got along well with all the young male workers in the company. The only difference is, Amy Shen did not want to hang out or go out with them – she was picky about who she went out with.

The new couple waited for Jin to come for about half an hour, but of course, they were not complaining. They used the time chatting and getting to know each other. Qiao An was quite shy around Shen Jun Shan because of their new relationship label but it was not a big deal. Everyone was like that at first.

Jin reached his house, and if he was on his right mind, he should feel annoyed to see Shen Jun Shan and his sister in the car alone.

But it just happened that Jin was not in his right mind when he came out of his car. Jin unlocked the door, waited for Qiao An to enter the house and after nodding his head to Shen Jun Shan, he closed and locked the door.

Qiao An waited in case Jin had something to say or to ask her, but to her surprise, Jin did not have any. After locking the door, Jin straightaway went to the kittens' room and petted them absentmindedly.

Curious about what happened to her brother, Qiao An sent a message to Amy Shen to ask her out for girls outing and lunch together.

"Just the two of us?" Amy Shen replied, almost immediately.

The question was a bit funny. Previously, Qiao An used to ask that question because she did not want any other person including Shen Jun Shan, to join their outing. Amy Shen never did that.

Now that Amy Shen acted like her, as if she did not want anyone to join their outing, Qiao An was curious. "Yes, only the two of us."

Amy Shen said yes to Qiao An's invitation, but Qiao An was still curious.

Her circle was small. She only went out with the Shen siblings and Jin, so their outing mostly consisted of her, Amy, Shen Jun Shan, and maybe Jin.

Shen Jun Shan was Amy's brother, so there was no way she did not want to go out with her brother.

If it's not Shen Jun Shan, could it be Jin? Qiao An's mind drifted to Jin, who looked gloomy and spiritless.

What could her brother possibly do this time?

Not all love stories started with love at first sight. 

This is a very typical story about ordinary people who fall in love in the most ordinary way; that is friendship turns into love -love but NOT AT FIRST SIGHT.

Qiao An and Shen Jun Shan became a good friend when Qiao An moved into the same apartment complex with Shen Jun Shan. 

The rest? You know how it goes.

(*English is my third language/chapters are not edited)

"Oh! The Queen of our University, Jayne Roy is here finally!" Katherine Bradford sarcastically clapped her hands.


"Miss Katherine Bradford! Glad to meet you!" Jayne remarked.


"I thought you'd accepted defeat and you'd never come back without even trying." Katherine Bradford retorted.


"Haha! Defeat? I've better things to do than having this unwanted conversation with you Miss Katherine Bradford. You better listen to what I say. On Friday, you can perform whichever dance form you want on the song of your choice. I will dance along. Either we'll share the stage together and perform or we'll dance one after the other. Let the jury members decide the best among the two." Jayne said all of that at once and didn't even wait for Katherine Bradford's response. She stormed away.


Katherine Bradford gritted her teeth and stomped her feet in response. "You…"


The Dalton sisters who watched everything from afar came to Katherine Bradford to add fuel to fire.


"Look at her audacity Kate! But then it's going to be an advantage to us. I just can't wait to see you defeat her on Friday!" Emma Dalton spoke first.


"Exactly Kate! She doesn't even know what an influential person your dad is. I don't think she'd be in any way related to Ronnie Roy. He might just be using her and she's using his surname." Ella Dalton added.


"That's what even I thought Ella. I'm sure she's in no way related to him. It might just be coincidental that Adam saw him with her. Or maybe it was a one-night stand. She's sure such a lowly girl." Katherine Bradford added.


Jayne went to the auditorium. She found Ms Jessica Parker busy with the students.


"Hello Ma'am!" Jayne greeted her.


"Oh Jayne Roy! You are here! I was looking for you for a week." Ms Jessica Parker took Jayne's hands.


"Ma'am I'm so sorry! My husband was at the hospital. Hence I couldn't come." Jayne explained.


"Oh is it? How's Mr Roy doing?" Ms Jessica Parker asked. 


"He's better now Ma'am. Thank you so much!" Jayne said.


"Jayne, it's the time of our fest. I want you to perform on the Inaugural function. But then, you weren't available. Hence, I tried to contact your Assistant Daniel West and asked him to inform you to see me as soon as possible." Ms Jessica Parker apprised.


"Oh yeah Ma'am! He did inform me about it. Hence, I came here." Jayne responded.


"Very good then. I'll confirm your spot for the Inaugural function. You can begin with the practise session." Ms Jessica Parker conveyed.


"Okay Ma'am. I will." Jayne answered.


She then went to pick the dance style and the song to perform on. She chose an aerial ballet dance form finally. She had to inform Shirley Symonds to prepare her costumes too. 


She went to Ms Jessica Parker's office and made a call to the company and connected to Shirley Symonds. 


"Hi Shirley!" Jayne exclaimed. 


"Hey gorgeous! What's up?" Shirley Symonds responded. 


"Shirley, there's and Inter-University Fest happening. Ms Jessica Parker has proposed my name for the Inaugural Dance. So, I need you to do the costumes." Jayne explained the reason for her call.


"Oh! Which dance form have you chosen gorgeous? What kind of dress do you want me to design?" Shirley Symonds asked.


"It's ballet Shirley. As for everything else about the costume, it's totally your choice! Who better knows what suits me the best! Your choice Shirley!" Jayne replied. 


"Thank you for trusting my choices gorgeous! Actually you are any designer's dream. Everything will look great on you. Let me check out what I can do this time for you." Shirley answered. 


"Also I need one of my traditional dance outfit just like how you'd designed the last time. I'm also taking part in a dance competition." Jayne added.


"No worries Jayne. I've done a lot of research on your dance form. I've already designed a couple of outfits and kept them handy for you to use when you want. This time it's a little different from the previous outfit. I'm looking forward to seeing you wear them." Shirley gushed.


"Oh wow Shirley! You truly are my saviour! I'll see you soon then!" Jayne replied. 


"It's nothing gorgeous! You can drop by at the company in the evening and try out the outfits." Shirley informed.


"Sure Shirley! See you later!" 


"See you gorgeous!"


With that Jayne hung up the call and proceeded to practise her dance.

For him,

She was a mystery...

She was like an ocean with secrets hidden in the deepest corners of her heart.

But he wanted to take a chance to unravel the mystery, dive deep into the bottom of her soul.

He was ready to fight against the world to have her by his side. 

After all love cannot be one of the monotonous things of life..


'Though this is the first ever time I'm meeting her, why do I feel like I've known her for ages?

It feels like I was incomplete all these years even though I've the world at my command. Why do I feel like my soul is ripping apart to see her suffering in pain?' 

He had innumerable questions in his mind on looking at the girl in his arms.

He hugged her close to him and felt like it wasn't just her body that he was hugging the very first time...it was that lost piece of his own soul that he hugged after ages....

He finally concluded, "But for now all I know is, if we both have met at such unexpected circumstances and I've the urge to protect her no matter what, it only means that we were fated to be here together. The universe has surely conspired for us to meet.."



But what about the mystery girl? 



Will she wake up? 



What about her life? 



Does she have the same feelings for him as he does?  



Or does she have a past love too?


--------------------------------------------


Disclaimer: All characters and incidents used in the novel are purely fictitious. Any resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental. 

The story basically revolves around romance. It's an  emotional roller-coaster and an easy going plot.


PS: This is the first ever time I'm trying my hand at writing something. Please support me and I'll try to give in my best. 

Image Credits: I don't own this cover, I found it on Pinterest images.

It must have been a good choice because Shirley nodded when she saw me. I got made up, which was a totally new thing for me then she lead me to this studio.
"We can do as many takes as we need," Shirley said, "and edit it to make it a good coherent video. So just relax and don't worry about making mistakes. Mistakes will just make you look human and people will love you for it."
"Great," I said and sat in one of the chairs. We sat for a moment while the camera people did what they needed to do, then Shirley started off with a bit of an interview.
"So, Tuni, tell me what you can about the incidents that brought you here."
"I can't really comment on the criminal part of the case," I said, "since it is still under investigation." 
"Of course," Shirley said, "but what can you tell me about your feelings about what has happened?"
"Most people would think that I'm angry because I've been bullied since I started school. They would assume that the attempted **** would be the thing that would occupy my every waking thought." I took a sip of water to ease my throat. These words were harder to say than I had thought. "I would be lying if I claimed not to be angry, even enraged about these things. They were horrible things, but they aren't the source of my real anger." I stood up and did a slow spin before I sat down again. 
"You can see that I'm a girl. I don't look as old as I might like, but everybody treats me like a girl because of how I look. I have a very good friend who doesn't have that luxury. She was born into a body that didn't fit her, so she spends every day trying to convince people that her looks don't define who she is. My friend feels in the essence of her being that she is a girl,  people look at her body and say 'boy'. Because of that, she has been bullied, isolated and demonized, not only by the students, which would be bad enough, but by the system that is supposed to support and educate her.
 "My friend rescued me on several occasions, but she was vilified because some people were certain that they knew who she was better than she did. What I went through was bad, but what she goes through every day is worse. It should be possible for us to recognize the best expert on who a person is, is the person themselves. Sure they'll make mistakes and change their mind, but that isn't possible if we tell them that they are mistaken in the very core of who they are."
We went through the whole thing about a dozen times. Sometimes I added a bit, sometimes I moved things around. After we finished with the taping, Shirley showed me how they edited all that stuff into a single usable video. She handed me a disc with the video on it.
"Don't post it until we've played it on the six o'clock news."
"Sure, thanks," I said, "I have to set up a website and some other stuff anyway."
"Send me the link to your site." Shirley said as she dropped me off at my house.
     


Author:
Alex McGilvery has been reading since before he can remember, and writing almost that long. He has published 18 books and is author and editor at his imprint Celticfrog Publishing. He lives in Kamloops with his dog and the stories clawing their way out of his head.

Petunia Smith is a senior in High School. The good news is that she only has to survive one more year in the battleground of High School relationships. The bad news is that she is short, shapeless and the preferred target of the cheerleader captain. Petunia knows what she needs to do, but when Marilyn walks into their home room all bets are off. The only thing worse than being Marilyn in Punkie's Hounds High School, may be becoming Marilyn's friend, but Petunia doesn't let that stop her.

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